Oz-Indonesia tie-up could break China’s EV battery supremacy

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Lithium-ion batteries, which are made of minerals like potassium, copper, and chrome, have the potential to revolutionize decarbonization. & nbsp,

However, their effectiveness depends on a number of factors, including China’s predominance in the handling and inland applications of minerals, the complexity of the supply chain, and upcoming technologies related to battery minerals supply chains. The risks involved in this project are higher.

Some countries have concentrated the majority of these minerals’ resources. Australia produces 55 % of lithium, Indonesia produces 37 % of nickel, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo produces 70 % of cobalt.

However, China is the world leader in the running of these essential minerals, both domestically and internationally through its ownership or control of crucial mineral resources. It specifically supervises the transformation of 58 % of lithium, 67 % of cobalt, and 35 % of nickel into battery-grade cathode chemicals.

The geographical concentration of power mineral manufacturing and processing, especially China’s presence in processing capacity, adds volatility to geopolitics, where energy security has always been a top priority.

Power minerals are defining the current era by influencing global economic, environmental, and political policies, just as fuel and oil did in the past.

The new discovery of sizable potassium resources in Iran demonstrates how swiftly crucial minerals’ geopolitics and nbsp may change. This development raises the possibility of an alliance between Australia and Indonesia on a corporate level to create an alternate battery mineral supply chain. & nbsp,

Indonesia’s Sulawesi produces lignium. Asia Times Files and an image of Antara taken by AFP

These countries are well-positioned to build a fruitful partnership because they are geographically close together and have comparable resources.

Such an empire might advance Australia’s ambitions to become a major player in the global power supply network, establish Indonesia as an EV and battery hub, and support the US-led Mineral Security Partnership. & nbsp,

Whether this collaboration you successfully address the serious problems brought on by climate change and have a positive impact on improving relations between Australia and China are the key questions that must be answered.

Much setup times, regulation and environmental concerns, and the investment required for capabilities and infrastructures are just a few of the obstacles that must be overcome for such an ally to achieve. Just China has so far been able to create a full supply chain to get around all these obstacles.

Questionable technological trends have given the complexity of minerals geography yet another dimension. The industry is looking into options to nickel and cobalt, two somewhat uncommon components in battery minerals, in order to reduce environmental and provide risks. The development of & nbsp, lithium iron phosphate, and( LFP ) batteries, which do away with the need for cobalt and nickel, is a leading Chinese battery manufacturer.

LFP batteries have seen improvements in energy density and are being used more frequently in EVs compared to & nbsp, nickel-manganese-cobalt,( NMC ) batteries, which have higher energy densities but are more expensive and less tolerant of higher temperatures. & nbsp,

In China, their market share increased from 38 % in 2020 to 66 % in the first half of 2023. This change lessens the political leverage of nations that are rich in chromium and nickel while also allaying security concerns about these minerals.

Power materials are commodities whose value is influenced by the interactions of supply and demand, such as nickel and cobalt. Although resource loss is not an immediate problem, there is a perceived lack. Instead of a shortage, this scarcity is caused more by the race to carry reserves in order to reduce political and supply chain risks.

China’s dominance in clean energy systems is seen as a threat to international energy security from political perspectives. US politicians are concerned about this point of view. & nbsp,

A culture to secure these materials is being exacerbated by geopolitical tensions and mistrust among countries with different ideologies. This competition may undermine the global supply chain and obstruct efforts to achieve the Paris Agreement’s carbon reduction targets.

A potential alignment between Australia and Indonesia holds particular charm for the United States in this situation. The proposed coalition even raises important issues because battery technology’s future is uncertain. & nbsp,

The essential systems required for the production of batteries, spend management, and mineral purification are lacking in both Australia and Indonesia. The empire raises more questions than answers about its effectiveness in addressing urgent climate change issues without China’s involvement, in addition to significant investments in facilities and manufacturing facilities and large economic costs.

The reestablishment of relationships between Australia and China may also be hampered by the formation of such an alliance. This is largely attributable to China’s significant investments in the metal control sectors in Indonesia and Australia, as well as its steadfast desire to uphold its position.

On the other hand, China’s dominance in battery technology may help decarbonize the planet by being a worldwide property. Contrary to popular belief, personal market development rather than state-backed investment is what has led to China’s guide in the battery supply chain.

Leading non-state businesses like & nbsp, Ganfeng, and / psc, Tianqi, e cctl, CATL & nb s pp, as well as d r g h t v l o f w m j i q u k a x y z en, have prospered in fierce domestic competition.

Lithium-ion batteries are used in the BYD K12A, the world’s longest natural energy vehicle. Image: Handout

The unified global approach to decarbonization had be undermined by such initiatives, even though creating an alternate battery supply chain may increase diversity and improve the resilience of the current supply infrastructure.

It is essential to include all tech-forward countries, & nbsp, including China, as key players in order to encourage a successful alliance between Australia and Indonesia in developing an alternative battery supply chain. In the fight against climate change, open international trade and investment are essential strategies. & nbsp,

To accomplish this, however, requires overcoming current political and ideological divides in favor of fostering relationships that are based solely on & nbsp, like-mindedness.

Marina Yue Zhang teaches as an associate professor at the University of Technology Sydney’s Australia-China Relations Institute.

This post, which was previously published by the East Asia Forum, has been republished with a Creative Commons license.

