DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ China's Foreign Ministry requests consulates in Hong Kong to give data of local staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Jessie Pang | Thomson Reuters | Jessie Pang Joined Reuters In After An Internship. She Covers Hong Kong With A Focus On Politics | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FLIE PHOTO: The Chinese national flag is seen in front of the financial district Central on the Chinese National Day in Hong Kong, China October 1, 2022. In a letter seen by Reuters, The Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry wrote that consulates must comply with the request by Oct 18th. The letter was sent to all consulates according to media outlets Hong Kong Free Press and local Ming Pao newspaper. China's Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong government did not immediately respond to request for comment. Additional reporting by Liz Lee in Beijing and Greg Torode in Hong Kong; writing by Farah Master; editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Liz Lee, Greg Torode, Farah, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Ministry, Reuters, China’s Foreign Ministry, British, Consular, European Union, Hong Kong Free Press, Ming Pao, Foreign Ministry, Hong, US, Thomson Locations: Central, Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Beijing, Vienna, British

☆ China Says Britain's Plans to Disrupt Hong Kong 'Doomed to Fail'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry in Hong Kong slammed a six month report on the financial hub by Britain, saying it ignored "good" societal conditions, a more stable business environment and instead supported "anti China" chaos. While some Western governments have criticised the laws as curbing social and political freedoms in the city, both Chinese and Hong Kong officials have said they were vital to restore stability. Hong Kong, which returned to China in 1997 from Britain, has had "universal success" in implementing the practise of 'one country, two systems', China's foreign ministry said. "Plans to disrupt Hong Kong are doomed to fail." The British report said that authorities continue to try to use legal routes to suppress the protest anthem 'Glory to Hong Kong' while media tycoon Jimmy Lai's national security trial has been further delayed.

Persons: Hong, Jimmy Lai's, Farah Master, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Britain, China, Beijing

BERLIN, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Germany's interior ministry is planning to force telecoms operators to slash the use of equipment from Huawei (HWT.UL) and ZTE in their 5G networks after a review highlighted an over-reliance on these Chinese suppliers, a government official said. Huawei currently accounts for 59% of Germany's 5G RAN networks, according to a survey by telecommunications consultancy Strand Consult. The interior ministry wants to present its approach to cabinet from next week but could face resistance from the ministry for digital affairs due to concerns it might affect Germany's already slow progress with digitalization. Germany is considered a laggard in implementing the European Union's toolbox of security measures for 5G networks. The interior ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Persons: Nancy, Faeser, Reinhard Brandl, Andreas Rinke, Sarah Marsh, Sabine Wollrab, Mark Potter Organizations: Huawei, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Germany's, Strand, ZTE, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, China

BEIJING, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Proposed changes to a Chinese public security law to criminalise comments, clothing or symbols that "undermine the spirit" or "harm the feelings" of the country have triggered the concern of legal experts, who say the amendments could be used arbitrarily. This week, several legal scholars and bloggers wrote editorials and social media posts calling for the removal of certain articles in the draft. "Who confirms the 'spirit of the Chinese nation' and according to what procedure? wrote Tong Zhiwei, a constitutional studies scholar at the East China University of Political Science and Law, on his Weibo social media account. Many people took to Chinese social media to express their worries that the amendments could lead to more censorship.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Tong Zhiwei, Tong, Martin Quin Pollard, Miral Organizations: National People's Congress, East China University of Political Science, Weibo, NPC, Global Times, Thomson Locations: BEIJING

Five judges from Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal handed down their decision on Tuesday, following years of legal battles challenging the government’s refusal to let gay people get married or form a civil union partnership. Hong Kong does not allow or grant same-sex marriage or unions, even though homosexuality has been decriminalized in the city since 1991. Jerome Yau, co-founder of Hong Kong Marriage Equality, said he is “cautiously optimistic” as he awaits further details to be hammered out. Polls in Hong Kong have shown growing support for same-sex equality among the public, especially younger people. Raymond Chan Chi-chuen, the first member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council to come out as gay, is a co-defendant in Sham’s case.

