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April
New Zealand Intelligence Service Says Foreign Interference Attempts 'Persistent'
Written by Nur Yasmin
Attempts by some countries to interfere with New Zealand's democracy, economy and civil society "are persistent", according to New Zealand Security Intelligence Service's (NZSIS) annual report.
The report said it had identified increasingly aggressive activity from individuals seen as conducting intelligence and associated with a "small number of foreign states" that it did not name.
"These individuals pose an enduring threat to New Zealand's national security," the agency added in the report released this week, which covers the year ended June 2022.
During that period, NZSIS said it had investigated New Zealand-based people cultivating locals for intelligence purposes, collecting intelligence against the government, targeting New Zealanders with access to sensitive information, and interfering in the country's politics, private sector, and civil society.
"For some states, these activities are enduring and persistent," it said, though it added greater awareness of the issue had made it more challenging for countries to conduct interference activity.
New Zealand has in recent years censured China for its involvement in a global hacking spree in 2021 and Russia for its malicious cyber activity against Ukraine in 2022.
The NZSIS report said New Zealand also cannot take regional Pacific security for granted, because it had become an important theatre of geopolitical competition.
New Zealand has long been seen as the moderate, even absent, voice on China in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance with the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada.
But New Zealand's tone on both security and China's growing presence in the South Pacific toughened in the past year after China and the Solomon Islands struck a security pact. (Reuters)
April
US, Taiwan seen powerless to stem island’s diplomatic losses in Latin America
Written by Nur Yasmin
As China seeks to further whittle down the list of seven countries in the Americas that still recognize Taiwan, U.S. officials increasingly believe Paraguay may be the island’s next diplomatic ally to flip loyalties to Beijing.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit this week to Guatemala and Belize to shore up two remaining Central American partners underscored her government’s efforts to head off further defections after Honduras switched its recognition to China last month. read more
But some U.S. policymakers and independent analysts see Paraguay as the likeliest to ditch Taiwan in the near term, especially if the South American country’s opposition wins the April 30 elections and makes good on its promise to embrace China, as its agricultural lobby has demanded.
“Paraguay is clearly up for grabs,” said Benjamin Gedan, who advised former U.S. President Barack Obama and is now director of the Latin America program at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington.
Further erosion of the Taiwan camp would be another blow to the U.S., which has had little success stemming the tide of Taipei’s diplomatic losses, and a fresh sign of China’s growing footprint in Washington’s neighborhood.
Reuters spoke to three U.S. officials and several other sources close to the matter who see the Biden administration with limited options for halting the gradual drift toward China, with some saying Taiwan itself appeared resigned to losing more allies in the Americas.
It is a more pessimistic view than President Joe Biden’s aides have expressed publicly and, U.S. sources say, helps to explain Washington’s muted response to Honduras’ recent ditching of Taiwan, which was seen as a lost cause.
While acknowledging that countries have the right to their sovereign decisions, two U.S. officials told Reuters it may now be more important for Taiwan to expand its role in multilateral institutions such as the World Trade Organization than to focus on keeping diplomatic allies.
Taiwan itself has publicly signaled that it no longer wants to compete head-to-head in Latin America with a far-richer China on the basis of “checkbook diplomacy,” the dangling of aid and investment, to keep its remaining 13 allies worldwide from leaving the fold.
“We don’t have a large enough checkbook,” one Taiwan official said.
The White House did not immediately respond to Reuters' questions on the issue.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington called self-ruled Taiwan "an inalienable part of China" and said the one-China principle was an "overwhelming trend" internationally. "China is willing to develop relations with all countries in the spirit of equality and mutual respect," it said in a statement.
PARAGUAY NEARS TURNING POINT?
At the center of China’s approach is the claim by its Communist leadership that democratically ruled Taiwan belongs to the mainland despite the objections of the island's government.
