Russia rules out talks with Japan over disputed islands

Moscow yesterday said it would not hold annual talks with Tokyo on renewing a pact that allows Japanese fishers to operate near disputed islands, saying that Japan has taken anti-Russian measures. The islands, off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, are known in Russia as the Kurils and in Japan as the Northern Territories, and have been at the core of decades of tension between the neighbors. “In the context of the anti-Russian measures taken by the Japanese government ... the Russian side informed Tokyo that it could not agree on the holding of intergovernmental consultations on the implementation of this agreement,” the RIA Novosti state news agency reported, citing the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Japan, a major US ally, imposed sanctions on dozens of Russians and Russian organizations soon after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year. On Friday, it tightened sanctions on Russia in response to Russian air attacks on Ukrainian cities. Russia in June last year suspended a 1998 agreement that allowed Japanese boats to fish near the islands. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno on Monday last week told a news conference that Japan would demand that Russia engage in the annual talks so this year’s fishing operations could begin. The Russian ministry said there would be no improvement in ties unless Japan showed “respect.” “To return to a normal dialogue, the Japanese neighbors should show elementary respect for our country, a desire to improve bilateral relations,” the RIA quoted the ministry as saying. Russia and Japan have not formally ended World War II hostilities because of their standoff over the islands.

Ukraine, Wagner Group both claim control of village

Ukraine’s military yesterday said its forces repelled an attack in the area of Blahodatne in the eastern part of the Donetsk region, while Russia’s Wagner private military group said it took control of the village. “Units of Ukraine’s Defence Forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of ... Blahodatne ... in the Donetsk region,” the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in its daily morning report, referring to fighting on Saturday. It added that its forces repelled Russian attacks in the areas of 13 other settlements in the Donetsk region. The Wagner Group, designated by the US as transnational criminal organization, wrote on the Telegram messaging app on Saturday that its units had taken control of Blahodatne. Reuters was unable to independently verify the reports. With fighting heating up in Donetsk, the exact line of contact has been unclear, especially around the town of Bakhmut, where some of the heaviest fighting of the war has been taking place in the past few weeks. The Wagner Group has made premature success claims before. Ukraine has said that the Russian offensive on Bakhmut has not culminated, but the situation along the front line there has been growingly difficult. Four civilians were killed, one in Bakhmut, and 17 wounded in Russian attacks on the region on Saturday, Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on the Telegram messaging app. Ukraine has won promises of Western battle tanks and is seeking fighter jets to push back against Russian and pro-Moscow forces, which are slowly advancing along part of the front line. On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s top aide said that expedited talks were under way between Ukraine and its allies about its requests for long-range missiles to prevent Russia from destroying Ukrainian cities. “To drastically reduce the Russian army’s key weapon — the artillery they use today on the front lines

US lawmakers push Taiwan IMF bill

SPEAKING UP: Taiwan, as the US’ 10th-largest trading partner, ‘deserves a seat at the IMF’ after years of Beijing suppressing its voice, US Representative Young Kim said

Two US lawmakers on Thursday introduced a bill calling on Washington to support Taiwan’s participation as a member of the IMF to ensure its voice is heard on international financial issues. The “Taiwan non-discrimination act” — introduced by US Representative Young Kim, who is on the US House Financial Services and Foreign Affairs committees, and US Representative Al Green — seeks to ensure that the US representative on the IMF board of governors advocates for Taiwan’s admission in the international financial institution. The bill also calls for Taiwan’s participation in the organization’s regular surveillance activities relating to Taiwan’s economic and financial policies, job opportunities for Taiwanese at the IMF, and a provision for IMF technical assistance and training for Taiwan. “As the 21st-largest economy in the world and the 10th-largest goods trading partner of the United States, Taiwan deserves a seat at the IMF,” Kim said in a statement released on Thursday. “For far too long, Taiwan’s freedoms have been suppressed and voice has been silenced by the Chinese Communist Party. The Taiwan non-discrimination act helps right this wrong and ensures Taiwan’s voice is heard in international financial decisions,” she said. Kim said that she and Green would fight to pass the bill. “I will always be a loud voice in Congress for our freedom-loving allies,” she added. Green said in the statement that the bill requires the US’ IMF representative to use the voice and vote of the US to urge Taiwan’s participation and membership in the IMF. “As a leading world economy, Taiwan’s experience in promoting sound economic policies can be instrumental in helping the IMF achieve its mission. Thus, it deserves a seat at the table,” he said. “My hope is that this bill will help steer it toward that direction,” he said. A bill to promote Taiwan’s membership in the IMF was previously introduced in May