Persons: ”, Kin Cheung, Hong, Jerome Yau, “, Jimmy Sham, Felix Wong, Sham, ” Sham, Hong Kong –, Raymond Chan Chi, Xi Jinping Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong, Appeal, CNN, Parade, Civil, Prosecutors, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council Locations: Hong Kong, Hong Kong’s, Asia, Taiwan, Nepal, Beijing, New York, China, Shanghai

CNN —The US State Department said Friday it “strongly condemned” the Hong Kong authorities’ “ongoing harassment” of family members of pro-democracy activists living overseas. The US said it was “particularly concerned” about recent cases involving activists like Nathan Law, Joshua Wong and Elmer Yuen whose family members and acquaintances had been “detained and questioned by Hong Kong police.”“We call on the Hong Kong authorities to cease all harassment of the democracy activists’ family members,” said spokesperson Matthew Miller. In a statement provided to CNN, Hong Kong police said its national security department had taken away two men and a woman for investigation. The Hong Kong government has repeatedly denied the national security law, imposed by Beijing in 2020, suppresses freedoms. Law and other activists have been accused of violating the national security law, with offenses ranging from collusion with foreign forces to subversion of state power.

Persons: “, ’, Nathan Law, Joshua Wong, Elmer Yuen, ”, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, Law, Hong Kong – Organizations: CNN, US State Department, Hong, HK, RTHK, Basic, Sino Locations: Hong Kong, ” Hong Kong, Britain, Beijing, British

☆ Hyundai Motor's union in South Korea votes on strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Heekyong Yang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor's (005380.KS) unionised workers in South Korea on Friday vote on whether to hold a strike after two months of talks with the company over wage increase and extension of the retirement age stalled last week. If the union stages a strike, it would mark the first such action in five years related to wage negotiations at the South Korean carmaker, and could disrupt delivery of some popular vehicles which Hyundai has been struggling to ramp up due to prolonged component shortages. The voting result is expected at around 6 p.m. (0900 GMT), a union official at Hyundai Motor told Reuters, adding that the union will continue working-level negotiations with the management regardless of the vote. "South Korea has relatively low pension replacement rates, compared to other advanced countries in Europe. Unionised workers at Hyundai in South Korea held a four-hour strike for one day in July in support of its umbrella union's general strike, but it was not related to the union's wage negotiations with the management.

Persons: Ji, Kim Jinwoo, 1,328.0600, Heekyong Yang, Shri Navaratnam snd Michael Perry Organizations: Hyundai, Hyundai Motor, Reuters, Korea University's School of Law, Analysts, Korea Investment, Securities, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, KS, South Korea, Korean, Korea, Europe

☆ Alleged Russian crime boss sanctioned by Ukraine owns a major stake in US biotech firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Buried in corporate filings is another relationship that is central to Humacyte: Russian billionaire Gavril Yushvaev is the company’s second-largest individual shareholder. Humacyte: Russian billionaire has no ‘control’ over firmYushvaev has not been sanctioned by the US government. “There are patients walking today on their own limbs who would not be doing so without access to the HAV to repair their damaged arteries,” a Humacyte spokesperson said. ‘It shows poor judgment’Yushvaev was brought in as an accredited private investor by Credit Suisse’s capital markets advisory group, a Humacyte spokesperson told CNN. Dougan does not personally know Yushvaev, a Humacyte spokesperson told CNN.

Persons: — Weeks, Kathleen Sebelius, Gavril Yushvaev, Yushvaev –, ”, Yushvaev, ” Forbes, Dann, Charles Whitehead, That’s, Steven Tian, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Trump, Sebelius, Humacyte, Obama, ” Yushvaev, Yale’s Tian, Whitehead, “, ” It’s, Brady Dougan, Dougan, Laura Niklason, ’ Yushvaev, Jeff Sonnenfeld, Sonnenfeld, ” Humacyte, Lawrence Ward, Ward, Eleanor Bloxham, ” Bloxham, ’, Lyft, Mother Jones Organizations: New York CNN, Pentagon, Nasdaq, US Department of Defense, CNN, Securities and Exchange Commission, Ukraine, Pepsico, Cornell Law School, BlackRock, Vanguard, Yale School of Management’s, Institute, Treasury Department, Kremlin, Credit, Ayabudge, Credit Suisse, Humacyte, PTC, Yale, Yushvaev, SEC, “, Soviet, US Treasury, Dorsey, Whitney’s, Value Alliance, The Department of Defense, DOD, Cornell, Russia Locations: Ukraine, North Carolina, Humacyte, Russian, Russia, Crimea, Cypriot, Yale, Bloxham, Lyft

☆ Pakistan's president refuses to sign new national security laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pakistan's President Arif Alvi speaks with Reuters in an interview after Pakistan's presidency was recognized as the world's first presidential secretariat running on clean energy, in Islamabad, Pakistan October 27, 2021. "As God is my witness, I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 & Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 as I disagreed with these laws," Alvi said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. He said he had asked his staff to return the bills unsigned to the legislature within the stipulated time to make them ineffective. The ministry of law and justice said the president's decision was of "grave concern". "As the president didn't sign and return the bill within 10 days, it became a law," caretaker law minister Ahmad Iran told a news conference.

