美國FCC以國家安全為由吊銷中國電信美國運營執照

 Recently Yahoo New on-line reported the following:

China Telecom America’s operating licence revoked by US FCC, citing national security

South China Morning Post Robert Delaney

Tue., October 26, 2021, 10:57 a.m.·3 min read

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday voted to order China Telecom Americas to stop providing telecommunication service in the United States, citing national security concerns.

The move, announced at the start of a virtual open meeting, follows the FCC’s issuance of a “show cause” order last year to the subsidiary of one of China’s largest state-owned firms, and gives the unit 60 days to end its domestic and international service in the US. The order obliged the company to explain why the US government’s national security concerns were unfounded or risk losing its operating licence.

“China Telecom Americas’ ownership and control raised significant national security and law enforcement risks, providing opportunities for China Telecom Americas, its parent entities and the Chinese government to access, store, disrupt and/or … misroute US communications, allowing espionage and other harmful activities against the United States,” said Gabrielle Kim, a legal adviser in the telecommunications and analysis division of the FCC’s international bureau.

Acting FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel, whom President Joe Biden nominated on Tuesday to permanently fill the post, said in the hearing that the Chinese company “has not been forthright in its representations” to the agency.

The FCC “has a long history of working to open American markets to foreign telecommunications companies when doing so is in the public interest”, she said. “We recognise that not every connection is consistent with the national security interest of the United States.”

“Some countries may seek to exploit our openness to advance their own national interests,” Rosenworcel said, citing directives from the departments of State, Defence and Commerce, as well as the Office of the US Trade Representative last year to terminate China Telecom’s US operations.

“When we recognise this is the case and cannot mitigate the risk, we need to take action. … This is not a decision we take lightly.”

Oversight of Chinese telecoms companies is lacking, US lawmakers find

China Telecom Americas has been operating in the US for almost 20 years. The company has said its target customers are “the more than 4 million Chinese Americans; the 2 million Chinese tourists visiting the United States annually; the 300,000 Chinese students at US colleges; and the more than 1,500 Chinese enterprises in America”.

China Unicom Americas and Pacific Networks Corp’s wholly owned subsidiary ComNet (USA), controlled by Chinese government investment firm Citic Group, were given “show cause” orders, separately, at the same time, and may face the same fate as China Telecom Americas, according to Rosenworcel.

“We are moving expeditiously to complete security reviews for similarly situated carriers like China Unicom and ComNet,” she said. “We have a process for revoking existing authorisations when there are national security concerns.”

“Now companies will understand the circumstances under which authorisations could be revoked and what due process is available,” she added.

Chinese telecom firms urge FCC not to block US operations

China Telecom Americas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The announcement comes amid growing concerns among both political parties in Washington that Chinese companies operating in America may pose a risk to US consumers, investors and national security.

“The intertwining of the American and Chinese economies has given China‘s substantial power here in the United States,” said Representative Brad Sherman, a California Democrat and chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship and Capital Markets.

“It really hasn’t given America any power, political power, in Beijing.”

Translation

美國聯邦通信委員會（FCC）週二投票決定，以國家安全為由，命令中國電信美洲公司 (China Telecom Americas) 停止在美國提供電信服務。

此舉是在一次綱上公開會議開始時宣布的，此前美國聯邦通信委員會去年向中國最大的國有企業之一的子公司發布了“展示原因”命令，並給它 60 天的時間結束其國內和在美國提供國際服務。該命令在法例上給該公司指出為什麼美國政府的國家安全擔憂是毫無根據，否則它可能會失去其經營許可證。

美國聯邦通信委員會國際局電信和分析部門的法律顧問 Gabrielle Kim 說: “中國電信美洲公司的所有權和控制權帶來了重大的國家安全和執法風險，為中國電信美洲公司、其母公司和中國政府提供了進入、存儲、中斷和/或……誤導美國通信，從方便間諜和其他有害美國的活動” 。

