(2020-07-12). Over 500,000 Hong Kongers cast " vote against new security laws. yenisafak.com Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong citizens queued to cast ballots over the weekend in what the Chinese-ruled city's opposition camp says is a symbolic vote against tough national security laws directly imposed by Beijing.The unofficial poll will decide the strongest pro-democracy candidates to contest Legislative Council elections in September, when they aim to ride a wave of anti-China sentiment stirred by the law to seize control for the first time from pro-Beijing rivals.While the primaries are only for the opposition camp, observers are watching closely as they say the turnout will serve as a test of…
(2020-07-12). US Hostility Toward China. Military Encirclement, Visa Bans, Backlash on US Economy. globalresearch.ca Geopolitics of both right wings of the US war party is polar opposite what just societies cherish — seeking dominance over other nations by brute force if other tactics to achieve its aims fail. | Mutual cooperation and respect for the …
(2020-07-12). Saturday 7/11: Why There Should be a Pivot to , Not War with China. indybay.org Online via livestream…
(2020-07-12). The Fall of Plahotniuc and a New Hope for Moldova. strategic-culture.org In June 2019, the small landlocked nation of Moldova found itself in a life or death struggle between two opposing futures: Oligarchs like the notorious Vladimir Plahotniuc had worked diligently for years to bring this nation into the hull of the collapsing NATO-EU Titanic while nationalists sought to re-align Moldova's future with the new emerging Multipolar Alliance led by China and Russia. | The greatest moment of decision (until now) occurred in June 2019 when elections resulted in a three-way split between a pro-Russian Socialist Party, the pro-EU ACUM and another pro-western Democratic Party run by the arch…
(2020-07-11). US takes punitive measures against China over Hong Kong. wsws.org Washington's increasingly shrill campaign is part of a US confrontation across the full range of issues—diplomatic, economic and military—that are leading to war.
(2020-07-11). [Comment] Offline: Restoring trust in WHO. thelancet.com Belgium has the sad distinction of leading the world league table of deaths from COVID-19. At 843 deaths per million, Belgium is ahead of the UK (650 per million), Italy (576 per million), Sweden (537 per million), and France (458 per million). COVID-19 was first reported in Belgium on Feb 4, 2020, in a 54-year-old man who had been repatriated from Wuhan, China. Community transmission was confirmed in early March after holiday makers returned from school vacation breaks in northern Italy. The national sense of failure and anger is spurring a serious effort to initiate an international inquiry into the global resp…
(2020-07-11). New Zealand boosts preparations to join US war against China. wsws.org The Labour Party-led government is spending billions on new naval vessels and armoured vehicles, while praising the Australian military build-up against China.
(2020-07-11). Biden promotes economic nationalism and anti-China militarism. wsws.org Biden offered no opposition to Trump's "back-to-work" drive, mass job destruction during the pandemic or the looming unemployment benefit cutoff.
(2020-07-11). Debunking Myths on China "Forcing Uyghur Birth Control" dissidentvoice.org So-called overseas reps of China's Uyghur ethnic group filed evidence at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to spark an investigation on alleged human rights violations. But are the reports founded on strong evidence? (story starts at 2: 00)…
(2020-07-11). US warns citizens of heightened detention risks in China. yenisafak.com "U.S. citizens may be detained without access to U.S. consular services or information about their alleged crime," the State Department said in a security alert issued to its citizens in China, adding that U.S. citizens may face "prolonged interrogations and extended detention" for reasons related to state security."Security personnel may detain and/or deport U.S. citizens for sending private electronic messages critical of the Chinese government," it added, without citing specific examples. The state department also did not say what prompted the security alert.The security alert comes as bilateral tensions inten…
(2020-07-11). China's southern Jiangxi declares highest flood alert. yenisafak.com Jiangxi province in southern China issued its highest flood warning on Saturday, predicting a big overflow from a lake on the Yangtze River as torrential rain continues to batter much of the country, state media said.The Jiangxi government raised its flood-control response level to I from II, the People's Daily said, the top level on China's four-tier scale, signalling disasters such as dam collapses or extraordinary floods simultaneously in several rivers.Provincial authorities expect severe regional flooding in Poyang, China's largest freshwater lake which connects to the Yangtze, state television said.The wate…
(2020-07-11). [Obituary] Tomisaku Kawasaki. thelancet.com Paediatrician who identified what became known as Kawasaki disease. Born on Feb 7, 1925, in Tokyo, Japan, he died on June 5, 2020, in Tokyo, aged 95 years.
