cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/37518577

Archived

[...]

In a series of confessions made to Belgian authorities earlier this year, the lobbyist [Valerio O.] outlined how the Chinese tech giant sought to influence EU policy by leveraging connections, alleged payments through intermediaries, and subtle gestures of gratitude – including champagne, luxury hotels, and football tickets. His testimony is now central to a broader, ongoing investigation into lobbying practices in Europe’s de facto capital, which remains at a preliminary stage. No individuals and entities mentioned have been indicted yet and all are presumed innocent.

[...]

With his slick hair and Colgate smile, Valerio O. was adept at opening doors in the European Parliament. Before joining Huawei as a senior lobbyist he had spent a decade as a parliamentary assistant to MEPs, learning to navigate the ropes of the Brussels political scene. That network – cultivated over years of late-night votes, dinners, and cocktail hours – was exactly what Huawei needed as it faced growing hostility in Europe, Valerio O. told investigators.

By late 2020, Huawei had become toxic.

Mounting US pressure and rising European concerns over Huawei’s links to Beijing culminated that same year in Brussels with a letter signed by 41 MEPs urging the Commission to bar high-risk vendors like Huawei and its Chinese competitor ZTE from EU funding. At the time, the initiative was seen as defending the interests of Huawei’s European rival Nokia.

According to Valerio O.’s statement to police, his superior at Huawei reacted angrily. He claims the company responded by encouraging a counter-effort that led to lawmakers drafting and signing a new letter – known internally as the “5G Letter” – which was sent in February 2021 to Commissioners Margrethe Vestager, Thierry Breton, and Valdis Dombrovskis. The letter, which did not name Huawei directly, called for non-discriminatory treatment in 5G infrastructure decisions and warned against “technological racism”.

Valerio O. told investigators that the letter was coordinated at Huawei’s request and drafted by Italian MEP Fulvio Martusciello and his former assistant turned-lobbyist, Nuno W.M.

[...]

Invoices reviewed by Belgian authorities indicate that Huawei contractors paid €45,590 to lobbyist Nuno W.M. for “consultancy” and “stakeholder mapping” services. Following that, Nuno W.M sent at least €6,700 to MEP Fulvio Martusciello, €1,000 to his assistant in Naples, and nearly €15,000 to a Brussels-based aide identified as Adam M, according to an arrest warrant signed by the investigative judge in charge of the case. The police is still investigating the legal significance of these transfers as part of a possible corruption scheme. Both Nuno W.M. and Adam M. deny any wrongdoing and are not under arrest.

“It’s just a façade, this ‘consultancy services’,” Valerio O. told investigators, alleging that Huawei deliberately kept its name off financial transactions. “They use intermediaries. Huawei never takes risks,” he claimed.

[...]

Italian MEP Fulvio Martusciello – a longtime member of Forza Italia – has firmly denied any wrongdoing [...] In his testimony to Belgian anti-corruption investigators, Valerio O. alleged that Martusciello was part of a group of lawmakers who, in his view, engaged in habitual corrupt practices. “He doesn’t do anything for free,” Valerio O. said. “He’s part of the group of MEPs for whom corruption is in their DNA. When they see an opportunity, they seize it.”

[...]

The gifts didn’t stop with letters, according to Valerio O’s testimony. On his computer, the police found a file marked "Christmas Gifts", which sorted EU officials by perceived value. The ex-Huawei lobbyist alleged top-tier targets received bottles of champagne; others got ‘Rituals’ skincare boxes, all below €150 – the threshold set by the Parliament’s ethics rules. In practice, Valerio O. admitted, most of the champagne never made it past his own fridge.

More effective, he claimed, were hospitality perks: seats in the corporate box of RSC Anderlecht football stadium – acquired for €50,000 a year, where guests enjoyed white wine and hamburgers, he told police. Investigators found that invitees included MEPs Nicola Minchev, Daniel Attar and another former MEP – whom Euractiv is not naming at this time. Huawei's image was so damaged, Valerio O. said, that these events were often the only way to get a meeting.

[...]