Persons: Arif Alvi, Pakistan's, Saiyna Bashir, Imran Khan's, Alvi, doesn't, didn't, Ahmad Iran, Murtaza Solangi, Solangi, Ariba Shahid, Susan Fenton Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Pakistan, Twitter, Caretaker, Thomson Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Rights KARACHI, Alvi, Imran Khan's Pakistan

☆ Three suspected Russian spies arrested in Britain - BBC
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The individuals are Bulgarian nationals, who were alleged to be working for Russian security services, the BBC said in its report, saying they had been held as part of a major national security investigation. The police declined to comment on whether they were suspected of being Russian spies. Britain has been sharpening its focus on external security threats and last month it passed a new national security law, aiming to deter espionage and foreign interference with updated tools and criminal provisions. Last year, Britain's domestic spy chief said more than 400 suspected Russian spies had been expelled from Europe. Britain has also been one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine since the Russian invasion last year and has imposed a range of sanctions on Russian officials and oligarchs.

Persons: Roussev, Biser Dzambazov, Katrin Ivanova, Sergei Skripal, Novichok, Sachin Ravikumar, Michael Holden, William James, Sharon Singleton Organizations: British, BBC, London's Metropolitan Police, Bailey Court, Police, Thomson Locations: Russia, Bailey, Britain, Europe, Ukraine

☆ Fox's legal head to step down in another major exit after Dominion settlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mike Segar/File PhotoAug 11 (Reuters) - Fox Corp (FOXA.O) said on Friday that Chief Legal Officer Viet Dinh was stepping down, a high-profile exit that follows its $787.5 million settlement in April of a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems over its 2020 U.S. election coverage. Top-rated host Tucker Carlson agreed to part ways with Fox in April, just days after the legal resolution. As part of a separation agreement, Dinh will get a lump-sum cash payment of $23 million, Fox said. He will become a special adviser to the company after leaving the role of legal head. In June, Fox Corp also settled a lawsuit by former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg, who claimed gender discrimination and accused the network's lawyers of pressuring her to make misleading statements in the Dominion Voting Systems case.

Persons: Mike Segar, Dinh, Tucker Carlson, Fox, George W Bush, Bancroft PLLC, Kirkland & Ellis, Ng, Abby Grossberg, Chavi Mehta, David Thomas, Anil D'Silva, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Fox, News Corporation, Fox News, REUTERS, Fox Corp, Dominion Voting Systems, Dominion, Patriot, U.S, D.C, Kirkland &, Voting, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Washington, Bengaluru, Chicago

☆ HSBC executive apologizes after calling the UK 'weak' for following US lead over China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —A top executive at HSBC has apologized after reportedly calling the UK government “weak” over its dealings with China, in another sign of the political tightrope the British bank has to walk. He also said the British government would often concur with US demands, calling it “weak,” the publication reported. Several conservative UK lawmakers seized the occasion Monday to criticize Cowper-Coles and HSBC (HSBC). Meanwhile, Hong Kong and mainland China combined made up nearly 40% of profit, according to its most recent financial report. In 2020, HSBC’s top executive in Asia publicly declared support for a controversial national security law that Beijing introduced in Hong Kong, inviting fierce backlash from Western government officials and investors.