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Japan’s yen stuck in a ‘Groundhog Day’ time loop

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TOKYO- The international financial system’s rendition of” Groundhog Day” is a plunging renminbi.

Currency traders have frequently had to worry about whether the Ministry of Finance and Bank of Japan will step in to stop the dollar’s drop since 1993, when the precious Bill Murray movie stars a meteorologist trapped in the middle of the worst day of his career until he changes program hit venues.

Currently, the goal is to prevent a hankering that is currently trading at 150 to the money from rising to 160 in the coming days. At a time when the US Federal Reserve is implying additional interest rate increases, that is simpler said than done.

However, as this most recent movie hits a nearby economic nyse, the stakes are higher. Japan is even more stuck between the proverbial stone and a hard place than it has been over the past 30 years as US provides continue to rise and China’s economy stagnates.

After all, it wasn’t until 1993 that Tokyo started to accept the fallout from the collapse of the 1980s” bubble economy” time. Banks in Japan were left with trillions of dollars’ worth of dangerous loans as a result of the real estate collapse.

Today, economists typically use that time period as a cautionary tale for the current real estate crisis in China. However, Japan has not yet fully recovered from the 1990s in many ways. Take a look at the BOJ’s” Groundhog Day” get-it-right situation with statistical moderation.

In the 1993″ Groundhog Day” humor, Bill Murray plays Phil Connors. The dollar’s” Groundhog Day” conundrum is not amusing. Photo: Screengrab, Columbia Pictures, and YouTube

When Governor Kazuo Ueda arrived at BOJ offices in April, there was a lot of rumor that QE’s days were numbered. Ueda’s career did not result in the happy ending traders had anticipated; rather, it only made the story more complicated.

Ueda stooped down just this week to refute the idea that the BOJ may cut back on cash. He emphasized that there is” also a long way to come” before the BOJ abandons its extremely loose monetary policy. This could indicate 2025 or afterwards based on the rate at which father Haruhiko Kuroda operated.

According to Mohamed El – Erian, chief consultant at Allianz,” The FX weakness reflects policy decisions within the forex and curiosity rates.” The” trade-off facing the Chinese authorities” is” accentuated by both the government of yield-curve power monetary policy and higher provides globally.”

News that the Financial Services Agency will start conducting stress testing on about 20 banks is a crucial clue. The evaluation should be finished by July 1st, 2024, but chances are it will take longer.

Discussions about the findings would therefore take place between regulatory bodies, government agencies, the BOJ, and the office of the prime minister. All of this suggests that the BOJ is hesitant to” taper” until it is certain that ending QE won’t cause meltdowns akin to those at Silicon Valley Bank.

Governor of the Bank of Japan Kazuo Ueda. Wikipedia image

Time, however, is not on Tokyo’s area. The japanese will experience even more extreme downward pressure as US Fed Chair Jerome Powell considers another price increase or two. This occurs as Japan struggles with two additional 30-year goals, including the best Nikkei Stock Average protest since the first 1990s and the highest inflation rate.

The problem of inflation is difficult for Ueda’s group. Tokyo has been struggling with recession since 1999, when the BOJ became the first significant central banks to reduce rates to zero. The group led by then-governor Masaru Hayami pioneered QE in 2000 and 2001.

Unfortunately, though, Tokyo’s long-desired inflation arrived before the second-largest economy in Asia was prepared. Instead of increasing demand at home, it is primarily being imported due to rising power and food expenses.

As a result, the 126 million people in Japan are cutting back on household spending, and business leaders are changing their minds about wage increases.

As the hankering declines, Saudi Arabia reduces oil production, and Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, Japan runs the risk of importing yet more inflation. Citizens are being reminded by this powerful how little the Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has done to boost incomes over the past 30 years.

According to economist Yasunari Ueno at Mizuho Securities, Kishida’s” government would gain nothing diplomatically by showing the Chinese people that it is committed to addressing the import price spike brought on by a weaker yen.”

Local advertising is evaluating Kishida’s state at the two-year mark this week. The general consensus is that Kishida has brought balance to Tokyo but has not implemented any reforms to lower bureaucracy, renew innovation, overhaul labor markets, or encourage businesses to share hefty profits with a workforce that lacks confidence in the future.

A Nikkei Stock Average that has reached 30-year spikes collides with this striking reality. Due in part to initiatives to improve corporate governance, extend boardrooms, and boost returns on equity since 2014, Asian businesses are once again popular with international investors.

In 2020, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway attracted sizeable and headline-grabbing opportunities in Japan Inc. Interest charges are” less expensive than completely, and the real effective exchange rate has fallen ,” according to CLSA planner Nicholas Smith,” making Japan cruelly aggressive.”

yet fiercely aggressive enough to start a moral cycle of rising consumption and fat paychecks? Information of this dynamic is currently virtually nonexistent.

Kishida has vowed to quicken the process of financial revamping. His” new capitalism” initiative to promote gross domestic product ( GDP ) advantages has largely failed. As a result, the BOJ is now in the driver’s seat and must help development.

Opening a way for the US$ 1.6 trillion Government Pension Investment Fund, the largest of its kind in the world, to finance an upsurge in startups is another strategy that has failed. Kishida had pledged to attract more foreign funding in addition to utilizing GPIF’s sizable property pool.