(2020-07-11). Okinawans 'shocked' & demand transparency after Covid-19 outbreaks at US bases increase Japanese prefecture's case toll by 40%. rt.com 
Dozens of US troops at two bases on the Japanese island of Okinawa have been confirmed infected with the coronavirus. Local authorities demanded transparency from the Pentagon, and an adequate response to the massive outbreak. | Rigorous contact tracing and isolation of those infected had so far allowed the island prefecture to keep the number of confirmed cases at about 150, with only seven fatalities. Overall, as of July 10, Japan Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny said local…
(2020-07-11). North Korea warns UK will 'pay price' for brazen sanctions, and calls it 'US puppet'. rt.com 
North Korea has warned the UK will pay a price for its "despicable political scheme" to impose sanctions on its government ministries, and recommends London stops "blindly" following Washington's lead. | "The United Kingdom, a puppet of the United States, committed a provocation," by imposing sanctions, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(2020-07-10). China Suspends Ecuador's Shrimps Imports Over Covid-19 Fears. telesurenglish.net China is suspending shrimps imports from three Ecuadorian firms after detecting COVID-19 in its packaging, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) announced on Friday. | RELATED: | Although the frozen shrimp itself tested negative, samples from Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila SA, Empacreci SA, and Empacadora Del Pacifico Sociedad Anonima Edpacif showed six positive results as GAC warned that "there is a risk" it co…
(2020-07-10). China's Growing Influence in Central Asia and the Middle East Will Lead to Further US Decline. globalresearch.ca China's increasing presence on the international scene is an undeniable threat to the US-led world order. Critical to China's emergence as a major power this century, has been its widening influence in the Central Asian states. Central Asia, rich in …
(2020-07-10). China And Russia Promise Strong Mutual Support. telesurenglish.net China's President Xi Jinping and Russia's President Vladimir Putin Wednesday agreed to support each other in several areas to strengthen their relations as integral strategic partners. | RELATED: | Both presidents held a telephone conversation in which Xi emphasized how in the most difficult moments of the fight against COVID-19, China and Russia helped each other. | "China is ready to continue working with the Russian si…
(2020-07-10). WHO Experts Arrived In China To Find Out COVID-19 Origins. telesurenglish.net The World Health Organization (WHO) Friday reported two scientists arrived in China to be part of a study to identify the origins of COVID-19. | RELATED: | WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said the experts are specialists in animal health and epidemiology and will work along with Chinese scientists. | The two scientists will establish the groundwork and will define the scope and itinerary of the investigation. | "One of the main…
(2020-07-10). Trump election strategy: Blame China for coronavirus, bad economy. peoplesworld.org 
With the latest opinion polls showing Joe Biden leading Donald Trump by 53% to 42%, Trump needs desperate measures. A major part of his re-election strategy now is to up the ante against Beijing. Last weekend, he announced yet again that China had caused great damage to the United States and the rest of the …
(2020-07-10). A New Tonkin Gulf Incident In The Making? popularresistance.org While the American public, the media, and Congress have largely been focused on the Covid pandemic, demands for racial justice, and other domestic concerns in recent months, the US military has been mobilizing all of its capabilities for a massive show of force in waters abutting China. Every Pacific-based US submarine is now deployed in the area; two nuclear-powered carriers and their escort ships are conducting naval maneuvers there; the Air Force has sent B-1 bombers overhead; and the Army is practicing to seize Chinese-claimed islands. | In the most provocative of these efforts, the carriers Nimitz and Ronald…
(2020-07-10). Japan to buy $23B worth of F-35 fighter jets from US. yenisafak.com The US on Thursday approved a planned purchase by Japan of 105 F-35 joint strike fighters estimated to be worth $23 billion amid escalating tension in the South China Sea between China and US allies.The approved package includes 63 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft and 42 F-35 short takeoff and landing variants as part of a December 2018 decision by Japan to increase its procurement of F-35s from 42 to 147.Japan does not have a coast to the hotly-conflicted South China Sea, but views it as strategically important due to its role as a vital trading route.If the sale goes through from congress, it wil…
