Tuesday, January 31, 2017

My Opinion Piece on Trump-Canada-China

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2017/01/31/as-trump-roils-ottawa-shuffles-the-deck-to-play-a-new-china-card

Today, Xi Jinping’s regime is militarily aggressive and much more demanding of nations where China has established economic leverage through strategic trade and investment agreements.

More China in the Canadian economy appears to be Canada’s future as the U.S. lapses into protectionism. In trying to negotiate a free trade with China, a key issue for Canada will be, do we have to negotiate away our commitment to Canadian liberal and democratic values to get the deal?

Canadian citizen seized from Hong Kong

Chinese billionaire seized from Hong Kong



In a statement posted on the WeChat account of the Tomorrow Group, published on Tuesday and purportedly from Mr Xiao, said he was overseas for medical treatment and would return “soon”.



In the statement, which was subsequently deleted by censors, he denied he had been “abducted to the mainland”. He said he was a Canadian citizen and Hong Kong permanent resident who was protected by the Canadian consulate and Hong Kong law. He added that he “had never harmed the interests of the country” or “supported any opposition organisation”.



. . .



It is common for Chinese businesspeople and others detained by China’s powerful security apparatus to be pressed to release messages through social media, email or via their families insisting that all is fine.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

United States Congress set to introduce Hong Kong human rights act ‘in coming days’

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2062798/will-hong-kongs-pro-democracy-camp-find-ally-trump?utm_content=bufferfbb85&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#

"The law would require the US president to identify persons responsible for the surveillance, abduction, detention or forced confessions of booksellers and journalists in Hong Kong or other actions suppressing basic freedoms, and to freeze their US-based assets and deny them entry into the country."

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Tibet protesters detained in Swiss capital during Xi Jinping visit

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN14Z0U6

Jiang questioned Swiss leaders' control over their country and remarked that they risked "losing a good friend".
China and Switzerland forged a free trade agreement in 2014 and Swiss companies count China among their most important markets.