NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MINISTER FOR HEALTH MR ONG YE KUNG TO MAKE WORKING VISIT TO CHINA

    Source: Asia Pacific Region 2 – Singapore

    Minister for Health, Mr Ong Ye Kung, will make a working visit to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, from 20 to 25 October 2024, at the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional Committee Ma Xingrui. Minister Ong and Secretary Ma used to co-chair the Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council, when the latter was Guangdong Governor.
    2. Minister Ong will meet Secretary Ma and other senior officials. He will also visit local healthcare institutions. He will be accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Health. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Indonesia’s new president, Prabowo Subianto, finds democracy ‘very tiring’. Are darker days ahead for the country?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Lindsey, Malcolm Smith Professor of Asian Law and Director of the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society, The University of Melbourne

    Former General Prabowo Subianto will be sworn in as Indonesia’s eighth president today. Twenty-five years ago he was a pariah, and for good reason.

    He faced accusations of human rights abuses in Papua and East Timor, and in 1998, special forces troops under his command had abducted democracy activists in Jakarta, 13 of whom have never been seen again. Those who did return had been tortured.

    The students had been calling for the resignation of President Soeharto, Prabowo’s father-in-law, who finally stepped down in May 1998 after widespread rioting that many believe Prabowo helped engineer. Then, backed by troops under his command, Prabowo tried to storm the presidential palace, gun in hand, to threaten the new president, BJ Habibie.

    Prabowo never went on trial for the disappearances of the activists, though he was banned from travelling to the United States for two decades.

    And his cherished military career quickly ended – he was dismissed from the army for “misinterpreting orders”. Disgraced, and seen as embodying the violence and repression of Soeharto’s regime, Prabowo went into voluntary exile in Jordan. It seemed he had no future in the democratic Reformasi (reformation) system that began to emerge from the ruins of the repressive New Order.

    But Prabowo was far from finished. His rehabilitation and extraordinary climb to the presidency may now signal the end of Indonesia’s fragile, aspirational liberal democracy and a return to the New Order model.

    The end of Reformasi?

    It is clear enough that Prabowo has no enthusiasm for democracy. He has said, for example, that it “very, very tiring” and “very, very messy and costly”.

    Gerindra, the political party he founded and leads, even has, as its number one mission statement, a return to the Constitution “as stipulated on 18 August 1945”. This is the authoritarian original version of the Constitution that Soeharto relied on to rule. It did not guarantee human rights or a separation of powers, and it gave huge power to the president, who was not elected and had no term limit.

    This Constitution was amended after Soeharto fell to bring in a liberal, democratic model. So, a return to the original 1945 Constitution would in itself likely end Indonesia’s hard-won, if troubled, democracy.

    But Prabowo may not need to go this far to enjoy the sweeping power his former father-in-law exercised. Many of the elements of the New Order are already in place. Much of the work of dismantling Indonesia’s liberal democracy has already been done by the outgoing president, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), whose son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is now Prabowo’s vice president.

    For example, a key pillar of the New Order was “dual function”, a doctrine that allowed serving military members to take civilian posts, allowing them to dominate the government. This was abolished after Soeharto fell.

    But amendments to the civil service law passed last October again allow active members of the army and police to occupy civilian positions. Proposed amendments to the Indonesian National Army (TNI) Law now being debated could expand this. When questioned about the army’s return to civilian life, the armed forces commander welcomed the changes, saying the army would not be exercising a “dual function” but a “multi-function”.

    Likewise, under Soeharto, repressive laws tightly restricted press freedom. Now, a controversial new criminal code that comes into force in 2026 will reinstate prohibitions on criticising the government that the Constitutional Court had previously struck out. A proposed new Broadcasting Law would also ban “broadcasting investigative journalism content”.

    Under the New Order, civil society activism was also harshly restricted. In the last ten years under Jokowi, there has been a steady escalation of defamation actions and threats against government critics. And a law passed in 2017 allows the government to dissolve non-governmental organisations without any judicial process. Already, three NGOs have been banned.

    Many activists now speak openly of their fear of being targeted and intimidated by government trolls or even the intelligence agencies. Others fear Prabowo will use his links to Muslim civil society organisations to pressure or delegitimise other groups he sees as critics.



    Read more:
    Journalists in Indonesia are being killed, threatened and jailed. A new draft law could make things even worse

    Keeping the elites happy

    Prabowo is also following in the footsteps of Soeharto and Jokowi by building a massive coalition in the national legislature, the DPR. More than 80% of members are already on board, with only one party holding out.

    Prabowo will also expand his cabinet, allowing him to award places to supporters and co-opt others, including members of civil society. This will further weaken the opposition.

    This kind of government of elite “unity” makes politics opaque. Political fights take place behind the scenes, resolved by power plays and deals before measures go to a vote. It would make the national legislature not much more than a rubber stamp, as it was under Soeharto.

    This assumes Prabowo can manage Indonesia’s powerful political bosses – especially the feuding former presidents Megawati Soekarnoputri and Jokowi. Together, they now control the two biggest parties in the legislature (PDI-P and Golkar, respectively).

    The still hugely popular Jokowi backed his former bitter enemy Prabowo in the February elections because he saw this as a way to maintain influence after he left office. But Prabowo will be reluctant to share real power with anyone for long. His relationship with Jokowi is likely to be one the biggest challenges to his rule.

    Dealing with an obstructive court

    One of the few remaining obstacles to Prabowo acquiring the sort of dictatorial powers Soeharto exercised is the Constitutional Court, which has the power to strike out laws. Prabowo will not want a non-compliant and obstructive (that is, independent) Constitutional Court. Already politicians are openly discussing the need to “assess its performance”.

    If the legislature passes laws to weaken the court, the court could just strike them out, as it has done in the past.

    But the court was established by the amendments to the original 1945 Constitution. This means that if government cannot pass laws to weaken the court, stack the court or intimidate independent judges, a return to the 1945 Constitution could be used to eliminate it.

    Prabowo would need to feel his rule is secure and that he has the rock-solid support of the elites before doing this, but it is certainly possible. Returning to the original Constitution would simply require a two-thirds vote in the MPR, Indonesia’s highest representative assembly.

    Bold promises on the economy

    Soeharto’s system was based on a Faustian bargain that allowed him to rule corruptly and oppressively in return for high economic growth and development that lifted millions out of poverty.

    Prabowo is likely to adopt the same approach. He campaigned on an annual GDP growth target of 8%, a rate reached under Soeharto, but never by subsequent governments. Jokowi also placed great emphasis on development (infrastructure in particular), but never got much above 5% growth per year.

    Many are optimistic about the economy under the new president. Prabowo’s father was a prominent economist and a finance minister. Prabowo has also asked Jokowi’s highly-regarded finance minister, Sri Mulyani, to stay in her role.

    However, Prabowo comes to office with some enormously expensive commitments that would make Sri Mulyani’s job extremely difficult. These include his free school lunches program (upwards of US$30 billion, or A$45 billion), which Sri Mulyani has publicly questioned, and Jokowi’s signature new capital city, Nusantara, currently under construction. (The initial phase alone will cost at least US$35 billion, or A$52 billion).

    Moreover, Prabowo’s main priority will be to keep the elites happy and maintain his enormous coalition. His supporters and allies – including his brother, tycoon Hashim Djojohadikusumo who has funded his political career – will all demand access to concessions and lucrative appointments for their cronies to make good the vast amounts spent on the February elections. Rational economic policy-making will therefore be highly constrained.

    Foreign investment has always been the key to high growth in Indonesia, but despite the constant rhetoric about Indonesia being open for business, it will undoubtedly remain protectionist in practice under Prabowo. That will likely make the 8% GDP annual growth target impossible.

    More active foreign relations

    Prabowo, who was educated overseas and speaks English fluently, feels comfortable on the global stage. He will want a more prominent place in world affairs for his country, reflecting its vast size and new status as a middle-income country.

    As Jokowi’s defence minister, he was active internationally, even attempting to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. And, to his obvious delight, countries like the US that had previously denied him entry have congratulated him on his victory.

    Prabowo’s main foreign affairs challenge will be the same as his predecessor’s: managing the difficult relationship with China.

    Indonesians are deeply suspicious of China, an attitude driven by a potent mixture of deeply rooted racist attitudes, fear of communism and anxiety about China’s hegemonic ambitions. However, Indonesia is a major recipient of Belt and Road investments and the elite rely heavily on Chinese trade and investment.

    Like Jokowi, Prabowo will have to manage this difficult balance.

    Back to the future

    Indonesian civil society leaders are already talking about the new administration as “New Order Volume II” or “neo-New Order”, and it is easy to see why. All the signs point to a continuation under Prabowo of the process begun under Jokowi: a slide towards something that looks much more like Soeharto’s system than the liberal democracy reformers tried to construct 25 years ago.

    There is nothing in Prabowo’s past or his campaign promises to suggest otherwise. Perhaps the only question is how quickly it happens and how far he will go.

    Tim Lindsey receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Indonesia’s new president, Prabowo Subianto, finds democracy ‘very tiring’. Are darker days ahead for the country? – https://theconversation.com/indonesias-new-president-prabowo-subianto-finds-democracy-very-tiring-are-darker-days-ahead-for-the-country-241256

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Appointments to Museum Advisory Committee

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Appointments to Museum Advisory Committee
    Appointments to Museum Advisory Committee
    *******************************************

         The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau announced today (October 20) appointments to the Museum Advisory Committee (MAC) and its three standing sub-committees, namely the Art Sub-committee (ASC), the History Sub-committee (HSC) and the Science Sub-committee (SSC), with the appointment of Professor Douglas So Cheung-tak as Chairperson of the MAC, Professor Desmond Hui Cheuk-kuen as Chairperson of the ASC, Professor Joshua Mok Ka-ho as Chairperson of the HSC and Professor Alexander Wai Ping-kong as the Chairperson of the SSC.     All appointments are for a two-year term up to October 19, 2026.     The MAC and its three standing sub-committees, established on October 20, 2016, comprise members of different backgrounds with a great wealth of professional expertise and experience relevant to the work of the museums, including professionals, academics, museum experts, collectors, art promoters, entrepreneurs, marketing and public relations experts, and community leaders. The MAC and its three standing sub-committees advise the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) on strategies for development, promotion and management of the public museums.      A spokesman for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau thanked all the Chairperson and members of the MAC and its standing sub-committees for their ardent support and invaluable contributions in the past years, including Professor Ching Pak-chung, the outgoing SSC Chairperson; nine outgoing MAC members (Mr Aaron Raj Chandrasakaran, Ms Liza Cheung Lai-sang, Dr Allen Fung Yuk-lun, Ms Elaine Kwok, Dr Kwong Chi-man, Mr Lau Hang-on, Mr Alan Lau Ka-ming, Ms Helen So Hiu-ming and Mr Eliott Hancock Suen), and six outgoing co-opted members (Ir Thomas Chan Kwok-cheung, Mr Chan Sing, Ms Fanny Iu Kai-fan, Mr Freeman Lau Siu-hong, Ms Lo Ning and Mr James Mok Hon-fai), and looked forward to receiving the valuable advice of the new MAC and its standing sub-committees on the development of the public museums.      ​     The membership list and terms of reference of the MAC are as follows:  ChairpersonProfessor Douglas So Cheung-tak MembersProfessor Karen Chan Ka-yin*Mr Michael Chan Sze-wahMs Rowena Cheung Po-manMs Amanda Cheung Zee-yin*Mr Chiu Tsang-heiMr Stanley Choi Tak-shing*Dr Crystal Fok Lo-mingMs Elizabeth Fung Hoi-yung*Mr Andy Hei Kao-chiangProfessor Desmond Hui Cheuk-kuenMr Christopher Kwok Kai-wang*Mr Edmund Lai Man-kitMs Tendy Lam Pui-tung*Mr Lam Shu-kam*Ms Josephine Lee Yuk-chiMr James Li Tsz-shu*Mr Warren Luk HuaMs Erica Ma YunProfessor Joshua Mok Ka-hoMs Joyce Ng Sheung-ching*Ms Provides Ng Tsing-yin*Dr Ng Tsz-yanDr Chloe Suen Yin-wahMr James Tong Wai-pongProfessor Alexander Wai Ping-kong*Dr Jimmy Wong Kam-yiuMs Anna Yau Wai-yu Official MembersRepresentative of Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau*Representative of Tourism Commission*Representative of Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency*Representative of Education Bureau*Representative of Leisure and Cultural Services Department* *Newly appointed Members Terms of Reference      To advise the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services on a wide range of subject matters concerning the public museums and related offices managed by the LCSD: 

