‘Excessive force’? Indonesia wants Malaysia to probe patrol officers’ shooting of migrants that left 1 dead

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According to the Jakarta Globe, Christina Aryani, the deputy secretary for migrant workers security,” We are even assisting the families of the victims with legal help and arranging the relocation of the deceased’s system.” &nbsp, &nbsp,

Aryani even stated to the local media on Sunday that her government is arranging to meet with the Malaysian government to discuss preventative measures to prevent future tragedies. &nbsp,

She said the conference will discuss strategies for handling illegal Indonesian migrant workers while highlighting the importance of upholding human rights. &nbsp,

Aryani noted that at the time of the event, the five migrant workers were not traveling with identification cards or go records. &nbsp,

According to the New Straits Times on Saturday, Hussein claimed that the affair was being looked into in accordance with Sections 186 and 307 of the Penal Code for preventing civil servants from carrying out their duties.

The event may have involved up to 20 people, according to the police, some of whom may still be at big. Nonetheless, the boat did not possess any illegal or dangerous things, according to Hussein. &nbsp,

” Work are underway to observe the remaining offenders”, Hussein said on Saturday, as quoted by the New Straits Times.

He added that one of the four wounded foreigners ‘ remarks had already been recorded by the police as of Saturday.

Individually, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrived in Putrajaya on Monday, for a state visit at the offer of Malaysian monarch, Sultan Ibrahim. &nbsp,

According to a media release from Malaysia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, Prabowo and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim are scheduled to meet to discuss diplomatic participation and “regional and global issues of mutual interest.”

According to a statement from the local newspaper Malay Mail, Indonesia’s Minister of Migrant Workers Protection Abdul Kadir Karding will be one of the delegations Prabowo did accompany.

More monitoring by Denny Armandhanu&nbsp,

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Malaysia turns away hundreds of Rohingya refugees amid local concerns

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“CRISIS WITHIN A CRISIS”

Arfaat Mohammed Emran, a refugee from Rohingya, arrived in Malaysia nearly ten years ago after fleeing Maungdaw, a village in Rakhine State.

He is currently a teacher at a Langkawi group college that UNHCR has funded.

Despite not adhering to the UN convention on immigrants, the father of two is appreciative of Malaysia providing him and his family with momentary protection.

” We feel secure, but never for a long time”, he added. ” We have been waiting for UN account for any settlement, or if our country is at peace, we need to transfer to our country, like volunteer return”.

But the situation up home appears to be worsening with the military cutting off contact, he said. &nbsp,

Arfaat hopes that Malaysia’s leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ) this year will help to highlight the suffering of Rohingyas and put an end to their persecution.

This year, Langkawi may host at least 30 Asian meetings.

” It’s a crisis within a crisis”, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science. &nbsp,

” On one hand, there’s a turmoil of the revolution and civil conflict that has to be resolved apparently, and ASEAN has a large, major role in that”, he added.

However, ASEAN also needs to consider the Rohingya crises in Rakhine State and work with the Arakan army to stop the Rohingya Muslims ‘ oppression within that problems.

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Putin’s obsession with total victory crimps Trump’s peace promise – Asia Times

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Donald Trump has already refuted his claim that he will resolve the Ukraine issue within the first 24 hours of business.

Trump’s counselors have then acknowledged that the conflict in Ukraine can’t be easily negotiated, just as he once said he would fix the US medical problems quickly and then backtracked to saying “nobody knew that heath care was thus complicated.” Trump’s” skill of the offer” does not really work in the real world of conflict solution.

Trump’s original intention was to provide further military support to Ukraine to deter further Russian aggression. This may encourage it to bring up the topic of the board.

Stopping aid to Ukraine might be a different tactic to help it deal. Trump would demand that Ukraine surrender its territory and establish an 800-mile demilitarized buffer zone ( to be guarded by NATO or European troops ) once “peace talks” started.

