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China’s Xi Hosts Former Taiwan President In Beijing, In Rare Meeting Echoing Bygone Era Of Warmer Ties
On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with a former Taiwanese president who advocates stronger ties with China. This was a very uncommon encounter just weeks before the democratic island swears in a new leader whom Beijing openly despises.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, Ma Ying-jeou, Taiwan’s president from 2008 to 2016, met with Xi on Wednesday afternoon while on an 11-day tour of China.
China’s Xi Hosts Former Taiwan President In Beijing, In Rare Meeting Echoing Bygone Era Of Warmer Ties
The carefully choreographed moment is rich in political symbolism: it marks the first time China’s top leader in Beijing has hosted a former Taiwanese president since Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang (KMT) retreated to Taipei in 1949.
This is Xi’s first meeting with former KMT leader Ma since their historic summit in Singapore in 2015.
However, their reunion illustrates the expanding political split across the Taiwan Strait and how Xi’s increasingly hostile posture toward Taipei has driven more Taiwanese away from China.
In his opening remarks, Xi thanked Ma for opposing “Taiwan independence,” encouraging cross-strait relations, and recognizing that both sides of the strait belong to “one China.”
“Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are all Chinese. “There is no grudge that cannot be settled, no issue that cannot be debated, and no force that can separate us,” Xi told his visitor. “External interference cannot stop the historic trend of the reunion of the family and the country.”
Ma responded by stating that while the two sides of the strait grew under different regimes, the people on both sides were Chinese.
“If a war breaks out between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, it will be an unbearable burden for the Chinese nation,” he added. “I sincerely hope that both sides respect the values and way of life treasured by the people and maintain peace across the strait.”
However, as Xi increases military, economic, and diplomatic pressure on its democratic island neighbor, the appeal of a shared Chinese identity has declined significantly in Taiwan.
That tendency was highlighted in January when Taiwanese voters ignored China’s warnings and gave the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) an unprecedented third term by electing Lai Ching-te, who has long faced Beijing’s anger for defending Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Since then, Beijing has snatched another of Taipei’s dwindling diplomatic allies, increased patrols around Taiwan’s frontline islands after two Chinese fishermen perished in neighboring waters, and continues to fly fighter jets near the self-ruled island.
Ma’s encounter with Xi comes during a busy week of diplomatic action in Washington. President Joe Biden will host the first-ever leaders’ summit involving the United States, Japan, and the Philippines. Joint fears about China’s growing assertiveness under Xi, notably toward Taiwan, are a primary motivation for the summit.
A senior source in Taiwan’s administration informed CNN. Beijing rescheduled the meeting from Monday to coincide with Biden’s summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday.
According to Amanda Hsiao, senior China analyst at the International Crisis Group, China’s pressure methods are meant to drive Taiwan’s next Lai administration into a more accommodating political attitude toward China.
“Ma’s visit continues this effort by underscoring Beijing’s position that cross-strait dialogue is only possible with those in Taiwan who accept the idea that the two sides of the strait belong to ‘one China,'” she said.
Beijing has severed high-level official contacts with Taipei since President Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP took office in 2016. A wave of outrage over Ma’s contentious trade agreement with Beijing served as the impetus for this action, which took advantage of the growing number of Taiwanese voters determined to preserve the island’s unique identity.
Unlike the KMT, the DPP rejects Beijing’s prerequisite for official talks, an agreement in which both sides accept “one China,” albeit with different views.
Official communication is unlikely to restart for Lai, who has pledged to uphold Tsai’s cross-strait policies. Beijing has consistently rejected Lai’s offer of negotiations, describing him as a dangerous separatist and “troublemaker.”
However, by focusing on Ma, who has been out of office for years and has little power to shape Taiwan’s political reality, Beijing may be revealing “its inability to find or cultivate another Taiwanese political figure of comparable stature who is willing to play dove toward Beijing today,” said Wen-Ti Sung, a Taiwan-based fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub.
Ma is becoming a frequent flyer to the Chinese mainland.
China’s Xi Hosts Former Taiwan President In Beijing, In Rare Meeting Echoing Bygone Era Of Warmer Ties
The 73-year-old became Taiwan’s first former president to visit the mainland in late March last year, embarking on a 12-day journey across the Taiwan Strait. However, he was unable to gain a meeting with any member of Beijing’s Politburo Standing Committee, the country’s most powerful body.
