Australian (ASX) Stock Market Forum

It's Time To Tell China To Get Nicked

When I was in Beijing late last year, there were two occasions where I noticed unusual obs of.....me.
One was in the heart of the city at a major shopping centre.
I walked past a guy who had a certain appearance which attracted my attention, a quick glance was all I gave him though.
My curiosity got the better of me, when I was about 10m past him, I took another glance looking back.
He had his phone out and was blatantly taking video of me.

A similar incident happened on a train, was sitting down though.

I wasn't sure what to think of these occurrences, as I am used to people looking at me when there, like a zoo exhibit.
On both occasions, we are talking men aged around 30~ 35.
The double take on the first one was purely because he was suspect, won't go into reasons why, except to say, I discreetly recognise higher end criminals when I see one... (my mind wasn't on the job for the first glance...)
The guy on the train, I didn't come to the same conclusion with, I was unable to profile him with any degree of accuracy.

On a complete side note, the city has air raid shelters at regular intervals.

My opinion;
rewards were being offered for facial & position intel on foreigners by .... official Gestapo.

F.Rock
 
Zoom says China asked it to censor pro-democracy
activists in US and it obeyed


Chinese officials had reached out to Zoom in May and early June about four video conference calls that were publicized on social media to commemorate Tiananmen Square protests.

San Francisco: Zoom Video Communications Inc. said it deactivated accounts of pro-democracy Chinese activists based in the U.S. at the request of China, intensifying concerns that Beijing is extending its censorship clout globally.

Chinese officials reached out to Zoom in May and early June about four videoconference calls that were publicized on social media to commemorate Tiananmen Square protests, the San Jose, California-based company said Thursday in a blog post. Zoom said that China “demanded” the company terminate the meetings and host accounts because of the activity, which it deemed illegal.

Zoom said that at least three of the four meetings contained participants from mainland China, and it made the decision to end three of the meetings and terminate the associated accounts, two in the U.S. and one belonging to an activist in Hong Kong. “Going forward Zoom will not allow requests from the Chinese government to impact anyone outside of mainland China,” the company said.

Zoom announced Wednesday it had reinstated the closed U.S. accounts, and said it was working on technology that could prevent participants from specific countries from joining calls that were deemed illegal in those areas. The company will also outline a new policy to address these types on requests on June 30.

Beijing employs some of the strictest internet controls in the world, rooting out content and blocking websites it deems a threat to stability. It has scaled up the level of censorship in the years since President Xi Jinping came to power, expanding controls on social media, requiring real-name registration of accounts, criminalizing the spread of rumors and punishing influential commentators with millions of followers.

While China’s Great Firewall blocks access to internet sites such as Google, Facebook and Twitter, more of its 1.4 billion citizens are turning to home-grown alternatives such as WeChat and Weibo to express their discontent. Controls have become even more stringent this year, after the coronavirus outbreak unleashed a rare outpouring of criticism of China’s government. Internet controls also typically intensify ahead of major political events or other dates deemed sensitive such as the June 4 anniversary of the deadly student protests in 1989.​


 
SKY News

Special Report: Inside China’s COVID Cold War with the West

Western allies have condemned China for using the smokescreen of the COVID-19 pandemic to impose a new security law in Hong Kong which violates its international commitments and threatens the "bastion of freedom".

The dire warnings came from the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada as tensions between the embattled Chinese Communist Party and the west reached rock bottom.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi says American politicians are taking China-US relations “hostage” and "pushing our two countries to the brink of a new Cold War" – and placing world stability “in jeopardy”.

“It’s time for the US to give up this wishful thinking of changing China or stopping 1.4 billion people’s historic march toward modernisation,” Mr Wang warned.

The joint statement from four of the Five Eyes allies said: “China’s decision to impose the new national security law on Hong Kong lies in direct conflict with its international obligations under the principles of the legally-binding, UN-registered Sino-British Joint Declaration”.

“The proposed law would undermine the One Country, Two Systems framework. It also raises the prospect of prosecution in Hong Kong for political crimes, and undermines existing commitments to protect the rights of Hong Kong people.