美國聯邦通信委員會代理主席Jessica Rosenworcel被總統喬·拜登（Joe Biden）提名永久填補這一職位，在周二的聽證會上她表示，這家中國公司“在向該機構提出的陳述中並不坦率”。

她說，美國聯邦通信委員會“長期以來一直致力於在符合公共利益的情況下向外國電信公司開放美國市場”。 “我們認識到，並非所有聯繫都符合美國的國家安全利益。”                                      

Rosenworcel說： “一些國家可能會尋求利用我們的開放性來推進自己的國家利益，” 她引用了國務院、國防部和商務部以及美國貿易代表辦公室去年終止中國電信在美國業務的指示。

“當我們認識到這種情況並且無法降低風險時，我們需要採取行動 ......, 這不是我們掉以輕心的決定。”

美國立法者發現缺乏對中國電信公司的監管

中國電信美洲公司已在美國運營近 20 年。該公司曾表示，其目標客戶是“超過 400 萬華裔美國人；每年訪問美國的200萬中國遊客；美國大學的30萬中國學生；以及1500多家在美中國企業”。

中國政府投資公司中信集團控股的中國聯通美洲公司, 和太平洋網絡公司的全資子公司 ComNet (USA) 分別接到了“展示原因” 指令，並根據Rosenworcel的說法, 可能面臨與中國電信美洲公司相同的命運。

她說:“我們正在迅速採取行動，完成對中國聯通和 ComNet 等類似運營商的安全審查”; “當存在國家安全問題時，我們有一個撤銷現有授權的程序” 。

她補充說: “現在，這些公司將了解在何種情況下可以被撤銷授權，以及有哪些法律程序可以申辯 ” 。

中國電信公司敦促FCC不要阻止美國業務

中國電信美洲公司沒有立即回應置評請求。

 盛頓兩政黨越來越擔心在美國經營的中國公司可能對美國消費者、投資者和國家安全構成風險。

与會的加州民主黨眾議員Brad Sherman, 亦是眾議院金融服務投資者保護、創業和資本市場小組委員會主席說:“美國和中國經濟的交織令中國在美國有巨大力量” 。

“這沒有真正給美國在北京任何力量、政治權力。”

              So, the FCC votes to order China Telecom Americas to stop providing telecommunication service in the United States. I agree with the observation made by Brad Sherman that the intertwining of the American and Chinese economies has given China substantial power in the United States, and that the trading relation really hasn’t given America any political power in Beijing. I also agree with Rosenworcel’s observation that some countries may seek to exploit US’s openness to advance their own national interests. On example that I can cite is that China is free to sponsor Chinese TV media in the US, and can easily buy TV advertisement time to promote its image and idea. The American cannot do the same in China.

國際特赦組織今年關閉香港辦事處

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Amnesty International to close Hong Kong offices this year

Mon., October 25, 2021, 8:15 p.m.

HONG KONG (AP) — The human rights group Amnesty International said it will close its two offices in Hong Kong this year, becoming the latest non-governmental organization to cease operations amid a crackdown on political dissent in the city.

The group said its local office in Hong Kong will close this month and its regional office will close by the end of the year, with operations moved to other offices in the Asia-Pacific region, the organization said in a statement Monday.

“This decision, made with a heavy heart, has been driven by Hong Kong’s national security law, which has made it effectively impossible for human rights organizations in Hong Kong to work freely and without fear of serious reprisals from the government,” Anjhula Mya Singh Bais, chair of Amnesty International’s board, said in a statement.

Mainland China imposed a sweeping National Security Law in Hong Kong in 2020 following months of massive anti-government protests. The law outlaws secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and foreign collusion to intervene in the city’s affairs. More than 120 people, many of them supporters of the city's democracy movement, have been arrested under the law.

The majority of the city's prominent pro-democracy activists have been arrested for taking part in unauthorized assemblies, and dozens of political organizations and trade unions have ceased operation out of concern for their members' safety under the security law.

Bais said the recent targeting of local human rights and trade union groups signaled that authorities are intensifying their campaign to rid the city of dissenting voices. “It is increasingly difficult for us to keep operating in such an unstable environment,” she said.