This year’s visit, like the previous one, coincided with the Qingming Festival when people pay tribute to deceased family members and worship their ancestors; it also occurred just weeks before Lai’s inauguration as Taiwan’s president on May 20.
He said, “A meeting at this juncture enables Beijing to highlight the shared cultural roots between Taiwan and China and to exert pressure on Taiwan’s next administration.”
“Beijing is using the meeting between Xi and Ma to highlight the credibility and longevity of its carrots – that Beijing is good to its allies, whether incumbent or retired. It sends a message to political leaders around the world that embracing Beijing is a wise long-term investment.”
China’s welcoming of Ma’s visit signals Taiwan and others that peaceful unification by winning hearts and minds remains Beijing’s favored choice, at least for the time being, despite simmering cross-strait tensions, Sung noted.
Carefully edited footage of the talks, which is likely to reach millions of households in China via prime-time television news, sends a message to the Chinese public that unification with Taiwan is still feasible despite the DPP’s historic election triumph.
“For Beijing, Ma’s visit is also a useful way of assuring its domestic audience – ‘We have not lost the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese people, there remains cultural and historical connections that bind us, and the DPP does not represent mainstream Taiwanese views,'” Hsiao, the analyst, said.
Ma’s agenda, including his meeting with Xi, has been widely observed in Taiwan.
“The ruling party DPP will likely play down the significance of Ma’s China visits, preferring to describe it as the private act of tourism by a retiree,” Sung, a member of the Atlantic Council, said.
China’s Xi Hosts Former Taiwan President In Beijing, In Rare Meeting Echoing Bygone Era Of Warmer Ties
“Taiwan’s opposition KMT will be torn – it wishes to celebrate Ma’s achievements with Beijing, but is also hesitant to flaunt it in the face of the Taiwanese electorate, which remains wary about closer cross-strait ties.”
Ma remains a senior member of the KMT, which won the most seats in Taiwan’s parliamentary elections in January but failed to win the presidency for the third time.
The KMT, Taiwan’s largest opposition party, is eager to demonstrate that it is capable of handling relations with both China and the United States, but James Chen, an assistant professor of diplomacy and international relations at Tamkang University, says Ma’s meeting may do more harm than good.
“The DPP and its supporters have questioned Ma’s loyalty at home and labeled the KMT as pro-China.” “Washington, particularly Capitol Hill, may not appreciate Ma’s trip to China due to bipartisan anti-China sentiment,” he stated.
Few experts expect the conference will significantly alter the status quo in cross-strait ties.
“The value of this meeting is primarily in its symbolism – an attempt to shape the cross-strait narrative to both parties’ favor while fundamental political differences remain,” said Hsiao of the International Crisis Group.
However, regardless of the summit’s outcome, Ma believes it will cement his legacy on cross-strait policy.
“He likely wishes to be remembered as the sole Taiwanese leader who can break the ice with Beijing,” he said.
SOURCE – (CNN)
TikTok is currently confronting a profound and fundamental dilemma in the United States. If the app’s Chinese owner does not successfully sell it within the next year or so, it could be prohibited in its largest market.
This would significantly hinder China’s technological aspirations and exacerbate the separation between two distinct digital realms that revolve around competing economic superpowers.
ByteDance may be required to sell TikTok in order to avoid a nationwide ban under the legislation that Congress approved on Tuesday. President Joe Biden is anticipated to officially approve the bill on Wednesday; TikTok has already expressed its intention to contest the law through legal means.
Beijing has expressed significant opposition to a compulsory divestiture of TikTok and has amended its export control regulations to grant itself the authority to prohibit a sale based on national security concerns. ByteDance has limited choices to ensure TikTok’s future in the US, its largest market with 170 million users.
“The compelled divestiture of TikTok in the United States would result in a devaluation of the application, as the Chinese government will not authorize the transfer of its algorithms,” stated Alex Capri, a research fellow at the Hinrich Foundation and a lecturer at the Business School of the National University of Singapore.
He stated, “Should TikTok be compelled to cease operations in the United States, ByteDance’s prospects in other predominantly liberal democracies will face additional scrutiny.”