“The world’s focus on a global pandemic requires enhanced trust in governments and international cooperation. Beijing’s unprecedented move risks having the opposite effect.”

China Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian warned his country “will take necessary counter-measures” against interference from external forces – an aggressive tactic China has wielded throughout the pandemic to suppress rising anti-China sentiment and hide its early failures.

The most egregious of these was China’s twin billion-dollar trade blows in May on Australian barley and abattoirs after its ambassador issued a threat in response to the Morrison government’s call for an inquiry into the origin of the virus.

As US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo put it – “the Chinese Communist Party chose to threaten Australia with economic retribution for the simple act of asking for an independent inquiry into the origins of the virus”.

China initially perceived the inquiry Australia pushed, which passed the World Health Assembly unanimously, as a witch-hunt created by Washington but eventually bowed to international pressure provided its World Health Organisation “puppet” leads the review​

 
Believe it or not...Hong Kong and Taiwan will end up being part of one China...In 1997 when Britain made terms for the handover of Hong Kong China was not strong enough to oppose this.23years on they are and there is no hint of a US carrier fleet threatening them like in the not so distant past.There are sizeable minorities in Taiwan and Hong Kong that want to be part of one China.The "Middle Kingdom" is historical and goes way back,even when the western countries were killing them,bleeding them, and treating them with contempt.If I lived in Hong kong over the last 20 years I would have done my best to leave,but I have a western mentality.

Hong Kong and Taiwan are gone. In years to come so will other Asian countries.
There is no doubt about it.
The US is weak at the moment as are all other western countries who also like the $'s that China provides.
The UN is useless and just wastes our money on the elite drawing large salaries for doing sfa.
At the moment, just like the BLM movement, we are at the kneeling stage.
 
How can we possibly keep trading with China.
It has tried to demolish our economy with a virus, excessive tariffs and threats of further economic punishment if we don't kowtow to them.
They have now launched a large cyber attack on Australia.
They have declared war on us.
Enough is enough.
 
The sad reality is that a lot of Chinese people don't even know about Tiananmen Square, they think it is all a hoax perpetrated by the West. The CCP controls every aspect of their citizen's lives including what they think.
The CCP regime enslaves, tortures and murders anyone who dares defy them.
We have to hold our nerve and take the sacrifices that comes with standing up to such a brutal regime. They have gotten away with brutalizing their own people, now they are trying to bully everyone else.

I've heard it said by industry experts that the margins on new Cars are small and producing a quality Car for less than what the big names sell them for is hard. Is China using a lot of slave labour to produce these cheap vehicles? I'd counsel anyone buying a cheap Chinese new Car or any Chinese product
 
'Cyber attacks' point to China's spy agency, Ministry of State Security, as Huawei payback, say former Australian officials
"Cyber attacks" on Australian government and industry bodies are most likely being directed by China's premier intelligence agency in retaliation for banning telco Huawei from the 5G network, experts have told the ABC.

In August 2018, the Australian Government banned Huawei and other companies from involvement in Australia's 5G network.

The ABC spoke to two former Australian officials who confirmed that the Huawei ban sparked the malicious cyber campaign. Both spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of the story.

One of the former officials said evidence suggested the attackers may be linked to China's most powerful intelligence service, the Ministry of State Security (MSS).

However, cyber security researcher Robert Potter — who has spent years investigating MSS intrusions around the world and has previously attributed breaches to them — said the low level of sophistication of the attacks made attribution difficult.

"Based on the evidence, I'd say it strongly leans towards MSS," he said.

"The reality is that the tactics are so simple that it frustrates our ability to make complete attribution."

He agreed with the assessment that the campaign has been going on for a long time.

"The campaign dates back some time and correlates to a deterioration in our relationship with China," he said.

China's government on Friday evening rejected suggestions of a large-scale hacking attack.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman says he believes the claims of hacking originate from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, which he says is funded by US arms companies and is making fictitious claims about China.​


More on link below...

