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Category: China

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito, Colleagues Introduce Substantive Legislation to Compete with China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) joined a group of nine Senate Republican colleagues—led by U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee— to introduce the STRATEGIC Act 2024, legislation to set up the United States and its allies and partners for success in the strategic competition against China.
    “We know that China is intent on challenging the U.S. in everything from military strength to economic power, trade relations, and global influence. Competing with the CCP’s influence operations and standing up to their coercive tactics should be a priority across the federal government. The STRATEGIC Act charts a course for a comprehensive approach to competition with China and shows that Senate Republicans are ready to confront China’s malign actions from a position of strength,” Senator Capito said.
    The STRATEGIC Act:
    Addresses predatory Chinese economic practices through a new initiative to counter economic coercion, prohibition of World Bank contracts for Chinese companies, and anti-trust reform. It also expands the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States to cover agricultural investments with national security risks.
    Counters malign Chinese Communist Party influence by enhancing think tank transparency, prohibiting certain gifts and contracts with strings attached to U.S. universities, improving research security, and exposing China’s harassment and abuse of U.S. diplomats.
    Strengthens U.S. support for Taiwan and partner countries facing threats from China, and establishes a U.S. State/Treasury Department “Tiger Team” to start identifying targets for sanctions, export controls, other economic measures well before China takes military action.
    Increases oversight of U.S. government funding for biological research with China.
    Strengthens international security by countering proliferation of Chinese drones in the Middle East and modifying the Missile Technology Control Regime to increase cooperation with key allies like the United Kingdom and Australia.
    Protects U.S. interests in international organizations and support for human rights.
    Reforms the Foreign Agents Registration Act by removing commercial and Lobbying and Disclosure Act exemptions for foreign adversaries and giving the Department of Justice authorities to issue civil investigative demands.
    Authorizes strategic infrastructure initiatives focused on digital, transport, and energy sectors, strengthens supply chain security, and lowers trade barriers in partner countries.
    In addition to Senators Capito and Risch, this bill was also introduced by U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).
    A one-pager of the bill can be found here.
    Full text of the bill can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 5th Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Cooperation Forum opens today to deepen international tax co-operation in pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road development (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The three-day 5th Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Cooperation Forum (BRITACOF), hosted by the Inland Revenue Department, is being held from today (September 24) at the AsiaWorld-Expo, marking the first time for Hong Kong to host BRITACOF. This year’s BRITACOF, themed “Deepening Tax Administration Cooperation for High-Quality Belt and Road Development”, gathered more than 400 tax officials, tax experts, as well as representatives from international organisations, academic institutions and enterprises from different countries and regions to discuss emerging tax issues and exchange tax administration experiences.
     
         Participants will engage in in-depth discussions on five major topics, including raising tax certainty, promoting tax administration digitalisation, improving tax environment, reinforcing capacity building of tax administration and optimising tax administration measures in the financial sector. BRITACOF also features a business and industry tax dialogue session to build a communication platform for participating tax officials and stakeholders from business and industrial sectors.

         The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said in his welcome address, “As the only common law jurisdiction within China, our legal system in the business realm resembles that of most major international financial centres. Our robust legal system is backed by such long-standing institutional strengths as the free flow of information, capital, goods and people, low and simple tax system, and highly open and internationalised market. Together, they ensure our strategic role as a ‘super connector’ and a ‘super value-adder’ between the Mainland and the rest of the world. 

         “Tax administration plays a crucial role in ensuring sustainable development. Efficient tax systems provide the essential resources for the delivery of public services and infrastructure. Hong Kong believes that transparent and fair tax policies could foster trust among investors, governments and taxpayers. As a champion of free and multilateral trade, Hong Kong supports the co-ordinated efforts of the international tax community, actively engaging in initiatives designed to bring economies together.”

         In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony, the Commissioner of the State Taxation Administration (STA), Mr Hu Jinglin, said, “The recovery of world economy is challenging. The pursuit of peace, development, co-operation and mutual benefit is an irreversible trend. Differences in tax systems and collection management among countries have an important impact on the liberalisation and facilitation of cross-border trade and investment. Deepening tax administration co-operation is of great significance in removing barriers to cross-border trade and investment, promoting inclusive growth of the global economy, and facilitating high-quality Belt and Road development. The STA is willing to work with all parties to deepen tax administration co-operation for high-quality Belt and Road development, so as to make new contributions to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.”

         Speaking at the welcome dinner, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said that BRITACOF is a crucial and exemplary international platform designed to enhance co-operation among tax administrations along the Belt and Road.

         He said, “The hosting of the 5th BRITACOF in Hong Kong underscores our unique gateway role in fostering partnerships and creating value for economies, businesses and people along the Belt and Road.”

         “Hong Kong has always been committed to upholding international tax standards, including the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) framework set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. We are also fully supportive of the international standard of tax information exchange to avoid tax evasion. By endorsing and implementing these standards, Hong Kong ensures that Belt and Road projects involving Hong Kong companies adhere to the highest international benchmarks in terms of tax governance and transparency,” Mr Hui added.

         On the margins of the 5th BRITACOF, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with the Commissioner of the STA, Mr Hu Jinglin, and witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on tax co-operation within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) among the finance and taxation departments of Guangdong Province, Shenzhen, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Macao SAR. The MOU will promote the co-ordination of tax administration and services in the GBA, which facilitates Hong Kong’s active integration into the overall national development. The deepened tax co-operation in the GBA can enhance Hong Kong’s tax competitiveness and create a more favourable business environment.

         In addition, during BRITACOF, Mr Hui held bilateral meetings separately with representatives from Kazakhstan, Maldives, Tajikistan and Türkiye to discuss deepening tax co-operation at the international and Belt and Road levels.

         Mr Hui also signed a comprehensive avoidance of double taxation agreement (CDTA) with the Government of the Republic of Türkiye on behalf of the Hong Kong SAR Government at the 5th BRITACOF today to foster closer economic, trade and investment relations between Hong Kong and Türkiye with a view to jointly contributing to the high-quality Belt and Road development through strengthened bilateral ties. This is the 51st CDTA signed by Hong Kong, marking a significant step forward for Hong Kong in fostering international tax co-operation.

         Established in 2019 under the lead of the STA, the Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Cooperation Mechanism (BRITACOM) is a non-profit official mechanism for the discussion on tax administration co-operation among countries and regions along the Belt and Road. With the vision of promoting cross-border trade and investment and fostering regional economic co-operation, BRITACOM aims at removing tax obstacles and building a growth-friendly tax environment, so as to realise an inclusive and a sustainable development. BRITACOF, the annual signature event of BRITACOM, is hosted by member tax administrations in rotation. This year’s BRITACOF is hosted by Hong Kong and chaired by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue, Mr Tam Tai-pang.

         For details of the 5th BRITACOF, please visit the thematic website (www.ird.gov.hk/BRITACOF/eng/index.html).               

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Breaking: House Passes Brown’s Bipartisan Bill to Cut Red Tape for CHIPS Projects Like Intel

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Ohio Sherrod Brown
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s bipartisan Building Chips in America Act, a bill to streamline federal reviews for microchip manufacturing facilities like the one being built by Intel in New Albany. The bill prevents delays in domestic manufacturing investments made possible by the CHIPS Act while maintaining bedrock environmental protections for clean air and water.
    The legislation passed the U.S. Senate in December and heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
    “This legislation will help prevent delays to the semiconductor manufacturing projects the CHIPS Act made possible and will encourage future investments in American manufacturing. This is critical to Intel’s project in Licking County and to ensure that we can outcompete China – I’m glad the House finally passed it and encourage the President to sign it into law immediately,” said Senator Brown.
    Brown has been a leader in bringing new manufacturing opportunities to Ohio and worked to pass into law the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 which boosted Intel’s $20 billion investment to build a semiconductor plant in New Albany and is expected to create 10,000 jobs.
    Following its passage, companies throughout the semiconductor supply chain have announced plans to invest billions in new domestic manufacturing projects. The Building Chips in America Act would ensure federal environmental reviews are completed in a timely manner for these microchip projects supported by the CHIPS Act by streamlining approval for projects currently under construction and others that could be delayed, and by providing the Secretary of Commerce greater tools to more effectively and efficiently carry out reviews.
    This will give the administration additional authority to more effectively implement the CHIPS Act and maximize its potential to boost domestic microchip manufacturing, strengthen domestic supply chains, lower costs, and improve national security.
    In addition to Brown, U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Todd Young (R-IN), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and Ted Budd (R-NC) led the legislation in the Senate.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 57: UK Statement for Item 4 General Debate

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Item 4: General Debate on the human rights situations that require the Council’s attention. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO & UN, Simon Manley.

    Location:
    Geneva
    Delivered on:
    24 September 2024 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Mr President, 

    Upholding the international rule of law lies at the heart of this Council, and we must call out violations wherever they occur. 

    The situation in Afghanistan is intolerable. The Taliban are imposing draconian controls on women and girls.

    In Iran, executions have surged. Women, girls and minority groups face repression. Journalists are silenced. The Fact-Finding Mission has said violations against protestors amount to crimes against humanity. Accountability for these violations is essential.

    We are of course deeply concerned over escalating human rights violations in the West Bank and Gaza, including the rights to life, health and free movement. We call for an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages and protection of civilians. 

    In Xinjiang, we echo the statement made earlier by the US, while in Hong Kong, we call on the authorities to end politically motivated prosecutions, immediately release Jimmy Lai and cease attempts to apply Hong Kong law extra-territorially, including to individuals in the UK. China must uphold its human rights obligations.

    Reports of continuing Russian atrocities against Ukrainians are horrifying – not least the systematic and widespread use of torture against detainees. There must be no impunity. The rule of law must prevail.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Mann, Kaptur and Sens. Marshall, Brown Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Put American Farmers First

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tracey Mann (Kansas, 1)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann (KS-01) and Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) alongside Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), introduced the Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act to restrict eligibility for the Clean Fuel Production Credit (45Z) to domestically produced feedstocks and to extend the credit to 2034.The ten-year credit will allow for more certainty as the U.S. ethanol industry builds infrastructure to open new markets for farmers, increase the production of ethanol across the country, and incentivize domestic feedstocks while continuing to support global renewable fuel production made from a wide array of feedstocks.

    “In no world should American tax incentives first benefit foreign producers,” said Rep. Mann. “While the use of foreign feedstocks can play an important role in producing domestically manufactured ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel, we must not displace harvest in America. Our legislation puts American farmers first by ensuring that American tax credits are incentivizing American-grown products.”

    “I joined my colleagues in this important bicameral and bipartisan effort because helping American farmers, producers, and growers goes beyond state and party lines,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. ”We must ensure the Clean Fuel Production tax credit is structured in a way that benefits domestic producers, and not one that advantages foreign-produced feedstocks from China or Brazil. Our legislation will extend this credit through 2034 and bolster American energy independence by prioritizing American producers and the production of domestic biofuels.”

    “It’s very tough in farm country with high interest rates and low commodity prices, which is exactly why we can’t have a tax policy that will lower commodity prices even more,” said Senator Marshall. “While we support free trade and open markets, we do not believe foreign feedstocks should be incentivized through the hard-earned dollars of U.S. taxpayers to the detriment of American farmers. This legislation puts farmers FIRST to ensure they are the primary beneficiaries of renewable fuel tax incentives and provides businesses a decade of certainty.”

    “American tax dollars should support American farmers – not imported feedstocks,” said Senator Brown. “To continue to grow the biofuels industry and open new markets for Ohio farmers, we must stop taxpayer money from subsidizing a surge in Chinese cooking oil or any other foreign feedstock from infiltrating the American market. Our bipartisan bill ensures these investments benefit Ohio farmers and Ohio energy producers.”

    The legislation is cosponsored by Representatives James Comer (KY-01), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), and Don Bacon (NE-02) and Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).

    The Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act is supported by Growth Energy, National Oilseed Processors Association, National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association, Ohio Soybean Association, Kansas Corn Growers Association, Kansas Soybean Association, Kentucky Soybean Association, Scoular, and Louis Dreyfus Company.

    “Our farmers need policies that protect their ability to compete fairly as the United States strives to be a leader in renewable fuels markets,” said Ed Prosser, Senior Vice President at Scoular.  “We greatly appreciate Representative Mann and his colleagues for introducing this legislation that helps ensure American agriculture will have a well-deserved seat at the table in the journey to lower the carbon intensity of our energy supply.”

    “NOPA commends this bipartisan, bicameral legislative effort which puts U.S fuel producers, U.S. crushers and U.S. farmers first. We thank Senators Brown and Marshall and Representatives Mann and Kaptur for their leadership,” said NOPA President and CEO Kailee Tkacz Buller. “We support free trade and open markets, but do not believe foreign feedstocks should benefit on the backs of U.S. taxpayers to the detriment of U.S. farmers. Without this fix, the 45Z credit will incentivize the use of foreign feedstocks over those grown by U.S. farmers. Our industry has made significant investments to expand U.S. crush capacity by 30 percent and this fix is pivotal to ensuring these investments are delivered.”

    “Biofuel production paves a key path for our country to be a clean energy leader, and U.S. farmers who grow the crops going into those biofuels take pride in helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the U.S. economy and energy independence,” said ASA President Josh Gackle, a North Dakota soybean farmer. “However, for continued growth of America’s promising biofuels industry, U.S. farmers need the support of a final 45Z rule that prioritizes domestically sourced feedstock.”

    “Farmers and bioethanol producers need to know they’ll be able to rely on the 45Z tax credit for more than just the next few years,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “This bill gives them the certainty they need to unlock significant investments in their operations and in the rural communities that depend on them. We commend Representatives Mann and Kaptur for introducing this bill and all of our House champions for making a 45Z tax credit extension a top priority as we head into the tax reform process next year.” 

    “Ensuring American farmers reach maximum profitability and build resiliency to pass down their farms to the next generation should be our top priority,” said Adam York, Kansas Sorghum Producers CEO. “This legislation helps make sure the intended benefits of this program arrive into our rural economies.”

    “Corn growers are making every effort to help the airline industry lower its greenhouse gas emissions through the use of corn ethanol,” said Minnesota farmer and NCGA president Harold Wolle. “We are deeply appreciative of these leaders for introducing legislation that establishes requirements for the tax credit that will level the playing field for America’s corn growers.”

    “The Farmer First Fuel Incentive Act recognizes the vital role of American agriculture in 45Z,” said Craig Meeker, Chairman of National Sorghum Producers. “This legislation ensures that the guidance is designed and implemented in a farmer-focused manner, supporting domestic clean energy production and stimulating economic growth across rural America.”

