Buoys Placed in the Spratly Islands

~ Trần Đình Hoành ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

PUBLISHED: JULY 11, 2023, ATMI

In May, the Philippines and China took turns installing buoys in the disputed Spratly Islands. The deployment of buoys and other sovereignty markers in the South China Sea has a long history. But amid a flurry of new activity by the Philippines, including publicized patrols and surveillance missions, it is noteworthy that the buoy deployment triggered an almost immediate reaction from China, which installed its own. And with the Philippines planning to install more buoys by the end of 2023, this trend will remain a point of contention between Manila and Beijing for the foreseeable future.

On May 15, the Philippine Coast Guard installed 30-foot navigational buoys at five features in the Spratly Islands: Philippine-occupied Flat Island, Loaita Island, and Loaita Cay, and unoccupied Irving Reef and Whitsun Reef. The buoys are of the same type as five installed in May of 2022 at four Philippine-occupied features: Nanshan Island, West York Island, Northeast Cay, and Thitu Island.

Canada Statement on 7th anniversary of 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Ruling

~ Trần Đình Hoành ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

From: Global Affairs Canada

Statement

July 11, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

Global Affairs Canada today issued the following statement:

“On the anniversary of the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the matter of the South China Sea, Canada reiterates that this decision is final, binding on the parties, and provides a vital foundation for the peaceful resolution of competing maritime claims in the region, consistent with international law.

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Sudan conflict: how China and Russia are involved and the differences between them

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

theconversation.com

Published: June 8, 2023 12.44pm BST

As clashes continue between the Sudanese military and rapid support forces, the current and historic role of foreign governments in Sudanese affairs is under close examination.

Unsurprisingly, the Sudan conflict has amplified concerns from the US and other countries about the roles Russia and China are playing in Sudan specifically, and in Africa.

Researchers had been concerned that Beijing’s loans for infrastructure and development to countries including Sudan might be “debt-trap diplomacy”, a predatory attempt to acquire key foreign infrastructure such as ports.

Analysts had previously suggested the implications of China’s growing military engagement with Africa including establishing naval bases and its use of security contractors are examples of Beijing wanting to expand its military power and political influence abroad.

Others have suggested that Russian activity in Africa could be a return to Soviet-era levels of influence through arms sales, joint military exercises, and installing their own set of security contractors to train the Sudanese military.

The Wagner Group, a high profile group of Russian mercenaries, has denied any involvement in events in Sudan, saying in a post on Telegram: “Due to the large number of inquiries from various foreign media about Sudan, most of which are provocative, we consider it necessary to inform everyone that Wagner staff have not been in Sudan for more than two years.”

China favours stability

Our work for PeaceRep, an international research consortium led by Edinburgh law school, suggests that the US and Europe should be cautious about lumping Russia and China’s goals in Africa together. It found that Beijing and Moscow are taking different approaches. China has its own set of interests, but its approach appears to fundamentally favour stability.

As a result, China is keener to work with the broader international community on issues such as peacekeeping and mediation of conflicts. Conversely, Russia pursues its interests in Africa without as much cooperation with international institutions.

Our new report looks at the available data for pre-war Sudan to see how well claims from scholars and commentators match Russia and China’s behaviour.

We consolidated data from the United Nations, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the AidData research lab on Chinese and Russian engagement with Sudan, as well as news reports to examine how well the arguments from scholars and policymakers hold up.

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One year on, Pandora Papers continues to be anti-corruption ‘tour de force’

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

icij.org

From pivotal legislative pushes in the U.S. and elsewhere, to ongoing probes into deposed leaders and tax dodgers, the impact of the largest ever offshore investigation is still being felt around the world.

n Oct. 3, 2021 — one year ago today — the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and 150 media partners around the globe began rolling out the Pandora Papers, a world-rocking exposé that’s been called “a money bomb with political ripples,” “a financial earthquake” and “one of the essential stories of our time.”

The project took readers deeper than ever inside an offshore financial system that perpetuates corruption and authoritarianism and widens gaps between rich and poor. A U.S. senator called the investigation a “wake-up call to all who care about the future of democracy.”