To entice international talent to Tokyo, ideas include creating English-only unique enterprise zones. The hourly minimum wage was recently increased to 1,000 yen( US$ 6.69 ) by Kishida’s party. In, say, 2003, both concepts might have been helpful. In 2023, not so much.

The financial benefits of Kishida’s” new capitalism” have not been delivered. Screengrab image

Ueda is under increasing stress hardly to budge due to political unrest. The japanese will continue to be under downward stress as the BOJ maintains its fire. Shunichi Suzuki, the finance minister, stated on Tuesday that” all methods” are being taken to put a stop to the renminbi.

The Ministry of Finance and the BOJ were rumored to have intervened in marketplaces later that evening or early the next morning. Authorities have yet to provide confirmation.

The chief of the money for the finance ministry, Masato Kanda, will declare that” We may continue with the existing position on our response to excessive dollar moves.”

While we are essentially like Gulliver in the market, he continued,” we are even coming and going as a business person, so typically we didn’t say whether or not we’ve intervened each time.”

According to researcher Edward Moya at OANDA,” A good Chinese money treatment may have also put a major in place for the dollar, which is providing some support for oil.”

A change in BOJ policy, according to analysts at MUFG Bank,” even becomes more probable, and we would expect solid opposition to yen weakness at levels over 150.00.”

However, among those who are unsure whether the Tokyo authorities’ decision to buy yen did succeed this time is planner Marc Chandler at Bannockburn Global Forex. He explains that the” BOJ intervened three times last season, nothing during the US day area.”

Representatives from BOJ are equally likely to rely more on jawboning industry. According to dealer Takehiko Masuzawa at Phillip Securities Japan,” It appears that Ueda’s new remarks were intended to stop the yen from falling against the money.” These remarks” are operating almost the same as federal action.”

Given the main company’s growing concern with the yen, Stefan Angrick, an economist at Moodys Analytics, claims that” the shift in tone is probably an effort to avoid sounding overly dovish.”

The worries about the yen, according to Angrick, are” understandable given that the price is creeping towards 150 ( yesen ) to the dollar, the level that last prompted FX intervention in October 2022.” However, it has also increased the obscurity of the BoJ’s contacts.

According to Angrick, the BOJ’s purposes become more difficult to discern with each new policy change and every new guide to acting with flexibility.

When rates spend more time above zero than below,” A 0 % target for long-term rates carries little meaning ,” he observes. This” creates a policy stance that aims to avoid the appearance— and cost — of tightening while raising interest rates ,” says Angrick. Potential coverage is now more difficult to predict as a result of all of this.

According to Angrick’s” best guess ,” recent styles” will see the BOJ hold major economic policy levers stable for the time being ,” but due to the central banks’ increased emphasis on the yen and confusing communication, there is now a greater chance of policy surprises and missteps.

US interest rate increases hurt the renminbi. Photo: Facebook

However, according to planner Win Thin at Brown Brothers Harriman, the US continues to play a significant role in this situation. We believe that quarter-end balancing is most likely the cause of this money weakness, which is corrective in nature. Investors should be on the lookout for a chance to go long dollars suddenly at lower levels, though we’re not sure how long this revision lasts.

The japanese does more than just convey that trust in Japan is dwindling as it moves toward 160. It gives China more leeway to accept a weaker yuan in order to increase imports. As one of the most divisive US elections in history heats up, all of this runs the risk of raising questions about Asiatic money policy in Washington.

Although Asia investors have seen previous iterations of this film, the upcoming plot twists may cause the world’s economic structure to collapse in a chaotic manner.

At @ WilliamPesek, follow William Peserk on X, formerly Twitter.

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Singapore’s postage rates remain comparable to other countries after price increase, says Tan Kiat How

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POSTAGE HIKE” NO Ensure” WILL IMPROVE FINANCIAL Place

While SingPost’s general business is still profitable in the fiscal year 2022, more than 90 % of the profits came from its transportation division and were mainly attributed to its overseas investments, according to Mr. Tan. & nbsp,

Post and piece, SingPost’s primary business in Singapore, suffered operating costs of S$ 16 million.

According to Mr. Tan, this is because of the global decline in text email as well as fierce competition from logistics firms and e-commerce players expanding their own parcel delivery capabilities. He also said that as a result, the cost of delivery per letter has increased significantly. & nbsp,

There is no assurance that the rise in shipping rates will strengthen SingPost’s financial position, as noted by many analysts, Mr. Tan said. & nbsp,

He continued by saying that if customers choose more e-substitution, the increase in sales might not make up for the accelerated decrease in notice volumes. & nbsp,

SingPost is anticipated to invest in modernizing its regional post and shipment business as part of the postage rate increase in order to maintain efficiency and high-quality service. & nbsp,

However, according to Mr. Tan, this action could put SingPost on a more long-term course to fulfill its duties as the common post licensee.

POSTAGE HIKE SUPPORT FOR Organizations

In response to Mr. Yip’s additional query about targeted assistance for those affected by the mail hiking, Mr Tan added that SingPost may continue to offer suitable bulk discounts as well as other forms of customer support to consumers and businesses such as property agencies, charitable organizations, small businesses, and small and medium-sized enterprises( SMEs ).