    “U.S. soybean farmers have been at the forefront of our domestic clean-energy production through the booming biodiesel and renewable diesel industry over the last decade,” said Kaleb Little, CEO, Kansas Soybean Association. “The Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act ensures our Kansas soybean growers maintain access to this vital market sector going forward and strengthens the clean fuel production credit for the future.”

    Earlier this month, Representatives Mann and Kaptur led 39 of their colleagues in penning a letter to the U.S. Department of Treasury urging it to expedite the issuance of final guidance for 45Z.  Senators Marshall and Brown led a similar letter in the U.S. Senate.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin meets with SPD delegation from German Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Foreign Minister Lin meets with SPD delegation from German Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee

    • Date：2024-09-17
    • Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    September 17, 2024  

    No. 307  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung met with a Social Democratic Party (SPD) delegation from the German Bundestag Committee on Foreign Affairs on September 16. The delegation included Mr. Michael Müller and Mr. Andreas Larem. The two sides exchanged views on joint efforts by democratic partners to counter authoritarian expansion, Germany’s China and Indo-Pacific strategies, the recent transit of German naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait, the European Union’s de-risking policy, and other issues. 

     

    Minister Lin stated that with China and other authoritarian countries persistently challenging the rules-based international order, democratic partners should work in solidarity to enhance economic and social resilience. He reiterated Taiwan’s willingness to share with European partners its experience in countering China’s hybrid warfare, information warfare, and economic coercion. Minister Lin also affirmed the recent transit of German vessels through the Taiwan Strait so as to safeguard freedom of navigation, adding that he was pleased that Germany and the EU were implementing de-risking policies. Noting that an investment project in Dresden by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company had set a new milestone in bilateral cooperation, Minister Lin expressed the hope that Taiwan and Germany would steadily bolster economic and trade cooperation and jointly strengthen economic resilience.

     

    Mr. Müller and Mr. Larem strongly concurred on the importance of democratic partners standing in unity against authoritarian expansion. Calling for enhanced cooperation among democracies in such domains as the economy, technology, and culture, they said they looked forward to deeper substantive collaboration between Taiwan and Germany.

     

    Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs François Chihchung Wu also hosted a luncheon for the delegation on the same day. During the luncheon, Deputy Minister Wu pointed out that China’s authoritarian expansionist ambitions were not purely a cross-strait issue but rather represented a grave challenge to the international order. He said that Taiwan sincerely hoped to work with like-minded European partners to contribute to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

     

    This was the first visit to Taiwan by all delegation members. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs looks forward to Taiwan and Germany building on their strong existing foundations to further deepen bilateral ties and jointly advance global peace, stability, and prosperity. (E)

    MIL OSI China News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA response to public comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Campbell on UNGA Resolution 2758 and cross-strait peace and stability

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA response to public comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Campbell on UNGA Resolution 2758 and cross-strait peace and stability

    • Date：2024-09-20
    • Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

    September 20, 2024 

    The US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on “Great Power Competition in the Indo-Pacific” on September 18. In response to a question concerning the fact that Taiwan’s status was not mentioned in United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell agreed, pointing out that China was using the resolution as a diplomatic tool to falsely portray Taiwan’s status as illegitimate and that China was conflating its interpretation with its “one China principle” in order to suppress Taiwan. Deputy Secretary Campbell reaffirmed the unwavering US commitment to Taiwan and the long-standing US efforts to preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing that this was a bipartisan consensus. 

     

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomes and appreciates that yet another high-level US diplomat has publicly pointed out China’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758 and reiterated bipartisan US support for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The comments follow remarks made earlier by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Mark Lambert and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink. 

     

    MOFA is pleased that in addition to the United States, like-minded nations including Australia and the Netherlands have adopted friendly resolutions or motions stating that UNGA Resolution 2758 made no reference to Taiwan. MOFA calls on the international community to jointly take concrete actions to refute China’s misrepresentation of the resolution and oppose its spurious claims of there being an international consensus on its “one China principle.” Taiwan will continue to cooperate with the United States and other like-minded countries and together preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific.

    MIL OSI China News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI: HP Workforce Solutions Advances Strategy to Deliver Exceptional Employee Experiences

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    News Highlights

    • Supercharges HP Workforce Experience Platform with expanded access and capabilities
    • Introduces managed services that reduce downtime and keep employees productive
    • Announces the industry’s most advanced remote remediation technology
    • Launches HOPE Recycling Futures to give PCs a second life while accelerating digital equity

    PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today at HP Imagine, HP Inc.’s (NYSE: HPQ) Workforce Solutions division (HPWS) today announced a series of significant advancements designed to enable companies to achieve growth by delivering more personalized, fulfilling experiences.

    As part of this, HP is expanding access to HP Workforce Experience Platform, giving CIOs access to enhanced tools, data and insights to ensure their employees are connected and productive. For customers wanting HP to manage their IT environment, HP is announcing advanced monitoring solutions and global availability of HP Managed Collaboration Services that proactively remediate incidents before employees are impacted. And when technology does fail, HP is launching a new service that helps get employees back up and running quickly. HP is also introducing a new service to help companies harness the power of AI to drive further productivity in the workforce and expanded refurbishment programs to drive a more circular economy.

    “We are at the intersection of two major trends – AI and Flexible Work – and both are having a profound impact on our lives,” said Dave Shull, President of HP Workforce Solutions. “At the same time, employees want greater fulfillment and companies want improved productivity. Our Future-Ready portfolio of software and solutions helps guide companies through this shift.”

    Keeping Employees Engaged and Productive

    HP Workforce Experience Platform Expands Beta Access and Introduces New Features
    HP Workforce Experience Platform – a platform that intelligently anticipates and resolves digital friction across every employee endpoint from a single dashboard – has been in private beta for three months with more than 270K devices enrolled.[1]

    HP is now expanding access by making the Workforce Experience Platform Beta available to new or renewing HP Proactive Insights customers in the United States at no extra cost.

    As part of the new release, HP is rolling out new features that enable customers to monitor, secure, and manage printer performance at scale, in addition to PCs. New capabilities in AI-powered fleet management and employee sentiment analysis will help reduce IT support tickets and employee downtime through proactive anomaly detection and smart recommendations.

    Additionally, HP Workforce Experience Platform supports integrations with Microsoft Power BI, Power Automate and Tableau (available now) and plans to support Microsoft Intune and ServiceNow in a future release, enabling IT to leverage Workforce Experience Platform data easily and securely within their existing workflows. This means IT has a more holistic view of their device fleet, better data accuracy, and more tailored IT operations that help drive down expenses and improve return on investment.[2]

    New Global Command Centers for Advanced Monitoring Capabilities
    As companies look to shift their IT support from a reactive to a proactive approach, HP is announcing advanced Monitoring and Management capabilities – enabled by new global command centers – to help customers monitor and manage both HP and non-HP devices across the world, including detecting and remediating incidents.

    Leveraging telemetry,[3] HP monitors thousands of data points in conference room equipment, printers, and PCs. This enables HP Service Experts to detect and identify issues and take remote actions to proactively remediate incidents before employees are impacted. These HP Managed Services are available globally for HP’s managed solutions customers and sold through direct channels.

    Industry’s First Out-of-band Diagnostics and Remediation Capability
    Data shows that 90% of employees prefer flexible or hybrid work.[4] Employees have also come to expect the same level of support remotely that they would receive in an office. But existing remote support tools can’t always address the problem, like when a PC crashes and won’t reboot.

    To help reduce the time and frustration involved in restoring productivity for both hybrid employees and IT, HP is introducing a new HP out-of-band remediation service,[5] the industry’s most advanced remote remediation technology,[6] that enables more PC issues to be fixed remotely than ever before – even if the PC won’t boot. HP is the first PC manufacturer to use out-of-band technology to securely connect to remote PCs below the OS, using an encrypted cloud connection. This allows HP support agents full keyboard, video and mouse (KVM) control to diagnose and fix more complex issues like boot failures, imaging and BIOS issues — with virtually no assistance from the end user.

    This industry-first remediation service is expected to be available later this year in North America and the EU as an add-on to an HP Essential, Premium or Premium+ Support package with the purchase of any new Intel vPro enabled PC direct from HP or an authorized reseller. HP plans to expand the service feature availability across other commercial PCs in the coming months.

    New AI Advisory Services Help Customers Tap into the Potential of Microsoft Copilot
    HP is also announcing a new AI advisory service to help customers tap into the full potential of Microsoft 365 Copilot. This new AI advisory service will evaluate a company’s current setup and readiness for AI, conduct interactive workshops to help companies maximize the benefits of AI, and help companies plan for rolling out new AI tools. This new AI Advisory Service is expected to be available in November 2024 in the US, UK, France, Spain, Ireland, and Germany.

    Creating Collaborative Team Experiences

    Managed Collaboration Services Now Available to Customers Worldwide
    In today’s flexible working world, video collaboration connects more employees than ever before. To help customers modernize and maintain their conference rooms, HP is announcing the global availability of HP Managed Collaboration Services. HP Managed Collaboration Services uses Poly and HP gear to deliver exceptional meeting experiences with flexible, reliable, managed room solutions that ensure every space is video-enabled, and ready to be used. Learn more here.

    Driving Societal Impact

    HP is committed to accelerating equitable access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity for those who are systemically excluded so they can participate and thrive in a digital economy. HP’s new services and programs help give technology a second life while delivering hope around the world.

    Expanded Portfolio of HP Certified Refurbished Hardware
    With growing customer demand for high-quality, reliable second-life devices, HP is announcing expansion of its HP Certified Refurbished hardware portfolio to now include LaserJet Multi-Function Printers, available for Managed Print Solutions customers in the United States.

    Each HP Certified Refurbished device undergoes rigorous refurbishment and inspection processes, utilizes approved HP parts, and comes backed by HP Support for added peace of mind. The LaserJet offerings are the latest addition to the HP Certified Refurbished hardware portfolio, which also includes availability of HP EliteBook 800 G6 and G7 series notebooks in the United States and France.

    Delivering HOPE Around the World
    HP is expanding HOPE Recycling Futures – HP’s signature program that helps companies connect and uplift children. HOPE Recycling Futures receives devices from organizations who would otherwise dispose of them, works with its partners to erase existing data and refurbish the devices. HP then coordinates with vetted non-governmental organizations to deliver the devices to schools serving vulnerable and marginalized youth — all at no cost to the company or receiving organization.

    HOPE Recycling Futures is already partnering with companies across the EU, UK, Switzerland, India, Singapore, and Brazil, and will now extend this partnership to include Mexico. More than 16,000 children in 22 countries have benefited from the program through 72 donation projects to date.

    By giving their PCs a second life for kids in need through HOPE Recycling Futures, businesses can play a crucial role in reducing e-waste and empowering the next generation with the tools they need to thrive in a digital world.

    For more information on today’s news at HP Imagine, visit https://www.hp.com/us-en/newsroom/press-kits/2024/hp-imagine.html.

    About HP Workforce Solutions
    Workforce Solutions is a global business unit of HP Inc. Given HP’s innovative and comprehensive portfolio of PCs, printers, and collaboration gear, HP Workforce Solutions (HPWS) is used by millions worldwide to solve customer problems, often proactively, through AI-enabled software and services. HP can help partners and customers from start to finish of their technology journey.

    About HP
    HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) is a global technology leader and creator of solutions that enable people to bring their ideas to life and connect to the things that matter most. Operating in more than 170 countries, HP delivers a wide range of innovative and sustainable devices, services and subscriptions for personal computing, printing, 3D printing, hybrid work, gaming, and more. For more information, please visit: http://www.hp.com. 

    [1] The Workforce Experience platform is for commercial customers and requires registration. At launch, some features will require a subscription. To register for access, visit https://admin.hp.com/. Some features and capabilities may require additional purchase of HP services and/or commercial hardware capable of supporting the HP Insights agent for Windows, Mac, & Android. Activation and restrictions may apply.
    Select HP Workforce Solutions require an HP Insights agent for Windows, Mac, & Android, available for download at https://admin.hp.com/software. For full system requirements and services that require the agent, please visit https://admin.hp.com/requirements. The agent collects telemetry and analytics around devices and applications that integrate into the Workforce Experience platform and is not sold as a standalone service. Internet access with connection to the Workforce Experience platform is required. HP follows stringent GDPR privacy regulations, and the platform is ISO27001, ISO27701, ISO27017 and SOC2 Type2 certified for Information Security.
    [2] Third party licenses required.
    [3] HP Services Scan is preinstalled and/or provided thru Windows Update and checks for service entitlement on each hardware device and downloads the applicable software agent automatically. To disable this feature, please follow the instructions at http://www.hpdaas.com/requirements. The HP Insights agent is a telemetry and analytics platform that provides critical data around devices and applications and is not sold as a standalone service. HP follows stringent GDPR privacy regulations and is ISO27001, ISO27701, ISO27017 and SOC2 Type2 certified for Information Security. Internet access with connection to the HP Insights agent is required. For full system requirements, please visit http://www.hpdaas.com/requirements. Not available in China.
    [4]Remote Work Statistics & Trends In (2024) – Forbes Advisor, Pew Research
    [5] Out-of-band diagnostics and remediation is available in North America (which includes the US and Canada), and the EU as an HP Care Pack for select HP commercial platforms that are Intel® vPro® and Intel® AMT enabled and are entitled to HP Premium Support or HP Premium+ Support. Service levels and response times for HP Care Packs may vary depending on your geographic location. Service starts on date of hardware purchase. Restrictions and limitations apply. For details, visit www.hp.com/go/cpc. HP Services are governed by the applicable HP terms and conditions of service provided or indicated to Customer at the time of purchase. Customer may have additional statutory rights according to applicable local laws, and such rights are not in any way affected by the HP terms and conditions of service or the HP Limited Warranty provided with your HP Product. Check with your HP authorized sales rep for availability.
    [6] Based on HP’s internal analysis of PC manufacturers with power cycle control, non-OS control, BIOS control and reimaging control as of 9/24/2024.

    The MIL Network –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaptur, Mann, Brown, Marshall Lead Bipartisan and Bicameral Legislation Fighting For American Farmers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

    Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Congressman Tracey Mann (KS-01), Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Senator Roger Marshall, MD (R-KS), introduced the bicameral and bipartisan Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act requiring the Treasury Department to restrict the eligibility of the 45Z Tax Credit to renewable fuels made only from domestically sourced feedstocks and extending the tax credit to make it a full ten-year credit.