Beijing has been angered by what it sees as stepped-up U.S. support for Taiwan, including Tsai’s stopovers in New York and California on her latest trip, and has vowed to bring the island under its control, by force if necessary. read more
Taiwan views its diplomatic partners as a way to bolster international legitimacy and facilitate economic engagement, while China aims to strip away any attributes of statehood from what it considers a renegade province.
With Paraguay’s elections looming and the China question high on the agenda, Taiwan officials are hoping that relations remain on track with the last nation in South America still aligned with it, according to a source familiar with Taipei’s thinking.
Paraguay’s vote could be a turning point on the issue for the landlocked, California-size country of 6.7 million – and a decision with significance far beyond its borders.
Opposition candidate Efrain Alegre, a centrist lawyer, told Reuters in January he would cut ties with Taiwan and open relations with China if he wins the presidency, hoping to boost crucial soy and beef exports. {nL1N33P1RG}
But the ruling conservative Colorado Party candidate, Santiago Pena, has vowed to maintain recognition of Taiwan. A cross-party delegation visited the island in February seeking to calm Taiwanese jitters.
Polls suggest the contest will be close. Though the Colorado Party has dominated for decades, it has been plagued by corruption scandals and complaints from the agricultural sector about lack of access to the lucrative Chinese market. read more
Some analysts question whether Alegre would be able to muster legislative support to ditch Taiwan. If he does, it would mark a dramatic shift in a relationship that date backs to 1957 under two U.S.-backed autocrats, Taiwan’s Chiang Kai-shek and Paraguay’s Alfredo Stroessner.
Pressure has been building for years for Paraguay, a top-10 global beef exporter and fourth largest soybean exporter, to reconsider its ties with Taiwan, a small but robust democracy.
Around three years ago, Chinese diplomats made their economic case for a switch in a meeting with Paraguayan farmers and lawmakers near the Iguazu waterfalls on the border with Brazil, two Paraguayan participants told Reuters.
Paraguay’s trade volume with China has doubled over the last eight years and is far larger than with the United States, UN Comtrade data show, but this is driven by imports while exports to the world’s no. 2 economy remain tiny.
“Having trade relations with China is going to be favorable for producers and for the country,” said Eno Michels, president of Paraguay's Soybean Producers Association.
He acknowledged, however, that either of the candidates may still change his stance once sworn into office in August.
Even if the ruling party retains power, some analysts believe resentment within its ranks over January U.S. sanctions on Colorado politicians could drive Paraguay into China’s arms.
“No matter which candidate from which party wins, our government will continue to work with the new government of Paraguay to deepen cooperation and exchanges,” Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said.
In Washington, the Chinese Embassy said Beijing "does not interfere in other countries’ internal affairs" and declined comment on the Paraguay situation.
HONDURAS AS A WARNING SIGN
China’s poaching of Honduras may have been a harbinger.
When Taiwan temporarily averted a split with Honduras after President Xiomara Castro took office in January 2022, U.S. State Department officials remained wary. read more
In March, a U.S. assessment that Honduras’ left-leaning government had already made up its mind to switch to China, in a bid for more investment from the Asian giant, led to the restrained U.S. response, said one person with knowledge of U.S. thinking.
U.S. officials were reluctant to be seen forcefully backing a losing position. Still, Washington was quick to warn that China’s investment promises often go unfulfilled and create “debt traps” for developing nations.
The Biden administration is also keeping a close eye on tiny Belize for any cracks in its Taiwan relationship. Belize officials have privately complained that economic benefits from those ties have not met expectations, according to one person familiar with the matter.
Taiwan’s only other Central American ally is Guatemala, considered steadfast in its support. The four others in the region are Haiti, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia.
There is some skepticism among Washington policymakers that more diplomatic losses in the Americas would have significant impact, assuming Taipei maintains support from strategic countries closely linked to the U.S., such as the Marshall Islands in the Pacific.
Two U.S. officials said Washington was putting less stock in Taiwan maintaining its diplomatic allies in favor of efforts to increase its participation in international organizations.
