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Category: China

  • MIL-OSI Global: China is reshaping central Asia’s energy sector as Russian influence fades

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lorena Lombardozzi, Senior Lecturer in Political Economy of Global Development, SOAS, University of London

    China has been developing closer ties with countries in central Asia over recent years. Trade between China and the central Asia region grew to US$89 billion (£69 billion) in 2023, an increase of 27% on the previous year. Chinese trade rose with every country there except Turkmenistan.

    In my paper from June 2024, which is part of a collection of studies looking at the impact of China’s sprawling belt and road initiative in low- and middle-income countries, I explored how Chinese investment is affecting Uzbekistan’s energy sector.

    Chinese investment in Uzbekistan has grown significantly since 2020. By the end of 2022, it had reached US$4.5 billion, up from US$2.8 billion one year before. There are now over 3,450 Chinese companies in Uzbekistan, accounting for roughly 20% of all foreign companies in the country.

    One of the main reasons for China’s expanding footprint in central Asia is to intensify energy cooperation. By becoming a major buyer, lender and investor in the region’s energy sector, China is hoping to reduce its dependence on countries such as Russia.

    Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
    Peter Hermes Furian / Shutterstock

    Central Asia has been politically and economically dependent on Russia since the Soviet Union invaded the region in the 19th century. Much of its infrastructure was built to provide commodities like cotton and energy to Russia, with the latter selling it at high prices to Europe. This infrastructure has, until relatively recently, remained largely unchanged.

    However, some central Asian countries have been able to reduce their dependence on Russia over the past decade or so. China has become the main importer of Uzbek gas, with a peak share of more than 80%. And Uzbekistan exported almost US$2 billion worth of goods to China in 2022, matching its volume of trade with Russia.

    Investment in energy infrastructure is taking place in a reflection of these trade patterns. Central Asia boasts significant reserves of oil and gas. But most of the region’s pipelines were traditionally directed towards Russia and, to a lesser extent, south-west to Turkey.

    Pipelines have been built and maintained with China’s support that are directed towards the east. These pipelines have facilitated trade with China and have helped reduce operational waste in the energy sectors of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

    In 2025, China plans to resume the construction of a pipeline stretching from Turkmenistan through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, pending the finalisation of a gas supply contract with Turkmenistan. This will further strengthen China’s energy ties with the region.

    A few years ago, while I was carrying out fieldwork in Uzbekistan, I interviewed policy experts and those involved in the Uzbek energy industry. My interviewees saw deals with China as more reliable than Russia, which has in the past renegotiated the terms of long-term energy contracts with central Asian countries or has added unfair clauses in its favour.

    In 2018, for example, the Uzbek government needed additional gas to meet domestic demand. Russia’s Lukoil energy company agreed to sell the gas from a joint Lukoil-Uzbek production facility to Uzbekistan, but at a hefty price. The Uzbek government incurred debt to Lukoil worth US$600 million.

    A train transporting gas parked in Samarkand train station, Uzbekistan.
    Lewis Tse / Shutterstock

    Chinese involvement in the Uzbek energy sector is also having an indirect effect on Uzbekistan’s green economy. During the pandemic, Uzbekistan’s gas exports to China dropped significantly, exposing operators to the vulnerability of relying on a single energy source.

    Gas exports to China have recovered since 2021. But this shock prompted policymakers to explore ways of diversifying Uzbekistan’s energy production away from fossil fuels. Over the past few years, Uzbekistan has invested over US$4 billion in renewable energy production, with the technology and expertise often coming from China.

    With the support of Chinese companies, vast solar power plants have been planned and developed near the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, as well as other cities like Navoi. Wind turbines have been supplied by Chinese firms for projects in Ferghana, near the border with Kyrgyzstan.

    Chinese-led investment in the renewable energy sector has created further demand for skilled and semi-skilled labour, such as translators, logistics operators and engineers. My interviewees noted positive – albeit limited – effects on employment and wages in the sector.

    New challenges ahead

    There are, however, also drawbacks to Chinese involvement in central Asia’s energy sector. Uzbekistan’s gas trade with China is a possible source of political and economic vulnerability.

    The export price of Uzbek gas is more profitable for energy companies than the local subsidised price, so exports have taken priority over the domestic market. Uzbek consumers often have to contend with rationed gas supplies or no access to gas at all, especially during the winter when demand is at its highest.

    This has led to dissatisfaction among the Uzbek population, especially in rural areas where people have had to resort to burning alternative sources of fuel like coal, firewood and animal dung. These energy sources are harmful to health and the environment.

    Western sanctions on Russian oil and gas since 2022, when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, have also created further competition for Uzbek gas. Russian gas suppliers have sought alternative markets in Asia to circumvent the sanctions. Trade flow data shows that India, Turkey and even China have increased the amount of Russian fossil fuels they buy.

    But, by and large, the state of play in the global energy market seems to be changing. Central Asia is in a strong position to benefit.

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

    – ref. China is reshaping central Asia’s energy sector as Russian influence fades – https://theconversation.com/china-is-reshaping-central-asias-energy-sector-as-russian-influence-fades-245232

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Passed by Senate Commerce Committee: Fischer’s Bill to Strengthen U.S. Telecommunications Against Foreign Adversaries

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    FACT Act now eligible for Senate Floor vote

    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer’s (R-Neb.) legislation to strengthen American telecommunications against foreign adversaries passed out of the Senate Commerce Committee. The Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency (FACT) Act now awaits consideration on the Senate floor. Fischer introduced the bill in January of this year. 

    If signed into law, the FACT Act would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publicly identify entities that hold FCC licenses, authorizations, or other grants of authority that are owned, wholly or partially, by foreign adversarial governments. This includes the governments of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. In addition to Fischer, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.).

    “We cannot let authoritarian and adversarial regimes like China and Russia continue to have silent footholds in our tech and telecommunications markets. My bill will direct the FCC to evaluate the communications risks foreign ownership ties pose to America’s national securityand ensure that we can respond to these threats. I’m grateful a bipartisan group of my colleagues voted yes on this legislation, and I look forward to its passage on the Senate Floor,” said Fischer.

    “We must protect our nation in every way we can from global adversaries who are trying to hack our systems and access our information. I’m glad to see that our bipartisan bill to help protect our telecommunications systems from adversarial nations, including China, Russia, and Iran, passed out of committee today. I’ll keep pushing to secure our networks and strengthen our national security,” said Rosen. 

    Click here to view Fischer’s remarks in support of her FACT Act in today’s hearing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Carter introduces bill streamlining critical minerals permitting process

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

    Headline: Carter introduces bill streamlining critical minerals permitting process

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) today announced the introduction of his Streamlining Critical Minerals Permitting Act, a bill that will speed up the permitting process for facilities that process or refine critical minerals here in the United States without sacrificing environmental protections.


    About 70 percent of U.S. rare earth minerals currently come from China. This bill will give a facility that processes or refines a critical energy resource an interim status permit under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act until the final administrative disposition of its permit application or it is proven that the facility failed to provide information needed to process the permit application, ensuring timely and efficient approvals for vital projects.


    “It’s time that we start building in America again. We are too reliant on China for key energy resources, which poses a threat not just to our supply chains, but to our national security. By quickly approving permits for projects that produce critical materials, we will move towards energy dominance, uplift the American worker, and reduce global emissions while making our nation more resilient,” said Rep. Carter.

    Read the full bill text here.

    Read Rep. Carter’s Washington Times op-ed discussing the bill

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Opening Remarks at Appropriations Hearing on Biomedical Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s opening remarks***

    Washington, D.C. – Today—at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on biomedical research—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, underscored in her opening remarks how important biomedical research is for patients and families across the country and how President Trump’s unprecedented attacks on our nation’s premier biomedical research enterprise threatens to unravel decades of progress.

    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

    “I let me start by congratulating you, Senator Collins, as first hearing as Chair.

    “We’ve managed to do a lot of bipartisan work over the past few years, and I hope we can continue to build off of that record together.

    “And I really appreciate this important hearing on biomedical research—it is an issue with long-standing bipartisan support. We’ve worked together many times over the years—along with our colleagues—to invest in advancing medical breakthroughs.

    “And those investments have paid off in so many ways, not just billions in economic activity, hundreds of thousands of jobs, and a medical research enterprise that is the envy of the world. They have also paid off with genuine miracles, cures that were once impossible, treatments that were once unthinkable. These are investments that give patients hope for the future, that give them back a life derailed by a disease, that give people precious more time with loved ones.

    “Which is why I am so deeply alarmed that President Trump has taken a wrecking ball to our biomedical research enterprise. He and Elon Musk have been tossing tomorrow’s groundbreaking cures into a shredder. From day one, DOGE has been cutting critical research without rhyme, reason, or any regard for who gets hurt.

    “Trump has already axed 800 grants—over a billion dollars in research—for HIV prevention, breast cancer, pregnancy, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and more. They have also blocked $2 billion in grant funding from going out to universities and research institutions across our country. And they slapped a $1 limit on NIH researchers’ payment cards—meaning that our labs can’t get gloves, pipettes, and vials—these are the basics they need to keep research going.

    “If Trump and Musk have their way, they aren’t just going to grind medical research to a halt, they are going to send it careening backwards. Because Trump apparently wants to slash $21 billion dollars from NIH next year. That would be a 44 percent cut—the biggest cut in NIH history. He also wants to defy a bipartisan law this Committee worked to pass, so he can massively cut funding for basic costs that keeps our labs running.

    “If Trump succeeds here, a lot of world class research institutions—like the Fred Hutch Cancer Center and the University of Washington in my state—will face massive shortfalls.

    “The fact that Trump and Musk are pushing such a painful policy really underscores how they don’t know—or don’t care—whether their polices actually hurt people.

    “And if you needed any more evidence that there’s no real strategy here, just consider the Women’s Health Initiative, it was coordinated by the Fred Hutch Cancer Center in my home state of Washington. It has led to major advancements in our understanding of women’s health issues, especially in older women. It has paved the way for a generation of researchers focused on women’s health, that is something we never had before.

    “And yet, Trump was going to axe it, presumably because he thinks it’s woke to care about women’s health. Then, hardly 24 hours later he claims to have reversed course following a loud public outcry. Yet, the Fred Hutch Cancer Center has yet to hear from NIH directly on if that funding will actually be restored.

    “Trump’s three-sixty really goes to show you, these cuts and firings are not about some big strategy, just chaos and extortion.

    “We have even seen Trump freeze billions of research dollars for purely political reasons, putting his own petty grievances ahead of curing cancer and saving lives. None of us should stand for that—not for a minute.

    “And just as slashing NIH isn’t about a strategy for our country, it’s not about efficiency either. NIH has an incredibly high return on investment. While medical research accounts for less than 1 percent of the federal budget, NIH has contributed to over 99 percent of drugs approved by FDA in recent years.

    “And while we’re talking about government efficiency, let’s not forget the FDA, which families trust to keep them safe. Because the NIH breakthrough won’t do much good if FDA does not have the staff and resources they need to approve new drugs. But Trump cannot gut FDA, push out four thousand workers, and expect to maintain that gold standard that keeps food and drugs safe and gives our nation a competitive edge.

    “And NIH cuts are not just cutting off promising future research, but undermining studies we are right in the middle of right now. One NIH lab that analyzes blood samples for more than 200 trials, studying cancer treatments, organ transplants and more—lost half its staff during Trump and Elon’s lay-offs.

    “Right now, in this country patients in clinical trials are praying for a breakthrough, they are seeing their best hope cut off by the richest people in the world.

