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Category: China

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ashcroft Participates in Security Summit – Vows to Maintain Election Integrity in Missouri

    Source: US State of Missouri

    For immediate release:                 October 10, 2024

    Contact:                                         JoDonn Chaney, Communications Director

                                                            (573) 526-0949

    Jefferson City, Mo. — Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft returned yesterday from a two-day election security summit in Omaha, NE, put on by the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center (NCITE) headquartered at the University of Nebraska.

    Ashcroft and four other secretaries of state, Nebraska’s Bob Evnen, Iowa’s Paul Pate, Kansas’ Scott Schwab, and South Dakota’s Monae Johnson, met together to discuss election and cybersecurity issues in preparation for the upcoming November election.

    “We run elections for the people of the states; we run elections for our government because it is how ‘we the people’ decide that our Republic will move forward,” Ashcroft said. “No matter who wins or loses, or which issues pass or fail, at the end of the day, the American people can rest assured knowing that they were a part of the decision process and that their votes counted and that the votes made a difference.”

    The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) presented information to the secretaries as several states, including Missouri, have received threats and “suspicious packages” of recent. The federal agency provides election officials with security assessments and scenarios to help prepare for a variety of possibilities that could including ransomware, physical threats – including de-escalation and anti-active shooter incidents, and threats from foreign adversaries (such as Russia, Iran and China). 

    “It was good to come together in person; to share ideas,” Ashcroft said. “It is our job as the chief election official in our respective states to make sure elections are safe, secure and accurate for everyone participating in the process.”

    Missouri has 116 local election authorities who work to make sure elections run smoothly across the state. Election information, as well as ballot issues, can be found at GoVoteMissouri.com.

    —30—

    Visit http://www.sos.mo.gov to learn more about the Office of the Missouri Secretary of State.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Joint Statement on Strengthening ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Stability and Prosperity in the Region in the context of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) with the support of India’s Act East Policy (AEP)

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 10 OCT 2024 5:41PM by PIB Delhi

    WE, the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Republic of India, gathered on the occasion of the 21st ASEAN-India Summit on 10 October 2024 in Vientiane, Lao PDR;

    REAFFIRMING our commitment to promote the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, guided by the fundamental principles, shared values and norms that have steered the ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations since its establishment in 1992, including those enunciated in the Vision Statement of ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit (2012), the Delhi Declaration of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit to mark the 25th Anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations (2018), the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific for Peace, Stability, and Prosperity in the Region (2021), the Joint Statement on ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2022), the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Maritime Cooperation (2023) and ASEAN-India Joint Leaders’ Statement on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises (2023);

    WELCOMING the Decade of Act East Policy of India, where ASEAN is at the heart and of utmost priority, which has contributed to advancing ASEAN-India relations through cooperation in areas of political-security, economic, cultural and people-to-people relations;

    ACKNOWLEDGING the deep civilisational linkages and cross-cultural exchanges, facilitated through both land and maritime routes between Southeast Asia and India, encompassing the various seas and oceans of the Indo-Pacific, providing a strong foundation for the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership;

    WELCOMING the activities and initiatives held in the year 2024 on the occasion of the decade of Act East Policy to further strengthen the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership;

    RECOGNISING India’s support for ASEAN Centrality and unity in the evolving regional architecture and its commitment to work closely through ASEAN-led mechanisms and fora including the ASEAN-India Summit, East Asia Summit (EAS), Post Ministerial Conference with India (PMC+1), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) and Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF) as well as support to ASEAN integration and the ASEAN Community building process including Master Plan for ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025, Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) and ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP);

    NOTING the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution A/RES/78/69 which emphasises, in the Preamble, the universal and unified character of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and reaffirms that the Convention sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out and is of strategic importance as the basis for national, regional and global action and cooperation in the marine sector, and that its integrity needs to be maintained;

    APPRECIATING efforts towards implementation of the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific for Peace, Stability, and Prosperity in the Region through trust and confidence based on shared democratic values, strong belief in sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a shared commitment to the rule of law and the principles of the UN Charter;

    REAFFIRMING our commitment to upholding multilateralism, the purposes and principles enshrined in the UN Charter and respect for international law, while recognising ASEAN’s rising global relevance and unique convening power amid the emerging multipolar global architecture and noting the growing and active role of India in major international economic and political affairs.

    Do hereby declare to

    1. Reaffirm the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, maritime safety and security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the region, and other lawful uses of the seas, including unimpeded lawful maritime commerce and to promote peaceful resolutions of disputes, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, and the relevant standards and recommended practices by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). In this regard, we support the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety and look forward to the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS;

    2. Build on ongoing collaboration in defense and security within the framework of ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus, including the first ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME) in 2023 and co-chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Counter-Terrorism (2024-2027), as well as noting the two initiatives announced at the ASEAN-India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in 2022;

    3. Strengthen cooperation in maritime security, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, military medicine, transnational crime, defence industry, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping and demining operations and confidence building measures. This will be achieved through the exchange of visits, joint military exercise, maritime exercise, port calls by naval ships and defence scholarships;

    4. Advance the implementation of ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Maritime Cooperation and continue to cooperate on areas such as maritime security, blue economy, sustainable fisheries, marine environmental protection, marine biodiversity, and climate change issues, among others;

    5. Promote and work towards the strengthening of multilateralism through the UN and the multilateral processes to address global concerns, pursue shared goals and complementary initiatives, and promote sustainable development for the benefit of our peoples;

    6. Build on the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the AOIP for Peace, Stability, and Prosperity in the Region by advancing cooperation between the AOIP and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI);

    7. Expedite the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) to make it more effective, user-friendly, simple, and trade-facilitative for businesses and relevant to the current global trading practices and promote mutually beneficial arrangements and strengthen economic cooperation between ASEAN and India;

    8. Promote diverse, secure, transparent and resilient supply chains while exchanging information on identifying and proactively addressing potential risks in supply chains in areas of mutual interest to promote sustainable development;

    9. Cooperate on emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain technology, Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics, Quantum Computing, 6-G technology, building and strengthening of startups ecosystem with special emphasis on digital connectivity and financial technology;

    10. Welcome the launch of the ASEAN-India Fund for Digital Future to support joint activities;

    11. Cooperate to unlock the full potential of safe, secure, responsible, trustworthy AI by promoting international cooperation and further discussions on international governance for AI, considering that the rapid progress of AI has the potential for prosperity and expansion of the global digital economy. We should endeavor to leverage AI for public good by solving challenges in a responsible, inclusive and human-centric manner while protecting people’s rights and safety;

    12. Note the proposal to celebrate the year 2025 as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism to further strengthen people-to-people ties while recognising the crucial role of tourism in promoting sustainable socioeconomic development and economic prosperity, and as one of the vehicles for achieving the SDGs. In this endeavour, we support the implementation of the ASEAN-India Tourism Cooperation Work Plan 2023-2027, and to explore deeper cooperation to support joint programs for tourism education, training and research to build capacity and ensure a high-quality tourism industry. We also encourage the expansion of business networks among travel stakeholders, the practice of sustainable and responsible tourism, as well as the exchange of tourism trends and information. In addition, we support the enhancement of crisis communications, promotion of tourism investment opportunities, as well as development and joint promotion of niche markets, cruise tourism and tourism standards;

    13. Strengthen health systems by enhancing collaboration on public health including, inter alia, in the areas of research and development (R&D), public health emergency preparedness, training of healthcare professionals, medical technology, pharmaceuticals, vaccine security and self-reliance, vaccine development and production, as well as general and traditional medicine;

    14. Enhance cooperation in the field of environment, including biodiversity and climate change as well as explore cooperation in the field of energy security, including cooperation on clean, renewable, and low-carbon energy in line with the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation 2021-2025 and India’s renewable energy priorities, as well as other national models and priorities such as bio-circular-green development;

    15. Promote disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure systems through knowledge sharing and best practices, capacity building and technical assistance, which can be pursued such as through the framework of Coalition of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) as well as the proposed Memorandum of Intent (MOI) between ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Center) and National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) of India;