While denied a seat in the United Nations, Taiwan is a member of the WTO and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. China, however, has blocked it from being upgraded from observer status in the World Health Organization.
Taiwan itself also appears more interested in enhancing unofficial ties with like-minded partners in Europe such as Lithuania and the Czech Republic than in competing to maintain scant diplomatic recognition, the U.S. officials said.
But some U.S. lawmakers are concerned about the trend, which includes five nations in the Americas switching allegiance in just over five years.
U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher, Republican chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, told Reuters that China was trying to isolate Taiwan, possibly as a prelude to invading the island, and was “taking advantage of our complacency.” (Reuters)
April
China sends carrier group off Taiwan coast ahead of US meeting
Written by Nur Yasmin
Taiwan's defence ministry said on Wednesday a Chinese aircraft carrier group was in the waters off the island's southeast coast, the same day President Tsai Ing-wen was due to meet U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.
China, which claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, has warned of unspecified retaliation if the meeting goes ahead.
China staged war games around Taiwan last August following the visit to Taipei of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Taiwan's defence ministry said the Chinese ships, which were led by the carrier the Shandong, passed through the Bashi Channel which separates Taiwan from the Philippines and then into waters to Taiwan's southeast.
It said the ships were going for training in the Western Pacific, and that Taiwanese naval and air forces and land-based radar systems closely monitored them.
"The Chinese communists continue to send aircraft and ships to encroach in the seas and airspace around Taiwan," the ministry said.
"In addition to posing a substantial threat to our national security, it also destroys the status quo of regional security and stability. Such actions are by no means the acts of a responsible modern country."
The ministry provided two pictures - one a grainy black and white image of the carrier taken from the air, and the other of a Taiwanese sailor looking at the Shandong and another unidentified ship in the distance.
China has yet to comment on the carrier group, whose appearance also coincided with the arrival in Beijing of French President Emmanuel Macron.
China has sailed its aircraft carriers near to Taiwan before and at similarly sensitive times.
In March of last year, the Shandong sailed through the Taiwan Strait, just hours before the Chinese and U.S. presidents were due to talk.
Taiwan's defence ministry, in its statement about the Shandong's latest mission near the island, said that "external pressure will not hinder our determination to go into the world".
Taiwan's military will continue to closely monitor the situation in the Taiwan Strait, and uphold the principles of "not escalating conflicts, not causing disputes" to deal with any challenges. (Reuters)
April
Malaysian mother's joy as son gets chance of death row reprieve
Written by Nur Yasmin
For the past two decades, Malaysian mother Siti Zabidah Muhammad Rasyid has been hoping for a miracle to save her son Razali from death row.
He was sentenced to death 23 years ago after breaching Malaysia's tough laws on drugs when he was caught with 851 grammes (1.9 pounds) of cannabis.
But Siti Zabidah's prayers were answered this week when parliament passed sweeping legal reforms to scrap Malaysia's mandatory death penalty.
"The joy was immense," said a tearful Siti Zabidah, speaking from her apartment in the state of Selangor, near the capital Kuala Lumpur.
She said her son said a friend forced him to carry the drugs and then made him a scapegoat after being arrested.
A judge rejected an earlier attempt by the family to file an appeal against the sentence.
She recounted how she collapsed after hearing the judge's decision, fearing the legal avenues for her son were shut.
"I can go on without a husband but not without my children," she said.
More than 1,300 people facing the death penalty or life imprisonment in Malaysia - including those who have exhausted all legal appeals - can seek a sentencing review under the new rules passed on Monday.
The amendments apply to 34 offences currently punishable by death, including murder and drug trafficking. Eleven of those have stipulated death as the mandatory punishment.
For now, life imprisonment sentences, defined by Malaysian law as a fixed term of 30 years, will be retained.
The fate of Siti Zabidah's son lies in the hands of the courts, which will decide on a possible alternative sentencing or punishment.
Alternatives to the death penalty under the new rules include caning and a jail term of up to 40 years.