US general warns of war with China over Taiwan

GUT FEELING: In the leaked memo, US Air Force General Mike Minihan urged mobile command personnel to go to a firing range, shoot at a target and ‘aim for the head’

A four-star US Air Force general has warned of a conflict with China as early as 2025 — most likely over Taiwan — and urged his commanders to push their units to achieve maximum operational battle readiness this year. In an internal memorandum that first emerged on social media on Friday, and was later confirmed as genuine by the Pentagon, Air Mobility Command Commander General Mike Minihan said that the main goal should be to deter “and, if required, defeat” China. “I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me we will fight in 2025,” Minihan said. Minihan said that Taiwan’s presidential election next year would offer Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) an excuse for military aggression, while the US would be distracted by its own contest for the White House. “Xi’s team, reason and opportunity are all aligned for 2025,” he added. The memorandum also calls on all US mobile command personnel to go to the firing range, “fire a clip” into a target and “aim for the head.” A Pentagon spokesperson responded to an e-mail query about the memo saying that “yes, it’s factual that he sent that out.” Senior US officials have said in the past few months that China appears to be speeding up its timeframe to annex Taiwan. China staged major military exercises around Taiwan in August last year, seen as a trial run for an invasion after a defiant visit of solidarity to Taipei by then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi. The US switched recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, but sells weapons to Taiwan for self-defense. A growing number of US lawmakers have called for ramping up assistance, including sending direct military aid to Taiwan, saying that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underscores the need for early preparation.

Ukraine in ‘fierce’ fighting for Vuhledar

Three people were killed and at least two wounded after Russian forces struck a residential neighborhood in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka, the regional governor said yesterday, as Ukrainian troops were locked in a “fierce” confrontation with Russian fighters for control of Vuhledar, southwest of Donetsk. Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko wrote on the Telegram messaging app that four apartment buildings and a hotel had been damaged and that rescuers and police officials were at the site to “carefully document yet another crime by the Russian occupiers.” Earlier yesterday, he said that four people had been killed and at least seven wounded from Russian strikes over the past 24 hours. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday the situation at the front remained “extremely acute,” particularly in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia is stepping up an offensive amid its full-scale invasion, launched in February last year. In Vuhledar, both sides claimed success in the small administrative center of apartment blocks surrounded by flat fields, a short distance from the strategic prize of the village of Pavlivka. “The encirclement and subsequent liberation of this city solves many problems,” said Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-appointed leader of the Donetsk region. “Soon, Vuhledar may become a new, very important success for us,” he was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. Kyiv said the town, which had a pre-invasion population of about 15,000 people, remained contested. Moscow’s push for Vuhledar is part of its effort to seize control of the entire Donetsk region, which it has already declared a part of Russia. Ukraine said this week that Russian troops had stepped up their attacks in the east, particularly on Vuhledar and Bakhmut. Russian President Vladimir Putin used International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Friday to lash out at Ukraine, calling those in the country “neo-Nazis” to justify the 11-month-old invasion. “Forgetting the lessons of history

Renewables to contribute 10% of energy this year

Renewable energy sources are expected to make up 10 percent of total electricity production this year, Bureau of Energy officials said, buoying hopes that the nation’s green energy transition will get back on track following years of disappointing progress amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, more solar farms than any other year were built in Taiwan, and the pace of construction of offshore wind turbines increased as contractors gained experience, the officials said. These developments — in conjunction with a projection that the nation’s energy consumption would decrease this year — would put Taiwan within reach of the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ revised target of boosting renewable energy sources to 20 percent of electricity production by 2026, they said. The ministry last month extended the deadline for getting 20 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable sources by a year after delays caused by pandemic-related work and supply chain disruptions. Under the new plan, solar energy production must be increased from a previous target of 10 gigawatts (GW) to 14GW by the end of the year. The bureau has installed enough solar panels over fish farms to generate 2.5GW of energy, of which 2GW was integrated into the grid, and 0.5GW is to go online in the next three months, they said. To expand solar energy production this year, the government would seek to install solar panels over fish farms in Tainan and Chiayi County, low-yield agricultural land owned by Taiwan Sugar Corp (台糖) and at the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park (彰濱工業區), they said. A new wind farm off southwestern Changhua County is already online, they said. By the end of the year, three solar farms off Changhua and the Formosa II wind power project off Miaoli County would also be activated, adding 0.8GW to the nation’s energy supply, they said. The renewable energy sources last year made up