    16. Enhance connectivity between ASEAN and India in line with the “Connecting the Connectivities” approach, by exploring synergies between the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 and its successor document, the ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan (ACSP) and India’s connectivity initiatives in the region under India’s Act East Policy and Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision to ensure seamless connectivity in the Indo-Pacific by collaborating for quality, sustainable and resilient infrastructure and enhancing cooperation in transport in land, air, and maritime domains including through the early completion and operationalisation of the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway while looking forward to its eastward extension to Lao PDR, Cambodia and Viet Nam;

    17. Stressing the importance of strengthening multilateralism and comprehensive reform of the multilateral global governance architecture, including the United Nations and international financial architecture, international financial institutions, and multilateral development banks, to make them fit for purpose, democratic, equitable, representative and responsive to the current global realities and the needs and aspirations of the Global South;

    18. Call for an inclusive and balanced international agenda, that responds to the concerns and priorities of the Global South, recognising that the principle of ‘Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities’ (CBDR-RC) within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) applies to all relevant global challenges;

    19. Explore potential synergies with sub-regional frameworks, such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), Singapore-Johor-Riau (SIJORI) Growth Triangle, Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), and Mekong sub-regional cooperation frameworks, including Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) and Ayeyawady Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), and to support ASEAN and India’s efforts in promoting equitable development by aligning sub-regional growth with the comprehensive, mutual growth and development of ASEAN and India;

    20. Continue to work together on regional and global issues of common concern while endeavouring to strengthen our partnership through the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

    ***

    MJPS/SR/SKS

    (Release ID: 2063888) Visitor Counter : 67

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eighteen Individuals and Entities Charged in International Operation Targeting Widespread Fraud and Manipulation in the Cryptocurrency Markets

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    First-ever criminal charges against financial services firms for market manipulation and “wash trading” in the cryptocurrency industry

    BOSTON – Eighteen individuals and entities have been charged for widespread fraud and manipulation in the cryptocurrency markets. Charges were unsealed in Boston against the leaders of four cryptocurrency companies, four cryptocurrency financial services firms (known as “market makers”) and employees at those firms.

    Four defendants have pleaded guilty, another defendant has agreed to plead guilty, and authorities apprehended three other defendants in Texas, the United Kingdom and Portugal this week. More than $25 million in cryptocurrency has been seized and multiple trading bots responsible for millions of dollars’ worth of wash trades for approximately 60 different cryptocurrencies have been deactivated.

    According to the charging documents, the defendants who created cryptocurrency companies made false statements about their cryptocurrencies (“tokens”) and executed sham trades in those tokens (“wash trades”) to create the appearance of trading activity that would make the tokens look like good investments. These deceptive tactics allegedly attracted new investors and purchasers, which resulted in an increase in the tokens’ trading prices. The defendants are then alleged to have sold their tokens at the artificially inflated prices, a fraud commonly known as a “pump and dump.” The largest of these cryptocurrency companies, Saitama, at one point had a multi-billion-dollar market value.

    The cryptocurrency companies also allegedly hired financial services firms ( “market makers”) to wash trade their tokens in exchange for payment. As one market maker defendant, who has agreed to plead guilty, described the practice to a prospective client: the “objective on the secondary markets” is to find “other buyers from the community, people you don’t know about or don’t care about” because “we have to make [the other buyers] lose money in order to make profit.”

    Three market makers—ZM Quant, CLS Global and MyTrade—along with their employees are charged with allegedly wash trading and/or conspiring to wash trade on behalf of NexFundAI, a cryptocurrency company and token created at the direction of law enforcement as part of the government’s investigation. A fourth market maker, Gotbit, its CEO, and two of its directors are also charged for perpetrating a similar scheme.

    Specifics regarding the defendants and conduct are detailed in Attachment A below.

    “This investigation, the first of its kind, identified numerous fraudsters in the cryptocurrency industry. Wash trading has long been outlawed in the financial markets, and cryptocurrency is no exception. These are cases where an innovative technology – cryptocurrency – met a century old scheme – the pump and dump. The message today is, if you make false statements to trick investors, that’s fraud. Period. Our Office will aggressively pursue fraud, including in the cryptocurrency industry,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy. “These charges are also a stark reminder of how vigilant online investors must be and that doing your homework before diving into the digital frontier is critical. People considering making investments in the cryptocurrency industry should understand how these scams work so that they can protect themselves.”

    “What the FBI uncovered in this case is essentially a new twist to old-school financial crime. ‘Operation Token Mirrors’ targeted nefarious token developers, promoters, and market makers in the crypto space. What we uncovered has resulted in charges against the leadership of four cryptocurrency companies, and four crypto ‘market makers’ and their employees who are accused of spearheading a sophisticated trading scheme that allegedly bilked honest investors out of millions of dollars,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The FBI took the unprecedented step of creating its very own cryptocurrency token and company to identify, disrupt, and bring these alleged fraudsters to justice.”

    If you bought or sold any of the tokens referenced below, please fill out this form.

    The Securities & Exchange Commission has filed civil complaints alleging violations of the securities laws in relation to the conduct at Gotbit, CLS, ZM Quant, Saitama and Robo Inu. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Legal Attachés (Madrid and London), Portugal’s Policia Judiciaria European Network of Fugitive Active Search Team (ENFAST), the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency’s National Extradition Unit, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office and the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team.

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the cases.  

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.  

    ###
     

    ATTACHMENT A

    The following individuals and entities have been charged in U.S. District Court in Boston, Mass.:

    Aleksei Andriunin, Fedor Kedrov, Qawi Jalili, Gotbit Consulting LLC (Gotbit) – According to court documents, Gotbit was a well-known “market maker” in the cryptocurrency industry. Aleksei Andriunin, 26, of Russia and Portugal, was Gotbit’s Chief Executive Officer and Founder. Andriunin was arrested on Oct. 8, 2024 in Portugal and awaits extradition. Fedor Kedrov, of Russia, was Gotbit’s Director of Market Making. Qawi Jalili, of Russia was Gotbit’s Director of Sales. Gotbit, Kedrov and Jalili are each charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud. Andriunin is also charged in a separate criminal complaint with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    It is alleged that between 2018 and 2024, Gotbit provided market manipulation and wash trading services to several cryptocurrency companies, including companies located in the United States. Gotbit allegedly made wash trades worth millions of dollars on behalf of clients and received tens of millions of dollars in proceeds for these illicit services. In a 2019 interview published online, Andriunin allegedly described how he developed a code to wash trade and artificially inflate cryptocurrency trading volume. Andriunin allegedly kept track of Gotbit’s market manipulation, including with spreadsheets that compared “Created Volume” from wash trades with naturally occurring “Market Volume.” Gotbit’s employees, including Jalili and Kedrov, allegedly described these wash trading tactics to prospective clients and how to avoid detection. Jalili and Kedrov also allegedly provided these services to multiple cryptocurrencies, including the Saitama and Robo Inu cryptocurrencies.

    Riqui Liu, Baijun Ou, ZM Quant Investment LTD (ZM Quant) – ZM Quant was a “market maker” in the cryptocurrency industry that allegedly advertised illicit market manipulation services to clients. Riqui Liu, 26, of the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, was an employee of ZM Quant. Baijun Ou, 32, of Hong Kong, was also an employee of ZM Quant. ZM Quant, Liu and Ou are each charged in a superseding indictment with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud.

    According to court documents, ZM Quant allegedly advertised a “trading bot” that could “create volume.” ZM Quant employees allegedly discussed these illicit services with clients through Telegram messages and during video teleconferences. For example, as alleged in the charging documents, during a video teleconference in March 2024, Liu and Ou described how ZM Quant would trade “maybe ten times per minute or twenty times a minute” to “increase the trading volume” and “pump the price.” Liu and Ou also described how ZM Quant allegedly used multiple trading wallets to avoid having the trading look “fake.” It is further alleged that ZM Quant provided market manipulation services for multiple cryptocurrency companies, including Saitama and NexFundAI.

