Tháng: Tháng Mười Hai 2022

Five Notable Items for Asia Watchers in the [US] National Defense Authorization Act

~ Trần Đình Hoành ~ Bình luận về bài viết này
  1. Supporting Taiwan: Congress included the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act, which includes a number of important provisions to bolster Taiwan’s defense capabilities. If Taiwan increases its defense spending, the act authorizes up to $2 billion per year in Foreign Military Financing for the next five years. In addition, the act provides $1 billion per year in drawdown authority to provide defense articles to Taiwan. The act also requires the submission of reports assessing Taiwan’s defense capabilities, proposing a multi-year plan to address Taiwan’s capability gaps, explaining undelivered arms exports to Taiwan and other regional partners, reviewing Taiwan’s civil defense and resilience, describing a strategy to counter China’s influence operations against Taiwan, addressing Taiwan’s participation in various international organizations, and listing recent travel by officials to Taiwan. Additional provisions authorize funding for regional stockpiling, enhancing training and interoperability with Taiwan, fast-tracking Foreign Military Sales to Taiwan, and establishing a Taiwan Fellowship Program.
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By Zack Cooper | Allison Schwartz

Zach Cooper, Senior fellow

AEIdeas

December 16, 2022

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2023 authorizes $857.9 billion in national defense spending and includes numerous important provisions related to the Indo-Pacific region. Below are five of the top items related to Asia, followed by a full list of relevant NDAA sections.

  1. Supporting Taiwan: Congress included the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act, which includes a number of important provisions to bolster Taiwan’s defense capabilities. If Taiwan increases its defense spending, the act authorizes up to $2 billion per year in Foreign Military Financing for the next five years. In addition, the act provides $1 billion per year in drawdown authority to provide defense articles to Taiwan. The act also requires the submission of reports assessing Taiwan’s defense capabilities, proposing a multi-year plan to address Taiwan’s capability gaps, explaining undelivered arms exports to Taiwan and other regional partners, reviewing Taiwan’s civil defense and resilience, describing a strategy to counter China’s influence operations against Taiwan, addressing Taiwan’s participation in various international organizations, and listing recent travel by officials to Taiwan. Additional provisions authorize funding for regional stockpiling, enhancing training and interoperability with Taiwan, fast-tracking Foreign Military Sales to Taiwan, and establishing a Taiwan Fellowship Program.
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PIRACY AND ARMED ROBBERY AS AN EVOLVING THREAT TO SOUTHEAST ASIA’S MARITIME SECURITY

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BY LEE YIN MUI | DECEMBER 7, 2022
AMTI UPDATE

This article is part of Evolving Threats to Southeast Asia’s Maritime Security, a series of analyses produced by experts convened by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

How has piracy/sea robbery evolved over the last 20 years?

Piracy has existed since ancient times, wherein pirates looted vessels carrying commodities. Today, piracy and armed robbery against ships (PAR) continues to pose threats to maritime trade.[1]

In the late 1990s and early 2000s Southeast Asia witnessed a surge in piracy and sea robbery incidents in Asia. Over 200 incidents per year were reported which prompted Asian countries to seek expanded frameworks for regional cooperation.[2] One incident that particularly stood out was the hijacking of the Japan-registered vessel, Alondra Rainbow on October 22, 1999. Within hours of departure from Kuala Tanjung, Indonesia for Port Miike, Japan, ten criminals armed with pistols and knives boarded the ship from a speed boat and seized command. On 29 Oct, the 17 crew were set adrift in an inflatable life raft. The Japan Coast Guard and Japan Ship Owners’ Association appealed to coastal states for assistance, and on November 13 the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy boarded the vessel, now renamed Mega Rama, and arrested the pirates. These events, coupled with the escalating situation of PAR in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), led Japan to champion the deliberation of an agreement among the Asian countries to combat PAR in Asian waters.

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The Right of Self-Determination

~ Trần Đình Hoành ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

A New Roadblock for Scottish Independence

The United Kingdom’s highest court dealt a blow to the push for a new referendum on Scottish independence. What comes next?

