中國引誘台灣人移居大陸引發台北擔憂

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

China Enticing Taiwanese to Live There Stirs Concern in Taipei

Bloomberg - Yian Lee

Sun, January 5, 2025 at 7:57 p.m. PST·2 min read

(Bloomberg) -- China’s efforts to entice more Taiwanese people to get permits to live and work on the mainland is prompting concern in Taipei that Beijing could be laying the groundwork to justify intervention in the self-governing island’s affairs, according to a senior Taiwanese official.

China’s efforts to promote the residence permit have recently intensified, especially when it comes to targeting Taiwanese people who’ve never traveled to the mainland, said the official, who asked not to be identified discussing a sensitive matter.

Taiwanese officials are concerned holders of this permit will be easier to convince to apply for China’s national citizen identification card and to swap their passports for those issued by Beijing, the official said. They worry that could in turn be used by the Chinese government to justify the need to “protect Chinese citizens” in Taiwan, said the official.

In 2018, China introduced this type of residence permit specifically for those from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau to make it easier for holders to live and work on the mainland. The permit also grants access to financial services and social benefits, and can be obtained without those from Taiwan having to renounce their Taiwanese citizenship.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has vowed to eventually bring the island under its control, even if by force. Ties between the two sides have become increasingly strained as of late after Lai Ching-te was elected Taiwan’s president in 2024. Beijing views Lai with great suspicion and has accused him of pursuing outright independence for Taiwan.

Asked about the Chinese residence permits after he delivered his New Year’s address last Wednesday, Lai responded by saying, “do not be tempted by short-term benefits and stray onto the wrong path, because democracy is priceless and freedom cannot be cashed in.”

Translation

中國引誘台灣人移居大陸引發台北擔憂

（彭博）—據一位台灣高級官員稱，中國為吸引更多台灣人獲得在大陸居住和工作的許可而做出的努力，引發了台北方面的擔憂，他們擔心北京可能正在為干涉台灣島自治事務奠定基礎。

這位因討論敏感話題而不願透露姓名的台灣官員表示，中國最近加大了居住證推廣力度，特別是針對那些從未去過大陸的台灣人。

這位官員說，台灣官員擔心，持有該許可證的人將更容易被說服申請中國公民身分證，並換發北京頒發的護照。這位官員說，他們擔心中國政府可能會利用這一點，為其需要「保護在台灣的中國公民」尋找藉口。

2018年，中國專門為台灣、香港和澳門居民推出了此類居住許可，以方便持有者在大陸生活和工作。該許可證還允許台灣人享受金融服務和社會福利，並且無需放棄台灣國籍亦可獲得該許可證。

中國認為台灣是其領土的一部分，並誓言即去使用武力, 也最終會將該島置於其控制之下。賴清德於 2024 年當選台灣總統後，兩岸關係近來愈發緊張。北京對賴抱持極大懷疑，並指責他推行徹底是台灣獨立。

上週三，賴清德在發表新年講話後被問及中國居住證問題，他回應說：“不要受短期利益誘惑而誤入歧途，民主無價，自由是不能用現金兌換的”。

              So, China’s efforts to entice more Taiwanese people to get permits to live and work on the mainland is causing concern in Taipei in that Beijing could be laying the groundwork to justify intervention in the self-governing island’s affairs. Apparently, it is a soft way for China to absorb Taiwan into its orbit. Anyway, it is much better than using military forces.

US market crashes after Chinese startup Deepseek announces low-cost generative AI model

Yesterday CNN.co.jp reported the following:

米市場急落、中国新興「ディープシーク」の低コスト生成ＡＩモデル発表受け

2025.01.28 Tue posted at 09:55 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 米国の株価が２７日、急落し、人工知能（ＡＩ）半導体大手エヌビディアの時価総額が６０００億ドル（約９３兆円）近く失われた。これは、中国のＡＩ企業ディープシークの驚くべき進歩が、無敵とみられていた米国のテクノロジー業界を脅かしたためだ。

設立１年の新興企業ディープシークは先週、「Ｒ１」と呼ばれる「チャットＧＰＴ」のような生成ＡＩモデルを発表した。このモデルは、よく知られている機能すべてを備えており、オープンＡＩやグーグル、メタの人気ＡＩモデルの数分の１のコストで動作する。同社によると、ベースモデルの計算能力に費やした金額はわずか５６０万ドル。米国企業がＡＩテクノロジーに費やしている数億ドルから数十億ドルとは比較にならない。

ディープシークの発表は２７日、テクノロジー部門をはじめとする市場に衝撃を与えた。

テック企業を多く含むナスダックは３．１％急落し、それよりも業種が広範なＳ＆Ｐ５００は１．５％下落した。

トランプ大統領の支持者であり、世界有数のＩＴ投資家であるマーク・アンドリーセン氏は、ディープシークについて「私がこれまでに見た中で特に驚くべき、印象的な進歩の一つ」とＸ（旧ツイッター）に投稿した。

米国が国家安全保障上の懸念を理由に何年にもわたり中国への高性能ＡＩチップの供給を制限しようとしてきたことを考えると、比較的無名のＡＩスタートアップによる今回の成果はさらに衝撃的なものとなる。それは、ディープシークが性能の劣るＡＩチップで低コストモデルを実現できたことを示しているからだ。

この発表は、ウォール街の非テック企業への投資にも大きな変化をもたらした。

ＡＩデータセンターには大量の電力が必要とされるため、エネルギー企業の株価は近年大幅に値上がりしていた。しかし、２７日にはすべての企業で急落した。

発電機の動力源として使われる天然ガスの先物は５．９％下げ、原油も２％以上下落した。

Translation

US market crashes after Chinese startup Deepseek announces low-cost generative AI model

(CNN) US stock prices plummeted on the 27th, wiping nearly $600 billion off the market capitalization of artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor giant Nvidia. This was because the surprising progress of Chinese AI company Deepseek, it had threatened the US technology industry which was once thought to be invincible.

Last week, one-year-old startup Deepseek unveiled a generative AI model like "Chat GPT" called "R1." The model had all the familiar features and operated at a fraction of the cost of popular AI models from OpenAI, Google, and Meta. The company said it had spent just $5.6 million on computing power for the base model, which would be nothing compared to the hundreds of millions to billions of dollars that US companies were spending on AI technology.

Deepseek's announcement on the 27th sent shock waves through the market, especially in the technology sector.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq plunged 3.1%, while the broader S&P 500 fell 1.5%.

Marc Andreessen, a supporter of President Trump and one of the world's leading IT investors, wrote on X (previously Twitter) that Deepseek was "one of the most surprising and impressive advances I've seen."

Given that the U.S. had been trying for years to restrict the supply of high-performance AI chips to China based on national security concerns, this achievement by a relatively unknown AI startup was even more shocking. That was because it showed that Deepseek could achieve a lower-cost model with less powerful AI chips.

The announcement also brought about major changes in Wall Street's investment in non-tech companies.

Because AI data centers required a lot of electricity, energy companies' stock prices had significantly risen in recent years. But on the 27th, all of them fell sharply.

Futures for natural gas, which was used to power generators, fell 5.9% while crude oil fell more than 2%.