All first and second native stamps will still be honored even after the post rate rises, the older minister of state continued. & nbsp,

Mr. Tan responded that the government only makes up a” very little proportion” of Singapore’s complete mail volume in response to Assoc Prof. Lim’supplementary question about whether the postal increase amounts to governmental taxation on itself.

In response to Assoc Prof Lim’s query about cross-subsidization, Mr. Tan even emphasized that it is not responsible for a publicly traded company to keep generating losses, particularly SingPost, which receives the majority of its revenue outside of Singapore.

” When the company is doing well beyond of Singapore, it is expected to support the less successful companies in Singapore.” What transpires, however, if it is the other way round? What if companies in different nations are losing money? Is there( an) expectation that we will be able to stop those losses?

” We must be obvious that this is not the regulatory framework in which we are conducting business. The home controller segment receives ringfenced revenues and profits.

Mr. Tan remarked,” It’s not supposed to make up for losses in other businesses, and second opposite.”

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Individual creativity solves the impossible

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The new Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was given to Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman, and this has drawn a lot of media attention to the fact that the two encountered several skepticisms during their study and that their fruitful collaboration began as an accident encounter in the copy room. never during a Zoom meeting. The Wall Street Journal notes that” Pair met with questions, then get Nobel Prize.”

Great accomplishments in the face of scepticism are more frequent than most people realize in my profession in technology development and investing, and they serve as the foundation for my conviction that it is crucial to support the work of gifted, creative people who are free to follow their intuition. & nbsp,

My experience has included both private equity funding management of technology product and service organizations and managing a top experiment, the RCA Laboratories. I’ve discovered that exceptional artistic people who can solve problems that people find impossible to solve consistently produce great results. & nbsp,

However, for concepts must be carried out with excellent performance that quickly resolves blocking issues. This & nbsp was true in my experience in other fields as well as in the Nobel-winning technology that made mRNA vaccines possible. The great entrepreneurs may execute their ideas with equal excellence. Success is made possible by fantastic management team led by outstanding leadership in this area. & nbsp,

The development of color tv at the RCA Laboratories encountered numerous obstacles in its ability to produce three-color digital photos, and unfeasible solutions were put forth. One person saved the job by coming up with a workable solution.

Integrated circuits chips in semiconductors did a bad job of dissipating the heat produced by switching. One scholar created the CMOS( comparable metal-oxide-semiconductor ) architecture, which eventually became business standard and then enables billions of devices on a device the size of an enormous thumbnail– as well as smartphones with the features we desire.

My work in semiconductor and nbsp lasers was immediately discouraged because of earlier findings that the devices would be destroyed by the great currents required for lasing. My job, along with others’ and nbsp’s, eliminated the root of the problem, and laser have been in use for a long time. & nbsp,

Every instance I’ve given these involved exceptional development that put ideas on the market after the initial contribution. & nbsp,

I could give numerous instances from my trading career where people made advances possible. My favorite development is the development of Ethernet contacts.

The transfer of electronic computer information on common twisted-pair copper lines used in digital telephone systems was modeled by two engineers working on their own projects. There was a lot of doubt about the viability of for transportation. Their research demonstrated how software may get around significant phone network and nbsp limitations and enable the transmission of great digital data rates.

Level One Communications was established( and supported by us ) and nbsp, which under the direction of Robert Pepper rose to become the industry leader in Ethernet bits before Intel bought it. Systems is now widely used.

That these laureates’ function is receiving so little consideration makes me happy. They serve as a reminder that commissions don’t create something. When given the freedom and resources to complete the deemed impossible, brilliant people do. & nbsp,

Technologist, engineer, writer, and lifelong private equity investor Henry Kressel.

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Ukraine’s emerging modern military-industrial complex

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Ukraine, which has been devastated by war, is violently reshaping its defense sector in an effort to shed its state-burdened Russian legacy and transform into a modern producer that complies with NATO standards and capabilities and keeps an eye on international arms markets.

In an effort to lessen its present significant reliance on foreign hands, Ukraine wants to become one of the world’s largest arms producers, according to multiplemediaoutlets last month.

Security ministers from Britain and France as well as the secretary general of NATO traveled to Kiev to promote improving Ukraine’s home arms manufacturing capabilities. 20 representatives from the French arms sector were sent by the country’s security chief.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the leader of Ukraine, just announced the formation of the Defense Industries Alliance, which includes 13 major producers of arms. This includes making plans to establish a specific finance to fund the alliance through the purchase of seized Russian assets and dividends received from condition defense funds.

European countries are having trouble keeping their promises to Ukraine’s weapons, especially weaponry ammunition. To address the shortage, the US government has signed deals to establish new production facilities for artillery shells.

Recently, manufacturing facilities for German Rheinmetall and British BAE Systems, which concentrate on armoured vehicles and gun, have also been established in Ukraine.

In the US and Europe, open aid for arming Ukraine is dwindling. In order to fend off Russia’s military assault, Ukraine is being forced to create its own cutting-edge war technology. & nbsp,

Ukraine inherited a sizable portion of the Russian military and defense industries, but over time, major downsizing was brought about by unfavorable financial conditions and perceived ostentation.

Denys Kiryukhin notes in an article published in August 2018 for the Foreign Policy Research Institute( FPRI ) that Ukraine received a sizable military arsenal following the fall of the Soviet Union, including 780 000 soldiers, 6, 500 tanks, 1, 100 combat aircraft, 500 ships, 176 intercontinental ballistic missiles ( ICBM ), and 1, 000 tactical nuclear weapons.

