NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: North West Shelf approval brings Woodside’s toxic gas plans a step closer to Scott Reef

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    SYDNEY/PERTH, Wednesday 28 May 2025 — Greenpeace Australia Pacific has denounced the proposed approval of Woodside’s North West Shelf gas extension to run until 2070, a decision it says brings Woodside’s drills a step closer to Scott Reef.

    The decision was provisionally granted by Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt today. Greenpeace footage captured from the Rainbow Warrior shows how close Woodside’s planned drill sites are to Scott Reef, with up to 50 gas wells planned that would supply its North West Shelf facility.  

    David Ritter, CEO at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “This is a terrible decision that brings Woodside’s destructive gas drills one step closer to Scott Reef, a magnificent marine ecosystem that is home to threatened species like pygmy blue whales and green sea turtles.

    “The North West Shelf facility is one of Australia’s dirtiest and most polluting fossil fuel projects. This approval brings Woodside’s toxic gas plans closer to Scott Reef, holds back the clean energy transition underway in WA, and fuels growing climate damage in Australia and around the world.

    “In the 1970s, Gough Whitlam led the initial charge to protect the Great Barrier Reef from oil drilling. It’s unthinkable today that we would allow a multinational company to drill for fossil fuels on the Great Barrier Reef, yet that is what Woodside plans to do at Scott Reef. The Albanese government has an opportunity to define its ocean legacy by protecting Scott Reef from Woodside’s destruction.

    “Despite what the gas lobby says, the reality is we don’t need more polluting gas. We’re over 40% towards powering Australia with clean renewable energy and setting our industry and communities up for clean jobs and economic growth — not pretending that the old polluting ways can just continue.

    “A healthy, thriving environment is good for us all: business, nature and WA communities. The Albanese government’s next decision on whether or not to approve Woodside’s Browse proposal will show Australians the true colours of the government — we urge Minister Watt to stand up for nature and oceans and reject Woodside plans to drill at Scott Reef.”

    -ENDS-

    For more information or interviews contact Kate O’Callaghan on 0406 231 892 or [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • Operation Sindoor outreach: After successful France visit, Indian delegation arrives in Italy

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The all-party Indian parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad arrived in Italy early on Wednesday (Indian time) following a successful visit to France, conveying India’s strong anti-terror stance.

    The parliamentarians were received by India’s Ambassador to Italy Vani Rao on their arrival in Rome.

    “The All-Party Parliamentary Delegation led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, MP, arrived in Rome for wide-ranging interactions. They were received by Ambassador Vani Rao. The delegation will convey India’s firm and united message against cross-border terrorism in the context of Operation Sindoor,” the Indian Embassy in Rome posted on X.

    The nine-member delegation includes: Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP), Daggubati Purandeswari (BJP), Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena-UBT), Ghulam Ali Khatana (BJP), Amar Singh (Congress), Samik Bhattacharya (BJP), M. Thambidurai (AIADMK), former Union Minister M.J. Akbar and former Ambassador Pankaj Saran.

    In Italy, the delegation will meet several top leaders, academia, think tanks and community members to brief them about Operation Sindoor and India’s ‘new normal’ message against terrorism.

    During their engagements in France on Tuesday, the delegation held interactions with senior journalists from leading French and international media outlets.

    The conversation focused on India’s firm and unwavering stance against terrorism. The delegates conveyed that India remains resolute in its efforts to counter terrorism and called for greater international solidarity on this critical global challenge.

    “Following the media interaction, the delegation held meetings at the French National Assembly with Members of Parliament led by Thierry Tesson, President of the France-India Friendship Group. Later, at the French Senate, they met with Senators from the France-India Friendship Group led by Vice President Jacqueline Eustache-Brinio, along with members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence,” the Embassy said in a statement.

    Throughout the meetings, the Ravi Shankar Prasad-led MPs underlined India’s deep commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

    “The French parliamentarians expressed strong solidarity with India’s position, and support in the fight against terrorism, and reaffirmed the shared values that underpin the France-India strategic partnership,” the statement added.

    Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday took to social media, mentioning the details of the interaction in Paris, in which they highlighted designated terrorists taking shelter in Pakistan and India’s response following the April 22 Pahlagam terror attack.

    “Today, along with my delegation colleagues, I interacted with the French media in Paris. We briefed them about India’s actions against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Yesterday, we had a wonderful interaction with a think tank. We also spoke to a large number of Indians staying in Paris and other parts of France. They heard with a great degree of pain about the unfortunate tragedy of innocent Indian lives being killed in a barbaric manner, and the way India has responded. On the issue of terrorism, the whole world needs to speak in one voice,” Prasad posted on X.

    Prasad highlighted that there are several UN-designated terrorists in Pakistan, out of whom many were killed during India’s precision strikes. He said that the delegation conveyed India’s message in “very unmistakable terms.”

    “This time, we have responded very conclusively with lethal power, attacking terrorist camps and their air force installations. As a result, Pakistan has asked for peace,” Prasad said.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • Trump administration halts scheduling of new student visa appointments

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants as the State Department prepares to expand social media vetting of foreign students, according to an internal cable seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the cable that the department plans to issue updated guidance on social media vetting of student and exchange visitor applicants after a review is completed and advised consular sections to halt the scheduling of such visa appointments.

    The move comes as the Trump administration has sought to ramp up deportations and revoke student visas as part of its wide-ranging efforts to fulfill his hardline immigration agenda.

    Several hundred protesters, including Harvard University students and professors, demonstrated in support of foreign students at the Harvard campus on Tuesday, while also protesting Trump administration efforts to cut off funding to the university.

    In the cable, first reported by Politico, Rubio said appointments that have already been scheduled can proceed under the current guidelines, but available appointments not already taken should be pulled down.

    “The Department is conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor (F, M, J) visa applicants, and based on that review, plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applicants,” the cable said.

    A senior State Department official confirmed the accuracy of the cable.

    State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to comment on reports of the cable, but said the U.S. will use “every tool” to vet anyone who wants to enter the United States.

    “We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,” Bruce told reporters at a regular news briefing.

    The expanded social media vetting will require consular sections to modify their operations, processes and allocation of resources, according to the cable, which advises the sections going forward to take into consideration the workload and resource requirements of each case before scheduling them.

    The cable also advises consular sections to remain focused on services for U.S. citizens, immigrant visas and fraud prevention.

    Trump administration officials have said student visa and green card holders are subject to deportation over their support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza, calling their actions a threat to U.S. foreign policy and accusing them of being pro-Hamas.

    Trump’s critics have called the effort an attack on free speech rights under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

    A Tufts University student from Turkey was held for over six weeks in an immigration detention center in Louisiana after co-writing an opinion piece criticizing her school’s response to Israel’s war in Gaza. She was released from custody after a federal judge granted her bail.

    Last week, the Trump administration moved to revoke Harvard’s ability to enroll international students. Those roughly 6,800 students make up about 27% of Harvard’s total enrollment.

    The Republican president’s administration has moved to undermine the financial stability and global standing of the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university after it pushed back on government demands for vast changes to its policies.

    (Reuters) 

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SFST urges Toronto companies to re-domicile (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    SFST urges Toronto companies to re-domicile  
    He visited two Canada-based insurance companies that have extended their business to Hong Kong. Mr Hui met separately with the President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Phil Witherington, and the Chief Financial Officer, Mr Colin Simpson, of Manulife; as well as the Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, Mr Tim Deacon, and the Executive Vice-President and Chief Strategy and Enablement Officer, Ms Linda Doughety, of SunLife. He introduced them to the newly enacted legislation on re-domiciliation of companies, encouraging them to consider re-domiciling their companies to Hong Kong to enjoy the relevant legal and taxation convenience, as well as to lower their compliance costs for satisfying two sets of regulatory requirements. He also mentioned that on the very first day the company re-domiciliation regime came into effect last Friday, an international insurance group immediately announced its plan to re-domicile its company to Hong Kong. This news was the best testament to the regime’s effectiveness in enhancing companies’ operational efficiency, thereby consolidating Hong Kong’s position as a leading international financial centre.
     
    Under the new regime, non-Hong Kong-incorporated companies may apply to re-domicile to Hong Kong if they fulfil requirements concerning company background, integrity, member and creditor protection, solvency, etc, while maintaining their legal identity as a body corporate to ensure business continuity. If the company’s actual similar profits are also taxed in Hong Kong after re-domiciliation, the Government will provide the company with unilateral tax credits to eliminate double taxation.
     
    Mr Hui pointed out that Hong Kong has a strong foundation in investment and trade, making it an ideal location for global enterprises to access insurance, reinsurance and risk management services, as well as to establish captive insurers. There are vast opportunities for insurance companies in Hong Kong. 
     
    At noon, Mr Hui attended a business luncheon organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto), Invest Hong Kong (Canada) and the National Club. He gave a presentation themed “Hong Kong as an anchor of stability amid the changing world” to showcase to the attending financial leaders the stellar figures recorded in the financial market, and banking and monetary markets. He also talked about the Government’s efforts in aligning with international standards and boosting the development of green and sustainable finance and the virtual asset market. He said that, with its competitive advantages and proactive measures, as well as the stability and predictability of its financial market, Hong Kong has been earning the confidence of global investors. Mr Hui also had a fireside chat with the President of the National Club, Mr Arnie Guha, and answered questions from the floor. The luncheon was well received. Participants were attracted by the various new developments in Hong Kong’s financial markets introduced by Mr Hui.
     
    In the afternoon, Mr Hui met with the Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), Mr Grant Vingoe, and OSC representatives. The Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the OSC in mid-May to include Ontario of Canada in its list of acceptable inspection regimes for strengthening the regulatory collaboration and exchange of information between the two regulators. Both Mr Hui and Mr Vingoe agreed that in today’s shifting global landscape, collaboration with trusted allies would ensure capital markets remain robust and resilient.
     
    In the evening, Mr Hui had a dinner meeting with the President of the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (HKCBA) (Toronto Chapter), Mr Joseph Chaung, and board members to brief them on the latest developments and future direction of Hong Kong’s financial market. The HKCBA has members in eight Canadian cities to foster bilateral trade.
     
    Mr Hui also paid a courtesy call to the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Toronto, Mr Luo Weidong. Both expressed their anticipation that Hong Kong, with the support of the nation and its solid foundation and forward-looking measures in financial areas, will engage in more co-operation with Canada.
     