    “And worse than undermining any one study, Trump and Musk are also cutting the beating heart out of our medical research enterprise—by pushing talented researchers out the door. Trump has pushed out nearly 5,000 people at NIH and counting.

    “China is already trying to seize the moment and recruit some of the brightest talent—and the same for Europe!

    “Instead of supporting new talent, Trump is slashing grants for our early career scientists. I heard about this firsthand a few weeks ago, I was out in my state speaking with researchers and students at WSU in Vancouver. Bright young people, who want to do medical research here, are suddenly worried. Why start that PhD if their funding is going to get yanked away? Why study new vaccines if RFK Jr. is going to meddle in their work? Why come to the U.S. for promising research if Trump might just try to deport them for jaywalking?

    “Make no mistake—the United States is the world leader in medical research. But creating that was not an accident and maintaining it is not inevitable. It is a choice we make through our investments, one that has paid off on a scale that cannot be measured.

    “How do you measure the miracle of eliminating a disease? Of funding a cure? Of developing a new vaccine? How do you measure giving someone the chance to become a parent, or to see their grandkids? You can’t.

    “Which leads me to the question I hope we focus on today. Why on earth would we let Trump slash that all to ribbons? Why on earth would we give up on Alzheimer’s research? Or heart disease? Or cancer? 

    “I will tell you, I am not giving up on patients. I am not giving up on cures. And I suspect many others here feel the same. So, I hope this discussion helps us focus on that common ground. And that working together we can push back on these devastating cuts and push forward the research that is so important to folks back home.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Highlights Pain Trump’s First 100 Days Have Caused Nevada Working Families and Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
     ***VIDEO AVAILABLE***
    FTPs for TV stations is available here.
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) spoke on the Senate floor on the 100th day of President Donald Trump’s second term to highlight the disastrous impacts President Trump’s agenda have had on hardworking Nevadans and their businesses.
    Throughout the start of Trump’s term, the Senator Cortez Masto has pushed multiple Departments under the Trump Administration for detailed, public information regarding the impacts of President Trump’s federal funding freeze, hiring freeze, and terminations on Nevada – including to the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, General Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, and Consumer Finance Protection Bureau.
    Senator Cortez Masto has also repeatedly called out President Trump and Congressional Republican’s attempts to slash Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. And she has continued to push the Trump Administration to address the impacts of Trump’s tariffs on working families, small businesses, and Nevada’s travel and tourism economy.
    Below are her remarks as prepared for delivery:
    While campaigning last year in Bozeman, Montana, Donald Trump said, “Starting on day one, we will end inflation and make America affordable again, to bring down the prices of all goods.”
    Well, it’s been 100 days since he entered the White House, and here’s what he’s given us so far:
    His tariffs are increasing costs for the average family by more than $4,000 a year.
    He has slashed billions from programs that everyday Americans rely on, including $1 Billion for mental health care services.
    He has directed Elon Musk and his unqualified loyalists to fire more than 121,000 federal employees delivering essential services – everyone from to Park Rangers tasked with keeping Americans safe to scientists researching cures to deadly diseases.
    He’s pushing House and Senate Republicans to rubber stamp a plan to cut nearly $1 trillion dollars from Medicaid in order to give tax cuts to billionaires.
    And he’s created endless chaos and uncertainty.
    I could go on and on – that’s just how much damage President Trump has caused to our country in 100 days – but I want to take some time to focus on the impact his economic agenda is having on our small businesses.
    I’m from Nevada, where there are almost 300,000 small businesses.
    These mom-and-pop shops are the lifeblood of our economy and are a part of the fabric of every community.
    And it’s these small businesses that are bearing the brunt of President Trump’s destructive tariffs.
    Now, I believe targeted tariffs on our adversaries can be a useful tool to protect American jobs and support our national security.
    But these blanket tariffs are the opposite of that.
    These last two weeks – while back home in Nevada – I got a first-hand account of what small businesses are having to deal with.
    I heard these concerns from three small business owners in Las Vegas: Juanny, Santy, and Kristen. All three of these women own shops that serve specialty drinks and incredible food to Nevadans – from coffee and boba to tacos.
    In Vegas – as you may know – travel and tourism are the backbone of our economy.
    When people come to Las Vegas they don’t just visit the Strip. They go to Chinatown, and the arts district, and all over the valley to patronize our small businesses.
    For many business owners – like Juanny, like Santy, like Kristen – their margins are already razor-thin, and tourism is key to meeting their bottom line.
    But because of President Trump’s tariffs, we’re already seeing a decline in visitors coming to Las Vegas. 
    Whether people are staying home because they don’t have any room in their budgets for a vacation, or international tourists are choosing other destinations – Trump’s economic agenda is threatening to crater our $2 trillion tourism economy. 
    That hurts our small businesses!
    And when they can’t keep up because costs are rising, because they have fewer patrons, or because of the higher cost of importing their supplies – they’re forced to raise their prices and pass the burden onto customers.
    It’s unsustainable.
    And this same sentiment is echoed in the Northern part of our state.
    In Reno, I spoke to Mark, a small coffee shop owner who is already asking himself how he can continue to navigate everyday operations amid the uncertainty.
    He doesn’t want to pass higher costs onto customers, but if Trump’s erratic tariff agenda continues, he may have no choice.
    Trump says Americans must accept short-term pain for long-term gain, but what is there to be gained if hardworking Nevadans have to close the doors of their businesses?
    I think to myself, if it’s only been 100 days, how much damage is he going to potentially cause in the next 100?
    In the 1361 days left in his term?
    It’s been 100 days, and small businesses across the United States may soon be faced with having to close up shop.
    What’s going to happen to Juanny, to Mark, to Santy, to Kristen?
    Will they make it through the rest of Trump’s term?
    I don’t know the answer.
    But I hope my Republican colleagues stop rubber stamping Trump’s harmful agenda and actually stand up for working families and small businesses.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for Polish parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Senate Marshal Kamiński

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for Polish parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Senate Marshal Kamiński

    Date：2024-12-13
    Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    December 13, 2024  
    No. 459  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung on December 12 hosted a luncheon to welcome a parliamentary delegation from the Republic of Poland led by Deputy Senate Marshal Michał Kamiński. During the event, the two sides exchanged views on regional developments, Taiwan-Poland relations, and economic and trade exchanges. 
     
    Minister Lin pointed out that both Taiwan and Poland had previously gone through periods of authoritarian rule but had since chosen the path of democracy. He remarked that bilateral relations had steadily advanced in recent years in such areas as the economy, trade, higher education, law enforcement, and science and technology. Minister Lin also affirmed that Taiwan would continue to work with Poland and other like-minded countries to bolster democratic resilience, deepen Taiwan-Europe economic and trade linkages, and forge resilient democratic supply chains throughout the world. 
     
    Furthermore, Minister Lin noted that the Polish-Taiwanese Parliamentarian Group released statements in April last year and May this year advocating Taiwan’s international participation and expressing concern over peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He thanked friends from the Polish parliament for taking such concrete action in support of Taiwan and added that he looked forward to further collaborating in the future and deepening bilateral interactions and exchanges.
     
    In his remarks, Deputy Senate Marshal Kamiński stated that Taiwan and Poland could learn from each other through exchanges in such fields as culture, the economy and trade, science and technology, and academia. He also said that due to Poland’s considerable economic development potential, many major Taiwanese enterprises had already invested in Poland, including Chi Mei Frozen Food and Compal, and that he anticipated that even more Taiwanese businesses would seek to develop market opportunities in Poland. 
     
    Taiwan and Poland share such universal values as freedom and democracy. In the future, the two countries will continue to work closely together to jointly promote prosperity and progress and protect hard-earned democratic achievements. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OLAF and Polish authorities uncover major VAT import fraud scheme

    Source: European Anti-Fraud Offfice

    Press release no. 10/2025
    PDF version 

    This press release is also available in Polish.  

    Close cooperation between the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and Polish national authorities has led to the uncovering of a sophisticated VAT fraud scheme involving goods imported from China into the European Union. Acting on intelligence and information provided by OLAF, Polish authorities carried out a criminal investigation, resulting in the arrest of four individuals and searches at 50 locations across the country.

    Working closely with customs and fiscal authorities in Poland, Germany, Czechia, Lithuania, and Latvia, OLAF identified a complex network exploiting the so-called “customs procedure 42″—a mechanism that allows for deferred VAT payments on goods imported into one Member State and transported to another.

    The suspected fraudsters transported goods arriving from China via railway border crossings into Germany under a customs transit procedure, suspending customs duties and VAT. Once in Germany, the goods were declared under procedure 42, only to be transported back to Poland and stored in warehouses near Wólka Kosowska, a major commercial hub.

    Operating through transport companies, logistics providers, and dozens of shell companies, the perpetrators falsely documented exports to other EU countries, mainly Lithuania. In reality, the goods remained in Poland or were illicitly distributed across the EU, including to Germany, Spain, France, and Italy—allowing for systematic evasion of VAT and the generation of significant illicit profits.

    The fraudulent activities were orchestrated by an organised group, operating behind a network of shell companies registered under the names of Lithuanian, Ukrainian, and Russian nationals.

    Following OLAF’s referral, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Kraków launched a criminal investigation. On 8 April 2025, Polish authorities—including officers from the Internal Security Agency (ABW), the National Revenue Administration (KAS), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBŚP), and the Central Cybercrime Bureau (CBZC)—carried out an extensive enforcement operation.

    In addition to the four individuals that were arrested, authorities seized telephones, computers, data carriers, financial and accounting documentation, and almost 300 company stamps. Property was also temporarily seized. 

    The detainees have been charged with participation in an organised criminal group, money laundering, and falsification of legal documents. At the request of the prosecutor’s office, the District Court for Kraków-Śródmieście ordered their temporary detention for three months.

    OLAF Director-General Ville Itälä said: “This case is a clear example of how cross-border cooperation and intelligence-sharing are crucial in protecting the EU’s financial interests. Through close cooperation with national authorities, we can uncover even the most complex fraud schemes. We remain fully committed to supporting Member States in the fight against fraud and ensuring that those who seek to exploit our systems are caught and held fully accountable.”

    You can read more in the press release from the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Kraków 

    OLAF mission, mandate and competences:
    OLAF’s mission is to detect, investigate and stop fraud with EU funds.    

    OLAF fulfils its mission by:
    •    carrying out independent investigations into fraud and corruption involving EU funds, so as to ensure that all EU taxpayers’ money reaches projects that can create jobs and growth in Europe;
    •    contributing to strengthening citizens’ trust in the EU Institutions by investigating serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU Institutions;
    •    developing a sound EU anti-fraud policy.

    In its independent investigative function, OLAF can investigate matters relating to fraud, corruption and other offences affecting the EU financial interests concerning:
    •    all EU expenditure: the main spending categories are Structural Funds, agricultural policy and rural development funds, direct expenditure and external aid;
    •    some areas of EU revenue, mainly customs duties;
    •    suspicions of serious misconduct by EU staff and members of the EU institutions.

    Once OLAF has completed its investigation, it is for the competent EU and national authorities to examine and decide on the follow-up of OLAF’s recommendations. All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a competent national or EU court of law.

    For further details:

    Pierluigi CATERINO
    Spokesperson
    European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
    Phone: +32(0)2 29-52335  
    Email: olaf-media ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (olaf-media[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
    https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu
    LinkedIn: European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
    Bluesky: euantifraud.bsky.social

    If you’re a journalist and you wish to receive our press releases in your inbox, pleaseleave us your contact data.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi encourages youth to actively shoulder responsibilities in advancing Chinese modernization

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

    Xi encourages youth to actively shoulder responsibilities in advancing Chinese modernization

    BEIJING, April 30 — An article by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on encouraging young people in the new era to bravely take on responsibilities in advancing Chinese modernization, will be published on Thursday.