According to Valerio O., Huawei strategically focused its lobbying efforts on several southern European countries, where it sought to strengthen political ties and mitigate reputational damage.

He said that in early 2024, at least two sitting MEPs were invited by Huawei to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, with travel and accommodation allegedly covered by the same Huawei-linked entity. One of the pair, according to Valerio O., received business-class flights and a hotel suite for them and their partner valued at €1,000 per night.

[...]

In his testimony, Valerio O. alleged that Huawei was able to exert influence in certain national delegations within EU institutions more easily than in Brussels. “If Huawei wants to place amendments, they can do it through embassies where we walk in like stars,” he said.

[...]

As the investigation continues to unfold, Belgian prosecutors are now preparing additional interviews and awaiting decisions on requests to lift the parliamentary immunity of four MEPs. A trial remains a possibility, though the case is still in a preliminary phase.

In his testimony, Valerio O. offered a bleak assessment of the broader political environment in Brussels. “Those MEPs have a PhD in corruption,” he told investigators.

[...]

At least six people have died and more than 80,000 people were evacuated from their homes after floods inundated China’s Guizhou province, state media reported, as a tropical depression made landfall in the island province.

State broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday that “exceptionally large floods” had swept through Guizhou’s Rongjiang county since Tuesday.

[...]

“Many low-lying areas in the county were flooded, and the infrastructure of some towns was seriously damaged, resulting in traffic obstruction, communications blackouts, and some people being trapped,” the broadcaster said.

“The water level in the county has now retreated below the warning level,” it added, saying “post-disaster recovery and reconstruction and investigation of trapped people are under way.”

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/37516949

Archived

This is an op-ed by Benedict Rogers, founder of rights group Hong Kong Watch and member of the advisory group of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) and an advisor to the World Uyghur Congress.

Four years ago today, June 24, the printing presses of Hong Kong’s largest and most successful mass-circulation Chinese language pro-democracy daily newspaper, the Apple Daily, fell silent and its newsroom shut its doors.

When the lights were switched off in the Tseung Kwan O building, they were turned off not only for the newspaper founded by media entrepreneur and pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai, but for media freedom itself in Hong Kong.

Since the forced closure of Apple Daily, almost all other independent media in the city — particularly Stand News and Citizen News — have shut down.

[...]

Meanwhile, dozen of rights groups released an open letter urging UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to meet the son of jailed British publisher Jimmy Lai.

Archived

This is an op-ed by Benedict Rogers, founder of rights group Hong Kong Watch and member of the advisory group of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) and an advisor to the World Uyghur Congress.

Four years ago today, June 24, the printing presses of Hong Kong’s largest and most successful mass-circulation Chinese language pro-democracy daily newspaper, the Apple Daily, fell silent and its newsroom shut its doors.

When the lights were switched off in the Tseung Kwan O building, they were turned off not only for the newspaper founded by media entrepreneur and pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai, but for media freedom itself in Hong Kong.

Since the forced closure of Apple Daily, almost all other independent media in the city — particularly Stand News and Citizen News — have shut down.

[...]

Meanwhile, dozen of rights groups released an open letter urging UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to meet the son of jailed British publisher Jimmy Lai.

Archived

• BYD has reportedly sued 37 influencers in China, claiming they have made defamatory comments.
• The manufacturer has a News Anti-Fraud department where people can send tips about possible defamation and get rewards.
• Companies suing influencers for potentially damaging their image is far more common in China than it is in the West.

The relationship between automakers and the people who create content with their vehicles can sometimes be tense. However, it seldom results in legal action taken against them, and requests to change or remove content are usually about as extreme as it gets.

But not if you’re covering the world’s fastest-growing automaker over the last few years, BYD, which is reportedly taking 37 influencers to court over things they said that it deems defamatory.

CarNewsChina says BYD has also added 126 content creators to an internal watch list, and they will be monitored in the future, potentially also facing legal action from the automaker if they say something that the company sees as damaging to its image. The carmaker created a “News Anti-Fraud Office” a few years ago and it’s encouraging people to send tips about potentially damaging content.

