NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speech: Treaty Principles Bill, second reading

    Source: ACT Party

    Intro

    I move, That the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill be now read a second time.

    Mr Speaker, members of this House, who’ve so far been so fortified against reason, can still change their minds and send this Bill onwards to a referendum of the people.

    I ask that Members listen carefully, to understand the choice they’d be denying the New Zealand people by opposing this Bill.

    Five decades ago the House passed the Treaty of Waitangi Act. Parliament said the Treaty had Principles. It did not say what they were, but nor are they going away.

    Even the National Party-New Zealand First commitment to review the Principles will not get rid of them. It will not touch the Treaty of Waitangi Act that gave us the Principles, and it will only ‘review’ them in other Bills. Review, that is, with the help of Te Puni Kokiri.

    With the elected Parliament silent on the Principles, the unelected judges, Waitangi Tribunal, and public servants have defined them instead. They say the Treaty is ‘a partnership between races.’ They say one race has a special place in New Zealand.

    The practical effects of the Partnership Principle

    In recent years the effects of these principles have become more and more obvious.

    We’ve seen a separate Māori Health Authority.

    We’ve seen Resource Management decisions held up for years awaiting Cultural Impact Assessments.

    We’ve seen half the seats governing three waters infrastructure reserved for one sixth of the population.

    We’ve seen public entities appoint two Chief Executives to represent each side of the so-called Partnership.

    We’ve seen a history curriculum that indoctrinates children to believe our history is a simple story of victims and villains.

    Some will say a Government can change these things, and indeed our Government is. Here’s the problem, though. Another Government can just as easily bring those policies back, because the bad ideas behind them were never confronted by most of the Government.

    That’s why we see professional bodies, Universities, the public service, and schools watering the divisive idea that the Treaty is a Partnership, hoping it will grow again.

    The Problem with the Partnership Principle

    The Partnership tells us that Kiwis should be ranked by the arrival time of their ancestors.

    We’ve seen it in recent weeks with the disgraceful attacks on my colleague Parmjeet Parmar for being a migrant who proudly chose this country. That the comments were made by the Dean of a Law School, who faced no consequences, shows how low our country has sunk.

    The idea that your race matters is a version of a bigger idea. It is part of the idea that our lives are determined by things out of our control. They may have occurred before we were even born. It’s a denial that we each can make a difference in our own lives, and have a right to do so.

    This kind of primitive determinism should have no place in New Zealand. We are all thinking and valuing beings with nga tikanga katoa rite tahi, the same rights and duties, just as te tiriti itself says.

    That’s why the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill would finally define the Principles, in line with the Treaty itself, as giving equal rights for all Kiwis.

    The Principles Proposed by the Bill

    Let me read the proposed Principles. If anyone wants to vote against this bill, let them explain, specifically, why they oppose these principles.

    Principle 1

    The Executive Government of New Zealand has full power to govern, and the Parliament of New Zealand has full power to make laws,—

    (a)   in the best interests of everyone; and

    (b)   in accordance with the rule of law and the maintenance of a free and democratic society.

    Principle 2

    (1)   The Crown recognises, and will respect and protect, the rights that hapū and iwi Māori had under the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi at the time they signed it.

    (2)   However, if those rights differ from the rights of everyone, subclause (1) applies only if those rights are agreed in the settlement of a historical treaty claim under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975.

    Principle 3

    (1)   Everyone is equal before the law.

    (2)   Everyone is entitled, without discrimination, to—

    (a)   the equal protection and equal benefit of the law; and

    (b)   the equal enjoyment of the same fundamental human rights.

    People should ask themselves, what is the best argument they have against these principles? Are they prepared to say that argument out loud? If not, perhaps they should support this Bill.

    The Select Committee Submissions

    I now turn to the submissions to the Select Committee. I’d like to thank the Chair and most members of the Committee. They heard eighty hours of submissions, a near record.

    Submissions are not a referendum. If MPs believe the Bill should be passed depending on public opinion, they should front up, vote for the Bill, and send it to an actual referendum.

    Many bills have attracted large numbers of opposing submissions, and yet been very popular with the general public. End of Life Choice and Abortion Law Reform both attracted 90 per cent opposition at select Committee, but proved overwhelmingly popular with the public.

    So it is with these principles. They are supported by the public by a ratio of two-to-one, but most of the public are too busy working productive jobs to submit on select committees.

    Select committees don’t tell us about numbers, but they can tell us about ideas. I believe the submission process has been very useful.

    Some argued against the Bill’s first principle, that this Parliament has the full power to make laws. They said that the chiefs never ceded sovereignty.

    What they cannot explain is how a society is supposed to work without clear laws that apply equally to all. The answer is that it does not and cannot work. Those people who believe a County or an Indian Band having limited jurisdiction in a limited territory is the same as shared sovereignty cannot be taken seriously.

    Still others argued that maybe Parliament can make laws, but it cannot make this law. What they’re really saying is that they’re happy for the unelected to decide the constitutional future of the country, but not this House of Representatives, and not the people in referendum.

    Those are fundamentally undemocratic propositions. Anyone opposing the Bill on those grounds is really saying they do not trust the New Zealand people to determine their future. I’m proud that my Party does.

    There were two objections that cancelled each other out.

    One said, the Bill isn’t needed because Māori don’t have special rights.

    The other said, the Bill is an abomination because it denies Māori special rights.

    Which one is it? The truth is we are all equal, deep down, but too many of our policies aim to treat people differently based on ancestry. That is why we should remove the idea that New Zealanders have different rights, ranked by the arrival of their ancestors.

    A more interesting objection is that Māori have group rights to such things as language and culture. Some Māori have been told that this Bill would take away their mana, their reo, their tikanga. That is deliberate, cynical misinformation by opponents of the bill.

    The truth is that all New Zealanders have culture, we all have language, we all have customs. Māori are not alone in those things. The proposed principle two says the Crown should uphold the rights of Māori, to the same extent it upholds the rights for all.

    It means if we’re going to have Divali, Lunar New Year, and the Highland games, of course we should also have Kapa Haka. That is a vision of a country where all cultures thrive.

    The same can be said for language. We have media in many languages, there’s no reason te reo Māori should not be available. The Bill provides for that, we just don’t need to divide the country into a partnership between races to do it.

    Other critics said the Bill must be wrong because the unelected bureaucracy said so. That misses the whole point of the Bill. If we wanted to be ruled by the unelected we could keep the principles they’ve dreamed up. The problem is they contradict equal rights and democracy.

    Finally, some critics said the debate is divisive. I say it has revealed division. It has revealed a sizeable minority of New Zealanders simply aren’t committed to equal rights and liberal democracy.

    Conclusion

    I want to end with a quote from a Jewish man who wrote a book in Christchurch while hiding from the Nazis. The Book is the Open Society and it’s Enemies, and it’s been described as the most important book ever written in New Zealand. His name was Sir Karl Popper and he said:

    The more we try to return to the heroic age of tribalism, the more surely do we arrive at the Inquisition, at the Secret Police, and at a romanticized gangsterism. Beginning with the suppression of reason and truth, we must end with the most brutal and violent destruction of all that is human. There is no return to a harmonious state of nature. If we turn back, then we must go the whole way—we must return to the beasts…

    But if we wish to remain human, then there is only one way, the way into the open society. We must go on into the unknown, the uncertain and insecure, using what reason we may have to plan as well as we can for both security and freedom.

    A free society takes hard work and uneasy conversations. I’m proud my party has the bravery, the clarity, and the patriotism to raise uneasy topics.

    I challenge the other parties to find those qualities within themselves and support this Bill so New Zealanders can vote on it at referendum.

    If they do not, one party will never give up on the simple idea that all Kiwis are equal, no matter when your ancestors arrived.

    We will fight on for the truth, that All Kiwis are Equal, AKE, AKE, AKE.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Shared Vision, Shared Responsibility – Strenghtening NBFCs – Speech by Shri Swaminathan J, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India – March 28, 2025 – at the Conference of Non-Banking Financial Companies held at Chennai

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    CA Shri Charanjot Singh Nanda, President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India; Chairpersons of the Audit Committee of the Boards, MDs & CEOs of NBFCs, and Statutory Auditors of NBFCs, Executive Directors from RBI and my colleagues from the Reserve Bank of India, Ladies and Gentlemen. A very good morning to all of you.

    1. It is an honour to address this esteemed gathering representing the key pillars of the NBFC ecosystem —CEOs entrusted with driving business responsibly, Chairpersons of Audit Committees overseeing assurance, Statutory Auditors who ensure transparency and integrity, along with regulators and supervisors committed to maintaining financial stability and fostering a sound regulatory environment. The theme of our engagement today — “Shared Vision, Shared Responsibility – Strengthening the NBFCs” — could not be more timely or relevant.

    2. The evolution of the NBFC sector is indeed a story of entrepreneurial energy, innovation and social impact. However, as the sector grows in scale and systemic importance, so too must our efforts to reinforce its foundations. A resilient, customer-centric, and well-governed NBFC sector is a shared aspiration — and delivering on it our shared responsibility.

    3. NBFCs have emerged as powerful engines of credit. By complementing the traditional banking system, they have significantly expanded access to credit, particularly for segments that have historically been underserved or excluded. Through innovative credit delivery models that harness technology and local insights, NBFCs have been able to design customised financial products tailored to diverse borrower needs. Their agility and close connect with customers have enabled them to play a role that is not only complementary to the role traditionally played by banks but, in many instances, catalytic in building a financial ecosystem characterised by deeper intermediation and wider opportunity.

    4. The importance of NBFCs has only grown with time. In fact, over the past decade, their growth has consistently outpaced that of banks — a trend that has become even more pronounced in the last few years. This rapid growth is a testament to the sector’s relevance and resilience — but it also raises the stakes. As NBFCs become more systemically important, the standards of governance, risk management, and customer treatment must rise accordingly.

    Understanding the Risks- Need for Responsible Innovation

    5. The business model of NBFCs — while effective — comes with its own set of structural risks. Their funding is short-term as compared to the maturity of their lending or is directed towards higher-risk customer segments.

    6. This maturity and credit transformation is at the heart of the NBFC model — but it also demands a heightened focus on risk management. If not carefully managed, it can create vulnerabilities, especially during periods of market stress or liquidity shocks.

    7. Risk-taking must be intelligent and well planned, and never beyond the risk absorption capacity of the entity concerned. Liquidity and credit risks must be rigorously assessed and managed. Asset-liability mismatches, nature and tenor of the funding sources, and concentration risks all need board-level oversight which should be ably supported by robust internal controls.

    Growth with Fairness: Customer-Centricity is Non-Negotiable

    8. Most importantly, even as we pursue scale, speed, and profits, we must not lose sight of fairness to the customer — that is the cornerstone of a sustainable business model. The NBFC sector must live up to its promise of inclusion by treating customers with dignity, transparency, and care. This entails ensuring transparent and easy-to-understand pricing, free from hidden charges or usurious interest rates. In instances of default, recovery practices must be conducted in an empathetic and respectful manner.

    9. Unfortunately, some NBFCs think they can pursue a business model where it is par for the course to resort to weak underwriting in pursuit of quick growth, coupled with excessive and unsustainable interest rates — at times masked as upfront charges or processing fees — which is followed by aggressive recovery practices upon default. Let me state unequivocally: this is not an acceptable model. Financial inclusion cannot be used as a pretext for financial exploitation. I urge each one of you to commit your institutions to upholding fairness in all your dealings.

    10. This responsibility for fair conduct is shared commitment by the CEO, the Board, and assurance functions in any entity. A customer-centric culture must be driven from the top and embedded at all levels.

    11. How do we ensure that our shared vision is realised, and our collective responsibilities are fulfilled? One of the most effective ways is by strengthening both internal and external assurance mechanisms.

    Strengthening Oversight: the Role of Audit Committee

    12. Let me begin with the Audit Committee of the Board (ACB). Far from being a routine compliance requirement, the ACB is the lynchpin of institutional oversight and long-term financial health. It plays a critical role in reinforcing governance, guiding management on assurance, and ensuring the integrity of internal control systems. When functioning effectively, it becomes a proactive forum for identifying vulnerabilities and initiating timely corrective actions.

    13. The role of the Audit Committee Chairperson is particularly significant in setting the tone for effective governance. It is essential that committee meetings are held regularly, conducted with clear purpose, and thoroughly documented to ensure accountability and follow-through.

    14. The effectiveness of the Committee is in the substance of its deliberations. The ACB must actively monitor the adequacy and functioning of internal control systems — not merely to confirm their presence, but to ensure they are operating effectively in practice. Similarly, audit observations should not remain confined to meeting minutes; they must translate into timely and meaningful corrective actions. A strong ACB also tracks audit findings and ensures that corrective measures are implemented without delay.

    15. Equally important is the establishment of an effective whistleblower mechanism overseen by the Board or the ACB which empowers employees and grants them anonymity, to report unethical or non-compliant behaviour, without fear of reprisal.

    16. CEOs too have a crucial role in upholding the integrity of financial reporting. They must actively deter any attempts—whether deliberate or cleverly disguised—to misapply accounting standards or regulatory provisions. It is equally important to foster an environment where the Chief Financial Officer and Head of Internal Audit feel empowered to engage in open, honest, and transparent dialogue with the Audit Committee of the Board.

    The Crucial Role of Statutory Auditors

    17. Now let me come to the role of Statutory Auditors, who are an indispensable part of the assurance ecosystem. In fact, the role of auditors has never been more critical — not merely in checking compliance, but in upholding trust. And trust, once lost, is hard to rebuild.

    18. Auditors are expected to provide an independent, professional opinion on whether the financial statements present a true and fair view of the NBFC’s financial position and comply with regulatory and accounting standards. However, in today’s complex and dynamic environment, this is no longer enough.

    19. Recent incidents — both in India and abroad — have shown that traditional financial audits must evolve. Auditors must bring technical expertise, forensic insight, and an ethical lens to their work. Red flags must not be ignored. Complex structures, derivatives, off-balance sheet items, related party transactions, and provisioning policies must be closely examined.

    Facilitative Role of Regulators and Supervisors

    20. As regulators and supervisors, we shoulder a dual responsibility — to safeguard stability and discipline, while also fostering an environment that encourages innovation, inclusion, and sustainable growth. Contrary to perception in certain quarters, our approach actively seeks to strike the right balance. At the Reserve Bank of India, we are acutely aware that regulation is not merely about control; it is about enabling responsible financial intermediation within a well-defined and transparent framework. Several initiatives in recent years reflect this facilitative and proportionate approach to regulation. In my previous role as a commercial banker, I had the fortuitous opportunity to be closely associated with one such initiative -the Regulations Review Authority 2.0 – which reinforced the RBI’s strong commitment to easing the regulatory burden and streamlining compliance without compromising regulatory objectives.

    21. The regulatory framework for NBFCs has evolved in the recent years with this understanding — gradually moving toward greater harmonisation with banks where warranted, while still preserving operational flexibility suited to the unique role NBFCs play in the financial system. The introduction of the scale-based regulatory framework explicitly recognises that the intensity of regulation and supervision must be proportionate to systemic importance. At the same time, the regulatory architecture encourages the development of responsible innovation and healthy competition in the sector.

    22. Similarly, the role of the supervisor has also become more interactive and forward-looking. It is not just about identifying compliance breaches after the fact, but about engaging with entities to strengthen internal systems, enhance governance, and build resilience against emerging risks. Through onsite inspections, offsite surveillance, thematic reviews, and structured engagements, the supervisory process aims to be a partner in the financial sector’s long-term soundness — not an impediment to its progress.

    Conclusion

    23. Our shared vision is clear: a dynamic, inclusive, and trusted NBFC sector that complements the banking system and serves the evolving needs of the Indian economy. And the way to achieve it is through shared responsibility — in governance, in customer protection, in financial prudence, and in ethical conduct.

    24. We in the regulatory community stand committed to supporting this journey. Our intent is not to stifle innovation but to ensure that growth is sustainable, risks are well-managed, and customer trust is never compromised. On behalf of the RBI, I can assure you that as regulators and supervisors we will remain committed to playing our part, not just as watchdogs, but as enablers of a robust, inclusive, and future-ready financial ecosystem.

    25. This conference gives us an opportunity to reflect on how we can contribute to this shared agenda. Whether making strategic decisions, chairing audit committees, or signing off on financials, drafting regulations or conducting supervision — we are shaping the sector’s future.

    26. Therefore, let us work together — with clarity of purpose and unity of action — to build a stronger, fairer, and more resilient NBFC ecosystem. Wealth creation should not just be for personal or institutional gain but to support the community, reflecting a sense of shared responsibility amongst all of us, in our pursuit to achieve an inclusive growth for all and realise the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

    27. With this I wish you all fruitful and enriching deliberations over the course of this conference and look forward to the ideas and insights that will emerge in pursuit of our shared vision. Thank you for this opportunity and wish you all good luck, Jai Hind!