Siti Zabidah said she would stand by her son whatever happened.
"As long as I'm alive, I'll give him strength," she said. (Reuters)
April
Japan sets out new aid scheme to allow overseas defence funding
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan on Wednesday said it plans to offer countries financial assistance to help them bolster their defences, marking its first unambiguous departure from rules that forbid the use of international aid for military purposes.
Japan's Overseas Security Assistance (OSA) will be managed separately from the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) programme that for decades has funded roads, dams and other civilian infrastructure, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a regular news conference.
"By enhancing their security and deterrence capabilities, OSA aims to deepen our security cooperation with the countries, to create a desirable security environment for Japan," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The change comes as Japan undertakes its biggest military build-up since World War Two in a marked shift away the pacifism that is set out in its constitution and has dominated its political discourse for decades.
Any aid under the new arrangement will not be used to buy lethal weapons that recipients could use in conflicts with other countries in accordance with three principles that govern arms exports, the foreign ministry said.
Specific projects are expected to include satellite communication and radio systems for maritime surveillance, and preparations are underway for the first aid to be finalised within this fiscal year, the ministry said.
The first recipients will likely be the Philippines, Malaysia, Bangladesh, or Fiji. The foreign ministry opened a bid on Wednesday to start an OSA feasibility study in those countries, with an eye on strengthening their maritime security.
Japan is considering providing radars to the Philippines to help it monitor Chinese activity in the contested South China Sea, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Monday.
In principle, only developing countries will be eligible for the aid given that it will be provided as grants, according to the foreign ministry.
The decision to expand the scope of international aid to military-related projects follows Japan's announcement in December of a doubling of defence spending in five years as it looks to counter China's growing military might.
Following on from the overhaul of its military strategy, there is growing momentum over the easing of Japan's arms export ban. The ruling coalition is looking to start working-level discussions in late April over loosening the current arms export restrictions, according to broadcaster TBS, in line with similar suggestions made under the new strategy.
Japan has also been increasing its contacts with developing nations in an effort to counter China. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a $75 billion investment across the Indo-Pacific in March as he seeks to forge stronger ties with South and Southeast Asia. (Reuters)
April
UN chief condemns Taliban ban on Afghan women working for UN
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday strongly condemned a decision by Afghanistan's Taliban authorities to ban Afghan women from working for the United Nations and called for the decision to be immediately revoked, his spokesperson said in a statement.
"This is a violation of the inalienable fundamental human rights of women," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
"Female staff members are essential for the United Nations operations, including in the delivery of life-saving assistance. The enforcement of this decision will harm the Afghan people, millions of whom are in need of this assistance," he said. (Reuters)
April
Indian rescuers scour site of deadly avalanche for any more victims
Written by Nur Yasmin
Rescue teams made final checks on Wednesday for anyone still trapped in an avalanche that swept down on a road in the Indian Himalayan state of Sikkim the day before, killing seven people.
Rescue teams pulled 20 survivors from the snow that engulfed the road to the Nathu La pass, between Sikkim and the Chinese region of Tibet, before calling off their search as bad weather closed in and darkness fell on Tuesday evening.
"Rescue operations have resumed this morning because we want to make sure that we haven't left anyone behind. We will scour the area properly before we call them off," Tenzing Loden Lepcha, a police official in the northeastern state, told Reuters by telephone.
Avalanches have killed at least 120 people in the Indian Himalayas over the past two years.
A study in the U.S. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded in 2018 that climate change had increased avalanche risks in the Himalayas.
The cause of Tuesday's disaster were not immediately clear.
Tourists flock to Sikkim, located below Mount Khangchendzonga, also known as Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world.
Nathu La serves is a route for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in China, considered one of the holiest pilgrimages in Hinduism. (Reuters)
April
Deadly chaos as Pakistanis scramble for scarce donations
Written by Nur Yasmin
Seven-year-old Saad Umer joined a crowd in a poor neighbourhood in the Pakistani city of Karachi rushing to get a handout of flour and a little cash from a charity trying to help the most vulnerable cope with runaway prices.