    “I joined my colleagues in this important bicameral and bipartisan effort because helping American farmers, producers, and growers goes beyond state and party lines,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture.” We must ensure the Clean Fuel Production tax credit is structured in a way that benefits domestic producers and not one that advantages foreign-produced feedstocks from China or Brazil. Our legislation will extend this credit through 2034 and bolster American energy independence by prioritizing American producers and the production of domestic biofuels.”

     “In no world should American tax incentives first benefit foreign producers,” said Congressman Tracey Mann (KS-01). “While the use of foreign feedstocks can play an important role in producing domestically manufactured ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel, we must not displace harvest in America. Our legislation puts American farmers first by ensuring that American tax credits are incentivizing American-grown products.”

    “American tax dollars should support American farmers – not imported feedstocks. To continue to grow the biofuels industry and open new markets for Ohio farmers, we must stop taxpayer money from subsidizing a surge in Chinese cooking oil or any other foreign feedstock from infiltrating the American market. Our bipartisan bill ensures these investments benefit Ohio farmers and Ohio energy producers,” Said Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

    “It’s very tough in farm country with high interest rates and low commodity prices, which is exactly why we can’t have a tax policy that will lower commodity prices even more. While we support free trade and open markets, we do not believe foreign feedstocks should be incentivized through the hard-earned dollars of US taxpayers to the detriment of American farmers,” said Senator Roger Marshall, MD (R-KS). “This legislation puts farmers FIRST to ensure they are the primary beneficiaries of renewable fuel tax incentives and provides businesses a decade of certainty.”

    “The federal clean fuel production tax credit is meant to foster a domestic market for cleaner burning fuels that promote American jobs and energy independence,” said Rusty Goebel, President, Ohio Soybean Association. “Foreign imported feedstocks shouldn’t benefit from American taxpayer investments in this industry. Ohio Soybean farmers support Congresswoman Kaptur’s efforts to ensure Ohio-grown feedstocks aren’t undercut by foreign suppliers.”  

    “NOPA commends this bipartisan, bicameral legislative effort which puts U.S fuel producers, US crushers and US farmers first. We thank Senators Brown and Marshall and Representatives Mann and Kaptur for their leadership,” said NOPA President and CEO Kailee Tkacz Buller. “We support free trade and open markets but do not believe foreign feedstocks should benefit on the backs of U.S. taxpayers to the detriment of US farmers. Without this fix, the 45Z credit will incentivize the use of foreign feedstocks over those grown by US farmers. Our industry has made significant investments to expand US crush capacity by 30 percent and this fix is pivotal to ensuring these investments are delivered.”

    “Corn growers are making every effort to help the airline industry lower its greenhouse gas emissions through the use of corn ethanol,” said Minnesota farmer and NCGA president Harold Wolle. “We are deeply appreciative of these leaders for introducing legislation that establishes requirements for the tax credit that will level the playing field for America’s corn growers.”

    “Biofuel production paves a key path for our country to be a clean energy leader, and US farmers who grow the crops going into those biofuels take pride in helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the US economy and energy independence,” said ASA President Josh Gackle, a North Dakota soybean farmer. “However, for continued growth of America’s promising biofuels industry, US farmers need the support of a final 45Z rule that prioritizes domestically sourced feedstock.”

    “The Farmer First Fuel Incentive Act recognizes the vital role of American agriculture in 45Z. This legislation ensures that the guidance is designed and implemented in a farmer-focused manner, supporting domestic clean energy production and stimulating economic growth across rural America,” said Craig Meeker, Chairman of National Sorghum Producers.

    “This important bill sends a strong signal that extending the 45Z credit is going to be a top, bipartisan priority in this Congress and the next,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “We applaud all our rural champions for working to give biofuel producers and our farm partners the long-term certainty we need to accelerate innovation in America’s bioeconomy. With a longer runway from Congress, and clear, flexible, and timely guidance from the US Department of the Treasury, we’ll have the pieces in place to unlock billions of dollars in new clean energy investments across rural America,” Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, said.

    The 10-year credit will give the ethanol industry the time and financial incentive to build up the infrastructure needed for the US to be less reliant on foreign fuel, open new markets for farmers, and increase ethanol production across the Midwest. However, we recently learned that 45Z has a glaring flaw that needs to be fixed for farmers wanting to sell feedstocks to the biodiesel and renewable diesel industry. If 45Z goes into effect as is, taxpayers will be massively subsidizing Chinese used cooking oil and would all but eliminate the use of homegrown soy or corn oil in renewable diesel.

    House cosponsors include: Representatives Don Bacon (NE-02)  Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), and Representatives James Comer (KY-01).

    Senate cosponsors include: Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Tina Smith (D-MN). 

    The Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act is supported by Growth Energy, National Oilseed Processors Association, National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association, Ohio Soybean Association, Kansas Corn Growers Association, Kansas Soybean Association, Kentucky Soybean Association, Scoular, and Louis Dreyfus Company. 

    Background:

    Prior to introducing this legislation, Congresswoman Kaptur joined Senators Brown and Marshall in a July bipartisan letter they led calling for the US Treasury Department to restrict the eligibility of the 45Z Tax Credit to renewable fuels made only from domestically-sourced feedstocks, like Kansas soybean oil and corn oil. You may click here to read Senator Brown and Marshall’s full letter. Representatives Kaptur and Mann led 39 House colleagues in a subsequent letter September. A similar letter calling for 45z to be restricted to domestic feedstocks was sent by the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, and National Farmers Union to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and US Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Keynote speech by SJ at networking dinner of forum titled Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Vietnamese Businesses to China and Beyond in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (English only) (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is the keynote speech by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the networking dinner of the forum titled Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Vietnamese Businesses to China and Beyond in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on September 24:
     
    Ladies and gentlemen,
     
         Good evening, xin chào buổi tối. Frankly speaking, I do not think I can do a better job than all the eminent speakers who have spoken before me. So I am not going to say something new. Instead, I wish to do a very quick recap to sum up the key and essential points made by various speakers so that you can have a few takeaways after today’s event.

         I prefer to do it by once again referring to the theme of our forum, “The Common Law Gateway for Vietnamese Businesses to China and Beyond”, but I wish to focus on a few key phrases and do it in the reverse order. So I would like to focus on China and beyond first.

         We are lawyers coming from Hong Kong. As I said in my opening remarks, obviously there have been very close relationships between Hong Kong and Vietnam. But the reason why we are here is not simply because of Hong Kong, it is about something much bigger than Hong Kong. That is our country, China, and beyond.

         A number of speakers have referred to a very important concept known as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. And I wish to emphasise again the importance of the Greater Bay Area. You have been told that the Greater Bay Area consists of the Guangdong Province, in particular the nine cities in Guangdong Province, plus Hong Kong and Macao. To give you some ideas, the size of Greater Bay Area is almost like Croatia, a mid-size European country, with population around 86 million, similar to the population of Germany. If you look at what cities are situated within the Greater Bay Area, we have three very important cities: Guangzhou, of course, which is the capital of the province of Guangdong, a very important city in the southern part of China. And then you have Shenzhen, I think some of our speakers have mentioned Shenzhen, which is the innovation and high-tech hub, where you have the headquarters of Tencent, the factories of BYD and Huawei. All the advanced technology or high-tech innovative things are happening in Shenzhen, which is just across the border. And then of course you have Hong Kong, which is the international financial and trade centre.

         Although there are different bay areas in the world, we have the Tokyo Bay area, the San Francisco Bay Area, but I venture to say that they cannot be compared to Hong Kong because in the Greater Bay Area, you have one country but three different jurisdictions, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, and also Macao which used to be ruled by the Portuguese. So it is a very special place with huge potential. Hong Kong may well be your final destination for your business and business venture. But it also may not be your final destination. Maybe you will find much more opportunities in the Greater Bay Area in China. And then in China, very often there would be investments and other business ventures with other countries. So it is really “China and beyond”.

         Now moving to “Gateway”. I just mentioned that perhaps you will be more interested not just about opportunities for business investment in Hong Kong, but also those offered in Mainland China. And of course you would agree with me that legal service would be important. But you may wonder, if I wish to invest in Mainland China or co-operate with a Mainland partner, why shouldn’t I simply instruct a Mainland lawyer? Why shouldn’t I simply engage the legal service offered by Mainland China? And why should I do it via Hong Kong, which seems to be a little bit indirect or a bit convoluted. And of course, all the speakers who have spoken this afternoon have provided some very good answers. One of the key characteristics of this particular gateway, or using Hong Kong as a gateway, is our common law character, our common law tradition. But again, as pointed out by one of the participants who raised a question at the end of the first session, Hong Kong is definitely not the only common law jurisdiction in this world which can play the role as a gateway for the provision of legal service. I think my friend mentioned Singapore. Why not Singapore? Singapore is definitely a common law jurisdiction. Even in ASEAN, within the Southeast Asia, we have Malaysia which is also a common law jurisdiction. So it is our duty to explain to you a little further.

         What is so special about Hong Kong? I hate to compare Hong Kong with Singapore, but because this question has been raised, I think I have to answer that question as if I were being asked to answer that question by a judge in the court. So I have to give a direct answer. But as a government official, I have to be as diplomatic as possible. The way I put it is that we can and we will offer something that only Hong Kong can offer. We can offer something that Singapore will not be able to do. It is because of six factors, as the sum total of these six factors that make Hong Kong truly unique and peculiar, unparalleled. So what are these six factors? Now, here comes my summary of what you have heard this afternoon.

         First, Hong Kong provides a very stable legal environment. Stable in the sense that Hong Kong is the only common law jurisdiction within China. It is the only common law jurisdiction in China, and it will remain to be the only common law jurisdiction within China. The reason is that the common law system practiced in Hong Kong has been guaranteed by a constitutional document, which is our Basic Law. You can describe it as a mini-constitution. Now, there have been some queries in the past on certain wordings in our constitutional document. Some people questioned whether the principle of “one country, two systems” or the common law system practiced in Hong Kong will continue after 2047, which is the 50th anniversary of the resumption of sovereignty by China of Hong Kong. But that uncertainty has been removed very clearly by the leaders of China, in particular President Xi Jinping. Back in 2022, on July 1 when he came to Hong Kong, he made a very important speech, a very short speech. What is most telling is that in his very short speech, he mentioned the common law system in Hong Kong twice. He said that the common law system is a core element of the “one country, two systems” principle, which is a very good policy that is going to last basically forever. So there should be no doubt whatsoever that not only the principle of “one country, two systems”, but also our common law system will continue. So the first point “stability” – it is very stable.

         The second point is that our system is also very reliable. Now, that goes to the question of the existence of a very reputable and respected judiciary. When it comes to a judicial or legal system, two factors will be of crucial importance. First, quality, quality of justice, whether judges are smart enough to deliver true justice. Second, integrity, whether judges are seen to be able to discharge their duty fairly and impartially. Now, I think the Judiciary in Hong Kong fulfills these two very important essential criteria.

         In terms of quality, as my friends said this afternoon, all the judges, they enjoy very high standing in the world. Our Court of Final Appeal, I should mention that the judgments delivered by the judges of the Court of Final Appeal, they were cited in other common jurisdictions from time to time. And we have foreign judges sitting as part-time judges in Hong Kong. I also remember that one of the speakers mentioned the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, Hong Kong ranked the 23rd out of 142 jurisdictions in the world. And I think we ranked the sixth in East Asia and the Pacific region. Ahead of the United States, and if I recall correctly, Spain, another major economy in the world.

         When it comes to integrity, once again my friends have informed you that how judges in Hong Kong are appointed. They are appointed completely independently by an independent statutory body. It is not possible for the executive to interfere with the performance of the judges. It is not possible for the executive to fire or sack any judges. And in fact, I have to tell you a very embarrassing piece of information which nobody dares mention, that is the Government lost cases before the court quite often. So I think that is a very good indication that judges in Hong Kong do exercise the judicial function very impartially.

         But for your interest, I am sure you would be concerned whether Mainland parties, in particular state-owned enterprises, or very important, powerful business entities in Mainland China, would they enjoy any undue advantage when they engage in litigation against foreign parties in Hong Kong? Once again I am very sure that if you look at records, if you look at judgments, we have open judgments, you will see many cases which are decided entirely on merits. Sometimes state-owned enterprises or Mainland parties win, sometimes they lose. But there is not a single piece of evidence suggesting that in deciding these cases, the court in Hong Kong has taken into account any consideration other than the law and the evidence. And the best evidence is contained in our judgments, which you can inspect and you can read for yourself. So this is the second factor: very reliable.

         Third factor: very business friendly. You have to remember that we have a bilingual legal system. So both English and Chinese are official languages. It is not just a working language, it is the official language by which we write our statute. We also use English in court proceedings, and very often in arbitration proceedings. This is an international language that is familiar to people outside Hong Kong, just like I am using English to communicate with you, hoping that you would be able to understand what I am trying to say.

         The second point as to why business friendly is about the content of the law, the content of our substantive law, in particular when it comes to international commercial law, investment law. They are all very international in the sense that its content is substantially similar to the law that you find in other developed countries, for example, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. So the principles of substantive law would be very familiar to the international business community, so it is business friendly.

         The third point is that the Hong Kong Government has been very proactive to make Hong Kong a more attractive place for investment and doing business. I can give you some examples. For example, we are very active in promoting the establishment of family office in Hong Kong to encourage people to invest money to set up family office, in particular, for very resourceful families. In order to make this initiative attractive, we have amended our revenue law, our tax law, to lower our tax rate if you wish to set up family offices in Hong Kong. Another example is that our listing rules, IPO initial public offerings, if you wish to raise finance by getting your company publicly listed, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange has introduced a new scheme, it’s called SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Companies). The idea is very simple. It enables a company without any track record but so long as it fulfills some sorts of requirement to ensure that the investors’ interest will be protected, it will get the chance to be listed in Hong Kong. So I mean we are very proactive in making it more convenient. One of the speakers have mentioned about the difficulty of entering into Hong Kong because of the visa requirement. But as I said in my welcoming remarks, we are relaxing the restrictions or the requirement gradually. So starting from October last year, for the talents, they will be able to come to Hong Kong very easily. And for business travellers and for tourists, you will be able to obtain multiple visas very conveniently. And lastly, when it comes to arbitration, we have actually introduced a pilot scheme. At the moment, the arrangement is that if you are engaged and involved in the arbitration, no matter in what capacity, say, as arbitrator, as counsel, appearing for either party as a witness or even a party, you will be exempted from the need to obtain any visa if you come to Hong Kong for such purposes. So I would say that the difficulty is more apparent than real. So that is the third factor, business friendly.