    The article by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be published in this year’s ninth issue of Qiushi Journal, the flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee.

    The article highlights the role of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) in rallying young people as broadly as possible to contribute to building a strong nation and achieving national rejuvenation.

    It underscores the importance of strengthening the ideals and convictions of the younger generation. The CYLC is encouraged to organize and mobilize youth to take an active role in China’s modernization efforts.

    Young people should serve as pioneers and vital forces in areas such as scientific and technological innovation, rural revitalization, green development, social services, and national defense, the article notes.

    The article also calls on Party organizations at all levels to strengthen their leadership in youth-related work and to support the CYLC in fulfilling its missions creatively.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IA Ura.ru: Maxim Chirkov on how Putin responded to Trump’s threats of a global trade war

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    Source: IA Ura.ru

    President Vladimir Putin is restructuring the economy due to the risks of a global trade war. At a meeting on economic issues on April 24, he called for using the turbulence in the world to strengthen domestic production. As Maxim Chirkov, associate professor of the Department of Economic Policy and Economic Measurements at the Institute of Economics and Finance of the State University of Management, explained to URA.RU, Putin is reducing Russia’s dependence on oil and gas prices, increasing the role of non-commodity goods in the economy.

    “A constant, objective analysis of the current economic situation is extremely important. It is always in our field of vision, especially now, when the international economic situation is objectively becoming more complicated, when commodity and financial markets are experiencing serious fluctuations due to the intensification of global competition,” Putin said.

    It is important not only to monitor changes in the world, but also to use the emerging opportunities to develop our production, trade relations and exports, and strengthen the economy as a whole, the president emphasized. According to him, a planned “soft landing” is underway in Russia. This is necessary in order to overcome inflation, which is still at a high level of over 10%, and maintain economic growth.

    The President noted the growth of the manufacturing industry in Russia by more than 5% at the beginning of 2025. He considers the decline in the volume of residential construction to be the most difficult challenge. Putin called for keeping this issue “under special control”, since the pace of construction directly affects the availability of housing and other related industries – from the production of building materials to the production of furniture and household appliances.

    Donald Trump’s trade war became the main topic of discussion for economists from all over the world in April. Washington has raised tariffs on Chinese goods several times, and they are currently at 125%. The US has also imposed higher rates on dozens of other countries, but on April 9, it suspended this decision for 90 days. No additional tariffs were imposed on Russia, but the situation in the world cannot but affect the domestic economy – this is what Putin is preparing for, economist Maxim Chirkov believes.

    “Risks and uncertainty are growing. The authorities need to respond quickly to what is happening in the global economy in order to maintain the growth rates that have been record-breaking for many years. By and large, no one has yet felt the upcoming difficulties, but the tariffs imposed by Trump will have a strong impact on global trade. The Russian economy may also suffer from trade wars, including from falling energy prices,” Chirkov said.

    At the same time, Russia is becoming less and less dependent on the situation on foreign markets and the cost of oil, the economist added. According to him, domestic demand, the creation of production facilities and domestic goods are becoming the basis for economic development. “The fourth largest Russian economy in the world can benefit from the aggravation between the US and China. In 2025, Russia has every chance to increase the pace of economic growth and international trade. It is necessary to respond not only to difficulties, but also to emerging opportunities,” the URA.RU interlocutor summed up.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/30/2025

    IA Ura.ru

    President Vladimir Putin is restructuring the economy amid the risks of a global trade war. At an economic conference on April 24, he called for using global turbulence to strengthen domestic manufacturing….

    ” data-yashareImage=”https://guu.ru/wp-content/uploads/Сми-о-нас-13.png” data-yashareLink=”https://guu.ru/%d0%b8%d0%b0-ura-ru-%d0%bc%d0%b0%d0%ba%d1%81%d0%b8%d0%bc-%d1%87%d0%b8%d1%80%d0%ba%d0%be%d0%b2-%d0%be-%d1%82%d0%be%d0%bc-%d0%ba%d0%b0%d0%ba-%d0%bf%d1%83%d1%82%d0%b8%d0%bd-%d0%be%d1%82%d1%80%d0%b5/”>

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. imports of major transportation fuels decreased in 2024

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-brief analysis

    April 29, 2025

    U.S. imports of petroleum products decreased by 210,000 barrels per day (b/d) in 2024 to average 1.8 million b/d. Imports of all major transportation fuels, such as motor gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, as well as other products, such as unfinished oils, decreased.

    Motor gasoline makes up the largest share of U.S. petroleum product imports because it is the most widely consumed petroleum fuel in the United States. In 2024, the United States imported 651,000 b/d of motor gasoline, about 36% of all petroleum product imports and 75,000 b/d less than in 2023. U.S. gasoline consumption in 2024 was largely unchanged from 2023; inventories fell in 2024 after they had increased in 2023, reflecting the decrease in imports.

    Although the United States imports more gasoline than any other petroleum product, the United States exported 226,000 b/d more gasoline than it imported in 2024. The United States has been a net exporter of gasoline every year since 2016.

    U.S. petroleum product exports primarily originate from the Gulf Coast due to the region’s concentrated refining capacity and proximity to major ports. U.S. Gulf Coast refinery production exceeds regional market demand, resulting in exports by waterborne tankers. Although Gulf Coast refineries have a wide distribution network, infrastructure constraints limit their ability to supply fuels to all parts of the country. Consequently, certain regions rely on imported petroleum products instead of transporting them from the Gulf Coast.

    U.S. gasoline imports came from a variety of countries, but the largest five suppliers were Canada, the Netherlands, India, the United Kingdom, and South Korea. All these countries except Korea are among the top five sources for U.S. gasoline imports over the last 10 years (2014–23). Imports from Canada are the primary source of gasoline for several northeastern states and make up a small share in other markets throughout the country.

    Canada is also the largest source of distillate imports into the United States. The United States imported 144,000 b/d of distillate fuel oil in 2024, 95% of which came from Canada. U.S. imports of distillate primarily come into the East Coast (112,000 b/d, or 78%). In addition to use as a transportation fuel, distillate imports are also the primary source of home heating oil for the U.S. Northeast.

    Jet fuel imports in 2024 totaled 109,000 b/d, down from 127,000 b/d in 2023. Jet fuel imports flowed primarily to the West Coast. South Korea supplied 77,000 b/d, or 71%, of U.S. jet fuel imports last year. The next-largest suppliers were Canada, China, India, and Kuwait.

    Imports of petroleum products other than gasoline, distillate fuel oil, and jet fuel primarily consisted of residual fuel oil for use as a marine bunker fuel and unfinished oils used as feedstock for U.S. refineries to produce other finished products.

    Principal contributor: Kevin Hack

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: CBAK Energy Captures 14.6% Share of 32140 Cylindrical Cell Market in Q1 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALIAN, China, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CBAK Energy Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAT) (“CBAK Energy” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries and electric energy solutions in China, today announced its Q1 2025 market performance for 32140 cylindrical cells, based on the latest findings from the Start Point Institute of Research (“SPIR”, “SPIR Report”). According to the SPIR Report, CBAK Energy’s 32140 cylindrical cell shipments captured a notable 14.6% share of the global market, positioning the Company fourth overall—behind only a select group of major multinational competitors—highlighting its growing influence and competitiveness in the global battery sector.

    Back in February, based on findings from the previous SPIR Report covering 2024, the Company announced it had captured a remarkable 19% share of the global market for 32140 cylindrical cells. Building on that success, CBAK Energy has once again demonstrated strong performance in Q1. With ongoing discussions with major existing and prospective customers, the Company remains confident in its ability to sustain this momentum and further expand its presence in the large cylindrical cell market in the periods ahead.

     “We are pleased to see our 32140 cylindrical cells continue to gain market acceptance,” said Zhiguang Hu, Chief Executive Officer of CBAK Energy. “Our outstanding performance in Q1 2025 underscores our commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable energy storage solutions that meet the growing demands of our customers. We remain focused on innovation and expanding our market presence.”

    About CBAK Energy
    CBAK Energy Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAT) is a leading high-tech enterprise in China engaged in the development, manufacturing, and sales of new energy high power lithium batteries and raw materials for use in manufacturing high power lithium batteries. The applications of the Company’s products and solutions include electric vehicles, light electric vehicles, electric tools, energy storage, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and other high-power applications. In January 2006, CBAK Energy became the first lithium battery manufacturer in China listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. CBAK Energy has multiple operating subsidiaries in Dalian, Nanjing and Shaoxing, as well as a large-scale R&D and production base in Dalian.

    For more information, please visit ir.cbak.com.cn.

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, strategy and plans, and our expectations for future operations, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including “anticipates,” “believes,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “should,” or “will” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Our actual results may differ materially or perhaps significantly from those discussed herein, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.

    The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.

    For further inquiries, please contact:
    In China:
    CBAK Energy Technology, Inc.
    Investor Relations Department
    Email: ir@cbak.com.cn 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EUROPE/ITALY – Pope Francis’ “recommendations” to his cousin Ana Rosa Sivori, a missionary nun

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wednesday, 30 April 2025

    FMA

    by Antonella PrennaRome (Fides Agency) – “I insist that this donation be made available to those most in need,” said Sister Ana Rosa Sivori, cousin of Pope Francis, quoting the Pope himself, who in a conversation with Sister Ana Rosa recommended that a sum of money donated to him and entrusted to the community of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), to which Sister Ana Rosa belongs, be used for the construction of homes for needy families in Bam Pong.The 83-year-old cousin of Pope Francis, who originally comes from Buenos Aires, has been a missionary in Thailand for 60 years. She began her journey in Turin, where she was sent from Argentina to study, then moved on to India, where she spent three years, and finally to Thailand.“I arrived in Rome on the night of April 23 and didn’t manage to pay my last respects to Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica until April 25. I stayed from 9 in the morning until 6 in the evening. I prayed and talked with him in front of his coffin, and I am sure he was listening to me. I was very impressed by the enormous influx of people from all over the world,” reports the nun.“This morning, April 30, I was able to say goodbye to him at his grave in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore,” Sister Ana Rosa continued. ”It made a deep impression on me to stand in front of the white marble, and I was very happy that he is exactly where he always wanted to be. We are a very close family, and although we hadn’t spoken to each other for a long time, we always knew everything about each other. My father was very close to ‘Jorge’, as he continued to call him, and he always knew everything he was doing. We were baptized in the same basilica in Buenos Aires where the Don Bosco sisters work. He celebrated the funerals of my parents, our grandfather, and my sister’s wedding. We knew that he always called his sick sister on Sunday afternoons and that we talked about family matters. I celebrated my 80th birthday with him here in Rome after I had been in Argentina and before I returned to Thailand.“We often spoke with him about missionary work. He wanted to learn about the relationship between priests and Buddhists, who make up the majority of the population in Thailand. We always shared the idea of looking into each other’s faces and seeing what the other person needs. I hope that the cardinals who will meet in the conclave will follow Francis’ line for a Church of the people,” emphasizes the missionary.The FMA are represented in Thailand by eight communities and are active in the field of education. Specifically, they are located in the northwest of the country in the city of Chom Tong, in the northeast in the cities of Phon Sung and Udon Thani, further south in the city of Bam Pong, in San Phran, and finally with two communities in Bangkok.Sister Ana Rosa is currently working in the community in Bam Pong. Due to her age and health, she no longer teaches, but helps where needed and assists with the “chronicles” that the house collects every year from January to December.“There are 80 FMA sisters throughout Thailand,” explains the nun, ”and 17 of us are in Bam Pong. Our community is the first house that the FMA sisters opened in this country in 1933. Our pioneers supported and trained the local sisters and took in the first sisters who had been expelled from China. There are very few Christians in Bam Pong, but we have a very good relationship with the Buddhists, who also attend our schools. Education is of fundamental importance to us, and in order to give as many people as possible a chance, we have the lowest school fees of any school in the country. Our schools are overcrowded; in Bam Pong alone, we have 3,200 students, of whom at most a hundred are Christians. We teach the young girls the charisma of our founder, Mother Mazzarello. The schools in our communities range from nursery to middle school. They are mainly girls’ schools, with the exception of the kindergarten, which is mixed, and another school located outside the city. In this school, we have accepted the request of parents who have several children to accompany them all, so boys and girls can attend school together until the third grade.”“The Catholic community has a strong presence in Bam Pong,” concludes Sister Ana Rosa. ”There is a Capuchin monastery, a hospital run by the Camillian Missionaries, a Salesian Don Bosco school, the parish of St. Joseph, which is very large and run by the Salesians of Don Bosco, and a cemetery right next to our parish.” (Fides Agency 30/4/2025)
    FMA

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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China revises law to strengthen infectious disease prevention, control

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

    BEIJING, April 30 — China on Wednesday adopted a revised Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, aiming to improve its prevention of epidemics and protect the life and health of its people.

