Commentary: China has invested billions in ports around the world. This is why the West is so concerned

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Army Issues

Washington has expressed concern over these actions that China is challenging US effect in its own backyard.

China maintains that its maritime politics is oriented toward the business. Yet, it has established a naval base in Djibouti, a strategically placed American society. Additionally, it is alleged that Equatorial Guinea is developing a new marine center.

According to a recent review by the Asia Society Policy Institute, plan experts believe China is seeking to “weaponise” the Belt and Road Initiative.

In order to accomplish this, it has one way in mind: making the business ports it invests in be as effective as naval bases. 14 of the 17 slots in which it holds a lot stakes have the potential to be used for marine purposes so much. These ports may then fulfill a dual purpose: they support the Taiwanese military’s logistic network and help Chinese naval vessels to travel farther away from home.

US officials worry that China might use its influence on private companies to stifle industry during a time of conflict.

HOW IS THE WEST Listening?

While China’s assets are raising concerns, the West’s determination to invest in ships at this level is limited. The US International Development Finance Corporation, for example, has a little slower, comprehensive approach for its investments, which usually leads to better outcomes for both investors and sponsor nations.

However, some European firms are acquiring stakes in organized and newly built slots in other countries, albeit not to the level of Taiwanese enterprises.

The European shipping and logistics business CMA CGM’s world port development method, for example, includes investments in 60 terminals abroad. In 2024, it acquired power over South America’s largest vessel switch in the Port of Santos, Brazil.

Trump has threatened to impose taxes as a means of limiting China’s position on the world stage. A member of his transition team’s advisor has suggested a 60 % tax on any goods passing through any other Chinese-owned or managed port in South America or the Chancay port in Peru.

Rather than making nations reluctant to sign switch offers with Beijing, but, this kind of action simply erodes Washington’s local influence. Additionally, China is likely to take punitive measures, such as outlawing the US’s import of crucial minerals.

Guest nations like Peru and Brazil, meanwhile, are using the contest for interface investment to their benefit. They are extremely asserting their freedom and adopting a plan of using ports to “play anywhere” on the international stage, drawing attention from both the West and China.

Claudio Bozzi is Lecturer in Law, Deakin University. This commentary&nbsp, second appeared&nbsp, in The Conversation.

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IN FOCUS: The naturalisation push in Southeast Asian football – do foreign-born players guarantee success?

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The issue of over-dependence on naturalised people was highlighted at the recent&nbsp, ASEAN Championship, when Indonesia were eliminated in the team level.

Some naturalized players were not released by their Western venues because the event was not on FIFA’s timeline. Indonesia opted to send a squad of almost all under-22 players, with the only&nbsp, naturalised footballer being Brisbane Roar ‘s&nbsp, Rafael Struick.

The team failed to advance to the knockout rounds after losses against Vietnam (0-1 ) and the Philippines (0-1 ), a 3-3 draw against Laos, and a 1-0 win over Myanmar. &nbsp,

” It showed that Indonesia’s local people have a lot of catching up to complete and this is something which PSSI needs to address”, said Kesit, the critic.

In the end, Indonesia will have to decide what will happen if or when their pool of potential participants in the Netherlands runs out, according to Williams.

Because the imperial ties between the nations ended a long time ago, he said,” that generation of people that have links to the Netherlands through parents or grandparents is going to weaken.”

This is likely to be one of the previous generations of talents to truly have that link.

Youth growth has run opposite to naturalisation, stressed those who CNA spoke to.

” You also need to keep ensuring that you are still committing resources to developing native talent as well, because that is what viewers are drawn to,” Williams continued.

” Followers resonate with neighborhood heroes, and institutions and governments need to be aware of that… The whole idea behind it is inspiring the next generation, but if there’s a disconnect and you’re not inspiring native people, therefore it’s going to create problems for future generations as well”.

Enthusiasts have more of a relationship with people who have grown up with them or have experienced the exact difficulties, and who are now playing for them, according to sports journalist Rai.

” To me, there is a lot more satisfaction, a lot more satisfaction in that feel”.

The father of a younger person who was captained by Indonesia, speaking to CNA, said his child was looking forward to the problem of facing foreign-born players.

The person, who did not like his brother and himself to be named, said,” If you are able to contend with all these people, then you know that you are good enough to play at a higher level.”

” These naturalized players come from colleges and venues with respectable names in Europe. ( My son ) feels that there’s always something to learn from them”.

