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☆ China has a 'stunning lead' over the US in the research of 37 out of 44 critical and emerging technologies, new study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China leads the US in the research of 37 out of 44 key technologies tracked by an Australian think tank. These critical and emerging technologies span a range of sectors including defense, space, and energy. China's research lead in these sectors could have implications for democratic nations. The report's authors warned that China's research dominance in strategic sectors could have adverse implications for democratic nations. In the immediate term, the lead could allow China to "gain a stranglehold on the global supply of certain critical technologies."

☆ Vietnam Communist Party nominates Vo Van Thuong as new president - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HANOI, March 1 (Reuters) - Vietnam's Communist Party has nominated Vo Van Thuong as the country's new president, two party sources said on Wednesday, following the sudden forced resignation in January of his predecessor as part of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign. Thuong, 52, is the youngest member of the party's Politburo, the country's top decision-making body, and is widely regarded as being close to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam's most powerful figure. Both the government and Communist Party said on Wednesday the party's Central Committee had agreed on a nomination for president, without naming the candidate. The president in Vietnam holds a largely ceremonial role, but is among the top four political figures in the country, together with the party's general secretary, the prime minister and the head of the national assembly. Speaking at a party meeting last month, Thuong said: "The people's lawful and legitimate interests must be the important starting point of all the Party's guidelines and policies".

☆ Australian exporters rekindle China ties amid diplomatic thaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Australian business leaders are following the political signals. Fortescue Metals (FMG.AX) founder Andrew Forrest, BHP (BHP.AX) head Mike Henry and Tim Ford, chief executive of tariff-hit winemaker Treasury Wine Estate (TWE.AX), have scheduled visits to China in March. At least 15 vessels carrying Australian coal were bound for China last week as traders bet already-reduced trade barriers will fall further. "People are starting to get on the front foot," Grain Trade Australia Chief Executive Pat O'Shannassy told Reuters. A shipment of Australian coal diverted to Vietnam last week after waiting at a Chinese port for five days without unloading.

☆ Australia's foreign interference laws designed for China - former PM Turnbull
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CANBERRA, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Exposing China's activities was the "key purpose" of Australia's foreign interference laws, but the scheme has failed to do this, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who introduced the laws, said on Tuesday. The Australian government was careful not to name China when introducing laws to prevent foreign interference in 2018, but the move nonetheless sparked tension with Australia's largest trading partner that later developed into a diplomatic freeze. Turnbull told a parliamentary committee the "key purpose" of a foreign interest register was to disclose the links the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department had formed in Australia. The committee is examining whether to adjust the foreign interference laws to improve their effectiveness. Australia's government plans to "out" foreign interference operations that are targeting politicians, academics and community leaders, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said earlier this month.

SINGAPORE, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Chinese utilities and traders have stepped up purchases of Australian coal in February, encouraged by signs of further policy relaxation after trade partially resumed last month following a two-year hiatus. At least 15 vessels hauling about 1.4 million tonnes of February-loading Australian coal are bound for China, according to shiptracking data from Refinitiv and Kpler. Reuters GraphicsAnother more than 1 million tonnes of thermal coal have been booked to load in March, a senior trader with a state-run Chinese utility said. "In theory, firms who acquire the licence would be able to get their cargoes through customs," said another Chinese utility official. Chinese buyers may also face competition in Australian coal purchases as producers have pivoted their sales to other markets in China's absence.

☆ Scientists unlock secrets of Earth's wickedly hot innermost realm
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The planet's internal structure comprises four layers: a rocky crust on the outside, then a rocky mantle, an outer core made of magma and a solid inner core. This metallic inner core, about 1,500 miles (2,440) wide, was discovered in the 1930s, also based on seismic waves traveling through Earth. Scientists in 2002 proposed that lurking within this inner core was an innermost section separate from the rest, akin to a Russian Matryoshka nesting doll. The researchers were able to differentiate the two regions because the seismic waves acted differently between them. "The latent heat released from solidifying the Earth's inner core drives the convection in the liquid outer core, generating Earth's geomagnetic field," Pham said.