Ukraine is using the conflict as an opportunity to establish relationships with Western arms producers in the protection sector. UNI Potential image

According to Kiryukhin, Russian officials at the time felt that this large military was unnecessary and decided to scale back military personnel and structures. The nation even renounced nuclear weapons as a result of US-led international pressure.

According to Kiryukhin, Ukraine had three military objectives prior to 2014: combat terrorism, take part in peacekeeping operations, and, if necessary, combat regional wars. He points out that while Ukraine’s special operations forces and swift reaction were properly developed, the majority of its military was still in poor shape.

He points out that the Ukrainian military had 700 tanks, 170 combat aircraft, and 22 warships— a formidable but underpowered force — prior to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. In response to losing Crimea to Russia, Ukraine started significant military reforms to restore its dismantled military and adjust it with NATO standards.

According to a report from the US Congressional Research Service( CRS) from January 2022, Ukraine’s defense sector is capable of producing boats, missiles, electronics, vehicles, and other types of security equipment. Ukroboronprom, which manages over 130 state-owned firms, is in charge of the sector.

While Russian officials want to reform Ukroboronprom and increase transparency, such as by passing the On Defense Procurement legislation in July 2020, the CRS review notes that problem, inefficiency, conflict, and opacity continue to pose serious obstacles to development and the application of NATO’s high standards.

The Russian security industry’s decline is due to its historical reliance on Russia, according to Thomas Laffitte in a September 2022 issue of FPRI. Since 2014, bilateral trade has been disrupted, which has led to numerous issues for producers who have had to find new suppliers. He adds that the harm done since Russia’s war in February 2022 has also had a negative impact on Russian manufacturing facilities.

Despite these difficulties, Paul McLeary notes in a Politico article published in December 2022 that NATO is creating an ambitious 10-year plan to rebuild Ukraine’s security sector as part of an ongoing commitment to bring the nation closer to the coalition in terms of training and equipment.

Top NATO consolidation officials have now gathered to discuss ways to support the Russian defense industry while replenishing stocks of weapons and equipment donated to Kiev since the start of the war, according to McLeary. The goal is to move away from Russian equipment and toward NATO-compatible American gear.

In a June 2023 issue of Defense News, Jaroslaw Adamowski observes that Russian defense companies are looking to collaborate with Western suppliers to produce collaborative weapons, with many of them posing as war veterans and selling themselves as such. According to Adamowski, Ukroboronprom is working on shared projects with a number of NATO people, including France, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, and two unnamed partners.

Adamowski pointed out that Ukroboronprom and Rheinmetall, two German companies, have agreed to repair vehicles, with the previous hoping to gain a foothold in Ukraine through additional services. Cooperation, he says, could make it easier for technology to be transferred to Ukraine and used to make” select” Rheinmetall products.

Additionally, he mentions the strengthening of ties between Poland and Ukraine’s defense sector, which has promised Ukroboronprom exposure to production facilities through PGZ, the state-owned defence company of Poland. In order to launch new production traces to produce 125mm pond shells for Ukraine’s government in April of this year, PGZ and Ukroboronprom company Artem, according to Adamowsi, signed a contract.

Adamowski also mentioned that Petr Pavel, the president of the Czech Republic, had stated that his nation would think about giving Ukraine some of its L-159 developed light combat aircraft. The F / A-259 Striker aircraft that Czech aircraft manufacturer Aero Vodochody, which also produces the L-159, developed with Israel Aerospace Industries, will be produced in the future as part of a joint venture between the two governments.

The intricate and expanding network of defense industries between Ukraine and its allies has the potential to spark a global arms sales boom as Europe rebuilds its arsenals and arms dealers search for attractive emerging markets.

The Ukraine War has created excellent marketing options for arms dealers and substantially boosted the arms industry, according to Connor Echols in an article for Responsible Statecraft published in February 2023.

According to Echols, the long-term effects could include the development of a” multipolar” arms business, with the trend toward supply chain safety and resilience diversification away from one or two major suppliers.

Echols points out that American sanctions have recently caused a decline in the Russian security sector, enabling the US to maintain its position as the world’s top arms producer.

Foreign buyers can purchase Ukraine’s Vilkha multiple launch rocket system( MLRS ). Photo: Twitter

He claims that as a result, traditional buyers of Russian munitions like India have grown afraid and have begun to look to other countries, like France and the US, for assistance. He adds that emerging vendors like Turkey and South Korea have been able to display their arms as a result of Russia’s declining share of the global hands business.

In the case of Ukraine, Adamowski observes in a Defense News article from September 2022 that the ongoing conflict has aided it in marketing goods like its Skif and Corsar anti-tank guided missiles( ATGM ) to foreign consumers.

He points out that Ukraine recently sold its Neptune anti-ship missiles, which were renowned for sinking Russia’s Moskva cruiser, to Indonesia as well as its Vilkha multiple launch rocket system( MLRS ) to Egypt. & nbsp,

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The inconvenient unpopularity of climate policies

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Democracy is turning out to be detrimental to the environment.

If that seems like a bold assertion, take into account the details as the UN climate change conference in Dubai gets ready to begin the following month on January 28.