More than 600 journalists at 151 news organizations in 117 countries worked together to make the Pandora Papers a reality — the largest collaboration in journalism history.

The Pandora Papers’ revelations about the financial secrets of prime ministers, oligarchs, mobsters and other powerful figures spawned action by governments and international groups, triggering investigations, legislation and rule changes in dozens of countries.

Impacts keep coming.

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For first time, every player at the Women’s World Cup will be paid at least $30K

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này
FILE - The United States players hold the trophy as they celebrate winning the Women's World Cup final soccer match against The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France on July 17, 2019. More prize money than ever will be awarded at this year's Women's World Cup, and the players stand to get direct payments from FIFA this time. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)

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FILE – The United States players hold the trophy as they celebrate winning the Women’s World Cup final soccer match against The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France on July 17, 2019. More prize money than ever will be awarded at this year’s Women’s World Cup, and the players stand to get direct payments from FIFA this time. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)

ASSOCIATED PRESSRead More

The United States team celebrates a win against Wales during a FIFA Women's World Cup send-off soccer match in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, July 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Josie Lepe)

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The United States team celebrates a win against Wales during a FIFA Women’s World Cup send-off soccer match in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, July 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Josie Lepe)

ASSOCIATED PRESS APnews.com

A group of players across the globe asked FIFA late last year to increase the prize money for this summer’s Women’s World Cup. There had been pleas from the women to boost those funds before, but this time it was different.

The players not only wanted a prize pool equal with the men’s World Cup, they also sought a guarantee that a percentage of the prize money would go directly to the players themselves.

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The North Atlantic Treaty

~ Trần Đình Hoành ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

Washington D.C. – 4 April 1949, Last updated: 10 Apr. 2019

The Parties to this Treaty reaffirm their faith in the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and their desire to live in peace with all peoples and all governments.
They are determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilisation of their peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. They seek to promote stability and well-being in the North Atlantic area.
They are resolved to unite their efforts for collective defence and for the preservation of peace and security. They therefore agree to this North Atlantic Treaty :

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NATO: Vilnius Summit Communiqué

~ Trần Đình Hoành ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

Issued by NATO Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Vilnius 11 July 2023

Press Release, July 11, 2023, NATO

The NATO Invitee associates itself with this Communiqué.

1.           We, the Heads of State and Government of the North Atlantic Alliance, bound by shared values of individual liberty, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, have gathered in Vilnius as war continues on the European continent, to reaffirm our enduring transatlantic bond, unity, cohesion, and solidarity at a critical time for our security and international peace and stability.  NATO is a defensive Alliance.  It is the unique, essential and indispensable transatlantic forum to consult, coordinate and act on all matters related to our individual and collective security.  We reaffirm our iron-clad commitment to defend each other and every inch of Allied territory at all times, protect our one billion citizens, and safeguard our freedom and democracy, in accordance with Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.  We will continue to ensure our collective defence from all threats, no matter where they stem from, based on a 360-degree approach, to fulfil NATO’s three core tasks of deterrence and defence, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security.  We adhere to international law and to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and are committed to upholding the rules-based international order.  This Summit marks a milestone in strengthening our Alliance.

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BUOY BATTLE IN THE SPRATLY ISLANDS

~ Trần Đình Hoành ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

PUBLISHED: JULY 11, 2023 CSIS

In May, the Philippines and China took turns installing buoys in the disputed Spratly Islands. The deployment of buoys and other sovereignty markers in the South China Sea has a long history. But amid a flurry of new activity by the Philippines, including publicized patrols and surveillance missions, it is noteworthy that the buoy deployment triggered an almost immediate reaction from China, which installed its own. And with the Philippines planning to install more buoys by the end of 2023, this trend will remain a point of contention between Manila and Beijing for the foreseeable future. Tiếp tục đọc “BUOY BATTLE IN THE SPRATLY ISLANDS” →

The Countries Buying Fossil Fuels from Russia in 2023

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

visualcapitalist.com

While Russia’s revenues from fossil fuel exports have declined significantly since their peak in March of 2022, many countries are still importing millions of dollars a day worth of fossil fuels from Russia.