NATO has just completed an extraordinary survey of the remaining munition stocks, a NATO official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "Those NATO (munitions targets) that we set, and each ally has a specific target, those were not being met for the most part (before the Ukraine war)," the official said. "I would be absolutely gobsmacked if the targets…were not increased," said the NATO official. After the Cold War, the production of ammunition had turned "quite artisanal", said the NATO official. "I don't necessarily think that within the next year our stockpile levels will increase massively," the NATO official said.

☆ MSCI’s Adani cut signals fat tail risks for India
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Shritama Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Hindenburg founder Nathan Anderson sees MSCI's move as a validation of his group’s findings of “stock parking” by Adani. The Securities and Exchange Board of India, headed by former banker Madhabi Puri Buch, acknowledged unusual price movements this month, but without naming the Adani group. But the longer the controversy drags on, there will be a fat tail risk for Adani and all his stakeholders. CONTEXT NEWSGlobal index provider MSCI on Feb. 9 cut its determined free floats for four Adani companies. It reduced those of Adani Enterprises, Adani Total Gas, Adani Transmission and ACC, and said any resulting changes will be implemented at the close of Feb. 28.

☆ Shunned by the US, Turkey is preparing to launch its first aircraft carrier — but it will come with a twist
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Turkey will instead operate the Anadolu with drones, using them to project power across the region. The US kicked Turkey out of the F-35 program in 2019, leaving Ankara without fighter jets for its new carrier. Strictly speaking, Anadolu is not a dedicated aircraft carrier but an amphibious assault ship — specifically a landing helicopter dock, or LHD. Turkey was a Level III partner in the US-led F-35 program, with Turkish companies making about 900 parts for the aircraft. Turkish carrier dronesTCG Anadolu in Istanbul in September 2022.

☆ Australia orders review into Chinese-made cameras in defence offices
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationSYDNEY, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The Australian government will examine surveillance technology used in offices of the defence department, Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Thursday, amid reports the Chinese-made cameras installed there raised security risks. The move comes after Britain in November asked its departments to stop installing Chinese-linked surveillance cameras at sensitive buildings. Some U.S. states have banned vendors and products from several Chinese technology companies. Australian media reported on Wednesday that the national war memorial in Canberra would remove several Chinese-made security cameras installed on the premises over concerns of spying. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was not concerned about how Beijing might react to the removal of cameras.

☆ Australia to remove Chinese-made security cameras from national war memorial -reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Australia's national war memorial will remove several Chinese-made security cameras installed on the premises because officials are concerned they could be used for spying, local media reported on Wednesday. Eleven surveillance cameras manufactured by Hikvision (002415.SZ), partly owned by Chinese state investors, will be removed from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra by mid-2023, according to the Canberra Times. The Australian War Memorial said in a statement on Wednesday it did not comment on security matters. Opposition senator James Paterson said on Wednesday he is conducting a full audit of all government departments and agencies for possible exposure to Chinese-made surveillance devices. Paterson first raised the issue of Chinese-made surveillance equipment during public hearings last year.

☆ Australia, New Zealand talk up their relationships with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand talked up their relationships with China at a joint prime ministerial news conference on Tuesday in the latest sign of strengthening ties with their biggest trading partner. "The trade to China is more than the next three highest trading partners combined. It's in Australia's national interest to have good economic relations and to trade with China." New Zealand has historically taken a more conciliatory approach to China - a stance that has led to pressure from some elements among its Western allies. It is part of the Five Eyes intelligence and security alliance which includes Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States.

☆ China willing to restart trade dialogue with Australia after talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The virtual meeting "represents another important step in the stabilisation of Australia's relations with China," Farrell said after the first talks between the trade ministers of the two countries since 2019. Wang said China is willing to restart the mechanism facilitating dialogue with Australia on economic and trade issues and to expand cooperation in emerging areas including climate change and the new energy sectors. China's top economic planner in May 2021 suspended all activity under a China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue which was an important forum for Australia and China to work through issues relevant to bilateral economic partnership. The Chinese statement said Australia was also willing to work with China to enhance mutual trust and resolve differences through candid dialogue. Wang described China and Australia as important economic and trade partners, with a highly complementary economic structure, making cooperation mutually beneficial.