    Andrey Zhorzhes, CLS Global FZC, LLC (CLS) – CLS was a “market maker” in the cryptocurrency industry that allegedly advertised illicit market manipulation services to its clients. Andrey Zhorzhes, of the United Arab Emirates, was an employee of CLS. Both CLS and Zhorzhes are charged in an indictment with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud.

    It is alleged that Zhorzhes described to a prospective client how CLS’s algorithm generated trading volume on multiple cryptocurrency exchanges, as follows: 

    • “We have an algorithm that . . . basically does self-trades, buying and selling.”
    • “The idea of volume generation is . . . so the token looks organic and looks live and people get interested in trading it.”
    • “It’s very hard to track. . ..We’ve been doing that for many clients.”
    • “I know that it’s wash trading and I know people might not be happy about it.”

    Zhorzhes and other CLS traders allegedly provided these market manipulation services for NexFundAI.

    Liu Zhou, MyTrade MM – MyTrade MM was another “market maker” in the cryptocurrency industry that advertised illicit market manipulation services to its clients, including “pump and dump” consulting services and “wash trades” facilitated by “bots.” Liu Zhou, 39, of China and Canada, was the founder of MyTrade MM. Zhou is charged and has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud.

    MyTrade MM’s clients had access to a dashboard on MyTrade MM’s website through which clients specified the desired amount of daily wash trades on identified cryptocurrency exchanges. MyTrade MM’s dashboard described the service as “Volume Support” and allowed for millions in wash trades per day for each client cryptocurrency, for example:

    In conversations with purported promoters of NexFundAI, Zhou allegedly described MyTrade MM as superior to “CLS” and “Gotbit” because those market makers “keep clients in the dark” and “control the pump and dump,” which means “they can do inside trading easily.” Zhou allegedly also described the various purposes for wash trading, including showing “continuous trading activity every hour”; generating large enough trading volumes for cryptocurrency exchanges to waive listing fees; and executing “pump and dumps.” According to court documents, Zhou further described that the “objective on the secondary markets” was to find “other buyers from the community, people you don’t know about or don’t care about” because “we have to make [the other buyers] lose money in order to make profit.”

    Manpreet Kohli, Haroon Mohsini, Nam Tran, Max Hernandez, Russell Armand, Vy Pham, Saitama LLC (Saitama) – Saitama was a cryptocurrency company, originally incorporated in Massachusetts in August 2021.

    Manpreet Kohli, 43, of the United Kingdom, was the CEO of Saitama. Kohli was arrested in the United Kingdom on Oct. 7, 2024 and is awaiting extradition. Haroon Mohsini, 37, of Texas, also worked at Saitama. Mohsini was arrested on Oct. 7, 2024 in the Southern District of Texas. Nam Tran, 32, of Vietnam, worked at Saitama and is currently in Vietnam. Kohli, Mohsini and Tran are each charged in a superseding indictment with wire fraud, market manipulation, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, commit market manipulation and conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business. Max Hernandez, 36, of Massachusetts, and Russell Armand, 42, of Texas, also worked at Saitama and are charged separately and have both pleaded guilty to market manipulation and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Vy Pham, 32, of California, is also charged for conduct at a different cryptocurrency company but, as part of that guilty plea, admitted to certain conduct involving Saitama.

    Saitama allegedly purported to create a series of products that could be used with its token and, at its peak, boasted a market value of $7.5 billion. Saitama’s leadership allegedly made a variety of false public statements, including that Saitama’s business plan had been reviewed by regulators, that its leadership was not selling the Saitama tokens they owned and that the Saitama token was coded in a way that prevented market manipulation. According to charging documents, in reality Saitama’s leadership was actively manipulating the market for the Saitama token and secretly selling their Saitama tokens for tens of millions in profits.

    Saitama’s market manipulation campaign allegedly began in or about July 2021, when leadership coordinated a series of small purchases spread across multiple cryptocurrency wallets. These trades were coordinated on Telegram, where Armand allegedly explained that the goal was to “create an illusion of massive buys and new holders” to “incite ppl [people] to buy 
    more…W[e] want list of small buys to look like it’s mor[e] buyers. That’s the idea.” Saitama’s leadership allegedly confirmed their purchases to one another, discussed how they were successfully getting others to purchase the Saitama cryptocurrency and exchanged “pump it” memes and GIFs:

    Thereafter, the Saitama leadership allegedly paid several market makers to wash trade the Saitama cryptocurrency on cryptocurrency exchanges, including BitMart, LBank and XT.com. The market makers that Saitama paid allegedly included ZM Quant and Gotbit.

    Robo Inu Finance (Robo Inu) – Robo Inu was a cryptocurrency company and token that Vy Pham created after she left Saitama in 2021. Pham has been charged and agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit market manipulation, to commit wire fraud and to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Pham founded and promoted Robo Inu from the United States. Like Saitama, Robo Inu allegedly purported to create a series of products that could be used with its cryptocurrency. Beginning in or about 2022, Robo Inu allegedly paid Gotbit to artificially inflate the trading volume of the Robo Inu token through wash trades on cryptocurrency exchanges such as Bitmart.

    Michael Thompson, VZZN – VZZN was a cryptocurrency company and token that Armand created after he left Saitama in 2023. Michael Thompson, 50, of Virginia, also worked at VZZN. As with Armand, Thompson is charged and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit market manipulation. VZZN allegedly purported to be a video streaming service that could be used with the VZZN token. While promoting that service, Armand and Thompson allegedly also made misleading public statements about VZZN and artificially inflated the trading volume of the VZZN token through wash trades.

    Bradley Beatty, Lillian Finance LLC (Lillian Finance) – Lillian Finance was a cryptocurrency company and token founded by Bradley Beatty, 48, of Florida. Beatty is charged in an indictment with wire fraud. Lillian Finance allegedly purported to use blockchain technology in the healthcare industry and to use a portion of proceeds generated from token sales for charitable purposes. Beatty allegedly made a series of false statements about Lillian Finance to attract investors, for example, that he was a defense contractor and that he had addressed Congress on the topic of cryptocurrency. Thereafter, it is alleged that Beatty generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds from retail sales of the Lillian Finance token and misappropriated a portion of Lillian Finance’s profits that were supposed to be used for charity.

    The charge of market manipulation provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $5 million or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense and forfeiture. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, restitution and forfeiture. The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, market manipulation and/or to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 to twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, restitution and forfeiture. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $500,000, or twice the value of the criminally derived property, whichever is greater, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Rising Dragon Acquisition Corp. Announces Pricing of $50 Million Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHANXI, CHINA, Oct. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rising Dragon Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: RDAC) (the “Company”) announced today that it priced its initial public offering of 5,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit. The units are expected to be listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market (“NASDAQ”) and trade under the ticker symbol “RDACU” beginning October 11, 2024. Each unit consists of one ordinary share and one right. Each right entitles the holder thereof to receive one-tenth (1/10) of one ordinary share upon the consummation of an initial business combination. No fractional rights will be issued upon separation of the units. As a result, ten rights are needed to receive one ordinary share at the closing of the initial business combination. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the ordinary shares and rights are expected to be listed on NASDAQ under the symbols “RDAC” and “RDACR”, respectively.

    The underwriters have been granted a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 750,000 units offered by the Company to cover over-allotments, if any.

    The offering is expected to close on October 15, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions.

    Lucid Capital Markets acted as sole book running manager in the offering. Loeb & Loeb LLP is serving as legal counsel to the Company. Blank Rome LLP is serving as legal counsel to Lucid Capital Markets.

    A registration statement relating to these securities was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 10, 2024. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Lucid Capital Markets, 570 Lexington Avenue, 40th Floor, New York, NY 10022. Copies of the registration statement can be accessed through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About Rising Dragon Acquisition Corp.