So, US stock prices plummeted on the 27^th and nearly $600 billion market capitalization of artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor giant Nvidia had been wiped out. This is because a Chinese AI company Deepseek has showed that it could make a lower-cost model with less powerful AI chips. I am wondering if the “R1” is really that low cost.

美國將騰訊、 CATL 列入涉嫌協助北京軍方的中國公司名單

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

US adds Tencent, CATL to list of Chinese firms allegedly aiding Beijing's military

By Michael Martina, David Shepardson and Karen Freifeld

Mon, January 6, 2025 at 8:40 a.m. PST·2 min read

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Defense Department said Monday it had added Chinese tech giants including gaming and social media leader Tencent Holdings and battery maker CATL to a list of firms it says work with China's military.

The list included new additions WeChat-parent Tencent, CATL, chip maker Changxin Memory Technologies Inc (CXMT), Quectel Wireless and drone-maker Autel Robotics , according to a document published Monday.

The annually updated list of Chinese military companies, formally mandated under U.S. law as the "Section 1260H list", designated 134 companies, according to a notice posted to the Federal Register.

A Quectel spokesperson said the company "does not work with the military in any country and will ask the Pentagon to reconsider its designation, which clearly has been made in error".

The other companies and the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests or did not immediately comment.

Amid strained relations between the world's two biggest economies, the updated list is one of numerous actions Washington has taken in recent years to highlight and restrict Chinese companies it says pose security risks.

U.S. lawmakers had pushed the Pentagon throughout 2024 to add some of the companies to the list.

While the designation does not involve immediate bans, it can be a blow to the reputations of affected companies and represents a stark warning to U.S. entities and firms about the risks of conducting business with them. It could also add pressure on the Treasury Department to sanction the companies.

Two previously listed companies, drone-maker DJI and Lidar-maker Hesai Technologies, both sued the Pentagon last year over their previous designations, but remain on the updated list.

The Pentagon also removed six companies it said no longer met the requirements for the designation, including AI firm Beijing Megvii Technology Co., Ltd., China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC), China State Construction Group Co., and China Telecommunications Corporation.

Translation

美國將騰訊、 CATL 列入涉嫌協助北京軍方的中國公司名單

華盛頓（路透社）—美國國防部週一表示，已將遊戲和社交媒體領導者騰訊控股和電池製造商 CATL 等中國科技巨頭列入與中國軍方合作的公司名單。

根據週一發布的文件，名單包括新加入的微信母公司騰訊、寧德時代、晶片製造商長鑫儲存技術股份有限公司 (CXMT)、移遠通訊, 及無人機製造商 Autel Robotics。

根據美國《聯邦公報》上發佈的通知，每年更新的中國軍工公司名單, 即根據美國法律正式規定為「第1260H條名單」, 列出了134家公司。

移遠通信的發言人表示，該公司「沒有與任何國家的軍方合作，並將要求五角大樓重新考慮其指定，因為這顯然是錯誤的」。

其他公司和中國駐華盛頓大使館沒有回應請求，也沒有立即發表評論。

在世界兩大經濟體關係緊張的背景下，這份更新後的名單是華盛頓近年來採取的眾多行動之一，旨在突出和限制其認為構成安全風險的中國企業。

美國立法者一直在敦促五角大樓在 2024 年將部分公司列入名單。

雖然這項指定名單並不涉及立即實施禁令，但可能對受影響公司的聲譽造成打擊，並對美國實體和公司發出嚴厲警告，提醒他們與名單中公司開展業務的風險。這也可能增加財政部對這些公司實施制裁的壓力。

兩家先前列入名單的公司，即無人機製造商DJI和光達製造商Hesai科技，去年都因先前被放入指定名單而控告五角大樓，但仍在更新後的名單上。

五角大樓也剔除了六家據稱不再歸類於受制裁指標的公司，包括人工智慧公司北京曠視科技股份有限公司、中國鐵建股份有限公司(CRCC)、中國建築集團有限公司, 和中國電信集團公司。

              So, the U.S. has added Chinese tech giants including gaming and social media leader Tencent Holdings and battery maker CATL to a list of firms that work with China's military. Apparently, it is another move by the US to tighten its control on Chinese companies.

Note:

The Federal Register (FR or sometimes Fed. Reg.) (聯邦公報）is the official journal of the federal government of the United States that contains government agency rules, proposed rules, and public notices. The final rules promulgated by a federal agency and published in the Federal Register are reorganized by topic or subject matter and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The Federal Register is compiled by the Office of the Federal Register (within the National Archives and Records Administration) and is printed by the Government Publishing Office.

華為捲土重來，蘋果等智慧型手機廠商在中國市場失利

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

Apple, smartphone peers lose ground in China market amid Huawei comeback

South China Morning Post

Sun, January 5, 2025 at 1:30 a.m. PST·3 min read

The market share of foreign smartphone brands in China, mainly Apple, has plunged by nearly half from a year ago, according to government data, as the iPhone maker navigates increased competition from domestic vendors including Huawei Technologies.

Overseas handset makers shipped 3.04 million units in China in November, a 47.3 per cent decrease from 5.77 million in November 2023, according to a report published on Friday by the state-run China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT).

Total smartphone shipments from overseas vendors from January to November last year were 42 million, a 22 per cent year-on-year drop, CAICT data showed.

CAICT did not name any specific brands. iPhones make up the bulk of foreign smartphones sold in China.

The report highlights the growing challenges Apple faces in China's smartphone market, where competition has intensified following Huawei's comeback in the premium segment.

Shenzhen-based Huawei's domestic shipments of premium smartphones, or those priced above US$600, surged 34 per cent in the third quarter last year from a year earlier, according to a report by Canalys last month.

At the same time, Apple saw iPhone shipments in China decline 5 per cent year on year in the same period. But the US tech giant remained the leader of China's premium handset market with a 52 per cent share, while Huawei took 33 per cent, Canalys said.

Huawei's resurgence has prompted multiple rounds of price cuts from Apple this year. Most recently, the California-based company earlier this week offered a 500-yuan (US$68) discount on its latest premium models, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Apple also faces uncertainties rolling out artificial intelligence (AI) features in its handsets, while local rivals have charged ahead.

The company was reportedly in early-stage talks with Chinese Big Tech firms to introduce its Apple Intelligence system in China, where it is required to partner with a domestic AI model provider. But progress is said to be slow.

Apple CEO Tim Cook last year made three visits to China amid the growing challenges. The executive appeared in November at the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing, where he spoke about valuing Apple's Chinese partners "very highly". In October, Cook also met top Chinese officials, reportedly discussing topics including the company's presence in China, data security and cloud services.