In a June report, Georgetown University’s Center for Asian Law said the National Security Law mirrored legislation in mainland China that tightly restricts contacts between local and international non-governmental organizations and threatens activists with imprisonment for allegedly colluding with foreign forces.

“It’s disturbing — and contrary to international law — to see Hong Kong’s ‘national security’ law similarly strangle civil society and free speech in the territory,” said Sophie Richardson, China director at non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch.

“The degree of surveillance and the National Security Law's vague prohibitions makes contact between Hong Kong people and those outside the territory potentially subject to prosecution, such that information-sharing is impeded,” she said.

Critics in Hong Kong say the National Security Law erodes freedoms, such as those of expression and assembly, that were promised to the city for 50 years when the former British colony was handed over to China in 1997.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said that under the city's Basic Law, the freedoms of association, assembly and speech are “guaranteed.”

“No organization should be worried about legitimate operations in Hong Kong,” said Lam during a regular news conference Tuesday. “But it has to be done in accordance with the law.”

 

Zen Soo, The Associated Press

Translation

香港（美聯社）- 人權組織國際特赦組織表示，今年將關閉其在香港的兩個辦事處，成為在該市正在鎮壓政治異見人士之中, 最新一個去停止運作的非政府組織。

該組織週一在一份聲明中表示，該集團在香港的當地辦事處將於本月關閉，其地區辦事處將於年底關閉，業務將轉移到亞太地區的其他辦事處。

國際特赦組織董事會主席Anjhula Mya Singh Bais在一份聲明中說：“這個決定是在沉重的心情下做出的，是受到香港國家安全法的驅使，它使香港的人權組織自由工作實際上不可能不擔心政府嚴重報復。”

在經歷了數月的大規模反政府抗議活動後，中國大陸於 2020 年在香港實施了全面的《國家安全法》。法律禁止分裂國家、顛覆國家政權、恐怖主義和外國勾結干涉城市事務。 120 多人已被依法逮捕，其中許多人是該市民主運動的支持者。

該市大多數著名的民主活動人士, 因參加未經授權的集會而被捕。在安全法之下, 數十個政治組織和工會出於對其成員安全的擔憂而停止運作。

Bais說，當局最近對當地人權和工會組織的針對, 表明當局正在加緊開展運動，以消除這座城市的反對聲音。她說: “我們越來越難在如此不穩定的環境中繼續運營” 。

喬治城大學亞洲法律中心在 6 月份的一份報告中表示，《國家安全法》類似中國大陸的立法，嚴格限製本地組織和國際非政府組織之間的聯繫，並用入獄威脅涉嫌與外國勢力勾結的活動人士。

非政府組織人權觀察中國部主任Sophie Richardson說：“看到香港的‘國家安全’法同樣扼殺了香港的公民社會和言論自由，這令人不安，而且違反國際法。”

她說：“監控的程度和國家安全法的模糊禁令，使港人與境外人士接觸可能受到起訴，從而阻礙信息共享。”

香港的批評者說，《國家安全法》侵蝕了中國對香港在 1997 年英國把殖民地移交給中國時, 給香港50 年言論和集會自由等承諾。

香港特首林鄭月娥表示，根據香港《基本法》，結社、集會和言論自由是“得到保障的”。

林在周二的例行新聞發布會上說:“任何組織都不應該擔心在香港的合法運營”; “但運營必須依法進行” 。

              So, the human rights group Amnesty International will close its two offices in Hong Kong this year. The National Security Law in Hong Kong mirrors legislations in mainland China that tightly restrict contacts between local and international non-governmental organizations. The internationality of Hong Kong is shrinking.

隨著病例的蔓延，中國開始為 3 歲以下的兒童接種疫苗

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

China to start vaccinating children to age 3 as cases spread

Huizhong Wu, The Associated Press

Mon., October 25, 2021, 7:35 a.m.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Children as young as 3 will start receiving COVID-19 vaccines in China, where 76% of the population has been fully vaccinated and authorities are maintaining a zero-tolerance policy toward outbreaks.