    Rising Dragon Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company with limited liability for the purpose of entering into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. The Company’s efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

    Contact:

    Wenyi Shen
    woody.shen@hywincapital.cn
    Rising Dragon Acquisition Corp.
    No. 604, Yixing Road, Wanbolin District, Taiyuan City,
    Shanxi Province, People’s Republic of China

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stats NZ information release: International travel: August 2024

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    International travel: August 2024 – 11 October 2024 – International travel covers the number and characteristics of overseas visitors and New Zealand resident travellers (short-term movements) entering or leaving New Zealand.

    Key facts
    Monthly arrivals – overseas visitors

    Overseas visitor arrivals were 214,300 in August 2024, an increase of 7,500 from August 2023. The biggest changes were in arrivals from:

    • Australia (up 13,800)
    • China (up 3,200)
    • United States (down 6,500).

    The total number of overseas visitor arrivals in August 2024 was 85 percent of the 251,100 in August 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic).

    Visit our website to read this information release:

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Stats NZ information release: International travel: August 2024

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    International travel: August 2024 – 11 October 2024 – International travel covers the number and characteristics of overseas visitors and New Zealand resident travellers (short-term movements) entering or leaving New Zealand.

    Key facts
    Monthly arrivals – overseas visitors

    Overseas visitor arrivals were 214,300 in August 2024, an increase of 7,500 from August 2023. The biggest changes were in arrivals from:

    • Australia (up 13,800)
    • China (up 3,200)
    • United States (down 6,500).

    The total number of overseas visitor arrivals in August 2024 was 85 percent of the 251,100 in August 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic).

    Visit Statistics NZ’s website to read this information release:

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: Research on lunar samples collected by Chang’e-6 mission underway

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

    Research on lunar samples collected by Chang’e-6 mission underway

    Updated: October 11, 2024 08:28 Xinhua
    Li Chunlai, a researcher with the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission, observes a lunar sample retrieved by the Chang’e-6 mission at the lunar sample laboratory in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2024. Research on the lunar samples collected by the Chang’e-6 mission is still underway, according to Li Chunlai, a researcher with the National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, and deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission. A research paper published in September on the lunar samples brought back by the Chang’e-6 mission says that the Chang’e-6 samples exhibit “distinct characteristics” compared to previously obtained lunar samples. The Chang’e-6 probe was launched from China on May 3, 2024. On June 25, its returner made a landing in north China, bringing back 1,935.3 grams of samples from the far side of the moon. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows lunar samples retrieved by the Chang’e-6 mission at the lunar sample laboratory in the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows lunar samples retrieved by the Chang’e-6 mission at the lunar sample laboratory in the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Li Chunlai, a researcher with the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission, poses for a photo at the lunar sample laboratory in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Li Chunlai, a researcher with the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission, deals with lunar samples retrieved by the Chang’e-6 mission at the lunar sample laboratory in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Li Chunlai (R), a researcher with the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission, studies lunar samples retrieved by the Chang’e-6 mission at the lunar sample laboratory in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A researcher deals with a lunar sample retrieved by the Chang’e-6 mission at the lunar sample laboratory in the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A researcher shows a lunar sample retrieved by the Chang’e-6 mission at the lunar sample laboratory in the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows lunar samples retrieved by the Chang’e-6 mission at the lunar sample laboratory in the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows lunar samples retrieved by the Chang’e-6 mission at the lunar sample laboratory in the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A researcher shows a lunar sample retrieved by the Chang’e-6 mission at the lunar sample laboratory in the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Researchers deal with lunar samples retrieved by the Chang’e-6 mission at the lunar sample laboratory in the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Li Chunlai, a researcher with the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission, observes a lunar sample retrieved by the Chang’e-6 mission at the lunar sample laboratory in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China, ASEAN issue joint statement on conclusion of FTA upgrade negotiations

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

    BEIJING, Oct. 10 — Leaders from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Thursday announced the substantial conclusion of Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) upgrade negotiations and issued a joint statement, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce.

    The statement covers existing areas of the China-ASEAN FTA agreement as well as emerging areas that have great cooperation potential, including the digital economy, the green economy and supply chain interconnectivity, the ministry said.

    It said that the conclusion of the negotiations demonstrates the unswerving commitment of both sides to protecting a rules-based trading environment, deepening economic integration and pragmatic cooperation in a complex global environment, and accelerating post-pandemic economic recovery.

    Both China and ASEAN have confirmed that they will accelerate work involving legal reviews and domestic procedures to promote the signature of the 3.0 upgrade protocol in 2025, the ministry said.

    The construction of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area was completed in 2010, and Version 3.0 China-ASEAN FTA negotiations began in November 2022.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hurricane Milton plows across US Florida, leaving at least 10 dead

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Hurricane Milton hit the southeast U.S. state of Florida overnight with strong winds, destructive tornadoes and heavy rain, leaving at least 10 dead and millions of people without power as of Thursday afternoon.

    Police officers and National Guard members clear a downed tree after Hurricane Milton strikes on Davis Island, Tampa City, Florida, the United States, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Photo credit: City of Tampa)

    Milton made its landfall along the west-central coast of Florida on Wednesday night as a Category 3 storm and weakened to Category 1 as it plowed quickly across central Florida.

    St. Lucie County Administrator George Landry confirmed five fatalities as a result of tornadoes spawned by hurricane.

    “This has been a tragic 24 hours,” he said at a press conference.

    “Numerous homes and structures across St. Lucie County, including the City of Port St. Lucie and unincorporated areas, suffered significant damage,” said the county in an earlier news release.

    “As Hurricane Milton makes its way into the Atlantic, St. Lucie County Emergency Management officials strongly encourage residents to stay off the roads and stay inside until it has been deemed safe to do so,” said the release, adding that unnecessary traffic or bystanders will hinder response and recovery efforts.

    Three people were confirmed died in Volusia County, including one person killed after a tree fell, according to NBC News.

    In addition, two storm-related fatalities occurred in City of St. Petersburg, the news outlet reported.

    Over 135 residents from the Great American Assisted Living facility in Tampa, the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the county seat of Hillsborough County, were rescued by responders, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on Facebook.

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wrote on X Thursday morning that over 3 million households were without power.

    He noted that more than 50,000 linemen were in the state working to restore power as efficiently and safely as possible while law enforcement officials and first responders were engaged in rescue missions throughout impacted areas.

    The Florida National Guard has activated over 6,500 service members for Hurricane Milton response operations, according to an update released by the governor’s office.

    U.S. President Joe Biden also wrote on X urging people impacted by Hurricane Milton to “stay inside and off the roads.”

    “Downed power lines, debris, and road washouts are creating dangerous conditions,” he said, adding that “Help is on the way.”

    The U.S. National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center warned that there is a danger of life-threatening storm surge along the coast from east-central Florida northward to southern Georgia, where a storm surge warning remains in effect.

    Heavy rainfall across the central to northern Florida Peninsula through Thursday morning continues to bring the risk of considerable flash and urban flooding along with moderate to major river flooding, especially in areas where coastal and inland flooding combine to increase the overall flood threat. Damaging hurricane-force winds, especially in gusts, will continue for a few more hours in east-central and northeastern Florida, according to the agency.

    Milton is the fifth hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast so far in 2024, with three of them striking Florida. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Celebrations held across China to mark Seniors’ Day

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

    Celebrations held across China to mark Seniors’ Day

    Updated: October 11, 2024 08:15 Xinhua
    A dance team of senior citizens rehearse at a park in Shijiazhuang, north China’s Hebei Province, Oct. 10, 2024. A series of celebration activities were held across the country to mark the country’s Seniors’ Day, which falls on Oct. 11 this year. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Volunteers perform a folk dance for local seniors in Zunhua, north China’s Hebei Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Children tap the legs for local seniors at an elderly care center in Deqing County of Huzhou City, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A volunteer gives free haircut to an elderly woman in Qintaigeng Village of Binzhou City, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Volunteers make dumplings with local residents in Qingtuo Town of Linyi City, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An elderly woman (L) tries on new clothes in Daguozhuang Village of Zaozhuang City, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Pupils talk with local seniors at a primary school in the Binhai New Area of north China’s Tianjin, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A photographer takes a picture for an elderly couple celebrating their golden wedding anniversary in Rongcheng, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A folk artist performs donkey dance for local seniors in Liaocheng, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A police officer shares information on how to prevent telecom and internet fraud with local elderly residents at a park in Xinghua City, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A volunteer gives free haircut to an elderly man in Yangzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Pacific Trade Invest NZ releases New Zealand Market Insights for Pacific exporters

    Source: Pacific Trade Invest NZ

    Pacific Trade Invest NZ has released four new market insights to support primary produce exporters in the Blue Pacific. These succinct, fact-packed documents provide essential information on New Zealand’s import requirements, helping businesses navigate the export process more effectively.