         The fourth factor: it is very safe and secure to use Hong Kong as a platform for doing business and investment. You must be concerned whether your money, your property can go into Hong Kong and leave Hong Kong easily and freely, and what happens when your property and money is in Hong Kong. Under our constitutional document Basic Law, we guarantee freedom of movement of funds, money and goods. So you can come anytime and your money can leave anytime. There is no exchange control, there is no improper expropriation, and when your money and your property is in Hong Kong, it is completely safeguarded by a stringent set of regulations, not just by statutes, but by other important statutory bodies like the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Securities and Futures Commission. There are very strict regulations to ensure that your investment and your property will be protected. And of course, the quality and integrity of the law enforcement agencies will be important. One strength of Hong Kong is that there is no question, no issue or any concern about corruption at all. Hong Kong is the cleanest place, one of the cleanest places in the world that you can find. If you look at the figures, I think Hong Kong ranks among the top five when it comes to the absence of corruption.

         I wish to share a piece of information just to substantiate my confidence in the integrity of the financial market. A piece of latest news is that a British think tank just announced the Global Financial Centres Index. And Hong Kong had climbed back to the third place after New York and London. And this time we are ahead of Singapore. In 2022 up to last year, Hong Kong ranked the fourth for different reasons, but this year we managed to overtake Singapore to reclaim the third place, which I think is a very pertinent place. It served as a very good evidence of the competence of the people in Hong Kong’s financial market. So this is the fourth factor.

         The fifth factor is that Hong Kong provides dual connectivity. It allows you to connect to the world on the one hand, and also connect to the Mainland at the same time. My friend already said that Hong Kong has important legal connections with the rest of the world, for example, arbitral awards can be enforced and recognised because of the New York Convention. We have entered into a lot of arrangements with other international organisations. Important legal bodies would have their headquarters and offices in Hong Kong. Now this is where Singapore cannot be compared to Hong Kong – we have very special mutual legal assistance arrangements with Mainland China, which is made possible purely because Hong Kong is a part of China, though we practice different legal systems.

         I simply wish to refresh your memory by highlighting one example, which is the arrangement concerning the possibility of granting interim injunction in arbitral proceedings. As business people, it is no use at all to you to spend a lot of money on arbitration if at the end of the day, what you get is a piece of paper. What is the most important is that you will be able to enjoy the fruit in case you succeed in arbitration. That means pending the conclusion of the arbitration proceedings, you need to have sufficient safeguard to ensure that the asset at stake will be protected. In addition, sometimes it would require the preservation of evidence to ensure that the merit of case can be fully reflected in the course of the proceedings. The special arrangement is that if you start arbitral proceedings in Hong Kong by using one of the designated arbitration institutions, then the Mainland court will be very willing to provide you with the assistance by giving you the interim injunction, which is very useful. I don’t remember the figure, but the success rate is over 90 per cent. So this is the connectivity factor.

         The last factor which is most important, and is evident by the quality of the speakers who have spoken before me, that is Hong Kong has an abundant supply of truly international legal talent. If you are using our legal service, if you instruct a Hong Kong lawyer, you are not simply enjoying Hong Kong legal service. You are engaging a global counsel. You are engaging and instructing a truly international lawyer. And again, I wish to repeat or perhaps add some figures to substantiate my point. You were told that we have a divided legal profession consisting of barristers and solicitors. I give you the numbers again. I would stand to be corrected. At the moment, I think there are around 1 600 barristers in Hong Kong, and among them 108 are Senior Counsel. We have three Senior Counsel here with us today. So in a small group of 15 persons, we already have three Senior Counsel – Queenie Lau, SC, Derek Chan, SC, and myself. And when it comes to solicitors, the figures are even more impressive. I think we have more than 13 000 solicitors in Hong Kong. And the important thing is that, look at the number of law firms, we have more than 920 law firms. Among these 900 law firms, around 351 have foreign offices. So they are not local law firms, they have presence in other jurisdictions. And I think 80 something have offices in Mainland China. And when we come to registered foreign law firms, there are 77. As for registered foreign lawyers who specialised or qualified in different jurisdictions, I think the number exceeds 1 400. You can tell from the composition, not just the quantity or the number, but the composition, a lot of them are associated one way or the other with law firms in other jurisdictions. Either they have their own presence in other jurisdictions, or they are closely related with some other very close law firms in other jurisdictions. So my point is, when you get the service of a Hong Kong lawyer, you are getting world service. You don’t need to go anywhere. So this is the last factor, which I believe is the most important factor.

         And the other thing is that, as mentioned by some of our friends, when it comes to legal service, it is not just the legal knowledge that matters. At the end of the day, legal service is about resolving people’s problem. You have to understand culture. You have to understand the people. When you are doing business involving a Mainland element, because one of the speakers asked what the criteria of picking arbitrator or mediator are if Mainland element is involved, I think the answer should go beyond the choice of arbitrator and mediator. It goes to the choice of lawyer in general. I think you need to find someone who is not simply good at law but understands human nature and business culture. A good lawyer is somebody who is able to communicate with you, who can explain very technical matters in a way that you can understand, who can understand the whole business environment, who can understand why in a different jurisdiction, why in a different culture, things are done in a certain way, documents are drafted in a particular manner, why certain words are used, what’s the magic, what’s the hidden message. It is important for lawyers to be able to decipher all these subtle points. In Hong Kong, most of us are not just bilingual because we are Chinese, we understand the Chinese culture, we understand how things are done and said, but at the same time, we are trained by the common law tradition. So we are going to be a perfect interpreter, helping you to understand each other, to ensure that nothing will be lost in translation. I think that is a very important point when it comes to the choice of legal service.

         So to sum up, six factors: it’s stable, it’s reliable, it’s business friendly, it’s secure, it provides dual connectivity, it provides abundant supply of truly international legal talent.

         Maybe Singapore enjoys one or two or even five of the factors before, but I’m quite sure that if you do a checklist, Singapore will not be able to have all the ticks in all the six boxes. So it is really the sum total of these six factors which makes Hong Kong so unique.

         The last thing that I would like to say is that I would like you to visualise, to have a sort of mental picture as to what I am saying. I would like to draw an analogy. The legal service of Hong Kong provides is just like a multi-storey building. In one single building, you have a food hall consisting different types of restaurants. We have Michelin three star restaurants, we have restaurants serving Vietnamese food, and we have restaurants serving Chinese food. The point is whatever you need, they will be available, in terms of price or whatever. And the food will be extremely hygienic and the quality will be very high. I think that’s the concept, that’s the main picture that I would like you to have after today’s event. Thank you.      

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Simpson Supports Bill to Cut Red Tape for CHIPS Projects Like Micron

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Rep. Simpson Supports Bill to Cut Red Tape for CHIPS Projects Like Micron

    Washington, September 24, 2024

    WASHINGTON— This week, the United States House of Representatives passed the Building Chips in America Act. Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson voted in favor of this legislation. This bill will accelerate the environmental regulatory process and avoid unnecessary delays for domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing projects.
    “Bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States is crucial for both our national security and economic stability,” said Rep. Simpson. “While the Chinese Communist Party has invested billions to dominate the global semiconductor market, federal bureaucracy here at home has delayed domestic chip production and weakened our standing on the world stage. Semiconductors are the backbone of America’s national security, economic growth, and global competitiveness. With Idaho leading the charge in this industry, I was proud to support this legislation that strengthens our position and counters China’s chokehold over critical resources.”
    The Senate companion of the Building Chips in America Act of 2023 (S. 2228), introduced by Senators Cruz (R-TX) and Kelly (D-AZ), passed the Senate on December 14th, 2023. This legislation will now head to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Banks Probes Air Force’s Race, Sex Quotas for Officer Applicants

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03)

    Today, Rep. Jim Banks (IN-03), Chairman of the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee announced his probe into the U.S. Air Force’s apparent use of race and sex-based quotas for its officer applicant pool. Find a copy of Chairman Banks’ letter to Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Alex Wagner here.

    Said Rep. Banks: “The Biden-Harris DOD’s use of race and sex based quotas is un-American and it should be illegal. It is difficult to understand how the Air Force could aim to cut recruiting of Americans who don’t check the right demographic boxes during the worst recruiting crisis in the history of the All-Volunteer Force. Republicans must work to put merit back at the center of our armed services. It is the right thing to do and it is the only way we will be able to compete with Communist China.”  

    Rep. Banks submitted amendments to the 2025 NDAA to end affirmative action at service academies and prohibit the consideration of race in military accessions.

    The full text of the letter is below:

    Dear Mr. Wagner,

    I’m writing to you regarding the United States Air Force’s apparent use of race and sex quotas for its officer applicant pool.

    On August 9, 2022, the office of the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) sent a memorandum titled “Officer Source of Commission Applicant Pool Goals.” The memorandum sets race and sex quotas, referred to as “Diversity & Inclusion goals,” for commissioned officer applicants to the Air Force at a proportion of 64 percent male and 36 percent female,  67.5 percent white, 15 percent Hispanic, 10 percent Asian, 14 percent African American, 1.5 percent American Indian/Native Alaskan, and 1 percent Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and directs Air Force leadership to develop a plan to reach these goals within 30 days.

    Air Force documents from 2023 recently obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) show that, in response to the August 2022 memorandum, the Air Force developed even more granular race and gender quotas. For example, a slide that was presented to the SECAF as part of its “Office Accession Applicant Pool Goals D&I Outreach Plan” includes a graph that shows white male ROTC officer applicants declining from about sixty percent in 2019 to a goal of approximately 43% by fiscal year 2029.

    Internal Air Force email correspondence obtained by the DCNF suggest that you personally advocated for presenting the SECAF with a specific timeline for implementing these quotas. An email relaying your feedback on the draft “Applicant Pool Goals D&I Outreach Plan” slide deck reads: “Mr. Wagner would like to know specifically and what we are doing for and the timeline to meet goals for each specific demographic, for example, black males, white females, etc.” Another email shows that efforts were made to delay the briefing “to give us more time to meet Mr. Wagner’s intent.”

    At a 2023 House Armed Services Committee Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing, I asked you if you would personally commit to opposing any effort to promote or recruit servicemembers based on their race or gender. You responded that, “I will commit to you to do everything possible to reach the broadest segment of America, whether it means increasing the number of women in our force or people of color, and I commit to you that we will continue those efforts, to have a more diverse force.”

    Please respond to the following questions no later than October 20, 2024:

    1. How does reducing the proportion of white male ROTC applicants by seventeen percent in ten years compatible with your stated goal of “reach[ing] the broadest segment of America”?
    2. Why would the Air Force advocate for reduced recruiting of certain demographics while it struggled to meet its recruiting goals?
    3. What is the difference between the “Diversity & Inclusion goals” you set and race and gender quotas?
    4. Do you believe that race- and sex-based discrimination should be tolerated within the United States Air Force?


     Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Laurel Lee Introduce Bill to Combat CCP Cyber Threat Actors

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Laurel Lee – Florida (15th District)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, House Homeland Security Committee Republicans introduced legislation to combat growing cyber threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against our critical infrastructure. Representative Laurel Lee (R-FL) introduced legislation to establish an interagency task force led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to address the cybersecurity threats posed by state-sponsored cyber actors associated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including Volt Typhoon.
     
    Additionally, the bill requires that the task force provide a classified report and briefing to Congress annually for five years on their findings, conclusions, and recommendations relating to malicious CCP cyber activity. Committee Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) and Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) cosponsored the legislation. Read more in NextGov via David DiMolfetta.
     
    On the “Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act,” Representative Lee said, “The CCP, acting through Volt Typhoon and other threat actors, has made a concerted effort to pre-position itself within our networks in order to target and compromise the critical infrastructure Americans rely on every day––from the transportation and water sectors to the energy sector. While individual agencies have worked to examine and address the threats posed by malign cyber actors like Volt Typhoon, a siloed approach to cybersecurity will only give our adversaries the upper hand. It is critical that the federal government implements a focused, coordinated, and whole-of-government response to all of Beijing’s cyber threats, so no other actors succeed.”  
     
    Chairman Green said, “The threat actor ‘Volt Typhoon’ remained undetected and undeterred in our networks for far too long.  The discovery of the new actor ‘Flax Typhoon’ further demonstrates the CCP’s unabashed commitment to infiltrating our critical infrastructure. While intrusions from threat actors like the Typhoons create a dangerous opportunity for espionage, we know they could also serve as open doors for the CCP to manipulate or thwart crucial services Americans rely on in the event of escalation in the Indo-Pacific. Now is the time to address the threat China poses in cyberspace.”
     
    Chairman Moolenaar said, “At our Select Committee hearing earlier this year, FBI Director Wray broke the news that the United States had uncovered state-affiliated Chinese hackers, known collectively as Volt Typhoon, who infiltrated American critical infrastructure and installed malware to unleash a cyber-attack at a time of their choosing. I’m proud to co-sponsor this legislation alongside Rep. Laurel Lee that will help protect the American people.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Fears and regrets expressed by Gabriele Mazzini about the Artificial Intelligence Act – E-001729/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001729/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mathilde Androuët (PfE)

    The combined share of artificial intelligence (AI) patents awarded between 2010 and 2022 shows that only 2% originated from the EU and the UK, while 61% came from China, 16% from the United States and 21% from the ‘rest of the world’[1]. In January, the Commission launched measures to ‘support European startups and SMEs in developing trustworthy AI that respects EU values and rules’[2]. Parliament adopted the AI Act in March 2024[3].

    Everyone agrees that the dangers of unethical use of AI need to be recognised, but European countries also need to remain competitive with Chinese and US giants in this crucial area.

    Gabriele Mazzini, the lead author at the Commission of the proposal for an AI Act, has apparently stated that ‘the regulatory bar may have been placed too high’, fearing that legal uncertainty will paralyse European firms, benefiting in particular the US tech giants[4].

    Does the Commission share Mr Mazzini’s fears and regrets?

