Latest news with #anti-China
HKFP
15 hours ago
- Politics
- HKFP
Gov't defends Jimmy Lai's detention arrangements after newspaper op-ed alleges ‘appalling conditions' in custody
The Hong Kong government has defended the detention arrangements of jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai after a US newspaper published an op-ed saying Lai suffered from 'appalling conditions' in custody. In this picture taken on June 16, 2020, millionaire media tycoon Jimmy Lai, speaks during an interview at the Next Digital offices in Hong Kong. File photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP. The government said in a statement on Wednesday evening that it strongly condemned 'various organisations in the United States… and Western countries for 'disregarding the facts' and 'smearing' the government's handling of Lai's national security case. Lai, the 77-year-old founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy media outlet Apple Daily, has been detained since December 2020. His national security trial was adjourned in March and will restart in August. Separately, he is also serving an almost six-year sentence for fraud over violating lease agreements relating to Apple Daily's headquarters. 'Their remarks fully exposed the malicious and despicable intentions of anti-China organisations and media from the US and Western countries to undermine the rule of law in Hong Kong,' the statement read. The remarks came after Mark L. Clifford, the former director of Apple Daily's parent company Next Digital, said in an opinion piece on Wall Street Journal that Lai 'has been in solitary confinement for most of his time behind bars. He said he was concerned about Lai's health in the 'windowless cell,' especially amid the city's hot summers. Stanley Prison. File Photo: Frog Wong, via Google Map. Clifford said Hong Kong's temperature next week was forecast to be in the 90s in Fahrenheit, or over 32 degrees Celsius, and the humidity is expected to be 95 per cent. He said it would 'feel as if it is more than 100 degrees,' or almost 38 degrees Celsius. 'In Mr. Lai's un-air-conditioned windowless cell, it will feel even hotter. That is neither safe nor humane,' Clifford, who has authored a book about Lai, said. 'Why is Hong Kong so aggressive in responding to questions about Mr. Lai? The answer lies in the absurdity of holding a 77-year-old newspaper publisher in appalling conditions while he is being tried on sham charges,' he wrote. Foreign lawyers' claims Apart from Clifford, a team of Lai's overseas-based lawyers including King's Counsel Caoilfhionn Gallagher, who has described herself as a counsel for Lai, have been alleging that the mogul has been placed in prolonged solitary confinement for almost four years. Last September, the team also made an appeal to the UN alleging that Lai had been denied access to diabetes medication. Following the foreign lawyers' claims, Lai's local legal representatives, from Robertsons Solicitors, said Lai wanted it to be known that he had been receiving 'medical attention' for his conditions, including diabetes, Bloomberg reported. Jimmy Lai's son, Sebastien Lai (left) and King's Counsel Caoilfhionn Gallagher. Photo: FreeJimmyLai, via X. Lai also has access to 'daylight through the windows in the corridor outside his cell albeit he cannot see the sky,' and is allowed to do exercises for an hour every day, according to the local lawyers. In Wednesday's statement, the Hong Kong government said the solitary confinement was made at Lai's request and approved by the Correctional Services Department (CSD). The department 'attaches great importance' to the health and safety of those in custody, it added. '[T]he CSD is committed to ensuring that the custodial environment is secure, safe, humane, appropriate and healthy, and that an environment with good ventilation, as well as appropriate and timely medical support will be provided,' the statement read. In June 2020, Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution – bypassing the local legislature – following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts, which were broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers, alarming democrats, civil society groups and trade partners, as such laws have been used broadly to silence and punish dissidents in China. However, the authorities say it has restored stability and peace to the city. Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team One-time Monthly One-time $150 $500 $1,000 Other Donation amount $ Monthly $150 $250 $500 Other Donation amount per month $ Members of HK$150/month unlock 8 benefits: An HKFP deer keyring or tote; exclusive Tim Hamlett columns; feature previews; merch drops/discounts; "behind the scenes" insights; a chance to join newsroom Q&As, early access to our Annual/Transparency Report & all third-party banner ads disabled. Join or donate instantly
RTHK
a day ago
- Politics
- RTHK
Govt slams Western remarks on Jimmy Lai case
