China condemns US ‘malign influence' over Panama's plan to replace Huawei towers
Following a US announcement of a project in Panama to replace communications towers installed by Chinese telecoms giant
Huawei Technologies, Beijing has condemned what it calls Washington's 'malign influence' in Latin America.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Monday that the region was 'not the backyard of anyone' and accused the US of 'politicising economic, trade and scientific and technological issues'.
He rejected US claims that Huawei's equipment posed any national security threat and said that China's dealings with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean were built on 'mutual respect'.
The statement was a response to an announcement by the US embassy in Panama promoting a new US$8 million initiative to replace Huawei telecoms equipment with 'secure American technology' at 13 sites in the country.
Nor was China alone in its discontent. Last week, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino spoke at length about liberties he said the US embassy had taken in announcing the project.
Developed in coordination with Panama's Ministry of Public Security, the plan includes the installation of seven new towers across four provinces.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Classified New Zealand papers detail alarm over China's Pacific missile test
China tried to mislead foreign governments in 2024 by playing down the importance of a nuclear-capable missile test over the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand diplomats privately warned in documents obtained by reporters. Beijing sent shivers through the South Pacific in September 2024 , when its elite Rocket Force fired a dummy warhead into the high seas near French Polynesia. A tranche of classified government briefing notes shows deep concern within the New Zealand government in the wake of the surprise launch, which China shrugged off as 'routine'. It was China's first long-range missile launch over international waters in more than 40 years , the papers confirmed, serving as a blunt reminder of Beijing's potent nuclear-strike capabilities. 'We are concerned that China is characterising this as a 'routine test',' senior diplomats wrote in a memo to New Zealand's foreign affairs minister. 'It is not routine: China has not conducted this type of long-range missile test in over 40 years … We do not want to see this test repeated.'
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
China to loosen IPO restrictions by reinstating listings of unprofitable start-ups: CSRC
China plans to resume listings of unprofitable start-ups on its technology boards in an effort to support the nation's drive toward technological self-sufficiency and roll back curbs on the initial public offering (IPO) market , according to the head of the stock market regulator. At the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai on Wednesday, Wu Qing, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), said listings would be restarted for pre-profit firms seeking to trade on the Shanghai exchange's Technology and Innovation Board, also known as the Star Market . The watchdog would also apply the rule to Shenzhen's ChiNext board, which hosts smaller companies. The relaxation came as a surprise to investors after two years of strict IPO approvals by the CSRC, which sought to arrest a decline in China's US$10.5 trillion stock market by reducing equity supplies. The move is seen as a supportive measure for China's start-ups at a time when Beijing is seeking to reduce its tech reliance on the US amid simmering trade tensions. 'Innovation requires alliance among scientists, entrepreneurs and investors,' Wu said. The Star Market 50 Index, which tracks the 50 biggest stocks on the board, including Semiconductor Manufacturing International and artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker Cambricon Technologies, reversed a loss of as much as 0.4 per cent before trading little changed. A gauge of the ChiNext board dropped 0.4 per cent. The relaxation was meant to 'better and more precisely' serve high-quality tech companies that have breakthroughs, big spending on research and development, and promising business outlooks, Wu said. A wider array of unprofitable companies – including firms engaged in AI, commercial aviation and the low-altitude sector – could apply for listings on the Star Market before they became profitable, he said. The CSRC would also kick off a trial programme introducing 'seasoned' professional investors to trade the stocks after listings, Wu said.
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's 30-month high unemployment rate is not due to imported workers: minister
Hong Kong's labour chief has stressed that importing workers contributed very little to the 30-month high unemployment rate recorded for March to May, while highlighting measures introduced to protect residents from being replaced by cheaper overseas candidates. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said on Wednesday that the city's 3.5 per cent unemployment rate for the latest rolling three-month period, the highest since the October to December stretch in 2022, had little to do with the imported labour scheme. 'The number of foreign workers who came to Hong Kong through the scheme is around 55,000, which is less than 1 per cent of our workforce,' he told a radio programme. 'So they have had little impact on the movement of our overall labour market.' He attributed the recent figure to Hong Kong's economy undergoing a transition and uncertainty due to geopolitical tensions, but said he remained optimistic about the city's projected economic growth of 2 to 3 per cent for this year. The Labour Department on Tuesday introduced new measures to 'safeguard employment priority' for local workers, amid increasing complaints from residents that they were replaced by cheaper foreign labour.