    Submitted: 17.9.2024

    • [1] The AI index report, Measuring trends in AI – Stanford University – https://aiindex.stanford.edu/report/
    • [2] Commission launches AI innovation package to support Artificial Intelligence startups and SMEs – European Commission press release – 24 January 2024.
    • [3] Artificial intelligence: MEPs adopt landmark legislation – European Parliament press release – 13.3.2024.
    • [4] ‘Europe Has US Tech in Its Sights. It Might Miss,’ Lionel Laurent – Bloomberg – 1.8.2024.
    Last updated: 24 September 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks by President  Biden Before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly | New York,  NY

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    United Nations HeadquartersNew York, New York
    10:12 A.M. EDT
    THE PRESIDENT:  My fellow leaders, today is the fourth time I’ve had the great honor of speaking to this assembly as president of the United States.  It will be my last.
    I’ve seen a remarkable sweep of history.  I was first elected to office in the United States of America as a U.S. senator in 1972.  Now, I know I look like I’m only 40.  I know that.  (Laughter.) 
    I was 29 years old.  Back then, we were living through an inflection point, a moment of tension and uncertainty.  The world was divided by the Cold War.  The Middle East was headed toward war.  America was at war in Vietnam, and at that point, the longest war in America’s history. 
    Our country was divided and angry, and there were questions about our staying power and our future.  But even then, I entered public life not out of despair but out of optimism. 
    The United States and the world got through that moment.  It wasn’t easy or simple or without significant setbacks.  But we would go on to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons throughout the — through arms control and then go on to bring the Cold War itself to an end.  Israel and Egypt went to war but then forged a historic peace.  We ended the war in Vietnam. 
    The — last year, in Hanoi, I was — met with the Vietnamese leadership, and we elevated our partnership to the highest level.  It’s a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity for reconciliation that today the United States and Vietnam are partners and friends, and it’s proof that even from the horrors of war there is a way forward.  Things can get better. 
    We should never forget that.  I have seen that throughout my career. 
    In the 1980s, I spoke out against apartheid in South Africa, and then I watched the racist regime fall. 
    In the 1990s, I worked to hold Milošević accountable for war crimes.  He was held accountable.  
    At home, I wrote and passed the Violence Against Women Act to end the scourge of violence against women and girls not only in America but across the world, as many of you have as well.  But we have so much more to do, especially against rape and sexual violence as weapons of war and terror.  
    We were attacked on 9/11 by Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.  We brought him justice. 
    Then I came to the presidency in another moment in a crisis and uncertainty.  I believed America had to look forward.  New challenges, new threats, new opportunities were in front of us.  We needed to put ourselves in a position to see the threats, to deal with the challenges, and to seize the opportunities as well. 
    We needed to end the era of war that began on 9/11.  As vice president to President Obama, he asked me to work to wind down the military operations in Iraq.  And we did, painful as it was. 
    When I came to office as president, Afghanistan had replaced Vietnam as America’s longest war.  I was determined to end it, and I did.  It was a hard decision but the right decision. 
    Four American presidents had faced that decision, but I was determined not to leave it to the fifth.  It was a decision accompanied by tragedy.  Thirteen brave Americans lost their lives along with hundreds of Afghans in a suicide bomb.  I think those lost lives — I think of them every day.
    I think of all the 2,461 U.S. military deaths over a long 20 years of that war.  20,744 American servicemen wounded in action.  I think of their service, their sacrifice, and their heroism. 
    I know other countries lost their own men and women fighting alongside us.  We honor their sacrifices as well.  
    To face the future, I was also determined to rebuild my country’s alliances and partnerships to a level not previously seen.  We did — we did just that, from traditional treaty alliances to new partnerships like the Quad with the United States, Japan, Australia, and India. 
    I know — I know many look at the world today and see difficulties and react with despair, but I do not.  I won’t. 
    As leaders, we don’t have the luxury. 
    I recognize the challenges from Ukraine to Gaza to Sudan and beyond: war, hunger, terrorism, brutality, record displacement of people, a climate crisis, democracy at risk, strains within our societies, the promise of artificial intelligence and its significant risks.  The list goes on. 
    But maybe because of all I’ve seen and all we have done together over the decades, I have hope.  I know there is a wa- — a way forward.  
    In 1919, the Irish poet William Butler Yeats described a world, and I quote, where “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,” end of quote.
    Some may say those words describe the world not just in 1919 but in 2024.  But I see a cri- — a critical distinction. 
    In our time, the center has held.  Leaders and people from every region and across the political spectrum have stood together.  Turned the page — we turned the page on the worst pandemic in a century.  We made sure COVID no longer controls our lives.  We defended the U.N. Charter and ensured the survival of Ukraine as a free nation.  My country made the largest investment in climate and clean energy ever, anywhere in history.
    There will always be forces that pull our countries apart and the world apart: aggression, extremism, chaos, and cynicism, a desire to retreat from the world and go it alone. 
    Our task, our test is to make sure that the forces holding us together are stronger than those that are pulling us apart, that the principles of partnership that we came here each year to uphold can withstand the challenges, that the center holds once again.  
    My fellow leaders, I truly believe we are at another inflection point in world history where the choices we make today will determine our future for decades to come. 
    Will we stand behind the principles that unite us?  We stand firm against aggression.  We — will we end the conflicts that are raging today?  Will we take on global challenges like climate change, hunger, and disease?  Will we plan now for the opportunities and risk of a revolutionary new technologies?
    I want to talk today about each of those decisions and the actions, in my view, we must take.
    To start, each of us in this body has made a commitment to the principles of the U.N. Charter, to stand up against aggression.  When Russia invaded Ukraine, we could have stood by and merely protested.  But Vice President Harris and I understood that that was an assault on everything this institution is supposed to stand for. 
    And so, at my direction, America stepped into the breach, providing massive security and economic and humanitarian assistance.  Our NATO Allies and partners in 50-plus nations stood up as well.  But most importantly, the Ukrainian people stood up.  And I ask the people of this chamber to stand up for them.
    The good news is Putin’s war has failed in his — at his core aim.  He set out to destroy Ukraine, but Ukraine is still free.  He set out to weaken NATO, but NATO is bigger, stronger, and more united than ever before with two new members, Finland and Sweden.  But we cannot let up.
    The world now has another choice to make: Will we sustain our support to help Ukraine win this war and preserve its freedom or walk away and let aggression be renewed and a nation be destroyed?
    I know my answer.  We cannot grow weary.  We cannot look away.  And we will not let up on our support for Ukraine, not until Ukraine wins a just and durable peace [based] on the U.N. Charter.  (Applause.)
    We also need to uphold our principles as we seek to responsibly manage the competition with China so it does not veer into conflict.  We stand ready to cooperate on urgent challenges for the good of our people and the people everywhere.  
    We recently resumed cooperation with China to stop the flow of deadly synthetic narcotics.  I appreciate the collaboration.  It matters for the people in my country and mether- — many others around the world.
    On matters of conviction, the United States is unabashed, pushing back against unfair economic competition and against military coercion of other nations in — in the South China Sea, in maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, in protecting our most advanced technologies so they cannot be used against us or any of our partners. 
    At the same time, we’re going to continue to strengthen our network of alliances and partnerships across the Indo-Pacific.  These partnerships are not against any nation.  They are building blocks for a free, open, secure, and peaceful Indo-Pacific.  
    We are also working to bring a greater measure of peace and stability to the Middle East.  The world must not flinch from the horrors of October 7th.  Any country — any country would have the right and responsibility to ensure that such an attack can never happen again. 
    Thousands of armed Hamas terrorists invaded a sovereign state, slaughtering and massacring more than 1,200 people, including 46 Americans, in their homes and at a music festival; despis- — despicable acts of sexual violence; 250 innocents taken hostage. 
    I’ve met with the families of those hostages.  I’ve grieved with them.  They’re going through hell. 
    Innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell.  Thousands and thousands killed, including aid workers.  Too many families dislocated, crowding into tents, facing a dire humanitarian situation.  They didn’t ask for this war that Hamas started. 
    I put forward with Qatar and Egypt a ceasefire and hostage deal.  It’s been endorsed by the U.N. Security Council.  Now is the time for the parties to finalize its terms, bring the hostages home, en- — secure security for Israel, and Gaza free of Ha- — of Hamas’ grip, ease the suffering in Gaza, and end this war.  
    On October 7th — (applause) — since October 7, we have also been determined to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire region.  Hezbollah, unprovoked, joined the October 7th attack launching rockets into Israel.  Almost a year later, too many on each side of the Israeli-Lebanon border remain displaced. 
    Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest.  Even as the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible.  In fact, it remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely.  And that’s what working — that’s what we’re working tirelessly to achieve.  
    As we look ahead, we must also address the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank and set the conditions for a better future, including a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalized relations with all its neighbors, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own.  (Applause.)
    Progress toward peace will put us in a stronger position to deal with the ongoing threat posed by Iran.  Together, we must deny oxygen to terrorists — to its terrorist proxies, which have called for more October 7ths, and ensure that Iran will never, ever obtain a nuclear weapon.  
    Gaza is not the only conflict that deserves our outrage.  In Sudan, a bloody civil war unleashed one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises: eight million — eight million on the brink of famine, hundreds of thousands already there, atrocities in Darfur and elsewhere. 
    The United States has led the world in providing humanitarian aid to Sudan.  And with our partners, we have led diplomatic talks to try to silence the guns and avort — and avert a wider famine.  The world needs to stop arming the generals, to speak with one voice and tell them: Stop tearing your country apart.  Stop blocking aid to the Sudanese people.  End this war now.  (Applause.)
    But people need more than the absence of war.  They need the chance — the chance to live in dignity.  They need to be protected from the ravages of climate change, hunger, and disease. 
    Our administration has arri- — has invested over $150 billion to make progress and other Sustainable Development Goals.  It includes $20 billion for food security and over $50 billion for global health.  We’ve mobilized billions more in private-sector investment. 
    We’ve taken the most ambitious climate actions in history.  We’ve moved to rejoin the Paris Agreement on day one.  And today, my country is finally on track to cut emissions in half by 2030, on track to honor my pledge to quadruple climate financing to developing nations with $11 billion thus far this year. 
    We’ve rejoined the World Health Organization and donated nearly 700 million doses of COVID vaccine to 117 countries.  We must now move quickly to face mpox outbreak in Africa.  We are prepared to commit $500 million to help African countries prevent and respond to mpox and to donate 1 million doses of mpox vaccine now.  (Applause.)  We call on our partners to match our pledge and make this a billion-dollar commitment to the people of Africa. 
    Beyond the core necessities of food and health, the United States, the G7, and our partners have embarked on an ambitious initiative to mobilize and deliver significant financing to the developing world.  We are working to help countries build out their infrastructure, to clean energy transition, to their digital transformation to lay new economic foundations for a prosperous future. 
    It’s called the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment.  We’ve already starting to see the fruits of this emerge in Southern Africa and in Southeast A- — Asia and in the Americas.  We have to keep it going. 
    I want to get things done together.  In order to do that, we must build a stronger, more effective, and more inclusive United Nations.  The U.N. needs to adapt to bring in new voices and new perspectives.  That’s why we support reforming and expanding the membership of the U.N. Security Council.  (Applause.) 
    My U.N. ambassador just laid out our detailed vision to reflect today’s world, not yesterday’s.  It’s time to move forward. 
    And the Security Council, like the U.N. itself, needs to get back to the job of making peace; of brokering deals to end wars and suffering; th- — (applause) — and to stop the spread of the most dangerous weapons; of stabilizing troubled regions in East Africa — from East Africa to Haiti, to Kenya-led mission that’s working alongside the Haitian people to turn the tide.
    We also have a responsibility to prepare our citizens for the future.  We’ll see more technological change, I argue, in the next 2 to 10 years than we have in the last 50 years.
    Artificial intelligence is going to change our ways of life, our ways of work, and our ways of war.  It could usher in scientific progress at a pace never seen before.  And much of it could make our lives better. 
    But AI also brings profound risks, from deepfakes to disinformation to novel pathogens to bioweapons. 
    We have worked at home and abroad to define the new norms and standards.  This year, we achieved the first-ever General Assembly resolution on AI to start developing global rules — global rules of the road.  We also announced a Declaration of — on the Responsible — Responsible Use of AI, joined by 60 countries in this chamber.
    But let’s be honest.  This is just the tip of the iceberg of what we need to do to manage this new technology. 
    Nothing is certain about how AI will evolve or how it will be deployed.  No one knows all the answers.  
    But my fellow leaders, it’s with humility I offer two questions. 
    First: How do we as an international community govern AI?  As countries and companies race to uncertain frontiers, we need an equally urgent effort to ensure AI’s safety, security, and trustworthiness.  As AI grows more powerful, it must grow also — it also must grow more responsive to our collective needs and values.  The benefits of all must be shared equitably.  It should be harnessed to narrow, not deepen, digital divides.  
    Second: Will we ensure that AI supports, rather than undermines, the core principles that human life has value and all humans deserve dignity?  We must make certain that the awesome capabilities of AI will be used to uplift and empower everyday people, not to give dictators more powerful shackles on human — on the human spirit. 
    In the years ahead, there wa- — they may be — may well be no greater test of our leadership than how we deal with AI.   
    Let me close with this.  Even as we navigate so much change, one thing must not change: We must never forget who we’re here to represent. 
    “We the People.”  These are the first words of our Constitution, the very idea of America.  And they inspired the opening words of the U.N. Charter. 
    I’ve made the preservation of democracy the central cause of my presidency. 
    This summer, I faced a decision whether to seek a second term as president.  It was a difficult decision.  Being president has been the honor of my life.  There is so much more I want to get done.  But as much as I love the job, I love my country more.  I decided, after 50 years of public service, it’s time for a new generation of leadership to take my nation forward. 
    My fellow leaders, let us never forget, some things are more important than staying in power.  It’s your people — (applause) — it’s your people that matter the most. 
    Never forget, we are here to serve the people, not the other way around.  Because the future will be — the future will be won by those who unleash the full potential of their people to breathe free, to think freely, to innovate, to educate, to live and love openly without fear. 
    That’s the soul of democracy.  It does not belong to any one country. 
    I’ve seen it all around the world in the brave men and women who ended apartheid, brought down the Berlin Wall, fight today for freedom and justice and dignity. 
    We saw it — that universal yearning for rights and freedom — in Venezuela, where millions cast their vote for change.  It hasn’t been recognized, but it can’t be denied.  The world knows the truth. 
    We saw it in Uganda LBGT [LGBT] activists demanding safety and recognition of their common humanity. 
    We see it in citizens across the world peacefully choosing their future — from Ghana to India to South Korea, nations representing one quarter of humanity who will hold elections this year alone. 
    It’s remarkable, the power of “We the People,” that makes me more optimistic about the future than I’ve ever been since I was first elected to the United States Senate in 1972.  
    Every age faces its challenges.  I saw it as a young man.  I see it today. 
    But we are stronger than we think.  We’re stronger together than alone.  And what the people call “impossible” is just an illusion. 
    Nelson Mandela taught us, and I quote, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”  “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
    My fellow leaders, there is nothing that’s beyond our capacity if we work together.  Let’s work together.
    God bless you all.  And may God protect all those who seek peace. 
    Thank you.  (Applause.)
    10:36 A.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Marshall, Brown, and Reps. Mann, Kaptur Lead Bipartisan Legislation Fighting For Farmers with Biofuel Tax Credit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. introduced the bicameral and bipartisan Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act requiring the Treasury Department to restrict the eligibility of the 45Z Tax Credit to renewable fuels made only from domestically sourced feedstocks and extending the tax credit to make it a full ten-year credit.  This bill is co-led with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) with companion legislation introduced by Representatives Mann (R-KS-01) and Kaptur (D-OH-09) in the House of Representatives. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Tina Smith (D-MN) also cosponsored the legislation. 
    The 10-year credit will give the ethanol industry the time and financial incentive to build up the infrastructure needed for the U.S. to be less reliant on foreign fuel, open new markets for farmers, and increase ethanol production across the Midwest. However, we recently learned that 45Z has a glaring flaw that needs to be fixed for farmers wanting to sell feedstocks to the biodiesel and renewable diesel industry. If 45Z goes into effect as is, taxpayers will be massively subsidizing Chinese used cooking oil and would all but eliminate the use of homegrown soy or corn oil in renewable diesel.
    “It’s very tough in farm country with high interest rates and low commodity prices, which is exactly why we can’t have a tax policy that will lower commodity prices even more. While we support free trade and open markets, we do not believe foreign feedstocks should be incentivized through the hard-earned dollars of U.S. taxpayers to the detriment of American farmers,” said Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS). “This legislation puts farmers FIRST to ensure they are the primary beneficiaries of renewable fuel tax incentives and provides businesses a decade of certainty.”
    “American tax dollars should support American farmers – not imported feedstocks. To continue to grow the biofuels industry and open new markets for Ohio farmers, we must stop taxpayer money from subsidizing a surge in Chinese cooking oil or any other foreign feedstock from infiltrating the American market. Our bipartisan bill ensures these investments benefit Ohio farmers and Ohio energy producers.” Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said.
    “In no world should American tax incentives benefit foreign producers,” said Congressman Tracey Mann (R-KS-01). “While the use of foreign feedstocks can play an important role in producing domestically manufactured ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel, we must not displace harvest in America. Our legislation puts American farmers first by ensuring that American tax credits are incentivizing American-grown products.”
    “I joined my colleagues in this important bicameral and bipartisan effort because helping American farmers, producers, and growers goes beyond state and party lines,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture.” We must ensure the Clean Fuel Production tax credit is structured in a way that benefits domestic producers and not one that advantages foreign-produced feedstocks from China or Brazil. Our legislation will extend this credit through 2034 and bolster American energy independence by prioritizing American producers and the production of domestic biofuels.”
    “U.S. soybean farmers have been at the forefront of our domestic clean-energy production through the booming biodiesel and renewable diesel industry over the last decade. The Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act ensures our Kansas soybean growers maintain access to this vital market sector going forward and strengthens the clean fuel production credit for the future,” Kaleb Little, Kansas Soybean Association CEO, said. 
    “We appreciate the efforts of Senator Marshall and his colleagues on this bill to ensure imported feedstocks do not receive tax credits funded by American taxpayers in the 45Z program for Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Companies have a right to import feedstocks from foreign countries, but those foreign producers should not receive tax credits funded by U.S. taxpayers,” said Kansas Corn Growers Association CEO Josh Roe.
    “Ensuring American farmers reach maximum profitability and build resiliency to pass down their farms to the next generation should be our top priority,” said Adam York, Kansas Sorghum Producers CEO. “This legislation helps make sure the intended benefits of this program arrive into our rural economies.”
    “NOPA commends this bipartisan, bicameral legislative effort which puts U.S fuel producers, U.S. crushers and U.S. farmers first. We thank Senators Brown and Marshall and Representatives Mann and Kaptur for their leadership,” said NOPA President and CEO Kailee Tkacz Buller. “We support free trade and open markets but do not believe foreign feedstocks should benefit on the backs of U.S. taxpayers to the detriment of U.S. farmers. Without this fix, the 45Z credit will incentivize the use of foreign feedstocks over those grown by U.S. farmers. Our industry has made significant investments to expand U.S. crush capacity by 30 percent and this fix is pivotal to ensuring these investments are delivered.”
    “Corn growers are making every effort to help the airline industry lower its greenhouse gas emissions through the use of corn ethanol,” said Minnesota farmer and NCGA president Harold Wolle. “We are deeply appreciative of these leaders for introducing legislation that establishes requirements for the tax credit that will level the playing field for America’s corn growers.”
    “Biofuel production paves a key path for our country to be a clean energy leader, and U.S. farmers who grow the crops going into those biofuels take pride in helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the U.S. economy and energy independence,” said ASA President Josh Gackle, a North Dakota soybean farmer. “However, for continued growth of America’s promising biofuels industry, U.S. farmers need the support of a final 45Z rule that prioritizes domestically sourced feedstock.”
    “The Farmer First Fuel Incentive Act recognizes the vital role of American agriculture in 45Z. This legislation ensures that the guidance is designed and implemented in a farmer-focused manner, supporting domestic clean energy production and stimulating economic growth across rural America,” Craig Meeker, Chairman of National Sorghum Producers, said.
    “This important bill sends a strong signal that extending the 45Z credit is going to be a top, bipartisan priority in this Congress and the next,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “We applaud Senators Brown, Marshall, and all our rural champions for working to give biofuel producers and our farm partners the long-term certainty we need to accelerate innovation in America’s bioeconomy. With a longer runway from Congress, and clear, flexible, and timely guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, we’ll have the pieces in place to unlock billions of dollars in new clean energy investments across rural America,” Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, said.
    Background:
    Prior to introducing this legislation, Senator Roger Marshall also led a bipartisan letter calling for the U.S. Treasury Department to restrict the eligibility of the 45Z Tax Credit to renewable fuels made only from domestically-sourced feedstocks, like Kansas soybean oil and corn oil. You may click HERE to read Senator Marshall’s full letter. 
    Representatives Mann and Kaptur led a similar letter in the House.
    A similar letter calling for 45z to be restricted to domestic feedstocks was sent by the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, and National Farmers Union to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI China: Xinjiang’s railway port sees 6,000 China-Europe freight trains this year