☆ Australia PM pushes for bipartisan support on Indigenous referendum
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Renju Jose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will push for bipartisan support on a referendum that aims to set up an Indigenous consultative committee in parliament, when it meets on Monday for the first time this year. The landmark referendum, to be held later this year, will establish an Indigenous "Voice", that can make representations to parliament on policies affecting them. If passed, that would add language to its constitution - which cannot be amended without a referendum - to recognise Australia's Indigenous citizens for the first time. "It might just make some people's lives, some of the most disadvantaged people in our country, their lives better." The federal opposition Liberal Party has not yet backed the referendum but a group, which includes some prominent Indigenous Australians and lawmakers, have launched a campaign against it.

[1/2] Jan 15, 2023; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Nick Kyrgios of Australia during a practice session on court 16 at Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY SportsSYDNEY, Feb 3 (Reuters) - A common assault charge against Nick Kyrgios was dismissed in a Canberra court on Friday, despite the tennis player earlier pleading guilty. The charge related to a 2021 incident involving his former girlfriend Chiara Passari. "Just recovery, get back on court," said Kyrgios outside court when asked by a reporter about his immediate plans. "I respect today's ruling and I'm grateful to the court for dismissing the charges without conviction," he said in an Instagram post.

☆ Thousands rally for 'Invasion Day' protests on Australia Day holiday
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Thousands of Australians marked the country's national holiday on Thursday with rallies in support of the nation's Indigenous people, many of whom describe the anniversary of the day a British fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour as "Invasion Day". An annual poll by market research company Roy Morgan released this week showed nearly two-thirds of Australians say Jan. 26 should be considered "Australia Day", largely unchanged from a year ago. The rest believe it should be "Invasion Day". Australia's largest telecoms company, Telstra Corp Ltd (TLS.AX), this year gave its staff the option to work on Jan. 26 and take another day off instead. The constitution, which came into effect in January 1901 and can't be amended without a referendum, does not refer to the country's Indigenous people.

LAUNCESTON, Australia, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The premium of high-grade thermal coal over coking coal in Asia is shrinking as China's re-opening and ending of a ban on imports from Australia powers a rally for coking coal, a key steelmaking ingredient. Newcastle thermal coal futures have traded above coking coal contracts since June 1 last year - something that had not occurred previously in the history of the two contracts. At the same time, coking coal prices weakened as steel production outside China softened while the global economy simultaneously tried to deal with an energy crisis and the accompanying surge in inflation. Thermal coal vs coking coal pricesAUSTRALIA EXPORTSIt's worth noting that the end of Beijing's unofficial ban on coal imports from Australia has yet to show up in any meaningful way in China's imports, although there are signs that coking coal flows will resume. This raises the possibility that coking coal prices will continue to rally, while thermal coal prices may soften as the northern winter ends.

☆ Australia to speed up purchase of sea mines to shore up maritime defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Australia said on Monday it would accelerate plans to buy advanced sea mines to protect its maritime routes and ports from "potential aggressors" amid China's plans to increase its influence in the Pacific region. The so-called smart sea mines are designed to differentiate between military targets and other types of ships, a defence department spokesperson said in a statement. "(Australia) is accelerating the acquisition of smart sea mines, which will help to secure sea lines of communication and protect Australia's maritime approaches," it said. The federal government will soon announce a contract to buy "a substantial number" of sea mines from a European weapons supplier, the report said, citing unidentified defence industry sources. So we have looked at missile defence, we're looking at cyber security, we're looking at all of these issues," Albanese said.

☆ China's coal imports from Russia fall in Dec, but up 20% in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Jan 20 (Reuters) - China's coal imports from Russia dropped in December as logistics issues and inclement winter in Russia curbed shipments and Chinese demand weakened amid surging COVID infections. Some 6.89 million tonnes of Russian coal reached China last month, down from 7.16 million tonnes in November, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Friday. Arrivals of Indonesian coal were 17.53 million tonnes last month, down from 20.04 million tonnes in November. During the January-December period, China's imports totalled 170.71 million tonnes, down 12.6% from 2021. The customs data on Friday showed no coal imports from Australia in December.