The first” global stocktake“& nbsp is the main item on the agenda for COP28 to assess how far along the objectives of the legally enforceable andnfsb, 2015 Paris Agreement have been made.

Spoiler alert: In addition to being completely off-target in terms of emissions reduction, the combined national pledges fall far short of what is really required to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The United Nations has acknowledged that we would still be on track for an increase of 10 % even if each of the 193 countries that have issued a Nationally Determined Contribution kept its claims rather than the required 45 % decline in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Of course, not many people are keeping their promises. Why? Because, according to the UN,” quality and ambition vary for many reasons, including … insufficient political commitment ,”

Progress in achieving goals is being held captive by politicians in many of the Group of Twenty countries, which collectively account for 80 % of greenhouse gas emissions.

Democratization of environmental law

With something to get by convincing voters that global heating is a story and that any attempt to alleviate it should be resisted as an assault on personal freedom, elected governments are fighting ignorance and self-interest when it comes to climate change. These conflicts are stoked by social rivals, vested business interests, and liberal ideologues.

Uncomfortably, there is mounting evidence that governments that encounter this kind of criticism are undermining the greater good and breaking their international agreements to maintain power.

The UK is currently experiencing the most severe instance of this.

That, the Conservative Party, which has been in power since 2010 and is having trouble with the elections, has drawn determined inspiration from a small by-election success in the suburbs of London.

Due to opposition to the expansion of London’s clear-air zone at the expense of local drivers, its candidate instead & nbsp, which was expected to be ousted, kept a slim majority. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has started throwing natural laws out of the box in an effort to keep his balloon upright, grasping at the possibility of an election-winning hammer problem, just two decades after the UK hosted COP26.

Among them, plans for tougher energy-efficiency scores for personally rented homes have been shelved, a moratorium on the price of new gasoline and diesel cars has been pushed back five years, and an effort to compel the installation of only low-carbon fresh heating systems by 2035 has failed.

Sunak made the announcement while he was at it that his state was providing 100 new licenses to North Sea oil and gas drilling companies.

Timidity toward climate change is not unique to the UK government. The alliance government in Germany, which has vowed to be climate-neutral by 2045, came dangerously near to abandoning plans to outlaw the construction of new stoves that use less than 65 % alternative fuels by the year 2024. The government has postponed the deadline & nbsp to at least 2028 in order to preserve its reputation.

Plans to impose a carbon tax on automobiles in France were scrapped after widespread protests were sparked by the program in 2018.

According to a study conducted in Italy, masters of polluting vehicles outlawed in Milan were significantly more likely to vote for the nationalist right-wing group League, which opposed the ban, despite of prior voting patterns.

Voters oppose laws that harm them individually.

No matter how determined people may be to recycling plastic, the reality that every elected government hoping to implement green policies is that the majority of people may draw the line at imposed measures that immediately hit them in the pocket.

Human character means that many voters will object to making specific concessions, even those who believe that” something must be done.” To trade present-day personal expenses for immaterial society-wide benefits in the far future requires a particularly noble type of person.

This may be the result of a lack of communication or merely natural fatigue brought on by constant warnings of impending doom.

In either case, COP28 will need to address this risky situation head-on next month if the earth is to have even a remote chance of meeting its climate goals.

Officials who are committed to addressing climate change more than merely clinging to power may provide compelling incentives and convincing responses to difficult questions.

It is no longer sufficient to discuss preserving the environment. Governments currently require a better strategy for persuading voters to buy climate policies from uncertain sources.

The COP28 campaign’s tagline is” Bringing the world up.” It is unclear exactly how that will remain accomplished; all that can be hoped for is a workable, revolutionary strategy from the United Arab Emirates.

But it must do thus. The conflict is very large and crucial to be left at the mercy of the kind of petty politics that has shamefully led the UK and others to abandon their natural agreements.

The copyright-holding Syndication Bureau, & nbsp, provided this article.

Jonathan Gornall is a European journalist who was formerly employed by The Times. He was raised in the Middle East and is now based there.

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Hints of a pre-APEC chip war de-escalation

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Around the one-year celebration of the first round of its chip war against China, which was announced on October 7, 2022, the United States is officially fine-tuning its export restrictions. & nbsp,

An unknown US national told Reuters on Monday that China has been informed about the updated procedures in recent months. & nbsp,

The report did not specify any specific changes that would be made, but any new regulations that weren’t ready for publication by early October would still be released following the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ( APEC ), which will take place in San Francisco from November 15 to October 17 in order to prevent the possibility of a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden.

In an effort to boost Sino-US relationships, some Taiwanese commentators anticipate that the US will relax some of its chip export restrictions in early October. & nbsp,

In an article that was published on October 3, a journalist from Guangdong speculates that the” fine-tuning of the US punishment will be aimed at stabilizing the diplomatic relations between the United States and China.” ” The US chooses to loosen its restrictions rather than tighten them, demonstrating that it acknowledges China’s development in chip systems.”

He claims that some European nations were shocked by Huawei Technologies’ Mate60 Pro smartphone’s effective launch in late August, which suggested that despite US sanctions, China is speeding up the development of its own device and lithography technologies. & nbsp,

HiSilicon cards are used in the Huawei Mate60 Pro. Featured image: Sohu.com

In a possible cooling of the chip war, the Guangdong columnist even makes the speculative claim that the US may permit its companies to send more high-end chips and chip-making tools to China. If so, he continues, several inland Chinese businesses will profit, even though some regional chip producers might not be as eager to create new technologies.