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: US consumers rush to buy ahead of tariffs

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Americans are racing to make purchases before a tariffs war between the United States and its major trade partners across the world drive up prices, while some of the wealthiest people in the country publicly condemned the policy as potentially catastrophic for the economy.

    In recent weeks, consumers have rushed to increase their purchases of everything from clothing and electronics to cars and furniture, fearing that the costs of goods will jump sharply once tariffs fully take hold.

    “Definitely more people coming into store look to buy TV and electronics to beat the tariff increase,” San Francisco Bay Area-based Best Buy’s sales consultant Van told Xinhua Tuesday.

    The panic-buying has flooded online stores and big-box retailers, including Shein, Ssense, Amazon, Costco, and Walmart, according to The Cut and Facebook News 8 posts. Some online shoppers reported overnight price hikes of 5 to 15 U.S. dollars on items in their carts, citing anticipation of the tariffs.

    “I just bought a TV now instead of waiting,” one user wrote on Reddit. “Prices are already rising on Amazon.” Another thread on the r/carbuying subreddit discussed buyers hurrying to secure vehicles before tariffs increase sticker prices.

    The reckless tariffs, including a tariff on Chinese imports which jumped to 104 percent from midnight of Wednesday, targeted a wide range of goods, from electronics to vehicles. Critics said it will squeeze consumers by raising costs on everyday items.

    For some families, the shift is already painful. A mother in Texas told NPR she used her summer savings to buy back-to-school gear early. “We can’t afford to wait and pay more,” she said. “But now we don’t have money set aside for fall clothes.”

    The “tariff-induced shopping spree” span everything from electronics and appliances to clothing and cars, according to ABC News. Auto sales surged 11.2 percent in March as buyers rushed to beat the 25 percent tariffs on imported vehicles that took effect April 3.

    “Now is the time to buy,” Noel Peguero, a 50-year-old school worker from Queens, New York, told ABC News after spending about 3,500 U.S. dollars on car parts, electronics, and gardening supplies ahead of potential price increases.

    Consumers are actively sharing strategies about what to purchase on social media platforms before prices skyrocket. Reddit users who recently bought homes considered upgrading appliances early, while others on Facebook contemplated purchasing electronics like MacBook laptops before potential price hikes.

    Billionaire Mark Cuban added to consumer concerns by advising people on social media to “buy lots of consumables” before prices increase, recommending “from toothpaste to soap, anything you can find storage space for, buy before they have to replenish inventory.”

    The tariffs introduced on April 2 included a 10 percent universal tariff and additional “reciprocal tariffs” on more than 60 economies who have trade surplus with the United States.

    CBS News reported that the tariffs are actually paid by U.S. importers, who typically pass costs on to consumers.

    Financial experts warned the tariffs represented “the largest tax hike since 1982” and amounted to “an average tax increase of more than 1,900 U.S. dollars per U.S. household in 2025,” according to the Tax Foundation.

    Electronics could see some of the steepest price increases. The Consumer Technology Association estimated that laptop and tablet prices could rise by up to 45 percent, while smartphones may increase by an average of 213 U.S. dollars, representing a 26 percent jump.

    Clothing prices are expected to increase by up to 20 percent, while footwear costs could rise between 20 and 30 percent due to reliance on international manufacturing.

    According to an analysis cited by lifestyle blog Cha Ching Queen, toys could see among the most dramatic price hikes, potentially rising 36 to 56 percent.

    Meanwhile, several billionaires who were republican supporters during last year’s presidential election have broken ranks to criticize the tariff policy.

    Bill Ackman delivered perhaps the most stark warning on Monday, calling the tariffs tantamount to launching an “economic nuclear war” that would severely damage America’s reputation with trading partners.

    Even Elon Musk, who has been heading the Department of Government Efficiency, called for “a zero-tariff situation” between the U.S. and Europe during an Italian political event. Musk also criticized Whitehouse trade adviser Peter Navarro, suggesting his Harvard economics PhD is “a bad thing, not a good thing,” on X, his social media platform.

    Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone, a GOP megadonor and billionaire, also blasted the tariffs, calling the 46 percent import duties on Vietnam “bullshit” and describing the tariff rate on China as “too aggressive, too soon,” on CNBC.

    “The cost of materials for the project I quoted to a client must now cost a lot higher due to the tariff,” home remodeling contractor Jose told Xinhua outside the Home Depot store in San Jose, California. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: S. Korea’s opposition ex-leader Lee Jae-myung announces bid for presidency

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Lee Jae-myung, ex-leader of South Korea’s main liberal opposition Democratic Party, announced his bid for a snap presidential election via a video message on Thursday.

    Lee resigned as party leader on Wednesday amid widespread expectations for his presidential run.

    A snap presidential election was set for June 3 following the constitutional court’s removal of former President Yoon Suk-yeol from office on April 4 over Yoon’s short-lived martial law imposition last December.

    Lee, who lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon by the country’s narrowest margin, had been broadly seen as the most powerful contender for the snap election.

    According to a survey by local pollster Flower, 49.6 percent said they will vote for the Democratic Party’s candidate in the next presidential election, while 29.5 percent were in favor of the ruling People Power Party’s candidate.

    Lee was the most favored as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate with a support rate of 85.5 percent.

    The result was based on a poll of 3,004 voters conducted from March 17 to 20. It had a plus and minus 1.8 percentage points in margin of error with a 95 percent confidence level. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today met with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Mr. Masato Kanda, on the sidelines of the 12th ASEAN Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They discussed areas of potential collaboration to advance ASEAN’s initiatives on regional energy cooperation, sustainability, infrastructure financing, and sub-regional development.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai pens Bloomberg News article on Taiwan’s response to US reciprocal tariffs

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-04-08
    President Lai receives credentials from new Tuvalu Ambassador Lily Tangisia Faavae  
    On the morning of April 8, President Lai Ching-te received the credentials of new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Tuvalu to the Republic of China (Taiwan) Lily Tangisia Faavae. In remarks, President Lai welcomed the ambassador to her new post and thanked Tuvalu for its long-term support for Taiwan’s international participation. The president also noted that joint efforts between our two countries have produced fruitful results in such areas as medicine and public health, agricultural and fisheries technology, and information and communications technology. He expressed his hope that we will continue to deepen our bilateral relations so as to generate even greater well-being for our peoples and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Pacific region. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: It is a great pleasure today to receive the credentials of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Tuvalu Lily Tangisia Faavae. On behalf of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I extend my warmest welcome to you. Last year, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Tuvalu celebrated 45 years of diplomatic relations. Prime Minister Feleti Teo visited Taiwan in May last year for the inauguration of myself and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao and again in October for our National Day celebrations. When I visited Tuvalu last December, I was warmly received by the government and people of Tuvalu, and I deeply felt that our two countries were like family. Ambassador Faavae’s posting to Taiwan demonstrates the importance Prime Minister Teo places on our ties. Widely recognized for her exceptional talent, Ambassador Faavae is an outstanding official with extensive experience in public service. Moreover, during her term as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, she voiced support for Taiwan at the World Health Assembly. I believe that with her assistance, our two nations will further advance cooperation and exchanges. I want to thank the government of Tuvalu for long supporting Taiwan’s international participation. Furthermore, joint efforts between our two countries have produced fruitful results in such areas as medicine and public health, agricultural and fisheries technology, and information and communications technology. Last year, Prime Minister Teo and I signed a joint communiqué on advancing the comprehensive partnership between Taiwan and Tuvalu. Going forward, we will stand together in tackling the challenges we face, including climate change and expanding authoritarianism. And we will continue to deepen our bilateral relations so as to generate even greater well-being for our peoples and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Pacific region. Once again, I warmly welcome Ambassador Faavae to her new post in Taiwan. Please convey warmest regards from Taiwan to Prime Minister Teo and all of our friends in Tuvalu. I wish you all the best in work and life during your term in Taiwan. Ambassador Faavae then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great honor and privilege to meet with President Lai today as the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Tuvalu to Taiwan, and to present to him her letter of credence. She then extended, on behalf of the government and people of Tuvalu, her warmest greetings and deep respect to the president and people of Taiwan. The letter of credence, she noted, signifies the trust and confidence that her government and governor-general have placed in her to represent their nation and to foster and strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our countries. Ambassador Faavae said that our two countries have enjoyed a longstanding relationship of 45 years based on mutual respect, cooperation, and shared values. She added that we have collaborated, and continue to do so, in such fields as education, health, climate change adaptation and sea level rise mitigation, agriculture, clean energy, and internet connectivity.  Ambassador Faavae pointed out that Tuvalu remains committed to deepening ties with Taiwan and that it values people-to-people connections and our shared Austronesian heritage. She noted that the people of Tuvalu, a small developing nation, have greatly benefited from Taiwan’s advanced technical expertise and diverse financial assistance. She said she believes Tuvalu and Taiwan share a common interest and are united in our efforts and commitment to upholding democracy, peace, stability, and prosperity for our people and making the world better and safer.  Ambassador Faavae stated that as ambassador of Tuvalu to Taiwan, she pledges to work diligently and respectfully to enhance our bilateral relations, promote mutual understanding, and facilitate collaboration in areas of shared concern. The ambassador said she looks forward to collaborating closely with the Taiwan government and other stakeholders to achieve our common objectives and to continue building a more prosperous and harmonious future for our nations. In closing, she thanked President Lai for the opportunity to serve and to further the enduring friendship between our two countries.  

    Details
    2025-03-28
    President Lai meets British Office Taipei Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones
    On the afternoon of March 28, President Lai Ching-te met with British Office Taipei Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones. In remarks, President Lai welcomed Representative Bradley-Jones as she takes up her post in Taiwan, and thanked the United Kingdom government and parliament for demonstrating staunch support for Taiwan. The president indicated that Taiwan and the UK enjoy close economic and trade ties, and our industries complement each other well, with great potential for collaboration in such fields as semiconductors, AI, unmanned vehicles, and medium- and low-orbit satellites. He stated that he looks forward to expanding exchanges with the UK across all domains so as to enhance democratic and economic resilience, jointly advancing the prosperous development of the Indo-Pacific region and economic security around the world. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: It is a pleasure to meet Representative Bradley-Jones here at the Presidential Office for this exchange. I understand that she has proactively called at many government agencies since taking up her post last month. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a warm welcome. Taiwan and the UK are partners that share the values of freedom and democracy. In recent years, our bilateral relations have continued to deepen. With the efforts of Representative Bradley-Jones and our respective governments, I look forward to the expansion of dialogue and cooperation between Taiwan and the UK. This will further elevate our bilateral ties. Especially in the face of expanding authoritarianism, the UK is not only playing an important role in crafting a unified European response; it is also demonstrating staunch support for Taiwan through various channels. For example, joint statements released after the Australia-UK ministerial consultations, as well as the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, underlined a high level of concern for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The UK government has publicly expressed support for Taiwan’s international participation on multiple occasions. And last November, the UK House of Commons passed a motion clearly asserting that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 does not mention Taiwan. These actions attest to the UK’s belief in supporting democracy and peace, and have further solidified our countries’ friendship. I would like to convey my deepest gratitude to the UK government and parliament.  Currently, the UK is Taiwan’s fourth largest trading partner in Europe and second largest source of investment from Europe. We enjoy close economic and trade ties, and our industries complement each other well. There is also great potential for collaboration in such fields as semiconductors, AI, unmanned vehicles, and medium- and low-orbit satellites. We look forward to expanding exchanges with the UK across all domains so as to enhance democratic and economic resilience. We also hope the UK will continue to support Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership so that together, we can work with more like-minded partners, jointly advancing the prosperous development of the Indo-Pacific region and economic security around the world. Once again, I welcome Representative Bradley-Jones to Taiwan and wish her all the best with her work. I anticipate that Taiwan-UK relations will continue to steadily advance through our joint efforts. Representative Bradley-Jones then delivered remarks, first saying in Mandarin that she is honored to meet with President Lai to discuss topics of mutual concern and jointly deepen Taiwan-UK relations, promoting mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation. She went on to say that she came to Taiwan last August to study Mandarin, and began her post as British Office Taipei representative in February this year, noting that every day she learns more about and gains a deeper understanding of Taiwan. Last year, she said, she visited Tainan and Wanli, and found Tainan’s wetlands and the scenery in Wanli very impressive. She added that she has also tried many different Taiwanese foods, and is looking forward to experiencing even more of Taiwan’s local culture and customs over the next four years. Continuing her remarks in English, Representative Bradley-Jones stated that since taking up her post, she has borne witness to the strength of the relationship between Taiwan and the UK and the potential for it to continue to grow. She said that on trade and investment, there is significant complementarity between Taiwan’s Five Trusted Industry Sectors and the UK’s Industrial Strategy, particularly in areas such as digital technologies, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy. Both governments are also together supporting Taiwan and UK businesses through our Enhanced Trade Partnership and annual trade talks, she said. Representative Bradley-Jones went on to say that on science and technology, Taiwan and the UK can and should do more together. She noted that the UK has the third largest tech sector in the world and is valued at over US$1.1 trillion, while Taiwan is the center of the semiconductor and AI hardware world. Given our complementary strengths, especially in areas such as semiconductors, space, and communications technology, she said, the UK has stepped up its level of activity in Taiwan, including by regularly hosting a UK Pavilion at SEMICON and funding 18 joint R&D programs through our new collaborative R&D fund, and looks forward to doing more together in the future.  In support of Taiwan’s whole-of-society resilience, the representative said, the UK is supporting valuable exchanges, co-hosting GCTF (Global Cooperation and Training Framework) workshops, sharing lessons on financial sector resilience, and reaching out to mayors and community leaders across Taiwan. From financial resilience to cyber resilience, she said, the UK’s public sector and private industries have plenty to share and learn. Representative Bradley-Jones stated that on people-to-people links, parliamentarians, civil society, and academics are continuing to deepen contact, and that she is particularly excited by a new smart parliament partnership agreed upon by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the UK’s Westminster Foundation for Democracy, which aims to facilitate cross-party, cross-society, and cross-border exchanges on issues such as democratic governance, AI, inclusive policy-making, and public safety. The representative indicated that the examples she mentioned just scratch the surface of the full potential of the Taiwan-UK relationship. She said that the UK’s longstanding policy remains unchanged, and fundamentally, that is because we share a common set of values and interests. We are together focused on how to make our societies safer and more prosperous tomorrow than they are today, she said, and as like-minded democracies, innovative economies, and practical partners, the sincere and pragmatic cooperation between Taiwan and the UK is bringing material benefits to the prosperity and well-being of our people every day. 

    Details
    2025-03-21
    President Lai meets Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy
    On the morning of March 21, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy. In remarks, President Lai said that Alaska has long been an important trading partner of Taiwan, and that we have built a solid foundation for cooperation in such fields as energy, fisheries, and tourism. The president expressed hope that Taiwan and Alaska will have more frequent engagement and exchanges so that our relations can continue to grow to create prosperous development for both sides. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend my sincerest welcome to our guests. This is Governor Dunleavy’s first visit to Taiwan, and last night, we both attended the Hsieh Nien Fan (謝年飯) banquet hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan. I am delighted to have this opportunity to meet with Governor Dunleavy today at the Presidential Office for further dialogue. Alaska has long been an important trading partner of Taiwan. Our sister-state relationship was established in 1988, and we have built a solid foundation for cooperation in such fields as energy, fisheries, and tourism. Currently, Taiwan is Alaska’s eighth largest export market and ninth largest source of imports. This goes to show just how close our trade and economic ties are and how much potential there is for further growth. As I said in my remarks at last night’s Hsieh Nien Fan banquet, Taiwan is interested in buying Alaskan natural gas. I am sure that Governor Dunleavy’s visit will help us explore even more opportunities for cooperation and continue to deepen Taiwan-United States relations. In the face of such challenges as expanding authoritarianism, climate change, and pandemics, we look forward to strengthening collaboration between Taiwan and the US. By drawing on our strengths, we can jointly build non-red supply chains to bolster our economic resilience and drive the advancement of global technology. I want to thank the US government for reiterating the importance it attaches to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and its opposition to any attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion. These statements backing Taiwan help in maintaining stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region. Once again, I thank Governor Dunleavy for traveling such a long way to Taiwan. We hope to see more frequent engagement and exchanges between Taiwan and Alaska so that our relations can continue to grow, and we can create prosperous development for both sides. Governor Dunleavy then delivered remarks, saying that their trip to visit friends in Taiwan has been fantastic, thanking President Lai for the invitation to meet, and thanking all the staff. Governor Dunleavy said that as the pandemic was raging, the world went from “before COVID” to “after COVID.” Before COVID, he said, the world relied on a number of systems that were in place for decades after World War II involving supply chains, alliances, sources of energy, trading partners, and friends. He went on to say that as we go beyond COVID, we are reestablishing and reevaluating who our friends are, where we are going to get our energy, and who our trading partners are going to be. The governor said that we are creating a new world for the next 50 years with the new administration in Washington, and this is an opportunity for us to reevaluate and reinvest with our friends for the next 50 years in each other, our futures, and our security. Governor Dunleavy stated that one thing is for certain: that Taiwan is a friend of the US and a friend of Alaska, and has been for many, many decades. He said that it is their hope in this trip and subsequent trips to establish an even tighter bond among their friends in Taiwan, the US, and Alaska. The governor also said that we have much in common in that we are members of the Pacific family, are democracies, and believe in freedom, free speech, and capitalism. He indicated that he has much optimism for the future, and that as we reestablish relationships throughout the world, energy is going to be the key and the basis for our economic development, our national security, and our friendship. Governor Dunleavy said that he believes this trip is going to lay the groundwork for a fantastic future between Taiwan, Alaska, and the US, and that with President Lai’s support as well as the support of the US administration, we can work together to build even better relationships.