Persons: Sherard Cowper, Cowper, Coles, Washington, Britain shouldn’t, —, “, “ Sherard, Tim Loughton, ”, Iain Duncan Smith, Sir Sherard Cowper, Stephen Chung, Noel Quinn Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, HSBC, Bloomberg, CNN, Cowper, China - Britain Business Council, Chatham, Coles, Former Tory, Getty, Hong Locations: Hong Kong, China, Coles, United Kingdom, United States, London, British, Beijing, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Chatham, Asia, Xinhua, East

☆ HSBC senior official apologises for saying UK 'weak' over China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - HSBC's head of public affairs has apologised after reportedly saying that Britain had been "weak" for going along with U.S. demands to curtail business dealings with China. HSBC (HSBA.L), , which makes the bulk of its profit in Asia, has faced criticism from Western lawmakers over its dealings with China. "I was speaking at a private event under Chatham House Rule and my personal comments don't reflect the views of HSBC or the China-Britain Business Council. I apologise for any offence caused," Cowper-Coles said in a statement provided by HSBC on Monday. The Chatham House Rule, named after a London-based foreign affairs think tank, means participants can use information received but cannot identify the speaker nor their affiliation, according to the Chatham House website.

Persons: Sherard Cowper, Cowper, Coles, Mike Pompeo, Iain Withers, Susan Fenton Organizations: Washington, Bloomberg, HSBC, Coles, China - Britain Business Council, Chatham House, Britain's, Chatham, Thomson Locations: Britain, China, Coles, West, Asia, British, London, Chatham, Hong Kong, Beijing

☆ Australian lawmakers recommend potential WeChat ban on govt devices
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Aug 1 (Reuters) - A senate committee investigating how foreign powers use social media to interfere in Australia has recommended a swathe of rules and restrictions for social media platforms, including potentially banning Chinese messaging service WeChat on government devices. Tuesday's report contains 17 recommendations including new transparency rules enforceable by fines, expanding an existing TikTok ban on government devices to contractors and investigating a ban on WeChat on government devices. "Platforms like TikTok and WeChat that are subject to the control of authoritarian regimes illustrate the broader cyber security risk to sensitive government information," he said in a statement. The committee also recommended that Australia helps developing countries in the Indo-Pacific resist "malicious information operations" by authoritarian states. While many recommendations singled out Chinese social media platforms, a set of 11 transparency rules would require all large social media platforms to label state affiliated media accounts, and disclose when governments direct content moderation and actions against accounts of elected officials.

Persons: WeChat, Paterson, James Paterson, Lewis Jackson, Ed Osmond Organizations: SYDNEY, HK, Liberal, Labor, Home Affairs, Thomson Locations: Australia, China

☆ U.S. will not invite sanctioned Hong Kong leader to APEC in November
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, who faces sanctions in the U.S., will not be invited to San Francisco during November's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The U.S. is set to host this year's gathering of leaders of APEC, of which Hong Kong is a member. Hong Kong's top official John Lee was placed under U.S. sanctions in 2020 because of his role in implementing what Washington deems a "draconian" Hong Kong national security law when he was the city's security secretary. A State Department spokesperson, asked about the decision, said the participation of all delegations in APEC events will be "in accordance with U.S. laws and regulations and on the basis of the spirit and principles of APEC." "We will work with Hong Kong, China to ensure appropriate participation in San Francisco," the spokesperson said, adding without giving details that U.S. President Joe Biden had begun sending invitations for the event.

Persons: John Lee, Hong, Hong Kong's, Marco Rubio, Lee, Rubio, Hong Kongers, " Rubio, Joe Biden, Liu Pengyu, Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: San, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Washington, Hong, Reuters, Republican, U.S . State Department, U.S, The Washington, State Department, U.S . Treasury Department, China's Locations: Hong Kong, U.S, San Francisco, November's Asia, United States, China, Washington

“In the age of AI, where data is the new oil, China is the new Saudi Arabia”, venture capitalist Lee Kai-fu declared in 2018. Washington may soon tighten export restrictions to China by targeting AI semiconductors, according to the Wall Street Journal. A slowing economy and brutal price war in the fiercely competitive cloud market will only make monetising AI products harder. China’s AI moment has arrived, only with far less promise than initially hoped. China wants to become a world leader in AI by 2030, according to a 2017 roadmap released by the State Council.

Persons: Lee Kai, OpenAI's, Xi Jinping, Goldman Sachs, Robin Li, Baidu’s, Bernstein, SenseTime, Xi, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Saudi Arabia ”, OpenAI's ChatGPT, European Union, Baidu, HK, Nasdaq, Washington, Wall Street, Nvidia, AMD, Microsoft, CloudWalk Technology, Cyberspace Administration, China, State, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Republic, Saudi Arabia, United States, Beijing, York, Shanghai

☆ Judge Rejects Hong Kong’s Bid to Ban Pro-Democracy Song From Internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Tiffany May | More About Tiffany May | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Hong Kong government was seeking a court injunction against the publication or distribution of “Glory to Hong Kong” with “seditious intention” on the internet or in other media. But Judge Anthony Chan denied the request, ruling that what the government wanted was too broad and effectively targeted everyone in Hong Kong. He wrote that the injunction could have had a “chilling effect” on free speech in Hong Kong. Numerous people in Hong Kong have been arrested or charged for playing the song in public under an expansive national security law that Beijing imposed on the territory in 2020. The injunction case has been closely watched in the Hong Kong business and tech communities.