Trump is friendly to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that joining NATO poses a menace to Russian protection. Therefore, Ukraine would have to give up on aspired to actually join the local security bloc.

Russia, in turn, may get big restrictions pleasure, while a portion of the proceeds from&nbsp, tariffs&nbsp, on Russian energy imports would become allocated to&nbsp, Ukraine.

Trump’s peace plan was engineered by Russia-Ukraine special envoy Keith Kellogg ( a highly decorated three-star general ), who recently canceled an upcoming trip to Kyiv. Trump has already indicated that he wants to speak with Putin in order to “get the war over with.”

The biggest challenge is that Putin does not really want to make a deal, despite the plan’s numerous obstacles. Yes, in October, Russia was losing 1, 500 troops a day and the country was, and still is, struggling to recruit men.

With the onslaught of severe sanctions and being forced to spend tens of billions of dollars on defense rather than other government services, the Russian economy has had to deal with a lot.

All of this is irrelevant because Putin is so obsessed with Ukraine and her eventual victory. Russia might even be in a recession, as has been predicted in 2025, but that would still not be enough to force it to accept any compromise.

Putin categorically opposes Ukraine becoming a sovereign state. He either wants to control or destroy it. A weaker or nonexistent Ukraine would be a major blow to the United States ‘ position as a strongman in Russia, as well as a positive one for Putin’s legacy.

Unsurprisingly, Russia has already rejected the US’s unofficial suggestions, despite the fact that it has not yet seen an official statement on the subject. Putin favors serving as president during the war, and many Russians are willing to accept this new normal when they are under attack by oppression and inspired by patriotism.

Russia’s lack of compromise

Russia doesn’t think it needs to compromise. Putin is aware that he is much more determined than the West to defend Ukraine.

There are undoubtedly indications of fatigue in Europe for continuing to support Ukraine. In a YouGov poll of seven European countries ( France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the UK, Sweden and Denmark ), continuing support for Ukraine until Russia withdrew was found to be as low as 31 % on average, compared with around 40 % for encouraging a negotiated end to fighting, even if Ukraine lost territory.

In addition, lawmakers and the general public are exhausted in the US. Therefore, Congress, which is currently largely governed by the Republican party, may object to the provision of additional weapons to Ukraine.

In 2023, Republican opposition to Ukraine’s support already caused enormous delays. And while Republicans in Congress have been waning in favor of keeping the aid levels in Ukraine despite the Biden administration’s recent announcement of a new tranche of US$ 500 million, which is a portion of a total of$ 175 billion since the 2022 invasion.

This largely reflects the sentiments of the American public. In a Gallup poll conducted in December 2024, 48 % of people support US aiding Ukraine in regaining control of the land lost to Russia, marking the first time this percentage has fallen below the majority.

Support for Ukraine is also incredibly polar, with 74 % of Republicans and 30 % of Democrats wanting to end the conflict right away. Additionally, 67 % of Republicans think the US is doing too much.

Ultimately, it is likely there will be no peace deal any time soon because Trump does not really care about Ukraine, and doesn’t understand foreign policy. Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman, recently claimed that Trump pursued foreign policy in the manner of a” three-year-old.”

Trump cares more about impressing Putin ( or being seen as a deal-maker ) than supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty. His vice-president, J. D. Vance, has been more direct about it, stating in 2022:” I gotta be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another”. This view could have a devastating effect on willingness, and commitment, to negotiate.

According to analysis by US historian Robert Kagan, without US aid, Ukraine will lose the war within the next 12-to-18 months. Yet, for every square mile Russia gains, it loses 40 men – a heavy price to pay ( Ukraine’s total area is 233, 100 square miles ).

The initial proclamations that Trump would resolve the Ukraine crisis in 24 hours were campaign bluster that showed little awareness of the conflict’s intrusibility and the difficulties of establishing a new administration.

A few weeks ago, Trump stated that part of his plan “is a surprise“. The surprise factor extends beyond the general public. Perhaps Trump has no idea what his next steps will be when it comes to putting an end to this conflict. And that could play perfectly into Putin’s hands.