    Details
    2025-03-20
    President Lai attends AmCham Taiwan 2025 Hsieh Nien Fan
    On the evening of March 20, President Lai Ching-te attended the annual Hsieh Nien Fan (謝年飯) banquet hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (AmCham Taiwan). In remarks, President Lai pointed out that the United States is now a major source of investment in Taiwan, adding that last year US investment accounted for 11.5 percent of total foreign investment in Taiwan. The president also pointed out that the US has become Taiwan’s largest investment destination, as Taiwan’s direct and indirect investment in the US accounted for more than 40 percent of its total outbound investment last year. President Lai expressed hope that AmCham will continue to offer support in quickly resolving the issue of double taxation, further enhancing the mutually beneficial Taiwan-US economic and trade partnership. He also emphasized that one essential element for our economic prosperity is maintaining security and stability, both regionally and globally. The president expressed his belief that, so long as we coordinate our efforts, we can achieve more in our respective defense industries and build non-red supply chains, advancing peace, stability, and prosperity. A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows: I’m delighted to be here tonight. I want to wish everyone and their families a happy, healthy, and prosperous year ahead. For many years now, AmCham has acted as a bridge between Taiwan and the US. It not only advocates for Taiwan to various sectors in the US, but also offers advice for the development of Taiwan’s industries. So tonight, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all our friends from the American business community. The 2025 Business Climate Survey, published by AmCham this January, demonstrates the confidence foreign businesses have in the Taiwan market. We are happy to see that over 80 percent of survey respondents reported stable or increased revenue last year, and around 80 percent expressed confidence in Taiwan’s economic prospects for the coming year. Moreover, 90 percent of businesses surveyed are planning to maintain or expand their investments in Taiwan. The positive developments in Taiwan made by our American friends here tonight, their outlook for the future, and their confidence in Taiwan, are further proof of Taiwan’s ideal environment for investment. The US is now a major source of investment in Taiwan. Last year, US investment accounted for 11.5 percent of total foreign investment in Taiwan. In 2023, Entegris opened a new manufacturing facility in Kaohsiung and Micron launched a new facility in Taichung. Last year, Google further solidified Taiwan as its biggest R&D hub outside of the US by opening a new office here. AMD, Nvidia, and major cloud computing companies from the US have also been choosing Taiwan to expand their presence. Over the past several years, the US has also become Taiwan’s largest investment destination. Taiwan’s direct and indirect investment in the US accounted for more than 40 percent of our total outbound investment last year. Four years ago, TSMC’s [Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company] investment in facilities in Arizona became the biggest FDI [foreign direct investment] in a greenfield project in US history. And this month, TSMC announced it would expand that investment, breaking another record and highlighting the enduring prosperity shared by Taiwan and the US. In addition to TSMC, Taiwan’s GlobalWafers has built a 12-inch silicon wafer factory in Texas, the biggest in the US. This will be followed by many other industries. These companies are confidently expanding their global presence across the Pacific and eastward into the Americas. The US is moving to reindustrialize its manufacturing industry and consolidate high-tech leadership, as it moves to become a global AI hub. In these efforts, Taiwan is an indispensable partner for the US. While the US is a leader in chip design, Taiwan’s semiconductor manufacturing plays an irreplaceable part in the supply chain. Adapting to the changing geopolitical landscape and the coming era of smart technology, Taiwan will continue to promote its Five Trusted Industry Sectors of semiconductors, AI, military, next-gen communications, and security and surveillance. This will drive the next stage in our economic development. A great time to invest in Taiwan is now. We will continue to better connect relevant government agencies and align with international standards to foster a friendlier investment environment. And I am confident that Taiwanese and American companies can leverage their respective high-tech expertise and invest in each other, boosting growth in industrial innovation and development for both our economies. At the same time, we hope to continue deepening Taiwan-US trade relations. Last year, Taiwan was the seventh largest trading partner of the US, up one spot from the previous year, and bilateral trade grew by 24.2 percent. Taiwan is going to expand procurement from the US of industrial and agricultural products, as well as natural gas. I am very happy to welcome Governor [Mike] Dunleavy of Alaska, who has specially come all the way to Taiwan. Alaska is a source of high-quality natural gas, and its relatively short distance from Taiwan facilitates transportation. So we are very interested in buying Alaskan natural gas because it can meet our needs and ensure our energy security. We hope that AmCham will continue to offer support in quickly resolving the issue of double taxation and removing tax barriers to bilateral investment and trade, further enhancing the mutually beneficial Taiwan-US economic and trade partnership. One essential element for our economic prosperity is maintaining security and stability, both regionally and globally. So we are grateful for the joint leaders’ statement issued by [US] President [Donald] Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, in which they expressed their solid support for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. As we face growing authoritarianism, Taiwan will continue to uphold our values of freedom and democracy and will be a responsible actor in regional and global security. Currently, Taiwan’s defense budget stands at about 2.5 percent of GDP. Going forward, the government will prioritize special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds 3 percent of GDP. At the same time, we will continue to reform national defense, further enhancing Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities. And we will advance our cooperation with the US and other democracies in upholding regional stability and prosperity. We also welcome continued Taiwan-US cooperation in the defense sector. I believe that, so long as we coordinate our efforts, we can achieve more in our respective defense industries and build non-red supply chains, advancing peace, stability, and prosperity. In closing, I look forward to seeing even greater achievements from Taiwan-US economic and trade cooperation. Thank you. After remarks, President Lai, AmCham Chairperson Dan Silver, American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Raymond Greene, and Governor Dunleavy raised their glasses in recognition of the strong Taiwan-US friendship.  

    Details
    2025-03-18
    President Lai meets Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs  
    On the afternoon of March 18, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs. In remarks, President Lai said that Taiwan and Arizona enjoy close economic and trade relations, and expressed hope that through our joint efforts, Arizona will become a shining example for Taiwan-United States high-tech collaboration and the creation of non-red supply chains. The president indicated that the next goal for Taiwan and the US is the signing of an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation, which would provide greater incentives for Taiwanese businesses to invest in the US, facilitate the establishment of more comprehensive industry clusters, and generate more job opportunities, representing a win-win outcome for Taiwan-US relations. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I warmly welcome you all to the Presidential Office. Governor Hobbs previously visited Taiwan after taking office in 2023. Her leading a delegation to Taiwan once again demonstrates Arizona’s continued friendship and the importance Arizona attaches to Taiwan. For this, I express my sincerest gratitude, and I welcome you again. In recent years, ties between Taiwan and Arizona have continued to expand and progress. For example, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)’s investment in Arizona is the largest greenfield investment in US history. This month, TSMC announced that it would increase its investment in the US by US$100 billion. It plans to build more semiconductor fabrication and research and development facilities in greater Phoenix, transforming the area into a US semiconductor hub. Due to our close industrial engagement, we now have more than 30,000 Taiwanese living in Arizona. I would like to thank Governor Hobbs for taking care of Taiwanese businesses and people. I believe that through our joint efforts, Arizona will become a shining example for Taiwan-US high-tech collaboration and the creation of non-red supply chains. Taiwan and Arizona also enjoy close economic and trade relations. Taiwan is Arizona’s eighth largest export market and fifth largest source of imports. Last December, the first agreement under the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st-Century Trade officially came into effect. I believe this will help further deepen our trade and economic ties. At present, the next goal for Taiwan and the US is the signing of an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation. I hope that we can work together to achieve this goal as soon as possible. This would provide greater incentives for Taiwanese businesses to invest in the US, facilitate the establishment of more comprehensive local industry clusters, and generate more job opportunities, representing a win-win outcome. With Governor Hobbs’s support, we look forward to continuing to advance Taiwan-US relations and promoting further cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and Arizona across all domains. I understand that during this visit, you have visited many important companies and exchanged opinions with government agencies on how to strengthen bilateral relations. These efforts all go toward building an even more solid foundation for future Taiwan-US cooperation. Once again, I thank you all for supporting Taiwan and welcome you to visit us often in the future. Governor Hobbs then delivered remarks, stating that under President Lai’s leadership, Taiwan continues to thrive as a global hub for technology, innovation, and advanced manufacturing. She said that she is proud to be back in Taiwan alongside her secretary of commerce, Sandra Watson, as part of a diplomatic and economic delegation from Arizona. Since arriving, she said, they’ve hit the ground running, meeting with key partners, businesses, and leaders, noting that the takeaway from their meetings has been incredibly positive, and that they underscore the strong and enduring partnership between Arizona and Taiwan. Adding that our partnership that is built on shared values, mutual cultural appreciation, and commitment to innovation and economic growth, Governor Hobbs indicated that Arizona and Taiwan’s partnership extends back decades, as Taiwanese fighter pilots have been training at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix since 1996. She said that we have built a strong base of collaboration across many areas, including technology, workforce, and cultural exchange, and that Arizona is even slated to get its own Din Tai Fung (鼎泰豐), which she expressed she is very thrilled about. Governor Hobbs went on to say that Arizona’s relationship with Taiwan is anchored by its ongoing partnership with TSMC and many Taiwan-based companies in semiconductor and other industries, and that TSMC’s US$165 billion investment in Arizona will help power development of the world’s most advanced technology, such as AI, and promises to cement an unbreakable bond between our two economies.  She stated that as governor, she can say with confidence that her administration is fully committed to strengthening this relationship in every way possible, because when Arizona and Taiwan succeed, we all succeed. Lastly, Governor Hobbs once again expressed gratitude to President Lai and the people of Taiwan for their warm hospitality. She then invited President Lai to Arizona to continue their productive conversations and further strengthen ties between our people and our economies, adding that she knows there is no limit to what we can achieve together, and that she is looking forward to what is to come. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Raymond Greene.

    Details
    2025-04-06
    President Lai delivers remarks on US tariff policy response
    On April 6, President Lai Ching-te delivered recorded remarks regarding the impact of the 32 percent tariff that the United States government recently imposed on imports from Taiwan in the name of reciprocity. In his remarks, President Lai explained that the government will adopt five response strategies, including making every effort to improve reciprocal tariff rates through negotiations, adopting a support plan for affected domestic industries, adopting medium- and long-term economic development plans, forming new “Taiwan plus the US” arrangements, and launching industry listening tours. The president emphasized that as we face this latest challenge, the government and civil society will work hand in hand, and expressed hope that all parties, both ruling and opposition, will support the measures that the Executive Yuan will take to open up a broader path for Taiwan’s economy. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: My fellow citizens, good evening. The US government recently announced higher tariffs on countries around the world in the name of reciprocity, including imposing a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan. This is bound to have a major impact on our nation. Various countries have already responded, and some have even adopted retaliatory measures. Tremendous changes in the global economy are expected. Taiwan is an export-led economy, and in facing future challenges there will inevitably be difficulties, so we must proceed carefully to turn danger into safety. During this time, I want to express gratitude to all sectors of society for providing valuable opinions, which the government regards highly, and will use as a reference to make policy decisions.  However, if we calmly and carefully analyze Taiwan’s trade with the US, we find that last year Taiwan’s exports to the US were valued at US$111.4 billion, accounting for 23.4 percent of total export value, with the other 75-plus percent of products sold worldwide to countries other than the US. Of products sold to the US, competitive ICT products and electronic components accounted for 65.4 percent. This shows that Taiwan’s economy does still have considerable resilience. As long as our response strategies are appropriate, and the public and private sectors join forces, we can reduce impacts. Please do not panic. To address the reciprocal tariffs by the US, Taiwan has no plans to adopt retaliatory tariffs. There will be no change in corporate investment commitments to the US, as long as they are consistent with national interests. But we must ensure the US clearly understands Taiwan’s contributions to US economic development. More importantly, we must actively seek to understand changes in the global economic situation, strengthen Taiwan-US industry cooperation, elevate the status of Taiwan industries in global supply chains, and with safeguarding the continued development of Taiwan’s economy as our goal, adopt the following five strategies to respond. Strategy one: Make every effort to improve reciprocal tariff rates through negotiations using the following five methods:  1. Taiwan has already formed a negotiation team led by Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君). The team includes members from the National Security Council, the Office of Trade Negotiations, and relevant Executive Yuan ministries and agencies, as well as academia and industry. Like the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement, negotiations on tariffs can start from Taiwan-US bilateral zero-tariff treatment. 2. To expand purchases from the US and thereby reduce the trade deficit, the Executive Yuan has already completed an inventory regarding large-scale procurement plans for agricultural, industrial, petroleum, and natural gas products, and the Ministry of National Defense has also proposed a military procurement list. All procurement plans will be actively pursued. 3. Expand investments in the US. Taiwan’s cumulative investment in the US already exceeds US$100 billion, creating approximately 400,000 jobs. In the future, in addition to increased investment in the US by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, other industries such as electronics, ICT, petrochemicals, and natural gas can all increase their US investments, deepening Taiwan-US industry cooperation. Taiwan’s government has helped form a “Taiwan investment in the US” team, and hopes that the US will reciprocate by forming a “US investment in Taiwan” team to bring about closer Taiwan-US trade cooperation, jointly creating a future economic golden age.  4. We must eliminate non-tariff barriers to trade. Non-tariff barriers are an indicator by which the US assesses whether a trading partner is trading fairly with the US. Therefore, we will proactively resolve longstanding non-tariff barriers so that negotiations can proceed more smoothly. 5. We must resolve two issues that have been matters of longstanding concern to the US. One regards high-tech export controls, and the other regards illegal transshipment of dumped goods, otherwise referred to as “origin washing.” Strategy two: We must adopt a plan for supporting our industries. For industries that will be affected by the tariffs, and especially traditional industries as well as micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises, we will provide timely and needed support and assistance. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and his administrative team recently announced a package of 20 specific measures designed to address nine areas. Moving forward, the support we provide to different industries will depend on how they are affected by the tariffs, will take into account the particular features of each industry, and will help each industry innovate, upgrade, and transform. Strategy three: We must adopt medium- and long-term economic development plans. At this point in time, our government must simultaneously adopt new strategies for economic and industrial development. This is also the fundamental path to solutions for future economic challenges. The government will proactively cooperate with friends and allies, develop a diverse range of markets, and achieve closer integration of entities in the upper, middle, and lower reaches of industrial supply chains. This course of action will make Taiwan’s industrial ecosystem more complete, and will help Taiwanese industries upgrade and transform. We must also make good use of the competitive advantages we possess in such areas as semiconductor manufacturing, integrated chip design, ICT, and smart manufacturing to build Taiwan into an AI island, and promote relevant applications for food, clothing, housing, and transportation, as well as military, security and surveillance, next-generation communications, and the medical and health and wellness industries as we advance toward a smarter, more sustainable, and more prosperous new Taiwan. Strategy four: “Taiwan plus one,” i.e., new “Taiwan plus the US” arrangements: While staying firmly rooted in Taiwan, our enterprises are expanding their global presence and marketing worldwide. This has been our national economic development strategy, and the most important aspect is maintaining a solid base here in Taiwan. We absolutely must maintain a solid footing, and cannot allow the present strife to cause us to waver. Therefore, our government will incentivize investments, carry out deregulation, and continue to improve Taiwan’s investment climate by actively resolving problems involving access to water, electricity, land, human resources, and professional talent. This will enable corporations to stay in Taiwan and continue investing here. In addition, we must also help the overseas manufacturing facilities of offshore Taiwanese businesses to make necessary adjustments to support our “Taiwan plus one” policy, in that our national economic development strategy will be adjusted as follows: to stay firmly rooted in Taiwan while expanding our global presence, strengthening US ties, and marketing worldwide. We intend to make use of the new state of supply chains to strengthen cooperation between Taiwanese and US industries, and gain further access to US markets. Strategy five: Launch industry listening tours: All industrial firms, regardless of sector or size, will be affected to some degree once the US reciprocal tariffs go into effect. The administrative teams led by myself and Premier Cho will hear out industry concerns so that we can quickly resolve problems and make sure policies meet actual needs. My fellow citizens, over the past half-century and more, Taiwan has been through two energy crises, the Asian financial crisis, the global financial crisis, and pandemics. We have been able to not only withstand one test after another, but even turn crises into opportunities. The Taiwanese economy has emerged from these crises stronger and more resilient than ever. As we face this latest challenge, the government and civil society will work hand in hand, and I hope that all parties in the legislature, both ruling and opposition, will support the measures that the Executive Yuan will take to open up a broader path for Taiwan’s economy. Let us join together and give it our all. Thank you.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: US, ROK Air Forces to conduct combined CSAR exercise CSARTE 25-2