Translation

華為捲土重來，蘋果等智慧型手機廠商在中國市場失利

政府數據顯示，由於面臨華為技術有限公司等國內廠商日益激烈的競爭，以蘋果為主的外國智慧型手機品牌在中國的市場份額較上年同期下降了近一半。

根據中國資訊通信研究院（CAICT）週五發布的報告，11 月海外手機製造商在中國的出貨量為 304 萬部，較 2023 年 11 月的 577 萬部下降 47.3%。

中國資訊通信研究院的數據顯示，去年1月至11月海外廠商智慧型手機總出貨量為4,200萬部，較去年同期下降22%。

中國信通院並未透露任何具體品牌的名字。在華銷售的外國智慧型手機中，iPhone佔了絕大部分。

報告強調了蘋果在中國智慧型手機市場面臨的越來越大的挑戰，隨著華為重返高端市場，競爭也愈發激烈。

Canalys 上個月發布的報告顯示，去年第三季度，總部位於深圳的華為國內高階智慧型手機（售價超過 600 美元）的出貨量年增了 34%。

同時，蘋果發現其中國市場上的 iPhone 出貨量在同一時期年減了 5%。但 Canalys 表示，這家美國科技巨頭仍然是中國高端手機市場的領導者，佔有 52% 的份額，而華為則佔有 33% 的份額。

華為的再起促使蘋果今年進行了多輪降價。最近，這家總部位於加州的公司本週稍早對其最新高階機型 iPhone 16 Pro 和 iPhone 16 Pro Max 提供了 500 元（68 美元）的折扣。

儘管蘋果在其手機中推出人工智慧功能, 它也面臨不確定性, 本土競爭對手已在向前衝鋒。

據報道，蘋果公司正在與中國大型科技公司進行初步談判，將其 Apple Intelligence 系統引入中國，但需要與國內的 AI 模型提供商合作。據稱進展緩慢。

在日益嚴峻的挑戰之際，蘋果執行長Tim Cook去年三次訪華。該高層 11 月出席了在北京舉辦的中國國際供應鏈博覽會，他在會上表示，他「非常重視」蘋果的中國合作夥伴。據報道，今年 10 月，Tim Cook還會見了中國高級官員，討論了包括公司在華業務、資料安全和雲端服務等主題。

              So, the market share of foreign smartphone brands in China, mainly Apple, has dropped by nearly half from a year ago as the iPhone maker faces increased competition from domestic vendors including Huawei Technologies. Apparently, it becomes more difficult for foreign companies to do business in China.

"Mysterious volcano" finally identified; eruption in 1831 caused global cooling

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

「謎の火山」をついに特定、１８３１年の噴火で地球寒冷化

2025.01.04 Sat posted at 15:00 JST

（ＣＮＮ） ある未確認の火山が１８３１年に大規模噴火し、地球の気候を寒冷化させた。それから２００年近くを経て、科学者たちはこの「謎の火山」を特定するに至った。

当該の噴火は１９世紀に発生したものとしては最も強力な部類に入る。二酸化硫黄が成層圏に大量に放出された結果、北半球の年間平均気温は約１度低下した。噴火の発生は小氷河期の末期に当たる。小氷河期は過去１万年で地球が最も寒冷化した時期の一つとされる。

この歴史的な噴火が起きた年は判明していたが、火山の地点は分かっていなかった。研究者らは最近、グリーンランドの氷床コアのサンプルを通じてこの謎を解明。コアの層を分析し、１８３１～３４年に堆積（たいせき）した硫黄同位体や灰の粒、火山ガラスの破片を検証した。

地球化学や放射線年代測定、コンピューターモデルを駆使して、科学者らは上記の粒子の軌道を割り出した。その結果、３１年の噴火は太平洋の北西部に位置する火山島と関係があることが分かった。研究報告は１２月３０日刊行の米国科学アカデミー紀要（ＰＮＡＳ）に掲載された。

分析から、謎の火山は千島列島の新知島にあるザバリツキー火山だと分かった。科学者らの発見以前でザバリツキーが最後に噴火したのは、紀元前８００年とみられる。

「地球に存在する多くの火山、とりわけ遠隔地に位置するものについては、噴火の歴史に関する知見が極めて乏しい」。そう語るのは英セント・アンドルーズ大学地球環境科学部の主任研究員、ウィリアム・ハッチソン博士だ。

ハッチソン氏が電子メールでＣＮＮの取材に答えたところによると、ザバリツキーは極端な遠隔地にある。そこは日本とロシアの間に位置する島で、人は住んでおらず、歴史的な記録もごくたまに千島列島を通過する船の乗員が残した航海日誌のわずかな記述に限定されるという。

１９世紀の火山活動に関する情報の少なさから、ザバリツキーは１８３１年の噴火の候補には挙がっていなかった。論文によれば研究者らは、フィリピンのバブヤン・クラロ火山など、より赤道に近い火山を考察の対象としていた。

１８０８～３５年にかけては、ザバリツキーの他にも三つの火山が噴火した。これらの噴火は小氷河期が終わりに向かう時期に重なっている。１４００年代から１８５０年前後まで続いた小氷河期には、北半球の年間気温が平均で０．６度低下。地域によっては通常より２度気温が下がり、その状態が数十年続いた。

上記の三つの噴火は１８１５年にインドネシア、３５年にニカラグアの火山でそれぞれ発生した。０８年もしくは０９年の噴火がどこで起きたかは依然として分かっていない。３１年の噴火がザバリツキーによるものだと判明したことで、千島列島に存在する火山の威力が浮き彫りになったと論文は指摘。地球の気候に影響を与えるだけの規模だった可能性があると示唆した。

３１年の噴火の後、北半球にはより寒冷で乾燥した気候条件が出現。その直後から食糧不足や困窮の報告が広範な地域から寄せられた。インドや日本、欧州一帯で飢饉が発生し、多くの人々を苦しめた。

「火山由来の寒冷化が農産物の不作や飢饉を引き起こしたのは事実のように思える」「現行の研究の焦点は、こうした飢饉がどの程度まで火山由来の気候の寒冷化によってもたらされたのか、あるいは他の社会政治的な要因によるものなのか、それを把握することにある」と、ハッチソン氏は述べた。

Translation

"Mysterious volcano" finally identified; eruption in 1831 caused global cooling

(CNN) An unidentified volcano erupted in 1831, causing global climate cooling. Nearly 200 years later, scientists had identified the "mysterious volcano."

The eruption was one of the most powerful to occur in the 19th century. As a result of the release of a large amount of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, the average annual temperature in the Northern Hemisphere dropped by about 1 degree. The eruption occurred at the end of the Little Ice Age, which is considered one of the coldest periods on Earth in the past 10,000 years.

The year of this historic eruption was known, but the location of the volcano was unknown. Researchers recently solved the mystery through ice core samples from Greenland. The layers of the core were analyzed, sulfur isotopes, ash grains, and volcanic glass fragments deposited between 1831 and 1834 were examined.

Using geochemistry, radiometric dating, and computer modeling, the scientists were able to determine the trajectory of these particles. They found that the 1831 eruption was linked to a volcanic island in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) of the United States of America on December 30.

The analysis revealed that the mysterious volcano was Zavaritsky Volcano on Shinchi Island in the Kuril Islands. Zavaritsky’s last eruption was in 800 BC before the scientists discovered it.

Dr. William Hutchison, lead researcher at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St. Andrews in the UK said "We know very little about the eruptive history of many of the Earth's volcanoes, especially those in remote locations."

According to what Hutchison had told CNN in an email, Zabalitsky was extremely remote. It was an uninhabited island between Japan and Russia, and historical records were limited to a few logbooks left by ship crews who occasionally passed through the Kuril Islands.

Due to the lack of information on volcanic activity in the 19th century, Zabalitsky was not considered as a possible candidate for the 1831 eruption. According to the paper, the researchers looked at volcanoes closer to the equator, such as Babuyan Claro in the Philippines.