    On May 28 (Toronto Time), Mr Hui will travel to Ottawa to meet with government financial officials.
    Issued at HKT 12:26

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ7: Identifying calls from government departments and public organisations

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ7: Identifying calls from government departments and public organisations 
    Question:
     
         It has been reported that telephone frauds have occurred frequently in Hong Kong in recent years and to avoid being defrauded, quite a number of members of the public prefer not answering calls from non-traditional telephone numbers with prefixes of “3” or “5”, etc, telephone numbers not found in their phone contacts and without caller numbers. However, there are views pointing out that such calls may also include those from government departments and public organisations, such as public hospitals, the Police and Immigration Department, etc, and refusal to answer these calls may result in wastage and ineffective use of some public resources as well as affect the use of public services by members of the public. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the major prefixes of existing fixed-line telephone numbers of government departments, public organisations and public hospitals, and the respective percentages of telephone numbers with the relevant prefixes;
     
    (2) whether it has examined the actual situation of the effect of frequent occurrence of telephone fraud on the contact made by various government departments and public organisations with members of the public by phone, including the telephone number prefixes which were most affected, the five government departments and public organisations which were most affected, and the estimated number of members of the public who have not been successfully contacted;
     
    (3) regarding the failure of staff of government departments and public organisations to effectively contact members of the public by their office fixed-line telephones, whether follow-up mechanism and guidelines have currently been put in place, including the circumstances under which the responsible personnel are allowed to follow up using their private mobile phones; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will formulate the relevant mechanism and guidelines in the future; and
     
    (4) whether consideration will be given to reorganise and centralise the allocation of telephone numbers of government departments and public organisations with specified prefixes, so as to facilitate identification by members of the public and reduce the chance of refusal to answer calls?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) has been devising and implementing a series of preventive measures from the perspective of telecommunications services to assist the Hong Kong Police Force (Police) in combating phone deception at the source. In response to the question raised by the Hon Duncan Chiu, having consulted OFCA and the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, our consolidated reply is as follows:
     
         Government departments and public organisations will enter into commercial service contracts with telecommunications service providers respectively based on their own operational needs for suitable telephone services and obtain office phone numbers. In addition, OFCA has established a mechanism to provide designated telephone numbers for government departments or public organisations in need of hotline numbers or communication with the public. Examples include the Government’s one-stop service hotline 1823, the Police’s Anti-Deception Coordination Centre hotline 18222, the Customs and Excise Department’s reporting hotline 1828080, the Immigration Department’s service hotline 1868, and the Home Affairs Department’s “Care Team” inquiry number 182111. The operational arrangements for these phone numbers and actual interface with the public will be determined by the respective government departments and public organisations in accordance with their mode of operation, service nature and needs for communicating with the public. OFCA does not centrally collect or maintain related data or information.
     
         Currently, government departments and public organisations involve hundreds of thousands of telephone numbers and users, with varying nature and requirements for phone services when communicating with the public. If all government departments and public organisations needed to restructure and be uniformly allocated with telephone numbers of designated prefixes, and massively revamp the existing telephone systems as well as hotline/office phone numbers, the whole process would be complex and time-consuming. In particular, there would be a need to put in place transitional arrangements, and all users should be informed of the updated phone numbers. It could instead cause confusion and inconvenience to the public during such a period. Therefore, the suggestion to uniformly allocate telephone numbers with designated prefixes for all government departments and public organisations may not be the most effective way to prevent phone deception. In fact, the tactics of phone deception are ever-changing. Criminals may use other means to impersonate government calls. In this connection, OFCA will continue to work with the telecommunications industry and the Police to mitigate the risk of phone deception on various fronts, including requiring telecommunications service operators to block/suspend suspected fraudulent phone numbers and websites, intercept suspicious calls starting with “+852”, send voice alerts or text messages to all mobile users for overseas calls prefixed with “+852”, and play voice alerts for newly activated prepaid SIM cards, so as to assist the public in guarding against suspicious calls and messages.

         To enhance the regulation and security of mobile device usage by government staff members and to effectively mitigate the risk of leaking sensitive government information, the Digital Policy Office has issued the “Practice Guide for Mobile Security” (Guide). Among others, the Guide requires government bureaux and departments, when considering the adoption of mobile devices in their operations, should first assess their needs for mobile devices and evaluate how mobile solutions can support their business operations. In addition, government bureaux and departments should establish a mobile security policy (including specifying the scope of mobile device use, business needs and security requirements) and formulate appropriate procedures to manage the use of such devices.
     
         For privately owned mobile devices, the Guide specifies that, considering the associated security risks and the risk of data leakage caused by device loss, government bureaux and departments should not use privately owned mobile devices for official business in the absence of appropriate protective measures.
    Issued at HKT 12:30

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Money Market Operations as on May 27, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India
    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)
      Volume
    (One Leg)    		 Weighted
    Average Rate    		 Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 5,94,972.31 5.72 0.01-6.60
         I. Call Money 16,118.89 5.80 4.85-5.85
         II. Triparty Repo 4,02,086.45 5.70 5.00-5.76
         III. Market Repo 1,74,981.97 5.73 0.01-6.60
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 1,785.00 5.90 5.90-5.95
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 129.00 5.73 5.45-5.85
         II. Term Money@@ 576.00 – 5.95-6.15
         III. Triparty Repo 1,744.15 5.82 5.70-5.85
         IV. Market Repo 259.30 5.84 5.84-5.84
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo Tue, 27/05/2025 1 Wed, 28/05/2025 3,542.00 6.01
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (III) Long Term Operations^          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF# Tue, 27/05/2025 1 Wed, 28/05/2025 902.00 6.25
    4. SDFΔ# Tue, 27/05/2025 1 Wed, 28/05/2025 2,27,421.00 5.75
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -2,22,977.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (III) Long Term Operations^          
         (a) Repo Thu, 17/04/2025 43 Fri, 30/05/2025 25,731.00 6.01
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       8,735.56  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     34,466.56  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -1,88,510.44  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on May 27, 2025 9,41,647.71  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending May 30, 2025 9,48,817.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ May 27, 2025 3,542.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on May 02, 2025 2,34,873.00  
    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.
    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
    & As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
    Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
    ¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
    # As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
    ^ As per the Press Release No. 2025-2026/91 dated April 11, 2025.
    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    
    Press Release: 2025-2026/419

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Arrest made following Papatoetoe assault

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police have arrested a man sought in connection with a violent assault in Papatoetoe earlier this month.

    This morning, Police released CCTV images as part of an investigation into the incident on May 9 on Sutton Crescent.

    “This afternoon, a man presented at the Ōtāhuhu Police Station and has been arrested,” Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Hayward, of Counties Manukau West CIB, says.

    “He has been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.”

    The 25-year-old man will appear in the Manukau District Court tomorrow.

    “Police acknowledge for sharing our appeal today in this investigation.”

    ENDS. 

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Weighing in on the new weigh station

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    Work has begun on the next stage of installation of the weigh-in-motion scales for the new Taupō hi-tech weigh station.

    Five sites on the roads leading to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre at the State Highway 1/ State Highway 5 intersection are having in-road weighing technology installed. The affected lanes have been coned off for the past month while new asphalt cures. Work installing the communication systems continued in the meantime.

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says now the asphalt has hardened it can be cut for the scales to be installed.

    “While it may have looked like nothing was happening beyond the cones, it was essential to give the asphalt time to cure and be ready for cutting and carrying traffic,” says Waikato/Bay of Plenty Regional Manager for Infrastructure Delivery, Darryl Coalter.

    “We couldn’t remove the traffic management and run traffic over it because the soft asphalt would’ve resulted in an uneven compaction. The new asphalt either side of the scales has been laid to precise levels to allow the scales to read truck weights correctly.

    The scales are being installed on 5 of the roads heading towards the safety centre.

    The locations are:

    • SH1 north of the SH1/5 roundabout
    • SH1 south of the roundabout
    • SH5 east of the roundabout
    • Napier Road west of the roundabout
    • Nearby Crown Road

    Temporary lanes on the road shoulders allow traffic to pass around the work areas and minimise the use of stop/go or temporary detours.  Speed restrictions are in place.

    This work will run through to mid-to-late June when all traffic management can be removed.

    Cutting asphalt in preparation to install the in-road scale on Napier Road.

    The Taupō weigh station is one of 12 facilities NZTA is building on high-volume freight routes around the country for NZ Police to operate. The safety centres are part of the national Commercial Vehicle Safety Programme.

    This technology will screen passing traffic and number-plate recognition and electronic signage will direct any suspected non-compliant heavy vehicles into the safety centre. Police officers on site will check vehicle weights, road user charges, certificates of fitness, logbooks and driver impairment.

    Read more about the Commercial Vehicle Safety Centres:

    The Commercial Vehicle Safety Programme (CVSP)

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Employee of Panasonic Automotive Systems appointed Linux Foundation Japan Evangelist

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Employee of Panasonic Automotive Systems appointed Linux Foundation Japan Evangelist

    Yokohama, Japan, May 28, 2025 – Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan; President: Masashi Nagayasu; hereinafter referred to as “PAS”) today announced that effective June 2025, Hiroyuki Ishii will be appointed as an evangelist in the Linux Foundation Japan Evangelist Program, specializing in the automotive sector.
    PAS pioneered the use of Linux and other open source software (“OSS”) in in-vehicle software development. As a Gold Member of the Linux Foundation (“LF”) and a Platinum Member of the Automotive Grade Linux (“AGL”) project, the company will continue to play a role in developing the OSS community and evolving in-vehicle OSS.
    Ishii was selected as an LF Japan Evangelist in recognition of his continued and dynamic contributions since his appointment to the AGL Steering Committee in 2021, including leading technology strategy discussions and establishing the AGL Open Source Program Office Expert Group. As a community leader for the region, he will support opportunities to play an active role in promoting global innovation from Japan by sharing his experiences and providing information. Additionally, he will promote the adoption and expansion of OSS in Japan by spearheading the following initiatives to address the region’s distinct culture and language.

    LF provides a neutral hub to promote collaboration on OSS, open hardware, open standards, and open data. LF Japan, its Japanese office, provides support to Japanese companies and communities to join, and expand and thrive together within the global open ecosystem.
    Launched in August 2024, the LF Japan Evangelist Program was introduced to foster a more community-driven approach to promoting LF projects in Japan. Evangelists are individuals with established reputations for exceptional leadership at the forefront of their areas of expertise. With an eye on enhancing initiatives in the automotive sector, Ishii has joined the five evangelists from the inaugural batch.

    Organize user meetings, conferences, and other meetups related to OSS
    Prepare and translate documents and training materials to encourage OSS adoption in Japan
    Encourage OSS adoption through various promotional activities, including delivering talks in Japan and internationally, and writing blog articles

    Comment from Hiroyuki Ishii, Linux Foundation Japan Evangelist

    I am extremely honored to be one of the LF Japan Evangelists. OSS is essential for driving sustainable growth and fostering innovation within the industry. I am committed to leveraging my experience as an in-vehicle software engineer and my passion for OSS to drive its adoption in Japan, foster a vibrant community, and promote the value of OSS through this program.