But in the surge, a melee broke out and some people fell.
Saad and 10 others, all women and children, were killed in the latest in a series of deadly scrambles for food as Pakistan struggles with its most serious economic crisis in years.
"He was a beautiful kid. I'll never get over his death as long as I live," his father, Umer Zada, told Reuters.
Zada said the distribution of aid should have been better organised, with police supervision of the hungry and desperate seeking help.
"There were no rules or regulations as my son got trampled."
Last week, in another incident, police fired tear gas in a bid to control a frenzied crowd trying to get their hands on food supplies at a site in Kyber Paktunkwa province.
In all, 16 people have been killed in chaos at charity distributions, shocking Pakistan, especially during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, a time for giving and spiritual reflection.
But this year, economic malaise seems to be eroding society's ability to cope.
Global factors have compounded consumer inflation as the country of 220 million people tries to finalise a bail-out agreement with the International Monetary Fund.
Prices have been pushed higher by a weakening currency, energy tariff increases and a usual Ramadan spike.
Pakistan's inflation soared to a record 35% last month. Food inflation in March was at 47.1% and 50.2% for urban and rural areas respectively.
The turmoil as charities try to help the poorest lays bare the desperation that is likely to get worse as the impact of inflation is compounded by smaller donations of the traditional zakat alms for the poor, according to five aid groups that Reuters spoke to.
"People that would donate small amounts are now showing up asking for help while people that used to donate large amounts are saying they're struggling and scaling back," Ansar Burney, head of the Ansar Burney Trust told Reuters.
"There has been a 50% reduction in donations this year, while there has been a 50% increase in people seeking help."
'DONOR FATIGUE'
With prices rising, the funds that donors are giving are not stretching as far as they did.
"Charities are struggling to deal with rising inflation and costs the same way households are. There has also been a rise in the number of people heading our way for help," said Ramzan Chhipa, founder of the Chhipa welfare association.
Higher fuel prices make providing an ambulance service ever more difficult, says Faisal Edhi, a philanthropist and chief of Pakistan's largest charity operation the Edhi Foundation. The group's ambulances took away the injured and the bodies of Saad and the others killed in the Karachi crush.
"Our services are becoming costly and we aren't always able to reach the people ... We've already spent a substantial amount from our reserves,” Edhi said.
Edhi said there had also been an increasing number of men committing suicide because they could not support their families, including one man who was a friend of his.
The Saylani Welfare Trust runs soup kitchens in Karachi's poorest neighbourhoods where surging numbers of people are hoping for a meal but donations to fund the service are falling.
Trustee Arif Lakhani said where in the past up to 500 people would turn up, now it is up to 1,000 while donations have fallen by about half.
"In fact, I'd say donations are 40% of what they were," he said.
Sikander Bizenjo, co-founder of the Balochistan Youth Action Committee, which helps out in the remotest villages, said after a year in which floods devastated huge areas, it was not surprising people felt they could not help as much as before.
"There is some form of donor fatigue," he said.
Like everyone, Zada is struggling with inflation but he also has to contend with grief and questions that torment him.
"I'm totally devastated. There are other people like me whose children were killed, martyred," he said.
"The women who had nothing to eat went there. Can’t the government see that people are dying of hunger?” (Reuters)
April
China voices concern over Australia's scrutiny of its firms
Written by Nur Yasmin
China's international trade negotiator has expressed concern over Australia's scrutiny of the operations of Chinese firms there, the commerce ministry said, while flagging the potential for economic and trade co-operation.
The comments by Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen came during a meeting on Monday with Australia's deputy secretary general for foreign affairs and trade in the Chinese capital, the ministry said in a statement.
The meeting continues an apparent thaw in trade ties that saw China lift curbs on Australian coal exports in early January, although the trade partners continue to feud over Australian exports of wine, beef, barley, seafood, and timber.