The guy said he was supportive of Indonesia’s latest approach to naturalisation, given that the people however have ties to the region.

He did acknowledge that it might make it harder for young people to make it to the regional staff.

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Commentary: Can new coach Patrick Kluivert lead Indonesia to World Cup qualification?

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Teeming WITH TALENT

Indonesia has never had such great footballing talent in terms of fresh talent. In addition to their naturalization, local superstars like Marselino Ferdinan, who scored twice in a 2-0 triumph over Saudi Arabia in November, have been complemented by those with Indonesian ancestry who have been born abroad, typically in the Netherlands.

That Hilgers and Nathan Tjoe-A-On compete in subsequent division English soccer with Swansea City, to name a few. For Venezia, Jay Idzes starts in the Championship A.

In addition to Idzes wearing the pilot’s arm band in many new matches, the team has kept some notable fresh linens against Australia and Saudi Arabia as they prepare to qualify for World Cup. Thom Haye, who likewise plays in the French group, was on the scoresheet in two distinct finals, against the Philippines and China.

However, given the staff at Indonesia’s removal, PSSI came to the decision that the player’s current form has not been good enough. It had lost heavily against superstar Japan and had excessively lost items to Gulf minnow Bahrain, aside from the surprise win over erstwhile Asian warriors Saudi Arabia.

PSSI came to the conclusion that the national staff lacks both a military mindset and a footballing philosophy. Game control in specific had been underwhelming. Shin Tae-yong, a lover favorite, was then fired as head coach on January 6.

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Indonesian mother of six aims to keep Papuan tradition alive by saving mangroves in women-only forest

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As its name suggests, only people may provide the sacred bush to collect oysters as part of a custom called” Tonotwiyat”, which means “working in the jungle”. &nbsp,

The Indonesian women go swimming and look for clams in the mangrove shelter. In this way, their garments do not get muddied, which may cause their body to ache.

Any person who enters the jungle properly be fined 300, 000 dirhams to 1 million ringgit. &nbsp,

The women easily talk and express their grievances in this classic bush that dates back hundreds of years.

” We laugh freely in ( the forest ). We talk about issues in the community, the government, and other issues like schooling or health, said Petronela, a single mother of six.

” When we return home, we may express our discourse to the town management, religion or traditional officials so that the problem can be resolved”, she said.

On a goal to defend Papua’s trees, women’s rights and native cultures, the lady tenderly as” Mama Nela” tells CNA how she has rallied the society over the years to take action and get answers.

On CNA’s Bahasa Indonesia website, her history is one of a series of articles about common soldiers. A person who rescues abandoned children and establishes a happiness facility as well as an pet partner who cares for and looks out for stray animals have been featured.Continue Reading

The struggle to find good jobs, and what youth in China, India and Indonesia are doing about it

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With guidelines that encourage urban children to be put to work, knowledge, and community growth in the countryside, Beijing has thrown its support behind remote revitalization.

Some of them are moving back to the small settlements they used to work and study in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu.

Cao Binyang, who grew up near Tieniu community, Sichuan state, came up in 2021. Together with other returnees and their parents, he took over an orange land and added a cafe and a store to perfect their farm-to-table strategy.

There have been 75 new people in the town over the past five years, the majority of whom have been alumni under the age of 35.

Tieniu town has grown in popularity among tourists as a result of social media. Farmers are using this increased exposure to market their produce across the nation on e-commerce programs at a higher price level.

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Rare for Singapore political parties to use background screening firms to vet candidates: Industry players

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DEGREE OF SEPARATION

Political parties can stay out of trouble with prospects ‘ prior conflicts if they come up against them in the future, according to the companies.

According to RM I’s Mr. Ho,” It protects the group, as the group is showing the people what they have done and the ways they have already taken to ensure due diligence.”

The goal, he said, is to show that while&nbsp, poor judgment or changes in personality may become difficult to foresee, intensive investigations had been conducted at the time the candidates joined the company.

According to Mr. Tan of Kroll, “what’s important is that we are experts in this field of work and a non-biased separate third party.”

” There is an accountability account. If the vetting process become subject to scrutiny, it can be said honestly that a third party came in and discovered no conflicts or contradictions.

Business players said that while the WP good conducted inside checks, interesting a&nbsp, backdrop screen company adds a layer of professionalism, given their more advanced methods of obtaining information.

HOW SCREENING WORKS

The procedure usually begins with the president’s acceptance and takes about two months, &nbsp, depending on the complexity of the screen, the firms said.