    PAS will also continue contributing to OSS to drive technological innovation and foster sustainable development in the automotive industry.

    Hiroyuki IshiiSenior Architect, Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.

    ＜Career highlights in OSS＞2013: Spearheaded the launch of the company’s first Linux-based software platform for in-vehicle infotainment. Following the platform’s launch, he continued to lead its evolution as an OSS and Linux expert, further expanding his knowledge and experience in OSS.2021: Became a member of the Steering Committee and System Architect Team for the AGL project.2024: Led AGL’s new strategy discussions and established the AGL Open Source Program Office Expert Group.

    Media Contact:

    Corporate Communication Office, Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.e-mail: press-pas@ml.jp.panasonic.com

    About Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.
    Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd., (PAS) was launched on April 1, 2022 as an operating company responsible for the automotive systems business in line with the start of the Panasonic Group’s operating company system, and on December 2, 2024 the company moved to a management structure in which 80% of its shares are held by the funds managed by an affiliate of Apollo Global Management, Inc. and 20% by Panasonic Holdings Corporation.Headquartered in Japan, PAS is a global company with subsidiaries in eight other countries and, as a Tier 1 company, it provides advanced proprietary technologies such as infotainment systems to automakers in Japan and overseas, helping to create comfortable, safe, and secure automobiles. PAS is committed to meeting the expectations of its customers around the world with technologies that stand by people in pursuit of its corporate vision of becoming the “Joy in Motion” design company. To learn more about our company, please visit https://automotive.panasonic.com/en

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • SpaceX’s Starship spins out of control after flying past points of previous failures

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    SpaceX’s Starship rocket roared into space from Texas on Tuesday but spun out of control about halfway through its flight without achieving some of its most important testing goals, bringing fresh engineering hurdles to CEO Elon Musk’s increasingly turbulent Mars rocket program.

    The 400-foot tall (122 meter) Starship rocket system, the core of Musk’s goal of sending humans to Mars, lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase, Texas, launch site, flying beyond the point of two previous explosive attempts earlier this year that sent debris streaking over Caribbean islands and forced dozens of airliners to divert course.

    For the latest launch, the ninth full test mission of Starship since the first attempt in April 2023, the upper-stage cruise vessel was lofted to space atop a previously flown booster – a first such demonstration of the booster’s reusability.

    But SpaceX lost contact with the 232-foot lower-stage booster during its descent before it plunged into the sea, rather than making the controlled splashdown the company had planned.

    Starship, meanwhile, continued into suborbital space but began to spin uncontrollably roughly 30 minutes into the mission. The errant spiraling came after SpaceX canceled a plan to deploy eight mock Starlink satellites into space – the rocket’s “Pez” candy dispenser-like mechanism failed to work as designed.

    “Not looking great with a lot of our on-orbit objectives for today,” SpaceX broadcaster Dan Huot said on a company livestream.

    Musk was scheduled to deliver an update on his space exploration ambitions in a speech from Starbase following the test flight, billed as a livestream presentation about “The Road to Making Life Multiplanetary.” Hours later, he had yet to give the speech and there was no sign that he intended to do so.

    In a post on X, Musk touted Starship’s scheduled shutdown of an engine in space, a step previous test flights achieved last year. He said a leak on Starship’s primary fuel tank led to its loss of control.

    “Lot of good data to review,” he said. “Launch cadence for next 3 flights will be faster, at approximately 1 every 3 to 4 weeks.”

    SpaceX has said the Starship models that have flown this year bear significant design upgrades from previous prototypes, as thousands of company employees work to build a multi-purpose rocket capable of putting massive batches of satellites in space, carrying humans back to the moon and ultimately ferrying astronauts to Mars.

    RISK-TOLERANT

    The recent setbacks indicate SpaceX is struggling to overcome a complicated chapter of Starship’s multibillion-dollar development. But the company’s engineering culture, widely considered more risk-tolerant than many of the aerospace industry’s more established players, is built on a flight-testing strategy that pushes spacecraft to the point of failure, then fine-tunes improvements through frequent repetition.

    Starship’s planned trajectory for Tuesday included a nearly full orbit around Earth for a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean to test new designs of its heat shield tiles and revised flaps for steering its blazing re-entry and descent through Earth’s atmosphere.

    But its early demise, appearing as a fireball streaking eastward through the night sky over southern Africa, puts another pause in Musk’s speedy development goals for a rocket bound to play a central role in the U.S. space program.

    NASA plans to use the rocket to land humans on the moon in 2027, though that moon program faces turmoil amid Musk’s Mars-focused influence over U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.

    MISHAP PROBE

    Federal regulators had granted SpaceX a license for Starship’s latest flight attempt four days ago, capping a mishap investigation that had grounded Starship for nearly two months.

    The last two test flights – in January and March – were cut short moments after liftoff as the vehicles blew to pieces on ascent, raining debris over parts of the Caribbean and disrupting scores of commercial airline flights in the region.

    The Federal Aviation Administration expanded debris hazard zones around the ascent path for Tuesday’s launch.

    The previous back-to-back failures occurred in early test-flight phases that SpaceX had easily achieved before, in a striking setback to a program that Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who founded the rocket company in 2002, had sought to accelerate this year.

    Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual and a key supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, was especially eager for a success after vowing in recent days to refocus his attention on his various business ventures, including SpaceX, following a tumultuous foray into national politics and his attempts at cutting government bureaucracy.

    Closer to home, Musk also sees Starship as eventually replacing the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as the workhorse in the company’s commercial launch business, which already lofts most of the world’s satellites and other payloads to low-Earth orbit.

    (Reuters) 

  • Prime Minister attends Civil Investiture Ceremony-II, honours Padma Awardees

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attended the Civil Investiture Ceremony-II held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where the prestigious Padma Awards were presented to distinguished individuals from various fields.

    In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, “Attended the Civil Investiture Ceremony-II, where the Padma Awards were presented. The Padma awardees have made notable contributions to our society. The life journeys of those who were conferred the Padma are deeply motivating.”

    Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Union Ministers Amit Shah, S. Jaishankar, Pralhad Joshi, Jitendra Singh, G. Kishan Reddy, and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

    The Padma Awards—Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri—are among the highest civilian honours in the country and are conferred in recognition of exceptional service in various disciplines, including art, literature, education, medicine, social work, science, public affairs, and sports.

    This year, the government had announced a total of 139 Padma awardees on the eve of Republic Day.

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: SH5 cleared following Tarawera crash

    Source: New Zealand Police

    State Highway 5, Tarawera has reopened following an earlier crash.

    The crash occurred at about 8.50am and had closed the road in both directions.

    The crash involves a car and a truck.

    The road reopened at around 3:45pm.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: R&D Tax Credit Software

    Source: Press Release Service

    Headline: R&D Tax Credit Software

    TaxTrex is one of the most advanced AI language models platform developed by Swanson Reed, designed to assist New Zealand businesses in efficiently claiming the Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI).

    The post R&D Tax Credit Software first appeared on PR.co.nz.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fieldays Forestry Hub: ‘Biochar fixes carbon’

    Source: Press Release Service

    Headline: Fieldays Forestry Hub: ‘Biochar fixes carbon’

    Biochar Network New Zealand is delighted to be part of the Forestry Hub again at Fieldays 2025. In New Zealand and internationally, biochar made from forestry residues is used for a variety of regenerative agriculture applications, saving farmers money, and increasing productivity. BNNZ will be demonstrating the principles of pyrolysis & gasification for biochar production over the four days. The BNNZ team will also be presenting in the Forestry Hub main stage on biochar production and its applications to agriculture and the natural environment.

    The post Fieldays Forestry Hub: ‘Biochar fixes carbon’ first appeared on PR.co.nz.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Invercargill to Consider Ethical Procurement

    Source: Press Release Service

    Headline: Invercargill to Consider Ethical Procurement

    Invercargill City Council has requested a staff report on a proposal to amend its procurement policy to exclude companies involved in illegal Israeli settlements, following a motion from local residents and the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa. If adopted, Invercargill would join other New Zealand councils aligning with international law and UN Resolution 2334, aiming to ensure ratepayer funds are spent ethically. The council vote will be scheduled once the report is complete.

    The post Invercargill to Consider Ethical Procurement first appeared on PR.co.nz.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Acting SFST’s speech at HKVCA Greater China Private Equity Summit 2025 (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Acting SFST’s speech at HKVCA Greater China Private Equity Summit 2025 (English only) 
    Rebecca (Co-Founder and Managing Director of Asia Alternatives, Ms Rebecca Xu), Conrad (Founder and Chairman of Strategic Year Holdings, Mr Conrad Tsang), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
     
         Good morning. It is my great pleasure to join you at the HKVCA’s flagship event – the Greater China Private Equity Summit – a global gathering of professionals and industry leaders of the private equity and venture capital sector.
     
         Today, the global economy is confronted by geopolitical tensions and economic fragmentation, and threatened by the rise of unilateralism and protectionism. Against this backdrop, it is all the more necessary to have a stable and predictable “super connector” with an overall conducive business environment.
     
         This is exactly what Hong Kong stands to provide. Earlier this year, the International Monetary Fund has reaffirmed Hong Kong’s position as an international financial centre and recognised Hong Kong’s resilient financial system, as supported by robust institutional frameworks, ample policy buffers, and the smooth functioning of the Linked Exchange Rate System. Indeed, Hong Kong ranked third in the world and first in Asia in the latest Global Financial Centers Index, whilst topping its “investment management” and “finance” matrix globally.
     
    China connectivity
     
         One unique advantage of Hong Kong is our preferential access to the Mainland China market. Last year (2024) marked the 10th anniversary of the mutual market access programmes between the Mainland and Hong Kong financial markets. Various mutual access programmes have been introduced one after another and have thrived over the past few years. The Connect Schemes allow international investors to conveniently invest in the Mainland China market through Hong Kong. At the same time, they enable Mainland investors to diversify their asset allocation through Hong Kong, facilitating the two-way flow of capital between the Mainland market and international markets, as well as the internationalisation of the Renminbi.
     
         The content and scope of mutual access have continued to deepen and expand, now encompassing a wide range of offerings, including stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds, derivatives for risk management, and more. Real estate investment trusts will also soon be included in the Connect Schemes.
     
         Meanwhile, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is fast emerging as a young and massive consumer market that is increasingly affluent, and has a growing demand for quality financial products and services, and a need for diversified asset allocation. Home to 87 million people with a GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita of US$40,000 on a purchasing power parity basis, the GBA presents immense potential in driving the synergistic development of Hong Kong and other GBA cities.
     