    The revised law, passed at a session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, will take effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

    Liu Xia, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, said that the new law provides a strong legal safeguard for the development of a disease control system led by medical and health institutions, integrating prevention and treatment, and supported by cooperation across all sectors of society.

    The new law will significantly strengthen China’s core capabilities in the fields of infectious disease monitoring and early warnings, emergency response, testing and diagnostics, and medical treatment, Liu said.

    “The new law further clarifies the rights, obligations and responsibilities of various parties — including government departments, disease control agencies, medical institutions, businesses and individuals — in the prevention and control of infectious diseases, and strengthens cross-departmental coordination mechanisms,” said Shen Weixing, a professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Law.

    This revised version effectively enhances the authority and enforceability of the law, Shen added

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: During visit to Eswatini, Foreign Minister Lin meets with Prime Minister Dlamini and announces additional funding for women’s microfinance revolving fund

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    April 24, 2025

    No. 115

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung is currently visiting Eswatini as President Lai Ching-te’s special envoy. He continues to carry out important engagements in Taiwan’s African ally. 

     

    On the morning of April 23, the second day of his visit, Special Envoy Lin called on Prime Minister Russell Dlamini to thank him for his friendship with Taiwan. Prime Minister Dlamini, who assumed office in November 2023, led a delegation to Taiwan in March 2024. In the same year, he spoke up for Taiwan on behalf of the government of Eswatini at major international events, including the United Nations General Assembly and the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, demonstrating staunch support for the diplomatic alliance between the two countries.

     

    Prime Minister Dlamini warmly welcomed Special Envoy Lin to Eswatini and thanked Taiwan for its long-standing support. He reaffirmed that relations with Taiwan were rock-solid and emphasized that Eswatini, as a sovereign nation, had the right to choose its own friends without being influenced by other countries. He underlined that Eswatini was firmly committed to standing shoulder to shoulder with Taiwan.

     

    Also on the morning of April 23, Special Envoy Lin joined Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu; Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo; and other high-level officials at an event to showcase the results of a microfinance revolving fund implemented by Taiwan and Eswatini to help women start businesses.

     

    In his remarks, Special Envoy Lin stated that Taiwan had announced an investment of US$1 million to establish the revolving fund in September 2023. He said the program provided start-up loans for women in rural areas, increased household incomes, and contributed to the economic and social development of Eswatini. In the past year or more since the fund was launched, over 500 loans had been approved, leading to changes in people’s lives and helping women achieve economic independence, he added. Highlighting a touching result of the initiative, Special Envoy Lin noted that one beneficiary had named her newborn baby Taiwan to thank Taiwan for its assistance. He further announced that the Taiwan government would inject an additional US$500,000 into the fund to further expand the virtuous cycle.  Special Envoy Lin said this underscored Taiwan’s strong commitment to economic empowerment in Eswatini.

     

    Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Dladla recalled her 2019 visit to Taiwan as foreign minister, during which she presented a proposal to the Taiwan government for the revolving fund on behalf of Queen Mother Ntombi Tfwala. She said that in 2020 the Technical Mission of the International Cooperation and Development Fund in Eswatini had introduced the Women’s Microenterprise Mentoring and Capacity Building Project, under which more than 6,000 women had received entrepreneurship skills training. Deputy Prime Minister Dladla said this was followed by a bilateral cooperation agreement to launch the fund, signed at a ceremony witnessed by the heads of state of both nations in September 2023. She praised the results that the program had achieved since it was launched just over a year ago in effectively giving women in rural areas of Eswatini an avenue to finance their start-up plans.

     

    Around 100 beneficiaries of the fund attended the event. Participants sang classic Taiwanese songs such as “Fight to Win,” creating a warm and lively atmosphere. Special Envoy Lin presented a stuffed leopard cat to the child named Taiwan, highlighting the profound friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini.

     

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to work with the government of Eswatini to enhance the well-being of the peoples of both countries and further deepen bilateral relations. (E)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin meets with Eswatini king and queen mother, cohosts groundbreaking for strategic oil reserve facility

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Foreign Minister Lin meets with Eswatini king and queen mother, cohosts groundbreaking for strategic oil reserve facility

    • Date：2025-04-24
    • Data Source：Department of West Asian and African Affairs

    April 24, 2025  
     No. 116  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, serving as President Lai Ching-te’s special envoy to Taiwan’s African ally Eswatini, met with Queen Mother Ntombi Tfwala and had an audience with King Mswati III on the afternoon of April 23. He and King Mswati III jointly presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for a strategic oil reserve facility, broadening bilateral cooperation into a new area.

     

    The king and the queen mother expressed appreciation for President Lai’s appointment of Minister Lin as special envoy for the king’s 57th birthday celebrations. They thanked Taiwan for its long-term assistance in developing Eswatini’s infrastructure, which they said had played an important role in economic growth. The king and the queen mother reaffirmed the robust diplomatic partnership between the two countries and pledged to continue to support Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.

     

    Special Envoy Lin extended birthday wishes to King Mswati III on behalf of President Lai and presented the king with a congratulatory letter from the president as well as special envoy credentials. He also delivered birthday gifts to the king, including cattle in accordance with local customs, high-tech products and delicacies from Taiwan, and a wooden sculpture entitled Infinite Wisdom by Taiwanese artist Kang Mu-xiang. 

     

    In his remarks, Special Envoy Lin thanked King Mswati III for leading a delegation to the inauguration of President Lai in May 2024 to convey support for Taiwan’s new administration. He said that Taiwan, as an important ally of Eswatini, would continue to contribute to the development of key infrastructure projects. He commended the king for fully supporting the launch of the strategic oil reserve facility and noted that it was the largest cooperation project to be undertaken by the two nations since the establishment of diplomatic ties. Special Envoy Lin said the project demonstrated that Taiwan was Eswatini’s steadfast partner, adding that the two countries had always supported each other. He stressed that Taiwan would continue to promote and expand the scope of bilateral exchanges and cooperation to further assist Eswatini in realizing its development goals.

     

    Following their meeting, Special Envoy Lin and King Mswati III jointly presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the strategic oil reserve facility. The milestone in bilateral relations was witnessed by prominent leaders from all sectors of Eswatini society. King Mswati III also hosted a reception for Special Envoy Lin, the delegation, and other guests, demonstrating the high regard of the Eswatini royal family and government for the visitors and the project.

     

    Taiwan and Eswatini established diplomatic relations in 1968. Over the past 57 years, bilateral ties have been stable and cordial. The government of Eswatini has actively and unfailingly supported Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. It is one of Taiwan staunchest allies. (E)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Warren Reads 100 Acts of Trump Corruption Into Congressional Record To Mark 100 Days of the Trump Administration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    April 30, 2025
    “[I]nstead of following through on his promise [to lower costs], Trump and his administration have paved the way for the president, his top officials, and his billionaire buddies to personally feed at the trough of government corruption.” 
    “That’s 100 corrupt acts in 100 days. Americans deserve accountability. We need to fight back—all of us.” 
    Video of Speech (YouTube)
    Washington, D.C. – On the 100th day of this Trump administration, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) read 100 reports of corruption from President Trump’s term so far into the Congressional record. 
    Senator Warren pointed to all the ways President Trump, his family, and associates like Elon Musk have used the presidency to enrich themselves, give favors to donors, and made it more difficult to hold him accountable for corruption. 
    Transcript: “One Hundred Days, One Hundred Acts of Corruption”U.S. Senate FloorApril 29, 2025
    As Prepared for Delivery
    Senator Elizabeth Warren: So here we are: one hundred days; one hundred acts of corruption.
    Today, I’m reading into the congressional record 100 reports of corruption from Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. When he ran for office, Trump promised repeatedly that he would lower costs “on day 1.”  But instead of following through on his promise, Trump and his administration have paved the way for the president, his top officials, and his billionaire buddies to personally feed at the trough of government corruption. 
    So, count with me: In just one hundred days, Donald Trump, his family, and his Administration have:
    Turned the White House into a Tesla dealership.
    Fired independent commissioners at the FTC.
    Punished former officials who opposed his 2020 election lies.
    Paid for the White House Easter Egg roll by soliciting corporate sponsors who have business pending with the government.
    Helped Trump’s son set up a club — pay $500,000 for access to Trump’s cabinet.
    Declared that there would be NO tariff exceptions. Then permitted Apple’s CEO “behind the scenes” access — and poof, iPhone tariffs were cut.
    Created an opening for insider trading by reportedly giving Wall Street exclusive information about trade talks.
    Hosted million-dollar dinners between Big Pharma CEOs and their regulator RFK Jr.
    Launched crypto memecoin right before inauguration to make millions of dollars, then increased the value of those coins by signing executive orders making crypto a priority.
    Launched a meme coin for Melania, too. 
    Promised his “rich-as-hell” donors a giant tax handout, and is working to deliver. 
    Weakened rules insulating government workers from politics.
    Limited corporate foreign bribery investigations.
    Halted enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act.
    Offered a private dinner with Trump himself—and a special tour of the White House—for the top 220 holders of his memecoin, permitting Trump and his family to profit both from the run up in the value of the coin AND the increase in trading on the Trump platform.
    Accepted $40 million for First Lady Melania’s documentary from Jeff Bezos – way above the market rate.
    Pointed to Bezos’s multi-million-dollar documentary payment as a model, when Warner Bros. asked Trump’s team how to improve its own relationship with the White House.
    Struck a deal with Amazon to stream Trump’s old show The Apprentice, which will mean more money for Trump as Amazon seeks tax breaks and other federal benefits.
    Coercing law firms to offer almost $1 billion in free legal work in an arrangement that experts say could run afoul of anti-bribery laws.
    Started undermining Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices after Big Pharma companies gave millions to Trump’s inauguration.
    Filed a meritless lawsuit against 60 Minutes and launched a baseless FCC investigation.
    Tried to get the AP to bend the knee and kicked them out of the White House briefing room when they refused.
    Hired Defense Secretary Hegseth’s younger brother to serve in a key role.
    Hired a longtime former partner of Don Jr. to serve as Ambassador to Greece. 
    Nominated Jared Kushner’s father to serve as Ambassador to France. 
    Selected Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law to serve as an adviser.
    Appointed an oil and gas executive to lead the Department of Energy.
    Selected a Chief of Staff who was a big-time lobbyist for clients like tobacco and mining companies.
    Named officials who had recently lobbied for oil and chemical giants to help write E-P-A rules.
    Appointed Mehmet Oz, who has close ties to Medicare Advantage insurers, to lead CMS to set payment rates and otherwise help out Medicare Advantage insurers.
    Appointed John Phelan, a major donor with no military or government experience, to lead the Navy and hand out Navy construction contracts.  
    Appointed Pam Bondi, a former lobbyist for a federal detention contractor, to lead the DOJ.
    Announced the DOJ would stop prioritizing enforcement of restrictions on foreign lobbyists, under the leadership of Bondi, who herself is a former foreign lobbyist for Qatar.
    Appointed Howard Lutnick, who has billions invested in companies accused of illegally facilitating crypto money laundering, to lead the Commerce Department.
    Appointed Marty Makary, the former executive of a company selling weight-loss drugs, to lead the FDA, which would regulate his company.
    Appointed Sean Duffy, who lobbied for the airline industry, to Transportation Secretary.
    Tapped Pete Hegseth, whose wife owns stock in large defense contractors, to lead the Defense Department.
    Tapped Doug Burgum — who made money from leasing land to Big Oil — to lead the Interior Department.
    Nominated a Big Oil lobbyist to run the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
    Nominated as IRS head Billy Long, an aggressive salesman for a fraud-riddled tax credit, who received donations after being nominated to clear old campaign debts. 
    Tapped Paul Atkins, a former crypto lobbyist, to lead the SEC.
    Appointed a former tax lobbyist, to lead tax policy.
    Appointed RFK Jr., who planned to get paid for anti-vax lawsuits while heading up HHS.
    Appointed a top Pentagon official who led a firm investing in defense contractors and has directed D-O-D to outsource as much as it can.
    Appointed someone who lobbied to privatize Medicare to lead OMB’s healthcare budget.
    Installed Steve Davis to effectively lead DOGE while also leading a Musk company.
    Installed another DOGE leader to control Treasury’s payment system while still holding down his day job as a software CEO.
    Handed power over crypto policy to a White House crypto czar who leads a venture capital firm that heavily invests in crypto.
    Selected a border czar who led a firm that got tens of millions of dollars of federal contracts for homeland security companies.
    Appointed Treasury Secretary Bessent who is gutting the IRS so that it can’t audit rich tax cheats — he’s a tax-dodging mega-millionaire.
    Pardoned Rod Blagojevich, former Illinois governor convicted for corruption, after his vocal support for Trump.
    Pardoned January 6 insurrectionists who tried to overturn an election he lost.
    Pardoned a Trump loyalist found guilty of wire fraud.
    Pardoned the son of a longtime Republican donor.
    Pardoned a corporation that had been fined $100 million for money laundering.
    Launched his own stablecoin while preparing to sign legislation that will help the stablecoin and let him oversee it. 
    Sold merch with presidential branding.
    Disbanded DOJ’s crypto unit after business talks between Binance and a Trump-backed crypto company ramped up.
    Halted SEC enforcement actions against crypto companies that enriched Trump. 
    Met with crypto executives who are asking Treasury to back off of oversight of their companies — all while exploring a deal to list a Trump-linked crypto company’s new stablecoin.
    Maintained financial ties between Trump officials and Trump’s media company. That includes: FBI Director Kash Patel who was gifted a huge award of Trump media company stock.
    Nominated Attorney General Bondi who owned $2 million in DJT shares.
    Paid the Education Secretary almost $1 million in Trump Media company shares.
    Intelligence Board nominees who have millions in Trump Media company shares.
    Selected a Special Envoy to the Middle East who wants to develop real estate in Gaza while running his own real estate firm.
    Appointed an FBI Director who consulted for the Qatari government.
    Picked that FBI Director even though he also received millions from a Cayman Island holding company with ties to China.
    Decided to cancel the Direct File program, which will help the bottom line of Intuit, which gave $1 million to Trump’s inauguration.
    Took its largest inauguration donation from a poultry company under DOJ scrutiny. After the donation, the SEC approved its parent company for the New York Stock Exchange.
    Dropped a probe into sexual misconduct allegations against Trump’s Education Secretary’s husband.
    Hosted dozens of foreign, federal, and state officials at Mar-a-Lago, helping enrich Trump. 
    Hosted a GOP retreat at another one of Trump’s resorts.
    Circumvented the normal contracting process to pick a company with close ties to Trump’s former campaign manager.
    Awarded a $30 million ICE contract to Trump insider Peter Thiel.
    Continued developing new Trump properties overseas, including in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
    Hatched a plan for the State Department to pay Tesla $400 million dollars.
    Accepted a $4 million inauguration donation from a GOP megadonor and nominated him as UK ambassador the same day.
    And Donald Trump took actions that could advance the personal interests of his co-president Elon Musk: 

    Fired EEOC leaders investigating and suing Tesla.
    Illegally fired the NLRB Chair, which filed a complaint against SpaceX.
    Gutted CFPB staff and fired the Director after they investigated complaints against Musk’s companies.
    Gutted the Department of Labor office investigating Tesla and Space X.
    Fired the USAID Inspector General, who launched a probe into satellite terminals made by Musk’s Starlink. 
    Targeted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration staff who were reportedly, quote, a “thorn in Tesla’s side.”
    Said Musk would self-police his conflicts of interest. Yeah right…
    Pressured the Administrator of the FAA, which fined Musk’s SpaceX, to resign .
    Permitted Musk to keep his financial disclosure hidden. I’ve got a new bill to fix that!
    Allowed Musk’s Starlink to start working with the FAA after Musk criticized the FAA’s air traffic telecom system. 
    Made Musk’s SpaceX the frontrunner for a new lucrative Golden Dome contract.
    Stood by Musk when his X executives told an advertising firm to increase ad revenue — threatening that Musk could interfere with a pending merger.
    Permitted Musk to join Trump’s interview with the Air Force secretary nominee while SpaceX held billions of dollars in contracts with the Air Force. 
    Permitted the National Transportation Safety Board to share news related to the airplane crashes in Washington and Philadelphia only on Musk-owned X.
    Permitted the Social Security Administration to only share important public communication on X.
    Dropped DOJ’s anti-discrimination complaint against Musk’s SpaceX.
    Fired FDA staffers reviewing Elon Musk’s Neuralink clinical trial applications.
    And for our closing six moves that make every bit of this corruption even harder to root out, Trump got rid of cops on the beat:

    Fired 18 Inspectors General who make sure the federal agencies follow the law.
    Fired the head of the Office of Special Counsel who protects whistleblowers and makes sure that civil service laws are fired.
    Fired the head of the Office of Government Ethics who watches to see that the President and his Administration follow the laws on conflicts of interest, bribery and other ethics issues.
    Fired DOJ prosecutors who worked on January 6th investigations.
    Sidelined DOJ’s office that reviews the legality of executive orders.
    Gutted DOJ’s office that prosecutes misconduct by public officials.
    That’s 100 corrupt acts in 100 days. Americans deserve accountability. We need to fight back—all of us. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: William Morris: new exhibition reveals how Britain’s greatest designer went viral

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Marcus Waithe, Professor of Literature and the Applied Arts, University of Cambridge

    Hadrian Garrard, the curator of Morris Mania – an innovative exhibition now showing at the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow, east London – tells the story of being in King’s Cross Station and spotting someone wheeling a shopping trolley covered in a plasticised Morris pattern. It reminded me of the time when a student thanked me for my teaching with a pair of Morris-themed flip-flops.

    Mugs, tea towels, notepads, handbags and all manner of other incongruous objects make up this world of Morris merchandise. Much of it is made in China and remote from the purposes William Morris had in mind. How did this Victorian designer and socialist, known for championing craftsmanship and preferring substance over style, become an icon of consumer culture?

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    The exhibition’s tagline – How Britain’s Greatest Designer Went Viral – makes good sense. It’s not just that Morris stages an escape from the Victorian decorative world, but that his art proliferates in uncontrolled ways. The walk from Walthamstow station lays the groundwork in this regard: exhibition posters in shop windows, end-of-terrace murals and even the civic architecture, speak of something leaking from the gallery walls.

    The first display in the exhibition tell the story of how we got here. Morris began spreading thanks to the commissions he received from aristocratic and royal clients. They were drawn to the medieval ethos of his work, and its rejection of industrialism in the arts. An important early contract was for the interiors at St James’s Palace.

    But these establishment associations soon morphed and mutated, first among the English middle classes, who welcomed Morris’s designs into their suburban villas despite his new fondness for revolution, and then more remotely: one photograph shows Morris-patterned walls at St Peterburg’s Winter Palace, taken shortly after the Bolsheviks stormed the building. The socialism as it were, is turned inside out.

    The earliest Morris merchandise was printed for a centenary exhibition at the V&A Museum in 1934. One of its patterned postcards appears in a display case, the souvenir of Morris’s own daughter, May, whose handwriting is on the back. In 1966, Morris’s designs went out of copyright, marking a watershed. Pop Victoriana and Laura Ashley floral dresses depended on it for their reproductive freedoms.

    George Harrison’s “golden lily” jacket, from the Chelsea boutique Granny Takes a Trip, stands out as a poignant example of the ways in which Morris was recut and repurposed for the counterculture.

    Morris’s “rose” pattern proves a particularly intrepid traveller, as the design chosen for the officers’ cushions on HMS Valliant, an early nuclear-powered submarine. Its onboard domesticity blends curiously with the menace of its mission.

    Three turning points prepare us for the newest forms of Morris mania. The V&A’s 1996 exhibition repopularised Morris’s work, and thanks to new digital technology, its merchandise included printed mugs.

    Then, in 2001, the British government instructed public collections to open their doors for free. In search of new income streams, museums turned to selling themed objects through their shops. The rise of China as a manufacturing hub complemented this emphasis – less by revolutionising working conditions and democratising design, as Morris had hoped, than with a flood of cheaply produced goods.

    Beyond this revealing timeline, what really impresses is the exhibition’s care in preserving distinctions. It’s particularly careful to show that going viral need not mean selling out. From Nanjing – a major centre of Chinese manufacturing – comes a poster for the 2023 exhibition Beyond William Morris at the Nanjing Museum. It attracted over a million visitors, reminding us that behind the merchandise are new wells of love and respect.

    Something similar applies at the level of making. For every sweatshop Hello Kitty, the same character appears in a beautifully crafted yukata (a casual kimono) in Liberty fabrics made in Japan.

    A Brompton Bike hangs from the wall – manufactured in London, and sporting a handsome “willow bough” livery. Likewise, a neon “strawberry thief” motif, made at Walthamstow’s God’s Own Junk Yard, rekindles the embers of local production. This emphasis extends to the exhibition’s own making. A film documents the weaving of the Axminster carpet that furnishes the main room. Even the labels were dyed by hand with weld, a natural pigment whose use Morris revived.

    In these ways, the exhibition champions ethical and bespoke production, while confronting the darker currents that move objects around our world. It also stays curious enough to push further by exploring the kitsch new frontier of “Morris” patterns generated by AI, or by populating a Victorian dresser with “crowdsourced” Morris bric-a-brac.

    There might have been more space to consider why the surface effects of pattern travel so readily, and to quote Morris’s writings on the subject. But much of that is implicit and there for audiences to follow up.

    Morris Mania excels by nurturing the joy behind all this promiscuous growth. Most pleasingly, that trolley from King’s Cross makes a reappearance, dressed here in an AI-adapted “strawberry thief”, courtesy of Sholley Trolleys, Clacton-on-Sea. Just like Morris himself, it was made in Essex.

    Morris Mania: How Britain’s Greatest Designer Went Viral is at the William Morris Gallery until September 21 2025.

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

    – ref. William Morris: new exhibition reveals how Britain’s greatest designer went viral – https://theconversation.com/william-morris-new-exhibition-reveals-how-britains-greatest-designer-went-viral-254761

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA sincerely thanks United States for condemning China’s misuse of UNGA Resolution 2758 for first time at UN Security Council

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA sincerely thanks United States for condemning China’s misuse of UNGA Resolution 2758 for first time at UN Security Council

    • Date：2025-04-24
    • Data Source：Department of International Organizations

    April 24, 2025 

    No. 117 

    At a United Nations Security Council meeting on April 23, the United States severely condemned China for misusing UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 in its attempts to isolate Taiwan, mischaracterize other countries’ policies, and constrain their choices. The United States also reiterated that the resolution did not preclude Taiwan’s participation in the UN system or other multilateral fora. This is the second time that the current US administration has spoken up for Taiwan at the United Nations, following its public statement rejecting China’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758 at a meeting of the World Health Organization Executive Board in February. This is also the first time that the United States has clearly expressed its position on the resolution at the UN Security Council, which is of great significance.

     

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanks the Trump administration for staunchly supporting Taiwan’s efforts to participate in the international arena and for denouncing China’s relentless attempts to suppress Taiwan’s sovereign status and international participation by maliciously distorting UNGA Resolution 2758. The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country, and neither Taiwan nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other. This is the objective reality across the Taiwan Strait and an internationally recognized fact. UNGA Resolution 2758 makes absolutely no mention of Taiwan, nor does it state that Taiwan is part of the PRC. Only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent its 23 million people in the United Nations system and other international organizations. (E)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA response to false claims regarding Taiwan in joint statement between PRC and Azerbaijan

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA response to false claims regarding Taiwan in joint statement between PRC and Azerbaijan

    • Date：2025-04-24
    • Data Source：Department of West Asian and African Affairs

    April 24, 2025  

      

    Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev visited China from April 22 to 24. Following a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on April 23, the two sides issued a joint statement on the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership. Among other spurious content, the statement falsely claimed that Taiwan was an inalienable part of Chinese territory.

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly condemns the Chinese government for continuing to issue preposterous pronouncements that aim to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty on the international stage. It also expresses deep regret at the Azerbaijani government’s submission to, and compliance with, authoritarian China. 

    MOFA reaffirms that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is an independent, sovereign country and that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the Chinese Communist Party-governed People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other. No statement intended to distort Taiwan’s sovereign status or undermine international peace and stability can alter the internationally recognized status quo across the Taiwan Strait.

    MOFA calls on the international community to recognize China’s authoritarian nature, as well as its efforts to deceitfully frame the issue of Taiwan as being a domestic matter and block international support for Taiwan. It also urges the international community to continue to respond with concrete action and clearly oppose China’s malicious attempts to alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait so as to help jointly maintain peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin concludes successful visit to Eswatini, elevating bilateral relations to new heights

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Foreign Minister Lin concludes successful visit to Eswatini, elevating bilateral relations to new heights

    • Date：2025-04-27
    • Data Source：Department of West Asian and African Affairs

    April 27, 2025  

    No. 122  

    On April 26, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, serving as a special presidential envoy, successfully completed a five-day visit to Eswatini and returned to Taiwan.

    On the final day of the trip, Special Envoy Lin announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would cooperate with Big Game Parks, an Eswatini wildlife conservation organization, and contribute one million emalangeni to assist the protection of rhinoceros habitat. The donation was witnessed by Eswatini Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu and Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Mkhonta-Simelane. In a gesture symbolizing the friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini, Special Envoy Lin named a newborn baby rhino in the national park Formosa. The announcement represented a further expansion of the scope of bilateral collaboration into the sphere of preserving ecological diversity.

    In his remarks, Special Envoy Lin thanked Big Game Parks for its contributions to conservation. He said that Taiwan attached great importance to biodiversity and understood that every species played an indispensable role in human survival. Special Envoy Lin explained that as well as prioritizing conservation work, the government of Taiwan had also enacted the Wildlife Conservation Act and incorporated the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora into national law. He added that Taiwan had worked hard to protect plants and animals at home and abroad to stop illegal exploitation of natural resources. Looking ahead, Special Envoy Lin said he hoped Taiwan and Eswatini would continue to jointly engage in related efforts.

    Acting on behalf of President Lai Ching-te, Special Envoy Lin led a large delegation including industry representatives to Eswatini from April 21 to 26 to join celebrations for the 57th birthday of King Mswati III. The visit demonstrated Taiwan’s high regard for Eswatini and further deepened the cordial relations and constructive cooperation between the two countries. 

    During the trip, Special Envoy Lin had audiences with the king and queen mother of Eswatini and met with other senior officials including the prime minister and foreign minister. He discussed bilateral cooperation plans and signed memorandums and joint statements that covered areas such as providing medical care, building 5G infrastructure, countering disinformation, and conserving wildlife. Special Envoy Lin also visited the referral and emergency complex and operating theater of Mbabane Government Hospital, which were built with assistance from Taiwan, as well as a factory that receives investment from local Taiwanese businesspeople.

    The successful trip further strengthened Taiwan-Eswatini diplomatic ties, broadened cooperation between the two nations, demonstrated Taiwan’s active contributions to the international community, and laid even more solid foundations for the countries to progress toward common prosperity. (E)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA demands Somali government immediately revoke notification to airline operators not to accept Taiwan passport for travel to Somalia

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA demands Somali government immediately revoke notification to airline operators not to accept Taiwan passport for travel to Somalia

    • Date：2025-04-29
    • Data Source：Department of West Asian and African Affairs

    April 29, 2025  

    No. 128  

    The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) on April 22 issued a notification to all airline operators and stakeholders that, starting from April 30, passports and related travel documents issued by Taiwan and its subordinate authorities could no longer be used to enter, exit, or transit through Somalia. The SCAA stated that the Somali government’s decision was made in line with the “one China principle” based on United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758. 

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly protests Somalia’s imposition of restrictions on Taiwan nationals’ freedom and safety of travel at China’s instigation. It demands that the government of Somalia immediately revoke this notification. MOFA also solemnly refutes and strongly condemns the Somali government’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758, conflation of the resolution with the so-called “one China principle,” and propagation of the falsehood that Taiwan is subordinate to the People’s Republic of China.

    MOFA and the Taiwan Representative Office in the Republic of Somaliland as well as the government of Somaliland have jointly requested that like-minded nations and international organizations take concrete steps to press for the abjuration of this wrongful action. To ensure Taiwan nationals’ travel safety and convenience, MOFA reminds them not to travel to either Somalia or Somaliland until the Somali government revokes the notification.

    Since declaring independence in 1991, Somaliland has held four presidential elections. It enjoys political stability and a deepening democracy. Somaliland and Taiwan are like-minded countries that uphold freedom and democracy. The Somali government controls Somaliland’s airspace, and its crass efforts to halt interactions between peoples of democratic nations have a deleterious effect on the situation in the Horn of Africa. MOFA will provide timely updates should there be subsequent developments. (E) 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA response to Czech Senate adopting resolution on China’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA response to Czech Senate adopting resolution on China’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758

    • Date：2025-04-30
    • Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    April 30, 2025 

    The Czech Senate on April 29 adopted a resolution on the misrepresentation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 by the People’s Republic of China and support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. In the resolution, the Czech Senate opposed China’s mischaracterization of UNGA Resolution 2758, emphasizing that it did not substantiate the “one China principle,” and rejected China’s related claim that Taiwan was part of China. The resolution also reiterated its support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the resolution and expresses its sincere appreciation.

     

    The resolution stated that when UNGA Resolution 2758 was adopted on October 25, 1971, it made no mention of Taiwan, the Taiwanese people, or Taiwan’s political status; did not establish PRC sovereignty over Taiwan; and did not discuss Taiwan’s status or participation in UN agencies. Moreover, the resolution pointed out that China’s deliberate distortion of UN resolutions endangered the legitimacy of the United Nations and infringed on the basic principles of international law. It called on China to respect the content of UNGA 2758 and stop misusing it for its own political ends.

     

    In addition, the resolution supported Taiwan’s meaningful participation in multilateral organizations and fora such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the International Criminal Police Organization. It urged the Czech government to address China’s misrepresentation and misuse of UNGA Resolution 2758 in the UN system and support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the United Nations and other international organizations.

     

    The Czech Chamber of Deputies Foreign Affairs Committee adopted a resolution on December 12, 2024, opposing China’s improper linking of UNGA Resolution 2758 with the “one China principle.” The new Czech Senate resolution therefore once again demonstrates the Czech Parliament’s staunch backing of Taiwan and underscores the close and cordial relations between Taiwan and the Czech Republic.

     

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung expresses sincere gratitude to the Czech Senate for supporting Taiwan through concrete action and calls on the international community to likewise counter China’s false narratives regarding UNGA Resolution 2758. Taiwan will continue to work hand in hand with like-minded partners worldwide to resist the efforts of authoritarian regimes seeking to undermine the international order and to jointly safeguard the core values shared by the global democratic community.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA sincerely thanks United States for condemning China’s misuse of UNGA Resolution 2758 for first time at UN Security Council

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    MOFA sincerely thanks United States for condemning China’s misuse of UNGA Resolution 2758 for first time at UN Security Council

    Date：2025-04-24
    Data Source：Department of International Organizations

    April 24, 2025 
    No. 117 

    At a United Nations Security Council meeting on April 23, the United States severely condemned China for misusing UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 in its attempts to isolate Taiwan, mischaracterize other countries’ policies, and constrain their choices. The United States also reiterated that the resolution did not preclude Taiwan’s participation in the UN system or other multilateral fora. This is the second time that the current US administration has spoken up for Taiwan at the United Nations, following its public statement rejecting China’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758 at a meeting of the World Health Organization Executive Board in February. This is also the first time that the United States has clearly expressed its position on the resolution at the UN Security Council, which is of great significance.
     
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanks the Trump administration for staunchly supporting Taiwan’s efforts to participate in the international arena and for denouncing China’s relentless attempts to suppress Taiwan’s sovereign status and international participation by maliciously distorting UNGA Resolution 2758. The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country, and neither Taiwan nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other. This is the objective reality across the Taiwan Strait and an internationally recognized fact. UNGA Resolution 2758 makes absolutely no mention of Taiwan, nor does it state that Taiwan is part of the PRC. Only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent its 23 million people in the United Nations system and other international organizations. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to false claims regarding Taiwan in joint statement between PRC and Azerbaijan

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    MOFA response to false claims regarding Taiwan in joint statement between PRC and Azerbaijan

    Date：2025-04-24
    Data Source：Department of West Asian and African Affairs

    April 24, 2025  
      
    Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev visited China from April 22 to 24. Following a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on April 23, the two sides issued a joint statement on the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership. Among other spurious content, the statement falsely claimed that Taiwan was an inalienable part of Chinese territory.

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly condemns the Chinese government for continuing to issue preposterous pronouncements that aim to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty on the international stage. It also expresses deep regret at the Azerbaijani government’s submission to, and compliance with, authoritarian China. 

    MOFA reaffirms that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is an independent, sovereign country and that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the Chinese Communist Party-governed People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other. No statement intended to distort Taiwan’s sovereign status or undermine international peace and stability can alter the internationally recognized status quo across the Taiwan Strait.

    MOFA calls on the international community to recognize China’s authoritarian nature, as well as its efforts to deceitfully frame the issue of Taiwan as being a domestic matter and block international support for Taiwan. It also urges the international community to continue to respond with concrete action and clearly oppose China’s malicious attempts to alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait so as to help jointly maintain peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Foreign Minister Lin concludes successful visit to Eswatini, elevating bilateral relations to new heights

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Foreign Minister Lin concludes successful visit to Eswatini, elevating bilateral relations to new heights

    Date：2025-04-27
    Data Source：Department of West Asian and African Affairs

    April 27, 2025  
    No. 122  

    On April 26, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, serving as a special presidential envoy, successfully completed a five-day visit to Eswatini and returned to Taiwan.

    On the final day of the trip, Special Envoy Lin announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would cooperate with Big Game Parks, an Eswatini wildlife conservation organization, and contribute one million emalangeni to assist the protection of rhinoceros habitat. The donation was witnessed by Eswatini Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu and Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Mkhonta-Simelane. In a gesture symbolizing the friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini, Special Envoy Lin named a newborn baby rhino in the national park Formosa. The announcement represented a further expansion of the scope of bilateral collaboration into the sphere of preserving ecological diversity.

    In his remarks, Special Envoy Lin thanked Big Game Parks for its contributions to conservation. He said that Taiwan attached great importance to biodiversity and understood that every species played an indispensable role in human survival. Special Envoy Lin explained that as well as prioritizing conservation work, the government of Taiwan had also enacted the Wildlife Conservation Act and incorporated the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora into national law. He added that Taiwan had worked hard to protect plants and animals at home and abroad to stop illegal exploitation of natural resources. Looking ahead, Special Envoy Lin said he hoped Taiwan and Eswatini would continue to jointly engage in related efforts.

    Acting on behalf of President Lai Ching-te, Special Envoy Lin led a large delegation including industry representatives to Eswatini from April 21 to 26 to join celebrations for the 57th birthday of King Mswati III. The visit demonstrated Taiwan’s high regard for Eswatini and further deepened the cordial relations and constructive cooperation between the two countries. 

    During the trip, Special Envoy Lin had audiences with the king and queen mother of Eswatini and met with other senior officials including the prime minister and foreign minister. He discussed bilateral cooperation plans and signed memorandums and joint statements that covered areas such as providing medical care, building 5G infrastructure, countering disinformation, and conserving wildlife. Special Envoy Lin also visited the referral and emergency complex and operating theater of Mbabane Government Hospital, which were built with assistance from Taiwan, as well as a factory that receives investment from local Taiwanese businesspeople.

    The successful trip further strengthened Taiwan-Eswatini diplomatic ties, broadened cooperation between the two nations, demonstrated Taiwan’s active contributions to the international community, and laid even more solid foundations for the countries to progress toward common prosperity. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA demands Somali government immediately revoke notification to airline operators not to accept Taiwan passport for travel to Somalia

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    MOFA demands Somali government immediately revoke notification to airline operators not to accept Taiwan passport for travel to Somalia

    Date：2025-04-29
    Data Source：Department of West Asian and African Affairs

    April 29, 2025  
    No. 128  
    The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) on April 22 issued a notification to all airline operators and stakeholders that, starting from April 30, passports and related travel documents issued by Taiwan and its subordinate authorities could no longer be used to enter, exit, or transit through Somalia. The SCAA stated that the Somali government’s decision was made in line with the “one China principle” based on United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758. 

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly protests Somalia’s imposition of restrictions on Taiwan nationals’ freedom and safety of travel at China’s instigation. It demands that the government of Somalia immediately revoke this notification. MOFA also solemnly refutes and strongly condemns the Somali government’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758, conflation of the resolution with the so-called “one China principle,” and propagation of the falsehood that Taiwan is subordinate to the People’s Republic of China.

    MOFA and the Taiwan Representative Office in the Republic of Somaliland as well as the government of Somaliland have jointly requested that like-minded nations and international organizations take concrete steps to press for the abjuration of this wrongful action. To ensure Taiwan nationals’ travel safety and convenience, MOFA reminds them not to travel to either Somalia or Somaliland until the Somali government revokes the notification.

    Since declaring independence in 1991, Somaliland has held four presidential elections. It enjoys political stability and a deepening democracy. Somaliland and Taiwan are like-minded countries that uphold freedom and democracy. The Somali government controls Somaliland’s airspace, and its crass efforts to halt interactions between peoples of democratic nations have a deleterious effect on the situation in the Horn of Africa. MOFA will provide timely updates should there be subsequent developments. (E) 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to Czech Senate adopting resolution on China’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    MOFA response to Czech Senate adopting resolution on China’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758

    Date：2025-04-30
    Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    April 30, 2025 

    The Czech Senate on April 29 adopted a resolution on the misrepresentation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 by the People’s Republic of China and support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. In the resolution, the Czech Senate opposed China’s mischaracterization of UNGA Resolution 2758, emphasizing that it did not substantiate the “one China principle,” and rejected China’s related claim that Taiwan was part of China. The resolution also reiterated its support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the resolution and expresses its sincere appreciation.
     
    The resolution stated that when UNGA Resolution 2758 was adopted on October 25, 1971, it made no mention of Taiwan, the Taiwanese people, or Taiwan’s political status; did not establish PRC sovereignty over Taiwan; and did not discuss Taiwan’s status or participation in UN agencies. Moreover, the resolution pointed out that China’s deliberate distortion of UN resolutions endangered the legitimacy of the United Nations and infringed on the basic principles of international law. It called on China to respect the content of UNGA 2758 and stop misusing it for its own political ends.
     
    In addition, the resolution supported Taiwan’s meaningful participation in multilateral organizations and fora such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the International Criminal Police Organization. It urged the Czech government to address China’s misrepresentation and misuse of UNGA Resolution 2758 in the UN system and support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the United Nations and other international organizations.
     
    The Czech Chamber of Deputies Foreign Affairs Committee adopted a resolution on December 12, 2024, opposing China’s improper linking of UNGA Resolution 2758 with the “one China principle.” The new Czech Senate resolution therefore once again demonstrates the Czech Parliament’s staunch backing of Taiwan and underscores the close and cordial relations between Taiwan and the Czech Republic.
     
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung expresses sincere gratitude to the Czech Senate for supporting Taiwan through concrete action and calls on the international community to likewise counter China’s false narratives regarding UNGA Resolution 2758. Taiwan will continue to work hand in hand with like-minded partners worldwide to resist the efforts of authoritarian regimes seeking to undermine the international order and to jointly safeguard the core values shared by the global democratic community.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: During visit to Eswatini, Foreign Minister Lin meets with Prime Minister Dlamini and announces additional funding for women’s microfinance revolving fund

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    April 24, 2025
    No. 115

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung is currently visiting Eswatini as President Lai Ching-te’s special envoy. He continues to carry out important engagements in Taiwan’s African ally. 
     
    On the morning of April 23, the second day of his visit, Special Envoy Lin called on Prime Minister Russell Dlamini to thank him for his friendship with Taiwan. Prime Minister Dlamini, who assumed office in November 2023, led a delegation to Taiwan in March 2024. In the same year, he spoke up for Taiwan on behalf of the government of Eswatini at major international events, including the United Nations General Assembly and the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, demonstrating staunch support for the diplomatic alliance between the two countries.
     
    Prime Minister Dlamini warmly welcomed Special Envoy Lin to Eswatini and thanked Taiwan for its long-standing support. He reaffirmed that relations with Taiwan were rock-solid and emphasized that Eswatini, as a sovereign nation, had the right to choose its own friends without being influenced by other countries. He underlined that Eswatini was firmly committed to standing shoulder to shoulder with Taiwan.
     
    Also on the morning of April 23, Special Envoy Lin joined Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu; Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo; and other high-level officials at an event to showcase the results of a microfinance revolving fund implemented by Taiwan and Eswatini to help women start businesses.
     
    In his remarks, Special Envoy Lin stated that Taiwan had announced an investment of US$1 million to establish the revolving fund in September 2023. He said the program provided start-up loans for women in rural areas, increased household incomes, and contributed to the economic and social development of Eswatini. In the past year or more since the fund was launched, over 500 loans had been approved, leading to changes in people’s lives and helping women achieve economic independence, he added. Highlighting a touching result of the initiative, Special Envoy Lin noted that one beneficiary had named her newborn baby Taiwan to thank Taiwan for its assistance. He further announced that the Taiwan government would inject an additional US$500,000 into the fund to further expand the virtuous cycle.  Special Envoy Lin said this underscored Taiwan’s strong commitment to economic empowerment in Eswatini.
     
    Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Dladla recalled her 2019 visit to Taiwan as foreign minister, during which she presented a proposal to the Taiwan government for the revolving fund on behalf of Queen Mother Ntombi Tfwala. She said that in 2020 the Technical Mission of the International Cooperation and Development Fund in Eswatini had introduced the Women’s Microenterprise Mentoring and Capacity Building Project, under which more than 6,000 women had received entrepreneurship skills training. Deputy Prime Minister Dladla said this was followed by a bilateral cooperation agreement to launch the fund, signed at a ceremony witnessed by the heads of state of both nations in September 2023. She praised the results that the program had achieved since it was launched just over a year ago in effectively giving women in rural areas of Eswatini an avenue to finance their start-up plans.
     
    Around 100 beneficiaries of the fund attended the event. Participants sang classic Taiwanese songs such as “Fight to Win,” creating a warm and lively atmosphere. Special Envoy Lin presented a stuffed leopard cat to the child named Taiwan, highlighting the profound friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini.
     
    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to work with the government of Eswatini to enhance the well-being of the peoples of both countries and further deepen bilateral relations. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Foreign Minister Lin meets with Eswatini king and queen mother, cohosts groundbreaking for strategic oil reserve facility

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Foreign Minister Lin meets with Eswatini king and queen mother, cohosts groundbreaking for strategic oil reserve facility

    Date：2025-04-24
    Data Source：Department of West Asian and African Affairs

    April 24, 2025   No. 116  Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, serving as President Lai Ching-te’s special envoy to Taiwan’s African ally Eswatini, met with Queen Mother Ntombi Tfwala and had an audience with King Mswati III on the afternoon of April 23. He and King Mswati III jointly presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for a strategic oil reserve facility, broadening bilateral cooperation into a new area.
     
    The king and the queen mother expressed appreciation for President Lai’s appointment of Minister Lin as special envoy for the king’s 57th birthday celebrations. They thanked Taiwan for its long-term assistance in developing Eswatini’s infrastructure, which they said had played an important role in economic growth. The king and the queen mother reaffirmed the robust diplomatic partnership between the two countries and pledged to continue to support Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
     
    Special Envoy Lin extended birthday wishes to King Mswati III on behalf of President Lai and presented the king with a congratulatory letter from the president as well as special envoy credentials. He also delivered birthday gifts to the king, including cattle in accordance with local customs, high-tech products and delicacies from Taiwan, and a wooden sculpture entitled Infinite Wisdom by Taiwanese artist Kang Mu-xiang. 
     
    In his remarks, Special Envoy Lin thanked King Mswati III for leading a delegation to the inauguration of President Lai in May 2024 to convey support for Taiwan’s new administration. He said that Taiwan, as an important ally of Eswatini, would continue to contribute to the development of key infrastructure projects. He commended the king for fully supporting the launch of the strategic oil reserve facility and noted that it was the largest cooperation project to be undertaken by the two nations since the establishment of diplomatic ties. Special Envoy Lin said the project demonstrated that Taiwan was Eswatini’s steadfast partner, adding that the two countries had always supported each other. He stressed that Taiwan would continue to promote and expand the scope of bilateral exchanges and cooperation to further assist Eswatini in realizing its development goals.
     
    Following their meeting, Special Envoy Lin and King Mswati III jointly presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the strategic oil reserve facility. The milestone in bilateral relations was witnessed by prominent leaders from all sectors of Eswatini society. King Mswati III also hosted a reception for Special Envoy Lin, the delegation, and other guests, demonstrating the high regard of the Eswatini royal family and government for the visitors and the project.
     
    Taiwan and Eswatini established diplomatic relations in 1968. Over the past 57 years, bilateral ties have been stable and cordial. The government of Eswatini has actively and unfailingly supported Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. It is one of Taiwan staunchest allies. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s National Health Commission answers questions on white paper from press

    Source: People’s Republic of China Ministry of Health

    BEIJING — China’s State Council Information Office on Wednesday released a white paper titled “Covid-19 Prevention, Control and Origins Tracing: China’s Actions and Stance.”

    The National Health Commission has responded to questions raised by the press regarding the white paper.

    Q1: What’s the background of issuing the white paper, Covid-19 Prevention, Control and Origins-Tracing: China’s Actions and Stance, and what information does it contain?

    A: Since the outbreak of Covid-19, China has been open and transparent in sharing information, and generous and selfless in providing aid. Its efforts in response and commitment to transparency have been highly acclaimed by the international community. However, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri accused China of “hoarding medical supplies” and ruled that China must pay Missouri 24.49 billion USD in compensation for COVID-related losses; and recently, an article published on the official website of the White House blamed the origin of the virus on China, where some US politicians made spurious allegations, accusing China of concealing pandemic information from the world and hoarding medical supplies.

    In such context, China released this white paper to present a systematic overview of China’s key achievement in tracing the origins of Covid-19, to attest to its contribution to international cooperation in the response to the global pandemic, and to advance scientific endeavors and foster global collaboration as a responsible major country in this critical domain. Despite being the world’s largest economy and most developed country, the US failed to make contributions commensurate with its capabilities; even worse, it blamed its own problems on others and sabotaged collaborative global efforts to address the crisis. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns such practice.

    The white paper contains a preface, the main body, and a conclusion, in total 14,000 Chinese characters. The main body has three chapters: “Contributing Chinese Wisdom to the Study of the Origins of SARS-CoV-2”, “China’s Contribution to the Global Fight against Covid-19”, and “The Mismanaged Response of the US to the Covid-19 Pandemic”.

    Q2: How is the origins study of SARS-CoV-2 going in China? Where should the next step be taken?

    A: Since the outbreak of Covid-19, China has consistently dedicated substantial resources to collaborative research into the origins of the virus participated by Chinese and international scientists. Upholding its commitment to international responsibilities and scientific soundness with openness and transparency, the country spearheaded research initiatives in critical fields such as clinical epidemiology, molecular epidemiology, environmental epidemiology, and the identification of intermediate animal hosts. China closely cooperated with the World Health Organization (WHO) on the study of the virus origins with a strong sense of global responsibility and transparency, and in 2020 and 2021 invited WHO expert teams to China to carry out joint investigations. On March 30, 2021, the WHO organized a member state information session and press conference to present the findings about the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and published the “WHO-convened Global Study of Origins of SARS-CoV-2: China Part-Joint WHO-China Study” on its official website. To date, no findings have contradicted the conclusions of the “Joint WHO-China Study”.

    The next phase of the origins study should be conducted mainly in the US. A large number of studies have pinned the origin of the virus outside of China. A US CDC study reveals that out of 7,389 serological survey samples collected from nine states from December 13, 2019 to January 17, 2020, 106 were Covid-19 antibody positive. This suggests that the virus existed in the US before the first official case was identified. Similarly, the NIH “All of Us” Research Program tested 24,079 blood samples collected from participants across 50 states from January 2 to March 18, 2020, identifying nine containing Covid-19 antibodies. The earliest two were collected on January 7 and 8, respectively. These findings show that the virus was circulating in the US at a low level as early as December 2019, well before the first official cases were recorded. An expert associated with The Lancet suggested that SARS-CoV-2 might not have come from nature; instead, it probably came from an incident at a US bio-technology lab. Between 2006 and 2013, the US reported at least 1,500 serious laboratory incidents involving coronaviruses and other highly dangerous pathogens linked to diseases such as SARS, MERS, Ebola, anthrax, smallpox, and avian influenza.

    These questionable events all suggest that Covid-19 may have emerged earlier than the US official timeline, and earlier than the outbreak in China. A thorough and in-depth investigation into the origins of the virus should be conducted in the US The US must not continue to turn a deaf ear to this call; rather, it should respond to the reasonable concern of the international community, share the data of earlier suspected cases with the WHO, and give a responsible answer to the world.

    Q3: How does China comment on the performance of the US in its response to Covid-19?

    A: The delayed and ineffective response to Covid-19 in the US made it the worst performing country in handling of the pandemic.

    In January 2020, the federal government of the US, choosing to downplay the severity of the transmission, labelled the novel coronavirus pneumonia as a case of “bad flu” which would “disappear” automatically one day, touted hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin as “wonder drugs” without solid scientific evidence, and even advocated the use of detergents to control infections and transmissions, becoming a laughing stock in the scientific community. The US government also deprived its citizens of the right to be informed of updated pandemic information. From March 3, 2020, the US CDC stopped releasing key data on Covid-19, including tallying the people tested for the virus, on the grounds that its information might not be “accurate”. Over the next three years or so, people in the US could only find information about the pandemic from estimated data collected and reported by non-governmental institutions such as the Johns Hopkins University. By mid-April 2020, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the US had exceeded 660,000. However, with an eye on the upcoming presidential elections, the Administration announced that the pandemic had “passed the peak,” and rushed to roll out plans to reopen the economy. Insisting that citizens should be “free to choose,” the government of Florida demanded schools across the state to reopen, leading to widespread infection among teachers and students.

    Covid-19 overwhelmed the costly and profit-driven US medical system, and vulnerable groups such as the impoverished, ethnic minorities, and senior citizens were the first to be abandoned in treatment. According to a report from the Associated Press in June 2020, of every 10 deaths in the US, eight were people over 65 years old. With a strained medical system, infected people could not receive timely care and death toll surged. The American people’s rights to life and health were in no way being guaranteed on an equal basis.

    Data from the US National Center for Health Statistics shows that the life expectancy in the country fell from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77 in 2020, and further declined to 76.1 in 2021, a decrease of 2.7 years from 2019. For comparison, life expectancy in China rose from 77.3 years in 2019, to 77.93 in 2020, 78.2 in 2021, 78.3 in 2022, and 78.6 in 2023, signaling a steady improvement in population health.

    US CDC data released in May 2023 revealed that deaths due to Covid-19 in the US totaled 1.13 million, accounting for 16.4 percent of concurrent global deaths reported by the WHO. These figures were out of alignment with the overall population size, economic strength, and level of medical technology of the US, and were indicative of its ineffective and unscientific response policies.

    The US not only botched its own response to Covid-19, but also obstructed and sabotaged international cooperation in various ways. The deliberate concealment of information by the US government misled other countries and the WHO in the research and analysis of Covid-19 trends. The US government publicly announced that it would take an America First approach in vaccine supply and vaccination, keeping hoarding excess vaccines and agitating vaccine nationalism on the one hand, and waging a smear campaign to discredit China’s vaccines on the other. A US think tank criticized the US for its reluctance to provide foreign aid, saying this practice would expose the country as a “selfish isolationist when its help was most desperately needed.”

    Q4: The Missouri and other US state governments have initiated groundless lawsuits against China, holding China accountable for the pandemic. What is China’s comment on this?

    A: The groundless lawsuit of Missouri is a politically motivated farce orchestrated by state governments out of political self-interest that has ignored basic facts and violated fundamental legal norms. It is an affront to the sovereignty and dignity of all nations and to the international rule of law. China rejects such proceedings and will never accept a judgement delivered in absentia.

    The allegations in the judgement that China concealed pandemic information from the world and that China hoarded medical supplies are groundless. In the early stage of the outbreak, China provided clear information to the international community, adopting an open and transparent approach in releasing relevant information to the world. By May 31, 2020, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism and the Information Office of the State Council had held 161 press conferences, during which over 490 officials from more than 50 government departments answered over 1,400 questions from Chinese and foreign media.

    China tried every possible means to provide materials and assistance. From January 2020 to May 2022, China offered over 4.6 billion protective suits, 18 billion test kits, and 430 billion masks to 15 international organizations and 153 countries, including the US.

    In 2020, China sent 38 medical expert teams to 34 countries assisting in local pandemic control efforts, sharing China’s experience and practice in preventing and controlling the epidemic, and medical treatment plans.

    China made a significant contribution to the global fight against the pandemic, for which China deserves recognition and fair treatment, rather than blames and damage claims. In contrast, the incompetent responses of the Missouri state government led to a mortality rate ranking among the highest in the US Now the state government is trying to shift the blame for its failures, which is both irresponsible and unethical, a selfish and evading presence. China will never accede to demands for compensation claimed on baseless allegations, and will take resolute countermeasures in defense of its legitimate rights.

    Q5: How China played its roles as WHO member in global health governance?

    A: Since the outbreak of Covid-19, China lost no time in sharing information on the epidemic updates and genome sequencing to the international community including the WHO. China invited multiple WHO international expert missions to conduct joint research on its territory. China provided tremendous supplies and aid to the international community to the best of its ability and shared the experience of pandemic prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment. Constantly sticking to the shared idea of a community with a shared future for mankind, China has made significant contributions to the global fight against pandemic by carrying out international cooperations.

    In early 2020, the WHO dispatched warnings to the international community including the US, reminding of “a possible pandemic on a larger scale”. On April 10, the US government, which up till then had dismissed the WHO admonitions as sensational, began to accuse the media, WHO officials and Democratic congressmen of incompetence in fighting against the pandemic. On April 14, the US government announced for the first time that it would suspend funding to the WHO on the ground that the organization had not performed its fundamental duties.

    On January 20, 2025, the current US government again announced its withdrawal from the WHO on the excuses that it had failed in responding to the pandemic and yielded to China’s influence. Far from reflecting on its own incompetence during the pandemic, the US government has gone too far in shifting the blame, which will further harm its competence in responding to new emergencies to the public health.

    China supports the United Nations and the WHO in playing and enhancing their mandatory roles and the capacity building of global health governance. China has been, and will be, active in participating in the WHO’s efforts in preventing and responding to emergencies in public health, in implementing and amending the “International Health Regulations,” and in reviewing a “pandemic treaty.” China will be active in participating in the IPPPR of the WHO and its SAGO mission by contributing advice and opinions. China has contributed and will continue to contribute Chinese perspectives, solutions and strengths to building an efficient and sustainable global public health system for the benefit of all humanity and fortifying defenses for the lives and health of all. 

    MIL OSI China News –