Article by David J. Scheffer, CFR

December 9, 2022 4:58 pm (EST)

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, attends a pro-independence demonstration outside Holyrood, the Scottish Parliament, on November 23, 2022.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, attends a pro-independence demonstration outside Holyrood, the Scottish Parliament, on November 23, 2022. Peter Summers/Getty Images

The decades-long campaign for Scotland’s independence from the United Kingdom (UK) suffered a setback last month when the UK Supreme Court ruled that no new referendum can be held without London’s approval. Can the Scottish Parliament, controlled by the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) and led by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, keep the flame alive?

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Council on Foreign Relations – The World This Week, Dec. 16, 2022

~ Trần Đình Hoành ~ Bình luận về bài viết này
Biden’s Economic Policy Threatens Rift With Europe Edward Alden

French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Joe Biden stand together onstage during an official state arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on December 1, 2022. Elizabeth Frantz/ReutersEuropeans consider vast U.S. subsidies for cars, clean energy, and semiconductors a danger to their economies. Read the analysis
Europe Has to Step Up on Ukraine Liana Fix and Jeffrey Mankoff

Europeans need a more substantial plan to support Ukraine, not just to ensure their own security, but also to signal their long-term commitment and head off U.S. criticism of European free-riding on Ukraine ahead of the 2024 U.S. elections. Read the opinion
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Transparency International – The week in corruption

~ Trần Đình Hoành ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

16/12/2022: Eye on the ball

For years, controversy has surrounded FIFA’s choice of the 2022 World Cup host. Thanks to new Qatargate revelations, scathing headlines will haunt this year’s World Cup well after the final showdown between Argentina and France this weekend.

Last Friday, allegations emerged that the Qatari government has bribed current and former members of the European Parliament and their staff to tone down criticism in the lead-up to the prestigious tournament and win other favours.
European Parliament’s Bureau met without Eva Kaili, who has been implicated in the Qatargate scandal, on 12 December. Photo: Daina Le Lardic/European Parliament

Belgian authorities have already conducted 20 raids, seized 1.5 million euros in cash and arrested four people – including Eva Kaili, now-former Vice President of the European Parliament. If corruption allegations are true, they would explain why last month Kaili praised Qatar’s progress on labour rights despite well-documented abuses.
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Intellectual property in Vietnam: One Little Pig and a Big Bad Lawsuit

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

vietnambriefing.com  

December 15, 2022Posted byVietnam BriefingWritten byMark BarnesReading Time:4 minutes

Intellectual property (IP) law reform and enforcement in Vietnam has been at the center of a broad range of trade agreements the country has signed onto. But change has been slow, and enforcement has been lacking. Here’s how a spat between a cartoon wolf and a cartoon pig could change that.

The owners of the UK’s Peppa Pig, EOne, are suing Vietnam’s Sconnect, the owners of popular YouTube cartoon Wolfoo, alleging trademark and copyright infringement. More specifically, EOne is alleging Sconnect created Wolfoo to look and feel like Peppa Pig to imply the two cartoons were connected.

In its complaint, EOne claims that parts of Wolfoo’s audio have been taken directly from episodes of Peppa Pig and that images of Peppa Pig herself appear on items like clocks and watering cans in the background of Wolfoo videos.

This is currently before the courts in the UK.

But the courts have not been EOne’s only means of recourse.

YouTube, for example, took down 2,000 Wolfoo videos from August to October this year for copyright infringement at the request of EOne. This cost Sconnect US$2 million in lost revenue up to October, according to their own estimates.

In response, Sconnect has made overtures to the Vietnamese government looking for support. It has also countersued in Vietnam and has launched a lawsuit in Russia where, earlier in the year, a copyright infringement case brought by EOne was dismissed in response to sanctions imposed over the war in the Ukraine.

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UAV – Bóng ma sát thủ từ trên không (5 kỳ)

~ Phạm Thu Hương ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

UAV – Bóng ma sát thủ từ trên không – Kỳ 1: Máy bay ném bom thời thế chiến

03/12/2022 11:07 GMT+7

TTO – Chiến sự Nga – Ukraine đã chứng minh vai trò quan trọng của vũ khí máy bay không người lái trên chiến trường hiện đại.