    positioning, image-building and branding;
    business development strategies including but not limited to acquisition and use of museum collections, organisation of exhibitions and education programmes, identification of research projects, sponsorship and partnership initiatives;
    marketing and publicity strategies on the promotion of the museums both locally, in the Mainland and overseas;
    development of community engagement strategies to reach out to a wider community and stakeholders (e.g. local artists, collectors, local and overseas museums, cultural organisations, and educational institutions);
    measures to strengthen the operational efficiency and accountability of public museums; and
    any other matters as proposed by the LCSD.

         ​The membership lists and terms of reference of the three standing sub-committees are attached in Annexes 1 to 3.

     
    Ends/Sunday, October 20, 2024Issued at HKT 9:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese vice president meets with Indonesian President Joko Widodo

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Visiting Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Saturday.

    At the invitation of the Indonesian government, Han, as the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, will attend the inauguration of President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on Sunday and visit Indonesia from Saturday to Monday.

    Han pointed out that the past 10 years have witnessed high-level development of China-Indonesia relations, and the two heads of state have jointly led the upgrading of China-Indonesia relations into a new era of building a community with a shared future.

    Han said China is willing to work with Indonesia to carry forward the fine tradition of bilateral friendship and cooperation, deepen all-round strategic coordination, jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, ensure smooth operation of major cooperation projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, continuing to write a new chapter of solidarity, cooperation and mutual benefit.

    It is hoped and believed that President Joko will, as always, support the development of bilateral relations and contribute to carrying forward the traditional friendship between the two countries, Han said.

    Joko said that in recent years, the comprehensive strategic partnership between Indonesia and China has been developing with sound momentum and bilateral cooperation has achieved fruitful results.

    Noting the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway is a landmark cooperation project between the two countries and a symbol of their friendship, Joko said Indonesia is willing to make joint efforts with China to continue to ensure efficient operation of the railway.

    Indonesia attaches great importance to developing relations with China, he said, noting that under the leadership of the new Indonesian government, bilateral relations will continue to be lifted to new levels. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Navy Relieves U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center Commanding Officer and Executive Officer

    Source: United States Navy

     Rear Adm. William Greene, commander of Navy Regional Maintenance Center, relieved Capt. Zaldy Valenzuela and Cmdr. Art Palalay of duties as SRF-JRMC commanding officer and executive officer, respectively. Capt. Dan Lannamann has temporarily assumed command. Cmdr. Timothy Emge, SRF-JRMC’s operations officer, has assumed the position of executive officer until a permanent replacement is selected.

    The Navy holds commanding officers and others in authority to the highest standards. Naval leaders are entrusted with significant responsibilities to their Sailors and commands.

    SRF-JRMC is located in Yokosuka, Japan and provides intermediate-level and depot-level repair for Navy ships and U.S. 7th Fleet.

    For additional questions, please contact the Naval Sea Systems Command public affairs officer, Susan Mainwaring at susan.a.mainwaring.civ@us.navy.mil

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: Iran holds int’l short film festival

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The 41st Tehran International Short Film Festival (TISFF) kicked off on Friday in the Iranian capital, the official news agency IRNA reported.

    According to IRNA, 107 short works will compete for top awards in the festival’s international section.

    The submitted works, including 59 fiction films, 21 animated movies, 18 documentaries, and nine experimental films, were from India, China, Poland, the United States, Egypt, Greece, France, Palestine, Türkiye, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Russia, Australia, Japan, Germany, Italy and Cuba.

    Held for consecutively over the past four decades, the TISFF is one of the oldest short film festivals in the region. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Shaolin festival opens with over 2,500 kung fu practitioners

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The opening ceremony of the 13th Zhengzhou International Shaolin Wushu Festival was held in Dengfeng of Zhengzhou, Henan province, on Saturday.

    With 2,560 kung fu practitioners from 56 countries and regions participating in the competition, the festival provides an opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich heritage and culture of Shaolin kung fu.

    Sven Husmann, 50, expressed his enthusiasm for attending the opening ceremony, emphasizing the event’s role as cross-cultural exchange and mutual learning.

    “We aim to get the spirit of this festival and carry it back to Germany upon our return to Europe,” he remarked,

    The festival showcased a diverse range of activities, including traditional Shaolin Wushu competitions, an international fight competition, and US-China youth training camp.

    People also witnessed Khmer Boxing, a traditional Cambodian martial art, at the Shaolin Temple.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Mountaineering Safety Promotion Day 2024 and 55th Anniversary of the CAS Mountain Search and Rescue Company held (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Civil Aid Service (CAS) held the Mountaineering Safety Promotion Day 2024 and the 55th Anniversary of the CAS Mountain Search and Rescue Company with various government departments and mountaineering organisations today (October 20) at the Free Space, Kwun Tong Town Centre with a view to enhancing public awareness of hiking safety and reducing accidents arising from mountaineering activities amid celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

         Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Siu Chak-yee, said that the mountaineering safety promotion day can help members of the public acquire essential safety knowledge and skills, and enhance their awareness of potential dangers. He praised the CAS for its outstanding contribution to protecting the lives of hikers as an indispensable member of Hong Kong’s emergency rescue system. At the opening ceremony, Mr Siu also presented certificates to those who had successfully completed the Mountain Casualty Handling Course and awarded a trophy to the winning team of the 55th Anniversary of the CAS Mountain Search and Rescue Company Competition.

         Other attending guests included the Director of Fire Services, Mr Andy Yeung, as well as representatives from the Government Flying Service; the Auxiliary Medical Service; the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department; the Office of the Communications Authority; the Hong Kong Observatory; the Leisure and Cultural Services Department; the Lands Department and various mountaineering organisations.
     
         Game booths were set up to promote mountaineering safety, whereas a wide range of mountaineering equipment, such as digital maps, watches for recording rescuer locations, high-resolution live broadcasting cameras and the Unmanned Aircraft System, were showcased. In addition, to enhance public understanding of mountain rescue work, CAS members also demonstrated techniques of mountain search and rescue missions and handling procedures of injured persons. To mark the 55th anniversary of the CAS Mountain Search and Rescue Company this year, a designated booth was also set up to introduce the Mountain Search and Rescue Company as well as showcase the equipment used over the years.
     
         Other highlights included a rescue demonstration by the Fire Services Department rescue dogs and a performance by police dogs. A recruitment exercise of CAS adult members and cadets was also conducted at the event.                           

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Another squirrel monkey dies

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Leisure & Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced that the other Common Squirrel Monkey at the Hong Kong Zoological & Botanical Gardens (HKZBG) that was put under isolated surveillance was found dead today.

    The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department (AFCD) will conduct a necropsy on the animal to ascertain if the cause of death was the same as the earlier cases.

    A total of 11 animals at the HKZBG have passed away since October 13.

    At present, one De Brazza’s Monkey that has been isolated since October 13 remains under isolated surveillance and is being given medication.

    The LCSD will keep the HKZBG’s Mammals Section closed to monitor the health conditions of the animals, and continue to provide protective gear and health monitoring for staff who take care of animals. At present, the health conditions of the staff concerned are normal.

    The LCSD added that it has all along been communicating with the Department of Health’s Centre for Health Protection and the AFCD to ensure that appropriate protective measures are taken.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: More than money: The geopolitics behind Saudi Arabia’s sports strategy

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Aaron Ettinger, Associate Professor, International Relations, Carleton University

    There’s a saying in sports journalism: “The answer to all your questions is money.” But in the case of Saudi Arabia’s massive sports investment programs during the reign of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, money is not the whole story.

    In a simple sense, there is a clear profit motive. With US$925 billion in assets in 2023, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund exists to convert oil revenues into even greater national income.

    Last year, the country’s Public Investment Fund reported $36.8 billion in profits. Since 2016, it has spent $51 billion on sports properties.

    The point is not to turn bin Salman into the world’s greatest sports impresario. Rather, it’s that he’s seeking to improve the economic and geopolitical situation of Saudi Arabia through sports investments while ensuring the long-term survival of the Saudi regime.

    Beyond Newcastle United, LIV Golf

    Investing in sports is a common way for developing countries to announce their arrival on the global stage. Instead of one-and-done mega events, Saudi Arabia is pursuing a more dispersed and diverse approach.

    The Public Investment Fund’s highest profile investments are well known, especially the 2021 purchase of Newcastle United of the English Premier League and the LIV golf tour that challenged the PGA’s decades-long dominance of the sport.

    Beyond golf and soccer, Saudi Arabia has also spent dizzying sums on lower profile investments in esports, wrestling and motorsports. In other games, like chess and snooker, the profit motive is less clear.

    The logical conclusion is that Saudi Arabia treats its sports investments as a loss leader — an unprofitable activity meant to stimulate more profitable activity somewhere else. In the words of Public Investment Fund’s 2022 annual report, international investment pools “allow Saudi Arabia to extend its global reach and influence.”

    But what does that really mean?

    ‘Sportswashing’

    The conventional term for Saudi Arabia’s strategy is sportswashing, the practice of reputation-laundering in the hopes that a cleaner national image will translate into soft power on the world stage.



    Read more:
    Sportswashing is just about everywhere – but it may be backfiring on the countries that do it

    But that explanation doesn’t go far enough. For bin Salman, the suite of sports investments and properties is only a small part of a larger strategy to prepare Saudi Arabia for a 21st century when global oil demand is expected to fall by mid-century and geopolitics will become more complicated.