By Lin Ching-hua and Jonathan Chin

Search under way for lost radioactive capsule in Australia

Parts of Western Australia were yesterday under a radiation alert after authorities said a radioactive capsule used in mining was lost en-route to the state’s capital, Perth. Authorities in Australia’s largest state issued the alert on Friday for a “radioactive substance risk” in several regions, including Perth. The small, silver capsule containing Caesium-137 was lost during transport from north of Newman — a small town in the remote Kimberley region — to the northeast suburbs of Perth, the Australian Department of Fire and Emergency Services said. “The substance is used within gauges in mining operations. Exposure to this substance could cause radiation burns or radiation sickness,” the agency said. The capsule went missing while being driven in a truck from a mine to a Perth storage facility, the state’s health agency said. Newman is about 1,200km northeast of Perth. The truck left the site on Jan. 12, but the capsule was not discovered missing until this week, which was when emergency services were alerted, authorities said. The capsule was reportedly from a Rio Tinto mine. Western Australia Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson urged anyone who found the capsule not to handle it, as it could cause skin irritation and radiation burns. “If it was kept long enough and they were exposed for long enough they could have some more acute effects, including impacts on their immune system and the gastrointestinal system,” he told reporters. He said the capsule was “most dangerous if it is handled or if it is close to the body.” “If you are further than 5m away from the source, certainly if you are more than 20m away from the source, it will pose no danger to you,” he said. “If it is closer than that, and we strongly discourage people from picking it up, certainly don’t put it in your pocket or put it in your car,

Chen Chien-jen appointed premier

‘NEW HEIGHTS’: President Tsai thanked the new premier’s predecessor, Su Tseng-chang, while Chen said that Taiwan has become an ideal nation for its inhabitants

President Tsai Ing-wen yesterday (蔡英文) appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) as the new premier. The appointment of Chen, who vowed to bolster Taiwan’s economic, environmental and societal tenacity, is part of a Cabinet reshuffle after former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) announced the resignation of his Cabinet on Thursday last week. Su’s Cabinet is to resign on Monday, and a handover ceremony is to be held the following day, Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said in a statement. Addressing a news conference in Taipei, Chen thanked Su for stabilizing the country, helping Tsai win re-election and leading the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Su’s Cabinet won the trust of Taiwanese as it introduced policies that bolstered economic development and led Taiwan to gain recognition from the world, he said. Having worked with several premiers, Chen said that Su’s achievements were “indeed not easy.” Taiwan “has reached new heights” in terms of economic prowess and international status under Tsai, Chen said, adding that the government transformed Taiwan into an ideal nation for its inhabitants. “I will shoulder the responsibility without hesitation during the rest of Tsai’s term,” he said. Chen said that while he loves conducting research, he is happy to contribute his strengths when the nation is in need. He said he feels fortunate to live in such a free and democratic country. Although Taiwan’s fight against the pandemic has been more effective than most countries, the government has to increase its efforts to help the economy recover, he said. The new Cabinet must continue the policies that have benefited the country, but adjust its approach to promote post-pandemic recovery, boost social security, improve infrastructure and develop six core strategic industries: information and communication technology, information security, precision healthcare, defense, renewable energy and wartime necessities, Chen said. The government should also be more aware of public opinion, pay more attention to

By Chen Cheng-yu and Liu Tzu-hsuan

Mercury in the north to drop below 10°C

AS FAR SOUTH AS CHIAYI, HUALIEN: The temperature drop is caused by a south moving cold front, which also affects air quality in southern areas, a forecaster said

Temperatures in many areas north of Chiayi and Hualien counties, as well as in Penghu County, are to stay below 10°C today, but rain is expected to abate, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday. The bureau said a cold front affecting northern Taiwan was moving southward, and would keep temperatures low over the weekend in areas as far south as Chiayi and Hualien counties, with some areas in northern parts of those counties reaching lows of about 6°C. “You won’t notice a significant rise in daytime temperatures over the weekend, but some areas could see the mercury hit 10°C or 11°C,” bureau forecaster Chang Cheng-chuan (張承傳) said. “By Monday, things will stabilize and temperatures will reach a much warmer 20°C.” However, while rain will weaken today in most areas, there is a 30 to 40 percent chance of precipitation in some parts of Keelung, Yilan County and Hualien, particularly in mountainous areas, he said. The southward moving front is to affect air quality in parts of southern Taiwan, including Yunlin, Chiayi and Nantou counties, over the weekend, he said, adding that air quality in Penghu and along the east coast is forecast to be good. An “orange” alert would be issued for air quality in coastal areas between Changhua and Chiayi counties, he said. Meanwhile, the Pingtung Public Health Bureau said that unusually cold temperatures during this year’s Lunar New Year holiday caused a surge in emergency room visits at hospitals in the county. Visits to emergency rooms during the first five days of the holiday were up 39.5 percent from the same period last year, rising from 6,994 visits last year to 9,701 this year, the bureau said. The number of people treated for acute or severe conditions also increased, with the number of level 1 triage patients rising by 28.3 percent and the number