Govt slams Western remarks on Jimmy Lai case The government has hit out at groups in the United States and other Western countries for their remarks relating to former media tycoon Jimmy Lai. File photo: RTHK The Hong Kong government has strongly condemned organisations in the West for slandering and smearing SAR authorities for handling the national security case of former media tycoon Jimmy Lai and his custodial arrangements. In a statement on Wednesday, the administration said the remarks by foreign groups "fully exposed the malicious and despicable intentions of anti-China organisations and media from the US and Western countries to undermine the rule of law in Hong Kong". A government spokesperson said foreign organisations primarily from the United States and Western countries have made "false and misleading statements by fabricating information" about the treatment provided to Lai during his custody, in an attempt to "glorify criminal behaviour and exert pressure on the courts". "In fact, [Lai's] actual legal representative has already made a clarification earlier that [Lai] has all along been receiving suitable treatment and care in prison," the spokesperson said. "However, the organisations from the US and Western countries choose to turn a blind eye to these facts and evidence, and carry on with their malicious political manoeuvres with ulterior motives." The spokesperson went on to say the Correctional Services Department attaches great importance to the safety and health of people in custody, adding that arrangements for Lai were "no different" from those applicable to others. It also said the arrangement for the former media tycoon to be disassociated from others behind bars has "all along been made at his own request" and was approved by the department.
RTHK
a day ago
- Politics
- RTHK
Govt slams Western remarks on Jimmy Lai case
Govt slams Western remarks on Jimmy Lai case The government has hit out at groups in the United States and other Western countries for their remarks relating to former media tycoon Jimmy Lai. File photo: RTHK The Hong Kong government has strongly condemned organisations in the West for slandering and smearing SAR authorities for handling the national security case of former media tycoon Jimmy Lai and his custodial arrangements. In a statement on Wednesday, the administration said the remarks by foreign groups "fully exposed the malicious and despicable intentions of anti-China organisations and media from the US and Western countries to undermine the rule of law in Hong Kong". A government spokesperson said foreign organisations primarily from the United States and Western countries have made "false and misleading statements by fabricating information" about the treatment provided to Lai during his custody, in an attempt to "glorify criminal behaviour and exert pressure on the courts". "In fact, [Lai's] actual legal representative has already made a clarification earlier that [Lai] has all along been receiving suitable treatment and care in prison," the spokesperson said. "However, the organisations from the US and Western countries choose to turn a blind eye to these facts and evidence, and carry on with their malicious political manoeuvres with ulterior motives." The spokesperson went on to say the Correctional Services Department attaches great importance to the safety and health of people in custody, adding that arrangements for Lai were "no different" from those applicable to others. It also said the arrangement for the former media tycoon to be disassociated from others behind bars has "all along been made at his own request" and was approved by the department.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Dalai Lama, China at odds over how successor will be chosen
Tibetan tradition holds that the soul of a senior Buddhist monk upon his death is reincarnated in the body of a child, who must be identified and then trained in Buddhist practice. In his declaration, the 90-year-old Dalai Lama said Gaden Phodrang, the foundation he created to uphold the Dalai Lama tradition, will have sole authority to recognize his successor. "They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition," he said. "No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter." Beijing insists that it does. "The reincarnation and succession of the Dalai Lama is inherently an internal affair of China," said Yu Jing, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in India -- where the Dalai Lama has lived in exile since 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet -- in one of a series of posts about the matter on the social platform X. She described the Nobel Laureate as "a political exile engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the cloak of religion." Janet Gyatso, a professor of Buddhist studies at Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said that should China opt to pursue its own selection process, it wouldn't be the first time Buddhism has dealt with a dispute over the identity of the reincarnated Dalai Lama. "What they (China) will do is not easy to say," Gyatso said. "But the political stakes are much higher than they've ever been." A decades-old conflict About 100,000 Tibetans live in exile, the majority of them in India, according to the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C. Nicole Willock, a professor of philosophy and religious studies at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, said China's rebuke of the Dalai Lama's declaration illustrates an ongoing effort to belittle Tibet into irrelevance. "The current CCP (Chinese Communist Party) policy under Xi Jinping is to isolate the Dalai Lama as he ages, forcing international corporations and anyone who wants to do business with