cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3380309

Archived version

Fiji PM Stiveni Rabuka says he is against China gaining a military base in the Pacific, but he remains unconvinced that is Beijing's aim.

But experts say his comments are out of touch with China's ambition given its previous "dual infrastructure" projects in the region.

Rabuka wants to explore a new Australian agreement to formalise their relationships beyond changes in government, and will meet with other Pacific leaders in September.

...

Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has delivered a blow to China's security ambitions in the Pacific, declaring his country would "not welcome" any Chinese military bases in the region.

But Mr Rabuka has also stressed he doesn't believe that China is actively looking for such a security foothold in the Pacific — saying the rising power doesn't need it to project power.

Sitiveni Rabuka was repeatedly pressed about China’s role in the Pacific in the wake of his speech to the National Press Club in Canberra today.

Mr Rabuka didn’t mince words when he was asked if he believed that Beijing should be permitted to establish a military base in the Pacific.

"Who would welcome them?" he asked rhetorically. "Not Fiji."

...

Australian government assessments, which warn that China is seeking a security foothold in the Pacific — potentially through "dual use" infrastructure projects which could be used for military purposes.

The Pacific Minister Pat Conroy has repeatedly said publicly that Beijing is seeking a security "presence" in the region, including through its attempts to expand police cooperation in the Pacific.

...

Mr Rabuka also said he would like to explore signing a new overarching agreement with Australia, saying the relationship may have "reached a point … where our renewed and elevated partnership needs to step up to an agreement or treaty".

...

Mr Rabuka did not provide detail about how a new agreement could work, but said it would allow Australia to expand assistance to Fiji and help the relationship withstand the "political whims of the winning parties in the various elections, because there will be national treaties between sovereign states".

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3380309

Archived version

Fiji PM Stiveni Rabuka says he is against China gaining a military base in the Pacific, but he remains unconvinced that is Beijing's aim.

But experts say his comments are out of touch with China's ambition given its previous "dual infrastructure" projects in the region.

Rabuka wants to explore a new Australian agreement to formalise their relationships beyond changes in government, and will meet with other Pacific leaders in September.

...

Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has delivered a blow to China's security ambitions in the Pacific, declaring his country would "not welcome" any Chinese military bases in the region.

But Mr Rabuka has also stressed he doesn't believe that China is actively looking for such a security foothold in the Pacific — saying the rising power doesn't need it to project power.

Sitiveni Rabuka was repeatedly pressed about China’s role in the Pacific in the wake of his speech to the National Press Club in Canberra today.

Mr Rabuka didn’t mince words when he was asked if he believed that Beijing should be permitted to establish a military base in the Pacific.

"Who would welcome them?" he asked rhetorically. "Not Fiji."

...

Australian government assessments, which warn that China is seeking a security foothold in the Pacific — potentially through "dual use" infrastructure projects which could be used for military purposes.

The Pacific Minister Pat Conroy has repeatedly said publicly that Beijing is seeking a security "presence" in the region, including through its attempts to expand police cooperation in the Pacific.

...

Mr Rabuka also said he would like to explore signing a new overarching agreement with Australia, saying the relationship may have "reached a point … where our renewed and elevated partnership needs to step up to an agreement or treaty".

...

Mr Rabuka did not provide detail about how a new agreement could work, but said it would allow Australia to expand assistance to Fiji and help the relationship withstand the "political whims of the winning parties in the various elections, because there will be national treaties between sovereign states".

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3336680

Archived version

Australia is suing a Chinese-linked company and a former associate over a breach of foreign investment laws linked with rare earths miner Northern Minerals, the national treasurer said on Thursday, adding it was the first case of its kind.

Indian Ocean International Shipping and Service Company was one of five foreign investors with ties to China subject to an order by Treasurer Jim Chalmers to divest shares on national interest grounds in June last year.

...

“Foreign investors in Australia are required to follow Australian law,” Chalmers said. “We are doing what is necessary to protect the national interest and the integrity of our foreign investment framework.”

The statement, which said the case was the first to be brought by a Treasurer before the Federal Court for an alleged breach of foreign investment laws, did not give details of the current stake holdings. It named Indian Ocean, but did not name the former associate.

...

Australia has sought to build a rare earths supply chain to decrease China’s dominance over the elements used in products from smartphones to wind turbines and missiles and radar systems. Northern Minerals, a supplier of rare earths to a refinery being built by Iluka Resources in Western Australia, became a flashpoint for the contest after Australia blocked Singapore-based Yuxiao Fund from doubling its stake in the company to almost 20% in 2023.

Yuxiao, controlled by Chinese businessman Wu Tao, along with four other entities, including Black Stone Resources of the British Virgin Islands and Indian Ocean International Shipping and Service Company based in the United Arab Emirates, were ordered in 2024 to sell shares worth 10.37% of Northern Minerals’ share capital within three months to unconnected associates.