Persons: Anthony Chan, ”, Judge Chan Organizations: Hong Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China

☆ Microsoft and Google may have to surrender people's data to Saudi Arabia after signing huge deals there
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But Saudi Arabia has weak privacy laws and a track record of persecuting dissidents. They are warning tech giants like Microsoft and Google that they could be forced to hand over private citizen data to Saudi hitmen. Data handed over a silver platterMarwa Fatafta, an analyst with digital rights group Access Now, described Saudi Arabia as a country with a "dismal" human rights record. "Have they really [Google and Microsoft] investigated how they plan to mitigate potential human rights abuses or privacy violations, building such infrastructure?" Countries such as Saudi Arabia, he said, often told companies that "if you want to operate in this country, you've got to keep the data in this country.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, Rewan Al, Haddad, umOfUs, FAYEZ NURELDINE, Fatima al, Salma al, Alan Woodward, you've, James Lynch, Fairsquare, Crown Prince Mohammed, James, Lynch, Prince Mohammed, it's, Woodward Organizations: Microsoft, Google, Service, Saudi, Human Rights Watch, New York Post, Getty, Twitter, Leeds University, University of Surrey, Crown Locations: Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, Riyadh, Saudi, AFP

The move, which not been reported before, is the latest in tightening scrutiny of Chinese companies' offshore listings, and comes at a time when Beijing is stepping up controls over cross-border transfer of sensitive information. The Chinese law firms acting as IPO advisors have been asked to drop such boilerplate risk disclosures, said one of the people, who declined to be identified as the discussions were confidential. China's new offshore listing rules that came into effect on March 31 forbid any comments in the listing documents that "misrepresent or disparage laws and policies, business environment and judicial situation" of China. Representatives from the CSRC's International Cooperation Department, more than 10 Chinese law firms and other government and industry bodies attended the July 20th meeting, according to one of the people. Large domestic law firms Fangda Partners, Han Kun Law Offices，and Zhong Lun Law Firm were among the attendees, said two of the sources.

Persons: prospectuses, CSRC, Han, Zhong, Han Kun, Zhong Lun, Julie Zhu, Kane Wu, Selena Li, Sumeet Chatterjee, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: China Securities Regulatory Commission, CSRC's International Cooperation Department, Fangda Partners, Zhong Lun Law, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, United States, The China

☆ Hong Kong's golfers gird up for battle as housing policy threatens famed course
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] Miguel Angel Jimenez from Spain hits a shot on the 18th fairway during the final day of the Hong Kong Open Championship at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Hong Kong, China November 18, 2012. The rare measure drew criticism from NGOs who questioned whether the golf course would be redeveloped as planned by 2029. Three of these courses are in the Fanling golf course located close to the border with mainland China. "If you see the aggressiveness of the branding by other countries, Hong Kong is really under the gun. "The (Hong Kong) government absolutely should not allow populism and antagonism against the wealthy to spread," Tong said.

Persons: Miguel Angel Jimenez, Tyrone Siu, Hong Kong's, John Lee, Lee, Simon Yau, Sze Lai Shan, LIV Golf, Amr El Henawy, El Henawy, Ronny Tong, Tong, Clare Jim, Justin Fung, Anne Marie Roantree Organizations: Hong Kong, Hong Kong Golf Club, REUTERS, Hong, Urban Studies, Lingnan University of Hong, Development Bureau, Reuters, Town, Society of Community Organization, HIT, HONG, UNESCO, Pacific Cultural Heritage, Team, Thomson Locations: Spain, Hong Kong, China, Tyrone Siu HONG KONG, Lingnan University of Hong Kong, HONG KONG, Asia, Saudi

HONG KONG, July 20 (Reuters) - Hong Kong national security police on Thursday questioned the brother of exiled former lawmaker Dennis Kwok, media reported, weeks after police issued an arrest warrant and a HK$1 million bounty for the pro-democracy politician. Police on July 3 issued arrest warrants for eight overseas-based activists for national security offences, including foreign collusion and incitement to secession, and posted bounties for information leading to their arrest. Among the eight is Dennis Kwok, a former pro-democracy member of Hong Kong's legislature now based in the United States. Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula meant to guarantee its freedoms for 50 years. In 2020, after months of protests, China imposed a national security law on the financial hub criminalising offences like subversion with up to life imprisonment.