The Times – VOR News Image
Banning TikTok Would Hit China’s Tech Ambitions And Deepen The Global Digital Divide
The sale can be completely prevented if the Chinese government refuses to allow ByteDance to give over TikTok’s algorithm. Alternatively, it may enable the sale of TikTok without including the highly profitable algorithm that is the foundation for its widespread appeal.
The United States’ imposition of a ban or the implementation of a diminished iteration of TikTok would result in a significant financial gain.
Capri stated that YouTube, Google, Instagram, and other TikTok rivals may experience a significant loss of customers. Furthermore, this would significantly impede ByteDance’s global aspirations.
“A TikTok ban would signal that the Chinese government prioritizes the security of the algorithm over ByteDance’s financial success and global growth, ultimately putting an end to ByteDance’s worldwide expansion,” stated Richard Windsor, a tech industry analyst and the founder of Radio Free Mobile, a US-based research company.
“The consequences suggest that the ideological conflict occurring in the technology industry will escalate.”
Capri suggests that a ban on TikTok is expected to expedite a division in the global technology industry, creating two distinct factions: one oriented around the United States and the other supporting Chinese technology.
“This encompasses various aspects such as the ownership and operation of data centers, the presence of internet satellites in space, the existence of undersea cables, and, naturally, the production of semiconductors.”
From that perspective, the TikTok ban has a positive aspect for Beijing.
“The imposition of a ban in the United States will trigger renewed endeavors to expand China’s digital influence in Southeast Asia, as well as other predominantly emerging markets across the globe,” stated Capri.
Rising difficulties faced by Chinese applications
The TikTok legislation was incorporated into a comprehensive foreign aid package aimed at assisting Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan.
After President Biden’s approval, ByteDance will be given a maximum of one year to finalize the sale, or the platform will be subjected to a practical prohibition.
CBC – VOR News Image
Banning TikTok Would Hit China’s Tech Ambitions And Deepen The Global Digital Divide
US officials and politicians have consistently voiced apprehensions regarding TikTok’s potential national security hazards, such as the possibility of data sharing with the Chinese government or the manipulation of platform content. However, TikTok has refuted the allegations.
Paul Triolo, partner for China and Technology Policy Lead at Albright Stonebridge Group, stated that the new divestiture bill is a direct outcome of a well-coordinated lobbying campaign by Silicon Valley venture capitalists affiliated with US technology companies. These companies are expected to gain advantages from the narrative of the China threat that the bill’s supporters have been promoting.
According to him, Chinese enterprises and apps operating in the US are encountering increasing difficulties.
The Biden administration is strengthening a recently established office within the Commerce Department to enforce the conditions of a regulation implemented during the Trump era. This rule safeguards US information technology supply chains, particularly linked apps. This rule may also be utilized to advocate for additional limitations.
“Triolo stated that it is improbable for Congress to specifically target another Chinese company, such as TikTok, in a particular bill. However, the Commerce IT supply chain rule could potentially be utilized in the future to restrict the access of Chinese companies and apps to certain segments of the US market,” Triolo explained.
Can we expect a retaliatory response from Beijing?
The Commerce Ministry of China has committed to implementing all “essential actions” to safeguard its interests following the approval of a previous iteration of the TikTok bill by the House of Representatives last month. However, it did not provide further details.
On Wednesday, Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, responded to a question from CNN’s Marc Stewart by stating, “Regarding the TikTok issue, we have already expressed our position clearly, and I have no additional comments to make today.”
The Chinese government has already prohibited using most American social networking applications. Presently, Beijing restricts access to most US social media platforms, including Google, YouTube, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. This is due to their non-compliance with the Chinese government’s regulations regarding data collecting and the nature of shared content.
Triolo anticipates that Beijing will not respond with a significant level of intensity to the US prohibition on TikTok.
CTV – VOR News Image
Banning TikTok Would Hit China’s Tech Ambitions And Deepen The Global Digital Divide
“Beijing has expressed its opposition to any compulsory sale of TikTok US by Bytedance, but its main concern lies in the transfer of technology,” he stated. “Broadly speaking, Beijing places significantly less importance on a social media company compared to its concerns regarding US technology regulations.”
“Beijing is highly likely to respond with strong retaliation to new US export controls, but it is unlikely to reciprocate if the US eventually attempts to ban TikTok in the US,” he added.