Besides Zabalitsky, three other volcanoes erupted between 1808 and 1835. These eruptions coincided with the end of the Little Ice Age. During the Little Ice Age, which lasted from the 1400s to around 1850, annual temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere dropped by an average of 0.6 degrees Celsius. In some areas, temperatures were up to 2 degrees Celsius lower than normal, and remained that way for decades.

The above three eruptions were in Indonesia in 1815 and Nicaragua in 1835. The location of the 08 or 09 eruptions remains unknown. The paper said the identification of the 1831 eruption was Zavaritsky's highlights the power of the Kuril Islands' volcanoes. It suggested that they might have been large enough to affect the global climate.

After the 1831 eruption, the Northern Hemisphere experienced colder and drier weather conditions. Reports of food shortages and hardship came from far and wide. Famines occurred across India, Japan and Europe, affecting many people.

Hutchison said, "It seems likely that volcanic cooling caused crop failures and famines," "Current research is focused on understanding to what extent these famines were caused by volcanic cooling, or these famines were caused other sociopolitical factors."

              So, an unidentified volcano erupted in 1831 had caused global climate cooling with the average annual temperature in the Northern Hemisphere dropping by about 1 degree that led to colder and drier weather conditions. Reports of food shortages and hardship came from far and wide and caused famines across India, Japan and Europe. It is likely that the volcanic cooling had caused crop failures and famines. Apparently human survival depends on a stable climate condition, too hot or too cold will spell disasters.

印度稱已向中國表達對西藏水力發電廠的擔憂

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

India says conveyed concerns to China over hydropower dam in Tibet

Reuters

Updated Fri, January 3, 2025 at 4:18 a.m. PST·2 min read

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India's foreign ministry said on Friday that New Delhi has conveyed its concerns to Beijing about China's plan to build a hydropower dam in Tibet on the Yarlung Zangbo river which flows into India.

Chinese officials say that hydropower projects in Tibet will not have a major impact on the environment or on downstream water supplies but India and Bangladesh have nevertheless raised concerns about the dam.

The Yarlung Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra river as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India's Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states and finally into Bangladesh.

"The Chinese side has been urged to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas," Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly media briefing.

"We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests," he said.

The construction of the dam, which will be the largest of its kind in the world with an estimated capacity of 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, was approved last month.

Jaiswal said that New Delhi had also lodged a "solemn protest" with Beijing against its creation of two new counties - one of which includes a disputed area also claimed by India - last month.

"Creation of new counties will neither have a bearing on India's longstanding and consistent position regarding our sovereignty over the area nor lend legitimacy to China's illegal and forcible occupation of the same," he said.

Relations between Asian giants India and China, that were strained after a deadly military clash on their disputed border in 2020, have been on the mend since they reached an agreement in October to pull back troops from their last two stand-off points in the western Himalayas.

The two armies have stepped back following the agreement and senior officials held formal talks for the first time in five years last month where they agreed to take small steps to improve relations.

(Reporting by Sakshi Dayal and Sudipto Ganguly; Editing by YP Rajesh)

Translation

印度稱已向中國表達對西藏水力發電廠的擔憂

新德里（路透社）—印度外交部週五表示，新德里已向北京表達了對中國計劃在流入印度的雅魯藏布江上建造水力發電大壩的擔憂。

中國官員表示，西藏的水力發電計劃不會對環境或下游水源產生重大影響，但印度和孟加拉仍對該水壩表示擔憂。

雅魯藏布江離開西藏後，向南流入印度阿魯納恰爾邦和阿薩姆邦，最後流入孟加拉國，成為布拉馬普特拉河。

印度外交部發言人Randhir Jaiswal 在每週新聞發布會上表示：“我們敦促中方確保雅魯藏布江下游各州的利益不會因上游地區的活動而受到損害。”

他說：“我們將繼續監控並採取必要措施保護我們的利益。”

該大壩的建設已於上個月獲得批准，該大壩將成為世界上最大的同類大壩，預計每年可發電 3,000 億千瓦時。

Jaiswal表示，上個月，新德里還向北京提出 “嚴正抗議” ，反對中國設立兩個新縣，其中一個縣包括印度也聲稱擁有主權的爭議地區。

他說：“設立新縣不會影響印度長期以來對該地區主權的一貫立場，也不會為中國非法強行佔領該地區提供合法性。”

亞洲大國印度和中國之間的關係在2020年在有爭議的邊界發生致命軍事衝突之後一直緊張，自從10月達成協議，從喜马拉雅山脉西部的最後兩個對峙點撤軍以來，兩囯關係一直改善。

上個月，雙方高層官員舉行了五年來的首次正式會談並達成協議，同意採取小步驟改善關係, 兩軍已各退讓一步。

So, India has conveyed its concerns to Beijing about China's plan to build a hydropower dam in Tibet on the Yarlung Zangbo river which flows into India. I am wondering how this project will affect the nature habitat in the region.

Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare officially approves manufacturing and sales of Japan's first eye drops that suppress the progression of myopia

Recently HKN News on-line reported the following:

近視の進行を抑える国内初の目薬 製造販売を正式に承認 厚労省

2024年12月27日 17時06分

近視の進行を抑える国内で初めての目薬について、厚生労働省は27日、製造販売を正式に承認し、今後、身近な医療機関でも処方されるようになると期待されています。

承認されたのは、大阪の製薬会社「参天製薬」が開発した目薬「アトロピン硫酸塩水和物」です。

近視は多くの場合、体の成長とともに眼球が前後に伸び、網膜でピントが合わなくなって進行するとされています。

開発のために軽度から中等度の近視の子どもを対象に行われた治験では、目薬を投与したグループは投与しなかったグループと比べて、近視が進行する速度が緩やかになり、眼球の伸びも抑えられたということです。

今月開かれた厚生労働省の専門家部会で国内での製造販売を認めることが了承され、厚生労働省は27日正式に承認しました。

近視の進行を抑える目薬が承認されたのは国内では初めてです。

これまでは海外で承認された同様の成分の目薬を一部の医療機関の医師が個人輸入する形で使っていましたが、今後、身近な医療機関でも処方されるようになると期待されています。

会社によりますとこの目薬には公的な医療保険は適用されず、全額が自己負担になる見込みだということです。

海外で承認された目薬を使っていた病院は

東京 文京区にある東京科学大学病院の眼科では、軽度や中等度の近視の子どもに対し、シンガポールなど海外で承認された目薬を輸入して使用しています。

同様の成分の国産の目薬が承認されたことから、この病院では患者の希望を踏まえて切り替えていく方針で、この日も医師が近視の治療のために受診した子どもと親に検査の結果を示しながら新しい目薬について説明していました。

横浜市から訪れた小学3年生の男の子の母親は「子どもの近視が心配で毎回、片道1時間以上かけて通院しています。国産の薬が出て最寄りの眼科のクリニックで処方してもらえるようになると助かります」と話していました。

五十嵐多恵医師は「国産の薬が承認されたことで医師としても安心して処方できるようになる。個人輸入の必要もなくなり、国内で近視の治療が普及する大きな一歩になる」と話していました。

日本近視学会 理事長「近視が進行しやすい子どもへの使用想定」

承認された目薬の治験データの分析に関わった日本近視学会の理事長で、東京科学大学の大野京子教授は、この目薬は主に近視が進行しやすい子どもへの使用が想定されているとしています。

目薬の有効性が示された治験も5歳から15歳の軽度から中等度の近視の子どもを対象に行われていて、大人や、子どもでも強度の近視の場合はすでに進行が収まっているケースが多いため、効果を期待しにくいということです。

今回の承認について、大野教授は「日本では近視の子どもが特に増加する傾向にあるが、海外から目薬を輸入して使っている医療機関は限られていて、患者の多くはこれまで眼鏡などで様子をみることしかできなかった。国産の目薬が承認され、全国の眼科で処方できるようになるが、近くを見続けないことや、屋外で過ごす時間を増やすことなど、近視が進行しないように生活習慣を改善することも重要だ」と話していました。

Translation

Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare officially approves manufacturing and sales of Japan's first eye drops that suppress the progression of myopia

On the 27th, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare officially approved the manufacturing and sales of Japan's first eye drops that could suppress the progression of myopia, and it was expected that they could be prescribed at neighborhood medical institutions in the future.