    The latest Market Insights cover Coconut, Mango, Pineapple, and Tahitian Lime. They are available as A4, two-sided quick fact sheets, or in comprehensive reports spanning 20 pages. These resources offer a detailed look into each product’s market entry requirements and serve as valuable tools for Pacific exporters.

    The reports are available by logging into the Blue Pacific Portal on the PTI NZ website, where a free account can be set up for full access to these and other critical trade resources: https://pacifictradeinvest.com/en/blue-pacific-portal/

     

    For direct links to each insight, visit:

     

    ABOUT PACIFIC TRADE INVEST NZ

    • Is part of the Pacific Trade Invest Global Network of offices operating in Sydney, Australia; Beijing, People’s Republic of China; Geneva, Switzerland and Auckland, New Zealand.
    • An agency of Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).
    • Supports the 16 Forum Island countries and Territories: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: No one can stop China’s reunification: mainland slams Lai’s separatist remarks

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Thursday said that no individual or force can stop China’s reunification, slamming Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te’s latest separatist remarks.
    Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to a speech Lai delivered in Taipei on Oct. 10.
    Lai’s speech continued to propagate the new “two states” theory and fabricate “Taiwan independence” fallacies, Chen said, adding that it has deliberately heightened cross-Strait tensions and gravely undermined peace and stability in the Strait.
    Noting that the future of Taiwan lies in national reunification, Chen said that nothing Lai has said can change Taiwan’s legal status as a part of China or the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China.
    Lai’s remarks have demonstrated his unwavering “Taiwan independence” stance, along with his confrontational mindset and continuous provocations, Chen said.
    Since 1949, due to the continuation of China’s civil war and foreign interference, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been locked in a prolonged state of political confrontation, he noted.
    However, Taiwan has always remained an inalienable part of China’s territory, and Taiwan’s people have always been members of the Chinese nation, Chen stressed.
    The government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, including Taiwan, he added.
    He noted that the current fight against separatist forces advocating for “Taiwan independence” is not a fight over political systems but a fight over the reunification or splitting of the motherland.
    Lai is attempting to hijack Taiwan for his “Taiwan independence” aims, and his related provocations are the root cause of instability in the Taiwan Strait, which will bring disaster to Taiwan people, Chen said.
    He emphasized the mainland’s firm opposition to any separatist activities or external interference, calling for the promotion of cross-Strait exchange and cooperation, further integration, and the unwavering pursuit of national reunification. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 136th Canton Fair to gather over 30,000 enterprises offline

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

    BEIJING, Oct. 10 — Over 30,000 enterprises from home and abroad will be in physical attendance at the 136th session of the China Import and Export Fair, popularly known as the Canton Fair, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

    The fair will be held in Guangzhou in three phases between Oct. 15 and Nov. 4, and is set to include 55 exhibition areas covering 1.55 million square meters.

    Approximately 390,000 digital and smart products will be showcased at this session, skyrocketing 300 percent from the 135th Canton Fair, and the number of green and low carbon products will be up 130 percent from the previous session, according to ministry official Xiao Lu.

    As of Wednesday, about 125,000 overseas buyers from 203 countries and regions have expressed their willingness to attend the 136th fair.

    A record high of over 750 trade promotion activities will be held this session, alongside approximately 400 activities to launch new products, with that number up by over 30 percent from the previous fair.

    The functions of the online platform for the 136th Canton Fair have been optimized further, the ministry said, noting that 48,000 enterprises have uploaded 3.75 million products to the platform, with both of those figures reaching historic highs.

    Launched in 1957 and held twice yearly, the Canton Fair is considered a major gauge of China’s foreign trade.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Binzhou City in Shandong boosts development of low-altitude economy

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

    Binzhou City in Shandong boosts development of low-altitude economy

    Updated: October 11, 2024 09:35 Xinhua
    A staff member works at the low-altitude flight service center in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. Binzhou City of Shandong Province has developed the low-altitude economy. The city leverages the layout of several industrial parks, along with the talent cultivation and R&D advantages of Shandong University of Aeronautics. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Li Jie (C), teacher of Shandong University of Aeronautics, guides students to take part in simulated flight training at a laboratory in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A student takes part in simulated flight training at Shandong University of Aeronautics in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Li Jie (R), teacher of Shandong University of Aeronautics, introduces the principles of drones to students at a laboratory in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Flight trainees check the condition of aircraft after training at Dagao General Airport in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A flight trainee checks the condition of aircraft before training at Dagao General Airport in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Flight trainees check the condition of aircraft before training at Dagao General Airport in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Flight trainees check the condition of aircraft before training at Dagao General Airport in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Flight trainees check the condition of aircraft before training at Dagao General Airport in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Meng Deyin (C), teacher of Shandong University of Aeronautics, conducts hands-on training for students on aircraft structures at Shandong University of Aeronautics in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Staff members take the aircraft out of the hangar at Dagao General Airport in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Meng Deyin (C), teacher of Shandong University of Aeronautics, conducts hands-on training for students on aircraft structures at Shandong University of Aeronautics in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A staff member assembles an aircraft at a hangar of a high-tech industrial park in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Diamond DA40 aircraft are seen at a hangar of a high-tech industrial park in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Diamond DA40 aircraft are seen at a hangar of a high-tech industrial park in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A flight trainee checks the condition of aircraft before training at Dagao General Airport in Binzhou, east China’s Shandong Province, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s Shanghai welcomes first imports of South African avocados

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

    SHANGHAI, Oct. 10 — China’s first imports of avocados grown in South Africa have arrived in east China’s Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai Customs said on Thursday.

    A total of 22 tonnes of avocados passed entry quarantine on Tuesday, customs officials said, noting that the produce benefited from streamlined customs clearance procedures for agricultural imports from Africa.

    Some of the avocados will be exhibited at the upcoming seventh China International Import Expo, which is scheduled to be held from Nov. 5 to 10.

    In August, South Africa followed Kenya and Tanzania to become the third African country to secure market access to China for its fresh avocados.

    In the first eight months of 2024, China imported African agricultural products valued at a total of 28.47 billion yuan (about 4.02 billion U.S. dollars), up 4.8 percent year on year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

    Shanghai alone accounted for 6.12 billion yuan of those imports, reflecting year-on-year growth of 15.5 percent.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China launches third high-orbit internet services satellite

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A Long March-3B carrier rocket carrying a new high-orbit internet services satellite blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    China on Thursday sent a new high-orbit internet services satellite into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the country’s southwestern Sichuan Province.
    The satellite was launched at 9:50 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-3B carrier rocket and then entered its preset orbit. It is the third member of an internet delivery high-orbit satellite group.
    The launch was the 538th mission of the Long March carrier rocket series, the launch center said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese FM holds talks with Colombian counterpart in Beijing

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Gilberto Murillo in Beijing, China, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Gilberto Murillo in Beijing on Thursday.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that the two sides announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between China and Colombia last October, leading bilateral relations into a new stage of development. China is willing to strengthen strategic alignment with Colombia and welcomes the country to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) at an early date, he said.

    Murillo said that Colombia is committed to fully implementing the important strategic consensus reached by the two heads of state, and to deepening cooperation in various fields. Colombia attaches great importance to and is willing to participate actively in the joint construction of the BRI, he added.

