Analysis 22 - Samvada World

China’s work scheme planned to reduce Uighur population density in Xinjiang says study

4Mar

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

Analysis, Asia, Featured, World

China’s work scheme planned to reduce Uighur population density in Xinjiang says study

A study by Nankai University of China shows that the government labour programmes in Xinjiang are mostly designed to reduce the population density of the Uighur ethnic minority group.
The report provides new evidence from Chinese sources that show Xinjiang’s labor transfers to other regions or provinces in China meet the forced labor definition of the ILO.
The report indicates that labor transfers are not just serving economic purposes, but are implemented with the intention to forcibly displace the ethnic minority populations from their heartlands

The ‘Pineapple’ in China’s flesh – How the tropical fruit helped Taiwan fight economic bullying by its Communist neighbour

3Mar

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

Analysis, Asia, Featured, World

The ‘Pineapple’ in China’s flesh – How the tropical fruit helped Taiwan fight economic bullying by its Communist neighbour

China imposed a blanket ban on all imports of Taiwanese pineapples last week, alleging that “harmful organisms” had been found in the fruit.
President Tsai condemned China for its “ambush-like, unilateral notice that it would ban imports of Taiwan pineapples”, despite the fact that 99.79 percent of imported batches had passed inspection.
China’s move has been interpreted by observers in Taiwan as directed at the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is frequently critical of China.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu launched the “Freedom Pineapple” campaign on Twitter. The aim of the online campaign was to secure orders for pineapple from farmers
Taiwanese farmers received pre-orders for 41,687 tons of pineapples from companies, e-commerce platforms, and consumers, already exceeding the annual quantity of exports to China.
With the call to take on the ban by China, Taiwanese businesses and citizens made up for the potential shortfall in sales by buying an entire year’s worth of the tropical fruit in just four days!
The U.S., Japan, and Canadian embassies in Taiwan all came on board to help promote Taiwan’s pineapples, in response to a Chinese import ban on the fruit.
While Taiwan has shown that it can stand up to economic bullying, it has also offered the olive branch to China urging it to respect its fruit inspection negotiation system.

Central Bank Digital Currency – Why India must consider it seriously

1Mar

By Siddharth GoenkaNo Comments

Analysis, Featured, National

Central Bank Digital Currency – Why India must consider it seriously

Digital payments in India have grown at a phenomenal speed, some accounts suggest that there has been an overall 60% rise in the use of digital payments since demonetisation
A central bank digital currency would be an electronic form of central bank money that could be used by households and businesses to make payments.
Digital currency does not have to replace bank notes in fact it will complement bank notes. Rs 500 digital currency would have the same value as Rs 500 physical note.
Unlike a flat currency, digital currency is by its nature traceable. Digital currencies can show the movement of money in an economy. It can build a record of the trail of transactions as it changes hands.
Digital currency can be programmed to reach a certain section of society in a very specific time. This will be a great tool for the government to reach out to backward classes of the country with specific schemes.
However, there are many challenges ahead such as creating a safe and protected infrastructure. Just as any algorithm is susceptible to hacking, digital currencies too are prone to hacking
Digital currency is a good move by the government and the RBI as it is the next and natural progression to a digital and cashless economy as envisioned by PM Narendra Modi.

China’s new Coastguard law – An open call for war with neighbors?

26Feb

By EditorNo Comments

Analysis, Asia, World

China’s new Coastguard law – An open call for war with neighbors?

China’s newly-enacted Coast Guard Law allows the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) to “take all necessary measures, including the use of weapons, when national sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction are being illegally infringed upon by foreign organizations or individuals at sea.”
The new law also empowers the CCG to halt construction or destroy foreign structures on Chinese-claimed land features, like those on the Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island and Second Thomas Shoal.
Several Asian countries including Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia have opposed China’s law saying it could escalate maritime disputes and be invoked to assert “unlawful claims”.
The Philippines has filed a formal rejection of the law, emphasizing that, given the large area involved and China’s ongoing disputes in the South China Sea, the law is a verbal threat of war to any country that defies it.
The lack of a definition of ‘jurisdictional waters’ in the final version of the new law will increase the potential for conflict.
In addition to creating opportunities for misunderstandings between foreign vessels and the CCG, it gives the coastguard flexibility to conduct law enforcement outside of its traditional jurisdictional waters.

Chinese firms buying out British schools that are under financial stress; Ploy to expand Chinese influence over Britain’s education system, investigation reveals

23Feb

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

Analysis, Europe, Featured, World

Chinese firms buying out British schools that are under financial stress; Ploy to expand Chinese influence over Britain’s education system, investigation reveals

Hundreds of independent schools which are under financial stress after the impact of coronavirus pandemic are being targeted by Chinese investors
Nine of the 17 schools under Chinese control are owned by firms whose founders or bosses are among China’s most senior Communist Party members;
Schools are using educational tools for teaching children a ‘whitewashed’ view of China
One firm admitted its acquisition of British schools is aimed at supporting China’s controversial Belt And Road strategy, which aims to expand Beijing’s global influence.
This is not a new phenomenon as it was reported way back in 2015 that Chinese investors were buying Britain’s schools.
Neither the British government nor the opposition saw the threat from such buying of schools.
Will the British take control of their schools back? Brexit Party founder Nigel Farage and Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat have raised their voices on the issue but there has been no official response from the British government over the revelations of the Daily Mail investigation