China becomes one of the very few countries in the world to start vaccinating children that young against the virus. Cuba, for one, has begun a vaccine drive for children as young as 2. The U.S. and many European countries allow COVID-19 shots down to age 12, though the U.S. is moving quickly toward opening vaccinations to 5- to 11-year-olds.

Local city and provincial level governments in at least five Chinese provinces issued notices in recent days announcing that children ages 3 to 11 will be required to get their vaccinations.

The expansion of the vaccination campaign comes as parts of China take new clampdown measures to try to stamp out small outbreaks. Gansu, a northwestern province heavily dependent on tourism, closed all tourist sites Monday after finding new COVID-19 cases. Residents in parts of Inner Mongolia have been ordered to stay indoors because of an outbreak there.

The National Health Commission reported that 35 new cases of local transmission had been detected over the past 24 hours, four of them in Gansu. An additional 19 cases were found in the Inner Mongolia region, with others scattered around the country.

China has employed lockdowns, quarantines and compulsory testing for the virus throughout the pandemic and has largely stamped out cases of local infection while fully vaccinating 1.07 billion people out of a population of 1.4 billion.

In particular, the government is concerned about the spread of the more contagious delta variant by travelers and about having a largely vaccinated public ahead of the Beijing Olympics in February. Overseas spectators already have been banned from the Winter Games, and participants will have to stay in a bubble separating them from people outside.

China's most widely used vaccines, from Sinopharm and Sinovac, have shown efficacy in preventing severe disease and transmission of the virus, based on public data. But the protection they offer against the delta variant has not been answered definitively, although officials say they remain protective.

Hubei, Fujian and Hainan provinces all issued provincial level notices alerting new vaccination requirements, while individual cities in Zhejiang province and Hunan province have also issued similar announcements.

China in June had approved two vaccines — Sinopharm's from the Beijing Institute of Biological Products and Sinovac — for children ages 3 to 17, but it has only been vaccinating those 12 and older. In August, regulators approved another, Sinopharm's from the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products.

After the vaccines received domestic approval for children in China, foreign governments began giving the shots to children in their own countries. Cambodia uses both Sinovac and Sinopharm’s shots in children 6 to 11. Regulators in Chile approved Sinovac for children as young as 6. In Argentina, regulators approved the Sinopharm vaccine for children as young as age 3.

Many developing countries left out of the race to get shots from Western pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Moderna bought Chinese vaccines. China has shipped more than 1.2 billion doses as of September, according to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Even with widespread domestic and global use, not every parent is reassured about the vaccine, citing less publicly available data on the shots.

Wang Lu, who lives in the southern city of Fuzhou in Fujian province, said she isn’t particularly rushing to get her 3-year-old son vaccinated. “I’m just not very clear on the vaccine’s safety profile, so I don’t really want to get him vaccinated, at the very least, I don’t want to be the first,” Wang said.

Sinovac started an efficacy trial with 14,000 child participants across multiple countries in September. Its approval in China was based on smaller phase 1 and phase 2 trials. Sinopharm’s Beijing shot was also approved based on smaller phase 1 and phase 2 trials. These were published later in peer-reviewed journals.

Other parents said they weren’t concerned, given that many other people had already gotten the shot.

Wu Cong, a mom of a 7-year old, said her daughter’s school in Shanghai hadn’t yet notified them of any vaccinations.

“I think this isn’t too different from the flu vaccine, there’s already been so many people vaccinated, so I don’t have too many worries,” said Wu.