Background checks typically include investigating certificates with companies and educational institutions, assessing financial&nbsp, validity through credit or debt checks, and checking for ongoing dispute or prior convictions. For insulting data, traditional media and social media are also subject to scrutiny.

The individual being screened is aware of the investigations being done, and has to provide consent before the procedure may begin, said Avvanz’s Mr Chettiar.

” Some higher-risk individuals require more thorough vetting. For instance, criminality checks in these cases will cover the past decade as opposed to fewer years for typical cases, he said.

” For every 10 profiles we screen, at least three will have some form of discrepancies, in the form of fake credentials, inflated backgrounds, derogatory social media footprint or undeclared offences” .&nbsp,

Any potential red flags that may have been discovered are then gathered into a formal report for the client and put into action.

However, ultimately, the clients who hired their services make the final choice about how to proceed.

” Sometimes they think that just because a conviction is for a smaller, less serious crime, like maybe for drunk and disorderly behaviour, and not something bigger, then it’s scant”.

HOW DO OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES DO IT?

The People’s Action Party, the ruling party, told CNA that it evaluates potential candidates through a variety of methods and sources of feedback.

” No screening process can be 100 per cent effective. However, a PAP representative said that they make an effort to pick candidates who are committed to serving our country, of good character, and who have a desire to improve the lives of their fellow citizens.

Potential PAP candidate Ivan Lim withdrew from the race just two days before Nomination Day because of online criticism of his conduct during the 2020 general election, along with other allegations.

The Singapore Democratic Party claims to have never used background checkers to screen candidates. ” Partly because the majority of them would have been active with the party for a number of years at the point of selection and their backgrounds are known to us,” a spokesperson told CNA.

The Progress Singapore Party made no comment.

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PM to launch second phase of B10,000 cash handout Monday

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PUBLISHED: 27 Jan 2025 at 04: 50

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra kicked off the transfer of 10,000 baht to state welfare cardholders and disabled people on Sept 25, 2024. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)
On September 25, 2024, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra instituted the transport of 10,000 ringgit to state security card holders and those with disabilities. ( Photo: Chanat Katanyu )

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra kicks off the battle on Monday, with the second phase of the 10,000-baht cash handout plan. About three million people over the age of 60 may be eligible for the money, according to Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat on Sunday.

He claimed that those who had already used the Tang Rath app to sign up for the program will receive the funds using the PromptPay company. The 3 million recipients must reference their PromptPay to their federal ID cards in order to get the 10, 000 baht, he said.

They may have debris in all accounts under 500 000 ringgit and a monthly income of less than 840 000 ringgit. He claimed that only vulnerable groups that received funding during the first step are excluded.

The Comptroller General’s Department has made it clear that those who are eligible for this round you wait to receive the cash in the following three shells: on February 28, March 28, and April 28. At least three days before the cash will be transferred, he said, they may link their Key card number to the PromptPay services.

According to him, 33, 767 state security cardholders did not receive the money during the Stage 1 funds handout because they had failed to link their ID to the PromptPay support, their bank accounts was linked to the PromptPay service being temporarily suspended or closed, and they had also provided inappropriate account numbers. He cautioned those who are ready for funds to avoid making the same mistakes again.

The state will host the launch plan on Monday, according to government official Jirayu Houngsub, with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra “pressing the key” to begin the second phase.

She may also conduct a video call to some recipients to thank them and subscribe to feedback. ” In the meantime, the authorities may gather information on any the difficulties in the registration procedure, such as with some people having no smartphone”, said Mr Jirayu.

The digital wallet program will go through a program test next month, according to Mr. Julapun, in order to get ready for the scheme’s second phase. He stated that between March and April, the next phase of the program will distribute money to registered 16-59-year-olds through the digital wallet application.

” The development of the digital bag has a lot of progress. The program itself is available for testing in February-March”, he said.

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Trump discussing TikTok purchase with multiple people, decision in 30 days

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The bargain being negotiated anticipates involvement from&nbsp, some of&nbsp, ByteDance’s recent US traders, according to the sources. Jeff Yass’s Susquehanna International Group, General Atlantic, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR ) and Sequoia Capital are among ByteDance’s US backers. Representatives for&nbsp, TikTok, ByteDance owners General Atlantic, KKR, Sequoia and Susquehanna was notContinue Reading

Gender titles emerge as new battleground

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The groundbreaking Marriage Equality Bill may lead to equality of marriage for all, but many of those who registered for wedding last week still have issues with their gender identity because their female name did not match their gender identity.

