[ Read RFA coverage of this story in Uyghur. Opens in new window ]China has opened an investigation into PVH Corp., the U.S. parent company of fashion brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, for alleged discriminatory actions in refusing to buy cotton and other products from its northwest Xinjiang region, home to 12 million Uighurs.Analysts said the move appears to be a retaliatory response by Beijing against companies that comply with U.S. laws banning the import of materials and products from Xinjiang suspected of using Uyghur forced labor.“China is trying to retaliate against U.S. sanctions against the Xinjiang region by imposing…
Author: Frank M. Everett
The veteran of the Japanese legislator Shigeru Ishiba, who supports the creation of a “NATO Asia version”, was scheduled for Friday to become Prime Minister after winning a closely fought competition to lead the Liberal Democratic leader party.Since the LDP has a parliamentary majority, the next party leader will replace Fumio Kishida as Prime Minister. Kishida announced her intention to resign in August.”We must believe people, tell the truth with courage and sincerity, and work together to make Japan a safe and secure country where everyone can live with a smile,” Ishiba said in a brief speech to the legislators…
Volkswagen’s audit of its joint venture factory in Xinjiang – where human rights groups accuse it of using forced Uyghur labor – contains flaws that make it unreliable, said an expert who obtained a confidential copy of the audit.The German automaker said in December that an audit of the plant, a joint venture with Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor Corp., showed no signs of human rights violations.But after analyzing the leaked audit report, Adrian Zenz, a senior researcher at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington, found that contrary to his claims, the audit had not used international standards and…
Update from July 2, 2025 at 3:11 p.m.The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, said on Wednesday that he would have a successor chosen by a non -profit organization that he had started – not by the Chinese government. Beijing sounded a different note: the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning, said that China had the right to approve the Dalai Lama successor. Bottom Line de Beijing: Whatever the spiritual force guides this sacred process must adhere to the restrictions of the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP.If that seems impious, it may be the point.…
[ Read RFA coverage of this story in Burmese. Opens in new window ]In central Myanmar, rebel forces ambushed a vehicle near a junta stronghold, killing 12 women as they headed to work in nearby fields, military-controlled media reported Wednesday.No group claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack in the Sagaing region, but anti-junta activists there have established groups, known as the People’s Defense Forces, or PDF, that launch ambushes and raids on military posts as part of their campaign against the junta that took power in 2021.The women were heading to work near the village of Kywei Pon when the attackers opened…
Men on a scooter roll in front of coffins stacked for the victims of a landslide in the mountainous village distant from Lang Naked, the province of Lao Cai, Vietnam, September 11, 2024. (AFP)Sudden floods flooding Myawaddy, Myanmar, September 11, 2024 (citizen photo)The flood waters flood Tachilek, Myanmar, while Mae Sai Creek overflows from his banks, September 10, 2024. (U HLA MOE (Tachilek) Welfare Association)U HLA MOE (Tachilek) Social Association, Tachilek City, Myanmar, carried out a rescue operation, September 10, 2024 in Myanmar. (KO HLA MOE via Facebook)My Kai City, Myanmar, is flooded with heavy rains, September 10, 2024 (Sangha…
China courts Muslim tourists from Malaysia by attracting them with travel packages adapted to the Halals, while it tries to rekindle its tourism industry with pandemic blows while deepening links with the country of Southeast Asia of the Islamic majority.The Malaysian interest in Chinese destinations increases thanks to enlarged halal offers and regulations on visas, according to industry analysts. There was a 15% to 20% increase in Malaysian-Muslim tourists visiting China, especially in less known regions such as Xinjiang and Ningxia, according to industry analysts.And the Malaysia tourism industry helps Beijing to promote such plans because Kuala Lumpur seeks to…
The Philippine army said on Tuesday that it had monitored more than 200 Chinese ships in several areas of the exclusive economic area of Manila at the Southern China Sea in last week – the greatest number recorded this year.According to Philippin officials, the majority of ships and boats were spotted near Sabina (Escoda) Shoal, a disputed reef and a scene of an incident on August 31 where Manila accused the Chinese Coast Guard of unraveling in a ship of the Philippine Coast Guard at least three times.”We can attribute the overvoltage [of Chinese vessels] For the attention paid to…
U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, arrived in China on Tuesday for a three-day trip that includes talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and follows complaints from China’s neighbors about what they see as China’s territorial intrusions.Sullivan and Wang will “hold a new round of Sino-US strategic communication,” according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, exchanging views on bilateral relations, “sensitive issues” and “key international and regional hot spots.”A senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters Friday that Sullivan and Wang would discuss a range of topics, including areas of disagreement, such as Taiwan,…
Myanmar junta forces chasing insurgents raided the home of a journalist, killing him, another journalist and two other people, one of whom was a member of a rebel group, associated with the victims, including a former employer, told Radio Free Asia.Troops raided the home of journalist Htet Myat Thu in Mon State on Wednesday after receiving reports that insurgents were meeting there.Since the military seized power and overthrew a civilian government more than three years ago, junta officials have shut down independent media and arrested and tortured some journalists, victims and rights groups.Junta soldiers opened fire on Htet Myat Thu’s…