By Lo Hsin-chen and William Hetherington

Taiwanese comic books charm French festival

Hundreds of works by Taiwanese comic book artists were featured at the opening of the annual four-day Angouleme International Comics Festival, which began in the city in southwestern France on Thursday. Taiwan’s booth, which centers around the theme “Stories Ahead: Taiwan Comics Now,” counted among its visitors Pili Munoz, director of the Angouleme-based House of Authors of the International City of Comics and Image. Taiwanese comics are rich in imaginative and bold images, making them a popular favorite, Munoz said. “Due to their popularity, it is not without reason that Taiwanese manga can be widely translated today,” he said. Nicholas Galiano, head of the publishing house Chatto Chatto, said French readers were drawn to Taiwanese comics thanks to their unique charm and distinct imagery. Taiwanese illustrations are diverse, thus meeting the needs of several French publishing houses, Galiano added. “This also explains why comic books from Taiwan have been so well received among French readers in the past few years,” Galiano said. “Because their creators have achieved what artists from other countries have failed to achieve.” Taiwan has participated in the annual festival for more than a decade. Representative to France Francois Wu (吳志中) said that Taiwanese comic artists in the past learned a lot from their Japanese peers, but they today have a distinctive style. “The degree to which the French readers hold Taiwanese artworks in high regard is not only due to their rising popularity in recent years, but also due to their uniqueness,” Wu said. The comics featured at the Taiwan booth included Son of Formosa (來自清水的孩子) by Chou Chien-hsin (周見信) and Yu Pei-yun (游珮芸), and Koxinga Z (1661國姓來襲) by Lee Lung-chieh (李隆杰). Taiwanese artists including Ting Po-yen (丁柏晏), who goes by the pseudonym Morning Anxiety, and Eli Lin (依萊) performed a live sketch at the event. Ting said her comic book Road to Nowhere (世界邊緣之旅), which has

Biden extends US ban on deportation of Hong Kongers

US President Joe Biden on Thursday signed off on a two-year extension of a program that protects Hong Kong residents in the US from deportation, renewing the protection until January 2025. Biden first authorized the program, the Deferred Enforced Departure for Certain Hong Kong Citizens, in August 2021 for 18 months. It was set to expire on Sunday next week. The decision to provide a temporary safe haven was in response to Hong Kong’s sweeping National Security Law and other measures imposed by Beijing that undercut the rights promised when the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997. “With this action, we are demonstrating again President Biden’s strong support for the people of Hong Kong in the face of increasing repression,” the White House National Security Council said in a statement. “We continue to strongly oppose the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China] use of its National Security Law to deny the people of Hong Kong their human rights and fundamental freedoms, undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy, and chip away at Hong Kong’s remaining democratic processes and institutions.” The Chinese government moved to stifle opposition following protests in Hong Kong in 2019 against a proposed law allowing extraditions to mainland China. Under the National Security Law, which took effect in June 2020, police have cracked down on opposition politicians, rights advocates and demonstrators. Changes were also made to Hong Kong’s election laws to reduce the number of directly elected lawmakers and give a largely pro-Beijing committee the leeway to nominate lawmakers aligned with the Chinese government. Liu Pengyu (劉鵬宇), spokesman for China’s embassy in Washington, said in a statement that the Biden administration’s decision further exposed the US’ “sinister intention” to undermine stability in Hong Kong and “contain China’s development.” “We urge the US to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs,” he said. Since China imposed the