UAV - Bóng ma sát thủ từ trên không - Kỳ 1: Máy bay ném bom thời thế chiến - Ảnh 1.

Từ chức năng trinh sát ban đầu, loại máy bay này đã biến thành sát thủ tấn công từ trên không và có thể định hình cuộc chiến trong tương lai.

Tại triển lãm hàng không ở Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ vào đầu tháng 9-2022, lần đầu tiên nước chủ nhà đã giới thiệu thế hệ máy bay không người lái (UAV) siêu thanh Bayraktar Kizilelma. UAV mới có tính năng tàng hình, bay gần 980km/h với tốc độ tối đa Mach 1.

Chuyến bay đầu tiên dự kiến được thực hiện vào đầu năm 2023. Đến cuối tháng 9, báo chí Pháp đưa tin Tổng cục Vũ khí Pháp đang thử nghiệm thế hệ UAV mới AVATAR trang bị súng trường tấn công.

Chất nổ Torpex phát nổ sớm đã phá hủy máy bay BQ-8 giết chết Kennedy và Willy ngay lập tức.

DONALD L. MILLER

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The VinFast VF8 Is Simply Not Ready for America

~ Trần Đình Hoành ~ 1 bình luận

The electric-car startup brought me to its Vietnam headquarters to drive its first EV meant for the U.S. market. It was the most bizarre experience of my life.

Photo: Kevin Williams

By Kevin Williams, jalopnik.com

Published Wednesday 12:28PM

I was in Vietnam to sample the automotive fruits of VinFast; the fast-moving automotive startup had just begun selling electric cars in its home country and was already promising to bring them to the United States. I definitely learned something about VinFast, but it wasn’t exactly what the company wanted me to see.

Full Disclosure: VinFast flew me from Columbus, Ohio, to San Francisco, put me in a really nice hotel for one night, then flew me and at least 100 other journalists, influencers, YouTubers, TikTokers, VinFast reservation holders (called VinFirst), VinFast employees, and other persons of interest from SFO to Vietnam on a chartered plane, all so we could sample the company’s new EVs. We stayed at two private-island resorts and spent a night in Hanoi at the same hotel where Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un met for the first time.

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Mong people struggle in poor-equipped Dak Nong night classes

~ Phạm Thu Hương ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

| dtinews.vn | October 07, 2022 09:10 PM

Giang Thi So slowly wrote down some new words in a small notebook under her classmate’s weak light torchlight. After travelling 20 kilometres and studying for over an hour, her own torch had already run out of battery.

Giang Thi So learns to write at the evening class in Dak Nong Province

“It has been raining for some days and there was no sunlight so I couldn’t charge it,” she said. “We don’t have access to the electricity grid so we depend on solar power.”

So is attending an illiteracy course organised by authorities for the Mong Ethnic Group in Dak R’mang Commune, Dak Glong District in the central highlands province of Dak Nong. The class is held every Friday evening at 7 pm in the classroom of a local primary school. The students are all adults who mostly farm.

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Earthquakes Triggered by Dams

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

internationalrivers.org

Exposing the Hidden Dangers of Dam-Induced Earthquakes

Earthquakes can be induced by dams. Globally, there are over 100 identified cases of earthquakes that scientists believe were triggered by reservoirs (see Gupta 2002). The most serious case may be the 7.9-magnitude Sichuan earthquake in May 2008, which killed an estimated 80,000 people and has been linked to the construction of the Zipingpu Dam.

How Do Dams Trigger Earthquakes?

In a paper prepared for the World Commission on Dams, Dr. V. P Jauhari wrote the following about this phenomenon, known as Reservoir-Induced Seismicity (RIS): “The most widely accepted explanation of how dams cause earthquakes is related to the extra water pressure created in the micro-cracks and fissures in the ground under and near a reservoir. When the pressure of the water in the rocks increases, it acts to lubricate faults which are already under tectonic strain, but are prevented from slipping by the friction of the rock surfaces.”

Given that every dam site has unique geological characteristics, it is not possible to accurately predict when and where earthquakes will occur. However, the International Commission on Large Dams recommends that RIS should be considered for reservoirs deeper than 100 meters.

What Are Some Characteristics of RIS?