         Tapping into the potential of this market, the GBA Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect (WMC) was launched in 2021 and enhanced in February last year. The WMC provides GBA residents with a formal, direct and convenient channel for cross-boundary investment in diversified wealth management products. As of the end of April this year, about 154 000 individual investors in the GBA participated in the WMC, and cross-boundary fund remittances totalled close to RMB112 billion.
     
         Another recent case of our continued endeavour to deepen the mutual access and strengthen financial market development is the enhancements to the Mainland-Hong Kong Mutual Recognition of Funds (MRF) arrangement in January this year. By relaxing sales restrictions and allowing Hong Kong funds to delegate investment management functions overseas, the measures significantly increased the diversity of fund products, enhanced the scale of funds, and brought a positive effect to the distribution of MRF funds.
     
    Asset and wealth management hub
     
         With the your staunch support, we are solidifying Hong Kong’s role as an international asset and wealth management centre. As at the end of 2023, the assets under management (AUM) of the Hong Kong’s asset and wealth management business reached about US$4 trillion, registering a growth of about 30 per cent over five years, and 64 per cent of the capital was sourced from non-Hong Kong investors, underscoring our city’s role as a trusted gateway for global capital seeking access to opportunities across Asia and beyond. Our leadership is further evidenced by our standing as Asia’s largest hedge fund hub and Asia’s largest cross-border wealth management centre.
     
         As of the end of April this year, there were 1 125 limited partnership funds registered in Hong Kong, representing a growth of over 30 per cent on a year-on-year basis. According to an industry report, as of the end of first quarter this year, the AUM of Hong Kong’s private equity business amounted to about US$230 billion, ranked second in Asia, just trailing the Mainland China market.
     
         To drive development on this front, we are welcoming alternative asset funds to list in Hong Kong. The Securities and Futures Commission has recently issued a circular to clarify the regulatory requirements for authorising closed-ended funds that invest mainly in private and less liquid assets, thereby encouraging sizeable alternative asset funds, including those investing in private equity, private credit, and infrastructure equity or debt, to list in Hong Kong.
     
         I am sure this is a move welcomed by the industry, with benefits to investors that are multifold. On one hand, investors have broadened investment choices for diversification. On the other hand, investors may tap into opportunities previously only available to institutional and professional investors. Those with a long-term investment horizon may potentially achieve higher returns and a more stable valuation.
     
         Another welcome move, I believe, is our proposal to enhance the tax incentives for funds, single family offices and carried interest. These proposals aim to expand the scope of qualifying funds to include vehicles such as pension and endowment funds, while also increasing the range of eligible asset classes for tax concessions including emerging instruments like carbon credits, emission derivatives, insurance-linked securities, private credit investments, and virtual assets. In addition, we plan to enhance the tax concession arrangement on the distribution of carried interest by private equity funds by removing the existing HKMA (The Hong Kong Monetary Authority)’s certification requirement and eliminating the reference to a hurdle rate. We have completed the industry consultation and we are now formulating the relevant enhancement measures with financial regulators based on the feedback received. We target to work out the details of the proposals this year and submit the legislative proposals to the Legislative Council for consideration next year. If approved, the relevant measures will take effect from the year of assessment 2025/26, which begins on April 1 this year.
     
         Another focus area of ours is the family office sector. The growth of family offices has been particularly noteworthy, with over 2 700 single family offices operating in Hong Kong as of the end of 2023. More than half of them are managing portfolios exceeding US$50 million, and in particular, over 30 percent are managing portfolios over US$100 million, reflecting Hong Kong’s appeal to ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) and institutional investors alike. Backing this claim is a market report last year that ranked Hong Kong first in Asia and second in the world in terms of the population size of UHNWIs in 2023 among global cities. This is a testament to our city’s potential and capacity to attract and nurture wealth, further solidifying our position as a global wealth management and family office hub.
     
         Targeting this segment with promising growth potential, we have been implementing a series of policy measures to support the development of the family office business after we issued the Policy Statement on Developing Family Office Businesses in Hong Kong in 2023. Among others, we are fostering collaboration, networking and knowledge sharing across the family offices from around the world via the Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy for the current and next generation of wealth owners.
     
         We also launched the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme in March 2024 where Limited Partnership Funds are included as Permissible Investment Assets. As of the end of April this year, 1 257 applications have been received, potentially bringing in an investment amount of over HK$37 billion to Hong Kong.
     
    Closing
     
         Ladies, and gentlemen, Hong Kong is well-positioned to maintain and enhance its status as a leading international financial centre, notable for our certainty, transparency, and predictability. Our ongoing efforts to establish new ties, attract new capital and foster innovation will ensure our continued strength as a “super connector” in an ever-changing world.
     
         As we continue to bridge global investors with opportunities in the international and Mainland markets, we look to the HKVCA and other professionals alike to foster industry development through leveraging on our distinct advantages.
     
         On this note, I would like to thank the HKVCA again for hosting today’s event and your continued contribution to the industry. I wish you all an enjoyable and rewarding summit today. Thank you.
    Issued at HKT 12:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Samoan PM Fiamē advises dissolution of parliament, calls for snap elections

    RNZ Pacific

    Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa has advised Samoa’s head of state that it is necessary to dissolve Parliament so the country can move to an election.

    This follows the bill for the budget not getting enough support for a first reading on yesterday, and Fiame announcing she would therefore seek an early election.

    Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi II has accepted Fiame’s advice and a formal notice will be duly gazetted to confirm the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly.

    Parliament will go into caretaker mode, and the Cabinet will have the general direction and control of the existing government until the first session of the Legislative Assembly following dissolution.

    Fiame, who has led a minority government since being ousted from her former FAST party in January, finally conceded defeat on the floor of Parliament yesterday morning after her government’s 2025 Budget was voted down.

    MPs from both the opposition Human Rights Protection Party and Fiame’s former FAST party joined forces to defeat the budget with the final vote coming in 34 against, 16 in support and two abstentions.

    Defeated motions
    Tuesday was the Samoan Parliament’s first sitting since back-to-back no-confidence motions were moved — unsuccessfully — against prime minister Fiame.

    In January, Fiame removed her FAST Party chairman La’auli Leuatea Schmidt and several FAST ministers from her Cabinet.

    In turn, La’auli ejected her from the FAST Party, leaving her leading a minority government.

    Her former party had been pushing for an early election, including via legal action.

    The election is set to be held within three months.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: DOC starts local conversations on paid parking pilots

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    Date:  28 May 2025

    “We’ve begun formally sharing important information with local stakeholders on the paid parking pilots including our plans and timelines,” says Catherine Wilson – Director Visitor and Heritage.

    “We’re keen for people’s thoughts on how we can make these pilots a success and are asking for feedback by 19 June.”

    The paid parking pilots are expected to begin in October for the coming summer season.

    “Piloting paid parking will allow DOC to test if it’s an effective tool for establishing better management of visitor car parking at busy DOC sites, improving the customer experience and contributing toward the financial sustainability of DOC’s visitor network”, says Catherine.

    “Other countries use paid car parking to manage visitor numbers and contribute to the costs of national parks and popular tourism sites. Paid parking also allows visitors to give back to the popular places they enjoy.”

    In 2018, approximately 500,000 people visited the Pancake Rocks walkway at Punakaiki and over 780,000 people visited Franz Josef. Numbers dropped significantly during COVID but are now recovering to pre-COVID levels.

    The paid parking pilots are part of DOC’s work to better manage visitors and their impact while delivering fantastic nature experiences.

    For further information on paid parking pilots or to provide feedback, contact PaidCarParking@doc.govt.nz.

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Full text: Remarks by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday addressed the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-China-GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    The following is the full text of his remarks at the summit:

    Remarks by H.E. Li Qiang

    Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China

    At the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit

    Kuala Lumpur, May 27, 2025

    Your Honorable Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim,

    Your Highness Crown Prince Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah,

    Colleagues,

    It gives me great pleasure to join you in Kuala Lumpur. First of all, the Chinese side would like to extend sincere appreciation to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his vision in proposing the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit. We also wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the Malaysian government for the dedicated efforts and thoughtful arrangements made for the summit.

    China, ASEAN and GCC countries have a long history of friendly interactions, with exchanges and cooperation between us spanning thousands of years from the ancient Silk Road to the Belt and Road Initiative. Today, against a volatile international landscape and sluggish global growth, the establishment of the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit creates a platform for exchanges and a mechanism for cooperation. It is a groundbreaking initiative in regional economic cooperation that has carried forward the legacy of history, and more importantly, answered the call of the times. If we take a look at the world map and draw a line between China, ASEAN and the GCC, we will get a big triangle. As we know, triangle is the most stable structure. By enhancing connectivity and cooperation, we can pool our resources, production capacity and markets to foster a vibrant economic circle and growth pole. This is highly important both to our respective economic prosperity and to peace and development in Asia and the world. We should firmly seize this historic opportunity to enrich the trilateral cooperation, and set a fine example for global cooperation and development in this era.

    First, we should set a fine example of opening up across regions. Together, China, ASEAN and the GCC account for roughly a quarter of the world’s population and economic output. Our markets, if fully connected, will generate even greater space for development and more substantial economies of scale. The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade negotiations have been fully concluded. It is hoped that the negotiations for the China-GCC Free Trade Agreement can also be concluded as early as possible to take trilateral trade to a higher level. We should firmly expand regional opening up, and develop a big market with more efficient mobility of resources, technologies and talents and enhanced trade and investment liberalization and facilitation to fully unlock the huge potential of open development.

    Second, we should set a fine example of cooperation across development stages. Countries of the three sides are at different stages of development, yet we should not let these differences stand in the way of our cooperation, but transform them into complementary strengths that we can harness. China is ready to, on the basis of mutual respect and equality, work with ASEAN and the GCC to strengthen the alignment of development strategies, increase macro policy coordination, and deepen collaboration on industrial specialization. We should make efforts to turn our respective strengths into collective strengths, and help each other tackle development challenges. We should create a new model of international industrial and economic cooperation, and strive for coordinated development where everyone does its level best, efficiency is multiplied, and benefits are shared.

    Third, we should set a fine example of inter-civilization integration. Countries of the three sides have diverse civilizations. At the same time, we all belong to the same Asian family and share the same Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness. We should deepen people-to-people exchanges to further consolidate the foundation for mutual trust. We should effectively manage differences in the spirit of mutual understanding, advance win-win cooperation through the exchange of ideas, and explore a new way for promoting the inclusiveness and common progress of different civilizations. China actively supports Prime Minister Anwar’s initiative on Islam-Confucianism dialogue. We are ready to work with ASEAN and the GCC to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, promote mutual learning among civilizations, and pool more consensus and strengths for peace and development.

    Today, we have established the trilateral cooperation mechanism and drawn up a promising vision of joint development. What’s more important now is for all sides to take concrete actions and advance substantive cooperation.