 
Looks like China has told Trump to get nicked,trade deal is off.
e.g. China buys a mere 13% of its soybean commitment from the USA.

Sechel: U.s. farmers are probably shaking their head. Trump's never proved his case on China. He needs this as a re-election issue for his base. But he loses the Farm vote for sure. My suspicion is based on the secrecy of the talks it was China that ended the deal not Donald. Trump needs the deal more than they do right now. China can wait a few months

Deals on then off, Trumps trying to make promises to China in secret so he can get re-elected. Deal discussions are happening real time, what will Trump give up? Rumour is that he will sign the USA on to Huwei 5G. Trump is just incompetent. Why won't he listen to his advisers? Let's see how he betrays the USA and what China extract and whether there are any whistle blowers left in his group of yes men.

https://www.thestreet.com/mishtalk/economics/china-buys-a-mere-13-of-its-soybean-commitment
 
If you use Tik Tok (mainly younger gen), stop. All of your passwords are probably sitting on a server in China...

 
EU says China behind 'huge wave' of Covid-19 disinformation

Brussels shifts position by accusing Beijing for first time of running false campaigns
China has been accused by Brussels of running disinformation campaigns inside the European Union, as the bloc set out a plan to tackle a “huge wave” of false facts about the coronavirus pandemic.

The European commission said Russia and China were running “targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns in the EU, its neighbourhood, and globally”. While the charge against Russia has been levelled on many occasions, this is the first time the EU executive has publicly named China as a source of disinformation.

French politicians were furious when a Chinese embassy website claimed in mid-April, at the height of Europe’s pandemic, that care workers had abandoned their jobs leaving residents to die. The unnamed Chinese diplomat also claimed falsely that 80 French lawmakers had used a racist slur against the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“I believe if we have evidence we should not shy away from naming and shaming,” Vĕra Jourová, a European commission vice-president, told reporters. “What we also witnessed is a surge in narratives undermining our democracies and in effect our response to the crisis, for example the claim there are secret US biological laboratories on former Soviet republics has been spread by both pro-Kremlin outlets, as well as Chinese officials and state media.”

“I strongly believe that a geopolitically strong EU can only materialise if we are assertive,” Jourová said, alluding to the aim of the European commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, for the body to have more clout on the world stage.

The more assertive stance marks a change in tone from a report in March which merely described Chinese media narratives, while focusing the spotlight on disinformation from Kremlin-backed sources. It comes after lawmakers in the European parliament accused the commission of watering down an earlier report on disinformation under pressure from China – charges EU officials strongly denied.​


More on link below...

 
Federal Police raid NSW Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane last week :

NSW Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane says he
is 'not a suspect' in AFP espionage investigation

NSW Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane says he is not a suspect in the espionage investigation that saw his Sydney home and office raided last week.​

Mr Moselmane on Friday had his Labor Party membership suspended after the raids, which were part of a joint AFP-ASIO investigation amid allegations his office had been infiltrated by a Chinese government agent.​

"The investigation is into certain other people, allegedly advancing the goals of a foreign Government, namely the Peoples Republic of China," he said.​




60 minutes runs Chinese political interference story yesterday :

60 Minutes reveals details of ASIO investigation into alleged Chinese interference plot of NSW politics

An investigation by 60 Minutes, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspaper has confirmed that Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane's office is now the centre of the most serious ASIO counter foreign interference operation since the Cold War.​

ASIO are investigating the allegation that, whether knowingly or unknowingly, Moselmane is potentially being influenced by the Chinese government.​

No allegations have been proven. It is also possible that Mr Moselmane may only be an unwitting victim of a Chinese government influence operation.​




China's response today:

Chinese state media accuses Australia of spying campaign, says agents were arrested in 2018

China's Government has used state media to launch an extraordinary attack on Australia, claiming Australian spies are waging an intensifying espionage campaign.

Beijing's main attack dog media outlet the Global Times published an article saying an Australian spying operation was disrupted in China two years ago.