Translation

台灣台北（美聯社）- 中國 76% 的人口已完全接種 COVID-19 疫苗，當局對疫情暴發保持零容忍政策，年僅 3 歲的兒童將開始接種 COVID-19 疫苗。

中國成為世界上為數不多的開始為年幼的兒童接種病毒疫苗的國家之一。例如，古巴已經開始為 2 歲的兒童接種疫苗。美國和許多歐洲國家允許接種 COVID-19 疫苗低至 12 歲，而美國正在迅速向 5 至 11 歲的兒童開放疫苗接種。

中國至少五個省的地方市和省級政府最近幾天發布通知，宣布將要求 3 至 11 歲的兒童接種疫苗。

疫苗接種運動的擴大正值中國部分地區採取新的鎮壓措施以試圖消滅小規模疫情。甘肅是一個嚴重依賴旅遊業的西北省份，在發現新的 COVID-19 病例後，週一關閉了所有旅遊景點。由於爆發疫情，內蒙古部分地區的居民已被命令留在室內。

國家衛生健康委員會報告說，過去 24 小時內發現了 35 例新的本地傳播病例，其中 4 例在甘肅。內蒙古地區新增19例，其他分佈在全國各地。

在整個病毒大流行期間，中國對病毒進行了封鎖、隔離和強制檢測，在很大程度上消除了本地感染病例，同時為 14 億人口中的 10.7 億人全面接種了疫苗。

政府是特別擔心旅行者傳播更具傳染性的delta變種，以及擔憂在 2 月北京奧運會之前要對大量公眾做接種疫苗的工作。海外觀眾已經被禁止參加冬奧會，參賽者將不得不與外界隔離。

中國最廣泛使用的疫苗，是來自國藥控股和科興控股。根據公開數據，它顯示出在預防嚴重疾病和病毒傳播方面的功效。但是他們針對 delta 變體提供的保護尚未得到明確答案，儘管官員們表示他們仍然具有保護作用。

湖北、福建、海南三省均發布省級通知，提醒新的疫苗接種要求，浙江省和湖南省内個別城市也發布了類似公告。

中國在 6 月批准了兩種疫苗 - 的北京生物製品研究所的國藥疫苗和科興 - 用於 3 至 17 歲的兒童，但它只為 12 歲及以上的兒童接種疫苗。 8 月，監管機構批准了另一家來自武漢生物製品研究所的國藥疫苗。

在中國兒童疫苗獲得國內批准後，外國政府開始為其本國兒童接種疫苗。柬埔寨在 6 至 11 歲的兒童中同時使用科興和國藥的疫苗。智利的監管機構批准科興為 6 歲的兒童接種。在阿根廷，監管機構批准國藥疫苗為 3 歲的兒童接種。

在從輝瑞和莫德納等西方製藥公司購買疫苗的競爭中, 許多發展中國家被排除出來。根據中國外交部的數據，截至 9 月，中國已運送了超過 12 億劑疫苗。

即使在國內和全球廣泛使用，也不是每個父母都對疫苗感到放心，因為有關的疫苗數據較少被公開。

住在福建省南部城市福州的Wang Lu說，她並不急於讓 3 歲的兒子接種疫苗。她說 “我只是不太清楚疫苗的安全性，所以我真的不想讓他接種疫苗，至少我不想成為第一個” 。

科興 於 9 月開始了一項針對多個國家的 14,000 名兒童參與者的功效試驗。它在中國的批准是基於較小的 1 期和 2 期試驗。國藥的北京注射液也基於較小的 1 期和 2 期試驗獲得批准。這些消息後來發表在同行評審的期刊上。

其他家長表示他們並不擔心，因為許多其他人已經接種了疫苗。

一個 7 歲孩子的媽媽Wu Cong說，她女兒在上海的學校還沒有通知他們接種任何疫苗。

Wu Cong又說: “我覺得這和流感疫苗沒有太大區別，已經有很多人接種了，所以我沒有太多擔心” 。

 So, children as young as 3 will start receiving COVID-19 vaccines in China where 76% of the population has been fully vaccinated and the authorities are maintaining a zero-tolerance policy toward the outbreak of a pandemic.