☆ Australia says it's 'troubled' by delays in writer's espionage trial verdict in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A verdict in the espionage trial of Australian writer Yang Hengjun, detained by China since his arrest there four years ago, has been delayed until April, the seventh such delay, his supporters said on Thursday. Pro-democracy blogger Yang is an Australian citizen born in China who was working in New York before his arrest at Guangzhou airport in 2019, coinciding with deteriorating relations between Australia and China. A Beijing court heard Yang's trial in secret in May 2021 and the case against him has never been publicly disclosed. "The Australian government is deeply troubled by the ongoing delays in his case. A verdict in Yang's trial has been delayed by the court seven times, and his lawyer was told the deadline had been extended a further three months to April, his supporters told Reuters.

☆ Senior Australian official asks China to remove trade impediments
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Jan 20(Reuters) - Australia's Assistant Minister for Trade Tim Ayres called for the removal of China's "trade impediments" on Australian exports in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, his office said. China's Xinhua news agency earlier reported that Thursday's meeting between Australian and Chinese officials had agreed that trade ministers from the two nations will hold virtual discussions "in the near future." No date has been set for the video meeting between Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and his Australian counterpart, Don Farrell, it said. "Assistant Minister Ayres raised the importance of cooperation to deliver the outcomes of the World Trade Organization 12th Ministerial Conference, and the removal of current trade impediments affecting Australian exports to China in both countries' interests," a spokeswoman for Ayres said in a statement. Canberra has two complaints at the World Trade Organisation against China's tariffs on Australian wine and barley, and is watching to see if Beijing lifts unofficial trade blockages on other Australian exports.

☆ Sun Cable project: Billionaires' feud over Australia-Singapore cable escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The proposed Sun Cable project would see a subsea cable stretch from Darwin to Singapore. A statement from Cannon-Brookes’ private investment arm, Grok Ventures, suggested all investors except Forrest’s investment arm Squadron Energy remain committed to the cable. Tim Buckley, director of Climate Energy Finance, says the export of green hydrogen (hydrogen generated from renewable energy) is at least a decade away. “The market for green hydrogen exports has sort of deflated quite dramatically when people realize there’ll be a decade or two before you can actually ship green hydrogen anywhere overseas,” he said. For example, Xlinks plans to run a cable almost as long and powerful from Morocco to the United Kingdom.

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 (Reuters) - China welcomes foreign investment and will continue to open up to the world, the country's Vice-Premier Liu He told the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on Tuesday. "China will always promote all-round opening up, and improve the level and quality of opening up," he said. "Foreign investments are welcome in China, and the door to China will only open up further." Its Davos turnout also contrasts with the conspicuous absence of Russia, a key ally and whose invasion of Ukraine China has refused to condemn. At Davos, Liu will meet leaders from other countries and members of the business community including CEOs from finance, tech, consumer and industrial companies, a Chinese official familiar with the matter told Reuters.

☆ Kyrgios braces for pressure as home favourite at Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 14 (Reuters) - With Ash Barty enjoying a comfortable retirement, Nick Kyrgios will be far and away the top drawcard for home fans at the Australian Open, feeling both privilege and pressure to meet expectations after his best season in 2022. "I walked in here at the Australian Open maybe eight, nine years ago as a wild card. 'How are you feeling about Australian Open? Though having not completed a tour match since October, Kyrgios has still managed to hog the limelight in the leadup to Melbourne Park. But the pair have become much closer since Kyrgios defended Djokovic during his deportation ordeal in the run-up to last year's Australian Open.

☆ Australian Cardinal George Pell, whose abuse conviction was overturned, dies at 81
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

CANBERRA, Australia — Cardinal George Pell, who was the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of child sex abuse before his convictions were later overturned, has died in Rome at age 81. Pell, an Australian, was once the third-highest ranked Catholic in the Vatican after earlier serving as the Archbishop of Melbourne and Archbishop of Sydney. But Pell returned to his native Australia in 2017 in an attempt to clear his name of child sex charges. Pell’s reputation remained tarnished by the church’s child sex abuse scandal. Pell was born on June 8, 1941, the eldest of three children to a heavyweight champion boxer and publican also named George Pell, an Anglican.

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