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    OSAN AIR BASE, GYEONGGIDO [KYONGGI-DO], South Korea — U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 51st Fighter Wing, Osan AB, ROK, and the 18th Wing, Kadena AB, Japan, along with Republic of Korea Air Force personnel, will conduct Combined Search and Rescue Training Event 25-2, at Osan AB, April 7-18.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: Mobile hospitals help patients regain vision

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    This photo taken on Aug. 13, 2023 shows the mobile eye hospital “Lifeline Express” in motion. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Lifeline Express, a project that converts trains into mobile hospitals for cataract operations, has provided free surgeries for 240,000 patients in 28 provincial-level regions across China, as well as more than 4,300 operations in seven neighboring countries over the past 28 years, the project operator said on Wednesday.
    The project was launched in 1997 as a gift from the people of Hong Kong to commemorate the city’s return to the motherland. It aims to help cataract patients living in remote and less-developed regions regain their eyesight, according to the Chinese Foundation for Lifeline Express.
    The foundation said the rate of visual improvement after surgery is 99 percent, with a significantly lower incidence of severe complications compared to the average. The cost of a single-eye operation has also been maintained at around 2,500 yuan ($341).
    Over the past 28 years, the fleet of trains has expanded to four, and the number of hospitals dispatching volunteer doctors has grown to 33, said Wang Hesheng, the newly elected chairman of the foundation and former deputy director of the National Health Commission, during an event in Beijing.
    The project has also donated 96 ophthalmology centers in 24 provincial-level regions and trained more than 340 grassroots ophthalmologists in cataract surgical techniques, he said.
    Since 2016, the project has increased its efforts in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, carrying out 4,360 cataract surgeries for patients in Uzbekistan and six other neighboring countries. It has also donated blindness prevention cooperation centers in four member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
    Wang said that this year, the foundation will strive to provide more flexible and efficient healthcare services, combining the advantages of hospital trains and mobile medical teams to reach remote areas.
    Zhang Xuegao, vice-chairman of the foundation, said the project is expected to dispatch two trains to six cities in the provinces of Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei, Henan and Sichuan, offering free surgeries for 6,000 patients this year.
    The foundation will also send mobile medical teams to five cities and evaluate the condition of two newly built eye care centers, bringing the total number of donated ophthalmology facilities to 98.
    Zhang added that two more blindness prevention centers will be established in Nepal and Tajikistan this year, adding to the existing facilities overseas in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
    The project will deploy its international team to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan from May to October for demonstration surgeries and academic exchanges. Foreign ophthalmologists from these three countries, as well as Nepal, will also be invited to China in the second half of the year to improve their skills.
    As China has recently stepped up efforts to boost cataract surgical capabilities in county-level hospitals, Health Minister Lei Haichao encouraged the project to deepen cooperation with less-developed regions. He emphasized supporting the launch of eye care centers in counties with populations of less than 300,000, upgrading medical equipment and offering training for local medical personnel.
    Lei also suggested exploring the potential of providing on-site medical services via road vehicles and offering online medical consultations, as well as strengthening cooperation with Belt and Road countries in preventing and treating blindness.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Registration rules eased to encourage marriages

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A newly-wed couple attend a group wedding at the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Aug. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    China has revised its marriage registration rules, reducing paperwork and giving couples more flexibility to choose where to register their unions as part of a wider push to encourage more young people to tie the knot.
    The new regulations, the first since the marriage registration ordinance was enacted in 2003, will take effect on May 10.
    Under the new rules, mainland couples will only need their identification cards and a signed declaration affirming they are not currently married and are not closely related by blood within three generations to register their marriages. Previously, they also had to present their household registration books.
    The new regulations will also lift restrictions on where couples can register their marriages, which were previously limited to their places of permanent residence.
    The change is expected to save time and reduce costs, particularly for the growing number of Chinese citizens who live and work away from their registered hometowns.
    One such couple, Zhang from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and her husband, Wang from Shandong province, have spent years working in Jiangsu province. When they decided to marry years ago, they had to travel back to Wang’s hometown to complete the paperwork, a trip that cost nearly 2,000 yuan ($277.50) and required them to take three days off work.
    Experiences like theirs were common under the previous system. According to the national census, 493 million people in China were living apart from their registered hometowns as of 2020. More than 70 percent were between age 15 and 35.
    The shift in regulations came amid a decline in marriage rates in China. According to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, 6.1 million couples registered their marriages last year, down from 7.68 million in 2023.
    Experts have attributed the decline to a shrinking pool of people of marriageable age, shifting views on relationships and the rising costs associated with starting a family.
    Many young adults are now choosing to delay marriage until they feel financially and emotionally prepared, a trend mirrored in market-driven societies such as Europe, North America and Japan, where traditional views on marriage have become more flexible.
    In response to these changes, local governments across China have introduced a range of incentives to foster a newlywed-friendly society.
    The eastern province of Zhejiang extended its paid marriage leave from three to 13 days, while the city of Lyuliang, Shanxi province, now offers a 1,500 yuan incentive to women who marry at or below age 35.
    The efforts align with broader goals, as increasing the number of newlyweds is often seen as an important factor in boosting the birth rate. As one of the world’s most populous countries, China is facing profound demographic challenges due to its rapidly aging population.
    In response, the government has rolled out a series of supportive policies, including enhanced childbirth services, expanded child care systems and greater support in education, housing and employment.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Mining Sector – Greens deliberately misunderstand coal – Straterra

    Source: Straterra Inc

    It is disappointing to see the Green Party continuing to demonise coal and deliberately misunderstanding its role in ensuring the lights stay on, there is food on the table, and steel to build with, says Straterra chief executive Josie Vidal.
    “The Crown Minerals (Prohibition on Coal Mining) Amendment Bill of Green MP Hon Julie Anne Genter, which has been drawn from the members’ bill ballot, is nonsense,” Vidal says. “Very few member’s bills make it into law.
    “New Zealand is reliant on coal for the foreseeable future and we can mine it in a sustainable way, taking into account very many environmental considerations, as we do in New Zealand.
    “Renewable energy relies on the sun shining, the wind blowing and the rain falling. When that doesn’t happen, coal is there as a backup to ensure the lights stay on and businesses can keep running.
    “There is a risk to energy security without coal and this was realised in winter last year. Due to supply constraints, extremely high electricity prices saw manufacturing plants close, both temporarily and permanently, and put pressure on ordinary New Zealanders who are already struggling with the cost of living. We have been assured this won’t happen again and energy companies have been stockpiling coal for this winter.
    “Domestically, coal is used in steel making; cement and lime manufacture; food processing including milk powder and other dairy products; heating commercial hothouses; processing timber, wool and leather; and heating commercial and public facilities including schools, universities and hospitals. If coal producers are forced to close down before users have access to affordable, accessible, and reliable alternatives, then the economy is put at risk.
    “An estimated 2.5 million tonnes of coal are mined annually in New Zealand for both domestic use and for export, all from open cast mines. We export primarily to Japan, South Korea, China, and India, but also Canada, Saudi Arabia and Australia, and export markets are strong.
    “New Zealand coal has highly sought-after properties, such as low sulphur and ash content, and superior swelling properties for use in blast furnaces. This coal is exported to steel makers in Japan, India, Korea, and Australia. At this stage, coal remains essential to steel production. That is why it has been declared a critical mineral.
    “The reality is the world still needs coal and is still using coal. It is up to the market to determine how long coal is used for,” Vidal says.
    Straterra is the industry association representing New Zealand’s minerals and mining sector. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Rosen Lead Colleagues in Demanding Trump Administration Reverse Course on Tariffs, Provide Relief for Small Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Tariffs that Will Hurt WA State Businesses, Agriculture & Economy, Raise Costs on Everyone

    ICYMI: Senator Murray, Commerce Director Nguyễn, WA Businesses and Agriculture Respond to Trump Tariffs Raising Costs on Americans, Tanking Economy

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and 11 of their Senate colleagues in a letter demanding that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and President Donald Trump immediately reverse course on the sweeping tariffs that are devastating small businesses in Washington state and across the nation. In the letter, the senators emphasized how these new taxes on imported goods are raising prices for hardworking Americans and creating additional challenges for small businesses at a time when high costs are already making it difficult for them to operate. 

    In addition to Senators Murray and Rosen, this letter was signed by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mark Warner (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).

    “At a time when our nation is experiencing an unprecedented affordability crisis, President Trump’s decision to impose sweeping tariffs on goods from virtually every country in the world will send a chill through small businesses across the country,” wrote the senators. “Given this, we urge you to work with the President to immediately reverse course on these broad-based tariffs to end the needless suffering this administration has imposed on small businesses across the country.”

    “With small businesses already being crushed under the weight of high costs and interest rates, we must do all we can to cut red tape and help them thrive – not create additional affordability challenges and uncertainty,” they continued. “To that end, we respectfully ask that you work with the President to reverse course on the 10 percent tariffs on all countries, as well as the exorbitantly high reciprocal tariffs placed on others. Failure to do so will raise costs, rob our small businesses of the certainty they rely on and undermine the economic security of small businesses across the country.”

    The full letter can be found HERE.

    Washington state has one of the most trade-dependent economies of any state in the country, with 40 percent of jobs tied to international commerce and approximately $60 billion in annual exports. Washington is the top U.S. producer of apples, blueberries, hops, pears, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries—all of which risk losing vital export markets due to retaliatory tariffs from key trading partners including Canada. Additionally, more than 12,000 small and medium-sized companies in Washington state export goods and will struggle to absorb the impact of retaliatory tariffs. Trump’s tariffs during his first term were extremely costly for Washington state—as one example, India imposed a 20 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. apples, causing Washington apple shipments to India to fall by 99 percent and growers to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in exports.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Capito Asks Superfund Experts About Extended Cost and Timeline of Cleanups, Examples from State and Community Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    To watch Chairman Capito’s questions, click here or the image above.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led ahearing on identifying improvements to the future management of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Superfund program. 

    In her questioning, Chairman Capito asked about particular factors that contribute to delays and increase costs of Superfund cleanups, and what actions can be taken from state and volunteer efforts to provide certainty for impacted communities. Additionally, Chairman Capito highlighted the bipartisan agreement to make meaningful improvements to the Superfund program.

    HIGHLIGHTS:

    CAUSE FOR HOLD UP: 

    CHAIRMAN CAPITO: 

    “Let me just kind of dig deeper on this remediation plan and hold up, Mr. Fox, that you’ve talked about. Is it a matter of the best strategy to cleanup a particular site? Is it arguing over the best way to do it? We’ve heard it’s not really arguing over who is going to pay for it, or is that the hold up? Or is it the science has not been done? I don’t know, point to one, or two, or three things in this process that we could change that would make this go faster.”

    ROBERT FOX:

    “There are very known ways to evaluate what the risk is at the site, and how to clean them up. Some sites are more complicated than others, but those general principles that I mentioned, about knowing who’s exposed, knowing what they’re exposed to, and eliminating those pathways – I don’t want to use the wrong term – but it’s not rocket science. We’ve been doing this for a long time. What happens is, the process is so cumbersome, the reports, the back and forth on scientific stuff. It’s not a science project where you have to study every molecule. You can get there much faster, get a remedy selected.”

    ADDITIONAL COSTS COMPARED TO STATE EFFORTS:

    CHAIRMAN CAPITO:

    “I’m assuming that you’ve done cleanups for Superfund sites, and cleanups for private or state level cleanups. So, I want to contrast those. When you when you do a cleanup, say, for a state, or maybe for a private entity, and you don’t have this cumbersome process, would you agree with Mr. Fox at some of the things that are thrown into the Superfund process – how does that work in a different, when you’re doing it for the state or for a private entity?”

    STEVEN RADEL:

    “In 2022 in Indiana, the Superfund site, if we had done that cleanup under the voluntary program of Indiana, versus how we did it under the Superfund program,

    just my consulting costs alone, and to some extent, my legal costs, probably two times more doing it on the Superfund site than if we were in that same work under a voluntary program.”

    CONCERN IN COMMUNITIES:

    CHAIRMAN CAPITO:

    “From the folks that live in and around Superfund sites, they have great economic development promise, in my view, because they are clean, it’s much easier for a developer, in some cases, to come in, because the work’s already been done. What do you see when you go into different communities, about the restlessness of, why is it taking so long, not adding the economics onto the health issues that are sometimes associated with this site. I think what we’re doing, is we’re stymieing communities from being able to have confidence that they can redevelop, or be living in a healthy community.”

    ROBERT FOX:

    “I agree with you 100%, I see it over and over again. Communities are frustrated because the potential exists for a win, win, win. Redevelopment of the site, protective of their human health and the environment, and the longer it goes on, they become distrustful. They become distrustful of EPA, they become distrustful of the private parties that are doing the work, and it feeds upon itself. Speeding up the process will get this back to productive use, and eliminate the exposure of these communities, and they will eliminate that distrust.”

    BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT:

    “I would like to say just in closing, that I think, first of all, this has been an excellent hearing because you’re all so knowledgeable on the issue, having lived it. But I think we have good, bipartisan agreement here that the system is broken. We’ve put more money in this, recently, and we want to see it result in the completion of these projects as much as you do. So, let’s work together to try and find a solution. Hopefully we can ameliorate some of the problems that have been identified today.”

    Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito’s questions.

    Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito’s opening statement.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: PNG’S Economic Growth to Moderate as Development Challenges Loom — ADB

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    After a rebound in economic growth in 2024 at 4.3% driven by both resource and non-resource sectors, Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) economy is forecast to grow by 4.2% in 2025 and moderate further to 3.8% in 2026 amid development challenges and rising geoeconomic risks, says the Asian Development Outlook 2025.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese rescue teams arrive in Beijing from Myanmar

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

    Chinese rescue teams arrive in Beijing from Myanmar

    Updated: April 10, 2025 09:00 Xinhua
    Members of the China Search and Rescue Team arrive in Beijing, capital of China, April 9, 2025. The China Search and Rescue Team, the China International Search and Rescue Team, and the search and rescue team from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region arrived in Beijing from Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday after completing their mission in Myanmar’s earthquake-stricken areas. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Members of the China Search and Rescue Team arrive in Beijing, capital of China, April 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Members of the China Search and Rescue Team arrive in Beijing, capital of China, April 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Members of the search and rescue team from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region arrive in Beijing, capital of China, April 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People present flowers to welcome the rescue team members in Beijing, capital of China, April 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Members of the China International Search and Rescue Team arrive in Beijing, capital of China, April 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Beyer Eviscerates Trump Tariff Policy In Hearing With U.S. Trade Representative

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

    Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today ripped the “logic” of President Trump’s insane tariff regime to shreds today during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Trump’s trade policy with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

    During the course of his testimony, Greer repeatedly advocated for increased tariffs on top U.S. trading partners – tariffs Trump abruptly paused during the hearing. Greer, who ostensibly serves as Trump’s top adviser on trade policy, obliviously continued to defend the paused tariffs to members of the Committee for some time until he was informed of the sudden change.

    Video of Beyer’s exchange can be viewed here. Some of his comments to Ambassador Greer: 

    “Ambassador Greer, you have a most awful job: to try to convince us and the people we represent that the President’s trade policies are wise and measured when the truth is they are stupid and bad.”
    …
    “I want to quickly run through a few of the ways the logic behind the Trump tariffs makes no sense. You got the math wrong, according to the people whose research you cited. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a New York Times article by former Treasury official Brent Neiman titled, ‘The Trump White House Cited My Research to Justify Tariffs. It Got It All Wrong.’ This math error had the effect of quadrupling the tariffs Trump applied to some of our biggest trading partners.

    “Trump exempted some goods – notably oil – but not others, including things we simply cannot produce in the United States. Why tariff bananas? Why tariff cocoa? Why tariff coffee? We don’t have the capacity to produce these things at a scale that meets domestic demand.