Revenue from fossil fuels exported to the EU has declined more than 90% from their peak, but in 2023 the bloc has still imported more than $18 billion of crude oil and natural gas so far.

This graphic uses data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) to visualize the top-importing countries of fossil fuels from Russia so far this year.

China Remains Russia’s Top Fossil Fuel Importer

China continues to be Russia’s top buyer of fossil fuels, with imports reaching $30 billion in 2023 up until June 16, 2023.

With nearly 80% of China’s fuel imports being crude oil, Russia’s average daily revenues from Chinese fossil fuel imports have declined from $210 million in 2022 to $178 million in 2023 largely due to the falling price of Russian crude oil.

Following China are EU nations collectively, which despite no longer importing coal from Russia since August of 2022, still imported $18.4 billion of fossil fuels in a 60/40 split of crude oil and natural gas respectively.

CountryRussian Fossil Fuel Imports* (Total)Crude OilNatural GasCoal
🇨🇳 China$30B$23.9B$2.7B$3.3B
🇪🇺 EU$18.4B$11.2B$7.2B$0
🇮🇳 India$15.2B$12.8B$0$2.5B
🇹🇷 Türkiye$12.1B$7.3B$3B$1.7B
🇦🇪 UAE$2.3B$2.3B$0$0
🇰🇷 South Korea$2.1B$0.6B$0.3B$1.2B
🇸🇰 Slovakia$2.0B$1.1B$0.9B$0
🇭🇺 Hungary$1.9B$0.8B$1.1B$0
🇧🇪 Belgium$1.9B$0.5B$1.4B$0
🇯🇵 Japan$1.8B$0$1.5B$0.3B
🇪🇸 Spain$1.7B$0.6B$1.1B$0
🇸🇬 Singapore$1.7B$1.7B$0$0
🇧🇷 Brazil$1.6B$1.4B$0$0.2B
🇳🇱 Netherlands$1.6B$1.5B$0.1B$0
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia$1.5B$1.4B$0$0
🇪🇬 Egypt$1.4B$1.3B$0$0.2B
🇧🇬 Bulgaria$1.3B$1.1B$0.3B$0
🇮🇹 Italy$1.2B$0.8B$0.4B$0
🇲🇾 Malaysia$1.1B$1.0B$0$0.1B
🇨🇿 Czech Republic$1.0B$1.1B$0$0

*Over the time period of Jan 1, 2023 to June 16, 2023 in U.S. dollars

After China and the EU bloc, India is the next-largest importer of Russian fossil fuels, having ramped up the amount of fossil fuels imported by more than 10x since before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, largely due to discounted Russian oil.

Türkiye is the only other nation to have imported more than $10 billion worth of Russian fossil fuels in 2023, with every other country having imported fewer than $3 billion worth of fuels from Russia this year.

Navigating the Crude Reality of Oil Exports

Although crude oil is Russia’s chief fossil fuel export, the nation’s Urals crude traded at a $20 per barrel discount to Brent crude throughout most of 2023. While this discount has narrowed to around $16 following Russia’s announcement of further oil export cuts of 500,000 bpd (barrels per day), the price of Urals crude oil remains just 40 cents below the $60 price cap put in place by G7 and EU nations.

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A Thirst for Sand:

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

The rising demand for sand to resume post-pandemic growth drives unregulated and illegal sand mining in the Mekong River, where people living along its banks have lost their houses and fortunes to severe erosion.

By Le Dinh Tuyen, Pratch Rujivanarom, Teng Yalirozy and Lay Sopheavotey

mekongeye.com

One October morning in Vietnam’s Dong Thap province, 72-year-old Nguyen Thi Cam sat on the banks of the Mekong River, staring at dredgers hoovering up sand in the distance.

“My house was over there before,” she said, pointing to a raft floating about 50 meters from the riverbank.

“After running away from erosion twice, the house is now located here,” she said of the old, dilapidated building by the river, where the shore was jagged and looked as if it could collapse at any time.