The jingoistic tabloid posted pictures of what it claimed were items seized, which included a map of Shanghai and a compass.

It also claimed Australian spies were operating under the cover of diplomatic passports from the embassy in Beijing.

The paper said Chinese authorities arrested the Australian spies involved in the alleged operation.

The claims come amid increasing concern about China's espionage activities in Australia, with China warning it will take stronger measures to crack down on Australian espionage.

Asked about the allegations on Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: "I wouldn't be relying on Chinese state media for your sources for questions."

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has been approached for comment about the Global Times report.

The article was China's sharpest criticism so far of Australia, and marks a new escalation in tensions.

It comes just days after an Australian Federal Police (AFP) raid on the home of NSW Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane, as part of an investigation into allegations that Chinese government agents had infiltrated his office.​



Blind Freddy can see through this. China carrying on like pork chops.
 
Anonymous Hackers Target TikTok:
‘Delete This Chinese Spyware Now’

This has been a week that TikTok—the Chinese viral video giant that has soared under lockdown—will want to put quickly behind it. The ByteDance-owned platform was under fire anyway, over allegations of data mishandling and censorship, but then a beta version of Apple’s iOS 14 beta caught the app secretly accessing users’ clipboards and a backlash immediately followed.

Whether India had always planned to announce its ban on TikTok, along with 58 other Chinese apps, on Monday June 30, or was prompted by the viral response to the iOS security issue is not known. But, as things stand, TikTok has been pulled from the App Store and Play Store in India, its largest market, and has seen similar protests from users in other major markets around the world, including the U.S.

One of the more unusual groups campaigning against TikTok is the newly awakened Anonymous hactivist group. As ever with Anonymous, it’s difficult to attribute anything to the non-existent central core of this loosely affiliated hacker collective, but one of the better followed Twitter accounts ostensibly linked to the group has been mounting a fierce campaign against TikTok for several weeks, one that has now gained prominence given the events of the last few days.​



 
Maybe we should give Hong Kong students priority over mainland Chinese students at our universities ?

Chinese students don't want to come here anymore anyway apparently.
 
I struggle to see the sense of this "Tell China to get nicked" discussion.

Our agriculture, mining, manufacturing, retail and tertiary industries are all integrated into China as a critical element of their operations. Tell China to get nicked might have an old fashioned Jingoist ring to it but if if we were to follow it through we would crash our economy into a depression that roil our finance markets, destroy our national budgets and hollow out all teh industries I noted above.

How much do we export to China ? Check out this story.

Australia-China trade stoush over coronavirus inquiry puts exports — and more —at risk
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05...rade-stoush-over-coronavirus-inquiry/12241640
 
I struggle to see the sense of this "Tell China to get nicked" discussion.

Our agriculture, mining, manufacturing, retail and tertiary industries are all integrated into China as a critical element of their operations. Tell China to get nicked might have an old fashioned Jingoist ring to it but if if we were to follow it through we would crash our economy into a depression that roil our finance markets, destroy our national budgets and hollow out all teh industries I noted above.

How much do we export to China ? Check out this story.

Australia-China trade stoush over coronavirus inquiry puts exports — and more —at risk
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05...rade-stoush-over-coronavirus-inquiry/12241640
Human rights abuses, south China seas, salami slicing in India and other neighbouring territories?
 
I struggle to see the sense of this "Tell China to get nicked" discussion.

Our agriculture, mining, manufacturing, retail and tertiary industries are all integrated into China as a critical element of their operations. Tell China to get nicked might have an old fashioned Jingoist ring to it but if if we were to follow it through we would crash our economy into a depression that roil our finance markets, destroy our national budgets and hollow out all teh industries I noted above.

How much do we export to China ? Check out this story.

Australia-China trade stoush over coronavirus inquiry puts exports — and more —at risk
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05...rade-stoush-over-coronavirus-inquiry/12241640

China is the one telling others to get nicked at the moment.

Do we crawl to them, suck it up, or quietly withdraw and try to find other markets ?

I prefer the latter.
 
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