    “Trump logic equates any trade deficit with ‘cheating,’ in fact he called it ‘rape.’ But even this stupid logic didn’t help Australia or Brazil or Singapore, all countries with whom we have a trade surplus. How does Australia negotiate an end to a trade deficit that doesn’t exist?

    “Some countries have a deficit because we import things we want but they are too poor to afford our exports. A perfect example is Madagascar. We buy something like 60 percent of our vanilla from Madagascar, but they have one of the lowest GDP-per-capita rates in the world, and they just can’t afford many of our products. We just hit them with a 47% tariff.

    Trump is hinting that maybe if countries lower tariffs on us he might drop tariffs on them, a little bit or some or possibly. But Vietnam, knowing that Trump was coming, massively cut their tariffs on the U.S. to appease him ahead of his announcement last week. Instead you slapped a 46% tariff on them anyway. So what are the Vietnamese supposed to do?

    “Trump declared a phony national emergency and imposed tariffs on Canada to punish our closest ally for ‘fentanyl smuggling,’ despite the fact that our own government says the amount of smuggling at the northern border is vanishingly small, less than one percent. How does Canada get out of tariffs imposed for something we admit they’re not doing?

    “Trump is risking our economy to bring back factory jobs that pay far less than the 8 million jobs listed in the JOLTS report right now, 8 million jobs available in America, that pay far more in fast-growing like health care, clean energy, or data science.

    “The Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, is on television raving about shifting millions of Americans to work on, and I quote, “screwing in little screws to make iPhones.”

    “You guys are blasting nearly every product from nearly every country with these tariffs, Senator Tillis yesterday called it ‘a trade war on all fronts.’ It hurts our alliances, it is hurting our economy, it hurts our ability to make and keep free trade agreements – which is supposedly your job.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Children speak out: What tamariki and rangatahi really want from a safer internet – Save the Children

    Source: Save the Children

    Almost 1,000 children and young people across Aotearoa New Zealand have had their say on online safety in a new survey conducted by Save the Children and Netsafe – and the results send a clear message: children want to be heard and informed, as well as protected.
    The survey, launched in the lead-up to New Zealand Children’s Day in March, asked tamariki and rangatahi aged 6 to 18 about their experiences in the online world, what makes them feel safe, and what they want adults – including parents, teachers, decision-makers, and tech companies – to know.
    The survey findings were launched at Parliament this morning at an event in association with Netsafe, TikTok and Save the Children, with youth and online safety experts, industry representatives, and Members of Parliament in attendance.
    Key findings show that:
    – 64% of children feel safe online, but many say that safety depends on guidance from parents and knowing how to avoid harm.
    – Advertising and harmful content are top concerns, with more than 750 children calling for greater control over ads and stronger protection from harmful material.
    – Children want tech companies to step up – from limiting live chat in games, improving reporting systems, and taking faster action to remove harmful content.
    – Age-appropriate design matters – children across all age groups called for better age restrictions to keep younger users safe, and to prevent adult users from accessing children’s games.
    – Education, not just restriction is key – many young people said they want to be taught how to recognise and respond to online risks, rather than just having content blocked or being excluded as users.
    Save the Children New Zealand’s Director of Advocacy and Research, Jacqui Southey, says the findings show the value of listening directly to children’s experiences.
    “Children are not just passive users of the internet – they are legitimate digital citizens with real insights. Their voices highlight both the joys and risks of the online world, and their advice must be taken seriously,” she says.
    “This survey clearly shows that while many children feel safe online, they’re also navigating a world full of challenges – from harmful content to adult strangers in online games and unwanted advertising. They’re asking for more support, more tools, and more respect for their ability to understand and shape their digital experiences.”
    Netsafe CEO Brent Carey says the insights will help guide online safety strategies going forward.
    “We often talk about making the internet safer for kids, but we don’t ask them what that actually means. These findings shift the conversation. Tamariki and rangatahi are telling us exactly what they need – and it’s time we listened.”
    The survey responses came from a wide range of age groups and locations, with strong participation from girls (67% of respondents) and young people living in urban areas (81%). Social media use increased with age, while younger children were more engaged with online games and streaming platforms.
    One young person (aged 15-17) put it simply: “Please filter out content that is likely to harm the well-being of children and teenagers. A lot of stuff online – once you see it, you can’t unsee it.”
    Save the Children and Netsafe are encouraging decision-makers to use the findings to inform safer online environments that uphold children’s rights to participation, protection, and provision.
    About Save the Children NZ:
    Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.
    Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Joins Press Conference Highlighting Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Invest in Local Law Enforcement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    FTPs for TV stations is available here.

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) spoke at a press conference to highlight the urgent need to pass her bipartisan Invest to Protect Act. She was joined by Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.-05) and John Rutherford (R-Fla.-05) who introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives, as well as by local law enforcement officers.

    “Local police departments are the backbone of public safety for communities across the Silver State, but in conversations with law enforcement officers, I have heard over and over again that they need more resources,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This bipartisan, bicameral legislation gives small departments across the country a boost in funding for training, recruitment, and mental health support. It’s commonsense, and it’s time to get it done.”

    “The bipartisan Invest to Protect Act will make critical investments in our departments and ensure that our police officers in smaller towns across New Jersey, and our nation, have the resources and training they need to keep themselves and communities safe,” said Congressman Gottheimer. “If you want to make something better, you don’t get there by cutting or defunding. You need to make smart, targeted investments. You must invest, not defund. You can have both justice and public safety. You don’t have to pick between one or the other. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure we have both and protect our communities and officers.”

    “Small police forces are often the most resource constrained agencies and suffer the most from a lack of operational equipment and services,” said Congressman Rutherford. “As a former sheriff and career law enforcement officer, I am proud to join Congressman Gottheimer to reintroduce the Invest to Protect Act in the House to make trainings, retention tools, and mental health care resources more readily available for departments with fewer than 175 officers. It’s important we streamline the grant process for smaller law enforcement agencies to provide them with the resources they need to protect our communities nationwide.”

    The majority of law enforcement agencies in the U.S. are smaller than 175 full-time sworn officers, including all of Nevada’s rural sheriff’s departments and key suburban departments such as the Sparks Police Department. In Nevada and nationwide, these small departments often struggle to access critical resources. Cortez Masto’s bipartisan Invest to Protect Act would establish a grant program through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program to provide $250 million specifically to help these small law enforcement agencies make meaningful investments in their officers and communities. This bill is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police and the National Association of Police Organizations.

    As the former top law enforcement official in Nevada, Senator Cortez Masto has been a leading advocate in the Senate for our police officers and is part of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus. She has secured historic funding for the Byrne JAG grant program, the leading source of criminal justice funding in the country. Her bipartisan bills to combat the crisis of law enforcement suicide and provide mental health resources to police officers have been signed into law by presidents of both parties. Her BADGES for Native Communities Act, to support the Bureau of Indian Affairs with law enforcement recruitment and retention, passed the Senate last Congress.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: [Video] Smarter Living at a Touch: Five Ways Samsung’s Screen-Based Appliances Make Daily Life Easier

    Source: Samsung

    At the heart of Samsung Electronics’ user-friendly and safe AI Home lies one game-changing feature — the screen.
     
    In a 2024 survey1 conducted by Samsung with 1,443 participants across five countries, the most preferred AI appliance experience was “easier and more natural voice control” (32%) followed by “integrated touchscreens on appliances” (30%).
     

     
    Samsung first introduced a 21.5-inch screen on its Family Hub refrigerator in 2016. Since then, the company has incorporated a variety of screen sizes — including 4.3-inch, 7-inch and 32-inch displays — across its home appliance lineup. Samsung further broadened the scope this year to include both combined and standalone washers and dryers, as well as induction cooktops. Notably, a 9-inch screen has been added to the refrigerator lineup for the first time — offering consumers even more choice.
     
    How have screen-equipped appliances changed users’ daily lives? Samsung Newsroom highlights five ways Samsung’s Bespoke AI screen-equipped appliances help users get more out of their homes.
     
     
    1. Personalized Information at a Glance With Daily Board

     
    The dashboard-style Daily Board2 allows users to easily view personalized information right from the kitchen. Introduced for the first time this year, the feature is available on various screen-equipped refrigerators including Samsung’s new refrigerator with 9-inch AI Home screen.
     
    As users head to the kitchen for a glass of water in the morning, they can check the weather, view their schedule and even get recipe suggestions using ingredients stored inside the fridge — all from the screen. For a personal touch, they can also leave notes for family members.
     
    The upgraded AI voice assistant Bixby3 recognizes individual voices and offers tailored support from displaying schedules to helping users find their smartphones.4

     
     
    2. From Recipe to Oven: Orchestrating Meals With Ease

     
    Samsung’s screens go beyond controlling individual home appliances — they enhance the entire home experience through seamless device connectivity.
     
    AI Vision Inside5 now recognizes up to 37 types of fresh ingredients stored in the refrigerator and automatically creates a food list on the screen. The newly introduced AI Food Manager can also recommend up to 50 frequently used processed or packaged items based on usage patterns.6 From the screen, users can receive personalized recipe suggestions tailored to available ingredients. These recipes can then be sent to connected cooking appliances — such as ovens and induction cooktops — via SmartThings, making meal preparation smooth and convenient.

     
     
    3. Control the Entire Smart Home From One Screen

     
    With the Map View feature, users can monitor and control all their connected home appliances from a single screen.7 Everything can be managed remotely, from adjusting modes and changing temperatures to managing other key settings. Whether in the kitchen or living room, users can answer phone calls, monitor visitors or unlock doors — all through the screen.
     
    Notably, this year’s new models8 feature upgraded screens that go beyond basic control — now, they serve as smart home hubs capable of connecting to and managing a wide range of devices. In addition to Wi-Fi, the appliances support Zigbee, Matter and Thread for more compatibility with various smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems.9

     

    4. Just a Simple Tap To Enjoy Home Entertainment

     
    Samsung’s AI appliances make it easy to enjoy entertainment — either by mirroring content from a smartphone or directly accessing the internet or apps like YouTube and Spotify from the screen. For example, users can cook while watching a mirrored video on the refrigerator screen or use the washing machine’s screen to search YouTube for laundry tips and set the appropriate wash mode.
     
     
    5. Energy Use Monitoring and Smart Maintenance Tips

     
    One of the biggest advantages of Samsung’s large screens is their ability to intuitively visualize and manage energy consumption and maintenance tasks.
     
    With SmartThings Energy, users can track energy use and reduce consumption through AI Energy Mode. They can also access the Optimal Scheduling feature10 that suggests ideal times to run appliances based on periods of high carbon emissions. After each wash or dry cycle, the screen displays a graph that breaks down the time spent and energy used.
     
    To extend the appliance’s lifespan and ensure safety, the screen regularly checks device status and notifies users when filters need changing or cleaning. Bixby can even visually and audibly provide maintenance instructions on the screen when users ask.11
     
    Under its “Screens Everywhere” vision, Samsung continues to expand its lineup of screen-equipped appliances — designed to understand and support users’ daily lives. To explore how the 2025 Bespoke AI lineup delivers a differentiated, AI-enhanced experience through screen innovation, watch the video below.
     

    * Product images shown in the video may vary by region and differ from actual usage.
     
     
    1 Online survey allowing multiple responses, conducted from August 30 to September 9, 2024. Participants included men and women aged 20 to 59 from South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Vietnam — all within the top 50% household income bracket and identified as key decision-makers or users in home appliance purchases. Of the 2,283 respondents, 1,443 expressed purchase intent for the accessibility concept — AI appliances that can be easily and conveniently controlled from anywhere in the home.2 The 2025 Bespoke AI refrigerator with 9-inch AI Home screen, the 32-inch Family Hub and select 2024 refrigerator models are scheduled to receive this update via Smart Forward in phases. Smart Forward updates are available for software only, and for models released after 2017 that are equipped with standardized OCF protocol. Adequate hardware specifications may be required for certain updates. Available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required.3 Bixby availability may vary depending on the country. Bixby only recognizes certain accents and dialects of English (U.K.), English (U.S.), English (India), French (France), German (Germany), Italian (Italy), Korean (South Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China), Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Spain) and Portuguese (Brazil). Voice ID will be available starting May of 2025 through Smart Forward update. Launch date may differ according to region and country. To activate Bixby, a Samsung Account is required. Up to six accounts can be registered per device. To increase the accuracy of identifying each voice, it is recommended for you to register your voice in quiet surroundings. Voice ID is done based on the tone of voice used during registration process. Any change or modification to your voice may lead to misidentification.4 This update is planned for release in the first half of 2025 via Smart Forward. Once Bixby recognizes a user’s voice, it switches to the Samsung account linked with the Family Hub and provides personalized information such as schedules (compatible with Google and Microsoft Calendar apps), phone location, photos and more. This Bixby voice recognition feature is supported on screen-equipped appliances running Tizen OS but not on washer and dryer models with 4.3-inch screen running Tizen Lite OS.5 Available on select T-Type and French Door refrigerator models. As of April 2025, AI Vision Inside can recognize 37 food items like fresh fruits and veggies. If the food is not recognizable, it may be listed as an unknown item. AI Vision Inside cannot identify or list any food items in the fridge door bins or freezer. It recognizes food items based on deep learning models, which may be updated periodically to improve accuracy.6 AI Vision Inside will recognize and recommend that users save processed food items that have been placed inside multiple times, allowing up to 50 items to be saved with the designated name. Processed foods are limited to those that keep a certain packaged form. AI Home recommends saving the item after it has been input more than 4 times during 30 days.7 A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required. Third-party devices must be SmartThings compatible.8 Availability of the hub function in Samsung’s screen-equipped appliances may vary by model and region. It is applied to products such as the 32-inch and 9-inch screen refrigerators, as well as the 7-inch screen washers and dryers (excluding standalone models). A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required. All products must be connected to SmartThings. Only 3rd party devices that are compatible with SmartThings can be registered.9 Update times vary by product and each protocol.10 Features and availability of services may vary by region.11 Bixby can answer troubleshooting- and usage-related questions based on the appliance’s user manual.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Good boy or bad dog? Our 1 billion pet dogs do real environmental damage

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bill Bateman, Associate Professor, Behavioural Ecology, Curtin University

    William Edge/Shutterstock

    There are an estimated 1 billion domesticated dogs in the world. Most are owned animals – pets, companions or working animals who share their lives with humans. They are the most common large predator in the world. Pet cats trail far behind, at about 220 million.

    We are all too aware of the negative effects of cats, both owned and feral, on wildlife. Feral dogs too are frequently seen as threats to biodiversity, although dingoes can have a positive role. By contrast, our pet dogs often seem to get a free pass.

    This is, unfortunately, based more on feelings than data. Our beloved pet dogs have a far greater, more insidious and more concerning effect on wildlife and the environment than we would like to be the case.

    In our new research, we lay out the damage pet dogs do and what can be done about it.

    Dogs are predators. They catch many types of wildlife and can injure or kill them. Their scent and droppings scare smaller animals. Then there’s the huge environmental cost of feeding these carnivores and the sheer quantity of their poo.

    We love our pet dogs, but they come with a very real cost. We have to recognise this and take steps to protect wildlife by leashing or restraining our animals.

    The predator in your home

    Dogs are domesticated wolves, bred to be smaller, more docile and extremely responsive to humans. But they are still predators.

    Pet dogs are responsible for more reported attacks on wildlife than are cats, according to data from wildlife care centres, and catch larger animals.

    Pet dogs off the leash are the main reason colonies of little penguins are nearing collapse in Tasmania.

    In New Zealand, a single escaped pet dog is estimated to have killed up to 500 brown kiwis out of a total population of 900 over a five-week period.

    Once off the leash, dogs love to chase animals and birds. This may seem harmless.
    But being chased can exhaust tired migratory birds, forcing them to use more energy. Dogs can kill fledglings of beach-nesting birds, including endangered birds such as the hooded plover.

    The mere presence of these predators terrifies many animals and birds. Even when they’re on the leash, local wildlife are on high alert. This has measurable negative effects on bird abundance and diversity across woodland sites in eastern Australia.

    In the United States, deer are more alert and run sooner and farther if they see a human with a leashed dog than a human alone.

    Several mammal species in the United States perceived dogs with a human as a bigger threat than coyotes.

    Dogs don’t even have to be present to be bad for wildlife. They scent-mark trees and posts with their urine and leave their faeces in many places. These act as warnings to many other species. Researchers in the US found animals such as deer, foxes and even bobcats avoided areas dogs had been regularly walked compared to dog exclusion zones, due to the traces they left.

    Beach-nesting birds such as hooded plovers are vulnerable to off-leash dogs, who can easily trample eggs, kill hatchlings or scare off the parents.
    Martin Pelanek/Shutterstock

    Keeping dogs healthy and fed has a cost

    The medications we use to rid our pet dogs of fleas or ticks can last weeks on fur, and wash off when they plunge into a creek or river. But some of these medications have ingredients highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates, meaning a quick dip can be devastating.

    Researchers have found when birds such as blue tits and great tits collect brushed-out dog fur to line their nests, it can lead to fewer eggs hatching and more dead hatchlings.

    Then there’s the poo. In the US, there are about 90 million pet dogs, while the UK has 12 million and Australia has 6 million.

    The average dog deposits 200 grams of faeces and 400 millilitres of urine a day. This translates to a tonne of faeces and 2,000 litres of urine over a 13 year lifespan. Scaled up, that’s a mountain of waste.

    This waste stream can add to nitrogen pollution in waterways, alter soil chemistry and even spread diseases to humans and other wildlife. More than 80% of the pathogens infecting domesticated animals also infect wildlife.

    Dogs largely eat meat, meaning millions of cows and chickens are raised just to feed our pets. Feeding the world’s dogs leads to about the same emissions as the Philippines and a land use “pawprint” twice the size of the UK.

    No one likes thinking about this

    People love their dogs. They’re always happy to see us. Their companionship makes us healthier, body and mind. Many farms couldn’t run without working dogs. We don’t want to acknowledge they can also cause harm.

    Dogs, of course, are not bad. They’re animals, with natural instincts as well as the domesticated instinct to please us. But their sheer numbers mean they do real damage.

    Many of us have a large dog-shaped blind spot. Little Brutus wouldn’t have done something like that, we think. But Brutus can and does.

    Choosing to own a dog comes with responsibilities. Being a good dog owner means caring not just for the animal we love, but the rest of the natural world.

    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. Good boy or bad dog? Our 1 billion pet dogs do real environmental damage – https://theconversation.com/good-boy-or-bad-dog-our-1-billion-pet-dogs-do-real-environmental-damage-252726

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Qube’s proposed acquisition of MIRRAT not opposed, subject to undertaking

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The ACCC will not oppose Qube Holdings Limited’s (ASX:QUB) proposed acquisition of Melbourne International RoRo & Auto Terminal Pty Ltd (MIRRAT), after accepting a court-enforceable undertaking to remedy competition concerns.

    The court-enforceable undertaking accepted by the ACCC prevents Qube, its subsidiary Australian Amalgamated Terminals Pty Ltd (AAT) and MIRRAT from discriminating against downstream rivals at Webb Dock West at the Port of Melbourne.

    The undertaking also imposes additional obligations on AAT in relation to its operations at Port Kembla in NSW, Fisherman Islands in Queensland and Appleton Dock in Melbourne. The undertaking will replace both the existing AAT undertaking, and MIRRAT’s existing undertaking in relation to its operations at the automotive terminal at Webb Dock West.

    MIRRAT operates the automotive/roll-on roll-off terminal at Webb Dock West in Melbourne. The proposed acquisition would permit Qube to control the operation of automotive roll-on roll-off trade through the Port of Melbourne.

    Qube, through its wholly owned subsidiary, AAT, operates automotive cargo terminals at the Port of Brisbane and Port Kembla, as well as a general cargo terminal at Appleton Dock at the Port of Melbourne.

    Qube is Australia’s largest provider of import and export logistics services including port-related activities of terminal management, stevedoring, processing, pre-delivery inspection (PDI) and delivery.

    The ACCC’s investigations focused on the acquisition’s impact on competition in downstream services, such as automotive stevedoring and PDI services at the Port of Melbourne.

    The ACCC also examined potential competition concerns arising from Qube’s operation of the three major automotive terminals on the east coast of Australia.

    “The ACCC concluded that, in the absence of adequate safeguards, Qube, through its ownership of MIRRAT, would likely have the ability and incentive to discriminate against rival stevedores and PDI providers at Webb Dock West,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

    “MIRRAT could do this, for example, by restricting its downstream rivals’ access to the terminal or related services, raising prices or lowering the quality of terminal services provided to them.”

    “The ACCC also closely considered whether, by operating all three of the major east coast automotive terminals, Qube, through AAT and MIRRAT, could have an increased ability and incentive to discriminate against rivals at each of the terminals in a way that would harm downstream competition,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    Concerns were also raised with the ACCC that Qube would have access to rival stevedore or PDI operators’ commercially sensitive information through AAT and MIRRAT as the terminal operators.

    “With these significant concerns in mind, the ACCC only decided not to oppose the acquisition with a strong court-enforceable undertaking from Qube, AAT and MIRRAT,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    The undertaking requires AAT and MIRRAT to meet the following obligations to:

    • not discriminate between terminal users in favour of its own interests in the automotive supply chain,
    • provide for certain price and non-price dispute resolution processes,
    • comply with access and berthing allocation rules, as well as ring fencing of certain confidential information,
    • report periodically on its compliance with the undertaking and facilitate independent oversight (including by an independent auditor),
    • comply with restrictions on AAT’s and MIRRAT’s ability to introduce or change certain tariffs.

    “Long-term behavioural remedies come with particular risks and uncertainty. The ACCC is not generally supportive of such undertakings. This is why we have carefully assessed these risks when deciding whether to accept the undertaking in this matter. In the unique circumstances of this transaction, where there is already a similar undertaking in other ports, and where MIRRAT itself is already subject to an undertaking due to its existing vertical integration with shipping, after careful consideration we decided to accept the undertaking,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    “Most users of the terminal and participants in the vehicle import supply chain were supportive of Qube acquiring MIRRAT.”

    The new undertaking will cover all of AAT and MIRRAT’s east coast automotive terminals and is expected to be in place perpetually.

    More information, including the undertaking can be found on the ACCC’s public register here: Qube Holdings Limited (Qube) – Melbourne International RoRo & Auto Terminal Pty Ltd (MIRRAT)

    Note to editors

    In considering the proposed merger, the ACCC applies the legal test set out in section 50 of the Competition and Consumer Act.

    In general terms, section 50 prohibits acquisitions that would have the effect, or be likely to have the effect, of substantially lessening competition in any market.

    Background

    Qube, through AAT, proposed to enter into a share sale agreement to acquire all shares in MIRRAT.

    Webb Dock West is the key facility for the processing of automotive and roll-on roll-off cargo through the Port of Melbourne.

    “Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo)” refers to ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using a platform vehicle.

    MIRRAT

    MIRRAT’s ultimate parent company is Wallenius Wilhelmsen ASA (WW). WW is a Norway-based global provider of roll-on roll-off shipping and vehicle logistics and operates automotive terminals in Europe, the UK, the US and the Asia-Pacific. MIRRAT’s only operation in Australia is the automotive/roll-on roll-off terminal at Webb Dock West.

    MIRRAT operates Webb Dock West subject to a section 87B undertaking accepted by the ACCC on 27 March 2014 (MIRRAT Undertaking). The MIRRAT Undertaking was accepted by the ACCC in relation to MIRRAT’s acquisition of a long-term lease to operate the Webb Dock West roll-on roll-off terminal at Port Melbourne. The MIRRAT Undertaking commenced on 1 January 2018. It expires when MIRRAT ceases to operate the Terminal, which may occur on or before 30 June 2040, and when the ACCC confirms this in writing.

    The full text of the existing MIRRAT Undertaking can be found on the ACCC’s s87B undertakings register. Once in effect, the new undertaking offered by Qube, AAT and MIRRAT will replace the MIRRAT Undertaking.

    Qube

    Qube is Australia’s largest integrated provider of import and export logistics services. Its port-related activities include facilities management, stevedoring, processing, PDI and delivery. It manages and develops strategic properties such as inland rail terminals and related logistics facilities. It provides road and rail transport of freight to and from ports, operation of container parks, customs and quarantine services, warehousing, intermodal terminals, and international freight forwarding.

    In addition to being a terminal operator, Qube provides general stevedoring, automotive stevedoring and PDI services at each of its eastern seaboard ports. It provides general and automotive stevedoring through its affiliated entity ‘Qube Ports’. Qube provides PDI services through its 50% interest in K Line Auto Logistics which owns and operates PrixCar.

    AAT (Qube) operates automotive cargo terminals in Port of Brisbane and Port Kembla, as well as a general cargo terminal at Appleton Dock in Port of Melbourne. The facilities are operated under a s87B undertaking accepted by the ACCC in 2016 (AAT Undertaking). Once in effect, the new undertaking offered by Qube, AAT and MIRRAT will replace the AAT Undertaking.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Banks Continue Push to Protect American Institutions from Foreign Control

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) in cosponsoring the Safeguarding American Education From Foreign Control Act. This bill requires universities to disclose gifts they receive from foreign adversaries, regardless of the amount of the gift or contract. This bill aligns with President Trump’s America First agenda by preventing foreign money and influence from infiltrating our higher education institutions.

    Sen. Tuberville cosponsored this legislation in the 118th Congress.

    “The Chinese Communist Party wants to brainwash our kids and destroy our country — not on my watch,” said Sen. Tuberville. “The CCP has made it clear their plan of action is to infiltrate our education system and indoctrinate our kids. It is astounding that we have allowed universities to get away with taking money from a country that hates us. I was glad to see Troy University in Alabama close its CCP-backed Confucius Institute, and hope other universities will follow their lead. Transparency about how China is funding our schools is not only vital to our national security — our kids’ futures depend on it.”

    “Americans deserve to know if universities are accepting money from our enemies like China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea. This bill delivers that transparency and stops hostile nations from hiding their influence on our campuses,” said Sen. Banks.

    Sens. Tuberville and Banks were joined by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) in cosponsoring the legislation.

    Representative Erin Houchin (R-IN-09) is leading the effort in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    Read full text of the legislation here. 

    BACKGROUND:

    Key Provisions of the Safeguarding American Education from Foreign Control Act are:

    • Requiring Disclosures – Universities Must Report:
      • All gift disclosures from foreign sources associated with a covered nation (Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea)
      • Reports from Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
      • Investigations enacted by the Department of Education
    • Guaranteeing transparency by ensuring the Department of Education transmits disclosure reports to the FBI, ODNI, and Department of State
    • Enforcing accountability by allowing the FBI and the ODNI to request the DOJ bring forward action for inability to comply with disclosure requirements

    According to the Americans for Public Trust, China donated more than $175 million to American universities last year. 

    In August 2023, Sen. Tuberville joined 19 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to the Biden Administration’s Department of Education (ED) expressing outrage for allowing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to infiltrate U.S. classrooms through Confucius programming. Confucius programming establishes a partnership between schools, universities, or nonprofits and a Chinese government entity. Expansion of Confucius Classrooms in the United States is a top priority for the Chinese government. A report released in July 2023 shows over 143 United States schools across 34 states and the District of Columbia have received CCP-related funding. Additionally, the report shows the CCP has ties to 20 school districts near United States military bases. Read the letter here. 

    In February 2023, Sen. Tuberville let Troy University know that future funding opportunities would be in jeopardy if they did not end their Confucius Institute program. He was pleased when Troy announced they were closing the program.

    Since assuming office in the U.S. Senate in 2021, Sen. Tuberville has led and supported numerous efforts to protect American resources, farmland, investments, intellectual property, and national security from the growing threat of Communist China.


    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Leads Senators Demanding Answers from Trump Admin on Cuts to Partnership that Boosts American Manufacturing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) are demanding answers from the Trump Administration on its decision to take away funding that has long helped boost domestic manufacturing and created thousands of jobs. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program is a public-private partnership that helps small and medium-sized manufacturers grow, make operational improvements, and create jobs. The administration announced that it would be cutting off future funding for 10 MEP Centers across the country, with others, including Wisconsin, waiting in the lurch. In Wisconsin, the MEP has helped create more than $2.5 billion in economic impact and created or retained nearly 4,000 jobs in just the past two years.

    “Small manufacturers rely on MEP Centers for essential support in adopting the latest advanced technologies, updating their cybersecurity, navigating supply chain challenges, and accessing workforce training—resources that are often out of reach for small businesses without this dedicated assistance,” wrote Baldwin and the Senators in a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. “These centers drive innovation, boost productivity, and create high-quality jobs, strengthening both local economies and America’s global competitiveness.”

    The Senators continued, “Eliminating federal support for MEP Centers would hamper American small and medium-sized manufacturers. We urge you to take immediate action to protect the MEP program and the manufacturers that rely on it.”

    A report by Summit Consulting and the Upjohn Institute found that the MEP program generated a substantial economic and financial return ratio of more than 17:1 for the $175 million funding invested by the federal government in FY2023. The study also determined that MEP Center projects contributed to an overall increase of nearly 309,000 jobs nationwide.

    Centers in Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Wyoming will be immediately affected. The national network of 51 MEPs, including the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership, has helped boost the productivity and competitiveness of thousands of small American manufacturers across the country for decades.

    Since 1988, the MEP has worked to strengthen and empower U.S. manufacturing through a nationwide network of MEP Centers. The MEP National Network is comprised of 51 MEP Centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico and over 1,450 trusted advisors and experts at more than 430 MEP service locations that provide any U.S. manufacturer with access to resources they need to succeed.

    Senator Baldwin has long championed investing in the manufacturing sector. In addition to helping pass the CHIPS and Science Act, Senator Baldwin worked to secure significant investments to support the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Baldwin is Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee charged with oversight of MEP at the Department of Commerce.

    This letter was co-signed by 13 other Senate colleagues.

    A full version of this letter is available here and below.

    Dear Secretary Lutnick,

    We write to express our deep concern regarding the Department of Commerce’s recent decision to cancel future funding for ten National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers in Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Wyoming. This decision has raised widespread concern across the entire national network of MEP Centers, prompting fears about whether these initial cancellations are the first step in a broader effort to dismantle the program and eliminate federal funding for all 51 centers, with centers in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin expected to be notified about their status shortly. Given the MEP program’s long-standing, bipartisan support in strengthening small and medium-sized American manufacturers, we share these concerns and urge you to provide clarity and certainty on your plans for the future of the MEP program.

    According to the National Association of Manufacturers, 93% of manufacturers have fewer than 100 employees, while 75% have fewer than 20 employees. Small manufacturers rely on MEP Centers for essential support in adopting the latest advanced technologies, updating their cybersecurity, navigating supply chain challenges, and accessing workforce training—resources that are often out of reach for small businesses without this dedicated assistance. These centers drive innovation, boost productivity, and create high-quality jobs, strengthening both local economies and America’s global competitiveness. Without this critical federal support, MEP Centers—especially those with the fewest resources, and those serving rural and underserved communities—will be at the greatest risk of closure.

    Dismantling this program would not only disrupt benefits for small businesses but also undermine decades of federal investment in domestic manufacturing resilience, which Congress prioritized in the MEP program in the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. Congress also reauthorized the MEP program in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. NIST was provided $175 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 to fund the MEP Centers. In FY2024 alone, the MEP National Network resulted in $2.6 billion in cost savings, $15 billion in new and retained sales, $5 billion in new client investments, and over 108,000 jobs created or retained. Additionally, a report by Summit Consulting and the Upjohn Institute found that the MEP program generated a substantial economic and financial return ratio of more than 17:1 for the $175 million funding invested by the federal government in FY2023. The study also determined that MEP Center projects contributed to an overall increase of nearly 309,000 jobs across the United States.

    Given these benefits and the funding in the FY 2025 Continuing Resolution, we request a full explanation of the rationale behind this funding decision and ask that you promptly reconsider. Additionally, we urge the Department of Commerce to provide Congress with an impact assessment detailing how this decision will affect manufacturers in the affected states and regions. This action has caused tremendous uncertainty for all MEP Centers and the thousands of American manufacturing companies and their workers.  Therefore, to better understand your plans for renewals across other states in the future, we request a briefing on the way ahead for the overall MEP program prior to making any final non-renewal decisions by April 30, 2025. 

    Eliminating federal support for MEP Centers would hamper American small and medium-sized manufacturers. We urge you to take immediate action to protect the MEP program and the manufacturers that rely on it. We look forward to your response no later than April 30, 2025, and are ready to work with you to find solutions that maintain and enhance the MEP program’s ability to serve America’s manufacturing sector.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pasadena Woman Pleads Guilty to Stalking Campaign Against Victims and Threatening to Bomb U.S. Consulate in Vietnam

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley woman pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for stalking a victim then impersonating him and his wife to further stalk government employees at a United States consulate in Vietnam, which she threatened to bomb.

    Natalie Nguyen, 39, of Pasadena, pleaded guilty to one count of stalking and one count of threat by interstate commerce to kill another person and to damage and destroy buildings by fire and explosives.

    Nguyen has been in federal custody since February 2024.

    According to her plea agreement, Nguyen stalked a victim – identified in court documents as “T.H.” – from April 2023 to February 2024, sending emails threatening to kill him and his wife. One of the emails contained screenshots of a text conversation about paying a hitman $15,000 to kill the victim’s wife.

    Nguyen also began stalking five employees at the U.S. consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. At times, she impersonated T.H.’s wife, including in an August 2023 email in which she threatened to “bomb the [expletive] consular in Ho Chi Minh City.”

    In October 2023, Nguyen – impersonating T.H. and using T.H.’s email account without permission – sent an email to three government employees at the U.S. consulate stating, “i wil [sic] kill every [expletive] one of you who has been delaying issuing my wife visa.”

    In January 2024, Nguyen – impersonating T.H.’s wife – sent a message to U.S. officials through an online portal stating, “Device will be detonated at America consular in Saigon and in San Francisco. All of you will be exploded for causing my separation with my husband for this last year. Everything will be exploded around new year or after.”

    The following month, Nguyen impersonated T.H. and sent an inquiry to a U.S. Embassy online portal threatening to explode grenades around the time of the lunar new year at the consulate. Several minutes later, Nguyen, impersonating T.H., sent an email to the Vietnamese consulate stating, “i have a grenade set to be exploded this lunar new year at the consulate. my wife is ready.”

    United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett scheduled a June 18 sentencing hearing, at which time Nguyen will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the stalking count and up to 10 years in federal prison for the threats count.

    The FBI investigated this matter with assistance from the Diplomatic Security Service.

    Assistant United States Attorney Diane Roldán of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin Join Colleagues in Demanding HHS Restore Title X Family Planning Funding Immediately to Protect Health Care Services for Millions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    April 09, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and other Senate Democratic colleagues in urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to immediately reinstate Title X family planning funding in 23 states after the agency began withholding grants that support basic health care for approximately one million people.
    “We are alarmed at the Trump administration’s attacks against providers that enable access to health care for low-income and uninsured people,” the Senators wrote in a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “We urge you to swiftly reinstate funding to avoid extended gaps in service for vulnerable communities who rely on Title X funded health centers and programs.”
    Title X is the nation’s only dedicated source of federal funding for family planning. In 2023, the program supported health care services for 2.8 million people at nearly 4,000 clinics across all 50 states and U.S. territories. These clinics provide cancer screenings, sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment, contraception and pregnancy-related care—regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. On April 1, the Trump Administration began withholding all, most, or a substantial portion of Title X funds across 23 states, including Illinois. The move threatens 23 percent of the entire Title X network.
    “These interruptions will be widely felt in our communities and exacerbate the country’s maternal health crisis,” the Senators wrote. “By withholding critical appropriated funds, you are impeding access to essential health care services in rural and underserved areas, risking providers closing their doors, and jeopardizing working families’ lives and livelihoods.”
    The Senators demanded the administration reverse course before more irreparable harm is done.
    California, Hawai‘i, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana and Utah are currently receiving no family planning dollars. Meanwhile, Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia are experiencing reduced access to Title X-funded services.
    Along with Duckworth, Durbin, Schatz, Smith, Schiff and Hirono, the letter was also co-signed by U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM).
    Full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below:
    Dear Secretary Kennedy:
    We write with great concern regarding the withholding of Title X family planning funding, impacting approximately one million patients in 23 states. We are alarmed at the Trump administration’s attacks against providers that enable access to health care for low-income and uninsured people. We urge you to swiftly reinstate funding to avoid extended gaps in service for vulnerable communities who rely on Title X funded health centers and programs.
    For the past 55 years, Title X has served as the nation’s only dedicated, federally-funded family planning program. It provides lifelines to essential health care, including cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, contraceptive services and supplies, pregnancy testing, and more. Importantly, Title X providers offer care to all people, regardless of their ability to pay. In fact, 60 percent of patients seeking care at Title X funded health centers have incomes below 101 percent of the federal poverty level and receive care at no cost. Altogether, in 2023, Title X supported health care services for 2.8 million patients at 3,853 health centers across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Freezing Title X funds puts millions at risk of losing basic health services and screenings.  A 2024 report from the HHS Office of Population Affairs determined that there “remains a significant need for publicly funded programs to provide free or subsidized sexual and reproductive health [SRH] services.”
    Despite its vast impact, on April 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began withholding all, most, or a substantial portion of Title X funding in 23 states, and all other grantees received partial awards. These states span from coast to coast and the non-contiguous states, covering nearly a quarter of the nation’s Title X network. You have entirely cut access to Title X family planning services for California, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, and Utah; and your agency is making significant cuts to Title-X funded services in Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. All other grantees have received partial funding which significantly constrains planned staffing and service delivery this performance year.
    The notifications were premised on specious arguments and contain unreasonable deadlines given the hundreds of health centers that must be surveyed in order to respond to this politically motivated inquiry. Though the administration has explicitly targeted specific providers like Planned Parenthood affiliates, it also included a varied group of nonprofit state and regional grantees.
    These interruptions will be widely felt in our communities and exacerbate the country’s maternal health crisis, particularly in the context of health center closures and restrictive state policies that impact access to reproductive care. By withholding critical appropriated funds, you are impeding access to essential health care services in rural and underserved areas, risking providers closing their doors, and jeopardizing working families’ lives and livelihoods. We request that you expeditiously release funding to Title X grantees in the 23 impacted states before you cause irreparable harm.
    Sincerely,
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Van Hollen, Shaheen, SFRC Democrats to Rubio: Plan for USAID Illegal, Unconstitutional; Broader Restructuring Threatens National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    April 09, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—joined her fellow Democratic SFRC colleagues, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the State Department’s recently announced plans to restructure the Department and fold USAID into the Department of State. In their letter, the SFRC Democrats emphasize that the State Department’s proposal for USAID is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers, and that broader efforts to restructure, including the closure of U.S. embassies and consulates, are illegal without Congressional action and would be an unjustified seismic shift in the U.S foreign policy enterprise. 
    “The proposal, if implemented, and action taken to date to gut USAID, are clearly an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers,” the Senators wrote. “The executive branch may not eliminate a congressionally created and funded agency without congressional authorization. Such action would be incompatible with the express will of Congress. The administration’s plan to permanently dismantle USAID and fire all of its employees will not only render it impossible for any retained USAID programs to be implemented, but will also cause significant disruption to the State Department’s core mission. The actions outlined in this proposal are unconstitutional, illegal, unjustified, damaging, and inefficient.”
    “In addition, we have seen reports on additional restructuring that would include dozens of U.S. embassies and consulates being closed, a fifth of the State Department’s workforce slashed, career positions being reclassified into political ‘Schedule P/C’ positions, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) being absorbed into separate divisions under the DFC,” the Senators continued. “This reorganization would have dramatic U.S. national security implications, constitutes an unjustified seismic shift in the U.S. foreign policy enterprise, and includes many proposed measures that would be illegal without congressional action.  We demand that you follow the law and engage with the relevant committees before the State Department begins to execute any such plans, including you testifying before the relevant committees to explain and defend these plans to restructure the country’s premier diplomatic agencies.”
    “Given the gravity of these potential consequences, we expect that the administration will immediately engage with Congress before taking any further steps toward implementing these plans, as required by law,” the Senators close.
    Along with Duckworth, Van Hollen and Shaheen, the letter was also co-signed by every Democratic member of SFRC: U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
    Full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below:
    Secretary Rubio,
    On March 28, 2025, the State Department sent a Congressional Notification indicating its intent to fold USAID into the Department of State. The proposal, if implemented, and action taken to date to gut USAID, are clearly an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers. The executive branch may not eliminate a congressionally created and funded agency without congressional authorization. Such action would be incompatible with the express will of Congress. The administration’s plan to permanently dismantle USAID and fire all of its employees will not only render it impossible for any retained USAID programs to be implemented, but will also cause significant disruption to the State Department’s core mission. The actions outlined in this proposal are unconstitutional, illegal, unjustified, damaging, and inefficient.
    In addition, we have seen reports on additional restructuring that would include dozens of U.S. embassies and consulates being closed, a fifth of the State Department’s workforce slashed, career positions being reclassified into political “Schedule P/C” positions, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) being absorbed into separate divisions under the DFC. This reorganization would have dramatic U.S. national security implications, constitutes an unjustified seismic shift in the U.S. foreign policy enterprise, and includes many proposed measures that would be illegal without congressional action. We demand that you follow the law and engage with the relevant committees before the State Department begins to execute any such plans, including you testifying before the relevant committees to explain and defend these plans to restructure the country’s premier diplomatic agencies.
    According to the congressional notification we received, the administration would eliminate USAID’s status as an independent establishment in the executive branch, abolish multiple USAID bureaus and offices, as well as “realigning certain USAID functions to the Department.” As you know, Congress mandated that USAID be established in statute. Some reporting about the State Department’s plans also suggest an attempt to dissolve certain State Department bureaus that focus on functional and bilateral assistance, which could potentially result in the dissolution of multiple bureaus already authorized in law. Any attempt to dissolve those bureaus requires congressional action to modify or repeal the relevant authorizing statutes.
    It is also our understanding that the State Department is considering substantially shrinking its workforce and diplomatic footprint around the world. This includes a potential major cut in staffing and the closure of multiple embassies and consulates abroad. If carried out, these plans would undermine our ability to conduct diplomacy abroad at a time when China is increasing its presence globally and outpacing the U.S. presence in multiple regions.
    Beyond the immediate structural and personnel changes, these proposed reforms could have a severe deleterious impact for U.S. global leadership and influence. The State Department, USAID, and its diplomatic corps are the backbone of American foreign policy, advancing U.S. interests, strengthening alliances, and responding to global crises. Slashing their workforces, closing embassies, consulates, and missions, and dismantling key bureaus would severely weaken America’s ability to conduct diplomacy, support democracy, and counter the growing influence of strategic competitors like China and Russia. At a time when global challenges are increasing, from conflicts and humanitarian crises, such as the recent earthquakes in Myanmar, to economic instability, the United States cannot afford to undermine its own diplomatic capacity.
    Given the gravity of these potential consequences, we expect that the administration will immediately engage with Congress before taking any further steps toward implementing these plans, as required by law.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Foreign Relations Committee Democrats To Rubio: Plan For USAID Illegal, Unconstitutional; Broader Restructuring Threatens National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    April 09, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined his Democratic colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the State Department’s recently announced plans to restructure the Department – including folding USAID into the Department of State. In their letter, the senators emphasize that the State Department’s proposal for USAID is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers, and that broader efforts to restructure, including the closure of U.S. embassies and consulates, are illegal without Congressional action and would be an unjustified seismic shift in the U.S foreign policy enterprise. 
    “On March 28, 2025, the State Department sent a Congressional Notification indicating its intent to fold USAID into the Department of State. The proposal, if implemented, and action taken to date to gut USAID, are clearly an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers. The executive branch may not eliminate a congressionally created and funded agency without congressional authorization. Such action would be incompatible with the express will of Congress. The administration’s plan to permanently dismantle USAID and fire all of its employees will not only render it impossible for any retained USAID programs to be implemented, but will also cause significant disruption to the State Department’s core mission. The actions outlined in this proposal are unconstitutional, illegal, unjustified, damaging, and inefficient,” the senators wrote.
    “In addition, we have seen reports on additional restructuring that would include dozens of U.S. embassies and consulates being closed, a fifth of the State Department’s workforce slashed, career positions being reclassified into political “Schedule P/C” positions, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) being absorbed into separate divisions under the DFC. This reorganization would have dramatic U.S. national security implications, constitutes an unjustified seismic shift in the U.S. foreign policy enterprise, and includes many proposed measures that would be illegal without congressional action.   We demand that you follow the law and engage with the relevant committees before the State Department begins to execute any such plans, including you testifying before the relevant committees to explain and defend these plans to restructure the country’s premier diplomatic agencies,” they continued.
    “Given the gravity of these potential consequences, we expect that the administration will immediately engage with Congress before taking any further steps toward implementing these plans, as required by law,” the senators concluded.
    U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) also signed the letter.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    Secretary Rubio,
    On March 28, 2025, the State Department sent a Congressional Notification indicating its intent to fold USAID into the Department of State. The proposal, if implemented, and action taken to date to gut USAID, are clearly an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers. The executive branch may not eliminate a congressionally created and funded agency without congressional authorization. Such action would be incompatible with the express will of Congress. The administration’s plan to permanently dismantle USAID and fire all of its employees will not only render it impossible for any retained USAID programs to be implemented, but will also cause significant disruption to the State Department’s core mission. The actions outlined in this proposal are unconstitutional, illegal, unjustified, damaging, and inefficient.
    In addition, we have seen reports on additional restructuring that would include dozens of U.S. embassies and consulates being closed, a fifth of the State Department’s workforce slashed, career positions being reclassified into political “Schedule P/C” positions, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) being absorbed into separate divisions under the DFC. This reorganization would have dramatic U.S. national security implications, constitutes an unjustified seismic shift in the U.S. foreign policy enterprise, and includes many proposed measures that would be illegal without congressional action. We demand that you follow the law and engage with the relevant committees before the State Department begins to execute any such plans, including you testifying before the relevant committees to explain and defend these plans to restructure the country’s premier diplomatic agencies.
    According to the congressional notification we received, the administration would eliminate USAID’s status as an independent establishment in the executive branch, abolish multiple USAID bureaus and offices, as well as “realigning certain USAID functions to the Department.” As you know, Congress mandated that USAID be established in statute. Some reporting about the State Department’s plans also suggest an attempt to dissolve certain State Department bureaus that focus on functional and bilateral assistance, which could potentially result in the dissolution of multiple bureaus already authorized in law. Any attempt to dissolve those bureaus requires congressional action to modify or repeal the relevant authorizing statutes.
    It is also our understanding that the State Department is considering substantially shrinking its workforce and diplomatic footprint around the world. This includes a potential major cut in staffing and the closure of multiple embassies and consulates abroad. If carried out, these plans would undermine our ability to conduct diplomacy abroad at a time when China is increasing its presence globally and outpacing the U.S. presence in multiple regions.
    Beyond the immediate structural and personnel changes, these proposed reforms could have a severe deleterious impact for U.S. global leadership and influence. The State Department, USAID, and its diplomatic corps are the backbone of American foreign policy, advancing U.S. interests, strengthening alliances, and responding to global crises. Slashing their workforces, closing embassies, consulates, and missions, and dismantling key bureaus would severely weaken America’s ability to conduct diplomacy, support democracy, and counter the growing influence of strategic competitors like China and Russia. At a time when global challenges are increasing, from conflicts and humanitarian crises, such as the recent earthquakes in Myanmar, to economic instability, the United States cannot afford to undermine its own diplomatic capacity.
    Given the gravity of these potential consequences, we expect that the administration will immediately engage with Congress before taking any further steps toward implementing these plans, as required by law.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Senators Demand HHS Restore Title X Family Planning Funding Immediately To Protect Health Care Services For Millions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), along with U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), led a group of 29 senators urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to immediately reinstate Title X family planning funding in 23 states, including Hawai‘i, after the agency began withholding grants that support basic health care for approximately one million people.

    “We are alarmed at the Trump administration’s attacks against providers that enable access to health care for low-income and uninsured people,” the senators wrote in a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “We urge you to swiftly reinstate funding to avoid extended gaps in service for vulnerable communities who rely on Title X funded health centers and programs.”

    Title X is the nation’s only dedicated source of federal funding for family planning. In 2023, the program supported health care services for 2.8 million people at nearly 4,000 clinics across all 50 states and U.S. territories. These clinics provide cancer screenings, sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment, contraception, and pregnancy-related care—regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

    On April 1, the Trump administration began withholding all, most, or a substantial portion of Title X funds across 23 states, including all funds to Hawai‘i. The move threatens 23 percent of the entire Title X network.

    “These interruptions will be widely felt in our communities and exacerbate the country’s maternal health crisis,” the senators wrote. “By withholding critical appropriated funds, you are impeding access to essential health care services in rural and underserved areas, risking providers closing their doors, and jeopardizing working families’ lives and livelihoods.”

    California, Hawai‘i, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, and Utah are currently receiving no family planning dollars; while Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia are experiencing reduced access to Title X-funded services.

    In protest of this lawless Trump administration policy and many more like it, Schatz has placed a hold on the confirmation of more than 300 Trump nominees, including the nominee for HHS Assistant Secretary for Health, Brian Christine, who would oversee Title X.

    In addition to Schatz, Smith, Schiff, and Hirono the letter was also signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.).

    The full text of the letter can be found below and is available here.

    Dear Secretary Kennedy:

    We write with great concern regarding the withholding of Title X family planning funding, impacting approximately one million patients in 23 states. We are alarmed at the Trump administration’s attacks against providers that enable access to health care for low-income and uninsured people. We urge you to swiftly reinstate funding to avoid extended gaps in service for vulnerable communities who rely on Title X funded health centers and programs.

