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HONG KONG/TAIPEI, June 4 (Reuters) - Hong Kong police said on Sunday they had detained eight people near a park, four of them for "seditious intention and disorderly conduct", as authorities tightened security on the 34th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Restrictions in Hong Kong have stifled what were once the biggest vigils marking the bloody crackdown by Chinese troops on pro-democracy demonstrators, leaving cities like London, New York, Berlin and Taipei to keep alive the memory on the June 4 anniversary. The eight people were detained near Victoria Park, where for years after 1989 democracy activists gathered on the Tiananmen Square anniversary. Security is significantly tighter across Hong Kong this year, with up to 6,000 police officers deployed, including riot and anti-terrorism officers, the public broadcaster said. Jailed Hong Kong activist Chow Hang-tung, one of the leaders of a group called The Alliance, which used to organise Hong Kong's annual June 4 vigils before it was disbanded in 2021, said on Facebook she would hold a 34-hour hunger strike in prison.

Persons: Sanmu Chan, Hongkongers don’t, Hong, Chow, Mao Ning, William Lai, James Pomfret, Robert Birsel Organizations: Hong Kong, Reuters, Police, The, Hong, Facebook, Foreign, Democratic Progressive, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, TAIPEI, Hong, Hong Kong, London , New York, Berlin, Taipei, North America, Europe, Asia, Victoria Park, China, Beijing, Taiwan

HONG KONG/TAIPEI, June 4 (Reuters) - Hong Kong police searched and detained scores of people on Sunday, including four arrested for "seditious" intent, as authorities tightened security for the 34th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. [1/6] Police detain a woman with paper flowers in downtown on the 34th anniversary of the 1989 Beijing's Tiananmen Square crackdown, near where the candlelight vigil is usually held, in Hong Kong, China June 4, 2023. 'CLEAR CONCLUSION'Despite the warnings in Hong Kong, some individuals, including book shop owners, have been quietly marking June 4. Peggy Kwan, 57, an interpreter at the event, expressed sadness at the stifling of commemorations in Hong Kong. "Hong Kong is moving backward," she said.

Persons: Alexandra Wong, Chris, Tyrone Siu, Hong, Chow, Mao Ning, Peggy Kwan, William Lai, Yew Lun Tian, Joyce Zhou, Angie Teo, James Redmayne, James Pomfret, Robert Birsel, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hong Kong, Britain, Police, REUTERS, New, Rights, The, Facebook, Foreign, Taiwan, Democratic Progressive, Town, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, TAIPEI, Hong, Hong Kong, Taipei, London , New York, Berlin, Victoria, China, Kong, Beijing, Tiananmen, New York, Taiwan, Sydney, North America, Europe, Asia

☆ Kosovo tensions: Why did ethnic Serbs attack NATO peacekeepers?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Dozens of NATO peacekeepers were injured after they were attacked by ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo, during protests over the installation of ethnically Albanian mayors. More than a decade on, these municipalities have not been created, leaving disputes over the degree of autonomy for Kosovo’s Serbs to fester. Valdrin Xhemaj/ReutersFearing potential violence, Kosovo’s central election commission changed plans to put voting booths in local schools, instead setting up mobile huts patrolled by NATO peacekeepers. Of these, more than 16,000 are ethnic Serbs – with only around 500 ethnic Albanians. The peacekeeping mission said that it had increased its presence in northern Kosovo after the newly elected ethnically Albanian mayors took office in majority Kosovo Serb areas.

☆ China urges U.S. to meet it halfway, bring ties back on track
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, May 22 (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry on Monday urged the United States to have the right understanding of China, meet it halfway and bring bilateral relations back on track. Mao Ning, a ministry spokesperson, made the remarks in response to U.S. President Joe Biden suggesting that a shift in U.S.-China relations could occur soon. Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ California's cannabis firms band together to address credit woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 16 (Reuters) - A coalition of cannabis firms, representing about 45% sales volume in California, on Tuesday started an effort to address credit issues that have plagued the state's legal cannabis market. Cannabis operators including Kiva Sales & Service, Lowell Farms, Nabis, Sunderstorm launched Financial Stability for California Cannabis (FSCC) and issued a public letter in support of Assembly Bill 766. The bill, dubbed "The Cannabis Credit Protection Act", seeks to establish regulatory safeguards around cannabis sales made on credit. Most U.S. banks do not service cannabis companies as marijuana remains federally illegal, despite several states like California legalizing its medicinal and recreational use, leaving the industry largely cash-based and capital-limited. The lack of capital means that the cannabis sales across the supply chain are largely made on credit terms with license holders agreeing to pay for goods and services at a specified later date.

