Boycott China

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/44985805

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/35409657

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A new report – co-written by Labour Campaign for Human Rights (LCHR) and the Labour Foreign Policy Group (LFPG) – has put forward a series of recommendations to increase awareness of CCP activities in Britain and disentangle the private sector from finance backed by the Chinese state.

The recent threat to British Steel – owned by conglomerate Jingye Group – triggered alarm over how Chinese companies leverage control within UK infrastructure. If the steel furnace in Scunthorpe had stopped operating, Britain would have been the only country in the G7 without the power to produce virgin steel domestically.

Luke Akehurst, Labour MP for North Durham, told PoliticsHome economic objectivies today should not be pursued in ways which “lead to insecurity tomorrow”.

"The public are rightly cautious about UK engagement with China under the CCP regime and the government should be too," he said. "The upcoming ‘China audit’ is an opportunity for a new, clear-eyed approach to dealing with the CCP’s economic, political and geopolitical reach."

Crossposted from https://lemmings.world/post/26950570

Vietnam and Thailand have upgraded their ties to the highest level of diplomatic cooperation – a move that analysts say reflects Hanoi’s strategy of deepening regional ties even as it quietly ranks its partners’ strategic weight using a “two-tiered stratification system”.

The new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), formalised during Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s visit to Hanoi last Friday, places Thailand among a growing list of countries with which Vietnam has strengthened its diplomatic framework in recent years.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/33718014

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Here is the original study: Restrict Remote Access of PV Inverters from High-Risk Vendors

The European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC) has issued a stark warning, highlighting a critical threat to Europe’s energy autonomy stemming from the unregulated remote access capabilities of PV inverters produced by non-European, high-risk manufacturers—particularly those from China. A recent study by DNV substantiates these concerns.

As solar power becomes increasingly integral to Europe’s clean energy goals and energy security, a major vulnerability looms: software-enabled remote access to PV inverters—the essential control units of solar power systems.

[...]

The threat is real, not hypothetical. Internet connectivity is essential for modern inverters to perform grid support functions and participate in power markets. However, this connectivity also enables remote software updates, allowing manufacturers to potentially modify device performance from afar. This poses serious cybersecurity risks, including the danger of intentional disruption or large-scale shutdowns. A recent DNV report, commissioned by SolarPower Europe, highlights the credible risk of cascading blackouts due to coordinated or malicious manipulation of inverters.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/32101872

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The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR) and the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation renew calls for the Canadian government to sanction Hong Kong officials responsible for human rights abuses and repression.

The RWCHR submitted sanctions recommendations to the Canadian government in October, detailing systematic human rights violations by authorities in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), including arbitrary arrests, political repression, and torture in Hong Kong, and transnational repression abroad.

Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020. Since then, authorities have arrested more than 1,900 political prisoners, curbed voting rights, and cracked down on freedom of the press and speech. In March 2024, Hong Kong lawmakers passed additional security legislation, Article 23, that has been used to further silence pro-democracy voices at the behest of Beijing.

The Chinese Communist Party is also engaged in transnational repression and foreign interference in the U.S. and Canada. We call for Chinese and Hong Kong officials to be sanctioned for interfering in Canada’s political process and violating Canada’s sovereignty.

The CFHK Foundation and RWCHR call on Canada to impose sanctions on 10 key individuals, including Hong Kong’s Chief Executive and other high-level officials, for their roles in undermining the rule of law and suppressing democratic freedoms. One of these individuals, Eliza Chan, is a member of Hong Kong’s governing executive council and currently owns an apartment in Toronto. Chan has publicly supported and assisted in the adoption and implementation of the national security law, and thereafter justified its use against political prisoners.

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