    This is no secret: Saudi Arabia’s official grand strategy — Vision 2030 — envisions the complete modernization of the country’s economy and foreign policy. Saudi Arabia’s sports diplomacy is therefore part of a broader geopolitical strategy to prepare Saudi Arabia for an era of multipolarity, when power is distributed among several states.

    Sports diplomacy also normalizes western financial and political engagement with the Saudi regime. Internationally, bin Salman wants to cultivate economic and security relationships with entities whose interests align with those of the Saudi royal family and the Saudi state, thereby ensuring the long-term health of both.

    Regular interactions between Saudi Arabia and the West create an understanding that Riyadh is a “normal” place to do business — and if it’s good business, there is no reason to risk the relationship with too much rancour over its authoritarianism and abysmal human rights record. Sports investing, in short, is a Saudi hedge against western abandonment.

    The allure of the big payday

    To western eyes, the most troubling implication of Saudi sports investment is the normalization of authoritarian capitalism — economic freedom without political freedom — as a feature of the emerging international order.

    Along with China, Russia, Singapore and others, Saudi Arabia represents an alternative to western democratic capitalism as a pathway to development.

    This would be surprising to a previous generation of scholars and policymakers who once thought that free markets and free societies were a self-reinforcing phenomenon.

    But given the staying power of authoritarian capitalism, doing business with dictators and strongmen has become inevitable and even desirable in some cases. In the sports world, few have resisted the charms of a huge payday.

    Closely related to authoritarian capitalism is democratic backsliding. Around the world, the quality of democracy and freedom is eroding, and the slow-drip normalization of economic intercourse with authoritarian capitalists is part of that erosion.



    Read more:
    Could the world’s autocrats successfully plot to defeat the West?

    How to proceed?

    So can anything be done? Western states have options, but they’re limited.

    After all, Saudi Arabia’s investments are legal and eagerly sought after by both private and public sectors.

    Western officials can put up resistance to the awarding of mega events to authoritarian states. But mewling about problematic hosts means little unless liberal democracies are prepared to pay the hosting costs themselves, which they are increasingly unwilling to do.

    Meanwhile, authoritarians are eager to host mega events and attract the prestige that comes with them. Currently, for example, Saudi Arabia is the sole bidder for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

    Countries could try regulatory intervention to delimit the extent of Saudi influence. National security is often used as a pretext for blocking foreign investments in strategically important sectors, like ports and 5G wireless networks.

    Saudi plan is working

    But golf and video games do not rise to the level of national security concern, so American regulators are unlikely to step in. Political intervention from the United States Congress or the White House is even less likely. Saudi Arabia is a key part of the American strategy on the Middle East to confront Iran, and quibbling too intensely about human rights or sports investment is not worth the strategic costs.

    The genius of Saudi Arabia’s enterprise is that it’s power projection by consent. Investors and fans want what bin Salman is selling, governments have limited recourse and critics are left to grasp at standard, out-dated arguments.

    For Saudi Arabia, however, its sports charm offensive is about more than money. It’s about an investment in the future prosperity and security of the kingdom and the longevity of the Saudi dynasty. So far, the plan is working.

    Aaron Ettinger does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. More than money: The geopolitics behind Saudi Arabia’s sports strategy – https://theconversation.com/more-than-money-the-geopolitics-behind-saudi-arabias-sports-strategy-240512

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: EF Hutton Announces Withdrawal of Lawsuits by Joseph Rallo and David Boral

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EF Hutton LLC (“EF Hutton”) a relationship-driven investment bank focused on growth issuers and their investors, announces that Principals Joseph Rallo and David Boral have withdrawn their lawsuits.

    Mr. Rallo and Mr. Boral have mutually decided to take their businesses in different directions, with Mr. Boral retaining the broker-dealer and its holding company and Mr. Rallo retaining the EF Hutton brand, name, and trademark. Any public statements they made about each other as they worked through the separation of their business should not be viewed as a reflection on Mr. Rallo or Mr. Boral. Both Mr. Rallo and Mr. Boral are pleased to put their dispute behind them and move forward with confidence that their new, separate business ventures will be successful.

    About EF Hutton
    EF Hutton LLC is an investment bank headquartered in New York, NY, which provides strategic advisory and financing solutions to middle market and emerging growth companies. EF Hutton has a proven track record of offering superior strategic advice to clients across the globe in any sector, with access to capital from the USA, Asia, Europe, UAE, and Latin America.

    EF Hutton is a leader on Wall Street, having raised over $16 billion in capital across more than 275 transactions through various product types. Since 2022, by deal count, the firm has been #1 in US IPO issuance and #1 in SPAC issuance, per Bloomberg and SPAC Insider. EF Hutton is one of the most active investment banks in the middle of the market space. For more information, please visit efhutton.com.

    EF Hutton Contact:
    David W. Boral
    Chief Executive Officer
    590 Madison Avenue, 39th Floor
    New York, NY 10022
    info@efhutton.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie Counties

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie Counties

    Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie Counties

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – FEMA has opened Disaster Recovery Centers in Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie counties to provide one-on-one help to Floridians affected by Hurricane Milton. Survivors of any of the storms can visit any center. 

    Survivors do not need to visit a center to apply for assistance. Survivors are encouraged to apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by downloading the FEMA App. FEMA does not distribute cash at Disaster Recovery Centers. 

    Center locations:

    Indian River County
    Intergenerational Recreation (IG) Center
    1590 9th St. SW
    Vero Beach, FL 32962
    Hours: 8 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday-Sunday

    Martin County
    Martin County Fairgrounds, Buildings F&G
    2616 SE Dixie Hwy.
    Stuart, FL 34996
    Hours: 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday-Sunday

    St. Lucie County
    Havert L. Fenn Center
    2000 Virginia Ave. 
    Fort Pierce, FL 34982
    Hours: 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday

    To find other center locations go to fema.gov/drc or text “DRC” and a Zip Code to 43362. All centers are accessible to people with disabilities or access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology. 

    Homeowners and renters are encouraged to apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by using the FEMA App. You may also apply by phone at 800-621-3362. If you choose to apply by phone, please understand wait times may be longer because of increased volume for multiple recent disasters. Lines are open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance go to FEMA Accessible: Applying for Individual Assistance – YouTube.

    For the latest information about Hurricane Milton recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4834. For Hurricane Helene recovery information, visit fema.gov/disaster/4828. For Hurricane Debby recovery information, visit fema.gov/disaster/4806. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.

    kirsten.chambers

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Blair concludes successful visit to Europe for North Atlantic Treaty Organization and G7 Defence Ministers’ Meetings

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, concluded a successful visit to Europe where he participated in a meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defence Ministers as well as the first-ever G7 Defence Ministers’ Meeting (DMM).

    October 20, 2024 – Naples, Italy – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

    Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, concluded a successful visit to Europe where he participated in a meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defence Ministers as well as the first-ever G7 Defence Ministers’ Meeting (DMM).

    During the NATO DMM meeting from October 17 to 18, hosted by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Minister Blair announced a commitment of over $60 million in military assistance to Ukraine. This package includes the procurement of small arms and ammunition from Canadian industry, Canadian-made personal protective equipment and military uniforms for 30,000 women Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) soldiers and $5 million towards the Drone Capability Coalition Common Fund. The Minister also announced that Canada has joined the IT Coalition, with an initial contribution of $2 million, that will enable us to enhance our ongoing support and leadership in the realm of cyber capabilities.

    As NATO defence ministers gathered in Brussels, Belgium, Allies discussed how best to promote defence measures across the Euro-Atlantic, Middle East and Indo-Pacific (IP) regions, and reaffirmed their ongoing support to Ukraine, with an emphasis on the implementation of deliverables outlined at the NATO Summit in Washington in July. Minister Blair reinforced Canada’s unwavering resolve to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression as well as Canada’s contribution to NATO’s defence through the continued growth of the Canadian-led brigade in Latvia.

    During a meeting with IP and European Union partners, ministers exchanged views on the security dynamics in both regions, especially in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. This was an opportunity for Minister Blair to reiterate Canada’s long-held views on building stronger ties and enhanced cooperation between NATO and its IP partners – including Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea, also known as the IP4. This was the first NATO meeting to include IP4 partners.

    Minister Blair signed a Letter of Intent for the NATO NORTHLINK Initiative, which commits 13 Allies to open initial discussions to harmonize requirements for space-based satellite communications. This will allow Canada to better shape this project to meet its own interests and preserve the possibility of future benefits for Canadian industry.

    While in Brussels, the Minister also participated in several side events, including a Defence Ministers Meeting of the Global Coalition Against Daesh. Minister Blair also hosted a Northern Defence Dialogue (NDD) with Arctic Allies, including Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. At the NDD, ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to enhanced collaboration on Arctic and Euro-Atlantic security and defence, and discussed Arctic capabilities, emerging threats and geopolitical challenges.

    From October 18 to 19, Minister Blair participated in the inaugural G7 Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Naples, Italy. Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration to address current and future security challenges at a time marked by increasing global instability. Minister Blair underlined Canada’s continued commitment to working closely with G7 partners on shared priorities including military and practical assistance for Ukraine, the cessation of hostilities and peace in the Middle East, countering information manipulation and the spread of misinformation and disinformation, and economic security and resilience.

    G7 defence ministers issued a joint declaration which reiterated unwavering support for Ukraine, expressed concern about the escalation of violence in the Middle East and called on all parties to avert war, and committed to a free and open IP region, based on the rule of law and the peaceful resolution of disputes. Ministers further committed to finding effective solutions to the sustainability of military operations and regeneration of forces to bolster deterrence and defence. They underscored their ongoing support for African countries to set the foundation for sustained security, stability, and prosperity.

    During this important moment for Euro-Atlantic, Middle Eastern and IP security, Canada continues to work closely with NATO Allies and G7 Partners to ensure the protection of the one billion citizens that NATO protects, including all Canadians.

    Simon Lafortune
    Press Secretary and Communications Advisor
    Office of the Minister of National Defence
    Phone: 343-549-0778
    Email:     simon.lafortune2@forces.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Department of National Defence
    Phone: 613-904-3333
    Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New Building Commissioner appointed

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 20 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Building

    Minister for Building Anoulack Chanthivong has welcomed the appointment of the new NSW Building Commissioner.

    Department of Customer Service Secretary Graeme Head has appointed James Sherrard to the role.

    Mr Sherrard has more than 30 years’ experience spanning global construction projects with specialist expertise in strategy, commercial and infrastructure areas.

    His previous role was Head of Commercial, Performance and Strategy at Transport NSW, where he led a team responsible for contract frameworks, the acquisition of property for major infrastructure projects, procurement including several multi-billion dollar projects and an analytics team.

    He has been a project manager on civic, residential and sporting infrastructure projects across metropolitan and regional NSW and globally including the Sydney and London Olympics and has formal qualifications in building, business and law. He has worked at senior levels in professional services consulting, focused on infrastructure and urban renewal.

    His experience in international construction projects between 2004 and 2015 spanned time working in the UK, Algeria, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.