☆ We may never know where the COVID pandemic originated
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

LONDONIt’s the enduring mystery of the COVID-19 pandemic: Where did the virus come from? They also mostly agree that many of the earliest known infections and deaths clustered around a wildlife market in Wuhan, China. Others suspect the pathogen somehow leaked from a Wuhan laboratory, 27 km from the market, where researchers study bat viruses. One concentration of jump zones includes a region of mountains and lakes about 175 km southeast of the Wuhan market. In late 2002, the SARS-CoV-1 virus emerged in Guangdong province, in southern China, and became the SARS pandemic of 2003.

Some Chinatown residents benefited from the development boom, selling properties to developers or drawing more customers from increased foot traffic. Some residents have shown tentative support for the luxury buildings, saying they might make the neighborhood safer or bring in wealthier Asian residents who could boost Chinatown's economy. Manhattan Chinatown's housing stock is "really aged," which has led to costly fires, according to Thomas Yu, executive director of Asian Americans for Equality. Chinatowns and the pandemicMany debates surrounding luxury development and affordable housing were accelerated by the pandemic, which shuttered hundreds of businesses across Chinatowns. However, business owners who spoke with CNBC said Chinatown's businesses, though still recovering, are keeping the city's culture alive.

☆ Buying global A.I. stocks? Here are the 3 risks investors should watch closely, HSBC says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Asian companies exposed to artificial intelligence have seen a 30% increase in value since November 2022 — when ChatGPT was unveiled. However, HSBC has warned that investors should consider three significant risks before investing in AI stocks: disappointing demand, increased competition, and regulations. "Nothing is more exciting for investors and entrepreneurs than discovering a potentially huge market for new products and services," said the bank's strategists led by Herald van der Linde. They added that these powerful narratives pushed stock prices up but eventually saw prices come back down due to various factors. Having laid out its framework, HSBC also named the following stocks exposed to artificial intelligence that their analysts cover.

Tokyo CNN —Japan is in talks to open a NATO liaison office, the first of its kind in Asia, the country’s foreign minister told CNN in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made the world less stable. “We are already in discussions, but no details (have been) finalized yet,” Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Wednesday. The Nikkei Asia first reported plans to open the office in Japan last Wednesday, citing unnamed Japanese and NATO officials. China, which has previously warned against NATO expanding its reach into Asia or a similar bloc emerging in the region, has already responded angrily to previous reports on the possible Japan office. Hayashi played down concerns that opening a Tokyo NATO office could further inflame tensions, saying: “I don’t feel that’s the case.”The country has had a pacifist constitution since World War II – which he argued is reflected in this move.

HONG KONG, May 4 (Reuters) - China's biggest financial data provider Wind Information Co told some customers late last year that it was restricting offshore users from accessing certain business and economic data as a result of the cybersecurity regulator's new data rules, two sources said. Restricted access to Wind by offshore users comes as China sharpens its focus on data usage and security amid rising geopolitical tensions and concerns about privacy in the world's second-largest economy. A Wind salesperson told the source in September the company had made the changes as per instructions from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), which asked it to stop providing offshore users with certain data. The restrictions on offshore users' access to certain Wind data have expanded since last September, said the first source. Reuters has reported, citing sources that Chinese data providers including company databases Qichacha, partially owned by Wind, and TianYanCha have stopped opening to offshore users for at least months.

☆ Canada summons Chinese ambassador over allegations of political interference
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Paula Newton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Ottawa CNN —Canada summoned China’s ambassador on Wednesday to respond to allegations of political interference and intimidation. However, she admitted Canada’s government was carefully weighing the possibility of retaliation by China, which denies interfering in Canadian political affairs. CNN asked China’s foreign ministry about the allegations, specifically the accusations made by CSIS about political interference and attempts at intimidation made by a Chinese diplomat. “China always opposes any country’s interference in other countries internal affairs. We have never had and have no interest in interfering in Canada’s internal affairs.

