TAIPEI: Taiwan ‘s , government says China is redoubling efforts to undermine confidence in the self-governing island’s democracy and close ties with the United States through the spread of disinformation, especially online. According to the National Security Bureau, China distributed 2.16 million bits of fake or biased information last year, upContinue Reading
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to South Korea for talks next week, the two nations announced on Friday ( Jan 3 ), with Seoul in political turmoil as its impeached president resists arrest. Blinken, on what will possibly be his last foreign journey before president-elect Donald Trump’sContinue Reading
Malaysia’s transport minister said on Friday ( Dec 20 ) that it has agreed in principle to resume the search for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared in one of the greatest aviation mysteries ever.
Aircraft MH370, a Boeing 777 carrying 227 people and 12 staff, vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on Mar 8, 2014.
Transportation Minister Anthony Loke stated that Ocean Infinity, which had also conducted the previous research for the planes that ended in 2018, made the suggestion to seek a new place in the southern Indian Ocean.
The company will collect US$ 70 million if aircraft found is substantial, Loke told a press meeting.
The next of kin is our duty, obligation, and commitment, he said.
” We hope this time may be good, that the aircraft may be found and offer closure to the households”.
The transport department is reportedly negotiating ultimate terms with the US-based company and is anticipated to complete it by the start of the year.  ,
Since June 2020, tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors have been severe following at least 20 Indian and four Chinese military ‘ deaths in hand-to-hand conflict in Galwan Valley. The incident, which occurred at their almost 3,500km border, known as the Line of Actual Control, was the deadliest since aContinue Reading
BEIJING: China said on Tuesday ( Dec 17 ) it was willing to work with India to stabilise bilateral relations “at an early date” ahead of rare high-level talks this week on a decades-long border dispute. The two most populous countries in the world have fierce geopolitical rivals and haveContinue Reading
It’s too soon to tell whether Mr. Dong is secure or still in trouble, according to experts.
They point out that he does not have the same authority as his two predecessors, who also served as state commissioners and members of the CMC, giving them immediate access to Premier Li Qiang and Mr. Xi, both. Mr. Dong is not a member of either of these positions.
What is also unclear is Mr. Dong’s absence from new formal events, which are typically attended by a defence minister.
Due to his Dec. 5 looks, Mr. Dong made his final public appearance on November 21 when he addressed a group of Southeast Asian Nations defense ministers in Vientiane, Laos.
He chose to speak with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on the outside, citing US deeds in Taiwan, which the Pentagon head called terrible, but he declined. Mr Dong’s emergence from a visit to China by Singapore’s Chief of Defence Force Aaron Beng weeks afterwards also sparked debate.
While Mr. Dong’s emergence may indicate that he is currently healthy, observers say that it also depends on his part in the investigation into Mr. Miao’s disappearance.
Past analytical journalist-turned-commentator Cai Shenkun asserted in a Nov 11 post on social media app X that” since Admiral Dong Jun was promoted by Miao”, he may get “affected”.
Dr. Willy Lam, a top fellow at The Jamestown Foundation, cited rumors that Mr. Dong” spilled the beans on Miao Hua” as a see, leading to accusations that he may have avoided embarrassment.  ,
Dr. Lam told CNA,” It’s possible that Dong Jun will continue for a few times just for the sake of appearances.” ” The fact that Dong Jun reappeared, this has added an interesting aspect to the account”.
” For now, it seems his political coming remains secure”, said Mr Chen Shih-min, associate professor in the Department of Political Science at National Taiwan University, who signalled that his security could possibly consolidate, if he fills the vacuum in the CMC, as a member.
Despite the fact that Mr. Miao has been identified as having been in difficulties, observers have expressed concern about how the language used to describe his situation was different from what is customary.  ,
Wu Qian, a spokesman for the defense department, stated in a media briefing on November 28 that the CCP “has decided to suspend Miao Hua from duty pending exploration,” without providing more information about the allegations against him.
Some analysts pointed out how in announcing Mr Miao’s suspension, the Chinese term jiancha ( “inspection” ) was used instead of diaocha ( “investigation” ).
” If they use the proper name diaocha, it means more likely than not, according to the Chinese legal system, that he is already found guilty”. Jiancha, yet, is a “lighter term”, implying that Mr Miao “might never actually been given a long, serious prison term”, said Dr Lam.