Domestic vaccine - Shionogi large-scale clinical trial: will apply for approval within the year

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

国産ワクチン 塩野義が大規模な臨床試験 年度内にも承認申請か

2021年10月21日 17時47分

大阪に本社がある「塩野義製薬」は、開発を進めている新型コロナウイルスの国産ワクチンについて、およそ3000人を対象にした大規模な臨床試験に入ったことを明らかにしました。会社では、年内にも最終段階の試験を始め、安全性や有効性が確認できれば、年度内にも国に承認を申請する考えです。

「塩野義製薬」は新型コロナの国産ワクチンについて、ことし8月から新しい製剤を使って日本人の成人60人を対象に、初期段階の臨床試験を進めてきました。

これまでに安全性に大きな問題はなく、ウイルスの働きを抑える中和抗体の値が上昇したことが確認されたということです。

この結果を受けて、会社は20日から次の臨床試験を始めたことを明らかにしました。

新たな試験では、日本人の成人およそ3000人を対象に、1人につき2回の接種を行い、有効性などを確認します。

また、年内にも最終段階のさらに大規模な臨床試験を始める方針で、この試験でも安全性や有効性が確認できれば、年度内にも国に承認を申請するとしています。

国産ワクチンをめぐっては、塩野義製薬のほか、製薬大手の「第一三共」や熊本の製薬企業、「KMバイオロジクス」なども早期の実用化を目指して開発を進めています。

Translation

Shionogi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., headquartered in Osaka, announced that it had entered into a large-scale clinical trial of a domestic vaccine for the new coronavirus that was under development, targeting approximately 3,000 people. The company planned to start the final stage of the test by the end of the year, and if the safety and efficacy could be confirmed, it would apply for vaccine approval from the government by the end of the year.

Since August, Shionogi had been conducting clinical trials of the new corona domestic vaccine in 60 Japanese adults using a new formulation.

So far, there were no major safety issues, and it had been confirmed that the level of neutralizing antibodies that suppressed the action of the virus had increased.

Following this result, the company announced that it had begun its next clinical trial on the 20th.

In a new study, about 3000 Japanese adults would be inoculated twice per person to confirm vaccine’s effectiveness.

In addition, the policy was to start a larger-scale final stage clinical trial by the end of the year, and if the safety and efficacy of this trial could be confirmed, the company would apply to the government for approval within this year.

Regarding domestic vaccines, in addition to Shionogi Pharmaceutical, major pharmaceutical companies such as Daiichi Sankyo, Kumamoto's pharmaceutical company, and KM Biologics were also developing vaccines with the aim of early commercialization.

               It is interesting to note that given Japan’s world class capability in medical research and production, they are late in producing their own vaccines. Japan’s neighbor Taiwan has already started using its domestic vaccine a few months ago.

中國的貿易行為受到抨擊

Recently BBC New on-line reported the following:

China's trade practices come under fire

Katie Silver - Business reporter BBC

Thu., October 21, 2021, 4:39 a.m.

China's trade policies have come under strong criticism during a review at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The US accused China of "skewing the playing field" by using "unfair trade practices" such as preferential treatment for state businesses.

Meanwhile Australia said the country's behavior was "inconsistent" with its WTO commitments.

China said it was committed to deepening reform and opening up its economy.

WTO reviews are typically quite routine. Mandated in the organisation's agreements, the trade policies of member countries are examined and evaluated at regular intervals.

For the biggest countries, such as China, this happens every two years.

This December marks 20 years since China joined the WTO, but critics say the country's market reforms have been inadequate.

 Trade rules 'tested'

At the WTO review in Geneva, Australia said China had benefited "significantly" since it joined the WTO, but argued it was not acting fairly.

In the past 18 months, China has imposed restrictions on many Australian exports including barley, coal, sugar, wine and beef.

"China has increasingly tested global trade rules and norms by engaging in practices that are inconsistent with its WTO commitments," the Australian government said in a statement.

"By undermining agreed trade rules China also undermines the multilateral trading system on which all WTO members rely."

Tensions between Australia and China have hit their lowest level in decades [sic], in part triggered by Australia calling for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

The US was similarly critical. Charge d'affaires David Bisbee listed what he called China's "unfair trade practices" including preferential treatment for state enterprises, data restrictions, inadequate enforcement of intellectual property rights and cyber theft,

"We also cannot ignore reports of China's use of forced labour in several sectors," Mr Bisbee said, in an apparent reference to allegations of Uighurs being subjected to forced labour camps in Xinjiang.