Persons: Dennis Kwok, Michael Kwok, Hong Kong, Christopher Mung, Nathan Law, Jessie Pang, Tyrone Siu, James Pomfret, Robert Birsel Organizations: police, HK, Police, United States . Media, Reuters, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, British, Hong Kong's, United States, Kowloon, Hong, Beijing, China

HONG KONG, July 19 (Reuters) - China's appointment of a top intelligence official to run Hong Kong's national security regime underscores its determination to tighten its grip on the financial hub, according to diplomats and analysts. Dong will bolster security oversight of Hong Kong, rocked for months in 2019 by pro-democracy protests that posed a crisis for Beijing's Communist Party leadership. Under the security law, China's national security office has sweeping investigative and surveillance powers, and enjoys immunity from city laws. Dong's appointment comes as Hong Kong prepares to bolster its national security regimen with a new law, called Article 23, that Hong Kong officials say will encompass espionage and treason among other offences not covered in the 2020 legislation. Additional reporting by Hong Kong newsroom and Yew Lun Tian in Beijing; editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dong Jingwei, Dong, Xi Jinping's, Tian, Robert Birsel Organizations: Hong, Beijing's Communist Party, Ministry of State Security, U.S, Hong Kong, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, British, Beijing, Hong Kong, China, United States, Britain, Australia

☆ Xi Jinping calls for 'solid' security barrier around China's internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, July 15 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping said China must build a "solid" security barrier around its internet under the supervision of the ruling Communist Party, in his latest call to safeguard online data and information. In the past decade, Xi has made preserving security a priority, with his concept of security covering everything from politics and the economy to the environment and cyberspace. In 2015, China passed a national security law with a broader scope to include its cyberspace. A year later, a law was passed that contained requirements for security reviews and for data to be stored on servers in China. Navigating China's dense network of rules and laws on online data and information is not without risk for companies.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, Didi, Ryan Woo, Christina Fincher Organizations: Communist Party, Xinhua, Bain, Co, Financial, Reuters, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, U.S, Shanghai, United States

☆ 'I think we will win': Coinbase buoyed in case against SEC after landmark Ripple XRP decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

On Thursday, a U.S. judge ruled that XRP token purchases via exchanges were not securities transactions. The SEC sued Ripple, the company behind the XRP token, in 2020, alleging that the company broke securities laws. But the latest XRP court opinion has given confidence to Coinbase in its case against the SEC. We think this decision has only further strengthened the case," he added. But if you literally replaced the letters XRP with the letters for any other token, in this decision, the logic still holds," Grewal said.

Persons: Ripple, Paul Grewal, XRP, That's, Grewal Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, CNBC, SEC Locations: U.S

"With on-the-ground movements in Hong Kong disappearing or silenced, it's really up to us to narrate the story of Hong Kong," said Kwok. "Hong Kong is not just about human rights abuses, Hong Kong is also about authoritarian expansion waged by the Chinese government." Since the 2020 imposition of the national security law, most of the democratic opposition has been jailed or exiled. Hong Kong authorities say the security law has brought stability, and that the eight "absconders" including Kwok, by asking foreign powers to impose sanctions on Hong Kong amongst other activities, continue to endanger national security. Besides lobbying work, and building alliances with activists, NGOs and the overseas Hong Kong diaspora in the U.S. capital, Kwok's group, The Hong Kong Democracy Council, also conducts research including a database on over 1,500 "political prisoners" in Hong Kong.

Persons: Anna Kwok, Kwok, I'm, Evelyn Hockstein, Hong Kong, it's, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: HK, Washington D.C, Hong, Hong Kong, Reuters, REUTERS, Hong Kong Democracy Council, Thomson Locations: Washington, Hong Kong, United States, China, Australia, Britain, U.S, Washington , DC, Hong, British, Beijing

Search resuls for: "Security Law"

25 mentions found