Archived version

Australia is suing a Chinese-linked company and a former associate over a breach of foreign investment laws linked with rare earths miner Northern Minerals, the national treasurer said on Thursday, adding it was the first case of its kind.

Indian Ocean International Shipping and Service Company was one of five foreign investors with ties to China subject to an order by Treasurer Jim Chalmers to divest shares on national interest grounds in June last year.

...

“Foreign investors in Australia are required to follow Australian law,” Chalmers said. “We are doing what is necessary to protect the national interest and the integrity of our foreign investment framework.”

The statement, which said the case was the first to be brought by a Treasurer before the Federal Court for an alleged breach of foreign investment laws, did not give details of the current stake holdings. It named Indian Ocean, but did not name the former associate.

...

Australia has sought to build a rare earths supply chain to decrease China’s dominance over the elements used in products from smartphones to wind turbines and missiles and radar systems. Northern Minerals, a supplier of rare earths to a refinery being built by Iluka Resources in Western Australia, became a flashpoint for the contest after Australia blocked Singapore-based Yuxiao Fund from doubling its stake in the company to almost 20% in 2023.

Yuxiao, controlled by Chinese businessman Wu Tao, along with four other entities, including Black Stone Resources of the British Virgin Islands and Indian Ocean International Shipping and Service Company based in the United Arab Emirates, were ordered in 2024 to sell shares worth 10.37% of Northern Minerals’ share capital within three months to unconnected associates.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3323782

Archived version

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The European Union is exploring a plan to work closely with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) countries to strengthen global trade governance

[The CPTPP is a free trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and, since late last year, Britain].

...

However, despite some calls for a more radical shift, including from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who said the new grouping could eventually replace the WTO [World Trade Organization], EU officials clarified that the proposal does not aim to set up a rival organisation.

Instead, the European Commission said that cooperation with the CPTPP was intended to promote a modern and rules-based trading system at a time when the WTO urgently requires reform.

"We are working closely with like-minded partners, including CPTPP countries, to advance meaningful, rules-based reform that upholds fair and open global trade," the Commission said in a statement.

One focus could be developing a dispute settlement system to address the paralysis of the WTO’s Appellate Body, after the United States blocked new appointments, leaving the body unable to function.

...

"We are working with other CPTPP members to help set up discussions with other major trading blocs, including the EU, on ways to further promote free and fair global trade," the spokesperson added.

While formal plans are still in early stages, EU officials emphasise that structured cooperation with the Pacific Rim partners could revitalise global trade governance without undermining the WTO’s central role in setting and enforcing global trade rules.

Archived version

• The European Union and Canada are expected to sign a security and defense partnership on Monday, which will pave the way for Canada and EU members to join together on military purchases.
• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is seeking to strengthen Canada's global and economic position by forging stronger trade and security ties with non-US allies, following President Donald Trump's trade war and threats to Canada's sovereignty.
• The EU and Canada will launch negotiations for a digital trade agreement and discuss areas for coordination, including tweaks to their existing trade deal, and Canada's potential participation in the EU's joint military procurement loan fund, SAFE.
• Other non-EU nations, including the United Kingdom, have already struck their own strategic agreements. Australia signalled last week it has started negotiations on a deal with Europe.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3248424

Archived version

Canada’s cybersecurity agency said Chinese-backed hackers were likely behind recent malicious activity targeting domestic telecommunications infrastructure, warning that three network devices registered to a Canadian company were compromised in the attacks.

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation urged Canadian organizations to take steps to harden their networks against the threat posed by Salt Typhoon, a group linked to the Chinese government, in a bulletin issued late on Friday.

“The Cyber Centre is aware of malicious cyber activities currently targeting Canadian telecommunications companies,” the center said. “The responsible actors are almost certainly PRC state-sponsored actors, specifically Salt Typhoon,” it said, referring to the People’s Republic of China.

Separate investigations that revealed overlaps with malicious indicators consistent with Salt Typhoon suggest the cyber campaign “is broader than just the telecommunications sector,” it said.

The hackers will “almost certainly” continue efforts to infiltrate Canadian organizations — especially telecom providers — over the next two years, the agency said.

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3248424

Archived version

Canada’s cybersecurity agency said Chinese-backed hackers were likely behind recent malicious activity targeting domestic telecommunications infrastructure, warning that three network devices registered to a Canadian company were compromised in the attacks.

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation urged Canadian organizations to take steps to harden their networks against the threat posed by Salt Typhoon, a group linked to the Chinese government, in a bulletin issued late on Friday.

“The Cyber Centre is aware of malicious cyber activities currently targeting Canadian telecommunications companies,” the center said. “The responsible actors are almost certainly PRC state-sponsored actors, specifically Salt Typhoon,” it said, referring to the People’s Republic of China.