Trade sources told the Reuters news agency that Britain, Canada, the European Union and Japan have also called for reforms to make the world's second-largest economy more free and open.

China's Commerce Minister, Wang Wentao, told the meeting: "Since the last review, China has stayed committed to deepening reform, expanding, opening up and growing its open economy at a higher level.

 "China has been reinforcing intellectual property protection by legislative, administrative and judicial means, and fulfilling its obligations on transparency."

Translation

在世界貿易組織（WTO）的評核中，中國的貿易政策受到了強烈批評。

美國指責中國通過對國有企業採取優惠待遇等“不公平貿易做法”，“扭曲了競爭環境”。

與此同時，澳大利亞表示該國的行為與其對世貿組織的承諾“不唿合”。

中國表示將致力於深化改革和開放經濟。

世貿組織的評核通常是相當常規的。根據該組織的協議，成員國的貿易政策會定期接受審查和評估。

對於最大的國家，例如中國，這種情況每兩年發生一次。

今年 12 月是中國加入世貿組織 20 週年，但批評人士稱中國的市場改革力度不夠。

貿易規則“測試”

在日內瓦世貿組織審查中，澳大利亞表示中國自加入世貿組織以來“顯著”受益，但指稱其行為不公平。

在過去的 18 個月中，中國對澳大利亞的許多出口產品實施了限制，包括大麥、煤炭、糖、葡萄酒和牛肉。

澳大利亞政府在一份聲明中說：“中國通過從事不符合其世貿組織承諾的做法，越來越多地考驗了全球貿易規則和規範。”

“通過破壞商定的貿易規則，中國也破壞了所有世貿組織成員所依賴的多邊貿易體系。”

澳大利亞和中國之間的緊張局勢[使关係]降至幾十年來的最低水平，部分原因是澳大利亞呼籲對冠狀病毒大流行的起源進行國際調查。

美國也同樣持批評態度。David Bisbee代辦列出了他所謂的中國“不公平貿易行為”，包括對國有企業的優惠待遇、數據限制、知識產權執法不力和網絡盜竊。

David Bisbee 說: “我們也不能忽視有關中國在幾個部門使用強迫勞動的報導，” 這顯然是指維吾爾人在新疆遭受強迫勞動營的指控。

貿易消息人士告訴路透社，英國、加拿大、歐盟和日本也呼籲進行改革，使這個世界第二大經濟體更加自由和開放。

中國商務部部長Wang Wentao在會上表示：“自上次審議以來，中國始終致力於在更高水平深化改革、擴大開放和發展開放型經濟。

“中國一直通過立法、行政和司法手段加強知識產權保護，履行透明度義務。”

              So, the US accuses China of "skewing the playing field" by using "unfair trade practices" such as preferential treatment for state businesses. Meanwhile Australia says that China's behavior is "inconsistent" with its WTO commitments. I think this war of words will continue in the foreseeable future.

Railway connecting China and Laos - to open with a total length of 1000 km

 Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

中国とラオスを結ぶ鉄道、線路開通　全長１０００キロ

2021.10.20 Wed posted at 12:54 JST

 （ＣＮＮ） 中国と隣国ラオスを結ぶ新しい鉄道の線路が開通した。中国が巨大経済圏構想「一帯一路」の下で進める初の国際鉄道網プロジェクトとなる。

同鉄道はラオスの首都ビエンチャンと中国雲南省の省都・昆明を結ぶ。両国の間に４５駅が設置される予定で、うち約２０駅で旅客サービスを運行する。

中国中鉄は声明を発表し、この鉄道によってラオスは「陸に閉ざされた国から陸で結ばれた国」へと転換すると強調した。両国を結ぶ貨物列車と旅客列車は年内に運行を開始する。

現時点で鉄道の全長は１０００キロ以上。昆明から、ラオスと国境を接する景洪まで約３時間で到達できる。

国営メディアによると、中国とラオスを結ぶ鉄道は１２月に全面的な運行開始を予定している。

中国は過去１０年で鉄道建設に多額を投じ、高速鉄道網は２００８年以来、３万７９００キロ延長された。アフリカのケニアなど、他国の鉄道プロジェクトにも投資している。

Translation

 (CNN) A new railroad track connecting China and neighboring Laos was opened. This would be the first international railway network project that China was promoting under the "One Belt, One Road" giant economic zone concept.