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

    URUMQI, Sept. 24 — Horgos Port, a major railway hub in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has facilitated 6,000 China-Europe freight train trips since the beginning of this year, according to local customs officials.

    The port has maintained an average of 22 daily China-Europe freight train trips, with increased exports of daily supplies, electromechanical equipment, electronic products, and agricultural produce to markets in Central Asia and Europe.

    Along with Alataw Pass, another key railway port in the region, the two ports have handled over 10,000 China-Europe freight trains as of late August, according to local railway authorities.

    This figure represents a 9 percent year-on-year growth, data from the China Railway Urumqi Bureau Group Co., Ltd. indicated.

    MIL OSI China News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI China: China-ASEAN Expo further drives economic, trade cooperation

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

    NANNING, Sept. 24 — Participants at the 21st China-ASEAN Expo, which kicked off on Tuesday in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, emphasized the importance of deepening economic and trade cooperation between the two sides.

    The opening ceremony attracted about 1,100 participants, including Chinese and foreign leaders, government officials, entrepreneurs, scholars, and representatives from international organizations.

    The theme of this year’s expo focuses on “Upholding amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness for common development, creating a diamond crown new future — promoting development of a China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 and high-quality growth of this region.”

    Speaking at the opening ceremony, China’s Vice Minister of Commerce Li Fei said that the mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation between China and ASEAN countries has reached new levels.

    Bilateral economic and trade cooperation has continued to upgrade over the years, with positive progress achieved in negotiations for version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, Li said.

    The five-day event covers an exhibition area of nearly 200,000 square meters, with Malaysia as the country of honor.

    As part of the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia, four events related to China-Malaysia enterprise cooperation matchmaking, China-ASEAN commodity trading innovation promotion, and the Malaysian durian shopping festival, will be held.

    In addition, a new section has been introduced to highlight strategic emerging industries, showcasing the latest developments and technologies in fields such as digital technology, new energy and intelligent connected vehicles.

    The expo has been standing as a testament to the enduring friendship, cooperation and shared prosperity between China and the ASEAN countries over the years, said Kao Kim Hourn, secretary-general of ASEAN, adding that since its inception in 2004, the expo has evolved into an important platform for dialogue, cooperation and development, covering sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, technology, education and tourism.

    It has made important contributions to the economic integration between ASEAN and China, facilitating investment flows and cross-border economic opportunities, laying the foundation for building a more connected, resilient and dynamic region, Kao added.

    Since the first China-ASEAN Expo was held in 2004, the event has actively built a platform for ASEAN enterprises to enter the Chinese market.

    Official data shows that China has remained ASEAN’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years. In the first seven months of this year, bilateral trade reached 552 billion U.S. dollars, up 7.7 percent year on year.

    MIL OSI China News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Translation: ASIA/CHINA – The memory of the Jesuit Martino Martini still opens up paths of encounter and proximity

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –

    Source: The Holy See in Italian

    by Marta Zhao and Laura Gomez RuizHangzhou (Agenzia Fides) – China, the city of Hangzhou and the Chinese Catholic community have never forgotten Martino Martini. The great Jesuit missionary esteemed by the Emperors and welcomed to the Court of the Qing Dynasty, was born in Trento precisely 410 years ago, on 20 September 1614. Even today his story and his testimony arouse unexpected sympathy and ignite surprising closeness. In the program of celebrations promoted by the Italian Embassy in Beijing for the 700 years since the death of the traveler and merchant Marco Polo, the theme “In the footsteps of Marco Polo: Martino Martini” was the first addressed to introduce the series of important Italian personalities who, at different times and in different capacities, contributed to the spread of knowledge of China in the West. Even the President Xi Jinping has publicly expressed his esteem for Martino Martini. In an intervention published in Corriere della Sera on 20 March 2019, on the eve of his official visit to Italy, Xi Jinping cited the Jesuit as a pioneer of the group of Italian Sinologists who «have played a bridging role in relations between China and Europe, starting from the first grammar of the Chinese language written for the West by Martino Martini to “Italy and China” by Giuliano Bertuccioli and Federico Masini”. In Italy, the Study Center named after Martino Martini, based in Trento, promotes, among other things “On the Road to Cathay”, a biannual magazine on cultural relations between Europe and China. In the city of Hangzhou, a park bearing his name has been established around his Mausoleum. That site protected by the body that looks after the cultural heritage of Zhejiang Province has become like a sanctuary for Chinese Catholics. Currently undergoing restoration, the Mausoleum holds the mortal remains of 15 famous Jesuit missionaries who ended their earthly lives near the magnificent Xizi Lake. Among them also include Father Prospero Intorcetta (1626–1696), Father Nicolas Trigault (1577-1629), Father Lazaro Cattaneo (1560-1640) and Father Emmanuel Diaz (1574-1659). In 2018, an exhibition dedicated to the work map by Martino Martini was inaugurated in the headquarters of the China-Italy Center in Hangzhou to commemorate the 375th anniversary of the arrival of the great missionary in that city (Agenzia Fides 13/6/2018). The Catholic community of Hangzhou organized a Conference academic commemorating the 350 years of the construction of the Cathedral. Six well-known academics from Chinese universities and scholars linked to Catholic bodies such as the Faith Institute for Cultural Studies (FICS), the Guang Qi Press of the diocese of Shanghai collaborated in presenting studies on the life and mission of the Jesuit, in the presence of the Italian Consul in Shanghai. Martino Martini’s legacy was presented as “a strong impulse for today’s mission, so that it continues on its path by making its sense of missionary responsibility, his courage and his dedication its own”. (Agenzia Fides 22/01/2010). The affection and devotion that surround the figure of Martino Martini are proportional to the intensity with which he lived his time, donating his existence to the announcement of the Gospel in China. Martino Martini was born on 20 September 1614 in Trento. In 1631 he entered the Society of Jesus as a novice. After studying at the Roman College under the influence of his mentor, the German Jesuit Athanasius Kircher, he joined the Eastern Mission in 1640, traveling by ship from Lisbon in Portugal, via Goa in India (November 1640), up to Macao, China, where he arrived in August 1642. The following year he was sent to the Chinese continent. Thus he began his legendary journey of cultural exchange between China and Europe, a journey that he traveled twice. He wrote the first Chinese grammar in the West and related works, which contributed to cultural exchange and bridged the gap between China and Europe, profoundly influencing the birth and development of Sinology in Italy. The time of his stay in China, at era of the Ming and Qing dynasties, is a period of great social unrest. The Jesuits, after having established good relations with influential sectors of Chinese society and political hierarchy, are beginning to experience concerns about how the situation will evolve. The Chinese name you choose, Wei Kuangguo, includes all its good wishes: it indicates the drive to defend and support the country and the desire to have peace and prosperity in the world. In China, turbulence and conflicts also divide the Jesuits and Spanish and mendicant orders they even infiltrate within the Society of Jesus itself. The controversy over the Chinese translation of the name of God and the possibility that the new Christians continue to practice the cult of the dead according to the methods specific to Chinese culture does not abate, it reaches an intensity that Martini does not manages to contain, both inside and outside the Order. An event that will have a profound impact on the rest of his life. Travel and writing constitute the common thread of the second half of his life. During the first eight years of his stay in China (1643-1650), Martino Martini traveled between the two capitals as well as Hangzhou and Jinhua in Zhejiang. In the fourth year of Shunzhi’s reign (1647), with the help of Zhu Shi, a parishioner of Lanxi in Zhejiang, Martino Martini wrote the Qiu You Zhuan (Treatise on Friendship, Hangzhou, 1661), proceeding on the humanist register already adopted on the other, Jesuit Matteo Ricci in his work of the same name, the first written in Chinese by the Jesuit from Macerata. The southern part of Zhejiang, where Martino Martini is located, is a region in which Spanish monks also operate. He agrees with the indications of his brother Matteo Ricci and well recognizes the differences with the Spanish Cistercians on the question of the Chinese Rites. Furthermore, the Spanish Dominican Juan Bautista Morales (1597–1664) had already traveled to Rome to express his objections regarding the Jesuit position regarding the controversy. When the Jesuit mission in China decides to send their representative to Europe to explain the situation from their point of view, the choice falls on Martino Martini. In 1651 the Jesuit goes to Europe to defend the position of the Society of Jesus on the question of Chinese rites. Thanks also to his good offices, in 1656 the Holy See issued an edict in favor of the Jesuits. During his travels in Europe, Martino Martini published three works in Latin: De Bello Tartarico Historia, Novus Atlas Sinensis and Sinice Historia Decas Prima (of which had also announced the publication of the sequel). These works represented the most systematic, in-depth and effective reports on the Chinese reality circulating in Europe at that time. In 1657 Wei returned to China and continued his mission in Hangzhou, where he completed the construction of the Church of the Redeemer in 1661 and where he died on June 6 of the same year at the age of 47. After being well received by the Qing court and received by the Shunzhi Emperor himself in Beijing. (Agenzia Fides 24/9/2024)[embedded content]Share:

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: China: World leaders must act to end decade of injustice for jailed Uyghur academic

    Source: Amnesty International –

    • Prisoner of conscience Ilham Tohti handed life sentence 10 years ago
    • Governments urged to step up diplomatic efforts to secure his freedom
    • Tohti’s daughter says Chinese authorities have tried to silence her activism
    • Amnesty launches petition calling on Chinese government to release Tohti

    The international community must take concrete steps to help secure the release of the Uyghur academic Ilham Tohti, Amnesty International said ahead of the 10-year-anniversary of his conviction on baseless charges of “separatism”. 