China to forget about Tibet," she said. As an example, she cited "Ghost of the Mountains," a Disney documentary feature about snow leopards - the national animal of Tibet - which she said makes no mention of Tibet, instead using Chinese terms to refer to it and the Tibetan plateau. China colonized Tibet in the mid-20th century, at a time when African and Asian nations were gaining independence from colonial powers. In 1959, a failed uprising saw the Dalai Lama flee Tibet for northern India, where he set up a government in exile, which China has since refused to recognize. Now, both sides are clashing over who gets to choose the Dalai Lama's successor. "This is a history that the current PRC (People's Republic of China) regime wants the world to ignore," Willock said. "The CCP thinks if they control who the next Dalai Lama is that they will control the narrative on Tibet." How the Dalai Lama reincarnates The announcement on July 2 by one of the world's most influential religious figures, whose sway extends far beyond Buddhism, offered relief to those puzzled by his previous public musings over whether the tradition of Dalai Lama leadership should endure or defer to a democratically elected authority. It also answered the wishes of followers who've held ever more frequent ceremonies wishing him good health and longevity while calling for his reincarnated return. "Tibetans really want to have a Dalai Lama," Gyatso said. The 14th Dalai Lama, born in 1935 as Lhamo Dhondup and enthroned in 1940, is a living example of the Tibetan Buddhist practice of recognizing reincarnations of previous Lamas who continue their work in the new reincarnation. While the faith holds that everyone reincarnates, Gyatso said, only those who are highly enlightened, such as the Dalai Lama, can choose where they will do so. "They can choose what mother and father they will be born to, in the best conditions to continue their work," she said. However, once that happens the reincarnation must be pinpointed and recognized as such, a process handled "by highly evolved monks and specialists," she said. "There's a whole bunch of tests and methods done, usually when the child is about 3 or 4 years old." In his statement, the Dalai Lama said his nonprofit foundation would oversee the succession process in consultation with his closest advisers and leaders of various Tibetan Buddhism traditions. Jose Cabezon, a professor emeritus of religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said the declaration marked the first time the Dalai Lama had been so definitive about the certainty of a 15th Dalai Lama and how that person would be chosen. While offering "a great sense of relief" to Tibetans, he said, the statement's specificity was also "a warning to the PRC government not to meddle in this process." Deciding who the real Dalai Lama is What could happen, Gyatso said, is that two Dalai Lamas may be raised concurrently - one who becomes head of the Tibetan government in exile, and the other who assumes some as yet undefined role in China, which has said it will oversee selection of the Dalai Lama's successor through a timeworn imperial ritual in which names of possible reincarnations are drawn from a golden urn. "What we're expecting to happen is that they (China) will conduct their own process," Gyatso said. "The Tibetans and the rest of the world will decide who they think is the real Dalai Lama." Should such a scenario unfold, she said, most Tibetans outside China would likely follow the Dalai Lama in exile, while Tibetans inside China would be under enormous political pressure to accept the government-endorsed figurehead. Cabezon said Beijing's insistence on appointing the Dalai Lama's successor is ironic given that the government eschews religion and considers reincarnation to be superstitious. "Beijing will undoubtedly appoint a 15th Dalai Lama and promote that boy as the 'true' Dalai Lama," Cabezon said. But he believes that choice "will have little legitimacy in the eyes of Tibetans." Could a split have an upside? Gyatso said the Tibetan community "is very upset" about the potential dichotomy. "They don't want the confusion of having two Dalai Lamas," she said. Nonetheless, she said, such a situation might not be without benefit. "If the Chinese government wants to recognize its own Dalai Lama, let them give him genuine Buddhist training and upbringing, just like the current Dalai Lama got and the next one will," Gyatso said. "Let him study Buddhist philosophy and ethics. If they can produce a Dalai Lama with wisdom and the ability to reach a lot of people with the important teachings of Buddhism, that would be great." The challenge for both, she said, will be producing a leader on the scale of the present Dalai Lama, who has been not only an influential Buddhist leader but respected on the world stage as well, addressing issues such as environmentalism and neuroscience. "Let's see you both train and educate in the best way," Gyatso said. "If they're both great leaders with wisdom, then they won't be in competition; they'll visit and collaborate. That will be the test.... The way we'll know who's really the Dalai Lama is by (seeing) who is able to develop the wisdom and ethical leadership recognized by people all over the world. If we have two of them and they're both great, I'll be happy, because two is better than one."
