Latest news with #Beijing-linked

China blamed for Czech cyberattack, drawing condemnation from West

Yahoo

5 days ago

Politics
Yahoo

China blamed for Czech cyberattack, drawing condemnation from West

Prague blamed Beijing-linked hackers for a cyberattack against a government communications network, drawing Western allies together in joint condemnation of China. Czech officials said the campaign began in 2022 and targeted the foreign ministry, though they did not provide details of what damage was caused or if any specific data was taken. Beijing denied the allegations. Western capitals have for years blamed Chinese government-backed groups for such attacks, including two huge hacks in 2023 and 2024 against US telecoms networks and government communications. Beijing, for its part, has accused Washington of conducting its own such campaign, while Britain said today it would expand offensive cyber operations against China.

Trump-Linked US Firm Circles Port of Darwin Amid Calls to End 99-Year Chinese Lease

Epoch Times

7 days ago

Business
Epoch Times

Trump-Linked US Firm Circles Port of Darwin Amid Calls to End 99-Year Chinese Lease

U.S. investment firm Cerberus Capital Management, which is linked to the Trump administration, has shown interest in taking over the Chinese-leased Port of Darwin. Before the federal election on May 3, both the Albanese government and the federal opposition pledged to take back the port from the Beijing-linked company, Landbridge. 'We've been informally engaging with potential buyers for some time,' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese On May 28, Terry O'Connor, Landbridge's non-executive director for Australia, confirmed that a representative from Cerberus had met with Darwin Port's management, but had not made an offer for the asset. 'In that meeting [Cerberus] expressed interest about potential investment in the port, given that the company had a fairly high investment portfolio around the world,' he told the ABC. 'There's certainly been no prices negotiated [for the port], no prices even discussed or raised. 'We would see Cerberus's interest as the same level of interest as we've received from multiple other companies who have talked to the port [management] over the past couple of months.' In 2015, the Northern Territory's then-Country Liberal Party government leased the port to Landbridge on a 99 year deal valued at $506 million. The agreement raised national security concerns, including from former U.S. President Barack Obama, prompting the Turnbull Liberal government to strengthen asset sale regulations through the Foreign Investment Review Board. Who is Cerberus? Known for its expertise in distressed asset acquisitions, Cerberus Capital Management manages approximately $65 billion in assets, spanning sectors such as military, automotive, real estate, and aviation. In March, the U.S. Senate In this capacity, Feinberg will serve as the Department of Defense's chief operating officer, overseeing day-to-day management and executing the Secretary of Defense's strategic priorities. Xiao Qian, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Ambassador to Australia, issued a strong rebuke of the Australian government's plan to reclaim the port lease. 'It is ethically questionable to lease the port when it was unprofitable and then seek to reclaim it once it becomes profitable,' he said in a statement published on his website on May 25. This statement came days after his trip to Darwin, where he visited the port, met with staff at Landbridge, and took questions from both Chinese and Australian media. The Epoch Times has reached out to Landbridge, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Northern Territory government for comment.

‘Gravely Wrong': Tory MP Condemns Hong Kong Police Targeting Relatives of Canadian Activist and Candidate Joe Tay

Epoch Times

12-05-2025

Politics
Epoch Times

‘Gravely Wrong': Tory MP Condemns Hong Kong Police Targeting Relatives of Canadian Activist and Candidate Joe Tay