Fiji scraps China policing deal under new government

Fiji yesterday suspended its police commissioner after a general election led to the first change in government in the Pacific island nation in 16 years, after the military earlier warned against “sweeping changes.” Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere said Fijian Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho had been suspended on the advice of the Fijian Constitutional Offices Commission, “pending investigation and referral to and appointment of a tribunal.” Fijian Elections Supervisor Mohammed Saneem was also suspended by the commission, the statement said. Qiliho declined to comment to local media because he said he would face a tribunal over his conduct. He was seen as being close to former Fijian prime minister Frank Bainimarama, who led the country for 16 years before a coalition of parties narrowly won an election in December last year and installed Sitiveni Rabuka as prime minister of the strategically important Pacific nation. The day before a coalition agreement was struck, Qiliho and Bainimarama called on the military to maintain law and order because they said the hung election result had sparked ethnic tensions, a claim disputed by the coalition parties. The Pacific island nation, which has a history of military coups, has been pivotal to the region’s response to competition between China and the US, and struck a deal with Australia in October last year for greater defense cooperation. On Thursday, the Fiji Times reported that Rabuka had announced his government would end a police training and exchange agreement with China. “Our system of democracy and justice systems are different so we will go back to those that have similar systems with us,” it quoted Rabuka as saying, referring to Australia and New Zealand. The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fijian Military Forces Commander Major General Jone Kalouniwai earlier this month warned Rabuka’s government against making “sweeping changes,” urging it

Petition urges US to recognize Taiwan

CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT: A new committee would investigate a backlog of US weapons sales to Taiwan, said its chairman, US Representative Mike Gallagher

The US should formally recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, and end its outdated and counterproductive “one China” policy, US Representative Tom Tiffany and 18 other US lawmakers wrote in a petition. “It is time to change the status quo and recognize the reality denied by the US government for decades: Taiwan is an independent nation,” Tiffany told the Epoch Times. “As our long-standing and valued partner, correctly acknowledging their independence from communist China is long overdue.” The resolution also asks the administration of US President Joe Biden to support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations and to negotiate a bilateral free-trade agreement, the newspaper said. Tiffany said in a separate interview with New Tang Dynasty TV on Wednesday that he thinks Taiwan should be recognized as a free, democratic and peace-loving nation. “There are more and more people in [the US] Congress that are understanding how important Taiwan is, and how important it is that we recognize Taiwan, and that we trade with Taiwan,” he told the channel. Separately, US arms sales to Taiwan are expected to be a key issue for the newly created US House of Representatives Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the US and the Chinese Communist Party, a report published by the Roll Call newspaper said on Tuesday. “How do we prevent Taiwan’s future from becoming Ukraine’s present? I think it is going to be a theme of what we do on this committee,” US Representative Mike Gallagher, who chairs the committee, told the newspaper in an interview. Gallagher also said that he would examine the reasons for a US$18 billion backlog of military equipment that has been approved for sale to Taiwan. US sectors that “may be too economically dependent on China” or “corrupted by Chinese money and influence operations” would be scrutinized by the committee, Gallagher said.

Tsai taps new national security head

‘THE MAN FOR THE JOB’: A report said Cheng Wen-tsan would be the deputy of Chen Chien-jen, who was earlier confirmed to be Tsai Ing-wen’s nominee for premier

President Tsai Ing-wen yesterday (蔡英文) appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) as new National Security Bureau director-general and Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) as Presidential Office secretary-general, ahead of a Cabinet reshuffle. Former Taoyuan mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) is to become vice premier, while former Keelung mayor Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) is to become minister of the interior, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported, citing a preliminary list of Cabinet positions compiled by the Presidential Office on Wednesday, after Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) announced the resignation of his Cabinet before the Lunar New Year holiday. The report came a day after the government confirmed that former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) was nominated by Tsai Ing-wen to be the new premier. The new Cabinet would include more female ministers than the previous one, the Liberty Times reported. The government has set three major principles on how Cabinet members would be selected after the president held meetings with Chen, Su and Vice President William Lai (賴清德) on Wednesday, the report said. Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥), who served as deputy head of the Central Epidemic Command Center, is to become the new Executive Yuan spokesman, it said. Executive Yuan Secretary-General Lee Meng-yen (李孟諺) and Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) are to keep their posts, the report said. Chen Chien-jen reportedly told Tsai Ing-wen that apart from their respective expertise, he would be selecting his Cabinet members based on three guiding principles: raising the number of female Cabinet members, retaining more officials aged 44 to 64, as well as members with experience in local governments. Cheng was chosen because he is familiar with local politics and has a track record of successfully coordinating between central and local governments, the report said, adding that his expertise would complement