[...]

To encourage tip-offs about potential smear campaigns, BYD is offering substantial bonuses—50,000 to 5 million yuan ($6,900 to $690,000)—for credible leads. The source lists several examples of why BYD sued influencers. In one instance, a person accused the company of manipulating content creators to say negative things about rival brands.

The court concluded that the influencer was required to make a public apology and pay a fine of 100,000 yuan (around $13,800). Another influencer was fined after making claims that BYD was financially unstable and on the verge of bankruptcy.

All of these fines pale in comparison to the August 2023 lawsuit launched by Nissan Dongfeng against an influencer who had posted over 50 videos on TikTok denigrating the automaker’s vehicles. He was asked to pay 5 million yuan in reparations to the manufacturer. In 2022, Tesla also took a Chinese influencer to court, demanding 5 million yuan in reparations, but eventually settled for a lot less.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/37455372

Archived

Carmakers and salespeople in Brazil are up in arms at the arrival of a giant cargo vessel carrying thousands of cheap Chinese electric vehicles.

The world’s largest car-carrying ship – one of a number deployed by BYD, China’s biggest carmaker – is said to carry the equivalent of 20 football fields of vehicles. It finished its maiden journey to dock at Brazil’s Itajai port late last month. But not everyone is happy about its arrival.

BYD, China’s top producer of EVs and plug-in hybrids, is offering Brazilian car shoppers relatively low-priced options in a market where the green-car movement is still in its infancy. But Brazilian auto-industry officials and labour leaders fear the vast influx of cars from BYD and other Chinese carmakers will set back domestic auto production and hurt jobs.

Calls for immediate 35% tariffs after flood of EVs

The late-May shipment was the fourth of the Chinese carmaker’s ships to dock in Brazil this year, totalling around 22,000 vehicles, according to Reuters calculations.

BYD, the world’s top producer of electric and plug-in hybrid cars, is the largest among several Chinese brands targeting Brazil for growth. China-built vehicle imports are expected to grow nearly 40% this year, to about 200,000, according to Brazil’s main auto association. That would account for roughly 8% of total light-vehicle registrations.

Industry and labour groups say China is taking advantage of Brazil’s temporarily low tariff barriers to ramp up its exports rather than investing to build Brazilian factories and create jobs.

They are lobbying Brazil’s government to accelerate by a year a plan to increase Brazil’s tariff on all EV imports to 35% from 10%, rather than gradually phasing in higher levies.

“Countries around the world started closing their doors to the Chinese, but Brazil didn’t,” said Aroaldo da Silva, a Mercedes-Benz production worker and president of IndustriALL Brasil, a confederation of unions across six industrial sectors. “China made use of that.”

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/37453666

Archived

AChinese asylum seeker has been allowed to stay in Britain because he “cannot be expected to lie” about his support for Taiwanese independence.

The unnamed man had claimed his attendance at pro-Taiwan rallies meant he would be persecuted by the Beijing government if he had to go back.

An asylum judge ruled in his favour, concluding that the risk to pro-Taiwanese activists was “far greater” than in 2022, when the refugee came to the UK.

Judge Christopher Hanson said that the man would face questioning by officials if he was returned to China. “If he is asked about what he has done in the UK, or in relation to any political activities, he cannot be expected to lie,” he said.

Taiwan, which lies just off the coast of the mainland, was occupied by the nationalist government following the communist victory in 1949. Beijing regards it as a breakaway state that will eventually come under Chinese control, and tensions between the two have escalated in recent years.

The case, disclosed in court papers, is the latest example [...] in which illegal migrants or convicted foreign criminals have been able to remain in the UK or halt their deportations after claiming returning them to their home countries would breach their human rights.

[...]

The Chinese citizen, known as BK, claimed asylum in the UK in January 2022, but his case was dismissed by a lower-tier immigration tribunal because he was deemed not high-profile enough to warrant protection. The 39-year-old then appealed to an upper-tier tribunal in March this year.