It also came a day before Canberra, citing security concerns, vowed to remove TikTok, a social media platform owned by China's ByteDance, from all devices owned by the federal government, citing security concerns.
Wang urged Canberra to "provide a fair, open and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises" during the meeting.
His remarks echoed what Chinese foreign ministry officials have said about the United States' decision to place the app under greater scrutiny.
"China-Australia economic and trade relations are at an important juncture of stabilisation and improvement," the ministry quoted Wang as saying, while calling for stronger communication and co-ordination to help resolve concerns.
The chief executive of Australian mining giant BHP, Mike Henry, and China's vice foreign minister, Xie Feng, met on March 27, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a separate statement on Tuesday.
It expressed hope for a greater contribution by BHP to improving ties, particularly in new areas such as climate change and new energy. (Reuters)
April
China warns US House Speaker not to meet Taiwan president
Written by Nur Yasmin
China warned U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday not to "repeat disastrous past mistakes" by meeting Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, saying it would not help regional peace and stability, only unite the Chinese people against a common enemy.
The Republican McCarthy, the third-most-senior U.S. leader after the president and vice president, will host a meeting in California on Wednesday with Tsai, during a sensitive stopover in the United States that has prompted Chinese threats of retaliation.
China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, staged war games around the island last August after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, visited the capital, Taipei.
Tsai will make what is formally called a "transit" in Los Angeles on her way back to Taipei after a trip to Central America. The United States says such stopovers are common practice and there is no need for China to overreact.
But China's consulate in Los Angeles said it was "false" to claim it as a transit, adding that Tsai was engaging in official exchanges to "put on a political show".
No matter in what capacity McCarthy meets Tsai, the gesture would greatly harm the feelings of the Chinese people, send a serious wrong signal to Taiwan separatist forces, and affect the political foundation of Sino-U.S. ties, it said in a statement.
"It is not conducive to regional peace, security nor stability, and is not in the common interests of the people of China and the United States," the consulate added.
McCarthy is ignoring the lessons from the mistakes of his predecessor, it said, in a veiled reference to Pelosi's Taipei visit, and is insisting on playing the "Taiwan card".
"He will undoubtedly repeat disastrous past mistakes and further damage Sino-U.S. relations. It will only strengthen the Chinese people's strong will and determination to share a common enemy and support national unity."
Speaking to reporters in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China will closely follow developments and resolutely and vigorously defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, without giving details.
CHINESE MILITARY ACTIVITIES
Although Taiwan has not reported unusual Chinese movements in the run-up to the meeting, China's military has continued activities around the island.
Taiwan's defence ministry on Tuesday morning reported that in the previous 24 hours it had spotted nine Chinese military aircraft in its air defence identification zone, in an area between Taiwan's southwest coast and the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands at the top of the South China Sea.
In a statement on Tuesday, Taiwan's foreign ministry said China had no right to complain, as the People's Republic of China has never ruled the island.
China's recent criticism of Tsai's trip "has become increasingly absurd", it added.
"Even if the authoritarian government continues with its expansion and intensifies coercion, Taiwan will not back down," the statement said.
In China, prominent commentator Hu Xijin wrote on his widely followed Twitter account "the Chinese mainland will definitely react, and make the Tsai Ing-wen regime lose much more than what they can gain from this meeting."
Hu, who had voiced his concerns over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last year, also wrote "The U.S. side is definitely not getting any real advantage either," on his Weibo account, a Twitter-like social media platform in China.
Hu is former editor-in-chief of Chinese state-backed tabloid the Global Times, known for its strident nationalistic stance.
Taiwan has lived with the threat of a Chinese attack since the defeated Republic of China government fled to the island in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's communists.
Life in Taiwan has continued as normal, with shops, restaurants and tourist spots in Taipei packed during a long holiday weekend that ends on Wednesday.
"They will certainly get angry and there will be some actions, but we are actually used to this," said social worker Sunny Lai, 42. (Reuters)