Conservative MP Garnett Genuis is voicing concern over reports that the Hong Kong police detained the relatives of Conservative candidate and pro-democracy advocate Joe Tay for questioning last week, saying the incident is consistent with tactics used by the Chinese regime to silence dissent abroad. The comments made by Genuis during a recent interview with The Epoch Times come on the heels of 'It is gravely wrong. It is an act of brazen interference,' Genuis said, referring to the Hong Kong police ' s questioning of Tay's relatives. 'It's also consistent with a pattern that we ' ve seen from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is to try to interfere in our democracy, in our affairs, through whatever means they can.' Conservative MP Garnett Genuis for the riding of Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan on May 9, 2025. The Epoch Times Tay, who ran as a Conservative candidate in the recent federal election, is an outspoken pro-democracy activist wanted by Hong Kong authorities, who have issued international bounties for him and several other activists. Tay was the Tay faces a HK$1 million (approximately CA$180,000) bounty issued by Hong Kong authorities, who Related Stories 5/8/2025 4/22/2025 His case gained national attention during the election campaign when Targets of Beijing The Chinese regime has previously targeted the relatives of its critics in Canada. A prominent case is that of Tory MP Michael Chong, a long-time critic of China's human rights abuses, who was That same year, the Conservative Party and its then-leader, Erin O'Toole, were targeted by a Beijing-linked disinformation campaign during the election period, which spread false content through Chinese-language media outlets. The targeting was likely due to the party ' s critical stances toward Beijing, according to O'Toole. Genuis said the Conservative party has many times been the target of foreign interference due to its advocacy for freedom and human rights internationally. 'This is consistent with their pattern; nobody should be surprised that the CCP acts this way. This is who they are and this is who they've always been,' he said. 'So our response to them needs to be informed by a realism that recognizes that.' Genuis noted he himself has been the target of foreign interference. He was among 18 parliamentarians critical of Beijing who were The issue of MPs not being warned by the federal government about attempts by the Chinese regime to interfere, along with intelligence leaks in the media, eventually led Ottawa to launch a public inquiry into foreign interference. That inquiry ultimately identified the Chinese regime as the foremost foreign interference threat to Canada, according to its final 'At the time of writing this report, the People's Republic of China (PRC) is the most active perpetrator of foreign interference targeting Canada's democratic institutions,' said the Jan. 28 final report by Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue of the Foreign Interference Commission. The report also noted that Beijing's interference in Canada targets all levels of government regardless of party affiliation. 'It supports those it believes helpful to its interests at the time, and those it believes are likely to have power, no matter their political party,' reads the document. Tay's Case 'Resonated' Genuis says Tay's case highlighted the growing threat of transnational repression in Canada and helped bring the issue to wider public attention. '[Tay's case] was a problem that resonated with so many people from distant communities, from the Persian community, the Chinese community, Tibetan community, many communities, because they know that this happens to many people, and most of the stories don ' t make headlines, but this one did, and it brought attention to the problem,' Genuis said. He added that many may still be unaware of the issue of transnational repression and the threats some dissidents can face from foreign actors for speaking out abroad. Joe Tay, a singer and actor who moved from Hong Kong to Canada, is seen in a file photo. He was running for the Conservative Party in the Ontario riding of Don Valley North Courtesy of Joe Tay 'This may be new information for a lot of Canadians to just really understand that [some] people, even when they speak up here in Canada, on Canadian soil—where they should have the protections of a presence in Canada and of Canadian citizenship—are still often threatened,' he said. 'They have their families threatened, and so it takes great courage to speak up.' Genuis argues the need to address transnational repression was reflected in the outcome of the federal election, with particular communities supporting the Tories due to their stance on the issue. 'The Conservative party still did quite well in some of the parts of the Greater Toronto Area where there ' s large concentrations of communities that are targeted by foreign interference,' he said. 'I think that's good news.' Ahead of the April 28 election, the federal parties laid out their The Conservative Party said it would 'take foreign interference and transnational repression seriously.' It pledged to ensure the RCMP can fulfill its mandate, including combating transnational repression and foreign interference, and said it would 'heed the advice' of Canada's national security experts. The Liberal Party said leader Mark Carney would build on former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's efforts to combat foreign interference. It called foreign interference 'one of the most serious threats facing Canadians and Canadian institutions,' and promised to expand security efforts, including hiring 1,000 more RCMP officers. Ottawa adopted Genuis said that while Canadians are becoming more aware of these threats, there is more work to do on the national security front. He likened foreign interference to the game 'Whac-A-Mole,' because 'as you try to knock one thing down, there's going to be a new thing that pops up that you have to have to deal with.' 'So we're always going to have to adapt as these threats adapt,' Genuis said. 'But the basic requirement is that we have leaders and politicians that are prioritizing that response, trying to protect themselves and the public.' Noé Chartier contributed to this report.

‘Damaging': Beijing linked group allegedly interferes in 2025 Federal election campaign

Sky News AU

30-04-2025

Politics
Sky News AU

‘Damaging': Beijing linked group allegedly interferes in 2025 Federal election campaign

Strategic Analysis Australia Director Michael Shoebridge says foreign interference from Beijing-linked groups is 'damaging' to Australian election integrity. 'It's hard to see another reason that these potentially Beijing-linked groups want to support particular candidates to get the vote out,' Mr Shoebridge said. 'Allegedly directed to vote for particular candidates – the candidates they're not giving their support and help to look like candidates they don't want to win. 'That's what is so damaging about foreign interference.'

Chinese Communist Party are a ‘long-term player' of the ‘election interference' game