The eye drop approved was the "Atropine sulfate hydrate" developed by Osaka pharmaceutical company "Santen Pharmaceutical (参天製薬)".

In many cases, myopia would progresses when the eyeball stretched back and forth as the body grew, and the retina was no longer able to focus.

In clinical trials on myopia development conducted on children with mild to moderate myopia, the rate of myopia progression was found slower and the eyeball stretching was also suppressed compared to the group that did not receive the eye drops.

A Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare expert committee held this month approved eye drops manufacturing and sales in Japan, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare officially approved it on the 27th.

This would be the first time an eye drop that could suppress the progression of myopia was approved in Japan.

Until now, doctors at some medical institutions imported eye drops with similar ingredients approved overseas, but it was expected that they could be prescribed at local medical institutions in future.

According to the company, public medical insurance would not cover these eye drops, and patients had to pay the full cost themselves.

Hospitals that used eye drops approved overseas

The ophthalmology department at Tokyo University of Science Hospital in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, imported eye drops approved overseas, such as from Singapore, for children with mild to moderate myopia.

As domestic eye drops with similar ingredients approved, the hospital planned to switch to them based on the patient's wishes, and on this day doctors were explaining the new eye drops to children and their parents who came to the hospital for myopia treatment, and showing them the results of the tests.

The mother of a third-grade boy who visited from Yokohama City said, "I'm worried about my child's myopia, so I always travel more than an hour each way to the hospital. It would be helpful if a domestically produced drug was available and I could get it prescribed at the nearest eye clinic."

Dr. Igarashi Tae (五十嵐多恵) said, "With the approval of a domestically produced drug, doctors can prescribe it with confidence. There will be no need for personal imports, and this will be a big step towards the widespread use of myopia treatment in Japan."

Japan Myopia Society President: "Intended for use in children whose myopia is likely to progress"

Professor Kyoko Ohno (大野京子) of Tokyo University of Science, president of the Japan Myopia Society, who was involved in analyzing the clinical trial data for the approved eye drops, said that the eye drops were intended for use primarily in children whose myopia would likely progress.

On top of clinical trials that demonstrated the effectiveness of the eye drops conducted on children aged 5 to 15 with mild to moderate myopia, regarding the trials on adults and children with severe myopia, as the progression of the condition had often already stopped, it was difficult to expect seeing any effect.

About this approval, Professor Ohno said, " In Japan there is a particular trend of an increase in the number of children with myopia, yet there are only a limited number of medical institutions that import eye drops from overseas, and until now many patients are only able to monitor their condition with eye glasses etc. Now domestically produced eye drops have been approved and they can be prescribed by ophthalmologists across the country, yet it is also important to improve lifestyle habits to prevent myopia from progressing, such as avoiding looking at close objects for long periods of time, and to spend more time outdoors."

              So, Japan has officially approved the manufacturing and sales of eye drops that can suppress the progression of myopia, this will be a big step towards the widespread use of myopia treatment in Japan. But experts have pointed out that it is also important to improve lifestyle habits to prevent myopia from progressing, such as by avoiding looking at close objects for long periods of time and spending more time outdoors. Apparently playing video game on mobile phones etc. continuously for a long time will be bad for the eyes.

Note:

1. Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (参天製薬株式会社) is a Japanese pharmaceutical company specializing in ophthalmology. With its ophthalmic products Santen holds the top share within the Japanese market and is one of the leading ophthalmic companies worldwide with its products being sold in over 50 countries.

中國將在西藏建造世界最大水力發電廠

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

China to build world's largest hydropower dam in Tibet

Reuters

Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Nicholas Yong

Wed, December 25, 2024 at 9:02 p.m. PST·2 min read

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has approved the construction of what will be the world's largest hydropower dam, kicking off an ambitious project on the eastern rim of the Tibetan plateau that could affect millions downstream in India and Bangladesh.

The dam, which will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, could produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, according to an estimate provided by the Power Construction Corp of China in 2020.

That would more than triple the 88.2 billion kWh designed capacity of the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world's largest, in central China.

The project will play a major role in meeting China's carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, stimulate related industries such as engineering, and create jobs in Tibet, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

A section of the Yarlung Zangbo falls a dramatic 2,000 metres (6,561 feet) within a short span of 50 km (31 miles), offering huge hydropower potential as well as unique engineering challenges.

The outlay for building the dam, including engineering costs, is also expected to eclipse the Three Gorges dam, which cost 254.2 billion yuan($34.83 billion). This included the resettling of the 1.4 million people it displaced and was more than four times the initial estimate of 57 billion yuan.

Authorities have not indicated how many people the Tibet project would displace and how it would affect the local ecosystem, one of the richest and most diverse on the plateau.

But according to Chinese officials, hydropower projects in Tibet, which they say hold more than a third of China's hydroelectric power potential, would not have a major impact on the environment or on downstream water supplies

India and Bangladesh have nevertheless raised concerns about the dam, with the project potentially altering not only the local ecology but also the flow and course of the river downstream.

The Yarlung Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra river as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India's Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states and finally into Bangladesh.

China has already commenced hydropower generation on the upper reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo, which flows from the west to the east of Tibet. It is planning more projects upstream.

($1 = 7.2989 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Translation

中國將在西藏建造世界最大水力發電廠

北京（路透社） - 中國已批准建造世界上最大的水力發電廠大壩，在青藏高原東緣啟動了一項雄心勃勃的項目，該項目可能會影響印度和孟加拉國下游數百萬人。

根據中國電力建設集團公司2020年預計，該大壩將位於雅魯藏布江下游，年發電量將達3,000億度。

這將相比使位於中國中部的目前世界上最大的三峽大壩的設計容量882億千瓦時多了三倍多。

根據官方新華社週三報道，該計劃將為實現中國的碳達峰和碳中和目標發揮重要作用，刺激工程等相關產業，並為西藏創造就業機會。

雅魯藏布江的一段在短短 50 公里（31 英里）的突然驟跌2,000  公尺（6,561 英尺），提供了巨大的水力發電潛力，同時也帶來了獨特的工程挑戰。

包括工程成本在內的大壩建設費用預計也將超過耗資 2,542 億元人民幣（348.3 億美元）, 使三峽大壩顯得不那麼重大。其中包括140萬流離失所人口的安置，是最初估計的570億元人民幣的四倍多。

當局尚未表明西藏計劃將導致多少人流離失所，以及它將如何影響當地的生態系統，這是高原上最豐富、最多樣化的生態系統之一。

但中國官員表示這些西藏水力發電計劃蘊藏著中國水力發電潛力的三分之一以上，是不會對環境或下游供水產生重大影響。

儘管如此，印度和孟加拉還是對大壩提出了擔憂，因為該計劃不僅可能改變當地的生態，而且可能改變下游河流的流量和河道。

雅魯藏布江離開西藏，向南流入印度阿魯納恰爾邦(Arunachal Pradesh)和阿薩姆邦(Assam)，最後流入孟加拉國，成為布拉馬普特拉河(Brahmaputra river)。

中國已經在從西藏西流向東的雅魯藏布江上游開始水力發電。它正在計劃更多的上游項目。

             So, China has approved the construction of what will be the world's largest hydropower dam, kicking off an ambitious project on the eastern rim of the Tibetan plateau that could affect millions downstream in India and Bangladesh. I am wondering how neighboring countries will react to this project.