National Taiwan University’s Mr Chen added:” Of course, it can also be interpreted as a somewhat liberal treatment of Miao Hua, and the reason for this could definitely be explained by the fact that Miao Hua is’ one of Xi Jinping’s really near allies.'”
However, Mr. Morris argued that easing the terminology does not affect Mr. Miao’s destiny, noting that the English announcement stated it was being investigated for a” serious violation of discipline.”
He continued,” The announcement that China has suspended Miao Hua from his job in a public manner is a clear indication that his career is over and that he will be placed under house arrest or worse.”
Additionally, there are disagreements over whether Mr. Miao’s suspension was the result of Mr. Xi’s intervention or that of rival factions opposed to the leader.
A Chinese nationwide was detained by Indonesian authorities on Thursday ( Dec. 5 ) for reportedly helping to move and launder almost US$ 18 million from a legal online gaming group in China.
Immigration officers detained Yan Zhenxing on Monday at a Batam cross-border boat terminal.
Yan was detained following an Interpol red realize, according to Yuldi Yusman, the chairman of immigration control and police. The finds direct law enforcement organizations from around the world to catch or apprehend a suspect wanted in a particular nation.
Yusman said Yan, a permanent citizen of Singapore, was arriving in Batam for a holiday with his home when he was detained.
Indonesian government brought the believe, wearing a detainee’s peach top and a face mask, to a news conference on Thursday in the capital of Jakarta.
The believe did not provide any information or ask any questions.
Yan was identified by police in China’s Inner Mongolia region as a suspect, according to Yusman, who alleges he was involved in the laundering and transfer of more than 130 million yuan ( US$$ 17.3 million ) from a criminal online gambling group.
He claimed that Yan was handed over to Indonesia’s National Central Bureau Interpol in Jakarta on Thursday and that it will take some time before a decision is made to arrest or apprehend him to China.
The Philippines ‘ foreign ministry announced on Thursday ( Dec. 5 ) that it has lodged a diplomatic protest against China over a disputed shoal in the South China Sea on December 4. The latest controversy in a long-running and growing debate centered on the Scarborough Shoal, which China andContinue Reading
MANILA: Japan on Thursday ( Dec 5 ) granted the Philippines 1.6 billion yen ( US$ 10.6 million ) aimed at beefing up its naval capabilities, a day after Manila said the China Coast Guard had “harassed” its government vessels. The Spanish Navy will receive more rigid-hulled inflatable boats, southernContinue Reading
Mr Frazier says the polarization in China’s annuity system, with over 2, 000 local institutions managing money freely, has led to operational costs being wasted.  ,
” If you centralise or even send it to 31 provincial-level retirement, then you’re going to save a tremendous amount of administrative fees”, he added.
The maximum level of support for the poorest people is suggested by the Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index 2024.
The government’s hukou home registration system could be relaxed, according to authorities, which would increase migrant workers ‘ eligibility and support for rural people.
However, China’s reliance on pay taxes to fund pensions is extremely untenable as the workforce shrinks.
Ms. Liu cited undeveloped revenue sources as a way to raise contributions to the annuity pot. ” Right then, China doesn’t really have estate tax, for illustration and I think capital gain taxes in China is very minimal or is totally non-existent”, she said.
Dr. Huang emphasized the need for more comprehensive governmental policies. ” The socioeconomic problems can quickly turn into a fiscal crisis for the state”, he said. Redistributing and altering the tax structure are essential to addressing these issues.
A more extreme method, as suggested by Mr Frazier, is to vowed pensions from job to create a universal standard annuity.  ,
” You have to consider ways to introduce changes that would ensure retirement for persons in an economy in which, over 40 years, there may be 40 unique work, 40 different companies”, he said.
Others like Mr. Poston have suggested immigration as” the only solution” to restock the workforce and relieve pressure on pension funds as a result of China’s demographic decline.  ,
China needs to use immigration to escape this peril. The country’s numerous attempts to put policies in place to increase the birth rate have failed and will fail.
However, he also acknowledges the challenges. It won’t be simple to implement an active immigration policy in a nation with little immigration experience, few preferences for immigrants, and a seemingly deep-rooted belief in racial purity held by many leaders in the Chinese Communist Party.
For millions of Chinese citizens, the stakes are high, and the path forward remains fraught with challenges.  ,
” To be honest, I do have concerns”, said Ms Long.
” I worry that the quality of the services I provide will decline as I retire,” he said.
” I hope the government and society will continue to address these issues and make the system more trustworthy,” he continued.