They have urged the government to complete the Gender Recognition Bill, which will let people choose their gender name and give them a gender-neutral choice when deciding whether or not to recognize as male or female.

Related appearance, personality

Many transmen transitioning to the male gender are still referred to as” Miss,” according to Atitaya Asa, a coordinator for a working group within the Transmasculine Network for Equality.

Transmen do not identify as women or consider themselves genetic women, especially those who have chosen to go through a medical change. As a result, using Miss/Ms does not adhere to their personality or life, as they conduct their lives as people.

The female title furthermore contrasts with their appearance, causing several complications, such as when travelling abroad.

Although their name remained” Miss,” the airport security staff frequently encountered problems because they perceived their traveling files as being wrong.

” Immigration officers believe our names are different on our journey files, especially in our photos. Traveling becomes challenging as a result. Some are denied access to the target country”, he said.

When they enter a banks, team lift the same problem.

Because our voices are lower than that of transgender men, many of us are suspected of being offenders, he said.

When they are admitted to a doctor, there is another situation. In many hospitals, female titles also be used to distinguish patients in hospital rooms. Because of their sex title,” Miss,” they are grouped into adult rooms.

Because transmen are a new concept in Thailand, he said,” Some medical professionals are beginning to show sex awareness, but their figures are still humble.”

The transgender recognition costs may give people the same right to self-determination.

Atitaya: Rights for transmen

Atitaya: Rights for transmen

Intersex and the’ X’ subject

According to Intersex Asia, a local community of intersex-led organizations and individuals from Asian nations, there are gender traits that are unique to people born with.

Their gender identity, however, may be adult, female, both, or neither. And the variants in sexual anatomy are normally occurring, not a weakness as many people misunderstand, it says.

The word “intersex” is used to describe people who are born with sex characteristics, such as genitalia, Turner syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, and hormones that do not meet the standard definitions of male or female, such as a person who has ambiguous genitalia, according to the group.

According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, authorities have estimated that up to 1.7 % of people are born with trans characteristics, which means that their identity may be simply defined as either male or female.

Being transgender is not a weakness that can be fixed with health care, said Nada Chaiyajit, a law professor from Mae Fah Luang University, who identifies as trans-intersex.

However, some trans children are forced to undergo genital operation to create their bodies adhere to sex stereotypes.

She claimed that some transgender people have experienced discrimination since birth, when they have to have gender-assigned surgery, when their parents are being questioned about their hormone levels or how much they are influenced by their bodies, or when they are asked to choose between two genitalia.

When they grow up and believe their genitalia, gender, and sex do not match up, the issue arises.

Our parents may be afraid of our ambiguous sexual characteristics, which may explain our grief.

They also worry that their kids might get bullied, but they make the decision to go for a female that causes issues because it doesn’t reflect our feelings when we grow up, she said.

She said trans people also suffer from social norms when they need to use public restrooms, wearing college uniforms, or fill out sex personality forms, and there is only a binary choice of” sexual “or” male”.

There should also be an” X “title for those who do not want to be called Mr or Ms, such as for some transgenders, gay, trans, or non-binary individuals, as they may think they are not associated with specific gender containers.

She said,” Providing the X” title may help those who don’t want to identify with any gender in the binary system express themselves freely.

There are no records that can accurately represent the number of intersex people in Thailand because people fear being targeted or bullied.

Many Thai people still label their identities as the result of adulterous deeds committed in their previous lives.

We need to impart more information to our society about our identity. Intersex is more than just a sex feature, it also refers to our gender identity. Our sexual orientation may be gay, lesbian, or transgender. We are diverse,” she said.

The UN Human Rights Council, she said, adopted a resolution” Combating discrimination, violence and harmful practices against intersex persons “on April 4 last year.

It called on member states to address stereotypes, misconceptions, stigma and taboos associated with intersex people and protect intersex persons ‘ rights.

She suggested Thailand should follow such a resolution.

The UN’s resolution, which calls on states to protect us, was published in response, adding that the government should follow suit.

Nada: Support for UN resolution

Nada: Support for UN resolution

The bill’s progress

The Gender Recognition Bill has four variations. The government approved one bill under the auspices of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, while the other three bills were put forth by the People’s Party and Intersex Thailand, two civil society organizations.