The railway connected Vientiane, the capital of Laos, with Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan in China. Forty-five stations had be set up between the two countries, of which about 20 would operate passenger services.

China Railway Group issued a statement, emphasizing that the railroad would transform Laos from a land-closed country to a land-tied country. Freight trains and passenger trains connecting the two countries could start operating by the end of the year.

At present, the total length of the railway would more than 1000 km. It took about 3 hours traveling from Kunming to Jinghong which bordered Laos.

According to state media, the railway linking China and Laos was scheduled to go into full operation in December.

China invested heavily in railroad construction in the last decade, and its high-speed rail network had been extended by 37,900 kilometers since 2008. It was also investing in railway projects in other countries, such as Kenya in Africa.

              So, this new railway line will connect China and Laos. I would like to know how this rail line can benefit the economy of Laos.

菲律賓抗議北京在南海的“挑釁行為”

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Philippines protests Beijing's 'provocative acts' in South China Sea

Wed., October 20, 2021, 7:55 a.m.

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines has issued a diplomatic protest over Chinese vessels challenging its ships patrolling the South China Sea with sirens, horns and radio communications, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Tensions between Manila and Beijing have been simmering for years in the strategic waterway where both countries have territorial claims.

"These provocative acts threaten the peace, good order, and security of the South China Sea and run contrary to China's obligations under international law," the foreign ministry said on Twitter.

The ministry said on Wednesday more than 200 such challenges took place while the Philippines was conducting routine patrols over and around its territory and maritime zones. It did not specify over what time period the challenges took place.

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of business hours.

China claims sovereignty over vast swathes of the South China Sea, but Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have lodged competing claims for some or all of the islands.

In 2016, an international tribunal invalidated China's expansive claim in the strategic waterway where about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually.

But President Rodrigo Duterte shelved the favorable ruling and pursued a rapprochement with Beijing in exchange for pledges of billions of dollars of loans, aid and investment, much of which have yet to materialize.

Since Duterte took office in June 2016, the Philippines has filed more than 80 diplomatic protests against China.

 (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by John Geddie and Sandra Maler)

Translation

馬尼拉（路透社）- 菲律賓外交部周三表示，菲律賓已就中國船隻用警報器、喇叭和無線電通信挑戰其在南海巡邏的船隻發出外交抗議。

馬尼拉和北京之間, 多年來一直在兩國都有領土主張的戰略水道上醞釀緊張局勢。

外交部在推特上說：“這些挑釁行為威脅南海的和平、良好秩序和安全，根據國際法中國違背要承擔的義務。”

該部周三表示，在菲律賓在其領土和海域及其周圍進行例行巡邏時，發生了 200 多次此類挑戰。它沒有具體說明挑戰發生的時段。

中國駐馬尼拉大使館在工作時間以外沒有立即回應置評請求。

中國聲稱對南中國海的大片海域擁有主權，但文萊、馬來西亞、菲律賓、台灣和越南也對部分或全部島嶼提出了相互競爭的聲稱。

2016 年，一個國際法庭宣布中國在戰略航道上的廣泛擁有主張無效，每年通過該航道的船運貿易價值約 3 萬億美元。

但總統羅德里戈·杜特爾特擱置了有利裁決，並尋求與北京和解，以換取數十億美元的貸款、援助和投資承諾，其中大部分尚未兌現。

自杜特爾特2016年6月上任以來，菲律賓已對中國提出80多次外交抗議。

So, the Philippines has issued a diplomatic protest over Chinese vessels that are challenging its ships patrolling the South China Sea. It is one of the many protests made by the Philippines to China in recent years. Tension between these two countries will probably continue and become a new normal.