(2020-07-10). Torrential rains hit China, many killed. yenisafak.com Torrential rains have washed over several parts of China, resulting in deaths of many people and disrupting services to the affected regions, local media reported. At least 14 people were killed by landslides in the central Hubei province last Wednesday, with one person recovered by search and rescue operations that are still in progress, China's Xinhua news agency reported.The rains hit 44 counties in the province, affecting over 9 million people, with over 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) of precipitation recorded since Wednesday.In the country's east Jiangxi province, armed police officers and soldiers were deploy…
(2020-07-10). India launches solar power plant to stop China imports. yenisafak.com Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a solar power plant with the aim to stop reliance on imports from neighbors China and PakistanThe 750-megawatt power plant in the central state of Madhya Pradesh is being dubbed as the largest in Asia by local media.The project is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.5 million tons each year."Several steps are being taken to increase domestic manufacturing and it has been decided that government's departments and institutions will only buy domestically manufactured solar cells and modules," said Modi, in the wake of recent border tensions with Chi…
(2020-07-10). China reports 4 new coronavirus cases in mainland. yenisafak.com China reported four new coronavirus cases in the mainland for July 9, down from nine a day earlier, the health authority said on Friday.All four of the new infections were imported cases, according to a statement by the National Health Commission.China also reported three new asymptomatic patients, compared with six such cases a day earlier.
(2020-07-10). Indian & Chinese troops disengaging on border as agreed — Beijing's ambassador. rt.com 
China's ambassador to India said on Friday that Chinese and Indian frontline troops are disengaging in accordance with an agreement reached by military commanders, AP reports. The development follows a clash last month that left at least 20 soldiers dead in the Galwan Valley. | Ambassador Sun Weidong said the two countries should be partners rather than rivals, and handle differences properly to bring their ties back on the right track. | In video remarks released in New Delhi, the Chinese envoy also said the two countries have the wisdom and capability to properly handle differences. | The diplomat said the b…
(2020-07-10). World Health Organisation experts visit China to discuss coronavirus probe. thecanary.co 
Two World Health Organisation (WHO) experts will spend 11-12 July in Beijing to lay the groundwork for a larger mission to investigate the origins of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.One animal health expert and one epidemiologist will work to fix the "scope and terms of reference" for the future mission. It will be aimed at learning how the virus jumped from animals to humans, WHO's statement said on 10 July.Origins: Scientists believe the virus may have originated in bats. It was then transmitted through another mammal such as a civet cat or pangolin before being passed on to people at a fresh food ma…
(2020-07-10). China's Reasonable Proposal for Arms Control and Washington's Duplicity. strategic-culture.org China underscored this week that it is willing to engage in negotiations with the U.S. to reduce nuclear arsenals and to underpin strategic stability. However, the offer comes with the caveat that Washington must first reduce its arsenal to the level of China's before Beijing will engage in such talks. | That is an eminently reasonable and logical proposal. The starting point is to look at the existing balance of forces. While the U.S. and Russia each possess about 6,000 nuclear warheads, China's arsenal is
(2020-07-10). Fujifilm's Avigan inconclusive in COVID-19 patients in Japan trial. yenisafak.com A clinical trial of Fujifilm Holdings Corp's Avigan drug yielded inconclusive results as a treatment of COVID-19, Japanese researchers said on Friday.Although patients given the drug early in the trial showed more improvement than those who got delayed doses, the results did not reach statistical significance, Fujita Health University researcher Yohei Doi said.The results, announced at a news conference on Friday, followed the completion of a clinical trial conducted between March and May on 89 patients across Japan.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had said he hoped the drug would be approved as a COVID-19 trea…
(2020-07-09). Cold War with China and the Thucydides Trap: a Conversation with Richard Falk. counterpunch.org 
Should there be a Second Cold War an alleged US concern for human rights would indeed become another ongoing tool of propaganda. In this interview, International Relations scholar Richard Falk breaks down the grave dangers and prospects for a New Cold with China. Falk worries that tensions and rivalries both regionally and economically could result
(2020-07-09). US Policy Toward China Wrecking Bilateral Relations. globalresearch.ca Both right wings of the US one-party state are of a single mind in wanting China's economic, industrial, technological, and military advancement undermined. | Obama's near-decade ago prioritization of asserting Washington's Asia/Pacific presence was and remains key Dem and GOP policy….