The hearing in Birmingham was told that BK had stated that he had been arrested twice because of his pro-Taiwanese beliefs. Since moving to the UK, he had attended pro-Taiwanese events, the last of which was in 2022.

[...]

This was mainly down to international tensions and other separatist movements in Xinjiang and Tibet, prompting crackdowns by China. Last year, China launched military drills around Taiwan and even simulated a full-scale attack on the island nation. ‘Credible risk of harm’

Despite being a low-level activist, the tribunal believed that BK, who is also a Christian, could be prosecuted if he returned to China.

Judge Hanson concluded: “The risk of arrest for worshippers in unlicensed churches is also greater now than it was when BK was last in the country, and greater than it was in certain decisions and documents cited in his First-tier Tribunal hearing.

“I do conclude with a great degree of confidence that the risk to pro-Taiwanese activists in general is far greater than it was when he was last in China.

“Even if the authorities in China have no knowledge of BK’s activities in the UK it is likely that on return he will be interviewed by the Chinese authorities. If he is asked about what he has done in the UK or in relation to any political activities he cannot be expected to lie.

“If he continues to express his pro-Taiwanese separatist beliefs, there is a real risk that the authorities in China will become aware.

[...]

“I conclude that whilst BK may be able to be returned to China as he does not have the type of profile indicated in the report that will give rise to a real risk at this stage, there is a credible risk of harm sufficient to amount to persecution if he continues with his pro-Taiwanese activities in China, and is entitled to a grant of international protection.”

[Edit to insert the archived link.]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/37453666

Archived

AChinese asylum seeker has been allowed to stay in Britain because he “cannot be expected to lie” about his support for Taiwanese independence.

The unnamed man had claimed his attendance at pro-Taiwan rallies meant he would be persecuted by the Beijing government if he had to go back.

An asylum judge ruled in his favour, concluding that the risk to pro-Taiwanese activists was “far greater” than in 2022, when the refugee came to the UK.

Judge Christopher Hanson said that the man would face questioning by officials if he was returned to China. “If he is asked about what he has done in the UK, or in relation to any political activities, he cannot be expected to lie,” he said.

Taiwan, which lies just off the coast of the mainland, was occupied by the nationalist government following the communist victory in 1949. Beijing regards it as a breakaway state that will eventually come under Chinese control, and tensions between the two have escalated in recent years.

The case, disclosed in court papers, is the latest example [...] in which illegal migrants or convicted foreign criminals have been able to remain in the UK or halt their deportations after claiming returning them to their home countries would breach their human rights.

[...]

The Chinese citizen, known as BK, claimed asylum in the UK in January 2022, but his case was dismissed by a lower-tier immigration tribunal because he was deemed not high-profile enough to warrant protection. The 39-year-old then appealed to an upper-tier tribunal in March this year.

The hearing in Birmingham was told that BK had stated that he had been arrested twice because of his pro-Taiwanese beliefs. Since moving to the UK, he had attended pro-Taiwanese events, the last of which was in 2022.

[...]

This was mainly down to international tensions and other separatist movements in Xinjiang and Tibet, prompting crackdowns by China. Last year, China launched military drills around Taiwan and even simulated a full-scale attack on the island nation. ‘Credible risk of harm’

Despite being a low-level activist, the tribunal believed that BK, who is also a Christian, could be prosecuted if he returned to China.

Judge Hanson concluded: “The risk of arrest for worshippers in unlicensed churches is also greater now than it was when BK was last in the country, and greater than it was in certain decisions and documents cited in his First-tier Tribunal hearing.

“I do conclude with a great degree of confidence that the risk to pro-Taiwanese activists in general is far greater than it was when he was last in China.

“Even if the authorities in China have no knowledge of BK’s activities in the UK it is likely that on return he will be interviewed by the Chinese authorities. If he is asked about what he has done in the UK or in relation to any political activities he cannot be expected to lie.

“If he continues to express his pro-Taiwanese separatist beliefs, there is a real risk that the authorities in China will become aware.

[...]