Beijing recently instructed Apple (AAPL) to eliminate social messaging applications WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram from its China app store. However, the Chinese government has yet to take significant actions to suppress virtual private networks (VPNs), which technologically adept Chinese individuals commonly utilize to interact with friends overseas through messaging applications.
“The timing of the move was probably intended to demonstrate China’s ongoing commitment to blocking certain apps that it deems a threat to national security. However, it is worth noting that the number of users of the blocked apps in China is significantly lower than the approximately 170 million TikTok users in the United States,” Triolo stated.
SOURCE – (CNN)
Ontario, Canada. Negotiators from most states are currently discussing the draft of a worldwide treaty aimed at eradicating plastic pollution, marking the first instance of such negotiations.
Delegates and observers at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution regarded it as a positive development, and discussions have transitioned from conceptualization to the formulation of a treaty at this fourth out of five planned plastics summits.
The concept of internationally restricting the production of plastic is highly controversial. The document continues to exist despite the vehement opposition from countries and companies involved in plastic production, as well as oil and gas exporters. The majority of plastic is derived from fossil fuels and chemical compounds.
The Ottawa session was set for late Monday or early Tuesday. During Monday night’s meeting, there was a heated debate about whether the working groups should prioritize the issue of plastic manufacture before the upcoming and final meeting.
AP – VOR News Image
Global Negotiations On A Treaty To End Plastic Pollution At Critical Phase In Canada
According to Stewart Harris, a representative of the International Council of Chemical Associations, the members are advocating for a treaty that specifically addresses the recycling and reuse of plastic, sometimes known as “circularity.”
Many scientists from the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty attended the meeting to present scientific facts on plastic pollution to negotiators. Their objective was to counteract any misinformation that may be circulating.
Bethanie Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicology professor at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg and coalition co-leader, stated that yesterday’s claim about the lack of microplastic data is factually incorrect. In reality, there have been 21,000 published articles on micro and nanoplastics. “It resembles the game Whac-A-Mole.”
AP – VOR News Image
Global Negotiations On A Treaty To End Plastic Pollution At Critical Phase In Canada
According to her, scientists have been subjected to harassment and intimidation by lobbyists. She informed the United Nations that a lobbyist shouted directly at her during a meeting.
Ecuador’s lead negotiator, Walter Schuldt, stated that despite their divergences, the countries represented have a shared objective of advancing in the treaty process.
“In the interview, he emphasized that we are discussing the preservation of life in the future, encompassing not only human life but also all forms of life on Earth,” he stated.
He expressed his pride in participating in and contributing his small but meaningful effort to the worldwide initiative to tackle an environmental issue.
The negotiators’ objective is to finalize a treaty by the conclusion 2024. The topics given to expert working groups by tonight will progress to the final stage of discussions in autumn in South Korea.
Without undertaking this preparatory work in between meetings, it would be intimidating to successfully conclude the negotiations within this year. Several nations expressed their dedication to collaborating during the intervals between talks on Sunday evening.
The treaty negotiations commenced in Uruguay in December 2022, and Rwanda and Peru’s subsequent submission of the resolution initiated the process in March 2022.
Progress was sluggish at the Paris discussions in May 2023 and the Nairobi talks in November as countries deliberated about the process’s regulations.
Upon the arrival of numerous negotiators and observers in Ottawa, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the committee chair from Ecuador, reminded them of their objective and urged them to exhibit ambition.
“We have a responsibility to create a new treaty that will stimulate and direct the necessary actions and global collaboration to achieve a future devoid of plastic pollution,” he stated. “We must not disappoint them.”
The delegates have discussed the treaty’s scope, chemicals of concern, problematic and avoidable plastics, product design, and financing and implementation.
Delegates also simplified the cumbersome assortment of choices from the previous meeting.
Many individuals journeyed to Ottawa from communities impacted by plastic manufacture and pollution. Residents residing near petrochemical plants and refineries in Louisiana and Texas distributed postcards to the U.S. State Department with the message, “We desire your presence.”
AP – VOR News Image
Global Negotiations On A Treaty To End Plastic Pollution At Critical Phase In Canada
The members of the Break Free From Plastic movement journeyed collectively and urged negotiators to personally witness air and water contamination in their regions.