A leading scholar on this topic, Harsh K. Gupta, summarized his findings on RIS worldwide in 2002:

  • Depth of the reservoir is the most important factor, but the volume of water also plays a significant role in triggering earthquakes.
  • RIS can be immediately noticed during filling periods of reservoirs.
  • RIS can happen immediately after the filling of a reservoir or after a certain time lag.

Many dams are being built in seismically active regions, including the Himalayas, Southwest China, Iran, Turkey, and Chile (see map). International Rivers calls for a moratorium on the construction of high dams in earthquake-prone areas.

Click here for the factsheet on RIS worldwide.

Problems With Big Dams

By 2015, the dam industry had choked more than half of the Earth’s major rivers with some 57,000 large dams. The consequences of this massive engineering program have been devastating. The world’s large dams have wiped out species; flooded huge areas of wetlands, forests and farmlands; and displaced tens of millions of people.


Courtesy of James Syvitski at Colorado University, who produced the video with Bob Stallard of the USGS and Albert Kettner at CSDMS. Data from Alex de Sherbinin (CIESIN, University of Colorado), and Bernhard Lehner (Department of Geography, McGill University).

The “one-size-fits-all” approach to meeting the world’s water and energy needs is also outdated: better solutions exist. While not every dam causes huge problems, cumulatively the world’s large dams have replumbed rivers in a massive experiment that has left the planet’s freshwaters in far worse shape than any other major ecosystem type, including tropical rainforests. In response, dam-affected communities in many parts of the world are working to resolve the legacies of poorly planned dams. Elsewhere (and especially in North America), communities are starting to take down dams that have outlived their usefulness, as part of a broader river restoration movement.

Impacts of Dams

Dam Basics

Fact sheets:

Earthquakes trigger call for detailed research, dams suspect

~ Phạm Thu Hương ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

VNE – By Phan Anh   May 12, 2022 | 10:31 am GMT+7

Earthquakes trigger call for detailed research, dams suspect

A map shows the location of an earthquake epicenter in Kon Tum Province (red star), April 18, 2022. Photo courtesy of the Institute of GeophysicsRecent earthquakes in the Central Highlands are a cause for concern, says the Institute of Geophysics, calling for extensive studies and research to ascertain causes and draw up response plans.

In a report released Wednesday, it said that the earthquakes that occurred from March 2021 to April 2022, with magnitudes of 1.6 to 4.5 on the Richter scale in Kon Plong District, Kon Tum Province and other nearby areas were not “severe” but there was a need to evaluate risks and dangers.

“To ascertain the causes of the earthquakes and to have a foundation for predicting seismic trends and earthquakes’ intensity in the future so that the risk of damage to residential structures and hydropower plants can be evaluated, there needs to be surveys and research on Kon Tum and neighboring areas’ geological characteristics,” the Voice of Vietnam cited the report as saying.

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Council on Foreign Affairs – Daily news brief, Dec. 14, 2022

~ Trần Đình Hoành ~ Bình luận về bài viết này
Top of the Agenda

International Backers Plan New Infrastructure, Military Aid for Ukraine

At a conference in Paris yesterday, donor nations pledged to provide Ukraine (AP) more than $1 billion worth of financial aid and donations of health, food, and other supplies. The support aims to meet Ukraine’s humanitarian needs and help repair infrastructure damaged by Russia’s ongoing bombardment. The conference was attended (NYT) by representatives of multinational organizations and some fifty countries.
In a video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told attendees that power outages are affecting around twelve million Ukrainians as winter arrives. Separately, U.S. officials said Washington is preparing to send Ukraine a Patriot missile defense system, while European Union (EU) finance ministers are set to approve around $19 billion in loans to Ukraine today.  
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Trẻ em và thiếu niên lớn lên trong một thế giới kỹ thuật số, lợi ích và rủi ro: UNICEF

~ Thiều Linh ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

 

English: Growing up in a digital world: benefits and risks

Công nghệ kỹ thuật số đã và đang thay đổi mạnh mẽ trẻ em và thanh thiếu niên. Internet và các phương tiện truy cập Internet, như là máy tính bảng, điện thoại thông minh, cùng với các nền tảng truyền thông xã hội và ứng dụng nhắn tin, đã trở thành một phần quan trọng của cuộc sống giới trẻ khắp thế giới. Công nghệ kỹ thuật số đã thay đổi cách giáo dục và học tập của trẻ em và thiếu niên, cách giới trẻ kết bạn và duy trì tình bạn, cách giới trẻ dùng thời gian rảnh, và sự tham gia của giới trẻ trong xã hội rộng lớn hơn.