☆ China urges 'high vigilance' over NATO expansion in Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, May 4 (Reuters) - China said on Thursday "high vigilance" was needed in the face of NATO's "eastward expansion" following a media report the alliance is planning to set up an office in Japan to facilitate consultations with allies in the region. NATO is planning to open its first liaison office in Asia, in Japan, to facilitate talks with security partners such as South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, with geopolitical challenges from China and Russia in mind, the Nikkei Asia reported on Wednesday, citing Japanese and NATO officials. The Nikkei Asia said the proposed office was due to open next year in Tokyo. Asked about the Nikkei Asia report, NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said earlier the alliance would not go into details of NATO allies' deliberations. Reporting by Yew Lun Tian; writing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Philippines rebukes Beijing for 'dangerous manoeuvres' in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Neil Jerome Morales | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The incident occurred on Sunday during a Philippine coast guard patrol close to the Philippine-held Second Thomas Shoal, a flashpoint for previous altercations located 105 nautical miles (195 km) off its coast. One of the two Chinese vessels "carried out dangerous manoeuvres" about 150 feet (45.72 m) from a Philippine ship, it said. In February, the Philippines said a Chinese ship had directed a "military-grade laser" at one of its resupply vessels. China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Friday said the Philippine vessels had intruded into Chinese waters and "made deliberate provocative moves". "We urge the Philippines to respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights," Mao said, adding the Chinese vessels acted professionally and with restraint.

Unlike the chubby, fluffy image of her younger self, 22-year-old Ya Ya has appeared skinny in recent photos, with her black and white coat missing clumps of fur. But Le Le died suddenly of heart disease in early February, further fueling suspicions of mistreatment. Throughout the past weeks, Ya Ya regularly appeared as a top trending topic on Weibo, each time attracting hundreds of millions of views. Allegations of mistreatmentWhen Ya Ya and Le Le arrived at Memphis in 2003, it was a huge deal for the city. A petition by Panda Voices to bring Ya Ya and Le Le back to China on change.org has garnered 193,000 signatures.

☆ Guatemala president pledges strong support for 'Republic of Taiwan'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Speaking at a welcoming ceremony outside Taiwan's presidential office, Giammattei said Guatemala and Taiwan were "brotherly countries" and important allies. Speaking in Spanish, he referred twice to the "Republic of Taiwan", rather than its official name, the Republic of China, generally stylised these days by the government as the Republic of China, Taiwan. Giammattei, standing next to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, ended his speech with a rousing "long live free Taiwan", receiving a broad smile from Tsai who thanked him in English. [1/6] Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen walks next to Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei during his welcome ceremony in front of the Presidential building in Taipei, Taiwan April 25, 2023. Giammattei is paying a return visit to Taiwan after Tsai visited Guatemala less than a month ago.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China respects the sovereign status of the former Soviet republics. Photo: Andy Wong/Associated PressChina said that it respected the sovereignty of former Soviet republics, seeking to contain a diplomatic uproar after Beijing’s ambassador to France appeared to question their status under international law. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said there had been no change in Beijing’s position after three Baltic states—Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia—said they would summon Chinese officials over the ambassador’s remarks, which suggested that the former Soviet republics weren’t legitimate.

☆ China respects ex-Soviet states as sovereign nations - foreign ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, April 24 (Reuters) - China respects the status of the independent sovereign nations that emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday, after Beijing's envoy to Paris sparked a diplomatic storm by questioning their sovereignty. "The Chinese side respects the status of the member states as sovereign states after the collapse of the Soviet Union," Mao said, adding that China was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with those countries. China respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries and upholds the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, Mao said. And only sovereign states can become official members of the United Nations, she said. "The country you mentioned is a full member of the United Nations."