Natasha Lindstaedt is professor in the department of government, University of Essex

This article was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Yes, reshoring US industry is possible and happening – Asia Times

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Reshoring the British business has become a nonpartisan policy goal because Biden had a lot of interest in it. The concept has always been met with skepticism from a variety of angles.

Anything that involves tariffs and/or professional policies is viewed with suspicion by some economists and completely traders. And politics being what it is in America, both Republicans and Democrats have undoubtedly doubted the capacity of the other party to fulfill their promises. But in addition, I typically encounter a healthy skepticism about America’s skill to perform manufacturing&nbsp, at all.

Americans may be forgiven for having this idea. Most of our lived knowledge has either been the Rust Belt time of the 1980s, or&nbsp, the charged offshoring&nbsp, of the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. America has not had a factory-building increase in a very long time.

On top of that, most people who take economics in America know only one theory of global business, which is the principle of&nbsp, analytical advantage&nbsp, — generally, the idea that countries specialize in whatever they are best at. Because of the decades-long trend, it’s reasonable to assume that America focuses on technology and service rather than producing real goods.

If you think that, you likely think that reshoring production will always be a difficult, if not impossible, task. Sure, with sufficient taxes and grants we could&nbsp, force&nbsp, Americans to get more expensive products made in America, but this will render us all poorer. Why not concentrate on what we appear to be good at and left manufacturing to the East Asians and perhaps the Germans?

And still the right way to think about business isn’t always the best one. There ‘s&nbsp, another theory&nbsp, that says that since America has tons of money and technology, we can accomplish a lot of automatic production. And there ‘s&nbsp, but another theory&nbsp, that says that because the universe loves multitude, the US can produce near variations of the stuff the Asians and Europeans make.

Since the turn of the century, the US has experienced underdevelopment, which may have been due to an overvalued exchange rate, intentional Chinese rivals, and US business laws that favored the financial industry over the manufacturing industry.

The common belief that Americans just aren’t good at making stuff seems contradicted by areas in which we are &nbsp, startlingly good at making stuff&nbsp, — for example, SpaceX, which is pumping out the world’s best rockets from US factories in stunningly high volumes. The American South has also become a hub of high-quality auto manufacturing, with the help of Japanese and South Korean investment.

If that’s true, then reshoring has a chance. Although the uncompetitive dollar will continue to be a major issue, tariffs and other trade barriers can prevent Chinese competition, and US industrial policies can switch from pro-finance to pro-manufacturing ones. In fact, this approach is already bearing fruit in a number of strategic industries.

Take&nbsp, solar power, for instance. The collapse of US manufacturing and China’s overwhelming dominance for years served as the industry’s main story. In&nbsp, an article in Bloomberg&nbsp, last September, David Fickling lamented:

The US and Europe’s disregard for their own clean-tech industries is the result of myopic corporate leadership, timid financing, oligopolistic complacency, and policy chaos. That left a gap that Chinese start-ups filled, sprouting like saplings in a forest clearing.

But even before that story hit the presses, things had already begun to change. In December, the Solar Energy Industry Association &nbsp, reported&nbsp, that US solar manufacturing capabilities are on the rise:

In 2017, the US ranked 14th in the world for solar panel manufacturing capacity. With a focus in the South, additional factories started popping up all over the nation with an emphasis on expanding existing facilities starting in 2018 and then accelerating in 2022. Today, the US has leapfrogged competitors and ranks 3rd in manufacture of solar panels, passing large solar manufacturing countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Turkey…A new report by SEIA and Wood Mackenzie found that the industry had reached a critical threshold:

US solar manufacturing has reached a critical point following a record-setting Q3. American solar module factories can now produce enough to meet nearly all the demand for solar in the US when they are at full capacity.