香港懸賞逮捕六位海外活動人士

Recently BBC News on-line reported the following:

Hong Kong offers rewards for arrest of six activists abroad

Vicky Wong

BBC News-  24 December 2024

Hong Kong police have offered rewards of HK$1m (£103,000; $129,000) for information leading to the arrests of six pro-democracy activists living in the UK and Canada.

Among them is Tony Chung, the former leader of a pro-independence group who fled to the UK last year.

The group - which includes a former district councillor, an actor, and a YouTuber - have been lobbying for more democracy in the territory. All have been accused of violating the city's national security law.

Human Rights Watch said the warrants were "a cowardly act of intimidation that aims to silence Hong Kong people" and called on the UK and Canadian governments to push back.

Also on the wanted list is former district councillor Carmen Lau and activist Chloe Cheung. Both are based in the UK and lobby on behalf of two NGOs calling for more democracy in Hong Kong.

Arrest warrants were also issued for political commentator and pollster Chung Kim-wah, who left Hong Kong for the UK in 2022, as well as two people based in Canada: former actor Joseph Tay, who co-founded the NGO HongKonger Station, and Youtuber Victor Ho.

Mr Ho has been charged with subversion while the other six have been accused inciting secession and collusion with a foreign country or external forces.

According to Hong Kong's public broadcaster RTHK, the arrest warrants were announced by the city's top police chiefs on Tuesday, who accused some of the wanted activists of repeatedly requesting foreign countries to impose sanctions and other measures against China and Hong Kong.

Mr Chung was first convicted in 2021 for calling for Hong Kong's secession and was released in June last year.

He posted on Instagram on Tuesday that it was "an honour to become the first Hongkonger to be charged twice under the National Security Law".

Mr Chung said the news came as no surprise to him as he breached a supervision order after his release from prison by fleeing to the UK last year.

"I knew this day would come. From the moment I decided to leave Hong Kong, I was fully aware that I would not be able to return for a long time," he wrote.

Carmen Lau is also based in the UK and has been calling for more democracy in Hong Kong

Ms Lau posted on X that the warrant would not stop her advocacy work. She called on the UK, US and EU governments to impose sanctions on "Hong Kong human rights perpetrators".

She also asked the British Labour government to "seriously reconsider its strategies for tackling transnational repression targeting Hong Kongers" and to look at blocking the expansion of China's embassy in Tower Hill.

Earlier this month, Tower Hamlets councillors voted unanimously to reject plans for the new Chinese embassy. However, the verdict is only advisory and not binding and it will be up to deputy prime minister and communities secretary Angela Rayner to decide whether to grant permission or not.

This is the third round of arrest warrants and bounties issued since the Beijing-imposed National Security Law was imposed.

The first two rounds were issued in July and December last year, and targeted former lawmaker Nathan Law - who told the BBC last year that his life has become more dangerous since the bounty was announced - and Simon Cheng, a former UK consulate employee detained in 2019 in a high-profile case. Both men are now based in the UK.

China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning backed the move on Tuesday in that the Chinese government supported Hong Kong "performing its duties in accordance with the law",

She added that Hong Kong is "a society governed by the rule of law and no one has extrajudicial privileges".

Hong Kong's controversial National Security Law was imposed in 2020 in response to the 2019 anti-government protests that rocked the city for months.

Beijing and Hong Kong authorities argue the law is necessary to maintain stability and deny it has weakened autonomy, but critics argue it has reduced the city's autonomy and made a wider range of dissenting acts illegal.

Translation

香港懸賞逮捕六位海外活動人士

香港警方懸賞 100 萬港元（103,000 英鎊；129,000 美元），獎勵提供線索逮捕六名居住在英國和加拿大的民主活動人士。

其中包括去年逃往英國的支持獨立團體的前領導人鍾劍華(Tony Chung)。

這六位人士包括一名前區議員、一名演員和一名 網絡創作人(YouTuber)，他們一直在遊說香港實施更多民主。所有人都被指控違反該市的國家安全法。

人權觀察表示，這些逮捕令是“一種懦弱的恐嚇行為，旨在讓香港人民保持沉默”，並呼籲英國和加拿大政府抵制逮捕令。

通緝名單上還包括前區議員劉珈汶(Carmen La) 和活動人士張晞晴 (Chloe Cheung)。兩人均居住在英國，代表兩個非政府組織進行遊說，呼籲香港實現更多民主。

政治評論員兼民調專家鐘劍華(Tony Chung Kim-wah) 於2022 年離開香港前往英國，另外還有兩名在加拿大的人：前演員Joseph Tay(鄭敬基)（非政府組織HongKonger Station 的共同創始人）和網絡創作人 Victor Ho(何良懋) 也被發出逮捕令。

何良懋被指控顛覆國家政權，其他人則被指控煽動分裂國家以及與外國或外部勢力勾結。

根據香港公共廣播公司香港電台 (RTHK) 報道，該市警方最高層週二宣布了逮捕令，他們指責一些被通緝的活動人士多次要求外國對中國和香港實施制裁和其他措施。

鍾翰林先生於 2021 年因呼籲香港分裂而首次被定罪，並於去年 6 月獲釋。

他週二在Instagram上發文稱，「很榮幸成為第一個根據國家安全法被兩次指控的香港人」。

鍾翰林先生表示，這項消息對他來說並不意外，因為他去年出獄後逃往英國，違反了監管令。

他寫道:「我知道這一天會到來。從我決定離開香港的那一刻起，我就充分意識到我很長一段時間都無法回來」。

劉珈汶也住在英國，一直呼籲香港實施更多民主

劉女士在 X 上發文表示，逮捕令不會阻止她的宣傳工作。她呼籲英國、美國和歐盟政府對「香港人權加害者」實施制裁。

她還要求英國工黨政府“認真重新考慮其應對針對香港人的跨國鎮壓的策略”，並考慮阻止中國駐Tower Hill的大使館擴建。

本月早些時候，Tower Hamlets市議員一致投票否決了建造新中國大使館的計劃。然而，該判決只是建議性的，不具有約束力，將由副總理和社區秘書Angela Rayner決定是否授予許可。

這是自北京實施國家安全法以來發出的第三輪逮捕令和賞金。

前兩輪是在去年7 月和12 月進行的，目標有前立法會議員羅冠聰 (Nathan Law) - 他去年告訴BBC，自懸賞宣布以來，他的生命變得更加危險, 和在香港2019年因一件備受矚目的案例而被拘留的前英國領事館僱員鄭文傑 (Simon Cheng)。兩人現在都居住在英國。

中國外交部發言人毛寧週二對此舉表示支持，稱中國政府支持香港「依法履行職責」。

她補充說，香港是「一個法治社會，任何人都沒有法外特權」。

香港於 2020 年實施了備受爭議的《國家安全法》，以應對 2019 年震撼香港數月的反政府抗議活動。

北京和香港當局認為，該法律對於維持穩定是必要的，並否認該法律削弱了自治權，但批評者認為，該法律削弱了香港的自治權，並使更廣泛的異議行為成為非法。

              So, Hong Kong police have offered rewards for information leading to the arrests of six pro-democracy activists living in the UK and Canada. While Beijing and Hong Kong authorities argue the law is necessary to maintain stability and deny it has weakened autonomy, critics point out that it has reduced the city's autonomy and made a wider range of dissenting acts illegal.