    Between our three sides, we should work together to promote cooperation in key areas and achieve more effective common development. China is ready to discuss with ASEAN and the GCC a trilateral action plan on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. We should enhance synergy and connectivity in infrastructure, market rules and payment systems, actively consider establishing a regional business council, deepen economic integration, and make development more resilient and efficient. While expanding cooperation in traditional areas such as energy and agriculture, we also need to step up cooperation in emerging areas such as AI, the digital economy, and green and low-carbon development to foster and cultivate new growth drivers. We should also respond to our people’s aspiration for enduring friendship, and deepen people-to-people exchanges. To promote travels and people-to-people bond between the three sides, China has decided to roll out an “ASEAN visa” for Southeast Asian countries offering five-year multiple-entry visas to eligible applicants for business and other purposes, and to extend unilateral visa-free policy to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain on a trial basis, which will effectively give visa-free status to all GCC countries.

    At the global level, we should always stand on the right side of history and add more positive energy to world peace and development. We should pursue equal, mutually beneficial, open, inclusive, practical and efficient cooperation, and, through our example, encourage the international community to uphold multilateralism and free trade and reject unilateralism and protectionism. China will work with ASEAN and GCC countries to step up communication and coordination in multilateral mechanisms including the United Nations, vigorously defend the common interests of developing countries, categorically oppose hegemonism and power politics, and make global governance more just and equitable.

    As President Xi Jinping noted, “For us to break through the mist and embrace a bright future, the biggest strength comes from cooperation, and the most effective way is through solidarity.” China will join ASEAN and the GCC in fostering synergies that multiply rather than simply add our individual strengths, and inject strong impetus into our common development and prosperity. I am confident that through our concerted efforts, trilateral cooperation will continue to produce positive results and deliver more benefits to our people, thereby making greater contributions to peace and development in Asia and the world.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Full Text: Speech by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-China-GCC Economic Forum

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Full Text: Speech by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-China-GCC Economic Forum

    KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-China-GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council) Economic Forum 2025.

    The following is the full text of the speech:

    Speech by H.E. Li Qiang

    Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China

    At the Opening Ceremony of The ASEAN-China-GCC Economic Forum

    Kuala Lumpur, May 27, 2025

    Your Honorable Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim,

    Distinguished Guests,

    Business Leaders, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    It gives me great pleasure to join you in Kuala Lumpur for the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-China-GCC Economic Forum.

    The ASEAN-China-GCC Summit is successfully held today. We have agreed to strengthen our trilateral partnership and ushered in a new chapter of trilateral cooperation. The leaders of participating countries have had in-depth discussions under the theme of “Synergizing Economic Opportunities Toward Shared Prosperity.” It is widely agreed that profound and complex transformations are taking place in the global political and economic landscape, the common challenges countries face in their development are increasing, and the scarcity of development opportunities makes them all the more precious, increases the urgency of cooperation, and calls for more vision. In this context, our discussions are highly relevant and should involve all related sectors, particularly the business community, so as to pool wisdom and build consensus among more stakeholders. Let me take this opportunity to share with you three observations.

    First, given everything that is going on, opportunities can be created if we join hands to meet the challenges. At present, economic globalization is suffering heavy blows never seen before. The values we pursue all along, such as peace, development and win-win cooperation, are severely challenged. Properly addressing these issues will bring significant opportunities for the countries of our three sides. Amid heightened geopolitical conflict, rivalry and confrontation, we can create long-term strategic opportunities when we deepen mutual trust and strengthen solidarity. The rapid development of Asia in the past decades offers a profound lesson: Only solidarity, mutual trust, peace and stability can bring development and prosperity. All countries are part of a close-knit community with a shared future. In the absence of mutual trust, problems may be amplified and cooperation becomes impossible. Yet with solidarity and mutual trust, we can render each other strategic support and cultivate broader and more sustainable high-standard economic cooperation, thus ensuring long-term, steady development. Amid rising protectionism and unilateralism, we can unleash enormous market opportunities when we continue to open wider and remove barriers. Countries of our three sides have all benefited from economic globalization and gained great development opportunities from integration into the world market. Our markets, when connected, will form one of the world’s largest intra-regional markets and produce a multiplier effect. Building the big market will allow our countries to reap and share more benefits. Amid more decoupling practice, supply-chain disruptions and trade barriers, we can create opportunities for transformation and upgrading when we keep sharing resources and empowering one another. Countries vary in resource endowments and industrial structure. They bring different strengths to and gain from international industrial cooperation. This will maximize the use of resources, and boost industrial performance and sustained development for all who take part.

    Second, the friendly cooperation between China, ASEAN and GCC countries has a long history and a bright future. More than 2,000 years ago, the earliest camel caravan from China reached the Middle East, and the first Chinese fleet landed in Nanyang (Southeast Asia). Ever since then, trade and people-to-people exchanges have connected us throughout over 20 centuries, strengthening and flourishing over time. These rich historical links will ensure even more successes in our future cooperation. Together, we will find greater potential for development. We are about a quarter of the world’s population and the global economy, but only about 5 percent of global trade. A lot remains untapped. As we deepen our cooperation, our trade and investment will grow continuously and uplift our nations as well as our businesses. Together, our economies will work more efficiently. When factors of production move more easily between our countries and our industries are connected more closely, the cost of energy and other resources will go down, logistics will be faster, financial services will be more efficient, and more advanced technologies will give us strong impetus. The competitiveness and resilience of our economies will grow substantially, and our development will be more efficient and secure. Together, we will create more dynamic ecosystems of innovation. We are all outstanding innovators, each excelling in our own ways. Greater cooperation will enable our innovative talents to better learn from and complement one another, and provide first-class R&D support and rich application scenarios for innovation and creation to sow the seeds for more new industries and new forms of business. This will allow us all to stand taller in the global landscape of innovation.

    The future of our trilateral cooperation is boundless like the oceans. It is upon us to take real actions in order to steer and shape it. China stands ready to work with ASEAN and GCC countries to strengthen alignment of development strategies, deepen cooperation on regional integration, and promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. At the same time, we must firmly uphold the WTO-centered multilateral trading system, and stand for a stable and orderly global market environment. As the ongoing scientific revolution and industrial transformation unfold, let us join hands to seize the early opportunities, expand high-tech cooperation, safeguard the stable and unimpeded industrial and supply chains, and keep breaking new ground in our common development.

    Third, with its high-quality development, China will consistently inject new impetus into the trilateral cooperation. In terms of development momentum, the Chinese economy has been growing steadily since the beginning of this year. With a year-on-year GDP growth of 5.4 percent in the first quarter, China is one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world. In the first four months of this year, we’ve seen strong development in the industrial sector, resilient export despite external pressure, and sustained expansion of new growth drivers. The figures speak for themselves: The added value of industrial enterprises above the designated size grew by 6.4 percent year-on-year; export increased by 7.5 percent compared with the same period last year; the added value of high-tech manufacturing and the investment in high-tech services went up by 9.8 percent and 11.3 percent year-on-year respectively; and production and sales of new energy vehicles both exceeded four million. Smart factories now cover more than 80 percent of the manufacturing sectors. These achievements speak volumes about the great stability of the Chinese economy. As President Xi Jinping said, the Chinese economy is not a pond, but an ocean. This vast ocean can withstand fierce winds and heavy rains. Each storm weathered only deepens its resilience and makes it more open and inclusive.

    In terms of macro policies, facing risks and challenges from the external environment, we made clear that more proactive and effective macro policies will be implemented and that a more proactive fiscal policy and an appropriately accommodative monetary policy will be adopted. Fiscal expenditures hit a record high and the regulation of monetary and financial aggregates has been significantly strengthened, providing a strong underpinning for the expansion of aggregate demand. Going forward, we will continue to strengthen counter-cyclical adjustments in light of the changing circumstances. Whatever challenges lie ahead in the future, we have the capability and confidence to maintain the steady and long-term development of the Chinese economy.

    In terms of strategic goals, China is a super-sized economy that enjoys the unique strength of major economies, i.e., domestic demand is the main driver and domestic circulation is possible. We are increasingly placing our strategic priority on expanding domestic demand and strengthening domestic circulation with a view to enhancing the internal driving force of the Chinese economy. We have accelerated efforts to implement the strategy of expanding domestic demand and have launched special initiatives to boost consumption. As more policy resources are given to consumption, a huge demand potential will be unleashed. We are also further deepening reform comprehensively and accelerating the high-end, smart and green industrial transformation, which will create new, additional demand. The Chinese economy is of great breadth and depth, which can provide a huge market for quality products from all over the world. We will stay committed to expanding high-standard opening up, take more measures to advance voluntary and unilateral opening up, and enable domestic and international circulations to reinforce each other, so that companies across the world, including those from ASEAN and GCC countries, can fully share in the opportunity of China’s development.

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Friends,

    Cooperation is the only right way to overcome common challenges. China stands ready to work together with ASEAN and GCC countries to embrace greater openness and cooperation, promote steady economic growth, and join hands to synergize economic opportunities toward shared prosperity. Thank you.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US stocks advance as Trump eases EU tariff threat

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    U.S. stocks ended higher on Tuesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump softened his stance on tariff threats toward the European Union, signaling that trade negotiations were regaining momentum.

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 740.58 points, or 1.78 percent, to 42,343.65. The S&P 500 added 118.72 points, or 2.05 percent, to 5,921.54. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 461.96 points, or 2.47 percent, to 19,199.16.

    All of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with consumer discretionary and technology leading the gainers by rising 3.04 percent and 2.55 percent, respectively. Utilities posted the weakest growth, up by 0.77 percent.

    Over the weekend, Trump announced he would delay a planned 50 percent tariff on EU imports until July 9, following a request from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The delay came after Trump had previously proposed implementing the levy on June 1.

    U.S. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CNBC’s Squawk Box that he anticipates more trade deals could be finalized this week.

    Investor optimism was also buoyed by stronger-than-expected U.S. consumer confidence data for May, with hopes for trade resolutions helping lift sentiment. According to The Conference Board, U.S. consumer sentiment improved across all age and income groups, signaling a broad recovery in outlook.

    On the corporate front, Tesla jumped 6.94 percent after its CEO Elon Musk said he was shifting focus away from political distractions and back to his business ventures. U.S. Steel climbed nearly 2 percent after CNBC reported that Japan’s Nippon Steel is close to finalizing its 55-U.S.-dollars-per-share acquisition of the company.

    The rally marked a strong start to the shortened trading week, as markets reopened following the Memorial Day holiday. The advance was broad-based, with over 90 percent of S&P 500 stocks closing higher, and small-cap stocks also rallied, pushing the Russell 2000 index up 2.48 percent.

    Tuesday’s gains came after a tough week for Wall Street, where all three major indexes — the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq — fell more than 2 percent on fears sparked by Trump’s initial tariff threats toward the EU.