As more solar deployment happens, more manufacturing will come online…Companies are investing billions of dollars to produce American-made solar panels in states like Georgia, Ohio, Texas, Washington, South Carolina, and Alabama…]T] here are more factories on the way, either announced or under construction.

Although it is obvious that the US is still far behind China, this growing trend of production and self-sufficiency is very different from the typical narrative you hear. As the article notes, the reshoring of solar began in the late 2010s, under Trump, and may have had something to do with Trump’s tariffs on solar panels. A second round of tariffs, courtesy of Biden, went into effect near the end of 2024, and definitely seemed to have an effect on solar imports:

Source: &nbsp, Joey Politano

However, Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act was the real catalyst for solar reshoring:

Source: SEIA

For another example, look at&nbsp, semiconductors. I ‘ve&nbsp, written a lot&nbsp, about how the CHIPS Act has galvanized U. S. production in this most strategic of all industries, including major investments from Taiwan and elsewhere. This is from&nbsp, a recent report&nbsp, by the CHIPS Program Office:

Over the past four years, there has been more investment in electronics manufacturing in the United States than in the last three decades combined. Plans for investments totaling nearly$ 450 billion are now available, making this the largest wave of semiconductor manufacturing growth in US history. This includes the two largest domestic investments in semiconductor manufacturing by US companies in history ( Intel and Micron ), as well as the two largest foreign direct investments in new projects by any company in history ( TSMC and Samsung ) …Perhaps most significantly, for the first time, all five of the world’s leading-edge logic and dynamic random-access memory ( DRAM ) manufacturers ( Intel, Micron, Samsung, SK hynix, and TSMC) are building and expanding in the United States. In contrast, no other country’s economy has more than two of these factories working there…

The United States is projected to produce at least 20 % of the world’s leading-edge logic chips by 2030 (up from zero percent in 2022 ) and ~10 % of its leading-edge DRAM chips by 2035 ( also up from zero percent ) —both technologies that are essential to the future of artificial intelligence ( AI), high-performance compute, and advanced military systems. For the first time in nearly a decade, a new factory in Arizona has begun producing these technologies domestically. This is the first time in almost a decade that a new factory has done so.

And The Economist, certainly no friend of industrial policy in general, has &nbsp, grudgingly admitted&nbsp, that US reshoring of the semiconductor industry is succeeding:

Early returns are impressive: the]CHIPS Act ] programme has catalysed about$ 450bn of private investments. And this money is spread across much of the industry, from high-tech packaging to memory chips. The most advanced chips, which are less than 10 nanometers in size, are a key indicator of success. In 2022 America made few such chips. By 2032 it is on track to have a share of 28 % of global capacity.

Foreign direct investment, especially from Taiwan’s TSMC, has been significant in the case of US auto manufacturing a generation earlier.

In early 2024, some poorly informed pundits were writing stories declaring that” DE I killed the CHIPS Act”, while&nbsp, others were wondering&nbsp, whether Americans had a culture capable of making chips. Those articles were spectacularly ill-timed — obstacles were quickly overcome, and the factory is now&nbsp, pumping out 4nm chips. Those are, by at least some measures, the most advanced semidconductors ever made on American soil.

And what’s more, those chips are being made with yields ( i. e., quality ) that are &nbsp, comparable to, or even higher than, what Taiwanese factories get. The notion that American workers couldn’t produce high-quality goods proved to be incorrect.

The cost of the chips made in the US is a little higher ( about 30 % more right now ), but that price difference will likely decrease as the demand increases and the chipmaking experience spreads throughout the nation.

In fact, the reshoring effort is going so well that TSMC is&nbsp, now planning&nbsp, to build even more cutting-edge chips at its US plants:

The effort to reshore semiconductors has so far been a huge success.

Batteries&nbsp, look like a third reshoring success. Currently, most batteries are produced in China, but the Inflation Reduction Act may be&nbsp, starting to turn things around:

Source: &nbsp, Canary Media

It’s not just factories being announced, either, production in the US is way up:

Source: &nbsp, Joey Politano

The reshoring of the solar, chip, and battery industries is direct criticism of the critics and evidence of American manufacturing’s viability.