    Wang stressed that Taiwan is an integral part of China’s territory, and that the Taiwan question is a legacy of the Chinese civil war that will eventually be resolved in full with the complete reunification of the country. China appreciates Colombia’s long-standing adherence to the one-China principle and is willing to continue the mutual support between the two countries in safeguarding their core interests, he said.

    Murillo emphasized that Taiwan is a component of China’s territory, and that Colombia will continue to adhere firmly to the one-China principle and support China’s just position on the issue.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Yongnian fastener procurement conference kicks off in Handan, N China

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

    Yongnian fastener procurement conference kicks off in Handan, N China

    Updated: October 11, 2024 09:24 Xinhua
    A purchaser (2nd R) learns about the fastener products at the Yongnian fastener procurement conference in Yongnian District of Handan City, north China’s Hebei Province, Oct. 10, 2024. The 3-day conference kicked off here on Thursday and has attracted purchasers from more than twenty countries. Yongnian is a major fastener production and distribution hub in China. In 2023, the output value of fastener companies there amounted to 42 billion yuan (about 5.94 billion U.S. dollars), and the goods made here have found markets in over 110 countries and regions. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A purchaser (C) learns about the fastener products at the Yongnian fastener procurement conference in Yongnian District of Handan City, north China’s Hebei Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Purchasers learn about the fastener products at the Yongnian fastener procurement conference in Yongnian District of Handan City, north China’s Hebei Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Purchasers choose the fastener products at the Yongnian fastener procurement conference in Yongnian District of Handan City, north China’s Hebei Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A purchaser (L, front) learns about the fastener products at the Yongnian fastener procurement conference in Yongnian District of Handan City, north China’s Hebei Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A purchaser picks up a fastener product at the Yongnian fastener procurement conference in Yongnian District of Handan City, north China’s Hebei Province, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s services trade reports rapid growth

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    A robot poses during the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China’s services trade saw rapid growth in the first eight months of the year, including a steep increase in the trade of travel-related services, official data showed on Thursday.

    The country’s services trade totaled nearly 4.89 trillion yuan (691.24 billion U.S. dollars) between January and August, up 14.3 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

    Services exports exceeded 2 trillion yuan, up 13.3 percent, and services imports jumped 15.1 percent to over 2.88 trillion yuan, resulting in a deficit of 874.88 billion yuan.

    Trade in travel-related services skyrocketed 45 percent to surpass 1.33 trillion yuan, and trade in knowledge-intensive services rose 4.4 percent to nearly 1.9 trillion yuan.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China Booth debuts at 2024 IMEX America

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    China presented a fresh image in the global MICE tourism market, business insiders told Xinhua Thursday when IMEX America 2024 concluded in Las Vegas.

    MICE, meaning Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions, is a type of business travel that involves large groups of people gathering for meetings, conferences, incentives, and exhibitions.

    According to a report released by the Fortune Business Insights in September, the global MICE market was valued at 904.30 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 and is projected to grow from 970.76 billion dollars in 2024 to 1,932.73 billion dollars by 2032.

    It’s the reason why China prompted its MICE tourism resource in the most important annual exhibition of the industry by debuting a booth for the first time, Wu Dawei, the China National Tourist Office Los Angeles Director, explained to Xinhua.

    China aims at showing the country’s new look in the global MICE travel market and providing global buyers with a rich variety of MICE travel options, he noted.

    “During the exhibition, the Chinese delegation held several rounds of meetings with hundreds of international buyers to discuss in-depth cooperation in conference planning, product design and event organization in the future, which is expected to inject new vitality into China’s MICE market,” he said.

    Debra Brown from SmartBird World Travel in Atlanta, visited the China Booth on the first day of the exhibition. She planned to discuss with the China National Tourist Office Los Angeles about a conference she is organizing in Nanjing next year.

    The China Booth was joined by the cultural and tourism departments of Beijing, Shanghai, Shaanxi, and Chongqing, along with several MICE service providers from China, and Air China that provides flexible and efficient transportation solutions for international MICE groups by leveraging its extensive route network and convenient transfer services.

    They held multiple rounds of meetings with buyers from across the globe, showcasing China’s rich historical and cultural resources, its modern conference facilities and international business environment while exploring new opportunities for collaboration.

    “These discussions are expected to inject new vitality into China’s MICE tourism market,” Wu said.

    Lu Jiangtao, representative from the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, said that the largest city of China is positioning itself as the primary entry point for inbound tourism to the country.

    “Participating in the exhibition allows Shanghai to gain a deeper understanding of the latest trends and market demands in the global MICE industry,” he said.

    Guan Ting from Beijing BTG Tourism Development Co. told Xinhua that he had engaged with several professional counterparts worldwide at the three-day show to explore new markets and opportunities.

    “It will positively impact our group’s future development in the international market,” he said. BTG is a subsidiary of Beijing Capital Tourism Group.

    IMEX America is the largest trade show for the global meetings, events and incentive travel industry. This year’s show, kicked off Tuesday, attracted thousands of buyers and participants.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hurricane Milton plows across US Florida

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Hurricane Milton hit the southeast U.S. state of Florida overnight with strong winds, destructive tornadoes and heavy rain, leaving at least 10 dead and millions of people without power as of Thursday afternoon.

    Police officers and National Guard members clear a downed tree after Hurricane Milton strikes on Davis Island, Tampa City, Florida, the United States, on Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/City of Tampa]

    Milton made its landfall along the west-central coast of Florida on Wednesday night as a Category 3 storm and weakened to Category 1 as it plowed quickly across central Florida.

    St. Lucie County Administrator George Landry confirmed five fatalities as a result of tornadoes spawned by hurricane.

    “This has been a tragic 24 hours,” he said at a press conference.

    “Numerous homes and structures across St. Lucie County, including the City of Port St. Lucie and unincorporated areas, suffered significant damage,” said the county in an earlier news release.

    “As Hurricane Milton makes its way into the Atlantic, St. Lucie County Emergency Management officials strongly encourage residents to stay off the roads and stay inside until it has been deemed safe to do so,” said the release, adding that unnecessary traffic or bystanders will hinder response and recovery efforts.

    Three people were confirmed died in Volusia County, including one person killed after a tree fell, according to NBC News.

    In addition, two storm-related fatalities occurred in City of St. Petersburg, the news outlet reported.

    Over 135 residents from the Great American Assisted Living facility in Tampa, the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the county seat of Hillsborough County, were rescued by responders, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on Facebook.

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wrote on X Thursday morning that over 3 million households were without power.

    He noted that more than 50,000 linemen were in the state working to restore power as efficiently and safely as possible while law enforcement officials and first responders were engaged in rescue missions throughout impacted areas.

    The Florida National Guard has activated over 6,500 service members for Hurricane Milton response operations, according to an update released by the governor’s office.

    U.S. President Joe Biden also wrote on X urging people impacted by Hurricane Milton to “stay inside and off the roads.”

    “Downed power lines, debris, and road washouts are creating dangerous conditions,” he said, adding that “Help is on the way.”

    The U.S. National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center warned that there is a danger of life-threatening storm surge along the coast from east-central Florida northward to southern Georgia, where a storm surge warning remains in effect.

    Heavy rainfall across the central to northern Florida Peninsula through Thursday morning continues to bring the risk of considerable flash and urban flooding along with moderate to major river flooding, especially in areas where coastal and inland flooding combine to increase the overall flood threat. Damaging hurricane-force winds, especially in gusts, will continue for a few more hours in east-central and northeastern Florida, according to the agency.

    Milton is the fifth hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast so far in 2024, with three of them striking Florida. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China-led resolution on women’s rights wins broad support at UNHRC

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

    Chen Xu, China’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, speaks during the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, Oct. 9, 2024. A resolution marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted by consensus on Wednesday during the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. [Photo/Xinhua]

    GENEVA, Oct. 10 — A resolution marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted by consensus on Wednesday during the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

    Chen Xu, China’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, introduced the draft resolution. It was co-submitted by China, Denmark, France, Kenya, and Mexico, and received widespread support, with 112 countries backing the initiative as co-sponsors.