Japan Forward
2 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Ex-Ambassador Tarumi: Realism Over Empty Mantras on China Policy
このページを 日本語 で読む Candidates in the July 20 Upper House election are engaged in an intense war of words. Members of the ruling coalition are likely to play key roles in setting policies that involve vital national interests. The Sankei Shimbun sat down with former Ambassador Hideo Tarumi to hear insights on where policy toward China fits into this setting. Now a professor at Ritsumeikan University, Tarumi is a former ambassador to China who spent his career involved with Tokyo's policy toward its giant neighbor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In June, he published his memoir, Secret Records of Japan-China Diplomacy: The Struggles of Tarumi Hideo, Ambassador to China. During the interview, Tarumi said, "Members of the Diet, go to China." Acknowledging that some critics see such visits as pro-China, the former ambassador, who Japanese media have described as "the man China fears most," stressed the essence of diplomacy. Excerpts from Ambassador Tarumi's statements in the interview follow. Not Kowtowing to China Last spring, at the invitation of Toshimitsu Endo, former Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Ken Saito, former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, I gave a lecture to about 100 lawmakers at the LDP's study group. There, I emphasized the following: "Since I'm no longer a bureaucrat, I'll speak candidly. You are all national lawmakers. I understand that local legislators may visit Taiwan for sister city exchanges, but when it comes to national diplomacy, the most important countries are the United States and China. The US is a given — but why aren't you visiting China?" Liu Jianchao, head of the CCP's International Liaison Department (second from the right in the front row), and Toshihiro Nikai, Chairman of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians' Union (third from the right in the front row), pose for a commemorative photo, August 27, 2024, in Beijing (pool photo). I wasn't saying to be "pro-China" or kowtow to them. You should go to China, carefully assess the situation on the ground, and communicate Japan's position clearly. That's what I did as an ambassador. If all you do is shout "China is unacceptable" from afar in Japan, nothing will change there, and our message won't get through. Is that really in Japan's national interest? You need to go there and say what must be said, face to face. Be More 'Strategic' We need to adopt a more strategic mindset than a simplistic one. Of course, if the purpose of a visit is simply to accept Beijing's claims uncritically, then it would be better not to go. But by the same token, visiting Taiwan solely as an expression of anti-China sentiment also limits the value of the visit. What are the challenges facing Taiwan? According to a report by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, the most pressing concern today is not geopolitical risk or the threat of military invasion. It's energy shortages. If China were to impose a maritime blockade, Taiwan's energy imports would be severely disrupted. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen presents Hideo Tarumi, former Japanese Ambassador to China, with the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon in May 2024. (©Office of the President, ROC) Moreover, Taiwan's most vital industry, semiconductors, requires vast amounts of electricity. Yet the country has shut down its nuclear power plants. This is not the decision of a responsible government. Even if it's uncomfortable for Taiwan to hear, it's essential to have frank and thorough discussions about strengthening resilience, including in the energy sector. [Author's note: Since the Democratic Progressive Party came to power, Taiwan has pursued a policy of phasing out nuclear energy. On May 17, the country shut down its last operating reactor: Unit 2 of the Taiwan Power Company's Third Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan. Nuclear power, which once supplied roughly half of Taiwan's electricity 40 years ago, has now fallen to zero.] Rethinking Ties with China Japan's diplomacy toward China has traditionally been led by politicians who cultivated close personal relationships with Beijing leaders like Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka. Toshihiro Nikai, chairman of the Japan-China Parliamentary Friendship League, meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on August 28, 2024. (Pool photo) Toshihiro Nikai, the former secretary-general of the LDP who carried on this tradition, retired from politics in the October 2024 House of Representatives election. At present, virtually no Japanese politicians have inherited these channels of communication. And on the Chinese side as well, there are no longer leaders who engage in diplomacy with Japan based on personal relationships and mutual trust. The era when we could rely on a single figure to manage relations with China is over. Mr Nikai was certainly pro-China, but within the LDP, there were also many lawmakers with a hardline stance toward China. Maintaining that internal balance was crucial. Now is the time to return to first principles: to ask what truly serves the national interest and to strategically rebuild our diplomacy with China. Abe's Strategic Diplomacy Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe exemplified this approach. He engaged with China based on a clear-eyed focus on our national interest. Abe was originally very pro-Taiwan, but he knew how to separate his personal views from his public role. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping shaking hands in November 2017, during the APEC Summit in Vietnam. (©Prime Minister's Office) When he first became prime minister in 2006, China viewed him as even more hawkish than Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. At the time, Abe prioritized diplomacy with China, but he needed a magic word to get Beijing to reengage. That word was "strategy." By proposing a "strategic mutually beneficial relationship," Abe aimed to expand the shared interests between Japan and China. Abe understood the government's official position and consistently spoke and acted based on national interests. If he had simply declared, "I'm pro-Taiwan and anti-China," his diplomacy would not have lasted long. Ishiba's Aimless Policy Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also uses the phrase "strategic mutually beneficial relationship." However, it's becoming increasingly ineffective. Repeating a mantra a hundred or even a thousand times means nothing if there is no substance behind it. That substance, what truly matters, is strategy. Immediately after taking office in October 2024, Prime Minister Ishiba expressed a strong desire to visit China. But his enthusiasm is now said to be waning. Initially, the Chinese government saw the Ishiba administration as the emergence of a long-awaited pro-China government. Yet it's now reassessing that view. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba answers reporters' questions after he meets with US President Donald Trump. Minister in Charge of Economic Revitalization, Ryosei Akazawa, is on the left. June 16, Kananaskis, western Canada (Pool photo / Kyodo News). In February, Prime Minister Ishiba issued a joint statement concerning Taiwan at the Japan-US summit, declaring, "We oppose any attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion." The core of the joint statement is said to have been drafted under Japan's leadership. From Beijing's perspective, there was likely a feeling of "Ishiba, you too?" Even if Prime Minister Ishiba hoped to please both China and the US, diplomacy isn't that simple. Without a coherent strategy, China will see through it with ease. Tensions Ahead I'm concerned that this summer will be a very tense one for Japan. In China, a film titled 731 is set to be released on July 31. It focuses on Unit 731 of the Kwantung Army, which is argued to have conducted biological warfare research. This will be followed by a military parade on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan. And then there is the anniversary of September 18, the date of the Mukden Incident that triggered the Manchurian Incident. Considering the current state of Japan-US and US-China relations, there is a chance that President Donald Trump might attend the military parade. If that occurs, it could be seen as "Japan facing another defeat." Such a scenario would be very serious. RELATED: Author: Shimpei Okuhara, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
