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Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Former China envoy to Singapore Sun Haiyan reappears after reported questioning
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A source familiar with the situation told ST on Aug 15 that Ms Sun Haiyan had been uncontactable for several days. Former Chinese ambassador to Singapore Sun Haiyan was likely questioned by the authorities earlier in August in connection with a probe into her superior, Mr Liu Jianchao, but she has since returned to work, The Straits Times understands. A smiling Ms Sun, 53, appeared at an event organised by the Indian embassy in Beijing on Aug 15 evening, suggesting that she is not necessarily implicated in whatever trouble Mr Liu could be in. The Wall Street Journal had reported on Aug 10 that Mr Liu, who heads the Communist Party of China International Department (CPCID) and was seen as a front runner to become foreign minister, had been taken away for questioning after he returned to Beijing in late July from a work trip overseas. The reason for his detention remains unclear. Reuters then reported on Aug 15 that Ms Sun was also detained , citing three people with knowledge of the matter. As at Aug 15, both Mr Liu and Ms Sun remain listed as the minister and vice-minister of the CPCID on its website. The department manages the party's ties with foreign political parties. A source familiar with the situation told ST on Aug 15 that Ms Sun had been uncontactable for several days, often a sign that someone has been taken in for questioning by the authorities. But the source also noted that it is standard procedure for the authorities to question those who have worked closely with a person under investigation, and that this does not in itself imply wrongdoing. Another source said on the afternoon of Aug 15 that Ms Sun was 'working normally' and that news of her attending a diplomatic event that day 'would be out soon'. That evening, Mr Wang Zichen, a research fellow at the Beijing-based Centre for China and Globalisation, posted photos of Ms Sun at an ongoing reception in Beijing marking India's Independence Day. She stood next to Chinese Foreign Vice-Minister Miao Deyu in a crowded ballroom, the photos showed. Ms Sun, a Hebei native, holds a doctorate in law from Peking University and has studied at Japan's Kyushu University. She joined the International Department in 1997, serving various roles including as spokesperson and head of the bureau responsible for ties with South-east Asian countries. She served as ambassador to Singapore from May 2022 to July 2023.
CNA
3 days ago
- CNA
Former Chinese ambassador to Singapore, Sun Haiyan, detained for questioning: Sources
BEIJING: A deputy to a prominent Chinese diplomat being questioned by authorities was also detained, three people with knowledge of the matter said to Reuters, a further sign of uncertainty in the top echelons of China's diplomacy. Sun Haiyan, a senior diplomat and former ambassador to Singapore, was detained in early August around the time Liu Jianchao, widely seen as a potential foreign minister candidate, was taken in for questioning, two of the people said. Sun, the first woman to serve as vice minister of the Communist Party's International Department, was detained by Chinese authorities in connection with the questioning of Liu, the sources said. None of the sources knew the basis of the questioning of either diplomat. The sources requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The detention of Liu marked the highest-level disappearance of a diplomat since China ousted its former foreign minister and President Xi Jinping's protege, Qin Gang, in 2023, following an unexplained public absence. His detention followed a work trip to Singapore, South Africa and Algeria. His house was searched in early August. The disappearance of Sun, vice minister of the Chinese Communist Party's International Department, alongside the highly visible Liu, adds to questions about China's foreign policy establishment at a time of rising tensions with Washington around trade and geopolitical influence. China's State Council Information Office, which handles media queries for the government, and the International Department did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Reuters could not verify if both Sun and Liu were still being detained. Neither could be reached for comment. Both their profiles remain on the International Department's website. Among Sun's last public appearances was on Aug 1, when CNA saw her in person at a reception hosted by Singapore's embassy in Beijing. Sun, 53, was stationed in Singapore between May 2022 and July 2023. When she left her post, she hosted a 500-person reception at a luxury Singapore hotel, according to Chinese news reports. She joined the International Department in 1997, where she served in a wide range of roles, including spokesperson and head of the bureau responsible for ties with Southeast Asian countries. She also served as a district Party Committee official in the city of Zibo, Shandong province, in 2008.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Online cockfighting thrives in Philippines despite ban and murders