Separate investigations that revealed overlaps with malicious indicators consistent with Salt Typhoon suggest the cyber campaign “is broader than just the telecommunications sector,” it said.

The hackers will “almost certainly” continue efforts to infiltrate Canadian organizations — especially telecom providers — over the next two years, the agency said.

...

Archived version

Canada’s cybersecurity agency said Chinese-backed hackers were likely behind recent malicious activity targeting domestic telecommunications infrastructure, warning that three network devices registered to a Canadian company were compromised in the attacks.

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation urged Canadian organizations to take steps to harden their networks against the threat posed by Salt Typhoon, a group linked to the Chinese government, in a bulletin issued late on Friday.

“The Cyber Centre is aware of malicious cyber activities currently targeting Canadian telecommunications companies,” the center said. “The responsible actors are almost certainly PRC state-sponsored actors, specifically Salt Typhoon,” it said, referring to the People’s Republic of China.

Separate investigations that revealed overlaps with malicious indicators consistent with Salt Typhoon suggest the cyber campaign “is broader than just the telecommunications sector,” it said.

The hackers will “almost certainly” continue efforts to infiltrate Canadian organizations — especially telecom providers — over the next two years, the agency said.

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3233480

Archived

Vladimir Putin has announced the launch of a Russian youth drone-flying championship, dubbed Pilots of the Future, to start in 2026, the Kremlin press service announced on Monday.

The championship will be run by the youth organisation the Movement of the First and Russia’s Drone Racing Federation, according to the Kremlin, while funding will come from the federal budget.

The championship will be open to children aged seven and over. Putin has instructed the Sports Ministry and the Drone Racing Federation to lower its age requirements, as both currently only allow children aged 10 or over to operate drones.

The announcement comes amid a marked shift towards drone warfare in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with both sides continuing to launch drone strikes deep into each other’s territory.

...

Over the past several years, Russia has increasingly indoctrinated children about the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, everyday life on the front line and serving in the army. Novaya Gazeta Europe recently estimated that at least 40,000 military-themed events involving war veterans had been held in Russian schools since the start of the war for children as young as six since the start of the war.

As Ukraine's Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group noted on its site, "Russia has lowered the age to seven of activities aimed at teaching children, including in occupied Ukraine, to operate the drones it is using to slaughter Ukrainian civilians."

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3194360

Archived version

The EU and Australia announced on Wednesday they will start talks for a defence and security pact, with the bloc expected to strike a similar deal with Canada next week, a first step that could eventually allow both NATO allies to take part in the EU's €150 billion programme to boost military production.

...

Brussels and Canberra emphasised their cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, where China's military is increasingly active and assertive, and which has become a key pillar of Washington's foreign policy.

...

The EU and Australia are also currently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement but the talks for the SPD will remain separate.

A Security and Defence Pact (SPD) - like the one the EU signed with the UK last month - is one of the likely deliverables of the EU-Canada summit to be held on Monday in Brussels between European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, European Council president Antonio Costa, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

...

A second agreement, allowing for the third country's participation in SAFE, will also be required.

SAFE was approved by member states late last month and governments now have a few months to submit to the Commission the joint procurement projects they want to take part in. The EU executive could then start releasing money to fund these projects before the end of the year.

France announced on Tuesday that Bulgaria had joined its initiative for joint acquisitions of THALES radar intended to strengthen aerial surveillance.

"Other countries have already shown a strong interest in this approach and, with the support of the initial partner countries, are expected to join the cooperation in the near future," the French ministry for the armed forces said.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3194360

Archived version

The EU and Australia announced on Wednesday they will start talks for a defence and security pact, with the bloc expected to strike a similar deal with Canada next week, a first step that could eventually allow both NATO allies to take part in the EU's €150 billion programme to boost military production.

...

Brussels and Canberra emphasised their cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, where China's military is increasingly active and assertive, and which has become a key pillar of Washington's foreign policy.

...

The EU and Australia are also currently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement but the talks for the SPD will remain separate.

A Security and Defence Pact (SPD) - like the one the EU signed with the UK last month - is one of the likely deliverables of the EU-Canada summit to be held on Monday in Brussels between European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, European Council president Antonio Costa, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

...

A second agreement, allowing for the third country's participation in SAFE, will also be required.

SAFE was approved by member states late last month and governments now have a few months to submit to the Commission the joint procurement projects they want to take part in. The EU executive could then start releasing money to fund these projects before the end of the year.

France announced on Tuesday that Bulgaria had joined its initiative for joint acquisitions of THALES radar intended to strengthen aerial surveillance.

"Other countries have already shown a strong interest in this approach and, with the support of the initial partner countries, are expected to join the cooperation in the near future," the French ministry for the armed forces said.