“This remains the most optimal choice we possess to witness transformation in our communities.” Corporations heavily influence them. Jo Banner, a St. John the Baptist Parish resident in Louisiana, expressed their inability to attend the local government. “It seems that this is my sole opportunity and source of optimism to assist my community in recovering and finding solace.”
Members of an Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus held a news conference on Saturday. They expressed concern that microplastics are polluting their food supply. They emphasized that this pollution threatens their communities and ways of life, which are guaranteed to them indefinitely. They perceived a lack of acknowledgment of their opinions.
“Our stakes are larger.” “These are our hereditary territories that are being contaminated with plastic,” Juressa Lee, a resident of New Zealand, expressed following the occurrence. “We are individuals or groups who possess legal rights, rather than individuals or groups with an interest or involvement in a particular issue.” We should be granted greater autonomy in expressing our opinions and judgments than individuals responsible for the issue.
Historically, plastic was not present, but currently, in the Bay of Plenty, the sediment and shellfish, which serve as their seafood supply, are contaminated with little plastic particles. Lee stated that they consider nature’s “resources” as valuable assets.
“Indigenous methods can serve as a guiding force,” Lee stated. “The current approach we are taking is evidently ineffective.”
Vi Waghiyi journeyed from Alaska to advocate for the rights and interests of Arctic Indigenous communities. She emphasizes to decision-makers the need to ensure that this pact provides long-term protection against plastic pollution for future generations.
She stated that their purpose in being here is to serve as the moral compass, ensuring that the decisions made are in the best interest of all individuals.
SOURCE – (AP)
European Union authorities are investigating Meta because they worry that the firm has not taken sufficient measures to safeguard the next EU elections or address the issue of foreign disinformation on its platforms. This investigation could result in significant fines or other types of punishment.
On Monday, the European Commission revealed that the new investigation specifically focuses on management of fraudulent and foreign actors interfering in elections advertising. The investigation will also look into Meta’s decision to discontinue a tool that journalists and researchers frequently use to keep an eye on facebook’s platforms.
reuters – VOR News Image
EU Investigates Meta Over Fears Of Election Interference And Foreign Disinformation
The probe represents the most recent instance of European regulators asserting their authority over US tech firms in response to implementing a series of new regulations to curb their power.
Authorities have stated that the inquiry brings attention to evident breaches of the Digital Services Act, Europe’s prominent legislation regulating internet platforms. If the crimes are verified, they might result in substantial fines amounting to 6% of Meta’s worldwide turnover.
As part of the investigation, officials are examining if Meta’s efforts to reduce the ranking of political information in users’ feeds may breach the transparency regulations of the DSA. Furthermore, Meta’s options for users to report illicit content do not seem to comply with the criteria of the DSA.
reuters – VOR News Image
EU Investigates Meta Over Fears Of Election Interference And Foreign Disinformation
The probe follows Meta’s submission of necessary documentation to the European Commission last autumn, detailing its approach to addressing perceived hazards associated with its products. The probe conducted on Monday shows the European Union’s doubt that Meta has effectively mitigated such risks.
The study places a lot of emphasis on Meta’s decision to stop using CrowdTangle, a tool that civil society organizations had previously used to keep an eye on hot topics on Facebook and Instagram.
According to the European Commission, in the absence of it, users and researchers may encounter less transparency regarding the operations of Meta services, which could limit their ability to spot and address instances of foreign election manipulation.
The company announced earlier this year that CrowdTangle will cease to be accessible after August 14.
The European Commission has stated that discontinuing support for CrowdTangle without a suitable alternative could harm civic discourse and electoral processes. This includes tracking and identifying mis- and disinformation, detecting voter interference and suppression, and providing real-time transparency to fact-checkers, journalists, and other stakeholders involved in elections.
bloomberg – VOR News Image
EU Investigates Meta Over Fears Of Election Interference And Foreign Disinformation
A spokeswoman from Facebook stated that the company will collaborate with the investigation.
The representative stated that our platforms have a firmly established procedure for identifying and reducing hazards. “We anticipate maintaining our collaboration with the European Commission and furnishing them with additional specifics regarding this project.”
SOURCE – (CNN)
Banning TikTok Would Hit China’s Tech Ambitions And Deepen The Global Digital Divide
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