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox On a recent Saturday in the Manila suburb Bulacan, cockfighters, or 'sabungeros', cracked grim jokes about their missing compatriots. Manila - Divers have spent more than a month searching a lake south of Manila for the bodies of men with links to the Philippines' bloody national obsession: cockfighting. They were murdered by rogue police, a government witness says, allegedly for rigging matches at the height of the country's pandemic-era craze for betting on live-streamed cockfights, or 'e-sabong'. The disappearances led then-president Rodrigo Duterte to announce a total ban, but three years later, the e-sabong industry is still thriving. On a recent Saturday in the Manila suburb Bulacan, cockfighters, or 'sabungeros', cracked grim jokes about their missing compatriots. Inside the 'tarian', a crowded room where blades are attached to each bird's leg, sabungero Marcelo Parang insisted the murders had nothing to do with the legal cockfighting world. 'We don't know if (the men killed) did something bad,' said the 60-year-old. 'We're not scared... In here, we're peaceful. In here, the matches are held fairly,' he said of the deadly contests. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Power fault on Sengkang-Punggol LRT line brings trains to a halt Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened Asia Johor authorities seize four Singapore-registered vehicles over illegal e-hailing Singapore More families in Singapore using childminding and elder-minding services Life How do household bomb shelters in Singapore really work? Business US Treasuries a draw as yield gap with S'pore govt bonds widens, but analysts urge caution Asia Beijing-Manila row over collision of Chinese ships chasing Filipino boat a reminder of geopolitical risk Singapore From quiet introvert to self-confident student: How this vulnerable, shy teen gets help to develop and discover her strength Outside, the crowd in the 800-seat arena roared as another bout ended with the losing rooster unceremoniously dumped in an empty paint bucket. 'Borrowed money from everyone' Cockpits like the one in Bulacan were once a second home for Ray Gibraltar, who grew up in a family of cockfight enthusiasts. One uncle was a breeder. When the fights moved online during the Covid-19 pandemic, the former director-turned-painter began wagering on them as well. But the easy access, anonymity of the online world, and sheer volume of betting sites can lead to e-sabong addiction, and within a year, Gibraltar was winning and losing upwards of US$15,000 (S$19,200) a day. 'I wasn't eating. I was just drinking coffee and smoking... I had no sleep,' he said of a three-day session. 'In terms of money that I lost on e-sabong... I could have bought a house and car,' he said, adding he 'borrowed money from everyone'. Before checking into rehab, he wagered the last 300 pesos in his e-wallet. The story is a familiar one for Mr Reagan Praferosa, founder of Recovering Gamblers of the Philippines, who says few clients show up before hitting rock bottom. 'They won't call us if they still have money,' he said. His first e-sabong addicts began arriving in 2020. Since then, about 30 per cent of his caseload has revolved around the livestreamed fights. '(At arenas) you had to go somewhere to cash out. Now... it's connected to an e-wallet,' he explained, adding other forms of gambling were now taking their cues from e-sabong. 'Most of the sites have replicated their platforms.' Jay, a graphic artist, still logs onto an illegal website every time he gets his paycheck. The 24-year-old, who asked to use a pseudonym as he fears his family's judgement, showed how wagers for as little as 10 pesos (S$0.20) could be placed on two roosters shown on his phone. Authorities estimate bettors like Jay are fuelling an industry that generates millions of dollars in revenue each week. 'It's not the money I'm after, it's the thrill,' he explained of an addiction he says he is trying to control. 'It's easier to chase that in (e-sabong) because it's available on my cellphone.' While gambling for relatively low stakes, Jay has found himself forced to make excuses after losing the money meant for his younger brother's school supplies. 'A lonely battle' Since the e-sabong ban was initiated, the country's telecoms commission has blocked more than 6,800 e-sabong websites, police Brigadier General Bernard Yang told AFP. But the use of VPNs makes pinpointing the streams' true origins nearly impossible. Asked for examples of IP traces that had led to raids, he pointed to a successful operation in the central Philippines' Cebu province – though it had taken place years earlier. While conceding that current penalties – with fines as low as 1,000 pesos (S$22.50) – provide little deterrent, Mr Yang insisted the problem was simply 'not so grave anymore'. But Senator Erwin Tulfo told Congress e-sabong remained a menace as he pushed the country's central bank for action against a range of online gambling sites. Hours later, the monetary authority issued a directive that e-wallet firms remove their links to illegal websites within 48 hours. Congressman Rolando Valeriano, who told AFP the situation remains 'very alarming', has authored an anti-online cockfighting and gambling Bill that would dramatically increase fines and jail terms. 'In every community, you can see children who know how to (bet on) e-sabong. That's what was worrying me,' he said. 'This might be a lonely battle, but we will keep on fighting.' The fight could be lonely indeed. A day after the new session of Congress began, a photograph, verified by AFP, began circulating in local media. The image was of a congressman staring at his smartphone during the vote for House speaker. He was watching a cockfight. AFP