In order to safeguard US national security, the Bureau of Industry and Security ( BIS ) of the US Commerce Department implemented a number of targeted updates to its chip and chip-making equipment export controls on October 7, 2022.

At the time, it was stated that Chinese companies would be subject to a” presumption of denial” if they requested export licenses to construct facilities to produce logic chips with non-planar transistor architectures( FinFET or GAAFET ) of 16 or 14 nanometers. It stated that registration applications from facilities owned by multinational corporations would be reviewed case by case. & nbsp,

Additionally, the BIS forbade the export of 600 gigabytes per second artificial intelligence ( AI ) chips, including the A100 chips from Nvidia, to China. & nbsp,

For Chinese industry, Nvidia created A800 chips last November that operate at 400 gigabytes per minute. However, according to media reports from June of this year, Washington may last forbid the shipment of A800 chips to China. & nbsp,

The Chinese commentariat is speculating a lot, but it is still unclear how the US may modify its chip import regulations.

Both the US and China have worked to de-escalate the device war over the past two decades. While Beijing granted licenses next month for US companies to trade China’s chromium and germanium, metals used in the device industry, the Biden administration unveiled milder-than-expected expense curbs against the Chinese high tech sectors in August.

A Zhejiang-based author speculates in an content,” Although the US eased its sanctions against China’s chip business, it does not mean that it has completely given up its strategic aim to reduce China.” Only a phased adjustment, that’s all.

In order to strengthen Seoul’s assistance for its plan to boost the American chip sector, Washington may want to alleviate some of its restrictions on China given that some North Korean chip manufacturers have been caught up in the US-China device war.

He predicts that the US will shift to enhance its sanctions against China once it has established a strong relationship with Taiwan and South Korea in the global chip supply chain. & nbsp,

China outlawed native telecommunication companies from using chips made by US device manufacturer Micron in May. The US asked South Korea in June to refrain from profiting from Beijing’s restrictions on Micron by sending more bits to China.

The last rule implementing the regional protection” guardrails” of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act was published by the US Commerce Department on September 22. According to the rule, North Korean and Japanese businesses may apply for US incentives to open foundries in the United States, but they must first restrict their expansion in China. & nbsp,

However, according to Bloomberg, the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan is investigating the relationships between four Japanese companies and Huawei Technologies, which the US has sanctioned since 2019. & nbsp,

The Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona this year was dominated by Huawei’s display. Photo: Facebook

According to the report, the four companies may have assisted Huawei in getting around US device regulations. They include Cica – Hunter Chemical Technology Taiwan Co., a unit of construction firm United Integrated Services Co, Topco Scientific Co’s chip material reseller, L & amp, K Engineering Co

According to the review, they also offered their services to Pengxinwei IC Manufacturing Co., Pensun Technology Company, and SwaySure Technology Co, all of which are based in Shenzhen and intend to produce bits for Huawei. & nbsp,

According to The United Integrated Services, its product has already begun construction after winning a agreement from SwaySure Technology to rebuild its factory. It claimed that because the job does not contain any chip-related tools or goods, US regulations are not broken. & nbsp,

Earlier in 2022, Topco Scientific Co. claimed that Pengxinwei had awarded its Suzhou subsidiary a contract to manage its waste. On its site, Cia-Hunter recently stated that it had secured agreements to construct chemical supply networks for Pensun and Pengxinwei. K. L & amp did not offer any commentary on Bloomberg’s report. & nbsp,

As Pengxinwei was constructing foundries and acquiring used printing equipment to produce 28nm chips starting in 2025, the BIS blacklisted it in October 2022. & nbsp,

Study: Conversations between China and the US to de-escalate; metals agreement

At & nbsp, @ jeffpao3 is Jeff Pao’s Twitter account.

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Singapore sets eligibility criteria for international carbon credits to offset firms’ taxable emissions

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SINGAPORE: On Wednesday, October 4, the Singaporean government outlined the requirements for purchasing global carbon credits that businesses can use to offset their taxable carbon emissions.

During the annual National Energy Efficiency Conference, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu unveiled the new standards, which are based on seven rules.

The new requirements will make sure that carbon credits have” high environmental integrity ,” according to her. & nbsp,

Global efforts to reach net zero must include the creation of efficient carbon markets that properly match the demand and supply of high-quality graphite credits, according to Ms. Fu.

Organizations in Singapore will have the choice to use qualified global carbon credits starting in 2024 to partially satisfy their carbon tax obligation. To assist Singapore in achieving net zero emissions by 2050, this was introduced in November 2022.

A carbon credit is earned through actions that seek to lessen, eliminate, or eliminate carbon pollution, such as reforesting trees or making investments in renewable energy.

It is a force or document that denotes an emissions reduction of one tonne of carbon monoxide. Businesses can offset up to 5 % of their deductible carbon emissions by purchasing these funds. & nbsp,

All features that generate at least 25, 000 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions annually are subject to Singapore’s carbon tax. The duty, which was implemented in 2019, was initially set at Entropy$ 5 per kilogram but will increase to S$ 25 in 2024 and 2025, as well as S$ 45 in 2020 and beyond. & nbsp,

Foreign carbon credits offer businesses with difficult-to-abate emissions a different decarbonization route that enables them to route funding for global initiatives to reduce or eliminate emissions. & nbsp,

The problems of confirming the real effect of projects that generate carbon credits has been cited by opponents of carbon offsetting. The authenticity of these tasks is then checked using coal linking programs like Verra’s, one of the top certifiers in the world.

