The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a collection of various infrastructure projects started on November 13, 2016. It is a flagship program under the Belt and Road Initiative that provides Beijing, direct access to to Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. Recently, critics of CPEC (both inside and outside Pakistan) have voiced their concerns over energy and economy issues between the two countries. – Weiting Li
The Australian government is preparing to officially prohibit Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei from participating in its 5G mobile broadband project, citing national security concerns. For a detailed summary and our assessment, read more here.
Following increasing trade tensions between China and the United States, more countries have raised national security concerns surrounding Chinese foreign investment. After the U.S. blocked several deals with China, Germany, Canada, and the U.K. all raised concerns on proposed Chinese investment in their own countries. -Weiting Li
For a detailed summary and our assessment on business impacts, read more here.
On June 28, in the middle of disputes with Chinese telecom giant Huawei on a 5G network, Australia passed a law to prevent foreign interference in the country’s politics and domestic affairs. The new legislation adds 38 new crimes related to foreign interference to the register, including stealing state secrets on behalf of a foreign government, and expands the definition of what can be considered espionage. Read a detailed summary and assessment here.
SUMMARY On June 18, Jingdong, or JD.com, a Chinese e-commerce company, began testing their prototype drone delivery service, an initiative to reduce transportation costs and delivery times for more remote areas. On the same day, Google announced that it would be investing $550 million to develop new retail solutions using cutting edge AI and logistics…
From June 19th to the 24th, Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang during Oli’s visit in Beijing to discuss Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI). Both sides expressed a willingness to work together to build a railway network across the Himalayan Mountains and increase economic ties through BRI (previously known as the One Belt One Road (OBOR) Initiative) transportation and communication projects.
SUMMARY In a report released on June 10, labor rights NGO China Labor Watch and British newspaper, The Observer, criticized Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, for mistreating workers in a factory located in Hengyang, China. Headquartered in Taiwan, Foxconn owns thousands of factories and manufactures products for American tech giants like Apple and Amazon.…
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