(2020-07-09). China against full confrontation with US, says minister. yenisafak.com China does not want a full confrontation with the US and seeks a bilateral relationship based on mutual respect and cooperation, the country's top diplomat said on Thursday.Addressing the China-US Think Tanks Media Forum, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing and Washington's relations are "faced with the most severe challenge since the establishment of diplomatic ties," state-run daily Global Times reported.He said certain quarters in the US were trying "to portray China as an adversary, and even an enemy.""I'd like to stress here again that China never intends to challenge or replace the US, or have full confro…
(2020-07-09). 'Much higher' death rate than Covid-19: Chinese embassy in Kazakhstan warns of dangerous local pneumonia. rt.com 
The Chinese embassy in Kazakhstan has warned its citizens in the Central Asian country to exercise caution amid a large outbreak of viral pneumonia, which appears to be deadlier than the new coronavirus. | Between Covid-19 and the pneumonia outbreak, the diplomats described the health situation in Kazakhstan as "very grim." Since the start of the year, 1,772 people have died of pneumonia in the country. In June alone, there were 628 fatalities, including Chinese citizens, a statement on the embassy's website reads. | "The mortality rate of the disease is much higher than that of the new coronavirus pneumonia,"
(2020-07-09). MADE IN CHINA: Contractor indicted for defrauding US Navy about origin of armor & helmets. rt.com 
A grand jury indictment of a Virginia man whose company allegedly sold Chinese-made helmets and body armor to the government is challenging President Donald Trump's claim the Pentagon gets only the best American-made goods. | Surveillance Equipment Group Inc. (SEG) CEO Arthur Morgan was
(2020-07-09). Talks with North Korea figure prominently in US envoy's visit to Seoul. peoplesdispatch.org While the US has repeatedly attempted to downplay the significance of talks with North Korea, US envoy Stephen Biegun said on the day of his arrival to Seoul that the Trump administration is "open" to talks with the North…
(2020-07-09). Pompeo says US continuing to work to establish dialogue with North Korea. yenisafak.com U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that Washington is continuing to work to establish dialogue with North Korea and is very hopeful the conversation can continue, though he declined to comment on timing or specifics."We continue to work to establish dialogue and have substantive conversations about how we might deliver this really good outcome, this outcome of delivering and stability to the entire peninsula," Pompeo told reporters following U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun's three days of talks in Seoul.
(2020-07-08). China criticizes US for exiting WHO during pandemic. yenisafak.com China on Wednesday said the US' decision to leave the World Health Organization (WHO) during a pandemic was a blow to global efforts against COVID-19."The US' withdrawal from WHO is another example of a US unilateral retreat from an international organization," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian cited by the local daily Global Times as saying."It harms the efforts of the world in its fight against this epidemic and severely harms developing nations that most need international support," he told a news conference in Beijing.His comment came after President Donald Trump's administration officially withdrew t…