☆ Factbox: Lu Shaye: Chinese envoy who questioned Ukraine's sovereignty no stranger to controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It is not the first time Lu Shaye, 58, a prominent practitioner of China's abrasive 'wolf warrior' diplomacy, has courted controversy since taking up his post in Paris in 2019. A transcript of Lu's remarks posted on the Chinese embassy's official WeChat account were subsequently deleted. Asked about Lu's comments on Monday, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing respects the sovereignty of all former republics of the Soviet Union, which was dissolved in 1991. Lu said that Taiwanese people had been brainwashed by ideas about independence, and that they can become patriots after being "re-educated". Beijing repeatedly criticised western countries for mismanaging the COVID-19 pandemic by not doing enough to prevent the virus from spreading.

☆ China says it respects ex-Soviet nations after envoy’s 'unacceptable' comments on sovereignty
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China said Monday it respects the independency of former Soviet nations after remarks by its ambassador in France were deemed "unacceptable" in Europe. It comes as the 27 members of the European Union reassess their diplomatic and economic relationship with Beijing. That sentiment was echoed by Estonian Foreign Affairs Minister Margus Tsahkna, "We are an independent country, member of the EU, of NATO. Speaking also in Luxembourg, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said the comments of the Chinese ambassador were "totally unacceptable." This is just the latest episode in a series of controversial events between China and the European Union.

☆ India rejects China's renaming of places along disputed border
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI/BEIJING, April 4 (Reuters) - India rejected on Tuesday the renaming by China of places in what India regards as its eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as part of its territory. The statement included a map that showed the 11 places renamed by China as being within "Zangnan", or southern Tibet in Chinese, with Arunachal Pradesh included in southern Tibet and China's border with India demarcated as just north of the Brahmaputra river. "Arunachal Pradesh is, has been and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India," Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Twitter. But a spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry said the name changes were "completely within the scope of China's sovereignty". "The southern Tibet region is Chinese territory," the spokesperson, Mao Ning, told a regular media briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.

☆ China says unmanned airship over US was isolated, unexpected event
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, April 4 (Reuters) - China has made it clear that the unmanned civilian airship that flew over U.S. terriory was an unexpected and isolated event, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. "China rejects distortion and hyping up of this incident," spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing when answering a question on the Pentagon saying that it could not confirm China collected real-time data from the balloon earlier this year. Reporting by Laurie Chen; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China dissatisfied with Japan's chip export restrictions -spokesperson
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, April 3 (Reuters) - China was strongly dissatisfied with Japan's export restrictions on chip manufacturing equipment, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday. China hoped Japan would act on its statements of cooperation with China and take an objective stance, Mao told reporters at a regular briefing. Japan said on Friday it would restrict exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, aligning its technology trade controls with a U.S. push to curb China's ability to make advanced chips. read moreReporting by Beijing newsroom Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Hong Kong/Tokyo CNN —Japan will restrict the overseas sale of chip manufacturing equipment, joining the United States and the Netherlands in curbing the export of key technology to China. The ministry said it would require stricter procedures to export to about 160 destinations such as China, while 42 territories — including the United States, South Korea and Taiwan — are recognized by Japan as having adequate export controls in place. All exports to countries not formally recognized will now require approval from the Japanese trade ministry, it added. The restrictions are not aimed at a specific country, the trade ministry told CNN on Friday. In October, the United States banned Chinese companies from buying advanced chips and chipmaking equipment without a license.

BEIJING/ WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - China on Thursday called remarks by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen "irresponsible" and "unreasonable" after Yellen said Beijing's lending activities leave developing countries "trapped in debt." Yellen on Wednesday said she was concerned by some of China's activities globally, particularly its lending to developing countries. "We do not accept unreasonable accusations from the United States," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a news briefing on Thursday. "The United States should take practical actions to help developing countries, instead of pointing fingers at other countries and making irresponsible remarks," Mao added. China says it has always followed international rules and carried out investment and financing cooperation with developing countries with openness and transparency.

☆ Ukraine appears to be trying to capitalize on cracks in China and Russia's alliance after a nuclear snub from Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited China's Xi Jinping to Ukraine. It comes after cracks emerged in Xi's alliance with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Xi has proposed a plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Putin last weekend said he planned to station nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, breaking an agreement Russia had signed only days before at the summit with China. The US has warned that China may be preparing to arm Russia, a claim China has denied.

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