Although these are only three different types of industries, they will undoubtedly facilitate the reshoring of those that are either producing these manufacturers or using their own resources. American reindustrialization isn’t just about a few key tentpole industries — it’s about a whole web of suppliers, customers, related industries, and talent.

Fortunately, we can already see this web starting to form in the US SEIA&nbsp, reports&nbsp, that America’s solar manufacturing boom isn’t just limited to the panels themselves, but related industries like solar tracker, solar inverters, and upstream materials production like wafers and ingots.

Meanwhile, the CHIPS Program Office&nbsp, reports&nbsp, that the semiconductor boom also includes downstream activities like packaging and testing. The Economist&nbsp, points out&nbsp, that this ecosystem, as well as the talent that gets developed for the CHIPS Act’s projects, will reduce costs and help sustain future expansion of chip manufacturing in America:

The subsidies have reduced the cost of building and running fabs in America by about 30 % compared to those in Asian nations. Because Asian governments give companies more money, their costs are lower in part.

However, Asian producers have also benefited from dense manufacturing clusters, which have well-trained workers and a large supply chain nearby. The goal is that CHIPS in America has initiated this process. ” It’s enough to get the flywheel going”, says ]outgoing Commerce Secretary Gina ] Raimondo.

Currently, it is largely a matter of political will and decency whether reshoring continues. If Donald Trump continues to criticize the solar industry or follows through on his previous threats to revoke the CHIPS Act, production could significantly shift back to China.

It would be ironic if a president who came to power and promised to revive American industry ended up being the one who put an end to our industrial revival.

This article was first published on Noah Smith’s Noahpinion&nbsp, Substack and is republished with kind permission. Become a Noahopinion&nbsp, subscriber&nbsp, here.

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From 60% to 10%: Is Trump’s China tariff proposal a softened stance or tactical move?

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CRITICAL BATTLEGROUND: SEMICONDUCTOR CHIPS

While tax talks continue to dominate worldwide headlines, experts say the real battlefield is systems, silicon microchips in particular which power anything from electric vehicles to smartphones, computers and satellites. &nbsp,

The slender but potent chips have long been at the center of the US-China business war, which has been fueled by China’s drive for semiconductor independence and US efforts to thwart China’s access to cutting-edge chip-making technology. &nbsp,

According to Jing Qian, co-founder and managing director of the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis,” the US-China tech war will probably get worse as Washington tightens import controls and Beijing pushes harder for semiconductor self-reliance.” &nbsp,

China has previously launched what experts believe to be its strongest counterretaliation against US antitrust laws, which were also used in Beijing’s well-known investigation against US intel Nvidia.

China’s business government launched a probe into US device exports on January 16 to find out if US device producers were receiving unfair advantages through incentives and grants. &nbsp,

According to a government director,” Companies have been exporting related mature-process device goods to China at low prices, thereby favoring the legitimate interests of the local market.” ” The concerns of China’s domestic industry are reasonable and they have the right to request a trade remedy investigation” .&nbsp,
 
The analysis was a strong and” calculated response” from Beijing to US laws, Jing said, one that “leveraged China’s substantial market size and manufacturing capacity to assert itself as a communicator of similar standing”.

According to Jing,” These actions are a part of a wider plan to unwind US companies and influence policymakers ‘ choices,” as well as cautioning that they also come with risks. &nbsp,

” Heightened compliance fees, regulatory uncertainty and worries of arbitrary enforcement may deter foreign investment and hinder technological cooperation, probably undermining China’s long-term goals”, he added. &nbsp,

China’s antitrust laws have “grown stronger” in recent months, noted Chen.

According to Chen,” Antitrust investigations are intended to uncover and correct anti-competitive behaviors or violations of merger conditions.” &nbsp,

According to China, they must maintain a foundation in antitrust principles in order to avoid undermining transparency and stumbling investor confidence.