    “It seems like the long holiday weekend only built up momentum for today’s sharp rebound,” said Dann Ryan, managing partner at Sincerus Advisory. “The trade tensions that briefly flared up have already cooled down — and now it looks like negotiations are moving into the fast lane.”

    U.S. Treasury bonds spearheaded a broader decline in global bond yields on Tuesday, as markets welcomed signs that Japan may take steps to stabilize its bond market, which recently saw long-term government debt yields spike to multi-decade highs. The 30-year U.S. Treasury yield eased back to around 4.94 percent.

    Attention is now shifting to a busy week of economic data releases, as well as upcoming comments from Federal Reserve officials, who are widely expected to maintain current interest rates, consistent with previous guidance. Meanwhile, Trump’s controversial tax bill remains in focus after narrowly clearing the House of Representatives last week.

    Nvidia rose 3.21 percent following reports that the company is preparing to release a lower-cost AI chip for China, just ahead of its highly anticipated earnings report on Wednesday, one of the most closely watched of the quarter. Other companies set to report this week include Okta, Macy’s, and Costco. According to FactSet, over 95 percent of S&P 500 companies have reported earnings this season, with nearly 78 percent exceeding analysts’ expectations. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: From wastelands to wonders: China revives abandoned mines for sustainable future

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Tianchi Lake at Baihu Mountain in east China’s Shandong Province features expansive water shimmering with rippling blue waves, and pale purple paulownia flowers blooming along its steep rocky shores.

    It’s hard to imagine that this tranquil and beautiful landscape was once a barren quarry pit. “Windstorms used to whip up dense dust clouds, obscuring the colors of leaves and flowers,” recalled 62-year-old villager Wang Yunhe in Hetaoyuan, a town with 22 mountains and an estimated 1.19 billion tonnes of rock reserves.

    As one of the world’s most mineral-rich nations, China contains over 150,000 mines occupying millions of hectares of land. Upholding the concept that clear waters and green mountains are valuable assets, the country has implemented multiple measures to advance the ecological rehabilitation of abandoned mines in recent years, aiming for win-win outcomes in terms of ecological, economic and social benefits.

    ECOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION

    According to Shang Baoling, a former local official, quarrying had become the dominant industry in Hetaoyuan since the 1990s. Nearly 50 lime kilns were built, with over 2,000 villagers relying on stone mining for their livelihoods.

    Rapacious mining boosted local economies temporarily, but later caused significant ecological damage. “These mountains, originally over 180 meters tall, were excavated to depths exceeding 40 meters below ground level — ultimately transforming verdant peaks into desolate quarries,” Shang said.

    In 2015, authorities of Juye County, which administers Hetaoyuan, enacted a comprehensive mining ban, shuttering all quarries and lime kilns. Years of dedicated reforestation have since transformed 18,000 mu (1,200 hectares) of mining wastelands and slopes into thriving ecosystems, where crabapple, cherry blossoms, paulownia flowers and other flora now bloom in seasonal cycles.

    Many greening workers employed in this effort were former miners from local villages. “Several villagers told me the changes have been tremendous,” Shang added.

    Tourists ride sightseeing boats in the Baihu Mountain scenic spot in Hetaoyuan Town of Heze, east China’s Shandong Province, May 16, 2025. (Photo by Zang Dongming/Xinhua)

    Such transformations are occurring across China. By the end of 2024, over 333,300 hectares of abandoned mines had been rehabilitated — including 26,200 hectares newly restored in 2024 alone.

    This year’s government work report said China will “accelerate the green and low-carbon transition,” listing “strengthening ecological conservation and restoration” as a key priority.

    AGRICULTURAL GOLDMINE

    Nationwide, abandoned mines with geographical and resource advantages are being repurposed for agricultural and other industrial development, creating new economic opportunities for local residents. Taobei Village in Shandong’s capital city of Jinan, for example, rehabilitated its abandoned quarry, a low-lying area littered with rubble, turning it into a medicinal herb cultivation base several years ago.

    “We have developed cultivation of over 10 medicinal herbs, including astragalus and Chinese sage, with an annual production capacity reaching 4 million plants,” said Tao Changguo, director of the village committee.

    Local authorities have also introduced specialized planting cooperatives, establishing processing workshops for medicinal herbs, and facilities for sorting, packaging and fresh storage. These initiatives have boosted local employment while generating more than 200,000 yuan (about 27,825.7 U.S. dollars) in additional annual income for the cooperatives.

    In 2008, as local environmental restoration efforts began, a long-abandoned mining pit in China’s eastern coastal city of Qingdao found new life as a vineyard and winemaking hub, thanks to its prime location on the same latitude as Bordeaux in France.

    “The barren yet well-draining soil here enhances grape acidity and phenolic content, while the scattered rocks in the earth contribute abundant organic minerals,” said Yan Zhigang, deputy general manager of a local wine company.

    According to Yan, the company’s vineyard spans approximately 3,000 mu of reclaimed mining land, where grapes are cultivated on former wasteland and abandoned pits have been repurposed into wine cellars. With an annual production volume of nearly 500,000 bottles, their wines are exported to multiple countries and regions including Europe, Southeast Asia and Japan.

    TOURISM BOOM

    After two decades of relentless efforts, Anji, a small county in east China’s Zhejiang Province, is now successfully transforming its ecological advantage into tangible wealth.

    Launched in 2022, Deep Blue Coffeehouse, located on a 300-mu disused mine near a natural lake in Hongmiao Village of Anji, has now become a social media sensation, drawing 600,000 visitors yearly and earning 20 million yuan in its first year.

    This aerial photo taken on April 7, 2023 shows the Deep Blue Coffeehouse located near an abandoned mine in Hongmiao Village of Anji County in Huzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)

    This Scandinavian-style outdoor cafe made headlines in 2024 when it set a new national record for single-day sales at an independent coffee shop — serving an impressive 8,818 cups of coffee in just 24 hours.

    “It’s less about selling coffee and more about selling the scenery and leisure itself,” said Cheng Shuoqin, owner of the coffee shop.

    In recent years, with the deepening integration of ecological restoration and cultural tourism, an increasing number of once-barren industrial sites have been revitalized through scientific planning and innovative design. These transformed spaces now serve not only as eco-parks and tourist destinations but also feature diverse business models, such as countryside-style farm stays, thrilling amusement parks and immersive performance venues.

    At the Huaxia City Scenic Area, located in the city of Weihai in Shandong, Zhou Liming was driving tourists through lush forests and flower fields. A resident from a nearby village, Zhou currently works as a sightseeing vehicle operator in the area. According to Zhou, this area was once nothing but a quarry pockmarked with 44 mining pits of various sizes.

    Since 2003, Weihai has implemented a comprehensive initiative across abandoned mining zones as a strategy for sustainable development. Through reclaiming nearly 4,000 mu of devastated mountains, constructing 35 reservoirs and planting 12.27 million trees, this transformed landscape ultimately gave birth to a thriving tourist resort.

    An aerial drone photo shows a view of the Huaxia City Scenic Area in Weihai, east China’s Shandong Province, May 26, 2025. (Photo by Zhang Hao/Xinhua)

    In the scenic area, an abandoned mining ravine has been transformed, featuring masterpieces of Chinese calligraphy from successive dynasties carved into its towering cliff walls on both sides. A preserved mining village and pit relics remind visitors of the importance of ecological conservation. At a rehabilitated mining site, audiences can now watch an immersive live performance aboard a giant ship, with the actual mountains, water and sky forming a breathtaking natural backdrop.

    In 2024, the scenic area welcomed 2.04 million visitors, generating total revenue of 124 million yuan. During this year’s May Day holiday alone, it attracted 82,000 tourists with holiday earnings reaching 6.65 million yuan.

    “Now, driving a sightseeing vehicle in the scenic area earns me 60,000 yuan annually. This is the good life that our lush mountains and clear waters have brought us!” Zhou said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • Foreign Secretary Misri in US to strengthen strategic tech and trade ties

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with US Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler in Washington on Tuesday to discuss convening the India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue at an early date and to explore deeper cooperation in critical and emerging technologies.

    The meeting is seen as a step forward in bolstering high-level collaboration between India and the United States in strategically vital sectors. Discussions focused on reinforcing existing institutional frameworks and accelerating joint initiatives in technology and trade.

    The Indian Embassy in Washington posted on X, stating, “Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler to advance India-US cooperation in critical & emerging technologies. They also discussed early convening of the India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue to deepen tech & trade collaboration.”

    Misri is currently on a three-day visit to the US, during which he will engage with senior members of the Trump administration. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the visit follows up on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official trip to the US in February 2025.

    That visit marked the launch of the ‘India-US COMPACT’—Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology—a strategic framework introduced by PM Modi and US President Donald Trump to expand collaboration in defense, trade, and technology.

    It was Modi’s first trip to the US since Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025. He was among the first world leaders invited by the new administration, visiting within three weeks of the swearing-in.

    The visit also comes amid President Trump’s recent remarks claiming credit for mediating a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan earlier this month. However, Indian officials have strongly refuted the claim.

    New Delhi maintains that the ceasefire came about due to Pakistan’s appeals following intense Indian military operations during Operation Sindoor, which targeted Pakistani air bases. Officials have underscored that the pressure from India’s offensive left Islamabad with little choice but to seek de-escalation.

    External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar clarified last week that while the US had reached out to India between May 7 and 10, it was not acting alone, and multiple countries had engaged with New Delhi during the period.

    -IANS

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: EDB announces arrangements for fifth round of Basic Law and National Security Law Test in 2024/25 school year

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    EDB announces arrangements for fifth round of Basic Law and National Security Law Test in 2024/25 school year 
         The target participants for the fifth round of the test are persons with a bachelor’s degree or those who will attain a bachelor’s degree in the 2024/25 or 2025/26 academic year and are planning to join or change to another secondary school, primary school or kindergarten to take up a teaching post. Applications can be made through the EDB’s online application system (www.edb.gov.hk/en/blnst 
    Issued at HKT 11:32

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: No. 3 alarm fire in Tin Shui Wai (2)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    No. 3 alarm fire in Tin Shui Wai (2)     
    Two persons felt unwell and were sent to Tuen Mun Hospital and Tin Shui Wai Hospital for treatment respectively.
    Issued at HKT 11:35

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: GDS Announces Proposed Offering of US$450 Million Convertible Senior Notes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHANGHAI, China, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GDS Holdings Limited (“GDS Holdings”, “GDS” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: GDS; HKEX: 9698), a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China, today announced the commencement of a proposed offering (the “Notes Offering”) of convertible senior notes in an aggregate principal amount of US$450 million due 2032 (the “Notes”), subject to market conditions and other factors, in a private offering to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Company expects to grant the initial purchasers in the Notes Offering an option to purchase up to an additional US$50 million in aggregate principal amount of the Notes, exercisable for settlement within a 13-day period, beginning on, and including, the first date on which the Notes are issued.