Báo cáo của UNICEF về Tình hình trẻ em thế giới năm 2017: Trẻ em trong Thế giới kỹ thuật số chỉ ra rằng cứ 3 người dùng Internet thì có 1 người nhỏ hơn 18 tuổi và 71% người từ 15 đến 24 tuổi đang trực tuyến, họ trở thành nhóm tuổi kết nối nhiều nhất trên thế giới. Tuy nhiên, cái gọi là khoảng cách kỹ thuật số là rất lớn: 346 triệu thanh niên là không có Internet, trong đó thanh niên Châu Phi bị ảnh hưởng nhiều nhất (60% không có Internet so với 4% ở Châu Âu). Những người trẻ thiếu kỹ năng kỹ thuật số, sống ở vùng sâu vùng xa hoặc nói ngôn ngữ thiểu số cũng đang bị bỏ lại phía sau trong việc khai thác những cơ hội mà công nghệ kỹ thuật số có thể mang lại. Những lợi ích này bao gồm việc tiếp cận với giáo dục, đào tạo, và cả việc làm, thứ có thể giúp phá vỡ chu kỳ của cái nghèo đói trong nhiều thế hệ, và giúp tiếp cận tin tức và thông tin để bảo vệ sức khỏe, bảo vệ an toàn và các quyền của người trẻ.

Cùng với những cơ hội đáng kể thời đại kỹ thuật số mang lại, còn có một loạt các rủi ro và tác hại. Công nghệ kỹ thuật số đã làm tăng quy mô bóc lột và lợi dụng tình dục trẻ em. Tội phạm tình dục trẻ em đã tăng khả năng tiếp cận trẻ em thông qua hồ sơ mạng xã hội không được bảo vệ và diễn đàn trò chơi trực tuyến. Những tiến bộ công nghệ đã cho phép các cá nhân phạm tội và các đường dây buôn bán người thoát khỏi phát hiện thông qua các nền tảng được mã hóa và việc tạo ra các danh tính giả, đồng thời cho phép tội phạm truy đuổi nhiều nạn nhân cùng một lúc.

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Political declaration on establishing the Just Energy Transition Partnership with Viet Nam

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

GOV.UK

Published 14 December 2022

  1. The Governments of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, together with the International Partners Group, consisting of the European Union, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, Japan, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of France, the Italian Republic, Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark and the Kingdom of Norway;
  2. Recognising the need to accelerate action towards the objectives and long-term goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, including through the implementation of the Glasgow Climate Pact, to minimise the worst adverse impacts of climate change for countries, people and the environment;
  3. Noting that limiting global warming to 1.5°C to mitigate the worst adverse impacts of climate change requires rapid, deep and sustained reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions, including reducing global carbon dioxide emissions by 45% by 2030 relative to the 2010 level and to net zero around mid-century as well as deep reductions in other greenhouse gas emissions, emphasising climate change adaptation and achieving net zero emissions as an opportunity for sustainable development;
  4. Recognising that for Viet Nam, as an independent, sovereign and fast developing lower middle income country heavily affected by the impacts of climate change, it will be key to embrace the opportunities brought about by the fast decreasing cost of renewable energies as an opportunity for sustainable development and to tackle related challenges such as poverty, inequality and unemployment, which are exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, and that vulnerable groups and some important economic sectors may be impacted by the energy transition, including thermal electricity generation, coal mining, heavy industry and transport;
  5. Recognising the need for new, predictable, long-term and sustainable support from partner countries, multilateral organisations and investors in finance, technology and capacity building for Viet Nam to exploit fully the opportunities of the transition in accordance with the national framework of public debt and external debt management to contribute significantly to the implementation of the NDC of Viet Nam, its commitment to reach to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and its development orientation to become a high-income developed country by 2045;
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