俄羅斯戰時經濟困境導致與中國的鐵路貿易放緩 (2/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Russia’s Wartime Economic Woes Slow Railway Trade with China (2/2)

Bloomberg News

Sun, December 22, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. PST·4 min read

(continue)

Putin in February outlined plans to expand annual shipping capacity on the network, though the current economic fissures are creating hurdles for the national rail carrier.

Russian Railways freight volume declined 5.2% year-on-year through November, according to MMI Research.

The company is now considering cutting its total investment program through 2030 by a third, to 7.9 trillion rubles ($77 billion), Kommersant newspaper reported last month, adding that the economy ministry has proposed an even sharper reduction. The ministry also suggested cutting spending on the expansion of the Eastern Polygon to about 15% of what was originally proposed, the newspaper said, though its report wasn’t officially confirmed.

The economy ministry didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Slower Shipments

Russia’s economic troubles and underinvestment in Russian Railways are starting to have knock-on effects on commodity shipments to the east.

Several coal miners aren’t able to ship as originally intended due to railway bottlenecks, executives at the companies said, asking not to be identified as the information is sensitive. The government held a meeting in the coal-rich Kusbass region in western Siberia this month to discuss the industry’s issues.

United Co. Rusal International PJSC, the biggest aluminum producer outside of China, has built up several hundred thousand tons of stock at its aluminum smelters in Siberia as limited railway capacity crimps its ability to ship the metal in a timely manner, people familiar with the situation said.

Before 2022, Rusal — which isn’t subject to sanctions by the US and its Group of Seven allies — was selling the metal in China only occasionally. But after Russia was hit by multiple penalties, the company rerouted a large portion of its exports to Asia from Europe and other markets. It now sells more than a million tons, or about a third of its annual output, in China.

A Rusal spokesperson declined to comment.

Russian Railways “needs to be improved, partly through investments” that are declining, said Dmitry Polevoy, investment director at Moscow-based Astra Asset Management. “In general, the railway and loading are always a mirror of what is happening in the economy.”

Translation

俄羅斯戰時經濟困境導致與中國的鐵路貿易放緩 (2/2)

（繼續）

普京在二月概述了擴大該網絡年度運輸能力的計劃，儘管當前的經濟裂縫給國家鐵路運輸公司帶來了障礙。

根據 MMI Research 的數據，截至 11 月，與去年同期相比，，俄羅斯鐵路貨運量年減 5.2%。

根據《生意人報》上個月報道，鐵路運輸公司目前正在考慮將其到2030 年的總投資計劃削減三分之一，至7.9 兆盧布（770 億美元），並補充說經濟部已提議更大幅削減。該報稱，該部還建議將東部多邊形擴建的支出削減至最初提議的 15% 左右，但其報告尚未得到官方證實。

經濟部沒有回應置評請求。

出貨速度放緩 

俄羅斯的經濟困境和俄羅斯鐵路投資不足開始對東部的大宗商品運輸產生連鎖反應。

有些公司高層表示，由於鐵路瓶頸，一些煤礦公司無法按原計劃發貨, 由於資訊敏感，要求不透露姓名。政府本月在西西伯利亞煤炭資源豐富的Kusbass地區召開會議，討論該行業的問題。

知情人士稱，由於鐵路運力有限，限制了其及時運輸金屬的能力，中國以外最大的鋁生產商俄羅斯鋁業聯合公司 (United Co. Rusal International PJSC) 在西伯利亞的鋁冶煉廠積累了數十萬噸庫存。

2022 年之前，Rusal (俄鋁) 不受美國及其七國集團盟友的制裁, 只是偶爾在中國出售這種金屬。但在俄羅斯受到多重處罰後，該公司將大部分出口到歐洲和其他市場改至亞洲。目前，該公司在中國的銷售量超過一百萬噸，約佔其年產量的三分之一。

俄鋁發言人拒絕置評。

總部位於莫斯科的Astra資產管理公司的投資總監Dmitry Polevoy表示，俄羅斯鐵路「需要改善，部分是透過投資  (已不斷在減少中)」。 「總的來說，鐵路和裝載始終是經濟狀況的一面鏡子」。

              So, Russia faces increasing difficulty in shipping commodities to China through its vast eastern rail network due to the war with Ukraine and sanctions by western countries. Apparently Russian Railways needs to be improved, but there is no money for it under a wartime economy. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a war of attrition for both parties.

Note:

1. Kommersant (Russian: Коммерсантъ, The Businessman or Commerce Man, often shortened to Ъ) (生意人報) is a nationally distributed daily newspaper published in Russia mostly devoted to politics and business. It is widely considered to be one of Russia's three main business dailies (together with Vedomosti and RBK Daily). (Wikipedia)

2. United Company Rusal (Russian: МКПАО «ОК РУСАЛ») (俄鋁) is the world's second largest aluminum company by primary production output (as of 2016). It was the largest until overtaken by China Hongqiao Group in 2015. (Wikipedia)

俄羅斯戰時經濟困境導致與中國的鐵路貿易放緩 (1/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

Russia’s Wartime Economic Woes Slow Railway Trade With China (1/2)

Bloomberg News

Sun, December 22, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. PST·4 min read

(Bloomberg) -- Russia faces increasing difficulty shipping commodities to China through its vast eastern rail network, a sign of the growing economic challenges stemming from war and sanctions, despite the Kremlin’s assurances that all is well.

Russian Railways JSC — the state-owned carrier responsible for all rail transport throughout the country — last week approved a 30% cut in its investment program for next year amid soaring borrowing costs, news agency Tass reported, citing the transportation minister.

An increase in war-related cargoes is also compounding existing bottlenecks, while sanctions weigh on cross-border payments. Those factors, along with longstanding logistical issues, are slowing the transport of goods like coal and aluminum.

The railway “is experiencing its deepest slump since the 2008-09 crisis this year, and the trend is still going strong,” Moscow-based MMI Research said in a Telegram post this month. “We assume that this is due to both the needs of the army — loading the network with priority cargo — and the worsening problems with the rolling stock.”

Russian Railways didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The situation underscores the strains within Russia as the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine approaches its third full year. The central bank on Friday kept its key interest rate at a record 21% as it seeks to cool an overheated economy, which President Vladimir Putin has said is in sound condition.