    Chen noted that the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, marking a historic milestone in the development of women’s rights globally.

    While acknowledging the significant progress in women’s social status over the past three decades, Chen emphasized that challenges remain in fully realizing the goals of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The resolution aims to revitalize the declaration’s spirit, reflecting the shared ambition to accelerate gender equality and strengthen international cooperation in tackling these persistent challenges.

    During the adoption of the resolution, representatives from countries including France, Finland, Gambia, Sudan, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Argentina, and Japan affirmed that the declaration’s spirit continues to guide global efforts to promote and protect women’s rights.

    China has also proposed convening a Global Leaders’ Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in 2025, marking the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women.

    The 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council is held in Geneva, Switzerland, Oct. 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Dozens killed as Israel continues offensives in Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Two kids stand on the rubble of destroyed buildings in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Oct. 6, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Israel continued to pursue offensives in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip on Thursday, pressing forward with its military objectives on the two fronts.

    On Thursday evening, Israel launched heavy airstrikes on central Beirut, targeting Wafiq Safa, head of Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit. The strike has resulted in at least 22 deaths and 117 injuries, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

    A huge fire erupted, and heavy smoke billowed from a building in al-Noueiri, a densely populated area of central Beirut, following the airstrike. Ambulances were dispatched to the scene, and crowds gathered near the targeted site, TV footage of Lebanese broadcaster Al Jadeed showed.

    In addition, Lebanese sources reported that during the afternoon and evening hours, Israeli warplanes launched 16 raids in southern Lebanon and nine more in eastern Lebanon, leaving 21 dead and 41 injured.

    Among the attacked individuals were six Lebanese soldiers who were wounded in an Israeli drone attack on a military checkpoint at the Hosh al-Sayyed Ali crossing in eastern Lebanon near the border with Syria.

    Also on Thursday, Hezbollah members hit an Israeli tank with guided missiles in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese armed group said, adding that the attack occurred as an Israeli infantry force backed by five tanks was advancing toward the Ras al-Naqoura axis.

    Meanwhile, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement that two UN peacekeepers were injured after an Israeli tank fired on a watchtower in UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura in southern Lebanon.

    Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said at a news conference that the tank fire “was not a mistake and not an accident,” adding that the attack “could constitute a war crime and represented a very serious violation of international military law.”

    In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces accused Hezbollah of operating “from within and near civilian areas in southern Lebanon, including areas near UNIFIL posts.”

    On their southern front, Israeli forces launched Thursday a deadly airstrike on Rafida School near the headquarters of the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Deir al-Balah, a city in central Gaza, killing at least 28 Palestinians and injuring more than 54 others.

    The Israeli military said in a statement that it carried out a “precise strike” targeting militants inside “a command and control center” within the school compound.

    The strike took place as fighting between Hamas and Israeli soldiers continued in Gaza. The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, claimed Thursday that its fighters ambushed an Israeli army mechanized infantry company east of the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza, inflicting casualties among Israeli soldiers.

    According to the brigades, the company comprised 12 vehicles and trucks loaded with soldiers. “We detonated explosive devices in the Israeli vehicles before our fighters finished off the soldiers from zero distance,” it said.

    In a statement, Israel’s military confirmed three Israeli reserve troops were killed when an explosive device detonated, saying they “fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip.” Enditem

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: S. Korean author Han Kang wins Nobel Prize in Literature

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy Mats Malm announces the laureate of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature in Stockholm, Sweden, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    South Korean author Han Kang has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy announced on Thursday.

    The announcement made Han the first South Korean writer to win this prestigious honor. The academy praised her “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.”

    Anders Olsson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Literature, commended Han’s “physical empathy for the vulnerable, often female lives” of her characters.

    “She has a unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead, and in a poetic and experimental style, has become an innovator in contemporary prose,” Olsson said.

    Her novel The Vegetarian, which won the 2016 International Booker Prize, remains her most internationally recognized work. She has also written several other acclaimed works such as Human Acts, The White Book, and Greek Lessons.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US, Israeli defense chiefs expected to take a phone call

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A call between U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant will take place “in the near future,” a spokesperson for the Pentagon said Thursday, as Israel appeared to be finalizing its plan to retaliate against Iran for its Oct. 1 missile attack.

    “I’m sure there will be one again in the near future,” Pentagon press secretary Patrick Ryder said when previewing a call between Austin and Gallant for reporters during a press briefing, adding that a readout of the call will be provided after it concludes.

    Expectation for a one-on-one discussion between the two defense chiefs came as Israel’s Security Cabinet met late Thursday evening local time to discuss how the country would respond to the ballistic missile attack launched by Iran on Oct. 1, according to a report by Bloomberg News citing Israeli broadcaster Kan.

    A final decision on what could be an imminent retaliatory strike against Iran will be made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Gallant, the report said.

    Ryder said the United States will continue to “seek conditions to enable a cease-fire in Gaza and a reduction of tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.” Israel has been carrying out a ground operation in Lebanon against Hezbollah, which it accuses of acting as Iran’s proxy against Israel.

    Washington’s broader goal remains to be preventing the current tensions from escalating into “a wider regional conflict” and finding “a diplomatic resolution of the tensions,” Ryder said.

    Gallant, who Ryder said maintains “a close working relationship” with Austin, canceled a planned trip to Washington this week at the direction of Netanyahu, who wanted the trip to be made after his call with U.S. President Joe Biden, which took place Wednesday.

    The White House’s readout of the Biden-Netanyahu call made no mention of specifics surrounding Israel’s retaliation against Iran, prompting speculation of a widening rift between the two leaders.

    Ryder at the briefing refused to disclose whether there is a commitment from the Israeli side that it will give the United States a “heads-up” of its upcoming action against Iran, other than to say that the two countries “continue to keep the lines of communication open.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Public data potential set to be unleashed

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s latest push to accelerate the development and utilization of public data resources is expected to fully unleash the potential of public data elements, help cultivate new competitive advantages and inject fresh impetus into high-quality economic growth, officials and experts said.

    Their comments came following a guideline released jointly by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council on Wednesday.

    The country will take steps to expand the supply of public data resources and promote the opening of public data in an orderly manner, while encouraging and exploring the authorization and operation of public data, according to the guideline.

    The guideline focuses on removing institutional barriers that affect the development and utilization of data resources, and serves as a significant link in building the basic systems for data, said Liu Liehong, head of the National Data Administration, at a news conference in Beijing on Thursday.

    Liu emphasized that it will give full play to the role of data in empowering the real economy, expanding consumer demand and investment space, as well as improving governance capacity.

    Meanwhile, the guideline is conducive to bolstering the utilization of public data resources, facilitating the development of a digital economy and giving a strong boost to the data industry, Liu added.

    He said the administration will soon roll out supportive documents regarding the registration, authorization, operation and pricing mechanism of public data resources.

    Looking ahead, more efforts will be made to deepen reforms related to the market-oriented allocation of data elements and improve the basic systems for data, Liu said.

    By 2025, the system and rules for the development and utilization of public data resources will be initially established, the supply quantity and quality of data resources will be significantly improved, and a number of data elements enterprises will be cultivated, according to the guideline.

    By 2030, a comprehensive system for the development and utilization of public data resources will be set up, with compliant and efficient data circulation and use. The guideline also encourages innovative application to promote the healthy development of the data industry.

    “The launch of the guideline marks an important step in propelling the development and utilization of public data resources in China,” said Zhu Keli, founding director of the China Institute of New Economy.

    The move, Zhu said, will help improve the supply scale and quality of data, enrich data products and services, and promote the efficient utilization of public data resources in key industries and regions.

    Zhu noted that the country’s accelerated layout in the data element market will provide solid support for the sustainable and healthy development of the digital economy, generate new business forms, models and services that are based on data, create more job opportunities and inject new momentum into economic growth.

    Statistics from the National Data Administration showed that China’s total data output reached 32.85 zettabytes in 2023, up 22.4 percent year-on-year, while the added value of core digital economy industries accounted for 10 percent of GDP.