Jeremy Lin to join Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers

Former NBA star Jeremy Lin (林書豪) has signed with the Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers of the P. League+, the club announced yesterday. Multiple Taiwan-based franchises had been pursuing Lin, but the 34-year-old veteran chose the Steelers because he identified with the franchise’s “Big South Program,” and wanted to help bring more attention and resources to southern Taiwan’s basketball scene, the team said. Lin’s “game, leadership and toughness will bring new stimulus to the Greater South’s basketball scene, and he will help bridge the gap between our younger and veteran players,” Steelers general manager Kenny Kao (高景炎) said in a video message. Kao said the club is still negotiating with Lin’s team on the timetable of his arrival in Taiwan, news conference for signing and debut game. “KaoHsiung, here I come!” Lin, whose parents hail from Taiwan, wrote on Instagram. The decision also means Lin would be reunited with his former teammates Aaron Harrison and Shawn Chou (周儀翔), with whom Lin played in the NBA and in China, the Steelers said. Lin’s addition to the Steelers would bring fresh hope to the struggling team as they sit bottom of the six-league rankings with a 2-13 card. Speculation about Lin possibly signing with a Taiwanese team began as early as last year, when questions about his performance and playing time in China started to appear. His total points scored in his second season for the Beijing Ducks in 2021-2022 dropped to 309 in 507 minutes over 23 games from 871 points in 1,252 minutes over 39 games in his first season in 2019-2020. Out of the seven games Lin played for the Guangzhou Loong Lions before leaving the Chinese league this season, there were two games in which he only played four minutes each. In between his two stints in China, Lin spent time with the Santa Cruz Warriors, the Golden State

US sentences Chinese spy to eight years in jail

A Chinese engineer was on Wednesday sentenced to eight years in a US prison for providing a provincial government in China with information on possible recruitment targets. Ji Chaoqun (紀超群), who first traveled to the US on a student visa in 2013 and later enlisted in the US Army Reserve, was accused of identifying US scientists and engineers that could be recruited by the Jiangsu Ministry of State Security. The body is a key Chinese intelligence unit involved in numerous schemes to illegally obtain US industrial and trade secrets. Ji was arrested in September 2018 on charges that he had supplied Chinese intelligence bodies with biographical information about eight people, all naturalized US citizens originally from Taiwan or China, and some of whom were US defense contractors. Ji, who is about 31 years old, was in September last year convicted of illegally acting as an agent of a foreign government and of making false statements after a two-week trial in Chicago. The charge is often used by federal prosecutors in espionage-related cases in which the accused is not clearly a foreign intelligence agent. The US Department of Justice said that Ji acted at the direction of Xu Yanjun (徐延軍), a deputy division director in the Jiangsu ministry. Ji’s case was apparently linked to Chinese efforts over several years to steal trade secrets from Ohio-based GE Aviation LLC — one of the world’s leading aircraft engine manufacturers — and other aviation companies, including US military suppliers. Xu was a key figure in that effort. Arrested in Belgium in 2018, he was extradited to the US to stand trial He was in November 2021 convicted of economic espionage and attempted theft of trade secrets. In November last year, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Ukraine support to be Japan’s priority at the G7: diplomat

Japan, this year’s chair of the G7, expects Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to dominate talks among the world’s major advanced economies, Japanese Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs Masato Kanda said. “Sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine will be a top priority at G7 financial leaders’ meetings under Japan’s chair,” said Kanda, who is to oversee G7 deputy-level talks on economic policy this year. Among other issues at the top of the G7 agenda would be global debt problems, he said. Kanda’s comments came after the US and Germany on Wednesday announced deliveries of top-of-the-line battle tanks to Ukraine, sweeping aside their long-standing misgivings and signaling a new surge of Western support for an expected counteroffensive against the Russian invasion. In a televised address, US President Joe Biden promised 31 Abrams tanks, one of the most powerful US weapons. Shortly before, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gave the green light to Germany sending 14 Leopard 2 tanks, a decision that is expected to prompt several other European countries armed with Leopards to send their own contributions. Although Western countries have already sent Ukraine everything from artillery to Patriot anti-missile defense systems, tanks were long considered a step too far, risking a widening backlash from Russia. However, with Ukraine gearing up for a counteroffensive to push back increasingly entrenched Russians in the east and south, its allies are now scrambling to send the powerful weapons. On Wednesday, an official from a European country said his government had approved a shipment of cluster munitions — a controversial weapon that Russia has been criticized for using — to Ukraine, and was awaiting German approval of that transfer. A UN treaty backed by most Western countries bans the use and transfer of cluster bombs, which spread dozens of tiny explosives, and often continue posing a threat long after a conflict