    The Company plans to use the net proceeds from the Notes Offering for working capital needs and the refinancing of its existing indebtedness, including potential future negotiated repurchases, or redemption upon exercise of the investor put right, of its convertible bonds due 2029.

    When issued, the Notes will be senior unsecured obligations of GDS. The Notes will mature on June 1, 2032, unless earlier redeemed, repurchased or converted in accordance with their terms prior to such date.

    Prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding December 1, 2031, the Notes will be convertible only upon satisfaction of certain conditions and during certain periods. On or after December 1, 2031 until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date, holders may convert their Notes at their option at any time. Upon conversion, the Company will pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, the Company’s American depositary shares, each representing eight Class A ordinary shares (the “ADSs”), or a combination of cash and ADSs, at the Company’s election. Holders may also elect to receive Class A ordinary shares in lieu of any ADSs deliverable upon conversion, subject to certain procedures and conditions set forth in the terms of the Notes. The interest rate, initial conversion rate and other terms of the Notes will be determined at the time of pricing of the Notes.

    The Company may redeem for cash all but not part of the Notes (i) in the event of certain tax law changes (a “Tax Redemption”) and (ii) if less than 10% of the aggregate principal of amount of notes originally issued (for the avoidance of doubt, including the notes issued upon the exercise of the initial purchasers’ option to purchase additional notes) remains outstanding at such time (a “Cleanup Redemption”). The Notes will not be redeemable before June 6, 2029, except in connection with a Tax Redemption or Cleanup Redemption. On or after June 6, 2029 and on or prior to the 40th scheduled trading day immediately prior to the maturity date, the Notes will be redeemable, in whole or in part, for cash at the Company’s option at any time, and from time to time, if (x) the notes are “freely tradable” (as will be defined in the indenture for the Notes), and all accrued and unpaid additional interest, if any, has been paid in full, as of the date we send such notice and (y) the last reported sale price of the ADSs has been at least 130% of the conversion price then in effect on (i) each of at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during any 30 consecutive trading day period ending on, and including, the trading day immediately prior to the date the Company provides notice of redemption and (ii) the trading day immediately preceding the date the Company sends such notice (such redemption, an “Optional Redemption”). The redemption price in the case of a Tax Redemption, Cleanup Redemption or an Optional Redemption will equal 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the related redemption date.

    Holders of the Notes may require the Company to repurchase for cash all or part of their Notes on June 1, 2029. In addition, holders of the Notes have the option, subject to certain conditions, to require the Company to repurchase any Notes held in the event of a “fundamental change” (as will be defined in the indenture for the Notes). The repurchase price, in each case, will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the applicable repurchase date.

    The Company expects that certain purchasers of the Notes may establish a short position with respect to its ADSs by short selling its ADSs or by entering into short derivative positions with respect to its ADSs (including entering into derivatives with an affiliate of an initial purchaser in the Notes Offering), in each case, in connection with the Notes Offering. Any of the above market activities by purchasers of the Notes could increase (or reduce any decrease in) or decrease (or reduce any increase in) the market price of the Company’s ADSs or the Notes at that time, and the Company cannot predict the magnitude of such market activity or the overall effect it will have on the price of the Notes or its ADSs.

    The Company also announced today by separate press release that the Company has commenced a separate registered public offering (the “Delta Placement of Borrowed ADSs”) of a certain number of its ADSs (the “Borrowed ADSs”) that the Company will lend to an affiliate (the “ADS Borrower”) of an initial purchaser in the Notes Offering in order to facilitate privately negotiated derivative transactions by some holders of the Notes for purposes of hedging their investment in the Notes. The Company expects to enter into an ADS lending agreement (the “ADS Lending Agreement”) with the ADS Borrower pursuant to which the Company will lend the Borrowed ADSs to the ADS Borrower. The ADS Borrower or its affiliate will receive all of the proceeds from the sale of the Borrowed ADSs and the Company will not receive any of those proceeds, but the ADS Borrower will pay the Company a nominal lending fee for the use of those ADSs pursuant to the ADS Lending Agreement. The activity described above could affect the market price of the Company’s ADSs or the Notes otherwise prevailing at that time.

    The Company also announced today by separate press release that the Company has commenced a separate registered public offering (the “Primary ADSs Offering”) of 5,200,000 ADSs (the “Primary ADSs”), subject to market and other conditions. The underwriters in the Primary ADSs Offering will have a 30-day option to purchase up to 780,000 additional ADSs.

    Nothing contained herein shall constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, including the Notes, the Borrowed ADSs or the Primary ADSs, nor shall there be any offer or sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Delta Placement of Borrowed ADSs and the Primary ADSs Offering are being made only by means of separate prospectus supplements and accompanying prospectuses pursuant to an effective registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The closing of each of the Notes Offering, the Delta Placement of Borrowed ADSs and the Primary ADSs Offering is conditioned upon the closing of each of the other offerings and vice versa. If the Notes Offering is not consummated, the concurrent Primary ADSs Offering will terminate, the ADS loan under the ADS Lending Agreement will terminate, and the concurrent Delta Placement of Borrowed ADSs will terminate and all of the Borrowed ADSs (or ADSs fungible with the Borrowed ADSs or other substitute securities or property as provided for in the ADS Lending Agreement) must be returned to the Company.

    The Notes, the ADSs deliverable upon conversion of the Notes, if any, and the Class A ordinary shares represented thereby or deliverable upon conversion of Notes in lieu thereof, have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or any state securities laws, and are being offered and sold in the United States only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act.

    About GDS Holdings Limited

    GDS Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: GDS; HKEX: 9698) is a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China. The Company’s facilities are strategically located in and around primary economic hubs where demand for high-performance data center services is concentrated. The Company’s data centers have large net floor area, high power capacity, density and efficiency, and multiple redundancies across all critical systems. GDS is carrier and cloud-neutral, which enables its customers to access the major telecommunications networks, as well as the largest PRC and global public clouds, which are hosted in many of its facilities. The Company offers co-location and a suite of value-added services, including managed hybrid cloud services through direct private connection to leading public clouds, managed network services, and, where required, the resale of public cloud services. The Company has a 24-year track record of service delivery, successfully fulfilling the requirements of some of the largest and most demanding customers for outsourced data center services in China. The Company’s customer base consists predominantly of hyperscale cloud service providers, large internet companies, financial institutions, telecommunications carriers, IT service providers, and large domestic private sector and multinational corporations. The Company also holds a non-controlling 35.6% equity interest in DayOne Data Centers Limited which develops and operates data centers in International markets.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “guidance,” “intend,” “is/are likely to,” “may,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “target,” “will,” and similar statements. Among other things, statements that are not historical facts, including statements about GDS Holdings’ beliefs and expectations regarding the Notes Offering, Delta Placement of Borrowed ADSs and the Primary ADSs Offering, the growth of its businesses and its revenue for the full fiscal year, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as GDS Holdings’ strategic and operational plans, are or contain forward-looking statements. GDS Holdings may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the SEC on Forms 20-F and 6-K, in its current, interim and annual reports to shareholders, in announcements, circulars or other publications made on the website of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange”), in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause GDS Holdings’ actual results or financial performance to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: GDS Holdings’ goals and strategies; GDS Holdings’ future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the market for high-performance data centers, data center solutions and related services in China and regions in which GDS’ major equity investees operate, such as South East Asia; GDS Holdings’ expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its high-performance data centers, data center solutions and related services; GDS Holdings’ expectations regarding building, strengthening and maintaining its relationships with new and existing customers; the results of operations, growth prospects, financial condition, regulatory environment, competitive landscape and other uncertainties associated with the business and operations of our significant equity investee DayOne; the continued adoption of cloud computing and cloud service providers in China and other major markets that may impact the results of our equity investees, such as South East Asia; risks and uncertainties associated with increased investments in GDS Holdings’ business and new data center initiatives; risks and uncertainties associated with strategic acquisitions and investments; GDS Holdings’ ability to maintain or grow its revenue or business; fluctuations in GDS Holdings’ operating results; changes in laws, regulations and regulatory environment that affect GDS Holdings’ business operations and those of its major equity investees; competition in GDS Holdings’ industry in China and in markets that affect the business of our major equity investees, such as South East Asia; security breaches; power outages; and fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and globally, and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in GDS Holdings’ filings with the SEC, including its annual report on Form 20-F, and with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release and are based on assumptions that GDS Holdings believes to be reasonable as of such date, and GDS Holdings does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    GDS Holdings Limited
    Laura Chen
    Phone: +86 (21) 2029-2203
    Email: ir@gds-services.com

    Piacente Financial Communications
    Ross Warner
    Phone: +86 (10) 6508-0677
    Email: GDS@tpg-ir.com

    Brandi Piacente
    Phone: +1 (212) 481-2050
    Email: GDS@tpg-ir.com

    GDS Holdings Limited

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Premier vows to strengthen alignment of ASEAN, GCC strategies for common development

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (Xinhua) — China is willing to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to continuously open up new prospects for common development.

    Li Qiang made the remarks while speaking at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-China-GCC Economic Forum 2025.

    The successful holding of the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit opened a new chapter in trilateral cooperation, the Premier said, adding that the summit held in-depth discussions on the theme of “jointly creating opportunities, sharing prosperity”, which were of great significance.

    The head of the Chinese government noted that in the modern world, jointly overcoming challenges is equivalent to creating new opportunities.

    According to Li Qiang, in the face of intensifying geopolitical conflicts and confrontation, a firm commitment to deepening mutual trust and strengthening unity can create long-term strategic opportunities and ensure sustainable and stable development.

    In the face of rising protectionism and unilateralism, a firm commitment to expanding openness and removing barriers can open up broad market opportunities and allow all countries to reap greater benefits from jointly building a large market, the premier stressed.

    In the face of the growing trend towards “decoupling and decoupling” and “erecting walls and barriers,” he continued, a strong commitment to resource sharing and mutual strengthening of capabilities can create opportunities for upgrading and transformation, improving industrial efficiency and enhancing the sustainable development dynamics of all countries.

    Li Qiang noted that the friendly cooperation between China, ASEAN and GCC countries has a long history and deep roots.

    Based on such a solid historical foundation, the trilateral cooperation will definitely bring new achievements and its prospects will become even more promising, Li Qiang said, stressing that the three sides will have more space for development, higher economic efficiency and a more vibrant innovation ecosystem.

    China is willing to work with ASEAN and GCC countries to strengthen the alignment of development strategies, deepen regional integration, firmly safeguard the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, maintain the stable and smooth operation of industrial and supply chains, and continuously open up new prospects for common development, the premier added.

    Li Qiang stressed that China will continuously inject new impetus into trilateral cooperation through its own high-quality development.

    Speaking about the development trend, he noted that since the beginning of this year, China’s economy has continued to recover and improve continuously, fully demonstrating strong resilience.

    Li Qiang quoted Chinese President Xi Jinping as saying that “the Chinese economy is a vast ocean, not a small pond.” The premier said the ocean can withstand fierce storms and emerge even deeper and more massive, more inclusive and more open after the storm subsides.

    Noting that China has clearly articulated a proactive macroeconomic policy orientation and intends to further strengthen counter-cyclical adjustments, Li Qiang said the Chinese government and people have the ability and confidence to maintain a steady and long-term course for the “big ship” of the Chinese economy despite all possible challenges in the future.

    At the same time, in strategic terms, he specified, China will focus more on expanding domestic demand and strengthening domestic economic circulation, constantly strengthening the internal driving forces of its economy.

    Li Qiang stressed that China also plans to resolutely and steadily expand high-level opening-up and promote mutual strengthening of domestic and international economic circulation, so that enterprises from ASEAN and GCC member countries and the rest of the world can seize the opportunities brought by China’s development.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony of the forum, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, for his part, emphasized that the adoption of a joint statement following the first ASEAN-China-GCC summit sent a strong signal to the world about the commitment of the three parties to unity and cooperation.

    As the head of the Malaysian government pointed out, China is an important partner for ASEAN and GCC countries, playing an important role in promoting economic development, maintaining peace and stability, and upholding international fairness and justice.

    Anwar Ibrahim said ASEAN firmly adheres to the concept of independence and self-reliance and is committed to deepening partnership with China and the GCC members and strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation with them in areas such as economy, trade and investment, so as to make greater contributions to the prosperity and stability of the region and the world at large. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dalian Port Resumes International Cruise Ship Departures After 5-Year Break

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    DALIAN, May 27 (Xinhua) — The international cruise ship Adora Mediterranea set sail from the port of Dalian in northeast China on Tuesday evening, marking the resumption of international cruise services from the port after a five-year hiatus.

    The ship departed from Dalian International Cruise Center with 2,618 passengers on board. The cruise route includes popular destinations such as the Japanese cities of Fukuoka and Sasebo, as well as Jeju Island in the Republic of Korea.

    The 292m long Adora Mediterranea, with a gross tonnage of 86,000 gross tons, can accommodate up to 2,680 passengers, offering guests 1,057 cabins and suites.

    According to Adora Cruises Limited Business Development Director Guo Jia, the ship is scheduled to make a total of five international voyages from its home port of Dalian during peak seasons in May, June and September. Each voyage will last five days and four nights, she said. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett holds change of command ceremony

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    05/27/2025 04:37 PM EDT

    The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) held a change of command ceremony, Friday, on Coast Guard Base Honolulu. Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area, presided over the ceremony in which Capt. Brian Whisler relieved Capt. Matthew Rooney as Midgett’s commanding officer.

    For breaking news follow us on twitter @USCGHawaiiPac

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How ongoing deforestation is rooted in colonialism and its management practices

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Justine Loizeau, Postdoctoral research fellow in sustainability and organization, Aalto University

    As early as 1917, the Michelin company invested in plantations to produce rubber in what is now Vietnam. Here, hevea trees are seen in Southeast Asia in 1913. W. F. de Bois Maclaren, The Rubber Tree Book.

    Half of the world’s forests were destroyed during the 20th century, with three regions mainly affected: South America, West Africa and Southeast Asia. The situation has worsened to the point that, in 2023, the European Parliament voted to ban the import of chocolate, coffee, palm oil and rubber linked to deforestation.


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    A long-standing dependence on raw materials

    These products are at the heart of our economies and consumption habits. The case of rubber is particularly emblematic. Without this material, there would be no tyres and, thus, no cars, bicycles, sealing joints or submarine communication cables. Industrial rubber production depends on extracting latex, a natural substance that rubber trees such as hevea produce. Under pressure from corporations and states, Brussels last October announced a one-year postponement of its law regulating rubber imports.

    This dependence on the rubber industry is not new. Rubber was central to the second industrial revolution, especially with the rise of automobiles and new management methods. While this history often centres on factories, citing contributions from figures such as Frederick Taylor and Henry Ford and industrial giants like Michelin, its colonial roots are less well known.

    Indeed, rubber – like the other resources mentioned above – has been and continues to be primarily produced in former colonial territories. In many cases, rubber trees are not native to the regions where they have been cultivated. Rubber seeds from South America, where latex was already extracted by picking, were transported by colonists to empires for the development of plantations. In particular, the French colonial empire, spanning Africa and Southeast Asia, saw a significant expansion of hevea plantations at the expense of primary forests. Monocultures of rubber trees replaced thousands of hectares.

    Ford in the Amazon, Michelin in present-day Vietnam

    This management model was favoured because it allowed for lower extraction costs from the coloniser’s perspective. For example, in 1928, Henry Ford negotiated an agreement with the Brazilian government granting him a 10,000 km2 concession of forest land to establish Fordlandia, a settlement designed to produce the rubber needed for his factories. However, this industrial utopia in the Amazon failed due to resistance from Indigenous people and a fungal disease that ruined the plantations.

    Business Insider reports on the Fordlandia fiasco.

    Following the same model, Michelin invested in plantations in present-day Vietnam as early as 1917. The plantation model and new management methods reduced the cost of rubber production and accelerated its global distribution. These management practices spread across the British, Dutch and French empires, becoming dominant in Southeast Asia in the early 20th century at the expense of primary forests.



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    The ‘Taylorization’ of work and nature

    Rubber plantations resulted from applying Taylorism not only to workers – especially colonised workers – but also to nature. Both people and trees were subjected to a so-called “scientific” organisation of labour. In our article, L’arbre qui gâche la forêt The Tree That Spoils the Forest, published in the Revue française de gestion (French Journal of Management) in 2024, we analysed historical archives, including a variety of newspapers from 1900 to 1950, covering national, local, colonial and thematic (scientific, cultural, etc.) perspectives. We show that this organisational model is based on an accounting undervaluation of indigenous people’s labour and of nature. This undervaluation is embodied in the metric of the cost price (i.e. the total cost of production and distribution) and in the shared concern to see it lowered. “Ultimately, it’s the cost price that must determine the fate of rubber,” stated the newspaper L’Information financière, économique et politique on February 1, 1914.

    In the eyes of some, Asians who were labelled as “coolies” and Brazilian “seringueiros” comprised a low-cost labour pool, with no mention of their working conditions and despite very high mortality rates. “Coolie” is a derogatory colonial term that refers to agricultural labourers of Asian heritage, while “seringueiros” refers to workers in South American rubber plantations.

    “By the way, in the Far East, there are reservoirs of labour (Java Island, English Indies), which supply plantations with workers who, while not the most robust, provide regular work at a very advantageous cost price.” (L’Information financière, économique et politique, November 11, 1922)

    Concerning trees, only the plantation costs were considered, silencing the human and ecological costs of primary forest destruction.

    “In the first year, some 237 francs will have to be spent on the clearing itself; then the planting, with staking […] and weeding, will represent an expense of 356 francs. […] For the following years, all that remains to be done is to consider the maintenance costs, cleaning, pruning, care, supply of stakes, replacement, etc. This will result in an expenditure of 1,250 francs for the first five years.” (L’Information financière, économique et politique, January 31, 1912)

    The ‘Cheapization’ of life

    The focus on cost price leads to standardisation of management practices by aligning with what is cheapest, at the expense of ever more intense exploitation of human and non-human workers. In other words, these assumptions about the construction of accounting metrics and the circulation of these metrics play a role in the “cheapization” of human and non-human labour. We borrow the concept of “cheapization” from the environmental historian Jason W. Moore. In his view, the development of capitalism is marked by a “cheapization of Nature”, which includes, within the circuits of capitalist production and consumption, humans and non-humans whose work does not initially have a market value. Living beings are thus transformed into a commodity or factor of production: “animals, soils, forests and all kinds of extra-human nature” are being put to work.



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    Why does this colonial past matter?

    These ways of managing people and nature continue to this day. Many industries still rely on the extraction of natural resources at low cost and in large quantities in the countries of the global south. Rubber is not the only resource whose exploitation dates to the Industrial Revolution: palm oil, sugar, coffee and cocoa have also had, and still have, an impact on the forests of the global south and are based on the work of local people. The exploitation of these resources is also often the fruit of colonial history. In 1911, the Frenchman Henri Fauconnier brought the first palm oil seeds, a plant originally from Africa, to Malaysia. More than a century later, the country remains a leading palm oil producer, a resource largely responsible for the deforestation of primary forests.

    Beyond the case of rubber alone, we question the link between the pursuit of profit in formerly colonised territories, the destruction of the environment and the exploitation of local populations on two levels. Not only are primary forests destroyed to feed short-term profits, but habituation to this mode of environmental management is a historical construct. We must remember this when looking at news from countries with colonial pasts. Whether we’re talking about preserving the Amazon rainforest, poisoning soil and human bodies with chlordecone in the Antilles, or building a pipeline in Uganda, we need to take a step back. What are the historical responsibilities? What are the links between creating economic activities here and exploiting ecosystems and local populations there? What role do management theories and tools play in realising or reproducing these exploitative situations?

    At a time when the ecological and social emergency is constantly invoked to call for the transformation of management practices and business models, the rubber example invites us to consider the colonial matrix of managerial practices and the Western historical responsibilities that led to this same emergency. And suppose we have to turn to other forms of management tomorrow: who may legitimately decide how to bring about this change? Are former colonisers best placed to define the way forward? Knowledge of colonial history should encourage us to recognise the value of the knowledge and practices of those who were and remain the first to be affected.

    The COCOLE project is supported by the French National Research Agency (ANR), which funds project-based research in France. The ANR’s mission is to support and promote the development of fundamental and applied research in all disciplines, and to strengthen dialogue between science and society. To find out more, visit the ANR website.

    Antoine Fabre has received funding from the French National Research Agency
    via the programme “Counting in a colonial situation. French Africa (1830-1962)” (ANR-21-CE41-0012, 2021-2026).

    Pierre Labardin is a professor at La Rochelle University. He has received funding from the French National Research Agency via the programme “Counting in a colonial situation. French Africa (1830-1962)” (ANR-21-CE41-0012, 2021-2026).

    Clément Boyer et Justine Loizeau ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur poste universitaire.

    – ref. How ongoing deforestation is rooted in colonialism and its management practices – https://theconversation.com/how-ongoing-deforestation-is-rooted-in-colonialism-and-its-management-practices-257578

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