“I conclude that whilst BK may be able to be returned to China as he does not have the type of profile indicated in the report that will give rise to a real risk at this stage, there is a credible risk of harm sufficient to amount to persecution if he continues with his pro-Taiwanese activities in China, and is entitled to a grant of international protection.”

[Edit to insert the archived link.]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/37453666

Archived

AChinese asylum seeker has been allowed to stay in Britain because he “cannot be expected to lie” about his support for Taiwanese independence.

The unnamed man had claimed his attendance at pro-Taiwan rallies meant he would be persecuted by the Beijing government if he had to go back.

An asylum judge ruled in his favour, concluding that the risk to pro-Taiwanese activists was “far greater” than in 2022, when the refugee came to the UK.

Judge Christopher Hanson said that the man would face questioning by officials if he was returned to China. “If he is asked about what he has done in the UK, or in relation to any political activities, he cannot be expected to lie,” he said.

Taiwan, which lies just off the coast of the mainland, was occupied by the nationalist government following the communist victory in 1949. Beijing regards it as a breakaway state that will eventually come under Chinese control, and tensions between the two have escalated in recent years.

The case, disclosed in court papers, is the latest example [...] in which illegal migrants or convicted foreign criminals have been able to remain in the UK or halt their deportations after claiming returning them to their home countries would breach their human rights.

[...]

The Chinese citizen, known as BK, claimed asylum in the UK in January 2022, but his case was dismissed by a lower-tier immigration tribunal because he was deemed not high-profile enough to warrant protection. The 39-year-old then appealed to an upper-tier tribunal in March this year.

The hearing in Birmingham was told that BK had stated that he had been arrested twice because of his pro-Taiwanese beliefs. Since moving to the UK, he had attended pro-Taiwanese events, the last of which was in 2022.

[...]

This was mainly down to international tensions and other separatist movements in Xinjiang and Tibet, prompting crackdowns by China. Last year, China launched military drills around Taiwan and even simulated a full-scale attack on the island nation. ‘Credible risk of harm’

Despite being a low-level activist, the tribunal believed that BK, who is also a Christian, could be prosecuted if he returned to China.

Judge Hanson concluded: “The risk of arrest for worshippers in unlicensed churches is also greater now than it was when BK was last in the country, and greater than it was in certain decisions and documents cited in his First-tier Tribunal hearing.

“I do conclude with a great degree of confidence that the risk to pro-Taiwanese activists in general is far greater than it was when he was last in China.

“Even if the authorities in China have no knowledge of BK’s activities in the UK it is likely that on return he will be interviewed by the Chinese authorities. If he is asked about what he has done in the UK or in relation to any political activities he cannot be expected to lie.

“If he continues to express his pro-Taiwanese separatist beliefs, there is a real risk that the authorities in China will become aware.

[...]

“I conclude that whilst BK may be able to be returned to China as he does not have the type of profile indicated in the report that will give rise to a real risk at this stage, there is a credible risk of harm sufficient to amount to persecution if he continues with his pro-Taiwanese activities in China, and is entitled to a grant of international protection.”

[Edit to insert the archived link.]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/37452848

Archived

China has begun construction of a new structure in waters between China and Japan in the disputed East China Sea, the Japanese foreign ministry said on Tuesday, adding it has lodged a protest with China.

The ministry said in a statement "it is extremely regrettable" that China is pressing ahead with unilateral development when the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf in the East China Sea have not yet been delimited.

Japan requests that China cease its unilateral development and to resume talks on the implementation of a 2008 agreement, in which the two countries agreed to cooperate on natural resources development in the East China Sea, it also said. Asked about Japan's protest, China's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that its oil and gas development activities in the East China Sea were located in undisputed waters under Chinese jurisdiction.

[...]

Japan's ties with China have been plagued by a territorial dispute over a group of Japanese-administered islands in the East China Sea, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, as well as the legacy of Japan's past military aggression.

Archived

China has begun construction of a new structure in waters between China and Japan in the disputed East China Sea, the Japanese foreign ministry said on Tuesday, adding it has lodged a protest with China.

The ministry said in a statement "it is extremely regrettable" that China is pressing ahead with unilateral development when the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf in the East China Sea have not yet been delimited.