According to him,” Escalation only makes sense for Beijing if forceful responses impede further adversarial policies or put pressure on Beijing to reverse existing US measures,” he continued, adding,” I do not believe China needs to enshrine antitrust laws to ( put ) foreign companies at a disadvantage.

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US-China on very real collision course over the Panama Canal – Asia Times

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United States President Donald Trump’s new commitments to recapture the Panama Canal have signaled rising US-China conflicts in Latin America, America’s resource-rich garden and standard sphere of influence.

US Senator Eric Schmitt introduced a resolution on January 23 calling for the Panamanian government to “expel official and interests of the People’s Republic of China ( PRC ) and terminate Chinese management of key Panamanian ports after Trump declared in his inauguration speech on January 20 that it was time for the US to retake control of the Panama Canal.

Additionally, the solution urges the Panamanian government to:

  • restate its commitment to the Panama Canal’s “permanent impartiality” as defined by the 1977 Neutrality Treaty,
  • assessment and terminate contracts allowing Chinese state-owned businesses or China-based so-called private entities to maintain proper infrastructure, including the ports of Balboa and Cristobal,
  • reaffirm its commitment to upholding Panama’s sovereignty and protecting the safety of the Northern Hemisphere by pursuing partnerships that conform to democratic principles and reciprocity of respect.

According to the quality, the US government should make significant investments to upgrade Panama’s river system and provide alternatives to Chinese-funded projects, give technical, financial, and proper support to Panama as it seeks to assert its independence over its crucial infrastructure, and lessen its dependence on organizations affiliated with the PRC. &nbsp,

In essence, Schmitt’s resolution calls for the Panama Maritime Authority ( AMP ) to revoke Hutchison Ports Holdings, a port management company with international interests that Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing controls.

” This has been a problem for a while that China has successfully controlled the Panama Canal. On either close, they control the ships. Why is that significant? Because the Panama Canal is where the majority of the products we ship to the Pacific pass, Schmitt told Fox News in an exam. &nbsp,

” The river is no natural anymore. It’s piece of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, where they buy up ships, they build flights and if you criticize the CCP, you may not find airlines again”, he said. They create a” structure that they can move on and off.” We just, from a national surveillance view, cannot have that situation”.

He claimed that the US did not take into account the fact that its military would have to traverse the Panama Canal before it “foolishly gave it away.” Who will determine the 20th century will determine the great rights’ battle between America and socialist China, he added.

China’s trade and investment with Latin America have significantly increased over the past 20 times. &nbsp,

In a statement, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Atlantic (ECLAC ) reported that China and the countries in the region have increased in recent years, reaching US$ 489 billion in 2023. That figure was only$ 18 billion in 2002.

Also in 2023, China’s overseas direct investment ( ODI) in Latin America and the Caribbean amounted to about$ 9 billion, or 6 % of the region’s total ODI. The US has been carefully monitoring China’s ability to use its economic impact in Latin America for political and military uses there. &nbsp,

Chinese President Xi Jinping inaugurated the Chancay mega-port on November 14th during an online service in Peru. According to state media, China will use the Chancay interface to promote trade and adopt its Belt and Road Initiative. &nbsp,

Mauricio Claver-Carone, the US State Department’s Special Envoy for Latin America, said the US may establish a 60 % tax on all products coming from the Chancay interface. &nbsp,

‘ We’re taking it back!’

But the Panama Canal is in Trump’s quick places. Trump reiterated his threat during his inaugural address in a press briefing on January 7 that the use of military power might be used to retake control of the Panama Canal.

In his speech on January 20, Trump said,” The Panama Canal, which mistakenly was given to the state of Panama, has been given because the US spent more money than ever before on a project and lost 38, 000 lives in the Panama Canal’s construction.”