“Everything is based on the economy,” Putin said during his annual call-in on Dec. 19. “The situation is normal, stable,” despite any external threats and sanctions. While noting that inflation is “worrying,” he added that GDP may grow by about 4% this year — higher than in many Western countries — while unemployment is at a record low.

Fabled Railway

For Russian Railways, the picture is not so rosy. The carrier, which often used to borrow in public markets for investment, has now been largely closed off to them due to sanctions. Government support is limited, as Moscow has re-prioritized its budget toward the war.

Russia shifted its trade in recent years toward Asia, placing greater reliance on the so-called Eastern Polygon rail network. Its 8,700 miles (14,000 kilometers) of track combine Russia’s two longest railroads — the fabled Trans-Siberian, linking Moscow to the Pacific Ocean, and the Baikal-Amur Mainline running from Siberia to the Far East.

The network has long been burdened by loading delays and inefficient infrastructure, but now it’s being stressed further. The shift toward Asia has increased the volume of transportation both to and from Russia, and demand for track space far exceeds what the system can handle — despite billions of dollars spent on upgrades.

“We see the problems of the Eastern Polygon,” Transportation Minister Roman Starovoit said on state television this month. “Infrastructure constraints, despite the increase in carrying capacity, still exist on the Baikal Amur and the Trans-Siberian Railway.”

(to be continued)

Translation

俄羅斯戰時經濟困境導致與中國的鐵路貿易放緩 (1/2)

（彭博）—俄羅斯透過其龐大的東部鐵路網絡向中國運送商品面臨越來越大的困難，這表明戰爭和制裁帶來的經濟挑戰日益嚴峻，儘管克里姆林宮保證一切都很好。

根據塔斯社引述交通部長報道稱，由於借貸成本飆升，負責全國所有鐵路運輸的國有運輸的俄羅斯鐵路股份公司 (JSC)上週批准將明年的投資計劃削減 30%。

與戰爭相關的貨物的增加也加劇了現有的瓶頸，而制裁則給跨境支付帶來壓力。這些因素加上長期的物流問題，正在減緩煤炭和鋁等貨物的運輸。

總部位於莫斯科的 MMI Research 在本月的 Telegram 貼文中表示，該鐵路「今年正在經歷自 2008-09 年危機以來最嚴重的衰退，而且趨勢仍然強勁」;「我們認為這是由於軍隊的需求（向網絡裝載優先貨物）以及火車和車廂問題日益惡化造成的」。

俄羅斯鐵路公司沒有回應置評請求。

隨著克里姆林宮在烏克蘭的戰爭進入第三年，這種情況凸顯了俄羅斯內部的緊張局勢。俄羅斯央行週五將關鍵利率維持在創紀錄的 21%，以尋求讓過熱的經濟降溫，俄羅斯總統普京 (Vladimir Putin) 表示，經濟狀況良好。

普京在 12 月 19 日的年度電話會議上表示:「一切都以經濟為基礎」。儘管有任何外部威脅和制裁“情況是正常、穩定” 。但他補充說通貨膨脹是“令人擔憂”，今年 GDP 可能增長 4% 左右 - 高於許多西方國家 - 而失業率是在歷史新低。

傳奇的鐵路

對於俄羅斯鐵路公司來說，情況就沒那麼樂觀。該公司過去經常在公開市場上借款進行投資，但由於制裁，現在基本上已與公開市場斷絕。政府的支持是有限的，因為莫斯科已經重新調整成戰爭優先的預算。

近年來，俄羅斯將貿易轉向亞洲，更依賴所謂的東部多邊形鐵路網。其全長 8,700 英里（14,000 公里）的軌道將俄羅斯兩條最長的鐵路連接起來 - 傳奇的連接莫斯科和太平洋的西伯利亞鐵路，以及從西伯利亞延伸到遠東的幹線Baikal-Amur Mainline 鐵路 (BAM)。

該網路長期以來一直受到加載延遲和基礎設施效率低下的困擾，但現在它的壓力進一步加大。向亞洲的轉向增加了往返俄羅斯的運輸量，對軌道空間的需求遠遠超出了系統的處理能力 - 儘管升級花費了數十億美元。

交通部長Roman Starovoit本月在國家電視台上表示:「我們看到了東部多邊形的問題」。 「儘管運載能力有所增加，但Baikal Amur和西伯利亞鐵路仍然存在基礎設施限制」。

（待續）

The biggest mystery in aviation history: Agreement reached to resume search for Malaysian plane that went missing 10 years ago

 

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

航空史上最大の謎 10年前に不明のマレーシア機 捜索再開を合意

2024年12月21日 0時06分

10年前、乗客乗員200人以上を乗せて南シナ海の上空で消息を絶ったマレーシア航空の旅客機について、マレーシア政府はアメリカの海洋探査会社と捜索の再開で原則合意したことを明らかにしました。

「航空史上最大の謎」とも呼ばれる旅客機の消息をめぐって真相究明が進むのか注目されます。

マレーシア航空370便は10年前、乗客乗員239人を乗せてマレーシアから中国に向かっていたところ南シナ海の上空で消息を絶ちました。

当時マレーシア政府など各国が捜索しましたが、機体の一部が見つかっただけで大きな進展はないまま3年後に捜索はいったん打ち切られ、その後、マレーシア政府と契約したアメリカの海洋探査会社が再び捜索にあたりましたが新たな発見はありませんでした。

こうした中、マレーシア政府は20日、このアメリカの企業から新たな申し出があり、捜索を再開することで原則、合意したと発表しました。

捜索は最新の情報やデータの分析に基づいてインド洋南部の1万5000平方キロメートルの範囲で行われるということで、機体が見つからなければ企業側への費用の支払いは行われないとしています。

「航空史上最大の謎」とも呼ばれる旅客機の消息をめぐって真相究明が進むのか注目されます。

Translation

The biggest mystery in aviation history: Agreement reached to resume search for Malaysian plane that went missing 10 years ago

The Malaysian government announced that it had reached an agreement in principle with an American marine exploration company to resume the search for the Malaysian Airlines passenger plane that disappeared over the South China Sea 10 years ago with more than 200 passengers and crew on board.

Attention would be focused on whether it could make progress in uncovering the truth regarding the disappearance of the passenger plane, which was also called "the biggest mystery in aviation history."

Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappeared over the South China Sea 10 years ago while traveling from Malaysia to China with 239 passengers and crew on board.

At the time, the Malaysian government and other countries conducted a search, but only part of the aircraft was found and no major progress was made, the search was called off three years later. After that, an American marine exploration company contracted with the Malaysian government to resume the search, but no new discoveries were made.

Under these circumstances, on the 20th, the Malaysian government announced that it had received a new offer from the American company and had agreed in principle to resume the search.

The search would cover an area of ​​15,000 square kilometers in the southern Indian Ocean based on analysis of the latest information and data, and if the plane was not found, the company would not be paid any fees.

Attention would be focused on whether progress could be made in uncovering the truth behind the whereabouts of the passenger plane that been called "the greatest mystery in aviation history."

So, Malaysia has reached a new agreement with an American marine exploration company to resume the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines passenger plane. I think the company is confident in finding the plane eventually this time. If they finally find it, the story itself will bring the company a lot of benefits on top of the fees they are promised.