Japan requests that China cease its unilateral development and to resume talks on the implementation of a 2008 agreement, in which the two countries agreed to cooperate on natural resources development in the East China Sea, it also said. Asked about Japan's protest, China's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that its oil and gas development activities in the East China Sea were located in undisputed waters under Chinese jurisdiction.

[...]

Japan's ties with China have been plagued by a territorial dispute over a group of Japanese-administered islands in the East China Sea, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, as well as the legacy of Japan's past military aggression.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/37385162

Archived

• Despite international sanctions, Russia's strategic missile plant was able to import complex machinery to dramatically increase missile production.
• The Kyiv Independent has identified the equipment supplied to the plant, as well as the supply chains, mostly from China.
• We located the plant's new premises, built to house the new machinery.
• We obtained a document confirming that the plant received an order to produce intercontinental missiles capable of reaching the U.S. shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

[...]

The Votkinsk Plant, also known as the Votkinskiy Plant, — a strategic, state-owned facility serving Russia’s nuclear forces — has hired thousands of new workers, added new buildings, and brought in advanced machinery to significantly increase its missile production.

Ukrainians have felt it firsthand. Iskander-M ballistic missiles, with a range of up to 500 kilometers and assembled at Votkinsk, have been increasingly hitting Kyiv and other cities.

But the plant’s core mission is even more threatening: manufacturing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of delivering nuclear warheads across continents.

[...]

Full-scale war has been a boon for Votkinsk: Since its start, the plant has expanded and increased output.

In 2024, Russia produced nearly three times more Iskander-M ballistic missiles than in 2023 — 700 compared to 250, according to RUSI, a London-based defense and security think tank.

[...]

Russian authorities planned the expansion of the Votkinsk missile hub in 2022, after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The process began the following year, from 2023 to 2024, during which the arms manufacturer built new premises, renovated existing ones, hired additional staff, and procured new equipment for missile production.

Using satellite imagery provided by Planet Labs, we identified the location of the plant’s largest new facility: a sheet metal fabrication shop.

In 2023, the site was bare ground; by 2024, a new workshop had risen to house additional machinery.

[...]

Simultaneously, the missile producer launched a recruitment drive, hiring an additional 2,500 employees during the first 2.5 years of Russia’s full-scale war, according to the plant’s director general.

The total number of employees now exceeds 12,000.

[...]

Imported equipment came primarily from mainland China. Of the 10 contracts we identified, eight involved products supplied from China. In one of them, the goods came from a Chinese factory owned by a Taiwanese manufacturer.

[...]

Taiwan-branded equipment intended for the missile plant was shipped to Russia by a Chinese company named Zhangzhou Donggang Precision Machinery Company, also known as Zhangzhou Dong Iron Precision Machinery Co.

This company operates as a subsidiary of the Taiwanese manufacturer Ecom — effectively, its Chinese production facility.

[...]

China provides more than machines

It is no secret that China is the largest supplier of equipment, electronic components, and materials that Russia seeks for weapons production.

The Kyiv Independent has reviewed the latest non-public report by the Ukrainian think tank Economic Security Council of Ukraine (ESCU) on the production of Iskander missiles, which are assembled at the Votkinsk Plant.

The report examined the supply of titanium, carbon fiber, and missile fuel components for Iskander production in 2024.

“Titanium is used to make the aerodynamic rudders that control a missile at launch, as well as for the body, nozzles, and combustion chambers of the engine,” explained Denys Hutyk, ESCU’s executive director.

The organization’s researchers found that the main flow of titanium products reached the Votkinsk Plant through a supply chain originating in China.

Russia’s largest titanium producer, VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation, operates a subsidiary in Beijing — VSMPO Tirus Beijing Metallic Materials — which imports titanium ore from major Chinese manufacturers.

In addition, the Russian producer purchased primary titanium products through China’s Tianjin Chengan International Trading Company and India’s DCW. It then supplied Russian military plants, including Votkinsk, through a subsidiary trading house in Russia.

[...]