” Our deal’s function and our treaty’s nature have been completely violated.” British ships are receiving a lot of extra money and not being treated quite in any way, shape or form. And that includes the United States Navy”, he said. The Panama Canal is being run by China. And we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back” .&nbsp,

The Filipino authorities announced the same day that an audit of Hutchison Ports, a nearby entity, had begun. Anel Bolo Flores, the Filipino Comptroller General, promised to launch a probe to check whether Hutchison is complying with its 25-year agreement for the Balboa and Felipe box stations. &nbsp,

Due to this, Filipino President Jose Raul Mulino stated last December that no power could control the Panama Canal, and that their sovereignty and independence are not subject to any kind of power.

China does not participate in waterway management or operation. Never actually has China interfered”, Mao Ning, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said in a press briefing on January 22. We regard the canal’s sovereignty and consider it to be a permanent natural international waterway.

After the Nicaraguan authorities cut decades-old diplomatic relations with Taiwan and leaped toward Beijing, diplomatic relations between China and Panama started in June 2017. &nbsp,

In December 2018, Panama signed on to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. Citing a WhatsApp talk, media reports said past Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela had received US$ 143 million of “donation” from Beijing to reduce the Panama-Taiwan ties.

According to Schmitt’s resolution, US construction of the Panama Canal required more than a decade of work ( 1904–1914 ), involved tens of thousands of workers and cost approximately$ 375 million, equivalent to more than$ 10 billion in 2025, with thousands of workers losing their lives due to disease and hazardous conditions.

According to US National Archives ‘ Rediscovering Black History, the majority of the people responsible for building the Panama Canal came from the West Indies, a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. However, some pro-China outlets have claimed that Chinese immigrants were the ones who lost their lives in the Panama Canal’s construction. &nbsp,

In an article published on January 20, The South China Morning Post claimed that thousands of Chinese people lost their lives while building Panama’s canal and railroads. &nbsp,

In an article published on January 25, Guancha.cn columnist Xiong Chaoran claims that Chinese workers left marks on the Panama Canal with their sweat and blood. He criticized US lawmakers for supporting Trump in promoting the Panama Canal issue.

The American Transcontinental Railroad, which was completed in 1869, was reportedly completed with the aid of 15, 000 Chinese immigrants, according to the Chinese Historical Society of America. According to researchers, hundreds of these workers lost their lives while working on the project. &nbsp,

Jimmy Carter, the US president, and General Omar Torrijos, the commander of Panama’s National Guard, signed the Panama Canal Treaty in 1977. It made it certain that after 1999, Panama would regain control of the Panama Canal. &nbsp,

Hutchinson in the crosshairs

Through an extensionable concession of 25 years plus 25 years that the Panamanian government gave to the management of the ports of Balboa and Cristobal at both ends of the Panama Canal, Hutchison Port Holdings ( Hutchison Ports ), a subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings, established operations in Panama in 1997.

The Panamanian government renewed the concession for Hutchison Ports by 25 years in 2021. &nbsp,

Hutchison Ports requested a right of reply from Asia Times, but the publication had not yet received a response. The business has so far declined to respond to any media inquiries about the matter. &nbsp,

On the Singapore Exchange, some Hutchison Ports ‘ operations are listed as Hutchison Port Holdings Trust. The listed trust has not recently filed any new documents with the bourse.

According to CK Hutchison’s website, Hutchison Ports is the world’s “leading port investor, developer and operator” and operates a network of 53 ports across 24 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australasia.

In addition to Buenos Aires, Argentina’s container terminal, Hutchison Ports runs ports in Mexico and the Bahamas in North America. It also operates ports in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Spain.

It’s not known if Washington will put pressure on other port facilities because it believes they are strategic because they are under Chinese influence.

Yong Jian contributes to the Asia Times. He is a Chinese journalist who specializes in Chinese technology, economy and politics. &nbsp,

Read: China’s shipbuilders a likely Trump trade war target

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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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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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In: Asia

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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Gender titles emerge as new battleground

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In: South-East Asia

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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