    Tohti was sentenced to life imprisonment on 23 September 2014 after an unfair trial. He was targeted by the Chinese government after peacefully advocating for dialogue and conciliation between the Uyghur ethnic group and China’s majority Han population. 

    “When Ilham Tohti promoted cooperation and peaceful coexistence between China’s Uyghur and Han communities, the Chinese government responded with repression and imprisonment. His decade-long incarceration is a further shameful stain on China’s troubled human rights record,” said Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

    “This unhappy anniversary not only reminds us of Beijing’s inhumanity. It also highlights the failure of other governments to secure Ilham Tohti’s release. The shocking milestone of his 10th year behind bars underlines the need for the international community to do more.”

    The charges against Ilham Tohti stemmed from his writings and teachings on systemic discrimination and oppression faced by Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwest China (Xinjiang).

    It is an outrage that the persecution of Uyghurs including Ilham Tohti continues unabated, and with impunity.

    Agnes Callamard

    While critical of Chinese government policies in Xinjiang, Ilham Tohti consistently opposed violence and separatism and worked to build bridges between ethnic communities in accordance with Chinese laws.

    He was awarded the Sakharov Prize – the European Parliament’s top human rights prize – in 2019.

    “The bestowal of awards recognizes and affirms Ilham Tothi’s leading human rights contribution, as well as his own human rights plight. Yet what he needs most is freedom, and to achieve that he deserves unswerving public advocacy from the international community, calling for his release. That means world leaders directly demanding action from their Chinese counterparts – at every high-level meeting, every UN conference, every time,” Agnes Callamard said.

    “It is the compassionate stance of Ilham Tohti that makes his imprisonment particularly heinous, and that compels the global community to do more to defend his rights. Ilham Tohti is a prisoner of conscience, and his freedom would be a crucial step in advancing human rights and justice in China.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Hong Kong: T-shirt sedition sentencing shows malice of new national security legislation

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Responding to the 14-month prison sentence handed to Hong Kong man Chu Kai-pong for wearing a “seditious” T-shirt and mask, Amnesty International’s China Director Sarah Brooks said:

    “Just when you thought the human rights situation in Hong Kong couldn’t get any bleaker, a man is condemned to more than a year in prison just because of the clothing he chose to wear. This is a blatant attack on the right to freedom of expression.

    “The conviction and sentencing of Chu Kai-pong over his choice of clothing also highlights the sheer malice of Hong Kong’s new Article 23 law, which expands the government’s powers to punish so-called ‘seditious’ acts.

    “Chu Kai-pong is the first person convicted under this legislation, but its vague wording, vast scope and repressive nature leaves Hong Kongers fearing that he will not be the last. We once again urge the Hong Kong authorities to repeal this law.

    “The government must also end its use of  ‘sedition’ laws to crack down on dissent under the pretext of protecting ‘national security’. Chu Kai-pong has committed no internationally recognized crime and he must be released immediately.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UN Security Council casts nearly all vetoes last decade on Syria, Palestine and Ukraine, robbing opportunities for peace

    Source: Oxfam –

    Ahead of the UN Summit for the Future, Oxfam calls for reform of the UN Security Council to stop the “Permanent Five” from being their own “judge and jury”

    The UN Security Council (UNSC) is failing people living in conflict, with Russia and the United States particularly responsible for abusing their veto power which is blocking progress toward peace in Ukraine, Syria, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel.

    A new Oxfam report, Vetoing Humanity, studied 23 of the world’s most protracted conflicts over the past decade, including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Libya, Niger, the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen, and found that 27 of the 30 UNSC vetoes cast on these conflicts were on OPT, Syria and Ukraine.

    The report concludes that the five permanent members of the UNSC (the P5) are exploiting their exclusive voting and negotiating powers to suit their own geopolitical interests. In doing so, they have undermined the Council’s ability to maintain international peace and security.

    More than a million people have been killed in these 23 conflicts alone and more than 230 million people are today in urgent need of aid – an increase of over 150 percent since 2015.

    “China, France, Russia, the UK and the US took responsibility for global security at the UNSC in what is now a bygone colonial age. The contradictions of their acting as judge and jury of their own military alliances, interests and adventures are incompatible with a world seeking peace and justice for all,” said Oxfam International Executive Director Amitabh Behar.

    For instance, in 2023 Russia vetoed a nine-month extension of cross-border assistance to Northern Syria which left 4.1 million people with little or no access to food, water and medicine. Russia has also used its veto four times on Ukraine, despite being an aggressor in the conflict and by UN rules should therefore be disqualified from voting.

    “China, France, Russia, the UK and the US took responsibility for global security at the UNSC in what is now a bygone colonial age. The contradictions of their acting as judge and jury of their own military alliances, interests and adventures are incompatible with a world seeking peace and justice for all.” 

    Amitabh Behar, Oxfam International Executive Director

    Oxfam International

    While the UN General Assembly (UNGA) has passed at least 77 resolutions over the last decade supporting Palestinian self-determination and human rights and an end to Israel’s illegal occupation, the US has used its veto power six times to block resolutions perceived as unfavourable to its ally Israel. The US vetoes have created a permissive environment for Israel to expand illegal settlements in the Palestinian territory with impunity.

    “More often than not the Security Council permanent members’ vetoes have contradicted the will of the UN General Assembly, in which all states are represented,” Behar said.

    The report critiques another of the P5’s powers called “pen-holding”, which allows them to lead on negotiations and direct how resolutions are drafted and tabled, or ignored – again, too often according to their own interests.

    While France and the UK have not used their veto last decade, they and the US have held the pen on two-thirds of resolutions relating to the 23 protracted crises studied by Oxfam. The UK holds the pen on Yemen, for example, where it has a colonial legacy and strategic interests to maintain the maritime routes. In 2023, Mali objected to French pen-holding given what it considered “acts of aggression and destabilization” there.

    Many other initiatives are not even written up or tabled because they would inevitability be vetoed, the report says. As a result, the 23 crises studied by Oxfam are being treated in wildly different ways.

    Nearly half of them have been largely neglected with fewer than five resolutions each over the last decade, including just one on Myanmar and none on Ethiopia or Venezuela.

    “The erratic and self-interested behaviour of UNSC members has contributed to an explosion of humanitarian needs that is now outpacing humanitarian organizations’ ability to respond. This demands a fundamental change of our international security architecture at the very top.”

    Amitabh Behar, Oxfam International Executive Director

    Oxfam International

    On the other hand, the UNSC has passed nearly 80 on both South Sudan and Sudan, 53 on Somalia and 48 on Libya. None have led to lasting peace. Despite the Democratic Republic of Congo having had 24 UNSC resolutions in the past 10 years, for instance, the UN mission there (MONUSCO) has been hindered by chronic underfunding and lack of coordination.

    “The erratic and self-interested behaviour of UNSC members has contributed to an explosion of humanitarian needs that is now outpacing humanitarian organizations’ ability to respond. This demands a fundamental change of our international security architecture at the very top,” Behar said.

    Globally, the number of people needing humanitarian assistance has risen nearly four times in the last decade, triggering massive funding needs. Between 2014 and 2023, the UN appeal has nearly tripled from $20 billion to over $56 billion – but less than half of this amount was met last year.

    The report is critical of the fact that humanitarian funding remains entirely dependent upon voluntary contributions. In contrast, UN member state funding for peacekeeping operations is mandatory.

    As the Summit of the Future kicks off this week to envision a revitalized UN, Oxfam calls for a wholesale reform of the UN Security Council, including the abolition of the P5’s veto power.

    “We need a new vision for a UN system that meets its original ambitions and made fit for purpose for today’s reality,” Behar said. “A Council that works for the global majority not a powerful few. This starts with renouncing the veto and pen-holding privilege of the P5 and expanding membership to more countries.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Hong Kong: Prison sentence for wearing slogan T-shirt is ‘blatant attack’ on freedom of expression

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Hong Kong man is first to be sentenced under repressive new law

    The Government must stop using ‘sedition’ laws to silence dissent

    ‘Chu Kai-pong has committed no internationally recognised crime and he must be released immediately’ – Sarah Brooks

    In response to today’s sentencing of Chu Kai-pong in Hong Kong to 14-months in prison for wearing a “seditious” T-shirt and mask – the first person to be charged, convicted and sentenced under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International’s China Director, said:

    “Just when you thought the human rights situation in Hong Kong couldn’t get any bleaker, a man is condemned to more than a year in prison just because of the clothing he chose to wear. This is a blatant attack on the right to freedom of expression.

    “The conviction and sentencing of Chu Kai-pong over his choice of clothing also highlights the sheer malice of Hong Kong’s new Article 23 law, which expands the Government’s powers to punish so-called ‘seditious’ acts.

    “Chu Kai-pong is the first person convicted under this legislation, but its vague wording, vast scope and repressive nature leaves Hong Kongers fearing that he will not be the last. We once again urge the Hong Kong authorities to repeal this law.

    “The Government must also end its use of ‘sedition’ laws to crack down on dissent under the pretext of protecting ‘national security’. Chu Kai-pong has committed no internationally recognised crime and he must be released immediately.”

    Prison for protest slogan

    Chu Kai-pong was sentenced under section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, the new national security legislation enacted in March this year based on Article 23 of the city’s Basic Law for “an act or acts that had a seditious intention”.

    He was arrested on 12 June, the anniversary of the 2019 anti-extradition protests, for wearing a T-shirt bearing the 2019 protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times”, and a yellow mask printed with the letters “FDNOL”, the abbreviation of another protest slogan “Five Demands, Not One Less”. He has already been detained for more than three months and denied bail. He was also charged with two other offences: loitering and failure to produce proof of identity for inspection, but these were dropped after he pleaded guilty to the sedition charge.

    Under section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, a person convicted of sedition can be imprisoned for seven years. If they are found to have colluded with an “external force”, the maximum sentence is increased to 10 years; previously the offence was punishable by up to two years in prison. According to Amnesty’s records, 12 people have been arrested for sedition – and three charged – under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance since its enactment.

    MIL OSI NGO –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2024 Article IV Consultation with Vanuatu

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    September 3, 2024

    Washington, DC: On August 28, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation[1] with Vanuatu.

    As Vanuatu was recovering from the natural disasters of 2023 and prolonged disturbance from the pandemic, the voluntary liquidation of Air Vanuatu in May 2024 created a major shock to the economy with substantial implications for growth and confidence. The loss of air connectivity has significant direct effects on economic activity through the decline in tourism and services, and on domestic and international labor mobility and cargo networks. Adverse developments in the Economic Citizenship Program (ECP) are also creating significant impairments to fiscal revenue and financial integrity.

    Assuming a resumption of international air connectivity by 2024Q3 and domestic connections to be restored gradually by end-2024, real GDP growth is expected to slow to 0.9 percent y/y in 2024 and recover to 1½ percent y/y in 2025 (from an estimated 2.2 percent y/y in 2023). Limited fiscal revenue and high costs associated with the airline liquidation are expected to exacerbate the deficit and reduce the government’s fiscal space. Consequently, capital spending will likely decline as expenditures are reprioritized, affecting medium- and long-term growth. Although foreign reserves will remain above the RBV’s benchmark, they are forecast to decline due to lower tourism earnings and remittances.

    While the loss of connectivity may produce price shocks, inflation, which peaked in 2023, will continue to decelerate as internal and external price pressures ease, supported by reduced demand from tourism and investment. Risks to the outlook remain tilted to the downside, including a worse-than-expected resolution of Air Vanuatu’s liquidation, political instability, geopolitical tensions, China’s slowdown, and severe natural disasters.

    Executive Board Assessment[2]

    Executive Directors agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. They noted the significant economic shock created by the voluntary liquidation of Air Vanuatu just as the economy was recovering from the multiple natural disasters of 2023. With real GDP growth expected to decelerate markedly in 2024, and the balance of risks tilted to the downside, Directors called for urgent measures to address the immediate risks to growth and stability, and then to rebuild buffers and tackle structural issues with accelerated policy reforms.

    Directors agreed that in the near term targeted and strategic support is needed to help stabilize the economy. Starting in 2025, they called for urgent fiscal consolidation to reduce sustainability concerns, including re‑establishing and adhering to the fiscal anchor. Against the backdrop of the voluntary liquidation of Air Vanuatu, as well as declining Economic Citizenship Program (ECP) proceeds, Directors also highlighted the structural revenue weakness in Vanuatu and supported calls to strengthen public finances. They emphasized the importance of stronger revenue mobilization, expenditure rationalization, efficiency enhancements for spending, and a strong adherence to the principles of responsible public financial management.

    Directors agreed that monetary policy remains appropriately accommodative, but fiscal dominance needs to be reduced. While recognizing that the exchange rate has acted as a buffer, they noted that it requires close monitoring, and welcomed the authorities’ efforts to review the currency basket.

    Directors stressed the importance of addressing bank asset quality concerns and enhancing safeguards against financial vulnerabilities, including through upgrading regulatory, supervisory, and monitoring practices. They also agreed that improving governance and reducing vulnerabilities to corruption should remain a priority. In this context, Directors emphasized the crucial importance of enhancing anti‑corruption frameworks and the transparency and supervision of SOEs, including through ensuring an expedited approval of the Commercial Government Business Enterprises Act.

    Directors commended the authorities’ efforts to adapt to climate impacts and build resilience against future disasters and called for these efforts to be accelerated. They agreed that investing in quality education and skills training and improving the ease of doing business are crucial to addressing labor and skills shortages in Vanuatu.

    [1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.