    Ouyang Rihui, assistant dean of the China Center for Internet Economy Research at the Central University of Finance and Economics, said unleashing the value of public data resources is conducive to propelling the digital transformation and high-quality development, as well as speeding up the establishment of a national unified data elements market.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Draft law seen as key to boost private sector

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Workers operate at a workshop of a lithium battery company in Zaozhuang, east China’s Shandong Province, Jan. 3, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China’s long-awaited legislation on promoting the private economy made decisive progress on Thursday as authorities started soliciting public opinions on a draft law, marking a major step forward in reinvigorating a sector key to the growth of the nation, experts said.

    They said the move reflects the government’s emphasis on and support for the private economy, which will not only provide legal protection for private enterprises, but also clarify the government’s responsibilities in promoting the healthy development of the private sector.

    The draft law, jointly released by the Ministry of Justice and the National Development and Reform Commission, will be open for public comments until Nov 8.

    “The draft law not only confirms the key role of the private economy, but also provides institutional guarantees and support through legislation,” said Liu Dian, a researcher at Fudan University’s China Institute.

    “It marks the country’s latest push for improving the market economy system. Once implemented, it will effectively stimulate the vitality of private enterprises and encourage them to participate in competition and cooperation across a broader range of sectors, thereby promoting overall economic growth in the long run,” he added.

    According to experts, the draft law marks China’s very first basic legislation regarding the development of the private economy, and it aims to create a better environment that fosters fair competition, facilitates private investment, supports technological innovation, and protects the legal rights and interests of private businesses.

    In a statement posted on its official website on Thursday, the NDRC said the move will help stabilize market expectations and boost business confidence, reflecting China’s commitment to ensuring long-term, high-quality growth of the private economy.

    Comprising 77 articles across nine chapters, the draft law seeks to codify into a legal framework key policies and practices aimed at fostering the development of the private economy. It underscores equal treatment and protection for private enterprises while promoting their regulated and healthy growth.

    According to the draft law, in areas outside the negative list, all types of market entities including private enterprises are legally allowed equal market access. It also calls for the promotion of fair participation by private enterprises in market competition and their equal access to production factors.

    Hong Yong, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the draft law highlights comprehensive coverage of all aspects related to promoting the development of the private economy.

    There are “clear provisions” in the draft law, “from ensuring the correct direction of development to specific implementation measures”, he said.

    Citing specific measures to improve the investment and financing environment for private businesses and support their technological innovations, Hong said that such steps will help reduce operational costs and encourage these enterprises to participate in technological advancements and industrial upgrades.

    Under provisions included in the draft law, China will encourage private enterprises to play an active role in the development of new quality productive forces, ensure their legal involvement in setting standards as well as in the development and use of public data resources, and strengthen the protection of their intellectual property rights.

    Shen Bing, director-general and a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research’s market and price research institute, said that implementing a private economy promotion law is essential for ensuring fair competition among enterprises of different ownership structures, as it helps provide an enabling business environment.

    Efforts to implement the law will work with other ongoing policy moves, such as improving relevant regulations to guarantee payments to small and medium-sized enterprises, in easing the burden on enterprises, improving their operational conditions and vitalizing the broader economy.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US CPI up 2.4% in September

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A vehicle gets refueled at a gas station in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, Aug. 14, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    U.S. consumer inflation in September increased 2.4 percent from a year ago, after climbing 2.5 percent in August and 2.9 percent in July, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday.

    According to the report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) — a broad measure of goods and services costs across the U.S. economy — increased 0.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in September, the same increase as in August and July.

    The latest inflation report showed that the so-called core CPI, which excludes food and energy, increased 0.3 percent in September, as it did the preceding month. In July, it rose 0.2 percent.

    The core CPI has risen 3.3 percent over the last 12 months, indicating continued inflation pressure. In August, the 12-month core inflation rate held at 3.2 percent.

    The index for shelter rose 0.2 percent in September, and the index for food increased 0.4 percent. Together, these two indexes contributed over 75 percent of the monthly all-items increase.

    The energy index fell 1.9 percent over the month, after declining 0.8 percent the preceding month.

    Indexes that increased in September include shelter, motor vehicle insurance, medical care, apparel, and airline fares. The indexes for recreation and communication were among those that decreased over the month.

    After its meeting held on Sept. 17 to 18, the U.S. Federal Reserve slashed the target range for the federal funds rate by 50 basis points to 4.75 percent to 5 percent, amid cooling inflation and a weakening labor market. This marks the first rate cut in over four years and signals the start of an easing cycle.

    U.S. Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said that if the economic data stay stable, future rate cuts are expected to be smaller than the half-percentage-point reduction in September.

    The Fed will hold its next policy meeting from Nov. 6 to 7. As of Thursday, the probability of the Fed cutting rates by 25 basis points at the November meeting is over 80 percent, showed the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group’s FedWatch Tool, which acts as a barometer for the market’s expectation of the Fed funds target rate.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Shanghai welcomes first imports of South African avocados

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s first imports of avocados grown in South Africa have arrived in east China’s Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai Customs said on Thursday.

    A total of 22 tonnes of avocados passed entry quarantine on Tuesday, customs officials said, noting that the produce benefited from streamlined customs clearance procedures for agricultural imports from Africa.

    Some of the avocados will be exhibited at the upcoming seventh China International Import Expo, which is scheduled to be held from Nov. 5 to 10.

    In August, South Africa followed Kenya and Tanzania to become the third African country to secure market access to China for its fresh avocados.

    In the first eight months of 2024, China imported African agricultural products valued at a total of 28.47 billion yuan (about 4.02 billion U.S. dollars), up 4.8 percent year on year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

    Shanghai alone accounted for 6.12 billion yuan of those imports, reflecting year-on-year growth of 15.5 percent.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Global trade to increase 2.7% in 2024: WTO report

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A logo of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is seen in Geneva, Switzerland, on April 5, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The volume of global merchandise trade is expected to increase by 2.7 percent in 2024, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said in an update of the Global Trade Outlook and Statistics released on Thursday.

    This prediction is slightly higher than the WTO’s earlier forecast of 2.6 percent made in April.

    According to the report, global merchandise trade experienced an upward trend in the first half of 2024, showing a year-on-year increase of 2.3 percent. This growth is expected to be followed by further moderate expansion throughout the remainder of the year and into 2025.

    Global real gross domestic product growth at market exchange rates is projected to remain steady at 2.7 percent in both 2024 and 2025, the report said.

    The WTO noted that by mid-2024, inflation had decreased sufficiently to enable central banks to cut interest rates. This decline in inflation is expected to increase real household incomes and stimulate consumer spending, while lower interest rates should encourage firms to boost their investment spending.

    The report also cautioned that diverging monetary policies among major economies could result in financial volatility and shifts in capital flows as central banks lower interest rates. This situation may make debt servicing more difficult, especially for poorer economies.

    “We are expecting a gradual recovery in global trade for 2024, but we remain vigilant of potential setbacks, particularly the potential escalation of regional conflicts like those in the Middle East,” WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said.

    The impact could be most severe for the countries directly affected, but it may also indirectly influence global energy costs and shipping routes, she said, calling for continuous efforts to foster inclusive global trade.

    “It is imperative that we continue to work collectively to ensure global economic stability and sustained growth, as these are fundamental to enhancing the welfare of people worldwide,” she said.

    The report forecasts a decline in exports in Europe by 1.4 percent and a decrease in imports by 2.3 percent in 2024. European exports have been negatively impacted by the region’s automotive and chemicals sectors.

    Meanwhile, exports in Asia for this year are expected to grow by 7.4 percent, outpacing other regions. Driven by manufacturing powerhouses such as China, Singapore and South Korea, the region’s exports rebounded strongly in the first half of this year.

    The short-term outlook for services trade is more optimistic than that for goods trade, with an 8-percent year-on-year growth in the U.S. dollar value of commercial services trade recorded in the first quarter of 2024. The report added that statistics indicate this relatively strong growth is likely to continue into the second quarter for services trade.

    MIL OSI China News –