China issues Passport Information to University Staff….

Australia: Beijing’s passport order to University of Technology Sydney staff

Academic staff at University of Technology Sydney refused to hand over personal details, including their passport numbers, after China’s Education Ministry demanded the information to continue a course for visiting students.

Science faculty associate dean for international partnerships Graham Nicholson told 21 UTS academics they were required to disclose their passport numbers and dates of birth “as part of the ongoing review of this program” by the ministry.

“You may be concerned by the request for your passport number,” he said in an email obtained by The Australian. “In China, all citizens have an identity card. As we don’t have these in Australia the next best option for them is your current passport number.”

Full Story Here: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/beijings-passport-order-to-university-of-technology-sydney-staff/news-story/449ed343de20368803624443e7cf37e7

Australian universities announce reviews over links to surveillance tech by Chinese Government

Facial recognition technology in China

Two Australian universities are reviewing funding and research approval procedures due to concerns over links to technology that is being used to carry out mass human rights abuses by the Chinese Government in Xinjiang province.

Key points

UTS, Curtin unis launch reviews amid links to surveillance technology used in China
One academic conducted research for so-called “racial profiling” technology to detect ethnic minorities
Human Rights Watch says China uses AI and surveillance to carry out human rights abuses against ethnic minorities

Last night, Four Corners revealed that the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is conducting an internal review into its $10 million partnership with CETC, a Chinese state-owned military tech company that developed an app that Chinese security forces use to track and detain Muslim Uyghur citizens in Xinjiang.

Full Story: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-16/australian-unis-to-review-links-to-chinese-surveillance-tech/11309598

Chinese spy ship heading towards Australia to spy on joint war games

The Defence Force is closely tracking a high-tech Chinese spy ship as it makes its way towards Australia ahead of this month’s Talisman Sabre war games on the Queensland coast.

Key points:

The electronic surveillance ship was believed to be north of Papua New Guinea on Saturday night
It is believed to have begun its voyage south to Australia late last week
The same class of vessel was spotted monitoring the 2017 Talisman Sabre war games

Multiple military sources have confirmed to the ABC they are preparing for the imminent arrival of the Auxiliary General Intelligence (AGI) vessel, which is expected to closely monitor the massive biennial joint United States-Australian exercises from just outside Australian territorial waters.

On Saturday night, the Type 815G Dongdiao-class electronic surveillance ship was believed to be north of Papua New Guinea, having begun its voyage south towards Australia late last week.

Full story: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-07/chinese-spy-ship-heading-towards-australia-to-monitor-war-games/11285748

A Chinese mining giant is being accused of underestimating the impact a proposed open cut mine

A Chinese mining giant is being accused of underestimating the impact a proposed open cut mine will have on groundwater on the New South Wales Liverpool Plains.

Key points:

A study by the UNSW Water Research Laboratory into the environmental impact statement (EIS) issued by Shenhua Watermark Mine has found that modelling used by the mining company was flawed
The study found that the EIS relied upon incorrect data on the storage volume of groundwater aquifers, and that the capacity of these aquifers is a lot smaller
The research was funded by the Caroona Coal Action Group (CCAG), which is opposed to the project, but stakeholders claim it is independent because it was peer-reviewed

The University of New South Wales’ Water Research Laboratory conducted a study into the Shenhua Watermark Mine’s environmental impact statement (EIS), and in particular its findings around the project’s potential effect on water.

The research was commissioned by the Caroona Coal Action Group (CCAG), which is opposed to the project.

The study has found that the modelling used by the mining company was flawed, because it relied upon incorrect data on the storage volume of groundwater aquifers.

“The values used were implausibly high based on our research,” Ian Acworth, UNSW Emeritus Professor, said.

Read full story here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-05-01/shenhuas-watermark-coal-proposal-under-fire-for-flawed-eis/11062444

Chinese officials complained about Australian media coverage to Ex PM

Former Prime Minister John Howard wears a dark suit with blue tie while sitting in a chair while gesturing with hand.

Mr Howard, who has previewed the release of classified cabinet documents in January, also said Australia must have a serious discussion about population without accusing people of being racist.

The Morrison Government asked Mr Howard to lead an Australian delegation at annual talks in China and he met the nation’s most senior diplomat, Yang Jeichi.

“While I can’t go into — because it’s Chatham House — what individuals said, I can say the flavour of the meeting was, ‘OK, we have issues, we always will, China is an autocracy’,” Mr Howard said.

“They complained about our media and I made it very clear that we have a free media.

Read Full Store Here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-11/howard-defends-free-media-after-china-complaint/10606272

Australia – China is becoming increasing anxious about the Australian pushback against their influence, [Video]

China is becoming increasing anxious about the Australian pushback against Chinese influence and is now looking to the Labor Party, an expert on relations between the two nations has said.

Key points:

New legislation aims to reduce Chinese influence in Australia
Professor Clive Hamilton said China seeks to establish power zone in the Pacific
He said Australia neglected its responsibility in region and China is moving to fill the vacuum

Clive Hamilton, Vice-Chancellor’s Chair and professor of public ethics at Charles Sturt University, said the Australian response “reached a crescendo” with the introduction of the new Foreign Interference legislation in early December by the Turnbull Government, and China is now looking to the Labor Party.

“No country has ever interfered in Australian politics more than the People’s Republic of China,” Professor Hamilton said.

“I think that the Chinese embassy sees the Labor Party as a kind of much more amenable place to go in order to persuade politicians of its point of view.”

Chinese buyer of an Australian Port struggles to pay interest and heavily in debt

The new Chinese owner of Darwin Port is heavily indebted and has struggled to make interest payments on money borrowed to buy the lease, raising doubts over promises to upgrade the port and fund a new $200 million hotel on a nearby site.An analysis of the finances of the Landbridge Group and its billionaire founder Ye Cheng shows he does not fit the stereotype of a cashed-up Chinese billionaire with access to cheap funding from state-owned banks.

Rather, Landbridge’s local accounts and documents lodged in China show an over-extended company scrambling from one loan repayment to the next and paying up to 12 per cent interest on some borrowings.