However, in a report published in January of this year by the British magazine The Guardian, Verra’s labor was questioned. According to the report, the majority of forest carbon offsets Verra approved were probably” ghost credits” with” no advantage to weather.”

In order to ensure that carbon credits upheld substantial economic integrity standards, Ms. Fu stated in her address to the report in Parliament that Singapore may critically examine all carbon markets and projects.

The National Environment Agency ( NEA ) and Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment ( MSE ) laid out the requirements for determining the types of international carbon credits that businesses in this country can use to lower their carbon tax bills in a joint press release released on Wednesday.

The certified emissions reductions or removals must have taken place between January 1, 2021, and December 21, 2030, in accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement, as part of the criteria, & nbsp.

Global carbon credits must also adhere to seven rules that were developed after consultation with more than 70 stakeholders from business and non-governmental organizations. One of the strictest international standards, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation ( CORSIA ), serves as a reference for the criteria. & nbsp,

According to the seven principles, carbon emissions must be reduced or eliminated as follows: & nbsp,

  • Never double-counted or nbsp,
  • Additional 
  • Real
  • confirmed and quantified
  • Permanent 
  • Not causing & nbsp, net harm
  • No causing leaking or nbsp,

The pollution removals or reductions must only be counted again, according to the MSE and NEA. & nbsp,

They had to be qualified based on a liberal, reasonable, and defensible estimate of what would have been released if the project hadn’t been funded by carbon credits. & nbsp,

According to the government, they may be irreversible or, if there is such a threat, must have safeguards in place to track, lessen, or cover for such an event.

Additionally, emissions reductions or removals may be measured, verified, and calculated cautiously and honestly by a qualified third party.

The project that brought about the pollution reductions or removals must abide by the host country’s laws, regulations, and global obligations. Additionally, it must not raise emissions abroad, or if there is a risk of leakage, measures must be in place to track, reduce, and compensate for such an occurrence. & nbsp,

According to Ms. Fu,” We are developing the marketplace and rules concurrently with the goal of publishing a list of available carbon credit programs, methodologies, and host countries after this year.”

” This will give businesses advice on the economic unity standards of international carbon credits that will be accepted as carbon taxes counterbalance.”

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US sanctions Chinese firms in crackdown on fentanyl supply chain

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Two women who described using drugs, including fentanyl. One wears sunglasses and a blue t-shirt and is holding a cigarette. The other wears sunglasses, a long black coat, and a red bandana.shabby Pictures
Christy Cooney
NBC News

The US has imposed sanctions on 25 Chinese companies and people who are reportedly involved in the production of the chemicals used to make fentanyl.

A powerful opioid called fentanyl, which is used as a drug or sedative, is crucial to the continuous US drug crisis.

The ring” usually starts with biochemical companies in China ,” according to Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The Reuters reports firm asked for comment, but the Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond right away.

There was” no such thing as illegal prostitution of morphine” between China and Mexico, according to a Chinese foreign ministry representative in April.

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the president of Mexico, requested assistance from the Chinese government in halting the alleged entry of fentanyl and its predecessors into his nation.

The US government accuses Mexican drug gangs of providing fentanyl to clients all over the country.

Doctors may lawfully prescribe fentanyl, but a sharp increase in opioid addiction in the US in recent years has resulted in an increase in overdoses and illegal production.

The medicine was connected to a report 109, 680 deaths in 2022.

A” China-based system accountable for the manufacturing and distribution” of fentanyl precursors and a number of other illegal drugs was the target of sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department.

According to authorities, businesses in the fentanyl supply chain frequently mislead customers and use fake addresses to avoid having their items found by law enforcement.

According to the government, 12 companies and 13 people based in China, as well as two organizations and one person in Canada, are among those impacted by the restrictions.

The sanctions will prevent Americans from dealing with the entities’ US goods by freezing them.

Merrick Garland and other top officials are scheduled to visit Mexico for meetings to discuss how to stop the flow of illegal drugs.

” We know who is to blame for fentanyl poisoning the American people ,” Mr. Garland told reporters.

We are aware that the cartels’ leaders, drug traffickers, money launderers, covert test operators, security forces, weapons suppliers, and chemical suppliers are all part of this system.

And we are aware that this world opioid supply chain frequently begins with Chinese chemical companies and ends with American deaths.

Eight Chinese businesses and 12 of their employees are accused of producing fentanyl and methamphetamine, dispersing opioids, and selling products containing precursor chemicals, according to unsealed indictments released by the judge office.

No, according to Mr. Garland, no one has been detained, and the Chinese government did not cooperate with US government on the studies.

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Activists say Indonesian state weapons makers supplying Myanmar

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JAKARTA: On Tuesday, October 3, human rights organizations urged Indonesia to look into alleged hands revenue by state-owned firms to Myanmar, where Indonesia has been working to promote peace since a military coup in 2021 sparked widespread issue. According to Feri Amsari, the activists’ legal counsel, parties complained to Indonesia’sContinue Reading