For more than a decade, sand mining had eaten away at the foundations of Cam’s old houses. A 25-hectare islet where she used to source corn and vegetables had disintegrated too.

The insatiable hunger for sand has intensified in the Mekong region – the home to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – in the past decade due to urbanization and growing construction sectors that promise development in these countries.

Many expressways are planned or have been built, especially in Cambodia and Vietnam, where road networks are seen as the main source of investment. Infrastructure projects – ranging from airports and ports to railways – will likely be revived in the post-Covid-19 pandemic era for economic recovery.

The demand for real estate is strong in Thailand as the growing number of middle-class seek new houses and condominium units, while the sector remains one of the most profitable investment opportunities.

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About the Trafficking Inc. investigation

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An ICIJ investigation examines networks of companies, people and business practices that draw profit from cross-border labor trafficking and sex trafficking.

By Michael Hudson Image: Rocco Fazzari / ICIJ June 12, 2023

On any given day, the United Nations estimates, nearly 28 million adults and children around the world are trapped in jobs that are so oppressive that they amount to modern slavery or human trafficking.

They are forced to work long hours for little or no pay, toiling on farms and construction sites, in sweatshops and restaurants, as janitors and, in some cases, sex workers. They are exploited by recruiters and employers who use their poverty, isolation and immigration status against them, often threatening them with violence, arrest or deportation or ensnaring them in debts they struggle to repay.

A new investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and other media partners has begun examining human trafficking in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the United States.

The investigation, Trafficking Inc., focuses on two forms of human trafficking: labor trafficking and sex trafficking. Both involve using force, fraud or coercion to induce someone to work or provide a service.

ICIJ and its reporting partners are working to bring to light untold stories of hardship and abuse suffered by trafficked people — and expose the networks of companies, individuals and business practices that set the traps and profit from them.

The investigative team includes journalists from ICIJ, Reuters, NBC News, WGBH Boston, The Washington Post, Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California, Berkeley.

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Bồi thường, tái định cư khi thu hồi đất: Nhìn từ Dự án thuỷ điện Bản Vẽ

~ Phạm Thu Hương ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

Nghệ An TV – 8/3/2023

Thu hồi đất, bồi thường, tái định cư là một trong nội dung nhận được nhiều sự quan tâm khi Chính phủ đang xin ý kiến góp ý vào dự thảo Luật đất đai sửa đổi lần này. Trên thực tế, các nội dung này đều đã được quy định trong Luật đất đai 2013, hướng dẫn thi hành tại Nghị định 47 và một số nghị định bổ sung. Tuy nhiên, quá trình thực hiện đã bộc lộ nhiều bất cập. Những vấn đề nảy sinh tại Khu tái định cư cho các hộ dân bị thu hồi đất xây dựng Thuỷ điện Bản Vẽ tại huyện Tương Dương là một minh chứng.

Mường Nhé builds brighter futures | Trường học Mường Nhé được nâng cấp

~ Phạm Thu Hương ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

Vietnam News – 5/7/2023

Mường Nhé District has transformed its learning environment from cramped classrooms to spacious schools. The local authorities and organisations have helped create better conditions for children to thrive.

Equipped with better facilities and resources, these classrooms inspire quality education, attracting more students to school. A testament to unity and determination, Mường Nhé is building brighter futures for its children.

The Global Movement Against China’s Economic Coercion Is Accelerating

~ Trần Đình Hoành ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

COMMENTARY, RAND Corporation

(The Hill)G7 leaders before a meeting on economic security during the G7 summit, at the Grand Prince Hotel in Hiroshima, Japan, May 20, 2023, photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

G7 leaders before a meeting on economic security during the G7 summit, at the Grand Prince Hotel in Hiroshima, Japan, May 20, 2023

Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

by Bryan Frederick and Howard J. Shatz

June 9, 2023

With the launch of the Coordination Platform on Economic Coercion in May, the Group of Seven (G7) leading economies have taken an important step after years of U.S. allies and partners facing coercion from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) alone. Tiếp tục đọc “The Global Movement Against China’s Economic Coercion Is Accelerating” →