The main idea behind each of the four proposals is that people should be able to choose their gender identification and title based on their self-determined gender identity and without needing medical certification to validate their physical and psychological states.

Those bills also offer various forms of gender title apart from Mr, Miss, Mrs to Khun, Nam and no gender title. Some versions state that a person must obtain a court order in order to change their gender identity and title for the second time.

Somsri Jongpensukloet, a senior official from the Office of Women’s Affairs and Family Development at Social Development and Human Security Ministry, told a seminar on” Gender recognition in Thailand: Can we identify our gender by ourselves? “at Prince of Songkla University ( PSU) that the ministry’s Gender Recognition Bill was based on self-determination.

Without the need for any medical records, individuals can independently determine their gender identity under the proposed legislation. Some people worried that gender identity would be overly extreme.

” Our measure adheres to universal human rights, which is our ultimate objective. However, we may have to look at multiple aspects and social settings, as the issue involves several parties,” she added. The cabinet has yet to submit the bill to parliament, despite having had a public hearing.

Knock-on effects

Sutthichai Ngamchuensuwan, Law Faculty Dean at PSU, said gender is no longer defined solely by biological sex, but also by social dimensions, which allows people to establish their own gender identity.

As a result, self-determination is a foundation for several countries ‘ laws.

In some countries, medical confirmation was required to change one’s gender identity, which raises the matter of costs.

Doctors have always allowed people to alter their legal gender identity at will. Having this law based on self-determination is essential, “he said.

However, the self-determination process must consider other factors, such as age and the ability to change gender in the future.

” As Thai law is based on a gender binary system, once we allow people to change their gender identification, we must consider the impact of that change on other laws, rights, marital status or other benefits based on gender identity, and way of life, particularly in the medical field, where medical treatment is still based on the patient’s gender assigned at birth, “he added.

Sutthichai: Self-determination is key

Sutthichai: Self-determination is key

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China arrivals set to top 770k

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PUBLISHED: 27 Jan 2025 at 04: 38

The government anticipates 770, 000 Taiwanese citizens visiting Thailand between January 24 and February 2, an increase of 22.6 % compared to the Lunar New Year time last year.

Sasikarn Watthanachan, assistant spokesperson for the state, said on Sunday the government has ordered several companies, such as the Department of Airports and the Airports of Thailand, to plan for the influx of visitors at flights across the country.

Ms Sasikan said the six terminals under the AoT– Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai-Mae Fah Luang and Phuket– are expected to see a rise in customer prospects during the time.

Almost 3 million passengers have arrived at international airports in Bangkok so far: 1.91 million at Suvarnabhumi airport and 989, 584 at Don Mueang airport, representing 6.3 % and 15.1 % growth, respectively, when compared to the Lunar New Year period last year.

Suvarnabhumi airports is expected to welcome 11, 238 airlines during this period, 15.4 % higher than last year. Don Mueang aircraft is expected to welcome 6, 452 airlines, an increase of 14.3 %.

The AoT has been ordered to raise ground employees around the emigration station, bag distribution, check-in process and search stations.

Airports will also use more multicultural representatives to assist tourists, with more employees working overtime, said Ms Sasikan.

Airports and taxiways are often checked in accordance with international aviation security standards, and they also comply with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s standards, she said.

As for murder protection, Pol Col Worasak Phisitbunnakorn, acting chief of the Royal Thai Police (RTP )’s Public Affairs Division, said Pol Gen Prachuap Wongsuk, assistant federal police commander, had ordered the Hospitality Police Bureau, the Metropolitan Police Bureau and the municipal police to police crowded areas from Jan 27–29.

Other police divisions, such as the narcotic drug suppression team, will also be on full alert.

The RTP advises the general public to be wary of fires because it is typical to burn incense and paper during the Chinese New Year, according to Pol Col Worasak.

The fires could also add to the PM2.5 air pollution hazard, observers say.

The automatic check-in system at Don Muang Airport crashed on Saturday, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand ( CAAT ) will invite AoT for discussions this week.

With the AoT, CAAT stated that it will discuss future mitigation plans and prevention measures.

A technical glitch occurred during a software update at 1 a.m. for the Common Use Passenger Processing System.

Before the system was restored at 9.45 am, CAAT reported that the crash caused lengthy lines and delays in flight on Saturday morning.

Full operations resumed in the afternoon, but the carriers ‘ operation at the airport for the remainder of the day was affected by the string of flight delays.

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