Texas blackout has 3 Million people in the dark and freezing as severe cold weather leaves 21 dead; Blackout points to systematic failure, say experts

18Feb

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

Analysis, North America, World

Texas blackout has 3 Million people in the dark and freezing as severe cold weather leaves 21 dead; Blackout points to systematic failure, say experts

3 Million Texans and several thousands elsewhere are still in the dark following extreme cold weather that caused the state’s worst blackouts in decades.
A confluence of factors has led to the historic blackouts, as the electricity company which supplies power has attributed the outage to freezing temperatures and unprecedented surge in demand for power
State officials have called for investigations into the chain of events as experts say there are a number of steps the state can take to avoid similar episodes in the future.
These measures include weatherizing equipment, increasing reserve margins, building more reliable infrastructure systems, moderate renewable energy systems and joining the national grid

What is Operation K2M? What are the Perils of its Renewed Version? And How has this version resulted in a ‘toolkit’ to harm India?

17Feb

By Dr Dheeraj PC1 Comment

Analysis, Asia, Featured, National

What is Operation K2M? What are the Perils of its Renewed Version? And How has this version resulted in a ‘toolkit’ to harm India?

What is this K2 desk of ISI? Why did India’s youth come to become part of the K2’s operations? Answering these questions is essential to understand the true nature of threat that India faces.
Op K2M completely rested on the ISI’s ability to exploit growing socio-political frictions within India towards the objective of ensuring a complete national disintegration.
The new operation, which is essentially re-operationalising the erstwhile Op K2M, is called Operation Express.
Pakistan realised that a militarily as well as economically stronger India could only be contained through sub-conventional warfare. The aim would be to disrupt India’s economy and social harmony and, thereby, destroy India’s national image.
This brings the question as to why are young activists unaware of the national security threats involved in cooperating with foreigners such as Pieter Friedrich?
The root of this problem lies in the deliberate deceitful narrative that has been crafted since 2014 by the liberal-left.
In its renewed form the Op K2M can be truly menacing since the new dividing lines are between the informed and the misinformed.
If we wish to protect India from plans like K2M, it is inevitable that our youth grow more security conscious, understand the limits to activisms in the age of social media, and most importantly, invest their time and energies in critically analysing readily available information.

Cambodia successfully managed to stave off Covid-19 with Zero deaths – Here’s how

16Feb

By EditorNo Comments

Analysis, Asia, Featured

Cambodia successfully managed to stave off Covid-19 with Zero deaths – Here’s how

Cambodia has tested 434,424 people for COVID-19, of whom only 479 tested positive and no deaths.
Medical experts attribute it largely due to the government’s Pandemic Preparedness and Mitigation Plan.
Research of Phnom Penh-based data specialist David Benaim suggests that 24 out of the 25 countries with the lowest number of COVID cases per million are situated between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn
Some believe Vitamin D exposure can help prevent COVID-19 infections but Beanaim says that tropical climates can’t totally explain low case counts, as in the case of Philippines and Indonesia
Furhter, most of Cambodia’s tests are done in conjunction with the internationally-accredited Pasteur Institut du Cambodge (IPC) following all guidelines from the WHO
Experts have attributed the success of Cambodia to the government’s decision to tighten up the borders, strict quarantine measures that kept tourists away, keeping the possibility of outside infections low.

Cambodia, India to boost bilateral collaboration

16Feb

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

Analysis, Asia, National

Cambodia, India to boost bilateral collaboration

Cambodia and India have discussed the possibility to further boost bilateral collaboration between the two countries, especially the cooperation under frameworks of region and the world. The discussion took place last week here in Phnom Penh between Vongsey Vissoth, Delegate Minister attached the Prime Minister and Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and […]

India’s Foreign Policy: An overview core objectives, Fundamental principles and current priorities

16Feb

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

Analysis, Featured, National

India’s Foreign Policy: An overview core objectives, Fundamental principles and current priorities

We are living in a dynamic world. India’s foreign policy is therefore geared up to be proactive, flexible as well as pragmatic so as to make quick adjustments to respond to evolving situations.
India’s foreign policy adheres to a set of basic principles on which no compromise is made which include: Panchsheel, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, opposition to export of Ideologies and Change of Regimes, not endorsing imposing sanctions/military action against any country, No to Interference and Yes to Intervention, constructive engagement over aggression and strategic autonomy, and global consensus on issues of global dimensions
The most significant exposition of India’s Act East Policy was the presence of Heads of state and Heads of Government at the 2018 Republic Day celebrations.
India is now expected not only to bolster its economic and strategic engagements with the region but also to emerge as a potential security balancer in the region as well.
India has adopted a firm policy of “Terror and Talks cannot go together”. Unless Pakistan stops State–sponsored and supported terrorism targeted against India, and stops interference in Kashmir, no talks will be held.
On China, India is expected to cooperate and collaborate with China whenever feasible, confront whenever required and compete with and contain China whenever the occasion demands
India is now bound to ensure that it plays an increasingly important role in shaping the global agenda, that it is part of the “rule making” rather than “rule following” and that it emerges as a strong pole in the multi-polar world.