    [2] At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chairman of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country’s authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summings up can be found here: http://www.IMF.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Randa Elnagar

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    @IMFSpokesperson

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/09/03/pr24315-vanuatu-imf-exec-board-concludes-2024-art-iv-consult

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: China: World leaders must act to end decade of injustice for jailed Uyghur academic – Amnesty International

    Source: Amnesty International

    Prisoner of conscience Ilham Tohti handed life sentence 10 years ago
    Governments urged to step up diplomatic efforts to secure his freedom
    Tohti’s daughter says Chinese authorities have tried to silence her activism
    Amnesty launches petition calling on Chinese government to release Tohti

    The international community must take concrete steps to help secure the release of the Uyghur academic Ilham Tohti, Amnesty International said ahead of the 10-year-anniversary of his conviction on baseless charges of “separatism”.  

    Tohti was sentenced to life imprisonment on 23 September 2014 after an unfair trial. He was targeted by the Chinese government after peacefully advocating for dialogue and conciliation between the Uyghur ethnic group and China’s majority Han population.  

    “When Ilham Tohti promoted cooperation and peaceful coexistence between China’s Uyghur and Han communities, the Chinese government responded with repression and imprisonment. His decade-long incarceration is a further shameful stain on China’s troubled human rights record,” said Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

    “This unhappy anniversary not only reminds us of Beijing’s inhumanity. It also highlights the failure of other governments to secure Ilham Tohti’s release. The shocking milestone of his 10th year behind bars underlines the need for the international community to do more.”

    The charges against Ilham Tohti stemmed from his writings and teachings on systemic discrimination and oppression faced by Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwest China (Xinjiang).

    While critical of Chinese government policies in Xinjiang, Ilham Tohti consistently opposed violence and separatism and worked to build bridges between ethnic communities in accordance with Chinese laws.

    He was awarded the Sakharov Prize – the European Parliament’s top human rights prize – in 2019.

    “The bestowal of awards recognizes and affirms Ilham Tothi’s leading human rights contribution, as well as his own human rights plight. Yet what he needs most is freedom, and to achieve that he deserves unswerving public advocacy from the international community, calling for his release. That means world leaders directly demanding action from their Chinese counterparts – at every high-level meeting, every UN conference, every time,” Agnes Callamard said.

    “It is the compassionate stance of Ilham Tohti that makes his imprisonment particularly heinous, and that compels the global community to do more to defend his rights. Ilham Tohti is a prisoner of conscience, and his freedom would be a crucial step in advancing human rights and justice in China.”

    During his imprisonment, Ilham Tohti has reportedly been subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, including wrist and ankle shackling, prolonged solitary confinement and denial of adequate medical care and food, as well as political indoctrination.

    His daughter, Jewher Ilham, has campaigned tirelessly for his release. She told Amnesty International that Chinese authorities have attempted to silence her by offering her conditional contact with him in exchange for her stopping her public advocacy on his case.

    Her last conversation with her father, over Skype while she was studying in the USA, was on 14 January 2014 just hours before his arrest in Beijing. Tohti’s China-based family has not seen him since spring 2017, when their quarterly prison visits abruptly stopped.

    “It should be a daughter’s fundamental right to see her father, and as a human being it is my right to call out injustice anytime I see it,” Jewher Ilham told Amnesty International.

    Speaking of their last meeting 10 years ago, she said: “If I knew (that) would have been my last time communicating with my father, I would have called him for hours and hours and hours to tell him I love him. Unfortunately, many Uyghur people, many Uyghur daughters and sons, share the same fate as me.”

    Since 2017, there has been extensive documentation of China’s crackdown against Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic people in Xinjiang, carried out under the guise of fighting terrorism.

    In 2021, a report by Amnesty International found that the systematic state-organized mass imprisonment, torture and persecution perpetrated by Chinese authorities amounted to crimes against humanity.  

    Many of Amnesty’s findings were mirrored by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) assessment of the situation in Xinjiang, published in August 2022.

    The UN report found that the “extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups … may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.” The report added that “the conditions remain in place for serious violations to continue and recur,” creating additional urgency for a prompt and effective effort to address the situation.

    However, in October 2022, Human Rights Council member states rejected by a narrow margin a decision that would have called for a debate on the report.

    OHCHR High Commissioner Volker Türk committed in December 2022 to “personally engage with (Chinese) authorities” about the grave human rights violations highlighted in the report.

    In March 2024, the High Commissioner urged the Chinese government to implement recommendations of his office and other UN bodies, including those from the 2022 report. And in August 2024, the OHCHR issued a press statement highlighting glaring gaps in China’s implementation of UN recommendations, stating that “many of the problematic laws and policies remain in place.”

    “It is an outrage that the persecution of Uyghurs including Ilham Tohti continues unabated, and with impunity,” Agnes Callamard said.

    “Since the Chinese authorities show no signs of relenting, the onus is on world leaders to ramp up pressure on Beijing – including at the UN – to end all discrimination and arbitrary detention of certain ethnic groups and hold perpetrators of violations accountable.”

    Meanwhile, Jewher Ilham continues her long wait to be reunited with her father.

    “I hope you can help me bring him home,” she told Amnesty International. “I would just tell him that you don’t have to worry (about) anything anymore. Now I’m standing by your side. You’re not alone anymore.”

    Amnesty International has launched a new petition calling on Chinese President Xi Jinping to ensure Ilham Tohti’s immediate and unconditional release. (ref. https://www.amnesty.org/en/petition/china-must-end-decade-of-injustice/ )

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Hong Kong: T-shirt sedition sentencing shows malice of new national security legislation – Amnesty International

    Source: Amnesty International

    Responding to the 14-month prison sentence handed to Hong Kong man Chu Kai-pong for wearing a “seditious” T-shirt and mask, Amnesty International’s China Director Sarah Brooks said:

    “Just when you thought the human rights situation in Hong Kong couldn’t get any bleaker, a man is condemned to more than a year in prison just because of the clothing he chose to wear. This is a blatant attack on the right to freedom of expression.

    “The conviction and sentencing of Chu Kai-pong over his choice of clothing also highlights the sheer malice of Hong Kong’s new Article 23 law, which expands the government’s powers to punish so-called ‘seditious’ acts.

    “Chu Kai-pong is the first person convicted under this legislation, but its vague wording, vast scope and repressive nature leaves Hong Kongers fearing that he will not be the last. We once again urge the Hong Kong authorities to repeal this law.

    “The government must also end its use of  ‘sedition’ laws to crack down on dissent under the pretext of protecting ‘national security’. Chu Kai-pong has committed no internationally recognized crime and he must be released immediately.”

    Background

    Chu Kai-pong was today sentenced to one year and two months in jail for “doing with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intention” under section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO), the new national security legislation enacted in March 2024 based on Article 23 of the city’s Basic Law.

    He is the first person charged, convicted and sentenced under the SNSO. He was arrested on 12 June 2024, the anniversary of the 2019 anti-extradition protests, for wearing a T-shirt bearing the 2019 protest slogan, “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times”, and a yellow mask printed with the letters “FDNOL”, the abbreviation of another protest slogan, “Five Demands, Not One Less”. He has already been detained for more than 3 months and denied bail.

    He was also charged with two other offences – loitering and failure to produce proof of identity for inspection – but these were dropped after he pleaded guilty to the sedition charge.

    According to section 24 of the SNSO, a person convicted of sedition can be imprisoned for seven years. If the sedition is conducted in collusion with an “external force”, the maximum sentence rises to 10 years. The offence was previously punishable by up to two years.

    Hong Kong’s Legislative Council voted unanimously on 19 March 2024 to pass the SNSO under Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution. The SNSO increases penalties for acts relating to sedition and contains many troubling provisions, such as the vague and broadly worded crime of “external interference”.

    According to Amnesty International’s records, 12 people have been arrested for sedition – and three charged – under the SNSO since its enactment.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

    September 29, 2024

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

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    International travel: July 2024 – 11 September 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 221,800 in the July 2024 month, an increase of 8,000 from the July 2023 month. The biggest changes were in arrivals from:

    • Australia (up 11,400)
    • China (up 10,000)
    • United States (down 13,100).

    July 2023 saw a boost in overseas visitor arrivals from the United States, coinciding with the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

    Visit our website to read this information release:

    • International travel: July 2024

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to public comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Campbell on UNGA Resolution 2758 and cross-strait peace and stability

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan 3

    MOFA response to public comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Campbell on UNGA Resolution 2758 and cross-strait peace and stability

    Date：2024-09-20
    Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

    September 20, 2024 

    The US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on “Great Power Competition in the Indo-Pacific” on September 18. In response to a question concerning the fact that Taiwan’s status was not mentioned in United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell agreed, pointing out that China was using the resolution as a diplomatic tool to falsely portray Taiwan’s status as illegitimate and that China was conflating its interpretation with its “one China principle” in order to suppress Taiwan. Deputy Secretary Campbell reaffirmed the unwavering US commitment to Taiwan and the long-standing US efforts to preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing that this was a bipartisan consensus. 
     
    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomes and appreciates that yet another high-level US diplomat has publicly pointed out China’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758 and reiterated bipartisan US support for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The comments follow remarks made earlier by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Mark Lambert and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink. 
     
    MOFA is pleased that in addition to the United States, like-minded nations including Australia and the Netherlands have adopted friendly resolutions or motions stating that UNGA Resolution 2758 made no reference to Taiwan. MOFA calls on the international community to jointly take concrete actions to refute China’s misrepresentation of the resolution and oppose its spurious claims of there being an international consensus on its “one China principle.” Taiwan will continue to cooperate with the United States and other like-minded countries and together preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKSAR Government recruitment activities in Beijing and Shanghai wrap up (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    HKSAR Government recruitment activities in Beijing and Shanghai wrap up (with photos)
    HKSAR Government recruitment activities in Beijing and Shanghai wrap up (with photos)
    *************************************************************************************

         A series of recruitment activities organised by the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) in Beijing and Shanghai wrapped up today (September 24), attracting an online and in-person participation of over 1 800 Hong Kong people interested in applying for and learning about civil service posts in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government.     Five recruitment talks on the Administrative Officer (AO) and Executive Officer (EO) grades were held at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai (SHETO), East China University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Renmin University of China, and China University of Political Science and Law respectively. Most of the attendees were university students with immense interest in the AO and EO grades, and they were keen to ask questions on the relevant grades.     The CSB had specifically arranged for serving AO and EO colleagues who had studied or lived on the Mainland to share their work and personal experiences, and encourage university students to join the civil service. The Principal Assistant Secretary for the Civil Service (Administrative Service), Ms Yen Pun, and the Senior Principal Executive Officer (General Grades), Miss Iris Ma, also introduced the entry requirements, training programmes, examination and interview arrangements, as well as tips on preparing for examinations of the AO and EO grades at the seminars.     In addition, representatives of the CSB participated in the “Gathering with Hong Kong Students and Youth in East China Region to Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China” organised by the SHETO to introduce the AO and EO grades to the young participants. The aim was to enable them to know more about the work and career prospects of the grades concerned, and encourage them to apply for civil service posts in the HKSAR Government.     The CSB is currently conducting a joint recruitment exercise for the civil service grades of AO, EO II, Assistant Trade Officer II and Transport Officer II. The application deadline is October 4. Eligible applicants are encouraged to seize the opportunity to apply. For details, please visit the CSB’s website at www.csb.gov.hk.

     
    Ends/Tuesday, September 24, 2024Issued at HKT 18:38

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    September 29, 2024

  • MIL-OSI: Silvaco Expands its Victory TCAD and Digital Twin Modeling Platform to Planar CMOS, FinFET and Advanced CMOS Technologies

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silvaco Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SVCO, “Silvaco” or the “Company”), a provider of TCAD, EDA software, and SIP solutions that enable semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and innovation, today announced that its 2024 TCAD Baseline Release simulation platform with digital twin modeling, provides support for planar CMOS, FinFET and Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistor technologies, enabling semiconductor companies to accelerate technology development.

    Silvaco’s latest TCAD technology platform, enables advanced CMOS Process and Device simulation to support the development of next-generation semiconductor devices. This platform boosts performance, yield and efficiency across the evolving semiconductor design and manufacturing landscape. The solution enables highly accurate 3D process simulation, using digital twin-like precision and integrates stress simulation to model deformed structures. Additionally, the platform supports cryogenic applications through an atomistic quantum transport approach, enabling straightforward modeling of transistor structures down to 1 Kelvin.

    “Our TCAD platform has gained significant traction in the Display, Photonics, Memory and Power Semiconductor markets, where our solutions have been instrumental in driving innovation and enhancing performance,” said Dr. Babak Taheri, Chief Executive Officer, Silvaco. “We have now extended our comprehensive suite of tools to the advanced CMOS market, enabling next-generation advancements in technologies to address growing markets such as foundries, 5G, AI and high-performance computing. Our newly released TCAD platform has been utilized by a strategic customer for the past few years and is now available for broad market adoption. This new capability for advanced CMOS technology enables customers to accelerate their technology development with significant cost savings.”

    “Nanotechnology, like GAA, exhibits advanced quantum physical effects,” said Tillmann Kubis, Associate Professor in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University. “Over the past six years, our team of scientists has collaborated with Silvaco to enable the simulation of full devices, such as nanowires and GAAs, powered by NEMO5 which is an NEGF-based atomistic quantum transport simulation tool developed at Purdue and licensed by Silvaco. This collaboration is now enabling Silvaco’s TCAD simulation performance with atomistic accuracy.”

    “This latest release of our TCAD platform is the culmination of years of intensive development, refinement and industry collaboration in order to meet the demanding needs of designing in advanced CMOS process technologies,” said Eric Guichard, Senior VP and General Manager TCAD Business Unit, Silvaco. “The latest release of our TCAD platform now incorporates digital twin modeling for CMOS technologies, as well as atomistic simulation technologies to provide a highly competitive and attractive alternative solution for semiconductor companies designing in advanced Planar CMOS, FinFET and emerging GAA process technologies.”

    About Silvaco

    Silvaco is a provider of TCAD, EDA software, and SIP solutions that enable semiconductor design and digital twin modeling through AI software and innovation. Silvaco’s solutions are used for semiconductor and photonics processes, devices, and systems development across display, power devices, automotive, memory, high-performance compute, foundries, photonics, internet of things, and 5G/6G mobile markets for complex SoC design. Silvaco is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has a global presence with offices located in North America, Europe, Brazil, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” provisions of those sections. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans, or strategies related to the release and adoption of its 2024 TCAD Baseline Release simulation platform, the anticipated benefits of this platform for advanced CMOS, FinFET, GAA, and other emerging technologies, and the potential advantages for customers in terms of performance, cost savings, and accelerated technology development. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words.

    These statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including those described in the Company’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Media Contact
    Tyler Weiland
    +1 972-571-7834
    press@silvaco.com

    Investor Relations:
    Greg McNiff
    investors@silvaco.com

    The MIL Network –

    September 29, 2024
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