    Minister for Building Anoulack Chanthivong said:

    “I would like to congratulate Mr Sherrard on his appointment, which follows former Building Commissioner David Chandler retiring in August after being an outspoken force creating positive change for the building industry in NSW.

    “As part of this change, we last year launched Building Commission NSW transforming a ten person Office of the Building Commissioner into a more than 400 strong standalone regulator.

    “With his depth and breadth of experience across the public and private sectors and globally, Mr Sherrard is well placed to take the Building Commission to the next level in its development.

    “It is exciting to embark on a new era with James at the helm, working with stakeholders, industry, consumers and government to continue the Minns Labor Government’s work to rebuild trust in the construction industry and ensure a supply of well built homes across the state.

    “I would also like to thank Matt Press for acting in the role while the recruitment process was completed. Matt will continue as Acting Building Commissioner until James joins Building Commission NSW on 2 December.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Statement from President Joe  Biden Congratulating Indonesian President Prabowo on his  Inauguration

    Source: The White House

    I congratulate President Prabowo Subianto on his inauguration as President of the Republic of Indonesia, and the Indonesian people for exercising their right to vote and making their voices heard.

    This year, Indonesia and the United States are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations. Vice President Harris and I look forward to working with President Prabowo to honor this milestone by continuing to strengthen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and show that democracies can deliver on the challenges that matter most to our peoples’ lives.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Opinion piece: Data-driven decisions: the case for randomised policy trials

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    In medicine, randomised trials are commonly used for evaluating effectiveness. When a new pharmaceutical is being tested, half the recipients will get the true treatment, while half will get a placebo. By tossing a coin to decide whether a person gets the treatment or the placebo, we can be confident that any observed differences are due to the real effect of the drug.

    Increasingly, randomised trials are being used by governments and businesses too. Randomised trials of policing strategies have shown that hot spots policing reduces crime. A randomised trial found that when people in India were given a financial incentive to get their licence earlier, they were more likely to bribe the tester. A randomised trial in Mexico found that road upgrades boost property prices and reduce poverty. A randomised trial with airline pilots found that providing feedback on fuel use led captains to be more economical, saving the airline a million litres of fuel.

    Yet by comparison with health, the uptake of randomised trials in social sciences remains modest. From the 1990s to the 2020s, the number of randomised trials in health has exploded from 10,000 to almost 250,000. Yet over the same period, the number of randomised trials in the social sciences has risen from a few thousand to less than 20,000. For every randomised trial in the social sciences, there are around 10 randomised trials in health.

    This is all the more startling given the breadth of the social sciences, covering education, crime, employment, homelessness and political engagement. In budgetary terms, governments spend much more on those areas than on health alone. Yet in terms of randomised trials, health remains far further ahead.

    In Australia, a study from the think tank CEDA examined a sample of 20 Australian Government programs conducted between 2015 and 2022. The programs had a total expenditure of over $200 billion. CEDA found that 95 per cent were not properly evaluated. CEDA’s analysis of analysis of state and territory government evaluations reported similar results. Across the board, CEDA estimates that fewer than 1.5 per cent of Australian Government evaluations use a randomised design.

    The relatively small number of randomised trials of social programs is particularly troubling given what the evidence tells us about the programs that are rigorously evaluated. In health, only one in 10 drugs that look promising in the laboratory make it through Phase I, II and III clinical trials and onto the market. In education, an analysis of randomised trials commissioned by the US Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences found that only one in 10 produced positive effects. Google estimates that just one in 5 of their randomised trials help them improve the product.

    This suggests that the best approach in business and government is what US President Franklin D. Roosevelt once called ‘bold, persistent experimentation’. If many promising policies do not work as well as intended, then rigorous evaluation is essential to building a cycle of continuous improvement. Rigorous evaluation guarantees that government policies in a decade’s time will be more effective than they are today. A failure to evaluate runs the risk that we will unwittingly repeat our mistakes. Evaluation puts us in a virtuous feedback loop. Without it, we can end up in a doom loop.

    How can governments and companies encourage more rigorous evaluation? There are 5 approaches that can promote more high‑quality evaluations, especially randomised trials.

    First, encourage curiosity. Employees quickly come to understand the culture of an organisation. When managers make clear that they value new insights, they give permission for everyone in the organisation to question accepted wisdom and gather better evidence, an approach famously dubbed ‘Test‑Learn‑Adapt’.

    Second, aim for simplicity. People charged with sending out letters, emails or text messages should have the functionality to send 2 versions, so they can continuously improve the language and messaging of their correspondence. This kind of A/B testing has been standard for market research companies for decades, yet remains rare elsewhere. Another initiative is grant rounds to fund low‑cost randomised trials. In 2024, the Paul Ramsay Foundation, Australia’s largest charitable foundation, issued a call for proposals for 7 projects of up to $300,000 to be randomly evaluated.

    Third, subject trials to ethical scrutiny. This isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also important for creating an environment in which further trials can be conducted. Ethical scrutiny ensures that the interests of vulnerable people are considered, and that the trial can be expected to improve overall wellbeing.

    Fourth, create institutions that promote high‑quality evaluation. In 2023, the Australian Government established the Australian Centre for Evaluation. Located within Treasury, the centre has a budget of around $2 million per year, and a staff of around a dozen people. Its mandate is to ‘put evaluation evidence at the heart of policy design and decision‑making’. The main goal of the centre is to work collaboratively with government departments to conduct rigorous evaluations, especially randomised trials.

    Fifth, think internationally. A few years ago, when researching my book Randomistas, I met with a kidney health researcher whose work involved running large‑scale randomised trials. He told me that he no longer worked on single‑country trials. Multi‑country trials, he told me, provided an inbuilt replication function, and greater assurance that interventions worked across people of different ethnicities. In policymaking, Australia could collaborate with other advanced English‑speaking democracies to create Living Evidence Reviews – research syntheses on key topics such as homelessness, job training or policing.

    Randomised trials embody a spirit that is at once modest and scientific, accountable and democratic. By acknowledging that some policies might not achieve their goals, we recognise that all of us are fallible. And by rigorously testing what works, we put ourselves on a cycle of continuous improvement. Just as your doctor today has better treatments available than she did a decade ago, programs in education and employment should be more effective than they were a decade ago. Randomised trials can shape better policies, one coin toss at a time.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SPEECH BY MDM RAHAYU MAHZAM, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF DIGITAL DEVLOPMENT AND INFORMATION & MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT THE SINGAPORE NATIONAL STROKE ASSOCIATION’S STEPPING OUT FOR STROKE 2024

    Source: Asia Pacific Region 2 – Singapore

    A/Prof Shamala Tilarajah, President, Singapore National Stroke Association
    Ladies and gentlemen,
    Good afternoon. I am honoured to join all of you today, as we come together in solidarity for a cause that impacts many of us in our community.
    Rising Incidence of Stroke in Singapore and Stroke Prevention
    2. In 2023, cerebrovascular diseases, including stroke, ranked as the fourth leading cause of death in Singapore, accounting for 5.6% of all deaths. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes are the most common risk factors among stroke patients. The silver lining is that these are preventable risk factors that we can address through healthier lifestyle habits.
    3. The Ministry of Health’s Stroke Services Improvement (SSI) team has launched this year’s National Stroke Awareness Campaign, introducing the S.M.A.R.T. approach to stroke prevention.
    4. The ‘Be Stroke SMART’ initiative outlines five crucial steps to lower the risk of stroke. You might recall Suhaimi’s catchy rap about being S.M.A.R.T, which stands for: staying Smoke-free, taking Meals that are healthy, maintaining an Active Lifestyle, attending Regular screening and Taking medications as prescribed by the doctor. We should all aim to be S.M.A.R.T to prevent a first stroke or a recurrent stroke.
    5. The S.M.A.R.T approach complements current national health initiatives such as Healthier SG, which has enrolled over 1 million Singapore residents aged 40 and above. Eligible citizens can receive fully subsidised health screenings for hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes. These are key risk factors for stroke which can be attributed to lifestyle habits such as unhealthy diets, smoking and low physical activity levels. Enrolled residents will also develop a personalised health plan with their family doctor to make lifestyle changes to prevent or manage these chronic conditions. If you are eligible, please make sure you sign up for Healthier SG because the whole point is to get you connected to a doctor, who can give you a personalised health plan, get screened for free, and you are on track to stay healthy.
    SNSA’s Support for Stroke Survivors and their Families
    6. I really want to thank the Singapore National Stroke Association, am so  heartened by your effort in supporting stroke survivors and their families. You have also expanded the befriending programmes and services to Singapore General Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and St Luke’s Hospital. I would like to congratulate you on your opening of a new centre in Kim Keat earlier this year.
    7. Today’s event is an important one, it is not just a walk; it is a commitment to the stroke community. Your presence here shows that we can overcome these challenges together as a community. As we walk, run or wheel along the route today, we are raising awareness, and celebrating the brave stroke survivors. We are journeying with them and their families in their recovery. Hopefully, we are also creating awareness so that people take preventative effort and steps to ensure that we can be healthy together.
    8. I would like to extend my gratitude to all the volunteers, organisers, and participants who have made this event possible. Your dedication drives the success of SNSA and the continued support for stroke survivors in Singapore. I would also like to thank SNSA for your unwavering support of the stroke community. I wish everyone a memorable Stepping Out for Stroke Day. Thank you.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Vietnam Offshore Wind Competitive Investor Selection Study

    Source: Global Wind Energy Council – GWEC

    Headline: Vietnam Offshore Wind Competitive Investor Selection Study

    Offshore wind (OFW) is essential for Vietnam’s energy security, economic growth, and carbon reduction goals. Recent developments signal significant progress in advancing OFW development in Vietnam. Vietnam’s PDP8 (Power Development Plan 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050) establishes ambitious OFW targets of 6 GW by 2030 and between 70 to 91.5 GW by 2050.

    Despite the ambitious target, the development of OFW has been hindered by a lack of a comprehensive regulatory framework and clear guidance on key processes such as marine spatial planning, leasing, and routes to market.

    The current developer-led model may have served its purpose initially, but it lacks the efficiency and transparency necessary for rapid deployment of OFW projects. Defining a long-term competitive investor selection model for OFW would provide certainty to all stakeholders, allow the development of infrastructure and achieve learning curve cost reductions.

    Therefore, GWEC has commissioned this forward-looking “Vietnam OFW Competitive Investor Selection Study” report. The report outlines industry’s position regarding the fit-for-purpose approach to a competitive investor selection process for OFW projects moving forward. This report has proposed a two-stage competitive model for OFW development in Vietnam.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What makes Chinese students so successful by international standards?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Yongqi Gu, Associate Professor, School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

    Getty Images

    There is a belief widely held across the Western world: Chinese students are schooled through rote, passive learning – and an educational system like this can only produce docile workers who lack innovation or creativity.

    We argue this is far from true. In fact, the Chinese education system is producing highly successful students and an extremely skilled and creative workforce. We think the world can learn something from this.

    In a viral video earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted the unique concentration of skilled labour that attracted his manufacturing operations to China:

    In the US, you could have a meeting of tooling engineers, and I’m not sure we could fill the room. In China you could fill multiple football fields.

    To which Tesla CEO Elon Musk quickly responded on X: “True”.

    When South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the Shenzhen headquarters of electric vehicle manufacturer BYD earlier this year, he was surprised to learn the company was planning to double its 100,000-strong engineering taskforce within the coming decade.

    He might not have been so surprised had he known Chinese universities are producing more than ten million graduates every year – the foundation for a super-economy.

    The ‘paradox of the Chinese learner’

    Chinese learners achieve remarkable success levels compared to their Western – or non-Confucian-heritage – counterparts.

    Since Shanghai first participated in the PISA educational evaluation in 2009, 15‑year-olds in China have topped the league table three out of four times in reading, mathematics and science.

    How can a supposedly passive and rote Chinese system outperform its Western counterparts? A number of Australian scholars have been studying this “paradox of the Chinese learner” since the 1990s.

    Their research shows those common perceptions of Chinese and other Asian learners are wrong. For example, repetition and meaningful learning are not mutually exclusive. As one Chinese saying goes:

    书读百遍其意自现 – meaning reveals itself when you read something many times.

    What can Western education learn?

    An emphasis on education is a defining feature of Chinese culture. Since Confucianism became the state-sanctioned doctrine in the Han Dynasty (202BCE–220CE), education has entered every fabric of Chinese society.

    This became especially true after the institutionalisation of the Keju system of civil service examinations during the Sui Dynasty (581CE–618CE).

    Today, the Gaokao university entrance examination is the modern Keju equivalent. Millions of school leavers take the exam each year. For three days every July, Chinese society largely comes to a standstill for the Gaokao.

    While the cultural drive for educational excellence is a major motivation for everyone involved in the system, it is not something that is easily learned and replicated in Western societies.

    However, there are two principles we believe are central to Chinese educational success, at both the learner and system levels. We use two Chinese idioms to illustrate these.

    The first we call “orderly and gradual progress” – 循序渐进. This principle stresses patient, step-by-step and sequenced learning, sustained by grit and delayed gratification.

    The second we call “thick accumulation before thin production” – 厚积薄发. This principle stresses the importance of two things:

    • a comprehensive foundation through accumulation of basic knowledge and skills
    • assimilation, integration and productive creativity only come after this firm foundation.
    Technique to art: weekly calligraphy lessons have been mandatory in Chinese primary and middle schools since 2013.
    Getty Images

    Knowledge, skill and creativity

    The epitome of orderly and gradual progress is the way calligraphy is learned. It goes from easy to difficult, simple to complex, imitating to free writing, technique to art. Since 2013, it has been a mandatory weekly lesson in all primary and middle schools in China.

    The art of Chinese writing embodies patience, diligence, breathing, concentration and an appreciation of the natural beauty of rhythm. It teaches Chinese values of harmony and the aesthetic spirit.

    “Thick accumulation” can be illustrated in the way students study extremely hard for the national Gaokao examination, and also during tertiary education. This way they accumulate the basic knowledge and skills required in a modern society.

    “Thin production” refers to the ability to narrow or focus this accumulated knowledge and skill to find and implement creative solutions in the workplace or elsewhere.

    Ways of learning

    On the face of it, the emphasis on gradual and steady progress, and on accumulation of basic knowledge and skills, may look like a slow, monotonous and uninspiring process – the origin of those common myths about Chinese learning.

    In reality, it boils down to a simple argument: without a critical mass of basic knowledge and skills, there is little to assimilate and integrate for productive creativity.

    Of course, there are problems with Chinese learning and education, not least the fierce competitiveness and overemphasis on examinations. But our focus here is simply to show how two basic educational principles underpin Chinese advances in science and technology in a modern knowledge economy.

    We believe these principles are transferable and potentially beneficial for policymakers, scholars and learners elsewhere.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What makes Chinese students so successful by international standards? – https://theconversation.com/what-makes-chinese-students-so-successful-by-international-standards-238325

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Saudi Arabia: Migrant workers at Carrefour sites exploited, cheated and forced to live in squalor

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Migrant workers contracted to sites in Saudi Arabia franchised by French retail giant Carrefour were deceived by recruitment agents, made to work excessive hours, denied days off and cheated of their earnings, said Amnesty International.

    In the new report, “I would fear going to work”: Labour exploitation at Carrefour sites in Saudi Arabia, the human rights organization also documents how workers were made to live in squalid accommodation and feared being ‘fired’ if they complained or resisted working additional overtime.

    The abuses suffered by some of the contracted workers likely amount to forced labour including human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, yet neither Carrefour Group nor its partner Majid Al Futtaim, which operates the franchise in Saudi Arabia, took adequate action to stop them or offer redress to workers.

    “Workers thought they were opening the door to a better life but instead many were subjected to appalling exploitation and abuse. Carrefour’s inaction meant it failed to prevent this suffering, which for some contracted workers likely amounts to forced labour including human trafficking,” said Marta Schaaf, Amnesty International’s Director of Climate, Economic and Social Justice, and Corporate Accountability Programme.

    “Carrefour has a clear responsibility under international human rights standards to ensure abuses do not occur throughout its operations, including its franchises. Now Carrefour and Majid Al Futtaim should act to remedy the abuses – including urgently compensating those affected – and ensure that workers in their operations are never harmed again.”

    Carrefour has a clear responsibility under international human rights standards to ensure abuses do not occur throughout its operations, including its franchises.

    Marta Schaaf, Amnesty International

    Amnesty International’s report comes just two weeks before the International Labour Organization (ILO) Governing Body will consider a landmark complaint against the Saudi Arabian government regarding wage theft, forced labour and the prohibition of trade unions. The complaint was submitted by global trade union Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) in June 2024, supported by Amnesty International and other organisations.

    Deceived, overworked and underpaid

    Amnesty International’s investigation follows a 2023 report published by the organization exposing abuses at Amazon facilities in Saudia Arabia, involving one of the same labour supply companies. The latest research was based on interviews and information provided by 17 men from Nepal, India and Pakistan. They all worked in various Carrefour facilities in Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah between 2021 to 2024 and nearly all are or were employed by labour supply companies and contracted out to Majid Al Futtaim.

    To secure jobs the workers paid recruitment agents in their home countries an average fee of $1,200, and often took on high-interest debt to do so, despite such charges being outlawed by Saudi legislation and prohibited by Majid Al Futtaim’s own policies.

    Almost all the workers interviewed were lied to or misled by the agents, sometimes with the involvement of labour supply companies, about the nature and benefits of the jobs in Saudi Arabia or tricked into believing they were being hired directly by international companies. Many only found out they would be employed by Saudi Arabian supply companies – which are notorious amongst workers – after paying the fees, by which time most could not recoup the money paid and therefore felt unable to backout.

    In Saudi Arabia the men were met with arduous work and repeated underpayment. They described regularly walking more than 20km per day and working 60-hour weeks, sometimes up to 16 hours a day, especially when business was booming in periods such as ‘salary weeks’ and the month of Ramadan. In breach of both Saudi Arabia’s laws and Majid Al Futtaim’s policies, workers said managers at the facilities – which included supermarkets and warehouses, or ‘dark stores’ – would sometimes cancel their weekly rest days. 

    Anand*, a former warehouse ‘picker’, told Amnesty: “Inside Carrefour stores, workers are not treated as humans. They treat workers as animals. They keep on saying, ‘yallah, yallah’ [‘let’s go’, ‘let’s go’]. They cling to our T-shirt to make us work fast.”

    Many of the workers said the hardest part of the experience was not being paid properly for these overtime hours as required by national law and company policies. As a result, they were often denied dozens of additional hours’ pay a month, amounting to hundreds of dollars each year.

    Accommodation provided by the labour supply companies was often dirty and overcrowded, contrary to Majid Al Futtaim’s requirements. Workers said they slept six or eight to a room, with one describing it as “like a cowshed”.

    Contracted workers described a culture of fear. Workers who raised complaints directly with managers at the Carrefour facilities said they were ignored or told to take up the matter with the labour supply companies instead. Some workers who did speak out experienced retaliation from the supply companies or Carrefour facility managers, intimidating others into silence. Although Majid Al Futtaim told Amnesty International that it prohibits retaliation against anyone sharing a “good-faith concern”, workers reported that if they resisted working extra hours, they would be threatened with not being paid or facing dismissal.

    Baburam* told Amnesty International:

    “It was tough to work that long. But the manager wouldn’t let me go… He would say, ‘You must complete the order process, then you can go.’ What could I do? If we didn’t work 15 hours, he would also say, ‘I will terminate you. I won’t pay for your overtime’.”

    Being ‘terminated’ from these facilities could result in workers being made ‘jobless’ until their labour supply company found them a new role – often weeks or months later. During this time, the worker would be left with no income from the supply company or support from the Saudi Arabian state.

    Gopal* said: “Had I complained, I could have lost my job. That’s why I couldn’t complain. Once, 14 or 15 workers complained about it, and they were expelled from the job. When a worker loses his job, the supply company makes him jobless for four to five months.”

    Had I complained, I could have lost my job. That’s why I couldn’t complain.

    Gopal*, contracted worker

    High risks of forced labour        

    The experiences of workers interviewed by Amnesty International indicates that the two key elements of forced labour – involuntary work and threat of penalty – are present in Carrefour Group’s franchise operations in Saudi Arabia.

    While Carrefour Group’s policies make clear it is aware of its responsibilities and has committed to upholding international human rights standards, including throughout its franchises and suppliers, Amnesty International’s research demonstrates that its due diligence processes are wholly inadequate. This is despite the fact that in Saudi Arabia, the severity and frequency of labour abuses – including forced labour – are acute and well-documented.

    “It is well known that despite some reforms, migrant workers in Saudi Arabia continue to be subjected to the country’s Kafala sponsorship system, have no guaranteed minimum wage and are prohibited from joining or forming trade unions. Carrefour has no excuse for failing to protect its workers from exploitation, and no justification to avoid paying them the compensation they deserve,” said Marta Schaaf.

    “The high risk of exploitation in Saudi Arabia highlights an undeniable need for fundamental reform of the country’s labour system. The ILO Governing Body should urgently open an investigation into violations of workers’ rights and ensure Saudi Arabia brings its labour laws and practices fully in line with international standards.”

    In response to Amnesty International’s findings, Carrefour Group and Majid Al Futtaim said they have launched an internal investigation into the treatment of migrant workers in their Saudi Arabia facilities, while Carrefour Group has also instructed a third-party audit of its franchise partner’s operations. Majid Al Futtaim detailed steps it has taken to remediate abuses since Amnesty International first alerted it, including moving some workers to new housing; reviewing policies on overtime and the ban on recruitment fees; increasing screening of new suppliers and improving access to its employee hotline.

    “Serious questions remain, however, as to why neither company identified or addressed long-standing abuses prior to being alerted by Amnesty International in mid-2024, including after we published our investigation into one of their suppliers last year.Neither company has yet committed to reimburse recruitment fees or compensate workers for harms suffered,” said Marta Schaaf.

    *Names of workers have been changed.

    Background information

    • Carrefour Group was a sponsor of the 2024 Paris Olympics and has an annual turnover of more than €94 billion.
    • Carrefour facilities and stores in Saudi Arabia are operated by UAE-based Majid Al Futtaim via a franchise agreement with Carrefour Group, headquartered in France.
    • The ILO Governing Body is due to discuss BWI’s complaint on 7 November.
    • Following Amnesty International’s Amazon investigation, Amazon eventually paid over $1.9 million to reimburse recruitment fees to over 700 workers.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Saudi Arabia: migrant workers at Carrefour sites exploited and forced to live in squalor – new report

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Workers from Nepal, India and Pakistan made to work 16-hour days and threatened with costly lay-offs if they refused to work overtime

    Workers report sleeping six or eight to a room, with one describing it as ‘like a cowshed’

    ‘Inside Carrefour stores, workers are not treated as humans. They treat workers as animals’ – former warehouse picker

    Carrefour, a sponsor of the Paris Olympics with an annual turnover of more than €94 billion, says it has launched an internal investigation 

    ‘Migrant workers in Saudi Arabia continue to be subjected to the country’s kafala sponsorship system, have no guaranteed minimum wage and are prohibited from joining or forming trade unions’ – Marta Schaaf 

    Migrant workers contracted to sites in Saudi Arabia franchised by French retail giant Carrefour have been deceived by recruitment agents, made to work excessive hours, denied days off and cheated of their earnings, said Amnesty International today in a new report. 

    In a 56-page report – ‘I would fear going to work’: Labour exploitation at Carrefour sites in Saudi Arabia – Amnesty also shows how workers have been made to live in squalid accommodation and to fear being fired if they complained or resisted working overtime.

    The research – based on interviews with 17 men from Nepal, India and Pakistan who worked in various Carrefour facilities in Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah between 2021 to 2024 – shows that the abuses suffered by some of the workers are likely to amount to forced labour, including human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation.

    The Carrefour Group, which was a sponsor of the 2024 Paris Olympics and has an annual turnover of more than €94 billion – has a franchise agreement with the UAE-based Majid Al Futtaim company which operates Carrefour facilities and stores in Saudi Arabia. Neither the Carrefour Group nor Majid Al Futtaim took adequate action to stop worker abuses or offer redress to workers. 

    To secure their jobs the workers paid recruitment agents in their home countries an average fee of £900 and often took on high-interest debt to do so, despite such charges being outlawed by Saudi legislation and prohibited by Majid Al Futtaim’s own policies.

    Almost all the workers interviewed by Amnesty were lied to or misled by the agents – sometimes with the involvement of labour supply companies – about the nature and benefits of the jobs in Saudi Arabia, or tricked into believing they were being hired directly by international companies. Many only found out they would be employed by Saudi Arabian supply companies – which are notorious among workers – after paying the fees, by which time most could not recoup the money paid and felt unable to back out. 

    In Saudi Arabia, the men were met with arduous work and repeated underpayment. They described regularly working 60-hour weeks, sometimes up to 16 hours a day, especially when business was booming in periods such as “salary weeks” and the month of Ramadan. In breach of both Saudi Arabia’s laws and Majid Al Futtaim’s own policies, workers said managers at the facilities – which included supermarkets and warehouses – would sometimes cancel their weekly rest days. They reported regularly having to walk more than 12 miles per day in their course of their working day.

    Anand*, a former warehouse picker, told Amnesty:

    “Inside Carrefour stores, workers are not treated as humans. They treat workers as animals. They keep on saying, ‘yallah, yallah’ [‘let’s go’, ‘let’s go’]. They cling to our t-shirt to make us work fast.”

    Many of the workers said the hardest part of the experience was not being paid properly for overtime hours as required by national law and company policies. As a result they were often denied dozens of additional hours’ pay a month, amounting to hundreds of pounds each year. Workers described a culture of fear, with those who raised complaints directly with managers at the Carrefour facilities reportedly ignored or told to take up the matter with the labour supply companies. Some workers who did speak out experienced retaliation from the supply companies or Carrefour facility managers, intimidating others into silence. Although Majid Al Futtaim told Amnesty it prohibits retaliation against anyone sharing a “good-faith concern”, workers said if they resisted working extra hours they would be threatened with not being paid or dismissal. 

    Meanwhile, accommodation provided by the labour supply companies was often dirty and overcrowded, contrary to Majid Al Futtaim’s requirements. Workers said they slept six or eight to a room, with one describing it as “like a cowshed”.

    In response to Amnesty’s findings, Carrefour and Majid Al Futtaim said they’ve launched an internal investigation into the treatment of migrant workers in their Saudi Arabia facilities, while Carrefour has also begun a third-party audit of its franchise partner’s operations. Majid Al Futtaim detailed steps it has taken to remediate abuses since Amnesty first alerted it, including moving some workers to new housing, reviewing policies on overtime and the ban on recruitment fees, increasing the screening of new suppliers and improving access to its employee hotline. 

    Marta Schaaf, Amnesty International’s Director of Climate, Economic and Social Justice, and Corporate Accountability, said:

    “Workers thought they were opening the door to a better life but instead many were subjected to appalling exploitation and abuse. 

    “Carrefour’s inaction meant it failed to prevent this suffering, which for some contracted workers likely amounts to forced labour including human trafficking.

    “It is well known that despite some reforms, migrant workers in Saudi Arabia continue to be subjected to the country’s kafala sponsorship system, have no guaranteed minimum wage and are prohibited from joining or forming trade unions. 

    “Carrefour and Majid Al Futtaim should act to remedy the abuses – including urgently compensating those affected – and ensure that workers in their operations are never harmed again.

    “The high risk of exploitation in Saudi Arabia highlights an undeniable need for fundamental reform of the country’s labour system. 

    “The ILO Governing Body should urgently open an investigation into violations of workers’ rights and ensure Saudi Arabia brings its labour laws and practices fully in line with international standards.”

    Further case studies

    Baburam* told Amnesty:

    “It was tough to work that long. But the manager wouldn’t let me go … He would say, ‘You must complete the order process, then you can go’. What could I do? If we didn’t work 15 hours, he would also say, ‘I will terminate you. I won’t pay for your overtime’.”

    Being “terminated” from these facilities could result in workers being made “jobless” until their labour supply company found them a new role – often weeks or months later. During this time, the worker would be left with no income from the supply company or support from the Saudi Arabian state.

    Gopal* said:

    “Had I complained, I could have lost my job. That’s why I couldn’t complain. Once, 14 or 15 workers complained about it, and they were expelled from the job. When a worker loses his job, the supply company makes him jobless for four to five months.”

    The experiences of workers interviewed by Amnesty indicates that the two key elements of forced labour – involuntary work and a threat of penalty – are present in Carrefour’s franchise operations in Saudi Arabia. While Carrefour’s policies make clear it is aware of its responsibilities and has committed to upholding international human rights standards, including throughout its franchises and suppliers, Amnesty’s research demonstrates that its due diligence processes are wholly inadequate. This is despite the fact that in Saudi Arabia, the severity and frequency of labour abuses – including forced labour – are acute and well-documented.

    *Names of workers have been changed.

    Amazon research and landmark ILO complaint

    Amnesty’s Carrefour investigation follows a 2023 Amnesty report exposing abuses at Amazon facilities in Saudi Arabia, involving one of the same labour supply companies. Following the investigation Amazon eventually paid more than $1.9 million to reimburse recruitment fees to more than 700 workers. Amnesty’s new report comes just a fortnight before the International Labour Organisation’s governing body will consider a landmark complaint against the Saudi Arabian government regarding wage theft, forced labour and the prohibition of trade unions. The complaint was submitted by the global trade union Building and Wood Workers’ International in June, supported by Amnesty and other organisations.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Development Asia: Build Together, Benefit Together: Seoul’s Approach to Urban Development

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    Strong leadership, planning, and stakeholder participation are crucial to the success of Seoul’s approach to its urban development.

    Figure 2: Seoul’s Approach to Urban Development

    Note: SMG–Seoul Metropolitan Government; IoT–Internet of Things
    Source: Created by author based on data from the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

    Leadership. City leadership is vital in spearheading urban planning efforts and creating an environment conducive to private sector growth and citizen well-being. Strong political commitment is crucial for prioritizing urban planning and allocating resources. Political leaders should champion sustainable development goals, advocate necessary policy changes, and garner support for urban planning initiatives among various stakeholders.

    Clear laws and regulations. Clear policies empower city governments to enforce planning standards, protect public interests, and guide private sector investments in alignment with city objectives. The Seoul Metropolitan Government developed policies and laws that incentivize sustainable development practices, encourage investment in critical sectors, and promote inclusivity and social equity. Robust enforcement mechanisms ensured compliance with urban planning measures and regulations.

    Urban planning. A comprehensive urban plan, which strikes a balance among economic, social, and environmental considerations, is paramount for creating vibrant, livable, sustainable, and resilient cities. A well-crafted urban plan: (i) fosters an environment conducive to business, which attracts investments, stimulates economic growth, and generates employment opportunities; (ii) ensures a high quality of life by providing access to green spaces, recreational facilities, efficient public transportation, and essential services (education, healthcare, water supply, sanitation); (iii) promotes healthy lifestyles through pedestrian-friendly streets and bike lanes; and (iv) enhances resilience to natural hazards through strategic land use, building codes that ensure structures can withstand floods and earthquakes, and effective emergency response plans.

    Compact development. Zoning regulations should encourage mixed-land use and compact growth to optimize land use (e.g., setting a maximum limit on a building’s footprint and floor area ratio promote compact neighborhoods and vertical growth while preventing oversized tower block development). Incentives, such as tax reduction and deregulation, encourage developers to build high-density areas or include a mix of residential, commercial, and retail spaces.

    Stakeholder participation. Engaging stakeholders is necessary to ensure proper project design, support implementation, local resource mobilization, and sustainability of project achievements.

    Smart use of public financing. Focus should be placed on essential urban infrastructure and services that support private sector activities and promote social equity and environmental sustainability. Public financing should also support innovation and technological development, where commercial payoffs may be uncertain or lengthy for private investors. Incentives and risk-sharing mechanisms (e.g., tax breaks, subsidies, preferential loans, matching funds) can attract private capital to city priorities.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Building economic opportunities in Asia

    Source: Scottish Government

    Extending international business links.

    Scotland’s first Trade Envoy to Japan has been appointed to secure international investment.  

    Stephen Baker will identify new opportunities in Japan’s thriving energy transition, pharmaceuticals, med-tech and food sectors.

    Making this announcement ahead of a trade mission to Singapore and Malaysia, Business Minister Richard Lochhead said:

    “Increasing trade and attracting inward investment are vital components of a thriving, growing economy and the Scottish Government’s clear message is that Scotland is open for business.

    “Scottish businesses already have a strong track record when it comes to exports to the Asian market and attracting inward investment, given Scotland’s position as the UK’s most attractive place for inward investment outside London.

    “This appointment will help Scotland to increase business opportunities with similar Japanese companies and organisations, like Sumitomo’s £350 million investment in a manufacturing plant in Nigg.”

    The Scottish Government’s Trade and Investment Envoy for Japan Stephen Baker said:

    “Japan and the UK share a strong and vibrant partnership, with Scotland taking a leading role in the energy transition. Given Japan’s substantial economy, there are significant opportunities for trade and investment. Now is the perfect time to include Japan in your business strategy and I look forward to maximising the benefits of this global partnership for Scotland.”

    Background

    The unpaid Japan Envoy role will last for an initial two-year term.

    Mr Baker spent 21 years with Sony, before joining Scottish Development International in 2006, initially covering both trade and investment as Japan Country Head, and later as Regional Director for Information and communications technology, Creative Industry, Financial Services, and Global Business Services. Stephen also served as the Asia Pacific Regional Director for Inward Investment into Scotland.

    Mr Lochhead’s trip to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur will take place between 21-24 October. The visit will include meetings with existing and potential investors. Full details on Ministerial travel and engagements are published pro-actively online.

    Sumitomo subsea cabling plant was secured thanks to a £24.5 million investment from the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise.

    Scottish international export statistics

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: First Federal Savings Bank Celebrates 120 Years of Powering Local Communities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EVANSVILLE, Ind., Oct. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) congratulates First Federal Savings Bank on its milestone anniversary and faithful service to its customers and communities for 120 years.

    “From your first home to your forever home, startup or expansion small business loan, or saving for your golden years, First Federal Savings Bank has been a source of support for customers working to achieve their financial goals,” said Courtney Schmitt, VP Marketing Manager at First Federal Savings Bank. “As we reflect and reaffirm our commitment to our customers, we look forward to continuing to serve with honor and distinction to ensure our communities’ future prosperity.”

    “As financial stewards, community banks have always played a central role to the financial health and vitality of their community—whether funding their customers’ financial dreams or supporting community causes and events,” ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said. “Milestones like these showcase the value of community banks as relationship lenders and the impact they have every day in powering local communities.”

    About First Federal Savings Bank Member FDIC
    First Federal Savings Bank was established on Evansville, Indiana’s Westside in 1904. A community bank offering eight locations in Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Henderson County. First Federal Savings Bank is also proud to offer Home Building Savings Bank locations in Daviess and Pike County.

    About ICBA
    The Independent Community Bankers of America® has one mission: to create and promote an environment where community banks flourish. We power the potential of the nation’s community banks through effective advocacy, education, and innovation.

    As local and trusted sources of credit, America’s community banks leverage their relationship-based business model and innovative offerings to channel deposits into the neighborhoods they serve, creating jobs, fostering economic prosperity, and fueling their customers’ financial goals and dreams. For more information, visit ICBA’s website at icba.org.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Expanding coal mines – and reaching net zero? Tanya Plibersek seems to believe both are possible

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland

    Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s recent decision to approve expansion plans for three New South Wales coal mines disappointed many people concerned with stabilising the global climate.

    Two of these mines, Narrabri and Mount Pleasant in New South Wales, featured in the high-profile but ultimately unsuccessful Living Wonders court case, intended to force the federal government to take account of climate damage done by coal mine approvals. A lawyer involved in the case said Plibersek’s decision showed a refusal to “recognise their climate harms”.

    Why did Plibersek sign off on this? She has argued the mines will abide by domestic industrial emissions rules. As her spokesperson told the ABC:

    The emissions from these projects will be considered by the minister for climate change and energy under the government’s strong climate laws.

    But these laws apply only to emissions produced in Australia, which in this case will be from extracting and transporting coal and the relatively small amount of coal burned here. Most of the coal will be exported and burned overseas. Australian laws do not count those much larger emissions.

    The government is effectively washing its hands of the far larger emissions created when the coal is burned overseas. Since taking office, the Albanese government has approved seven applications to open or expand coal mines. Just this week, NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said his state would keep exporting coal into the 2040s.

    This reasoning doesn’t stack up. If we stopped expanding coal mines, coal would get more expensive – and we would accelerate the global shift to clean energy.

    How can more coal be compatible with net zero?

    Under the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate action, nations must publicly commit to domestic emissions reductions goals and are expected to steadily ramp up ambition.

    But these emissions cuts are domestic only – we don’t measure the emissions we enable by exporting coal and gas.

    The Albanese government has increased domestic ambition by committing to a 43% reduction on 2005 figures by 2030. This seems to be a substantial advance on the 26-28% commitment made by the previous government. In reality, internal tensions in the Morrison Coalition government handed Labor an unintentional gift.

    In 2021, estimates suggested Australia was already on track for a 35% reduction. But internal opposition among Coalition backbenchers stopped Morrison announcing this as a target. As a result, Labor’s change looks about twice as impressive as it should.

    Still, progress is happening. Domestically, Australia is now burning less and less coal.

    But in terms of exports, the government’s position – clear in Plibersek’s decision as well as the government’s plan to keep gas flowing for decades – is as long as there is a demand for coal and gas from other countries, Australia will be ready and willing to meet it.

    Most of the coal unlocked by Plibersek’s decision will go overseas, given NSW exports 85% of its coal to partners such as Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan.

    How does the government defend this?

    Expanding coal mines while maintaining a public commitment to net zero is a consistent theme between this government and its predecessor, which also committed to net zero. It meets a minimal interpretation of our legal obligations under the Paris Agreement, but maintains the planet’s path towards dangerous warming.

    In her statement of reasons given in 2023 as to why the Mount Pleasant mine expansion should be permitted, Plibersek and the Labor government offer several defences.

    The first is she is simply acting in accordance with Australian law, as the project would comply with “applicable Commonwealth emissions reduction legislation”. This is a weak reed, to put it mildly. The Albanese government, with the support of Greens and independents, can change the law whenever it chooses.

    In reality, the government has steadfastly resisted pressure to include a “climate trigger” in Australia’s environmental approval processes. Their resistance is relatively new – as recently as 2016, Labor policy included a climate trigger for land clearing.

    Labor’s second defence has often been dubbed the “drug dealer’s defence”. That is, if Australia didn’t export coal, other producers would take our place. As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has put it:

    policies that would just result in a replacement of Australian resources with resources that are less clean from other countries would lead to an increase in global emissions, not a decrease.

    As I’ve argued previously, this defence doesn’t work. Coal is subject to a rising cost curve – if we stopped exporting it, new or expanded production from other sources would cost more to extract and hence be priced higher. More expensive coal would, in turn, accelerate the global energy transition. We do have agency – we could choose not to unlock more coal.

    Finally, Plibersek claims emissions from burning Mount Pleasant coal – estimated at over 500 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over the mine’s extended lifetime – would not be “substantial” relative to total global emissions. For context, Australia’s total emissions are now less than 500 million tonnes a year.

    This “litterbug’s defence” suggest Australia’s emissions – whether produced domestically or exported – are not big enough to make a difference. This is not true – we are now the second largest exporter of emissions globally, after Russia. That is due largely to coal.

    Are fossil fuel exports untouchable?

    There’s a huge gap between global pledges to cut emissions and the reductions needed to actually achieve the Paris targets. Most countries we export coal and gas to are not yet on a path to achieve the reductions in emissions necessary to stabilise the global climate – though China’s emissions may, remarkably, be about to decline.

    That’s why we need to press for decarbonisation at every stage of the energy system, from extraction of coal, oil and gas to the financing of new carbon-based projects as well as at the point where the fuel is burned and emissions produced generated.

    The problem for Australia is we sell a lot of coal and gas – more than ever before. So even as solar and wind energy begins to displace coal and gas in domestic power generation, our coal and gas exports seem all but untouchable.

    We should be saddened but not surprised at this pattern. The Albanese government seems guided by the principle of doing nothing to generate substantial opposition – and to count on the fact a Dutton Coalition government would do even less.

    John Quiggin is a former member of the Climate Change Authority

    – ref. Expanding coal mines – and reaching net zero? Tanya Plibersek seems to believe both are possible – https://theconversation.com/expanding-coal-mines-and-reaching-net-zero-tanya-plibersek-seems-to-believe-both-are-possible-241007

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FS attends APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting in Peru (with photos/video)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         â€‹The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, began his visit in Lima, Peru, yesterday (October 20, Lima time) to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) and related activities.

         In the morning, Mr Chan attended the Finance Ministers’ Retreat. The meeting focused on discussing the fiscal policies of economies and several specific topics, including tax administration, promoting quality infrastructure development, and the digital transformation of financial services.

         Mr Chan introduced the latest developments in Hong Kong regarding these topics. He specifically shared Hong Kong’s experience in issuing retail bonds to support infrastructure projects that benefit the economy and people’s lives. He highlighted that this arrangement allows residents to participate in advancing infrastructure projects, and providing them with a safe, reliable, and stable investment option, while also raising funds for these projects. This approach achieves the dual goals of supporting inclusive finance and infrastructure development. Mr Chan also shared Hong Kong’s progress in promoting the digitalisation of financial services, including ongoing optimisation of the fintech ecosystem, launching regulatory sandboxes to test and promote innovative projects across various financial sectors, and facilitating data sharing between small and medium-sized enterprises and banks to facilitate business lending.

         In the afternoon, Mr Chan attended the High Level Event on Sustainable Finance under FMM, engaging in in-depth discussions with attending finance ministers and representatives from various business sectors on the strategies for the development of sustainable finance and transition finance, governance frameworks, and international cooperation. Mr Chan outlined the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s emission reduction targets and action strategies set forth in the “Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050.” He also shared Hong Kong’s latest developments as a leading green finance centre in Asia, including the issuance of green and sustainable bonds, participation in the formulation of relevant international standards and climate disclosure guidelines, talent training, and promoting transition finance to build a thriving green and sustainable finance ecosystem. Moreover, a steering group comprising all financial regulators has been established to drive related efforts.

         Mr Chan also met with Vice Minister of Finance of China Mr Liao Min, as well as several representatives from participating economies, including the Minister of Economy and Finance of Peru, Mr José Arista Arbildo; the Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance of Singapore, Mr Chee Hong Tat, and Deputy Minister of Finance of Thailand Mr Paopoom Rojanasakul, to discuss deepening bilateral cooperation and exchange views on common concerns. In these bilateral meetings, Mr Chan introduced Hong Kong’s latest economic situation and various policy measures set out in the Policy Address delivered by the Chief Executive recently. 

         In the evening, Mr Chan attended the welcome reception for the FMM.

         Mr Chan will continue to attend the FMM today (October 21, Lima time).                        

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Native Americans call for action against violence, trafficking of indigenous women at annual parade

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    People participate in the 3rd Annual National Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Parade in New York, the United States, on Oct. 19, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Indigenous Americans urged efforts against long-standing violence and sex trafficking of indigenous women during the 3rd Annual National Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Parade in New York on Saturday.

    “We’re still going missing and we’re still not being reported as missing,” Junise Golden Feather Bliss, a member of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe, told Xinhua at the parade, which was attended by Native Americans from over ten tribes from the United States, Canada, and Central and South America.

    In the United States, 40 percent of the women who are sex trafficked are identified as Native, and Native women are constantly being targeted by violence with 96 percent of cases not reported, Bliss said.

    “We’re here to bring awareness of the ‘red hand movement’ that’s been going across Indian country. … Too many of our women have been gone, missing and murdered since historical times,” Bliss said.

    A group of participants held a banner reading “No more stolen sisters” and “healing prayers.” Bliss said that a healing prayer was held with the hope that the next generations would be able to find the clan mothers, the traditional elders and resources.

    Beside allocation of resources, attention should be paid to policy and data collection to address the issue, she said.

    Organized by the Lenape Native Americans, the half-day parade marched through traditional Lenape hunting grounds from Madison Square Park to Union Square along Broadway. Indigenous Americans demonstrated their costumes, music, dances and storytelling.

    “We honor all the indigenous people of the world. … Anybody that’s been through genocide, anybody that has been put down by another culture,” said Carla Alexander, chief of the Deer Clan of the Ramapough Lenape Nation.

    “We try to lift up all the cultures so that everybody gets along in love and peace,” said Alexander.

    Atsila Firebird Graywolf noted that New York City has thousands of indigenous people who live off Indian reservations. “People don’t think that Native Americans still exist or we don’t celebrate,” Graywolf said.

    “The parade gives us an opportunity to show our beauty and that we’re still here,” Graywolf added.

    A group of Native Americans chanted “We’re still here” during the parade. The words were also printed on some participants’ T-shirts.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Kashgar’s ancient city rises from dust through people-centered protection, renovation

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    On a sunny morning in October, streets in the Ancient City of Kashgar come alive as the city’s daily gate-opening ceremony unfolds.

    Performers dressed in armor, reminiscent of Zhang Qian, a Han Dynasty envoy whose journey began around 138 B.C., bring visitors back to 2,000 years ago.

    The well-preserved city appears untouched by time. However, the ancient city, part of Kashgar’s old town, was a dilapidated and dusty zone only decades ago.

    A local proverb reflected the hardships of that time, “Sewage dried in the air, trash swept by the breeze, pipes hung on the wall, and to use the toilet, you’d risk a fall.”

    Renaud Andre Roger Yves Lambert, Asia editor for Le Monde Diplomatique, gazed at a photo of the old town before its renovation and asked, “Was there an earthquake here?”

    What stands today is the result of China’s unwavering commitment to protecting ancient heritage and ensuring the well-being of its people.

    In response to the people’s pressing needs, the local government adopted a tailored approach, providing each household with a customized design that aimed to retain its original architectural style as much as possible. This strategy not only maintained the city’s distinctive features but also transformed it into a livable space with modern amenities, breathing new life into the historic streets.

    Ground floors of residents’ homes were converted into charming shops, showcasing unique styles and creating a vibrant marketplace, while upper levels remained private family retreats. Various bazaars, each with its own charm, have flourished in the city.

    By the end of 2020, a total of 7.049 billion yuan (about 1 billion U.S. dollars) had been invested in the renovation project of Kashgar’s ancient city, and 49,083 dilapidated houses covering 5.07 million square meters had been renovated.

    The renovated city has now created employment for over 10,000 people. With a growing influx of domestic and international tourists, it has become a popular social media hotspot and has successfully upgraded to a national 5A-level scenic spot, the highest standard for tourist attractions in China.

    Salamaiti Guli, the owner of a charming guesthouse with intricately carved wooden doors and sun-dappled courtyards, considered herself one of the biggest beneficiaries of the renovation project.

    “My house used to be in a dangerous condition, but after the government’s protective renovation, it became both sturdy and beautiful,” said Guli. “Since it is located in a scenic area, it has been transformed into a guesthouse offering both accommodations and performances.”

    The performance at Guli’s Home soon transformed the afternoon into a celebration of color and sound, enthralling guests from Croatia, Oman, and Ecuador. Infected by the rhythmic traditional music, they joined hands with locals, twirling and swaying in perfect harmony.

    “I hope friends from all over the world come to visit my home,” Guli said.

    Another resident, who has lived here for decades, said, “After the renovation, we now have everything — water, electricity, heating, and a fully equipped kitchen and bathroom. Living here is truly comfortable.”

    As he spoke, his wife busied herself at the new stove, filling the air with the mouthwatering aroma of freshly cooked food. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Save the Children statement: ‘Rohingya refugees must be given humanitarian assistance and protection’

    Source: Save the Children

    Save the Children is calling for Indonesia and other countries in Asia to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees after a boat carrying more than 100 Rohingya, including women and children, was sighted off the coast of Indonesia.
    The wooden fishing boat is carrying more than 100 Rohingya refugees according to local authorities and fishermen and is anchored around 5 kilometers off the coast of South Aceh[1]. This is the first boat carrying Rohingya refugees to arrive in Indonesia since March 2024.
    It was not immediately clear where the boat has come from. Earlier in the week local fishermen and authorities said they had discovered in the sea the body of a woman thought to be a Rohingya woman, but it was not immediately clear if the woman was a passenger on the boat.
    From November 2023 to date, at least 15 boats carrying more than 2,000 Rohingya refugees (73% of whom are women and children) landed in Aceh and North Sumatra, Indonesia, a staggering 298% increase from the 574 people who arrived in 2022.[2]
    While many have since departed Indonesia, around 1,000 remain in informal and temporary accommodation in Aceh, North Sumatra, and Riau Provinces.[3]
    Fadli Usman, Humanitarian Director at Save the Children in Indonesia, said:
    “Nobody should have to put their lives at risk to make perilous journeys by sea in search of a better life, but this is sadly the reality for Rohingya refugees who have undertaken dangerous sea journeys, often in boats that are not sea worthy, to seek protection, to access livelihoods and education, and to reunite with families.
    “Indonesia has displayed strong solidarity and humanity in the past by allowing Rohingya refugees to disembark and should continue to do so. We’re also calling on governments in Asia, including Indonesia, to honour their international commitments and provide humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees, including children. Around 40% of Rohingya arrivals in Indonesia so far this year have been children. Among other horrors, these children are at risk of physical abuse, malnutrition, gender-based violence and exploitation. No child should have to go through the ordeals that Rohingya children do during these journeys. We must ensure that the Rohingya are not forgotten.”
    Save the Children is also calling on the international community to take on their share of responsibility, by stepping up financial support for Rohingya refugees arriving on boats to Indonesia and other countries in the region.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: “Dispiriting, dangerous, anti-development” education and health cuts by nearly every country with World Bank and IMF loans

    Source: Oxfam –

    New global index reveals that nine out of ten countries worldwide are pursuing policies that are likely to increase levels of economic inequality.

    94 percent of countries (94 out of 100 countries) with current World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans have cut vital investments in public education, health and social protection over the past two years, according to a new report published today by Oxfam and Development Finance International (DFI).

    The figure is even higher for International Development Association (IDA) countries, the world’s poorest countries —95 percent (40 out of 42 countries) have pursued such cuts.

    “These cuts are not just dispiriting; they’re dangerous and fundamentally anti-development,” said Kate Donald, Head of Oxfam International’s Washington DC Office. “Too many Global South countries are facing the agonizing choice between investing in education and health or adopting austerity measures to keep up with crushing debt payments. These decisions come at a terrible human cost —millions of people depend on public services to thrive and build better lives for themselves and their children.”

    “Last year, we applauded the World Bank for finally making inequality an institutional priority. But our latest findings show that both the Bank and IMF have a lot of work to do if they are to genuinely contribute to tackling inequality rather than perpetuate it,” said Donald.

    In 2023, under growing pressure from economists, shareholders and civil society, the World Bank introduced its first-ever “vision indicator” aimed at reducing the number of countries with high inequality (Gini of 0.4 or above). Despite this step forward, the Bank has watered down previous commitments to support progressive taxation, including increased taxation of the super-rich. Tackling inequality has so far not been incorporated into the policy framework for the upcoming replenishment of the Bank’s IDA, which provides grants or low-interest loans to the world’s poorest countries, over half of which are in Africa. Inequality is high or increasing in 54 percent of countries that receive funds from IDA.

    Using the latest data from government budgets, the “Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index 2024” ranks 164 governments on their policies regarding public services, tax, and workers’ rights —policies central to reducing inequality. This year’s edition shows that, for the first time since the Index began in 2017, the majority of countries are backsliding across all the three critical areas.

    Overall, 84 percent of countries have cut investment in education, health and social protection, 81 percent weakened their tax systems’ ability to reduce inequality, and in 90 percent of them, labour rights and minimum wages have worsened.

    Some countries have improved their ranking since 2022. Burkina Faso and Vanuatu increased their minimum wage, Croatia boosted investment in health, and Guyana retains one of the highest corporate tax rates (40 percent).

    Others have fallen sharply, including Argentina whose new government has slashed public health and education budgets by 76 percent and 60 percent, respectively, and is phasing out the country’s wealth tax. Pakistan has cut education and social protection budget shares by a third under IMF-imposed austerity measures.

    Even the top performers, high-income countries led by Norway and Canada, are lagging in many indicators. Around 5 percent of their populations face catastrophic out-of-pocket healthcare costs. Excepting Japan, most have low rates of corporate income tax. Denmark has been cutting the income tax rate paid by the richest 1 percent for years.

    The bottom performers in the Index remain dominated by those from Sub-Saharan Africa (all countries in the region have World Bank and IMF programs). In addition to low tax revenues, the debt crisis, conflict and climate breakdown are diverting scarce resources from education, health and social safety nets. On average, low- and middle-income countries are spending 48 percent of their budgets on debt service, far more than they do on education and health combined. Six of the bottom ten countries are in or at high risk of debt distress.

    Higher taxes on the income and wealth of the super-rich could raise trillions of dollars to plug financing gaps for public services in low- and middle-income countries. At the G20 finance ministers’ meeting in July 2024, for the first time in history, the world’s largest economies agreed to cooperate to tax the ultra-rich, a move welcomed by President of the World Bank Ajay Banga.

    “The world’s governments are doing even less to fight inequality, exacerbating extremism and undermining growth. With the World Bank adopting a new anti-inequality target, the World Bank and IMF have a new opportunity to champion policies which cut inequality —free public services, fairer tax systems, and stronger workers’ rights. They must seize this with both hands,” said Matthew Martin, Executive Director of DFI.
     

    Download Oxfam and DFI’s “Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index 2024” at http://www.inequalityindex.org. Development Finance International (DFI) is a non-profit capacity-building, advocacy, advisory and research group.  

    According to Oxfam’s research, inequality is high or increasing in 25 (54 percent) of countries that receive funds from IDA.

    Significant investment from the World Bank is needed to radically and rapidly improve data on inequality, particularly on the incomes and the wealth of those at the top.  For more than 100 countries, the most recent data available is from 2019 or earlier, predating the last five years of crisis.
     

    MIL OSI NGO –