    For the past 55 years, Title X has served as the nation’s only dedicated, federally-funded family planning program. It provides lifelines to essential health care, including cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, contraceptive services and supplies, pregnancy testing, and more. Importantly, Title X providers offer care to all people, regardless of their ability to pay. In fact, 60 percent of patients seeking care at Title X funded health centers have incomes below 101 percent of the federal poverty level and receive care at no cost. Altogether, in 2023, Title X supported health care services for 2.8 million patients at 3,853 health centers across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Freezing Title X funds puts millions at risk of losing basic health services and screenings.  A 2024 report from the HHS Office of Population Affairs determined that there “remains a significant need for publicly funded programs to provide free or subsidized sexual and reproductive health [SRH] services.”

    Despite its vast impact, on April 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began withholding all, most, or a substantial portion of Title X funding in 23 states, and all other grantees received partial awards. These states span from coast to coast and the non-contiguous states, covering nearly a quarter of the nation’s Title X network. You have entirely cut access to Title X family planning services for California, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, and Utah; and your agency is making significant cuts to Title-X funded services in Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. All other grantees have received partial funding which significantly constrains planned staffing and service delivery this performance year.

    The notifications were premised on specious arguments and contain unreasonable deadlines given the hundreds of health centers that must be surveyed in order to respond to this politically motivated inquiry. Though the administration has explicitly targeted specific providers like Planned Parenthood affiliates, it also included a varied group of nonprofit state and regional grantees.

    These interruptions will be widely felt in our communities and exacerbate the country’s maternal health crisis, particularly in the context of health center closures and restrictive state policies that impact access to reproductive care. By withholding critical appropriated funds, you are impeding access to essential health care services in rural and underserved areas, risking providers closing their doors, and jeopardizing working families’ lives and livelihoods. We request that you expeditiously release funding to Title X grantees in the 23 impacted states before you cause irreparable harm.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speech on foreign affairs and trade

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Kia ora and good morning everyone.
    Before I start, can I acknowledge the Wellington Chamber of Commerce for the opportunity to speak to all of you this morning.
    It comes at a difficult time for the global economy, with rising rhetoric, escalating tariffs, and the prospect of further retaliation to come.
    I had originally planned to take this opportunity to speak about my Government’s plan for economic growth – to create jobs, lift incomes, and put more money back in the wallets of Kiwis.
    I will still touch on that.
    It’s my Government’s top priority and it frames just about every decision we take here in Wellington as we focus on improving the lives of all New Zealanders.
    But with markets rocked and exporters facing uncertainty, I know there’s one topic front of mind for many businesses and many households.
    So this morning I want to take some time to speak to those events and make the case for free trade and the rules-based international order.
    Trade is the lifeblood of the New Zealand economy.
    Whether it’s our incredible farmers and growers, our outstanding tourism industry, or our burgeoning tech sector, Kiwis businesses thrive when we compete on the world stage.
    Our success isn’t an accident – and it didn’t happen overnight.
    Successive generations of trade negotiators and political leaders have invested in relationships offshore, and worked hard to complete deals like CER, the China FTA, the CPTPP, and the more recent EU, UK, UAE and GCC FTAs.
    Business leaders have moved rapidly, too – finding fresh opportunities for growth in emerging markets, and developing outstanding products back home that put New Zealand on the map.
    Our rural economy in particular represents the very best of open and competitive trade – selling into difficult markets, with no direct financial support, and consistently coming out on top.
    I could – and often do – speak at length about the contribution exporters make to the domestic economy.
    But trade goes both ways.
    Yes, export growth will be critical to improving New Zealand’s economic prospects in the coming years.
    But the removal of New Zealand’s own trade barriers and embrace of goods and services imported from offshore has also led to a major improvement in our quality of life in recent years.
    Our clothing is more affordable, our cars are more reliable, our diets are more diverse, and our holidays in Bali and Europe are a nice contrast to summers at the lake or the beach.
    Free trade of goods purchased from offshore has also supported growth in productivity.
    Kiwi exporters rely on the trucks, tractors, jet engines, computers, and smart phones we buy from overseas that make their businesses tick.
    And it’s not realistic to expect that in a country of just five million people, we could make everything we need here at home.
    Political leaders have tried that before in New Zealand – and it didn’t end well.
    Older generations will remember the efforts we went to.
    Governments imposed strict import controls and encouraged cars and televisions to be assembled here at home.
    And like today, conflict offshore occasionally helped to send prices spiralling – but the response looked very different.
    In the late 1970s, politicians imposed “carless days”, with stickers on your vehicle dictating which days you could drive to work, and which days you caught a ride with a friend or just walked into town instead.
    There was no “work from home” in 1979.
    Agriculture, today the backbone of our economy, was heavily subsidised and much less productive, much less diverse than the efficient and entrepreneurial sector thriving in New Zealand today.
    Those failed policies weren’t just foolish economics.
    They reflected the best efforts of political leaders to insulate New Zealand from an era of major social and geopolitical change.
    History shows those best efforts were a mistake, that required years of difficult choices and careful recovery.
    New Zealanders paid the price then.
    I don’t intend for them to do so again.
    Which brings us to today.
    The events of recent days are the most significant challenge to the rules-based trading system since the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was formed in 1947.
    Action, reaction, and response have shocked financial markets.
    As the Minister of Finance highlighted earlier this week, the direct impact on the New Zealand economy from the US tariffs announced last week is likely to be around $900 million or roughly 0.2% of GDP.
    But the second order consequences of a region and a world retreating from trade and increasingly uncertain about its economic future will be more significant, despite the welcome news of de-escalation this morning.
    I know for many businesses keeping an eye offshore and for those New Zealanders watching their KiwiSaver accounts, that could be confronting.
    The exporters I’ve spoken to in recent days remain buoyant, rightly confident in the quality of their product, and their ability to navigate choppy waters.
    But for countries whose prosperity is underpinned by global trade, the months ahead will be challenging for their economic interests.
    Many commentators will see these events as just the next step in a longer-term trend towards economic security and national resilience, as countries insure themselves against emerging geopolitical threats.
    Others have gone further, declaring an end to the era of free markets, free trade, and free people, and the rules-based international order underpinning it.
    For my part, I’m not ready to throw in the towel quite yet. Kiwis have worked too hard and for too long, to give up on the values and institutions which have seen our country and the region we live in thrive.
    So, for as long as I am Prime Minister, New Zealand will keep making the case for trade as a cornerstone of our prosperity.
    Yes, we are a small country – but stature has never been a barrier to our success.
    Take the P3 – a proposed trade agreement which began life under negotiation at APEC between New Zealand, Singapore, and Chile in the early 2000s.
    Three small countries, practicing what we preach – and doing everything we could to create opportunity for our people through trade.
    Today, that agreement lives on as the CPTPP and covers a dozen countries, including New Zealand and Australia, Canada, much of Asia, and most recently the United Kingdom.
    In total, that’s roughly 15% of global economic activity, or $13 trillion USD – a long way from where we started just over twenty years ago.
    The United Kingdom might be the most recent accession, but I expect they won’t be the last.
    New Zealand will continue to work with like-minded countries to promote free trade as a path to prosperity and explore the role of the CPTPP in strengthening that vision.
    One possibility is that members of the CPTPP and the European Union work together to champion rules-based trade and make specific commitments on how that support plays out in practice.
    My vision is that includes action to prevent restrictions on exports and efforts to ensure any retaliation is consistent with existing rules.
    Collective action, and a collective commitment, by a large portion of the global economy would be a significant step towards preserving free trade flows and protecting supply chains.
    Clearly though, efforts at collective action won’t be enough to support New Zealand’s economic interests.
    As Prime Minister, I have a responsibility to do everything I can to both bolster the existing rules-based order and to further strengthen New Zealand’s position offshore.
    It’s why I have put so much emphasis on deepening our relationships with partners around the region, with visits throughout South-East Asia, Korea and Japan, the United States, and to India last month as we commenced negotiations for a free trade agreement.
    It’s why my Government has worked so hard to close out fresh agreements with the UAE and GCC that enable additional trade and investment.
    It’s why we hosted an Investment Summit in Auckland, making the case both for New Zealand as an outstanding place to do business and for the opportunity to enter long-term infrastructure partnerships.
    It’s why on Monday this week the Minister of Defence and I launched the Government’s Defence Capability Plan, that lifts defence expenditure to 2% of GDP and ensures New Zealand pulls its weight for many years to come.
    It’s why I will be on the phone later today to world leaders comparing notes on world trade, and testing what we can do together to buttress the rules-based trading system.
    And it’s why I will be heading to the United Kingdom later this month to meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, to talk trade, security, and the geopolitical backdrop in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
    We can’t make the case for New Zealand sitting at home.
    We have to position ourselves as advocates both for our own economic interests and the institutions that underpin them.
    I’m very lucky to lead a Government with so many Ministers dedicated to that task, whether that’s the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Trade, or the Minister of Defence, each of whom having already made a number of significant achievements supporting New Zealand’s interests offshore.
    Back home, the volatility offshore is a fresh reminder of just how important our focus on economic growth will be in the coming years.
    As I said recently at our Investment Summit in Auckland, New Zealand can be a shelter from the global storm.
    That brings a serious opportunity from ensuring our business environment is as welcoming as possible for investment and growth.
    We are making serious inroads into that task.
    Earlier this year, Minister for Economic Growth Nicola Willis published our Government’s Going for Growth Agenda, which outlines a range of actions we are taking to get the New Zealand economy moving and realising its vast potential.
    Each of those actions fits into one of five pillars we have identified as critical to lifting economic growth and improving New Zealanders’ standard of living:

    Developing talent,
    Encouraging innovation, science, and technology,
    Introducing competitive business settings,
    Promoting global trade and investment,
    And delivering infrastructure for growth.

    Across each of those pillars, we have Ministers working day and night to drive through reform – in transport, tourism, aquaculture, construction, advanced aviation, mining, energy, agriculture, and horticulture.
    In just the last few weeks, we have presented our plans to replace the Resource Management Act, fix our broken health and safety laws, and make nation-shaping investments like the Northland Expressway.
    We have introduced the Fast Track regime, streamlining the consenting process for projects of regional and national significance.
    We are re-writing the Overseas Investment Act, so major investments from offshore are consented faster and more reliably.
    We are tearing down the barriers to fresh investment in renewable and non-renewable energy, by repealing the oil and gas ban and ushering in new consenting rules for wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal.
    And we are doubling down on efforts to showcase New Zealand to the world, promoting our tourism and international education sectors offshore so we can attract even more people to spend their money here.
    I know there’s more we can do.
    Growth has now returned, and the economy has turned the corner, but our reform agenda will need to continue at pace for us to out-run the challenges to growth facing us from offshore.
    The challenges to the rules-based international order are intense and the strategic environment my government has inherited is more difficult than it has been for many years.
    For New Zealanders who grew up watching events unfold in Europe and the Middle East, it will be confronting to watch strategic competition and the deterioration of rules-based trade come to our neighbourhood, the Indo-Pacific.
    But the response for New Zealand cannot be retreat.
    New Zealanders are at our best when faced with adversity and we thrive when we compete on the world stage.
    To quote my friend the Foreign Minister, this isn’t our first rodeo.
    Our export sector is jam-packed with talented, sharp New Zealanders who make great products – and create jobs here at home while they do it.
    Farmers, growers, wine makers, and start-ups from all around the country investing in our nation’s future because they have confidence that better days lie ahead.
    I’m not ready to call time on the rules-based trading system.
    And I’m not ready for New Zealand to give up on our efforts to advocate for it on the world stage.
    We’re not in this alone.
    The same institutions that have served New Zealand so well for so long, also underpin the prosperity of so many of our friends and partners, many of whom are also continuing to make the case for free and open trade in recent days.
    My government will keep making the case – overseas, here at home, with a strong voice and a consistent message.
    Free trade works.
    It lifts incomes.
    It creates jobs.
    It builds partnerships.
    And it secures peace.
    I think that’s worth fighting for – and I’m up for that fight.
    Thank you.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Remarks by Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director at the PMNCH High-Level Panel – SRHR as a Catalyst for Social and Economic Rights: Advancing Health, Equity, and Development

    Source: United Nations Population Fund

    Your Excellencies, 
    Dear Rajat, 
    Esteemed partners and friends, 
    Dear young people,

    My greetings are of peace – now so needed and the fervent wish of the women, girls and young people UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, serves in over 150 countries. In these times, the United Nations’ mission: peace, human rights and development, is more precious now than ever before.

    Since 1994 and the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), Principle 1 of the Programme of Action affirming that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. This has been underscored in the UN Charter itself. 

    So we thank our friends at the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) for organizing this event with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights – an intrinsic part of the right to health and development. UNFPA will continue to be your best ally on the frontlines of the fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights.

    Let me go further and commend you, the stalwarts of the sexual and reproductive health and rights movement – a movement that connects us all around the world. 

    We must face the reality that the pushback is intensifying and that progress is slowing. Once again, it is poor marginalized women and girls being left behind – who have the least access to health services and are bearing the greatest burden of ill health and preventable deaths. 

    Who is listening to them? Because they are being denied their fundamental rights and choices every day.

    Right now, the world over, human rights are being threatened. Let me tell you, there are two areas in particular that have me up at night:

    1) Population crusaders

    Some are currently taking the view that you should have 10- or 20 children because it’s what’s best for society. The right to bodily autonomy asserts that no woman anywhere should ever be told how many children to have, to be denied contraception of her choosing, or to be coerced into sterilization. It is women without a social safety net who fall victim to unsafe abortion and will be particularly harmed by these types of ideas.

    The right to bodily autonomy should not be up for debate. It should not be a toxic, third rail issue. Yet even in parts of Europe, women face difficulties accessing contraception and young women are being encouraged to pursue motherhood only, not a career.

    2) Online violence

    Online violence is terrorizing women, girls, and people of diverse sexual identities. If we do not act, if we do not listen, the average 10-year-old girl will not be able to go online without being bullied or shamed.

    The increasing prevalence of shocking disrespect and technology-facilitated gender-based violence threatens the safety and wellbeing of women and girls. Two in five women say they have experienced online violence. It’s even higher for women at the intersection of multiple forms of discrimination, including racism.

    Every day, UNFPA valiantly serves women and girls who have experienced life-altering violence; and women and girls who lack access to the essential sexual and reproductive health care that is their right.

    Let me remind us that a woman living in a country with a fragile health system is 135 times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than one in a country with accessible emergency care. This disparity is further compounded for women of African descent and Indigenous women, who face alarmingly high mortality rates due to inadequate care.

    Women and girls caught up in a humanitarian crisis have to contend with even more dire conditions. 

    In Myanmar, where the earthquake recently struck, it didn’t just shake the ground; it shook the very foundations of women’s access to life-saving care. In Gaza, pregnant women are giving birth amid chaos and without the essential maternal health care and medicines they desperately need. 

    And in conflicts everywhere, women and girls are singled out for abuse. Rape and assault as a tactic of war aims to terrorize and displace populations. I can imagine no worse violation of the dignity and rights of a human being.

    People who have been victimized tell us that justice is very important to them – it is part of the healing that they seek. But again, is anyone listening?

    I can assure you that UNFPA, PMNCH and all of us in this room are listening and are determined to speak up for her. I am certainly determined to defend the rights and choices of women, girls and young people everywhere.

    It is not something that goes in and out of fashion. It is not something that any one Member State can dictate. These are values that must not be compromised. 

    The enjoyment of sexual and reproductive health and rights generates a multitude of socioeconomic benefits, ranging from reductions in maternal and child mortality to higher education levels and greater productivity — building blocks for stronger, healthier communities.

    It is one of the best investments possible.

    I learned this week about a study in South Africa that has shown that at the age of 14-16 years, something dramatic happens in the life of an adolescent girl. Prior to that age, boys and girls enjoy the same freedoms when it comes to accessing social and economic opportunities. But with the onset on puberty, the girl diverges from the boy, her potential curtailed.

    Meeting the needs of young people has to be a priority, and solutions have to be co-created with them. 

    I hope we will take inspiration from CPD week and be humble enough to explain our positions, which are based on data and evidence, but also be adamant about our values proposition, as proclaimed in Principle 3 of the ICPD Programme of Action:

    The right to development is a universal and inalienable right and an integral part of fundamental human rights, and the human person is the central subject of development. 

    Thank you again. I encourage and urge you to continue to be vocal and to be visible, not just here in New York during this time, but everywhere where you sit. As you go back home, know that we wish the best for you as defenders of the rights and choices women and girls. 

    Please continue to wave the flag of the ICPD up high.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –