NewzIntel.com

Category: China

  • MIL-OSI China: Mexico braces for possible US tariffs: president

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Mexico doubts if Washington will enforce the 25 percent tariff but stands prepared if it does, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday.

    “The truth is we do not believe that it will happen, but if it does happen, we also have our plan and we will present it then,” the Mexican president said at a regular press conference.

    Mexico’s Foreign Ministry, headed by Juan Ramon de la Fuente, is in talks with the U.S. government, she said.

    On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said U.S. President Donald Trump still plans to apply a 25 percent tariff on all imported products from Mexico and Canada starting Saturday, unless both countries cooperate to resolve the problem of mass immigration and fentanyl trafficking. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Canada deploys investigators to Washington for midair collision involving Bombardier

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Canada has sent a team of investigators following a midair collision accident in Washington, D.C. involving American Airlines flight 5342, a Bombardier aircraft.

    In a statement on Friday, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said it had deployed two investigators to support the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in their investigation into the crash involving Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft.

    Information on the progress and the findings of the investigation cannot be publicly released without the express consent of the NTSB. In keeping with this convention, the TSB will not be able to comment on the investigation, according to the statement.

    Transport Canada confirmed Thursday that given that Canada is the State of Design of the airplane involved, the TSB had deployed two investigators and Transport Canada had appointed an advisor from its Minister’s Observer/Technical Advisor Program to support the TSB investigators.

    Bombardier is a Canadian business jet manufacturer, headquartered in Montreal.

    The Wednesday midair collision involved an American Airlines regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 passengers and four crew members on board, and a military Black Hawk helicopter with three U.S. Army soldiers. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed there are no survivors in the collision. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Rafah crossing open to receive patients from Gaza: Egyptian official

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The Rafah crossing, the only channel linking Egypt with the Gaza Strip, is open and will start receiving patients from Gaza, Governor of Egypt’s North Sinai Governorate Khaled Megawer said on Friday.

    “The opening of the crossing was announced earlier today. We will start receiving patients,” the governor said on social media platform X, without mentioning the exact time of the passage of Gazan patients through the crossing.

    The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed that the first group of sick and injured individuals will be allowed to leave the Palestinian enclave through the Rafah crossing on Saturday.

    In a press statement, the ministry called the move part of urgent humanitarian efforts to provide critically ill and wounded people with medical treatment outside the besieged territory.

    “The departure of these patients will be coordinated under the supervision of the World Health Organization and other relevant authorities,” the ministry added.

    According to health officials, the selected patients and their companions are scheduled to gather at the Al-Shifa and Nasser medical complexes in Gaza before being transported to the crossing.

    Saturday will also witness another round of hostage swap between Israel and Hamas under a ceasefire agreement between the two sides.

    Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced on Friday that it will release three Israeli hostages on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prisoners Club said in a press statement that Israeli authorities will in turn release 90 Palestinian prisoners.

    Also on Friday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said Israel has received the list of three Israeli civilian hostages expected to be released from Hamas captivity on Saturday. On the list are Israeli-French citizen Ofer Calderon, 54, Israeli-American citizen Keith Siegel, 65, and Israeli civilian Yarden Bibas, 35.

    Under the ongoing ceasefire deal that halted more than 15 months of fighting, 33 hostages held by Palestinian militants in Gaza are to be freed in the first six weeks of the truce in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

    Since the implementation of the ceasefire deal on January 19, 15 captives, including five Thai workers, have been released by Hamas, while 400 Palestinian detainees have so far been exchanged. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US missile defense plan won’t help ease tensions with Moscow: Russian FM

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Washington’s latest decisions on the development of a new missile defense system won’t help reduce tensions with Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday.

    U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday on the development of a new missile defense system for the country. The Iron Dome missile defense shield would protect against ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles and other aerial attacks.

    During her weekly briefing, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that this initiative essentially reaffirms the U.S. intension to pursue the militarization of space, noting that the decision involves a significant expansion of the American nuclear arsenal.

    “It directly envisages a significant strengthening of the American nuclear arsenal and means for conducting combat operations in space, including the development and deployment of space-based interception systems,” she said.

    “We consider this as yet another confirmation of the U.S. focus on turning space into an arena for armed confrontation,” she further said.

    Zakharova warned that the initiative would also hinder potential dialogue on strategic offensive arms, noting that this measure is the first sign of Washington’s destabilizing plans for the development of its military-technical programs. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Cambodia ceases mine clearance in 8 provinces after US funding freeze

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Cambodia has halted mine clearance projects in eight provinces after the United States has frozen funding, a mine clearance chief said on Friday.

    Heng Ratana, director-general of the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), said the U.S.-funded mine clearance projects in Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng, Kratie, Tboung Khmum, Kampong Cham, Prey Veng, and Svay Rieng provinces have been suspended for 85 days from Jan. 25 onwards.

    He said in a statement posted on social media that these projects, carried out by CMAC in cooperation with development partners, are to clear “the U.S. origin unexploded ordinances as the remnants of war.”

    CMAC has received a grant of 6.35 million U.S. dollars from the U.S. for mine clearance operations from March 2022 to November 2025, Ratana said, adding that this funding has supported some 200 technical Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) experts.

    He said under these projects, CMAC had so far made remarkable achievements by clearing 561 polygons or 11,195 hectares of cluster munitions or UXOs affected fields, finding and destroying 27,022 landmines and UXOs that included 17,971 cluster munitions and 69 aerial bombs.

    The halt was made after U.S. President Donald Trump last week ordered a sweeping 90-day pause on foreign aid, which included suspending its funded mine clearance projects around the world.

    Cambodia is one of the countries worst affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERWs). An estimated 4 million to 6 million landmines and other munitions had been left over from three decades of war and internal conflicts that ended in 1998.

    According to the Yale University, from 1965 to 1973, the U.S. had dropped over 2.75 million tons of ordnance in 230,516 sorties on 113,716 sites in Cambodia.

    The CMAA’s report showed that from 1979 to 2024, landmine and ERW explosions had claimed 19,834 lives and maimed 45,252 others. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump says helicopter in DC midair collision ‘flying too high’

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Search efforts are underway at the wreckage site of a fatal midair collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Arlington, Virginia, the United States, Jan. 31, 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media Friday that the Black Hawk helicopter was “flying too high” when it collided with a passenger jet that was approaching the runway at the Reagan National Airport Wednesday night. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong)

    U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media Friday that the Black Hawk helicopter was “flying too high” when it collided with a passenger jet that was approaching the runway at the Reagan National Airport Wednesday night.

    “The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200 foot (roughly 61 meters) limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

    The allowed maximum altitude for flights over the Potomac River near the Reagan National Airport is 200 feet.

    However, the helicopter was last recorded at an approximate altitude of 400 feet before the crash occurred, according to data from Flightradar24.

    At a White House press conference on Thursday, Trump said that there were some warnings prior to the midair collision, “but the warnings were given very, very late.” Trump also noted that there was “a pilot problem” from the standpoint of the helicopter.

    Just a few hours after the collision, Trump reacted to the accident on Truth Social: “Why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.”

    The American Airlines plane operating as American Eagle Flight 5342 had 60 passengers and four crew members, while three U.S. Army soldiers were onboard the Black Hawk helicopter. Authorities said Thursday that there were no survivors.

    As of Thursday evening, over 40 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage, U.S. media reported.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Detective Chinatown 1900’ offers witty, heartfelt look at Chinese immigration

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Dai Mo, co-director of “Detective Chinatown 1900,” spoke with China.org.cn about the film’s latest installment, highlighting its exploration of Chinatown’s origins in San Francisco and the historical challenges faced by the overseas Chinese communities in the United States.

    Director Dai Mo. [Photo courtesy of As One Production]

    The first three “Detective Chinatown” films have grossed more than 8.7 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) since the series launched 10 years ago. The films follow the boisterous private investigator Tang Ren, played by Wang Baoqiang, and his introverted, highly intelligent nephew Qin Feng, portrayed by Liu Haoran, as they tackle mystery cases in cities like Bangkok, New York and Tokyo.

    “This time, we wanted to offer audiences a story that feels both familiar and fresh, so we chose a different longitudinal time period to offer a unique perspective,” Dai said. He added that the film not only explores Chinatown’s historical roots but also illustrates the prejudices overseas Chinese faced in 1900.

    For the creative team, the year 1900 is a significant intersection in history. It was the Year of Gengzi in the lunar calendar, a year associated with misfortune in Chinese folklore. The year saw the peak of the Boxer Rebellion amid widespread chaos in China. The Qing dynasty also declared war on foreign powers but was ultimately defeated by the Eight-Nation Alliance, resulting in forced war indemnities.

    In stark contrast, the U.S. was experiencing modernization and prosperity. Chinese immigrants moved to America in search of work, including jobs in railroad construction, but faced severe discrimination, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act. At the same time, the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes gained prominence as a cultural icon. “There were many stories and inspirations from that period for us,” Dai said.

    A poster for “Detective Chinatown 1900.” [Image courtesy of As One Production]

    The leading characters are once again portrayed by Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran, but their new roles are entirely different from those in previous installments. Wang plays Ah Gui, a versatile Chinese descendant adopted by an Indigenous American tribe, while Liu takes on the role of Qin Fu, an extroverted practitioner of Chinese medicine. Set in San Francisco in the 1900s, the story centers on the murder of a white woman in Chinatown, for which a Chinese man is the main suspect. This shocking crime ignites public outrage, leading to demands to shut down Chinatown. The duo gets caught up in the investigation, racing against time to reveal the true murderer in a tense battle of wits and bravery.

    As a long-time collaborator with Chen Sicheng, the mastermind behind the “Detective Chinatown” franchise, Dai — director of hits like “Endless Journey” and “Fireflies in the Sun” — described their collaboration in co-directing the film as seamless, owing to the deep mutual understanding they have cultivated over the years. He fondly recalled how Chen would frequently laugh and cry behind the camera during the shoot, describing him as a deeply sensitive person.

    The most ambitious and challenging aspect of the film was constructing a 1:1 replica of San Francisco’s landmarks from over a century ago in just seven months. This replica spans 200,000 square meters at Laoling Film Studio in Shandong province. Supported by the local government and enterprises, the project showcases China’s remarkable construction capabilities. The replica is open to the public during the Spring Festival, giving visitors the chance to explore it after viewing the film.

    A replica of 1900s San Francisco at Laoling Film Studio in Laoling, Shandong province. [Photo courtesy of As One Production]

    Dai noted that the set is incredibly realistic, as the film’s production design department conducted extensive research and collected historical documents to authentically replicate every detail of the props and the set from that era. This included constructing slopes that mirrored the actual geographical features of San Francisco. He added that foreign actors, including Hollywood veteran John Cusack, who stars in the film, were in awe of the replica town during filming.

    The director expressed his hope that the film could serve as an important vehicle for promoting Chinese culture and also bring more resonance to overseas Chinese, while calling for the solidarity of Chinese communities abroad. Additionally, he hopes the film will inspire audiences to explore the history of China during that era. “When audiences engage with this history, they will see how strong we are today and gain a sense of confidence, perseverance and a commitment to continuous self-improvement,” he said.

    Dai said he was excited about the potential for future expansions in the “Detective Chinatown” universe, which could explore different timelines. “Anything is possible,” he laughed. “As long as audiences continue to enjoy their adventures, we are eager to create more.”

    A still from “Detective Chinatown 1900,” featuring the iconic actor Chow Yun-fat. [Photo courtesy of As One Production]

    “Detective Chinatown 1900,” featuring a star-studded cast that includes legendary actor Chow Yun-fat along with comedians Bai Ke, Wei Xiang and Yue Yunpeng, was released on Jan. 29, the first day of the Chinese New Year. The film premiered simultaneously in major markets worldwide, including North America, Australia, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. The film is a notable addition to China’s profitable Spring Festival film season, which has seen record-breaking box office performances this year, bolstered by a strong lineup of releases.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: EU unveils plan to boost competitiveness

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The European Commission on Wednesday presented the Competitiveness Compass, a strategic blueprint aimed at restoring the European Union (EU)’s economic edge and driving technological leadership as it seeks to close the gap with the United States (U.S.) and China.

    Acknowledging a two-decade lag in productivity growth compared to other major economies, the Compass focuses on boosting innovation, advancing decarbonization, and strengthening security, according to the Commission’s statement.

    This photo taken on Jan. 29, 2025 shows the Berlaymont Building, the European Commission headquarters, in Brussels, Belgium. TO GO WITH “EU unveils plan to boost competitiveness” (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)

    “Europe has everything it needs to succeed in the race to the top. But, at the same time, we must fix our weaknesses to regain competitiveness,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in the statement.

    The Compass builds on a strategic report released last year by Mario Draghi, the former Italian prime minister and former president of the European Central Bank (ECB), which calls for an additional annual investment of between 750 billion euros (779 billion U.S. dollars) and 800 billion euros to counteract Europe’s decline in competitiveness.

    The Commission will launch “AI Gigafactories” and “Apply AI” initiatives to accelerate AI development and adoption across key industries, the Compass says. It also promises actions for advanced materials, quantum, biotech, robotics, and space technologies.

    A separate report released by the Commission on Wednesday highlighted the EU’s ongoing struggles in scaling up its businesses. This report provides the analytical context for the Competitiveness Compass.

    In this regard, the Compass outlines a strategy to remove barriers to facilitate startup growth, and legislative changes to simplify rules.

    It also noted the upcoming Clean Industrial Deal to drive decarbonization, a plan for affordable energy to reduce costs, and targeted strategies for high-risk sectors like steel, metals, and chemicals.

    To reduce dependencies, the bloc plans to prioritize European companies in critical sectors and technologies under reviewed public procurement rules.

    To further underpin the competitiveness, the Compass sets a target of cutting the administrative burden for firms by at least 25 percent and by at least 35 percent for SMEs.

    It also proposes measures to lower the barriers to the functioning of the EU Single Market, which has struggled with regulatory fragmentation for decades, and to advance the European Savings and Investments Union project to enhance the EU’s financing competitiveness, despite its slow progress over the years. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Israeli female soldier freed from captivity in Gaza: army

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    An Israeli female soldier was freed by Gaza militants on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

    A live broadcast showed Agam Berger, 20, entering a Red Cross vehicle in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, surrounded by Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants.

    “The returning hostage is currently being accompanied by IDF special forces and Shin Bet forces on her return to Israeli territory, where she will undergo an initial medical assessment,” the military said.

    Later on Thursday, Hamas is expected to release two more Israeli hostages, as well as five Thai hostages, while Israel would release another 110 Palestinian prisoners in the third exchange since a ceasefire in Gaza took effect last week. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hamas releases 8 hostages in truce swap; Israel resumes prisoner release after brief delay

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Israel agreed on Thursday to release 110 Palestinian prisoners, including 30 minors, reversing an earlier decision to delay the exchange. The move followed the release of three Israeli and five Thai hostages by Hamas under the ongoing Gaza ceasefire.

    The decision came despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s initial suspension of the prisoner release, citing security concerns during a chaotic handover of hostages in southern Gaza.

    Mediation efforts helped salvage the third round of hostage-prisoner exchanges between Israel and Hamas.

    The day’s exchange began with the release of Agam Berger, a 20-year-old Israeli soldier captured during Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on the Nahal Oz base. Footage showed her in a khaki uniform emerging from damaged buildings in Jabalia, northern Gaza, before being transferred to Israeli custody.

    In Khan Younis, southern Gaza, Hamas released two more Israelis — Arbel Yahoud, 29, and Gadi Mozes, 80 — along with five Thai agricultural workers. The Thai hostages, identified as Thenna Pongsak, Sathian Suwannakham, Sriaoun Watchara, Seathao Bannawat, and Rumnao Surasak, had been working in southern Israel when they were taken captive.

    Scenes of chaos unfolded as hundreds of Gazans gathered, and militants struggled to control the crowd. Netanyahu condemned the “shocking scenes” and urged international mediators to ensure safe hostage transfers.

    Following the hostages’ release, Netanyahu’s office initially delayed the Palestinian prisoner release, demanding guarantees for the safety of future releases. Israeli media reported that buses carrying Palestinian prisoners were ordered to turn back. However, about an hour later, Israel resumed the exchange after mediators secured assurances.

    At Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, where weekly protests call for a ceasefire-for-hostages deal, crowds celebrated the latest releases while displaying photos of those still held in Gaza. Some hostages, including those believed to be dead, are expected to be freed in later phases of the agreement.

    Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, who is in Israel for talks with Netanyahu and other officials, visited the Hostage Square and spoke with families of the captives. He expressed optimism about the deal’s continuation and suggested an American-Israeli hostage might be released Friday, ahead of the next scheduled exchange on Saturday.

    This was the third exchange since the Gaza ceasefire began on Jan. 19. Netanyahu remains under pressure from far-right coalition partner Bezalel Smotrich to resume military operations before the deal is completed.

    All released hostages underwent medical evaluations in Israel. Mozes, kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was reported in good condition at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, while Berger was taken to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva.

    More than 60 Israeli hostages and 290 Palestinian prisoners have been exchanged under the truce. Israel insists the ceasefire will not derail its broader campaign against Hamas, while mediators push to extend the pause in fighting. Thursday’s events underscored the fragility of the deal as both sides navigate distrust and competing demands.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: No survivors expected in aircraft collision in Washington, D.C.

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Washington D.C. fire chief said on Thursday that there are likely no survivors in the midair collision of a passenger plane and helicopter near Reagan National Airport Wednesday night.

    Emergency vehicles are seen at Washington’s Reagan National Airport, the United States, on Jan. 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong)

    “We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident,” John Donnelly, chief of the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, told a press conference at the airport Thursday morning.

    The American Airlines plane had 60 passengers and four crew members, while three U.S. Army soldiers were onboard the Black Hawk helicopter.

    Donnelly said that at 8:48 p.m. local time (0148 GMT Thursday) last night, the control tower sounded an alert, notifying responders about a reported aircraft crash on or near the airport, noting that about 300 rescuers responded to the accident.

    “These responders found extremely frigid conditions. They found heavy wind. They found ice on the water, and they operated all night in those conditions,” Donnelly said.

    According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Potomac River was 36 degrees Fahrenheit, roughly 2 degrees Celsius Wednesday night.

    “We have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter,” said the fire chief. “The crash area is a little spread out, so we’ve got some work to do.”

    At the press conference, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that the helicopter was following a “standard” flight pattern last night and the passenger plane was also on a “standard” approach as it was coming into D.C., without specifying what went wrong before the deadly collision.

    Duffy noted that the National Transportation Safety Board will begin analyzing the aircraft in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration.

    When asked about President Donald Trump’s statement Wednesday night that looks like the accident should have been prevented, Duffy told reporters that “Do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.”

    Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday night: “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.”

    “This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!” said Trump.

    At the press conference, American Airlines (AA) CEO Robert Isom said American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan National Airport, was involved in the accident just before 9 p.m. local time (0200 GMT Thursday) on its final approach into the airport.

    “They collided with a military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach, and at this time, we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the PSA aircraft,” he said.

    The transportation secretary stated that there was no breakdown in communication. When asked whether the plane was aware of the helicopter, Duffy did not answer directly but mentioned that the helicopter was aware of the plane’s presence in the area.

    Jack Carter, chief executive of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the authority that manages the airport, reaffirmed that the airport will reopen at 11 a.m. local time (1600 GMT).

    The AA passenger jet carrying 64 on board collided Wednesday night with the army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a massive search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River.

    U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement that a group of figure skaters, along with their coaches and family members, were on the passenger jet returning to Washington, D.C., after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

    An investigation into the accident is underway, led by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

    This is the deadliest air travel accident in Washington, D.C. since 1982, when a jet crashed into the 14th Street Bridge shortly after takeoff from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 74 people onboard and four in cars on the bridge. Only five survived. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Russia launches themed train to mark Chinese New Year

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Moscow unveiled a themed metro train on Wednesday to mark the start of the Spring Festival, the traditional Chinese New Year according to the lunar calendar.

    Speaking at a ceremony dedicated to the launch of the train, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui noted that the Spring Festival is gaining popularity in Russia, becoming an important part of Moscow’s cultural life and a bright symbol of the friendship between the two countries.

    “The train, decorated with elements of the Chinese Spring Festival, will attract the attention of Muscovites and tourists from all over the world,” the Chinese ambassador said.

    “They will be able to experience the culture of this wonderful holiday in a new way and share the joy and good fortune that it brings to the Chinese people,” he added.

    Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said this joint project is implemented within the framework of the China-Russia Years of Culture in 2024 and 2025.

    “The photographs and symbols featured on the train will help our citizens learn more about China in a natural setting,” she said.

    According to Moscow Deputy Mayor Maxim Liksutov, this unique metro train serves as a symbol of the good relations between the two countries and a tribute to the Chinese people. It will give Muscovites and visitors to the Russian capital an opportunity to learn more about the Chinese culture and the traditions of the Chinese New Year.

    The train is decorated in red, a color that symbolizes happiness, joy, good luck and prosperity in Chinese culture. The exterior is decorated with a snake, the zodiac of the new year, as well as a Chinese dragon.

    Inside, passengers can enjoy photographs of New Year celebrations in China.

    The Russian capital kicked off “Chinese New Year in Moscow” festival on Manezhnaya Square on Tuesday.

    The event, comprising many cultural activities with Chinese characteristics, will last until Feb. 9, and will be held at two dozen locations in the capital.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Why is Chinese AI startup DeepSeek stirring up the tech world?

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The artificial intelligence (AI) community is abuzz with excitement over DeepSeek-R1, a new open-source model developed by Chinese startup DeepSeek.

    Released on Jan. 20, it quickly soared to the top of Apple’s app store’s free charts by Monday, surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

    According to DeepSeek, in tasks such as mathematics, coding and natural language reasoning, the performance of this model is comparable to the leading models from heavyweights like OpenAI, but only at a fraction of the cash and computing power of its competitors.

    Here’s what DeepSeek has done and why it is taking the AI industry by surprise.

    WHAT IS DEEPSEEK?

    Officially known as DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Fundamental Technology Research Co., Ltd., the firm was founded in July 2023. As an innovative technology startup, DeepSeek is dedicated to developing cutting-edge large language models (LLMs) and related technologies.

    Since its first model “DeepSeek LLM” released in January last year, the company has undergone multiple rounds of iteration. In December, the startup launched its open-source LLM “V3,” which overtook all of Meta’s open-source LLMs and rivaled OpenAI’s closed-source GPT4-o, according to U.S. media reports.

    The just-released model R1 has achieved an important technological breakthrough — using pure deep learning methods to allow AI to spontaneously emerge with reasoning capabilities.

    Unlike traditional approaches like Chain-of-Thought (CoT) and Supervised Fine-Tuning (SFT), DeepSeek has distinguished itself in the AI industry by adopting Reinforcement Learning (RL) as a core training method.

    While CoT and SFT rely on step-by-step reasoning and huge amounts of labeled data, respectively, RL enables models to learn through interaction and reward mechanisms, making it better suited for complex and dynamic tasks.

    The adoption of RL has allowed DeepSeek to enhance its models’ reasoning, adaptability and efficiency, setting it apart as a frontrunner in the field.

    When queried about the meaning of “DeepSeek,” its latest R1 chatbot replied, “The name reflects the company’s mission to deeply explore and advance the foundational technologies of AI, aiming to push the boundaries of AI innovation and application.”

    “BIGGER IS NO LONGER ALWAYS SMARTER”

    According to its V3 model technical report, DeepSeek’s manufacturing cost is approximately 5.57 million U.S. dollars, making it the least expensive among LLMs.

    Renowned U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs, a professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, told Xinhua that the breakthrough made by DeepSeek shows the possibility of advanced AI at much lower costs than was widely believed in the United States.

    DeepSeek-V3 makes it “look easy today with an open weights release of a frontier-grade LLM trained on a joke of a budget (2,048 GPUs for 2 months, $6M),” posted Andrej Karpathy, a founding member of OpenAI, on X.

    Compared to other well-known models, DeepSeek achieved an order-of-magnitude reduction of cost.

    The cost is “a stark contrast to the hundreds of millions, if not billions, that U.S. companies typically invest in similar technologies,” said Marc Andreessen, a prominent tech investor, depicting DeepSeek’s R1 as “one of the most amazing breakthroughs” he had ever seen.

    The AI industry development has long relied on piling up computing power. The cost-efficient DeepSeek model may upend the AI landscape.

    Praising the DeepSeek-V3 Technical Report as “very nice and detailed,” Karpathy said that the report is worthy of reading through.

    U.S. investment bank and financial service provider Morgan Stanley believed that DeepSeek demonstrates an alternative path to efficient model training than the current arm’s race among hyperscalers by significantly increasing the data quality and improving the model architecture.

    “Bigger is no longer always smarter,” it said.

    OPEN-SOURCE MODEL

    “To see the DeepSeek new model, it’s super impressive in terms of both how they have really effectively done an open-source model that does this inference-time compute, and is super-compute efficient,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

    Open source allows researchers, developers and users to access the model’s underlying code and its “weights” — the parameters that determine how the model processes information — enabling them to use, modify or enhance the model to suit their needs.

    DeepSeek has greatly benefited from open-source principles and, in turn, demonstrates a strong commitment to sharing knowledge and contributing to the collective advancement of technology.

    Meta’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun said: “They came up with new ideas and built them on top of other people’s work. Because their work is published and open source, everyone can profit from it.”

    “That is the power of open research and open source,” LeCun added.

    Echoing LeCun, Sachs, the U.S. economist, said, “DeepSeek’s business and development model is open source, which is a compelling and successful model for science, technology and business.”

    While OpenAI initially started as an open-source organization but later shifted to a closed-source model, DeepSeek has taken a different path.

    Highlighting the importance of fostering collaboration and innovation through open-source principles, Liang Wenfeng, the founder of DeepSeek, said that building a robust technological ecosystem is the priority.

    “We won’t choose closed-source,” Liang said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreigners savor flavors of Spring Festival in China

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    “Guonian,” which means “crossing the year,” is more than just a festival marking the arrival of the new year for the Chinese people.
    Though the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is now celebrated in many places worldwide, the true meaning of “Guonian” can only be fully understood by experiencing it in China.
    “The celebration is big, stretching for a month with a lot of food, fireworks and cultural events,” said Kayleen Fangbi from Belgium. “I love it.”
    Lanterns and fairy lights adorn every corner, while shops bustle with people laden with large shopping bags, as observed by a Spanish couple traveling in Beijing just days before the Spring Festival, which fell on Jan. 29 this year.
    Spotting the snake-themed decorations, they decided to look up the meanings of the Chinese zodiac online and discovered that this year is the Year of the Snake. “One of us is a Horse, and the other is a Sheep,” they noted, clearly finding it all quite fascinating.
    Invitations to join in the celebration were shared via the Chinese lifestyle app rednote, with many Chinese netizens offering tips and local authorities promoting festive activities. The surge in activity comes as the app gains many users from the United States and other countries, following the U.S. government’s threat to ban TikTok.
    With the trending hashtag “Chinese New Year,” many foreigners shared about their Spring Festival celebrations virtually from wherever they were, with some expressing the joy of savoring an authentic experience of the holiday in China.
    Beyond the traditional fireworks, decorations, dragon dances, and lion dances, Spring Festival celebrations across China feature distinct local traditions, each adding its unique flavor to the holiday. They all share common themes: family reunions and hope for good fortune in the year ahead.
    The diverse social practices throughout the Chinese New Year celebrations, recently listed as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO, offer international visitors a rich array of experiences during this period.

    Artists perform the traditional Yingge dance in Chaoyang District of Shantou City, south China’s Guangdong Province, Jan. 29, 2025. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)
    In the Chaoshan region of south China’s Guangdong Province, the traditional Yingge dance adds a vibrant New Year atmosphere to the celebrations. Videos showcasing the dance have garnered millions of views, drawing many travelers to spend the Spring Festival in the area.
    The dancers, dressed in colorful costumes that represent ancient heroes and heroines, hold short wooden sticks and perform rhythmic movements, such as swinging the sticks, striking them together, and stamping their feet.
    “I was completely captivated by the strength and precision of their movements, the rhythmic sounds of their stomping and sticks clashing, and their powerful shouts of encouragement,” said Thanita Raemee from Thailand, after watching Yingge Dance performances.
    It’s said that when the lanterns in Yuyuan Garden light up, the Spring Festival begins in Shanghai, one of the top destinations for foreign visitors in China.

    Tourists from the Republic of Korea visit the Yuyuan Garden Mall in east China’s Shanghai, Dec. 4, 2024. (Photo by Chen Haoming/Xinhua)
    After strolling through the winding corridors and pavilions, a German tourist bought numerous Chinese New Year-themed souvenirs in Yuyuan Garden. “I want to bring the festive blessings to my friends back home,” she said.
    “A major change is that foreign tourists mostly just walked around in the past, but now they bring real spending power,” said Hu Junjie, vice president of Shanghai Yuyuan Tourist Mart (Group) Co., Ltd., adding that they are particularly interested in the lantern displays, traditional Chinese makeup and costumes, special cuisine, and cultural products.
    Tatiana, 70, a visitor from Russia on a trip to the city of Sanya in the southern island province of Hainan, said that she and her daughter came specifically to experience the Spring Festival.
    At a local event, she eagerly took part in interactive activities. “Writing the Chinese character ‘Fu (meaning blessing)’ with a calligraphy brush was such a unique experience,” she said. They also enjoyed watching traditional Chinese cultural performances, including the unique Li and Miao ethnic folk dances of Hainan.
    Russia remains Hainan’s largest source of international tourists and a key market for Sanya’s inbound tourism. The resumption and opening of international flight routes and visa-free policy have attracted more Russian tourists to the island.
    China expects a boom in international visitors during this Spring Festival holiday. Data from Trip.com Group shows that inbound tourism orders for the 2025 Spring Festival rose over 30 percent year on year.
    Data released by the Chinese travel services platform Qunar showed that as of Jan. 28, the number of domestic flights booked during the Spring Festival by travelers with non-Chinese passports has increased by 70 percent year on year.
    This surge is driven by a series of visa-free entry and transit policies China introduced in 2024, along with continuously upgraded payment, transportation, and tourism facilities. Besides, the growing popularity of China as a travel destination on social media, fueled by early travelers sharing their experiences, has contributed to the increase.
    In 2024, cross-border trips to China by foreigners surged by 82.9 percent from the previous year, reaching 64.88 million. Of these, more than 20 million inbound foreign trips were made visa-free, marking an impressive increase of 112.3 percent year on year, according to the National Immigration Administration.

    Tourists from Vietnam wait for entry inspection at the immigration area at Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)
    To meet an increase in visitors from neighboring countries, such as Japan and the Republic of Korea, the Beijing tourism bureau and leading tourism companies launched special itineraries offering these travelers an opportunity to experience a Beijing-style New Year celebration in just two to three days.
    These short-haul itineraries took visitors to vibrant temple fairs and traditional performances, while also giving them the chance to savor Beijing’s winter delicacies and iconic dishes, such as dumplings, hotpot, and Peking Duck.
    “The Spring Festival is a window to understand China, especially its traditional culture,” said Jiang Yiyi, an expert on leisure sports and tourism at the Beijing Sport University.
    The inscription of the Spring Festival onto the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list has significantly boosted its global profile. The numerous traditional cultural activities held across China provide foreign visitors with an immersive experience, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese traditional culture, according to Jiang.
    Through these diverse activities, foreign visitors can truly experience what British online influencer Shaun Gibson described in his video as a Spring Festival in China that is “warm, lively, delicious, and happy.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xizang completes transitional housing for quake-affected residents

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Over 7,000 makeshift houses have been set up since an earthquake jolted Dingri County in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region in early January, wrapping up construction of transitional housing for the affected people, local authorities said Friday.
    According to the local disaster relief headquarters, the county has set up 7,733 makeshift houses and 9,941 tents, providing shelters for 47,787 affected residents.
    Additionally, there are 10,772 residents in the county whose homes were slightly damaged. These houses have passed risk assessments and safety inspections, allowing residents to continue living in them without the need for temporary shelters.
    A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri County in the city of Xigaze on Jan. 7, claiming 126 lives and leveling thousands of houses.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s railways see over 200 mln passengers since start of Spring Festival rush

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A railway station staff member and passengers of train K4159 at Beijing West Railway Station mark the beginning of the annual Spring Festival travel rush, Jan. 14, 2025. [Photo by Chen Boyuan/China.org.cn]
    China’s railways have transported over 200 million passengers since the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush kicked off on Jan. 14, China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway) said Friday.
    As of Jan. 30, the country’s railways had transported a total of 206 million passengers, according to the China Railway. The transportation was safe, stable and orderly.
    China’s railways transported 22.95 million passengers during the first three days of the Spring Festival holiday starting from Jan. 28, China Railway said.
    Railway authorities across various regions have increased capacity on popular travel routes, enhanced station and train services, and implemented measures to provide passengers with a better travel experience, according to China Railway.
    The country’s total railway operating mileage has exceeded 160,000 km, with the high-speed railway surpassing 46,000 km, China Railway said in early December.
    The railway network covers 99 percent of the Chinese cities with a population of over 200,000 each, and the high-speed railway network covers 97 percent of cities with a population of over 500,000, it said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Press Conference – Auburn

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: G’day everyone. Thanks very much for coming along. I think this sign says it all. If Labor wins the next election, we’ll cut student debt by 20 per cent. It’ll be the first piece of legislation that we introduce to the Parliament after the election and it’ll cut the debt of three million Aussies. Today we’re releasing information on what this means in every state and territory across the country and how much average debt people will see cut if we win the next election.

    What this means for a person with the average student debt is we’ll cut their debt by over 5,000 bucks. That’s real money. That’ll make a real difference. And if you’ve got a student debt of $50,000 it will mean that debt is cut by $10,000. That’ll help a lot of some people in their 20s, in their 30s, who’ve just finished uni, got their first job. They might have just moved out of home and are just getting started. Labor will cut your student debt by 20 per cent. 

    Now compare that to Peter Dutton. The only policy that he’s got to help people with the cost of living is this crazy idea that says that he wants taxpayers to pay for their boss’ lunch. Labor will cut your debt. The Liberals want you to pick up the boss’ tab. It’s as basic as that.

    Today I can also announce that the Student Ombudsman has started work. This is a national first, a National Student Ombudsman. You ask why we need this? Well, the evidence is compelling. One in 20 students at university report being raped. One in six students say they’ve been the victims of sexual harassment and one in two say that when they complain to their university, nothing happens. Now for too long, universities have failed their students on this front and previous governments have failed students as well. 

    I want to give a quick shout out to organisations like End Rape on Campus, STOP and Fair Agenda for never giving up and for fighting for this. For wanting a Student Ombudsman to make sure that when the worst happens to students, that there’s somewhere to go to report, to see that real action happens. And that’s what this Student Ombudsman is all about. They start work today.

    But it’s just the first step. The next step is legislation that I’ll introduce to the Parliament next week to give me the power as the Minister for Education to set up a National Code that will set rules that universities need to comply with. That includes requiring vice chancellors to report to their boards every six months on the actions that they’re taking here, making sure that their staff are properly trained to do the investigations they need to do and to make sure that this Ombudsman’s recommendations have real teeth. This Code will mean that when the Ombudsman makes a recommendation about what a university has to do, this Code will require them to implement it. This is real change that’s long overdue and it’s finally happening. Happy to take questions.

    JOURNALIST: Thanks, Minister. It’s Amanda from Nine here. Just a couple on the second announcement, what kind of powers will the Ombudsman actually have to compel universities to do anything at this stage?

    CLARE: The National Student Ombudsman will have the same sort of powers as a Royal Commission does. It’ll have the power to go into university, it’ll have the power to get documents, it’ll have the power to compel people to give evidence. But not only that, the laws that I’ll introduce into the Parliament this week are the next step. They will make sure that when the Ombo makes a recommendation, that it’s implemented. There are ombudsmen all around the country at the moment doing different things. They have the power to make recommendations, but they don’t have the power to make sure they’re implemented. This Ombudsman will, and they will because of the Code that we will introduce legislation to make real this week.

    JOURNALIST: And you talked a bit about sexual assault on campus there but antisemitism has also been a huge issue over the last couple of months, if not years. So, will the Ombudsman have any kind of powers to try and stop the antisemitism that we’re seeing on university campuses?

    CLARE: The short answer to that is yes. The powers of this Ombudsman are broader than just dealing with complaints from students about sexual assault, sexual harassment and sexual violence. They’ll be able to deal with complaints from students about antisemitism or any sort of discrimination or hate that students experience at university. I want our students to be safe. And that’s what the job of this Ombudsman is, to make sure that when the worst happens to students that there’s action that can be taken.

    JOURNALIST: Minister, it’s Josh from Seven News. Just on the debt bill, you said will be the first bill you’ll introduce in the new Parliament. Why not do it in the next two weeks and give students certainty that their debts will be reduced?

    CLARE: We’ve made it very clear when the Prime Minister announced this policy late last year that this is a policy we would take to the next election. We’ve made it clear to 3 million Aussies right across the country that have got a HECS debt that if Labor wins the next election, we will cut your debt by 20 per cent. And this will make a big difference to 3 million Aussies right across the country. What’s the Liberal Party got to offer? They oppose this, Josh. This is the thing people have got to remember when we announced this, the Liberal Party said that they would oppose this. So, if the Liberals win the next Election, this will never happen. We’re making it very clear here today, if Labor wins the next Election, we’ll cut your student debt by 20 per cent.

    JOURNALIST: The PM and Opposition Leader are both at a Lunar New Year event in the electorate of Chisholm today, how important will the Chinese-Australian vote be at the next election? It seems both sides are doing their best to court that vote.

    JASON CLARE: I think everyone’s vote’s going to be critical. You know, in a couple of months time, all Australians will get a chance to vote. They’ll get a chance to choose who they want to run the country for the next three years. And I think the choice is clear. There’s a choice between a Labor government which is acting to help people with the real pressures that they’re under, with the cost of living through tax cuts for every taxpayer, through a $300 energy rebate, through things like the things I’m talking about today, cutting your student debt by 20 per cent, or the Liberal Party that have no real answers at all. And the only policy that they’ve got on this is to make taxpayers’ pay for their boss’ lunch. You know, how crazy is that? This policy is that insane, they had to put out a statement the other day saying it won’t apply to brothels or strip clubs. When you have to put out a statement like that, I think that shows just how insane this policy is. It shows that Peter Dutton hasn’t any real answers for the challenges the Australian people face.

    JOURNALIST: The Trump administration has announced again that it’s going to proceed with tariffs on China. How concerned is the government considering China’s obvious trading economy?

    CLARE: You’re right. China is our biggest trading partner. And the work that we’ve done with China over the last two years, over the last two and a half years, has helped to remove those trade barriers with China. That’s creating jobs here in Australia. When you remove trade barriers for the exports that we sell to China, whether it’s meat or wine or anything else, it creates jobs for farmers, it creates jobs for Aussie workers and that’s a good thing. I think one in four jobs in Australia are related to trade. The things that we dig out of the ground, the things we grow, the things we make and create for our jobs here in Australia. I’d just make the other important point about trade with the US and that is Australia is different to most countries around the world in that America has a trade surplus with Australia. America sells us more than we sell them.

    JOURNALIST: It’s Pablo here from the ABC. Just back on the Ombudsman. The Coalition is being quite critical of the government’s response to anti-Semitism in universities. Have you spoken with the Opposition and do you expect the support on the introduction of this Ombudsman?

    CLARE: The Liberal Party had 10 years to act here and they did bugger all. They did nothing. For 10 years, organisations like End Rape on Campus and STOP and Fair Agenda have been knocking on doors in Parliament House asking for politicians to listen, asking for politicians to act. And the Liberal Party slammed the door on these organisations that are fighting for victims and survivors of sexual assault. I’ve listened and I’ve acted. That’s why we’ve got the Parliament to pass laws to create this Student Ombudsman. It should have happened years ago. It’s finally happening because a Labor government listened and is acting. I hope that the Liberal Party will support this legislation.

    JOURNALIST: And the former boss of the Home Affairs Department, Mike Pezzullo, has been quite critical of the Coalition’s response to the rise in antisemitism and he’s calling for an Operation Sovereign Borders type, multi agency campaign to combat this. Is this something that the government should consider?

    CLARE: The bottom line here is that governments take the advice of our law enforcement agencies on this. Now law enforcement agencies are working hand in glove across the country. Federal agencies and state agencies, federal police, state police, our security agencies, they’re all working closely together and can I give them a shout out. As a former Minister for Home Affairs and a former Minister for Justice, I know how important the work they do is. I’ve got 100 per cent confidence in the work that they’re doing. The work that they’re doing is helping to keep Australians safe. The work that they’re doing is helping to hunt down the perpetrators of these violent evil acts and make sure that they’re locked up. And I back them and I hope that everybody else does too.

    JOURNALIST: Just one more from me, Josh from Seven News. Earlier this week, Peter Dutton claimed the Coalition would be a better friend of China than the Albanese Government. Do you think that claim has any credibility? And should Peter Dutton outline what he’s going to do to improve the relationship?

    CLARE: I think that’s laughable. Just Google what Peter Dutton has said about China over the last 10 years and you’ll realise how ridiculous that statement is.

    JOURNALIST: That’s all the questions we have. Thanks so much for taking us on the phone.

    CLARE: Good on you. Cheers. Thanks, guys.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China sees booming holiday consumption driven by longer trips, culture craze

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

    China sees booming holiday consumption driven by longer trips, culture craze

    Updated: February 1, 2025 09:31 Xinhua
    Tourists visit a Spring Festival temple fair at Ditan Park in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 29, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Tourists select figurines of “Lord Rabbit” at Changdian temple fair to celebrate the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 30, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People watch a lion dance performance in celebration of the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, near the Ruins of St. Paul’s in south China’s Macao, Jan. 30, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Artists put on a performance in Hong Kong, south China, Jan. 29, 2025. Various events were held across China on Wednesday to celebrate the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A performance is staged at the Hetou ancient street scenic area in Tangshan, north China’s Hebei Province, Jan. 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    People visit a flower market in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Jan. 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A drone photo taken on Jan. 28, 2025 shows Zhang Qibin skiing at Jiangjunshan Ski Resort in Altay, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. As families gathered nationwide for Chinese New Year celebrations, Zhang Qibin, a girl from east China’s Zhejiang Province, chose to join fellow skiing enthusiasts from across the country at the Jiangjunshan Ski Resort to celebrate the festival. This is the first time for Zhang to welcome the Chinese New Year in this unconventional way. Together with several fellow skiers she has just met at the resort, she tried to find the new charm of the festival via various ice and snow activities. In recent years, with the popularity and development of ice and snow sports in China, the skiing resorts are favored by more and more consumers during the Spring Festival holidays. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico amp up the risk of a broader trade war

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Markus Wagner, Professor of Law and Director of the UOW Transnational Law and Policy Centre, University of Wollongong

    It’s official. On February 1, US President Donald Trump will introduce a sweeping set of new 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. China will also face new tariffs of 10%.

    During the presidential campaign, Trump threatened tariffs against all three countries, claiming they weren’t doing enough to prevent an influx of “drugs, in particular fentanyl” into the US, while also accusing Canada and Mexico of not doing enough to stop “illegal aliens”.

    There will be some nuance. On Friday, Trump said tariffs on oil and gas would come into effect later, on February 18, and that Canadian oil would likely face a lower tariff of 10%.

    This may only be the first move against China. Trump has previously threatened the country with 60% tariffs, asserting this will bring jobs back to America.

    But the US’ move against its neighbours will have an almost immediate impact on the three countries involved and the landscape of North American trade. It marks the beginning of what could be a radical reshaping of international trade and political governance around the world.

    What Trump wants from Canada and Mexico

    While border security and drug trade concerns are the official rationale for this move, Trump’s tariffs have broader motivations.

    The first one is protectionist. In all his presidential campaigning, Trump portrayed himself as a champion of US workers. Back in October, he said tariff was “the most beautiful word in the dictionary”.

    Trump hasn’t hidden his fondness for protectionist trade measures.

    This reflects the ongoing scepticism toward international trade that Trump – and politicians more generally on both ends of the political spectrum in the US – have held for some time.

    It’s a significant shift in the close trade links between these neighbours. The US, Mexico and Canada are parties to the successor of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

    Trump has not hidden his willingness to use tariffs as a weapon to pressure other countries to achieve unrelated geopolitical goals. This is the epitome of what a research project team I co-lead calls “Weaponised Trade”.

    This was on full display in late January. When the president of Colombia prohibited US military airplanes carrying Colombian nationals deported from the US to land, Trump successfully used the threat of tariffs to force Colombia to reverse course.



    Read more:
    What are tariffs?

    The economic stakes

    The volume of trade between the US, Canada, and Mexico is enormous, encompassing a wide range of goods and services. Some of the biggest sectors are automotive manufacturing, energy, agriculture, and consumer goods.

    In 2022, the value of all goods and services traded between the US and Canada came to about US$909 billion (A$1.46 trillion). Between the US and Mexico that same year, it came to more than US$855 billion (A$1.37 trillion).

    One of the hardest hit industries will be the automotive industry, which depends on cross-border trade. A car assembled in Canada, Mexico or the US relies heavily on a supply of parts from throughout North America.

    Tariffs will raise costs throughout this supply chain, which could lead to higher prices for consumers and make US-based manufacturers less competitive.

    Auto manufacturing stands to be hit hard by Trump’s tariffs.
    Around the World Photos/Shutterstock

    There could also be ripple effects for agriculture. The US exports billions of dollars in corn, soybeans, and meat to Canada and Mexico, while importing fresh produce such as avocados and tomatoes from Mexico.

    Tariffs may provoke retaliatory measures, putting farmers and food suppliers in all three countries at risk.

    Trump’s decision to delay and reduce tariffs on oil was somewhat predictable. US imports of Canadian oil have increased steadily over recent decades, meaning tariffs would immediately bite US consumers at the fuel pump.

    We’ve been here before

    This isn’t the first time the world has dealt with Trump’s tariff-heavy approach to trade policy. Looking back to his first term may provide some clues about what we might expect.

    In 2018, the US levied duties on steel and aluminium. Both Canada and Mexico are both major exporters of steel to the US.

    In his first term, Trump imposed major tariffs on US steel imports.
    ABCDstock/Shutterstock

    Canada and Mexico imposed retaliatory tariffs. Ultimately, all countries removed tariffs on steel and aluminium in the process of finalising the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

    Notably, though, many of Trump’s trade policies remained in place even after President Joe Biden took office.

    This signalled a bipartisan scepticism of unfettered trade and a shift toward on-shoring or re-shoring in US policy circles.

    The options for Canada and Mexico

    This time, Canada and Mexico’s have again responded with threats of retaliatory tariffs.

    But they’ve also made attempts to mollify Trump – such as Canada launching a “crackdown” on fentanyl trade.

    Generally speaking, responses to these tariffs could range from measured diplomacy to aggressive retaliation. Canada and Mexico may target politically sensitive industries such as agriculture or gasoline, where Trump’s base could feel the pinch.

    There are legal options, too. Canada and Mexico could pursue legal action through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s dispute resolution mechanisms or the World Trade Organization (WTO).

    Both venues provide pathways for challenging unfair trade practices. But these practices can be slow-moving, uncertain in their outcomes and are susceptible to being ignored.

    A more long-term option for businesses in Canada and Mexico is to diversify their trade relationships to reduce reliance on the US market. However, the facts of geography, and the large base of consumers in the US mean that’s easier said than done.

    The looming threat of a global trade war

    Trump’s latest tariffs underscore a broader trend: the widening of the so-called “Overton window” to achieve unrelated geopolitical goals.

    The Overton Window refers to the range of policy options politicians have because they are accepted among the general public.

    Arguments for bringing critical industries back to the US, protecting domestic jobs, and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains gained traction after the ascent of China as a geopolitical and geoeconomic rival.

    These arguments picked up steam during the COVID-19 pandemic and have increasingly been turned into actual policy.

    The potential for a broader trade war looms large. Trump’s short-term goal may be to leverage tariffs as a tool to secure concessions from other jurisdictions.

    Trump’s threats against Denmark – in his quest to obtain control over Greenland – are a prime example. The European Union (EU), a far more potent economic player, has pledged its support for Denmark.

    A North American trade war – foreshadowed by the Canadian and Mexican governments – might then only be harbinger of things to come: significant economic harm, the erosion of trust among trading partners, and increased volatility in global markets.

    Markus Wagner receives funding from the Department of Defence, Australia as a Chief Investigator on a project titled Weaponised Trade.

    – ref. Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico amp up the risk of a broader trade war – https://theconversation.com/trumps-25-tariffs-on-canada-and-mexico-amp-up-the-risk-of-a-broader-trade-war-248667

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell: Trump’s New Tariffs Will Drive Up Grocery & Gas Prices, Costs for American Manufacturers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    01.31.25

    Cantwell: Trump’s New Tariffs Will Drive Up Grocery & Gas Prices, Costs for American Manufacturers

    WA consumers will pay the price as Trump chooses to tax goods from Canada and Mexico up to 25%, plus a 10% tax on goods from China

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Trump administration announced plans to impose a 25% tax on many goods imported into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico, and a 10% tax on goods imported from China, a move that will likely increase prices for consumers across the country, particularly in Washington state.

    U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) – who serves as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, as well as senior member of the Finance and Energy and Natural Resources Committees– issued the following statement:

    “President Trump should not start trade wars that hurt American manufacturers, consumers, and farmers, especially when food prices and interest rates are so high. After two weeks in office and lots of executive orders, where are the administration’s ideas to lower costs for American families?  Let’s not put 25% tariffs that will increase consumer costs,” Sen. Cantwell said. “Canada and Mexico are already willing to partner with us to fight fentanyl and strengthen border security.  I hope the President will work with Congress on opening new markets, growing U.S. exports, and using the EXIM Bank to compete with China, instead of driving up prices at the grocery store and gas pump. I want an export strategy — one that maximizes opportunities to sell American products overseas.“

    Two out of every five jobs in the State of Washington are tied to trade and related industries. In 2023, Washington state imported $19.9 billion of goods from Canada – primarily oil, gas, lumber, and electrical power — making our northern neighbors Washington state’s largest trade partner.

    Also in 2023, Washington state imported $1.7 billion in goods from Mexico, including motor vehicles, vehicle parts, and household appliances. All of these raw materials and goods will now be subject to a 25% tariff.

    A 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico would add an estimated $144 billion a year to the cost of manufacturing in the United States.

    Sen. Cantwell has been a champion for Washington state growers and exports. Agriculture and food manufacturing generate more than $21 billion per year and employ more than 171,000 people in the State of Washington. Small and family farms are key contributors, making up 89% and 94%, respectively, of Washington’s farms. 

    Sen. Cantwell was the leading voice in negotiations to end India’s 20% retaliatory tariff on American apples, which devastated Washington state’s apple exports. In September 2023, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on apples and pulse crops following several years of Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy.

    In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to help U.S. potato growers finally get approval to sell fresh potatoes in Japan. In June 2023, Sen. Cantwell hosted U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), then-chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in Washington state for a forum with 30 local agricultural leaders in Wenatchee to discuss the Farm Bill.

    In 2022, Sen. Cantwell spearheaded passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, a law to crack down on skyrocketing international ocean shipping costs and ease supply chain backlogs that raise prices for consumers and make it harder for U.S. farmers and exporters to get their goods to the global market.

    In August 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting aid funds be distributed to wheat growers. In December 2018, Sen. Cantwell celebrated the passage of the Farm Bill, which included $500 million of assistance for farmers, including those who grow wheat.

    In 2019, Sen. Cantwell helped secure a provision in the $16 billion USDA relief package, ensuring sweet cherry growers could access emergency funding to offset the impacts of tariffs and other market disruptions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico amp up the risk of a broader trade war

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Markus Wagner, Professor of Law and Director of the UOW Transnational Law and Policy Centre, University of Wollongong

    It’s official. On February 1, US President Donald Trump will introduce a sweeping set of new 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. China will also face new tariffs of 10%.

    During the presidential campaign, Trump threatened tariffs against all three countries, claiming they weren’t doing enough to prevent an influx of “drugs, in particular fentanyl” into the US, while also accusing Canada and Mexico of not doing enough to stop “illegal aliens”.

    There will be some nuance. On Friday, Trump said tariffs on oil and gas would come into effect later, on February 18, and that Canadian oil would likely face a lower tariff of 10%.

    This may only be the first move against China. Trump has previously threatened the country with 60% tariffs, asserting this will bring jobs back to America.

    But the US’ move against its neighbours will have an almost immediate impact on the three countries involved and the landscape of North American trade. It marks the beginning of what could be a radical reshaping of international trade and political governance around the world.

    What Trump wants from Canada and Mexico

    While border security and drug trade concerns are the official rationale for this move, Trump’s tariffs have broader motivations.

    The first one is protectionist. In all his presidential campaigning, Trump portrayed himself as a champion of US workers. Back in October, he said tariff was “the most beautiful word in the dictionary”.

    Trump hasn’t hidden his fondness for protectionist trade measures.

    This reflects the ongoing scepticism toward international trade that Trump – and politicians more generally on both ends of the political spectrum in the US – have held for some time.

    It’s a significant shift in the close trade links between these neighbours. The US, Mexico and Canada are parties to the successor of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

    Trump has not hidden his willingness to use tariffs as a weapon to pressure other countries to achieve unrelated geopolitical goals. This is the epitome of what a research project team I co-lead calls “Weaponised Trade”.

    This was on full display in late January. When the president of Colombia prohibited US military airplanes carrying Colombian nationals deported from the US to land, Trump successfully used the threat of tariffs to force Colombia to reverse course.



    Read more:
    What are tariffs?

    The economic stakes

    The volume of trade between the US, Canada, and Mexico is enormous, encompassing a wide range of goods and services. Some of the biggest sectors are automotive manufacturing, energy, agriculture, and consumer goods.

    In 2022, the value of all goods and services traded between the US and Canada came to about US$909 billion (A$1.46 trillion). Between the US and Mexico that same year, it came to more than US$855 billion (A$1.37 trillion).

    One of the hardest hit industries will be the automotive industry, which depends on cross-border trade. A car assembled in Canada, Mexico or the US relies heavily on a supply of parts from throughout North America.

    Tariffs will raise costs throughout this supply chain, which could lead to higher prices for consumers and make US-based manufacturers less competitive.

    Auto manufacturing stands to be hit hard by Trump’s tariffs.
    Around the World Photos/Shutterstock

    There could also be ripple effects for agriculture. The US exports billions of dollars in corn, soybeans, and meat to Canada and Mexico, while importing fresh produce such as avocados and tomatoes from Mexico.

    Tariffs may provoke retaliatory measures, putting farmers and food suppliers in all three countries at risk.

    Trump’s decision to delay and reduce tariffs on oil was somewhat predictable. US imports of Canadian oil have increased steadily over recent decades, meaning tariffs would immediately bite US consumers at the fuel pump.

    We’ve been here before

    This isn’t the first time the world has dealt with Trump’s tariff-heavy approach to trade policy. Looking back to his first term may provide some clues about what we might expect.

    In 2018, the US levied duties on steel and aluminium. Both Canada and Mexico are both major exporters of steel to the US.

    In his first term, Trump imposed major tariffs on US steel imports.
    ABCDstock/Shutterstock

    Canada and Mexico imposed retaliatory tariffs. Ultimately, all countries removed tariffs on steel and aluminium in the process of finalising the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

    Notably, though, many of Trump’s trade policies remained in place even after President Joe Biden took office.

    This signalled a bipartisan scepticism of unfettered trade and a shift toward on-shoring or re-shoring in US policy circles.

    The options for Canada and Mexico

    This time, Canada and Mexico’s have again responded with threats of retaliatory tariffs.

    But they’ve also made attempts to mollify Trump – such as Canada launching a “crackdown” on fentanyl trade.

    Generally speaking, responses to these tariffs could range from measured diplomacy to aggressive retaliation. Canada and Mexico may target politically sensitive industries such as agriculture or gasoline, where Trump’s base could feel the pinch.

    There are legal options, too. Canada and Mexico could pursue legal action through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s dispute resolution mechanisms or the World Trade Organization (WTO).

    Both venues provide pathways for challenging unfair trade practices. But these practices can be slow-moving, uncertain in their outcomes and are susceptible to being ignored.

    A more long-term option for businesses in Canada and Mexico is to diversify their trade relationships to reduce reliance on the US market. However, the facts of geography, and the large base of consumers in the US mean that’s easier said than done.

    The looming threat of a global trade war

    Trump’s latest tariffs underscore a broader trend: the widening of the so-called “Overton window” to achieve unrelated geopolitical goals.

    The Overton Window refers to the range of policy options politicians have because they are accepted among the general public.

    Arguments for bringing critical industries back to the US, protecting domestic jobs, and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains gained traction after the ascent of China as a geopolitical and geoeconomic rival.

    These arguments picked up steam during the COVID-19 pandemic and have increasingly been turned into actual policy.

    The potential for a broader trade war looms large. Trump’s short-term goal may be to leverage tariffs as a tool to secure concessions from other jurisdictions.

    Trump’s threats against Denmark – in his quest to obtain control over Greenland – are a prime example. The European Union (EU), a far more potent economic player, has pledged its support for Denmark.

    A North American trade war – foreshadowed by the Canadian and Mexican governments – might then only be harbinger of things to come: significant economic harm, the erosion of trust among trading partners, and increased volatility in global markets.

    Markus Wagner receives funding from the Department of Defence, Australia as a Chief Investigator on a project titled Weaponised Trade.

    – ref. Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico amp up the risk of a broader trade war – https://theconversation.com/trumps-25-tariffs-on-canada-and-mexico-amp-up-the-risk-of-a-broader-trade-war-248667

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of expected Trump tariffs, Senators Coons and Kaine introduce legislation to require congressional approval of new tariffs on U.S. allies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) yesterday introduced the Stopping Tariffs on Allies and Bolstering Legislative Exercise of (STABLE) Trade Policy Act, which would rein in chaos that President Trump could create by unilaterally imposing tariffs on trading partners like the ones expected to go into effect this weekend on Canada and Mexico.
    The STABLE Trade Policy Act would institute a requirement of congressional approval before a president could impose new tariffs on U.S. allies and free trade agreement (FTA) partners. Currently, the president can impose tariffs on any nation using authorities that Congress created to combat national security risks and address international emergencies. The bill reclaims congressional authority over trade policy and limits the president’s ability to treat allies as enemies.
    “Congress gave the president the authority to impose tariffs so that he could combat our enemies in the event of a national security crisis, not so that he could pursue grudges against our allies and neighbors. If the president is going abuse this power to bully and coerce our allies, Congress should take this authority back,” said Senator Coons. “If this weekend’s tariffs go into effect, they’ll do catastrophic damage to our relationships with our allies and raise costs for working families by hundreds of dollars a year. Congress needs to stop this from happening again.”
    “Virginians want costs to go down, not up. But President Trump’s plans to impose broad-based tariffs would raise the price of everyday goods and hurt our economy,” said Senator Kaine. “It’s time for Congress to make it clear that no president should abuse existing tariff authorities designed to protect America’s national security from threats posed by our adversaries to slap tariffs on our allies and closest trading partners. I’m proud to introduce this legislation with Senator Coons to take that step to protect Americans’ pocketbooks from sharp price hikes and safeguard our relationships with our allies.”
    The introduction of STABLE Trade Policy Act comes shortly before President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs on Canada and Mexico are expected to go into effect. On his first day in office, President Trump pledged 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada to go into effect February 1. The two nations, both members of the U.S.M.C.A. trade agreement that President Trump negotiated, accounted for almost one-third of all U.S. goods imports last year. Additionally, President Trump has promised 10% tariffs on China. President Trump has already threatened and then rescinded tariffs on Colombia.
    Specifically, the STABLE Trade Policy Act would:
    Require the president to explain to Congress any proposal to impose tariffs on allies and FTA partners.
    The president must explain why challenges with allies cannot be better addressed through diplomacy or other mechanisms.
    The president must assess of how tariffs will impact the U.S. economy and U.S. foreign policy interests. 
    Require congressional approval for new or additional tariffs on imports from allies and FTA partners.
    The bill constrains tariff authorities created by Congress to combat national security risks and address international economic emergencies. 
    The executive branch retains full authority to impose safeguard tariffs to combat unfair trade practices.
    The full bill text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: More Chinese people driving home in NEVs for Spring Festival reunions

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

    BEIJING, Jan. 31 — More and more Chinese people are choosing to drive home for Spring Festival family reunions using new-energy vehicles (NEVs), aided by better charging and insurance services, according to experts.

    Hua Lei, an official with the Ministry of Transport, said that NEVs are joining the Spring Festival travel rush, the world’s largest annual human migration in China around the Spring Festival, in growing numbers.

    Noting that NEVs accounted for 15.9 percent of road trips during the National Day holiday in October last year, experts expected their share to rise further during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, or chunyun, which officially kicked off on Jan. 14.

    To meet the rising demand for NEV charging, the country has accelerated the construction of charging infrastructure. By the end of 2024, 98 percent of highway service areas had charging facilities, with 35,000 charging stations in place. “Aside from a few remote, high-altitude areas, nearly all (highway) service areas now offer charging options,” said Hua.

    Lots of supercharging piles have been put in place. For instance, in China’s southwestern megacity of Chongqing, 83 highway service areas had completed the construction of supercharging piles before the arrival of the Spring Festival travel rush.

    The new supercharging piles have a significant charging capacity, with a maximum output of 480 kilowatts per charging gun. They can charge NEVs faster than conventional fast-charging piles, enabling NEVs to run for 400 kilometers after charging for just 10 minutes.

    In 2024, China added more than 4.22 million electric vehicle charging poles, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. By the end of last year, the total number of electric vehicle charging poles in the country reached 12.82 million, marking a 49.1 percent year-on-year increase. Of these, public charging poles accounted for approximately 3.58 million, while private charging poles neared 9.24 million.

    The expansion of charging facilities comes amid surging demand for NEVs in China, with both production and sales surpassing 12 million units in 2024, industrial data shows. China has maintained its position as the world’s leading NEV market for 10 consecutive years.

    The number of NEVs in use in China has continued to increase at a faster pace, reaching 31.4 million by the end of 2024, the Ministry of Public Security said earlier this month. It added that the figure marks a 260-fold surge over the past decade, which is attributed to the country’s technological progress in the NEV industry, the improvement of charging infrastructure and the growing eco-friendly awareness of Chinese people.

    The ministry added that in 2024, NEVs accounted for 8.9 percent of the country’s total vehicle ownership, while the number of newly registered NEVs rose by 51.49 percent compared to 2023, reaching 11.25 million.

    To further spur the NEV sector, China unveiled last Friday its first-ever guidelines for the insurance of NEVs, introducing measures aimed at addressing key challenges currently facing the sector, such as high insurance premiums and the risk of being denied coverage.

    The guidelines, jointly issued by the National Financial Regulatory Administration and three other government departments, aim to reduce maintenance costs for NEVs.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s Xizang completes transitional housing for quake-affected residents

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

    LHASA, Jan. 31 — Over 7,000 makeshift houses have been set up since an earthquake jolted Dingri County in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region in early January, wrapping up construction of transitional housing for the affected people, local authorities said Friday.

    According to the local disaster relief headquarters, the county has set up 7,733 makeshift houses and 9,941 tents, providing shelters for 47,787 affected residents.

    Additionally, there are 10,772 residents in the county whose homes were slightly damaged. These houses have passed risk assessments and safety inspections, allowing residents to continue living in them without the need for temporary shelters.

    A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri County in the city of Xigaze on Jan. 7, claiming 126 lives and leveling thousands of houses.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Senior Adviser for the Federal Reserve Indicted on Charges of Economic Espionage

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    John Harold Rogers, 63, of Vienna, Virginia, a former Senior Adviser for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (FRB), was arrested today on charges that he conspired to steal Federal Reserve trade secrets for the benefit of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

    In furtherance of the conspiracy, allegedly made false statements to the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-OIG), and those false statements had a material impact on its investigation.

    “As alleged, the defendant violated the trust placed in him by the Federal Reserve Bank by putting U.S. trade secrets in the hands of his PRC co-conspirators, knowing full well that such information would benefit the PRC Government and PRC instrumentalities,” said Devin DeBacker, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to disrupt economic espionage and protect our national security.”

    “President Trump tasks us with protecting our fellow Americans from all enemies, foreign and domestic. As alleged in the indictment, this defendant leveraged his position within the Federal Reserve to pass sensitive financial information to the Chinese government, a designated adversary,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “Let this indictment serve as a warning to all who seek to betray or exploit the United States: law enforcement will find you and hold you accountable.”

    “As alleged in the indictment, Rogers betrayed his country while employed at the Federal Reserve by providing restricted U.S. financial and economic information to Chinese government intelligence officers,” said Assistant Director Kevin Vorndran of the FBI Counterintelligence Division. “This information could allow adversaries to illegally gain a strategic economic advantage at the expense of the U.S. This indictment sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will hold accountable those who threaten our national security.”

    “The Chinese Communist Party has expanded its economic espionage campaign to target U.S. government financial policies and trade secrets in an effort to undermine the United States and become the sole superpower,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Today’s indictment represents the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protect U.S. national security interests and U.S. jobs and bring to justice those who are willing to betray their country for personal gain.”

    “This indictment sends a clear message that those who deliberately misuse sensitive Federal Reserve information for their own personal gain and lie about it to investigators will be held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge John T. Perez of the FRB-OIG, Headquarters Operations.

    According to the indictment, Rogers, a U.S. citizen with a Ph.D. in economics, worked as a Senior Adviser in FRB’s Division of International Finance of the FRB from 2010 until 2021, where he was entrusted with confidential FRB information. The confidential information that Rogers allegedly shared with his Chinese co-conspirators, who worked for the intelligence and security apparatus of China and who posed as graduate students at a PRC university, is economically valuable when secret.

    China holds a large amount of U.S. foreign debt (approximately $816 billion as of October 2024). The data Rogers shared with his co-conspirators could allow China to manipulate the U.S. market, in a manner similar to insider trading. Gaining advance knowledge of U.S. economic policy, including advance knowledge of changes to the federal funds rate, could provide China with an advantage when selling or buying U.S. bonds or securities.

    The indictment alleges that, from at least 2018, Rogers allegedly exploited his employment with the FRB by soliciting trade-secret information regarding proprietary economic data sets, deliberations about tariffs targeting China, briefing books for designated governors, and sensitive information about Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) deliberations and forthcoming announcements. He passed that information electronically to his personal email account, in violation of FRB policy, or printed it prior to traveling to China, in preparation for meetings with his co-conspirators.

    Under the guise of teaching “classes,” Rogers met with his co-conspirators in hotel rooms in China where he conveyed sensitive, trade-secret information that belonged to the FRB and the FOMC. In 2023, Rogers was paid approximately $450,000 as a part-time professor at a Chinese university.

    On Feb. 4, 2020, in response to questioning by the FRB-OIG, Rogers lied about his accessing and passage of sensitive information and his associations with his co-conspirators.

    Rogers is charged with conspiracy to commit economic espionage and with making false statements.

    The FBI Washington Field Office and FRB-OIG are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Nicholas Hunter and Steve Marzen of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Section are prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Slams Trump Tariffs: “Donald Trump has just raised prices for every working American.” 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following statement after the White House confirmed President Trump is expected to put new tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China on Saturday:  
    “Donald Trump has just raised prices for every working American. He has threatened jobs and set our nation up for retaliation and years of painful trade disputes. On Monday in St. Albans, Vermont—only 15 miles from the northern border—I brought together Vermont businesses and local leaders to hear directly from them about how another Trump Trade War would hurt our state. It was clear: Donald Trump’s policy of chaos is one that Vermont can’t afford.  
    “We need a ‘Do No Harm’ approach when it comes to tariffs and trade policy—especially when we’re talking about our biggest trading partner, Canada. Vermont’s and Canada’s economies are closely intertwined, and our families, farmers, and businesses will suffer because of these reckless 25% tariffs. These actions are reckless, counterproductive, and destructive. A trade war is not the answer.”  
    The White House has not provided the public with an exemption process ahead of the February 1st start date. The White House announced it plans to put a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, as well as a 10% tariff on imports from China. 
    On Monday, Senator Welch convened Vermont businesses and state and local leaders for a roundtable discussion on President Trump’s threats to reignite a trade war with Canada and other U.S. trade allies by imposing dramatic tariffs on goods imported from Canada. Sen. Welch was joined by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce; the Vermont Association of General Contractors; Manufacturing Solutions, Inc.; H20 Innovation; A.N. Deringer, Inc.; Poulin Grain; Green Mountain Power; Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak; Brett Long, Deputy Commissioner, Vermont Department of Economic Development; and Tim Smith, the Mayor of St. Albans. 
    Attendees at the roundtable spoke about the impact of the tariffs on their businesses and their concerns regarding President Trump’s rhetoric regarding trade since taking office last week.  
    Vermont sells more goods to Canada than the next six largest foreign markets combined. In 2023, Vermont exported $150 million just in food and agricultural products to Canada. In many cases, Vermont manufacturers buy imports from Canada to manufacture into products.  However, the ability of Vermont’s small manufacturing businesses to absorb a 25% increase in costs on parts or raw materials is limited. Tariffs on Canada and Mexico could result in layoffs or higher homebuilding costs, increased costs of grain for farmers, and more expensive equipment for maple producers.  
    Tariffs could also increase the cost of utilities for Vermonters. According to preliminary estimates, a 25% tariff on goods from Canada could increase customer rates for natural gas by 10% (based on firm customer rates). Electricity rates could increase by 2.5% in Vermont and by 5% for New England wholesale electricity prices.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Underscores Urgent Need for Uninterrupted, Strategically Critical, Life-Saving Foreign Aid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON — At yesterday’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the “Malign Influence of the People’s Republic of China at Home and Abroad: Recommendations for Policy Makers,” U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) underscored the importance of U.S. leadership and global engagement in advancing American interests. Using the Philippines and Papua New Guinea as examples, Schatz asked witnesses to lay out the dire consequences of U.S. disengagement, as well as the opportunities it would create for the PRC.

    Prior to his questioning, Schatz, who also serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, addressed the chaos caused by the Trump Administration’s recent foreign aid funding freeze, stating, “We really just, on a nonpartisan basis, have to keep the pressure on the State Department to effectuate the Secretary’s policy because right now there’s a ton of confusion, and these are faraway places, and the original stop work orders are still being observed in some places and not in others. The furloughs are in some places being undone and not in others, and this is not some policy question anymore. It’s a question of executing what the Secretary has asked. So I just ask that we continue to put pressure on a bipartisan basis and just to understand the urgency of the moment. Four days ago, I asked now how bad is this, and they said ‘babies dying by the weekend’ and so this is not the kind of thing that we can get back to on Monday. We all have to exert pressure and make sure that the State Department gets this right, and I’m talking about in the next 24 hours.”

    Having recently discussed strengthening security and economic ties with the Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez, Schatz asked, “I want to just start with the Philippines. As you know, they’re one of our closest allies. We have economic assistance arrangements, we have life-saving support that we provide, and of course we have a security partnership that’s lasted generations. If you were a senior CCP official, how would you view this freeze in foreign aid coming from the United States?”

    Peter Mattis, President of the Jamestown Foundation, replied, “I would be looking to exploit the opportunity that is there. And over the years the political fluctuations in the Philippines have offered those opportunities. They’ve disrupted the relationship. They’ve disrupted partnership, and anything from Beijing’s perspective, or if I were… a senior official in the United Front Work Department, I would be doing everything I can to exploit whatever chaos is there in the U.S.-Philippine relationship.”

    Schatz then pivoted to the subject of Papua New Guinea (PNG), a country rich in natural resources, saying, “It’s at risk of becoming a foothold for PRC military expansion. But right now it has the highest HIV incidence in the Pacific, and it’s rising. It also has a lot of unexploded ordinance, and last year the Department of Defense signed an $864 million defense bill deal with Port Morrisby, so it seems to me that the Philippines is one question: we have a bilateral relationship that spans generations and is sturdy, like under Duterte less sturdy, but still solid even when we have a president who is an unreliable partner, but in places like PNG where to use… the domestic equivalent they’re sort of swing states they’re open for business… to being aligned with China, to being aligned with the United States, to playing both sides against the middle. I’m particularly concerned about smaller countries for whom a withholding of economic or military or life-saving support is not something they can sort of weather, and so I’m wondering if you can talk about PNG in particular.”

    Dr. Melanie Hart, Senior Director of Global China Hub at Atlantic Council, answered, “Basically we’ve given Beijing a blank check and kneecapped the United States and the entire global pro-democracy movement. If you want to talk about PNG and their need for medicine, there is very clear pattern that, during the COVID crisis, Beijing forced nations around the world… to carry out its political edicts in exchange for COVID vaccines. I have no doubt that Beijing is already showing up in capitals where the United States is pulling back and saying here is your HIV medicine and guess what: here’s the three things you need to do for me today to get it.”

    Schatz was recently named the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, which appropriates billions of dollars in funding for the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other critical agencies and programs that provide humanitarian aid, global health support, and economic and security assistance, among other things to those in need around the world.

    Video of Senator Schatz’s full exchange at today’s hearing is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government Approves Participation of Indian Contingent at 9th Asian Winter Games 2025

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 31 JAN 2025 4:16PM by PIB Delhi

    In a landmark move to foster winter sports in India, the Government of India has approved the participation of the Indian contingent at the 9th Asian Winter Games (AWG) 2025, scheduled to be held from 7th to 14th February in Harbin, China. The Government has given clearance for participation of 88-member Indian contingent which includes 59 athletes and 29 team officials.

    For the first time, full financial support is being extended under the Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSF) Scheme to athletes competing in Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Figure Skating, Short Track Speed Skating, and Speed Skating (Long Track).

    This significant decision highlights the Government’s commitment to promoting winter sports and providing Indian athletes with opportunities to compete at the highest levels in Asia. 

    This is the first occasion where the Government of India has formally extended financial support for the country’s participation at the Asian Winter Games. This decision underscores the Government’s focus on transparency and merit-based selection in sports governance. 

    The Asian Winter Games provide a crucial platform for Indian athletes to showcase their talent and compete with some of the best in the world, setting the stage for future global competitions. The Government’s structured approach not only promotes transparency in team selection but also strengthens India’s resolve to become a formidable contender in winter sports. 

    The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports extends its best wishes to all participating athletes and reaffirms its commitment to supporting the growth of winter sports in India. 

    ******

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2097997) Visitor Counter : 62

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Pacific Fleet Navy Reserve Public Affairs Summit: Training to be the Strategic Advantage and Enabling Effective Communication in the Indo-Pacific Region

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii  –  

    Forty Sailors from six Navy public affairs reserve units supporting Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT) attended a reserve public affairs summit Jan. 9 to 11, 2025, focused on rapidly developing and sustaining their warfighting readiness skills.

    The summit supported Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s Navigation Plan 2024, which directs the Navy to be more ready for the possibility of sustained high-end conflict with the People’s Republic of China by 2027.

    Adm. Steve Koehler, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, underscored the critical role of public affairs in his approach at the operational level of war – to deny, defend, and dominate. When speaking to the group of professional communicators, Koehler emphasized that effects within the information environment are considered at the start of the planning cycle.

    During the training, reserve Sailors received briefings on honing their communications skills to deliver a key strategic advantage in the Pacific. This effort aligns with Chief of Navy Reserve Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore’s strategic guidance for the Reserve Force – to put more ready players on the field as the Navy Reserve integrates with the Navy Total Force to deter, defend and, if necessary, defeat our adversaries.

    According to Vice Adm. Lacore, the global security environment demands our urgent preparations and readiness to respond to the call, when needed, by posturing the Reserve Force for warfighting by accelerating the pace of organizational development and strengthening our warfighters to be ready on day one.

    Leaders from COMPACFLT, to include Koehler and Rear Adm. Eric Ruttenberg, Reserve deputy COMPACFLT, as well as those from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) and Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, discussed how public affairs missions within the information environment enable strategic and operational success and reinforced the importance of engaging in truthful communication activities to counter adversaries’ increasing use of misinformation.

    Rear Adm. John Robinson, Navy Vice Chief of Information, highlighted the importance of the CNO’s “Project 33” initiative, which prioritizes operational readiness including a key target of fighting from maritime operations centers, or MOCs.

    Capt. Rebecca Rebarich, USINDOPACOM director of Public Affairs and Outreach, echoed Koehler’s message on integrating information forces into maritime planning. She stressed the vital role USINDOPACOM places on the information domain, ensuring warfighters are prepared to support fleet operations in the event of a high-intensity conflict with a peer competitor.

    With increased tensions and escalating threats in the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. Navy needs to make accurate assessments and share information in real time. For Sailors in public affairs, being warfighting-ready requires a commitment to developing and sustaining world-class public affairs capabilities to support operations across the Indo-Pacific.

    “Being able to witness firsthand how reservists contribute to the warfighting effort was certainly a highlight of the training,” said Lt. j.g. Justin Truong, assigned to Navy Public Affairs Support Element West. “It was critical to see how reservists integrate with our active-duty counterparts to provide strategic depth.”

    Attendees included many junior public affairs officers and mass communication specialists. The summit gave them a first look at the mobilization training location and requirements.

    “Ultimately, our goal was for Sailors to walk away with a renewed confidence that the U.S. Navy, of which they are an integral part of, is capable and ready to address emerging threats in the INDOPACOM region,” said Capt. Christopher Lopez, commanding officer, Reserve COMPACFLT Public Affairs, “and leave with a sense of pride knowing that the reserve public affairs community remains an indispensable part of America’s warfighting Navy.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: A busy weekend ahead in the city centre as Manchester welcomes Year of the Snake

    Source: City of Manchester

    Manchester is expected to be even busier than usual this weekend (Feb 1 & 2) as the city comes together to welcome in the Year of the Snake, with a weekend full of activities including the annual Chinese New Year Dragon Parade which takes place on Sunday.

    Already a sea of colour with trees decked out in traditional red lanterns in celebration of the Lunar New Year, visitors heading into the city centre this weekend are promised a dazzling display of traditional and contemporary Chinese culture.

    The weekend’s activities – organised by the Federation of Chinese Associations of Manchester (FCAM) – will see Manchester’s Chinatown transformed into a festive wonderland with lanterns, music, food, and family-friendly activities.

    Anyone planning to come into Manchester and enjoy the activities is advised to use public transport and to travel as light as possible with no big bags, and to consider using back packs or other carriers for babies and toddlers as an alternative to pushchairs.

    Visitors should note that the busiest part of the weekend is likely to be from 12 noon to 2 pm on Sunday when the Dragon Parade takes place.  

    People coming in to see the parade should be aware that access into Chinatown may be restricted during this time in order to manage the number of people in the area, and they may be advised to enjoy the parade from elsewhere along the route instead.

    Chinatown visitors throughout the weekend will be able to enjoy a host of activities across the two days from 12 noon – 8 pm, including sampling a variety of delicious Chinese delicacies and authentic street food from local vendors.

    Mesmerising traditional dance and music performances will also be taking place on both Saturday and Sunday on the main stage in the Chinatown carpark.

    Other highlights include performances from the Guizhou Acrobatic Troupe at 2:45 pm and 3:45 pm on Sunday, and a DJ playing Cantonese and Mandarin pop songs from 8 pm – 10 pm on Saturday.

    FCAM’s famous Night Dragon will also be making appearances in the Chinatown carpark on Saturday at 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm, whilst Sunday will see the spectacular annual Dragon Parade take place, featuring a stunning traditional dragon, acrobatic performances, dancers and drummers.  

    Starting from the junction of Oxford Street and George Street at 12 noon on Sunday, the Dragon Parade will make its way along Portland Street, into Chinatown, with a final performance on Princess Street.

    This year’s festivities will culminate on Sunday evening with the record-breaking Illuminated Dragon which will take to the streets of Chinatown from 6:30 pm, featuring members of the public recruited earlier in the day by organisers to help take part in dancing the dragon.

    Away from Chinatown, activities will also be taking place at Central Library throughout the weekend, with an afternoon of arts and crafts on Saturday from 1 – 4 pm and a Hanfu Show featuring traditional Chinese clothing. 

    On Sunday, the Library will be throwing open its doors for the day to help even more families celebrate the Year of the Snake, with a fun-filled programme of dance and music performances, arts and crafts, face-painting, and much more. 

    The day will begin with an unmissable Lion Dance outside the Library at 11 am before the Library opens its doors at 11:30 am for a day of activities which finish at 4 pm.

    Cllr Pat Karney, City Centre spokesperson, Manchester City Council, said: “We know how much Mancunians love visiting Chinatown and joining in with all the fantastic celebrations to mark the start of the new lunar year. 

    “We want everyone to enjoy themselves but it will be busy so people should plan their visit accordingly.  Use public transport, travel light, think about what time will be best for you to come in, and most of all be kind to each other as you navigate your way around the city centre which is sure to be much busier than usual.” 

    Important travel and traffic advice

    Members of the public travelling into Manchester are advised to use public transport where possible.  
    More information and advice on travelling into Manchester this weekend is available on TFGM’s website here 

    A number of road closures will be in place over the weekend to allow the activities to take place. 

    Road closures

    Chinatown

    From 5am Saturday 1 February to 11.59pm Sunday 2 February:

    • Nicholas Street (George Street to Faulkner Street)
    • St James Street (Nicolas Street to Princess Street)
       

    From 5am to 11.59pm Sunday 2 February:

    • Faulkner Street (Princess Street to New York Street)
    • Reyner Street  (Princess Street to Charlotte Street)
    • St James Street (Princess Street to Charlotte Street)
    • Charlotte Street (Portland Street to Mosley Street)
    • George Street (Princess Street to New York Street)
    • Chain Street (George Street to Faulkner Street)
    • Back George Street (Dickenson Street to Charlotte Street)
    • Nicholas Street (Portland Street to Mosley Street)
    • Pine Street (Chain Street to New York Street)

    Parade route

    From 10am to 3pm Sunday 2 February:

    • Peter Street (Mount Street to Lower Mosley Street) soft closure at the junction of Peter Street / Deansgate. Access for residents and businesses only.
    • Oxford Street (Peter Street to Whitworth Street West)
    • Portland Street (Chepstow Street to Chorlton Street)
    • Princess Street (Major Street to Cooper Street)
    • George Street (Oxford Street to Princess Street)
    • St James Street (Oxford Street to Princess Street)
    • Back George Street (Dickinson Street to Princess Street)
    • Faulkner Street (Princess Street to Novotel Hotel Entrance/ End of Faulkner Street)
    • Dickinson Street (Back George Street to Portland Street and Portland Street to Linley House/end of Dickinson Street)
    • Bale Street (Hall Street to Lower Mosley Street)
    • Hall Street (Bale Street to Oxford Street) 
    • Soft Closure inbound at Whitworth Street/Princess Street, Whitworth Street/ Sackville Street, and Whitworth Street/Chorlton Street junctions. No through traffic. Access to residents, businesses, and buses only.  

    Parking suspensions

    Chinatown

    From 6pm on Friday 31 January to 11.59pm Sunday 2 February:

    • George Street (New York Street to Dickinson Street)
    • Nicholas Street (Portland Street to Mosley Street)
    • Faulkner Street (New York Street to Princess Street)
    • Charlotte Street (Portland Street to Mosley Street)
    • Chinatown Car Park (all bays)

    Accessible parking on Saturday can be found on Fountain Street (Booth Street to York Street) 

    Parade route

    From 8pm Saturday 1 February to 4pm Sunday 2 February:

    • Peter Street (Mount Street to Lower Mosley Street)
    • Mount Street (Windmill Street to Peter Street)
    • Oxford Street (Lower Mosley Street to Whitworth Street West)
    • Hall Street (Oxford Street to Bale Street)
    • George Street (Oxford Street to Dickinson Street)
    • St James Street (Oxford Street to Charlotte Street)
    • Chepstow Street (Oxford Road to Great Bridgewater Street)
    • Portland Street (Chepstow Street to New York Street)
    • Dickinson Street (Back George Street to Portland Street, and Portland Street to Linley House/end of Dickinson Street)
    • Princess Street (Cooper Street to Major Street)

    Accessible parking on Sunday can be found on Fountain Street (Booth Street to York Street) or Mount Street (Windmill Street to Albert Square).All bays, loadings bays, accessible parking bays, and taxi ranks, will be suspended.

    Metrolink

    Sunday 2 February

    Between 12 noon and 1pm there will be congestion around St Peter’s Square due to an increased number of pedestrians. Passengers are advised to expect delays.

    Chester Road roadworks

    There are significant road works taking place in the Chester Road roundabout area. Road travel into the city centre will be very busy, please use public transport if you can.

    Road closure information is also available here  

    More information about Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year celebrations in Manchester here 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –