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«Αραβική ανησυχία» για τη τουρκική στρατιωτική παρουσία σε εδάφη αραβικών χωρών
Tην ανησυχία της για τη συνέχιση της στρατιωτικής τουρκικής παρουσίας στα εδάφη αραβικών χωρών και για τις τουρκικές παρεμβάσεις στα εσωτερικά των αραβικών χωρών, εξέφρασε η 5η υπουργική συνεδρίαση της Αραβικής Υπουργικής Επιτροπής που αφορά στην παρακολούθηση των τουρκικών παρεμβάσεων στα εσωτερικά των αραβικών χωρών στη συνεδρίασή της την Τετάρτη.
Η Επιτροπή εξέφρασε ακόμη την ανησυχία της για τις επαναλαμβανόμενες τουρκικές παραβιάσεις των ψηφισμάτων του Συμβουλίου Ασφαλείας που έχουν σχέση με την επιβολή εμπάργκο όπλων στη Λιβύη, ενώ επιβεβαίωσε τα προηγούμενα ψηφίσματα, τα οποία αφορούν στις τουρκικές παρεμβάσεις στα εσωτερικά των αραβικών χωρών.
Η αραβική επιτροπή αποτελείται από την Αίγυπτο, τα Ηνωμένα Αραβικά Εμιράτα, το βασίλειο του Μπαχρέιν, το βασίλειο της Σαουδικής Αραβίας και το Γενικό Γραμματέα του Αραβικού Συνδέσμου. Η συνεδρίαση πραγματοποιήθηκε στην έδρα του Συνδέσμου στο Κάϊρο, στο περιθώριο της 158ης Συνόδου του Συμβουλίου του Αραβικού Συνδέσμου σε επίπεδο υπουργών Εξωτερικών.
Κατά τη συνεδρίαση, η Επιτροπή διαβεβαίωσε για την μη νόμιμη παρουσία των τουρκικών δυνάμεων στο κράτος του Ιράκ, της Λιβύης και της Συρίας. Υπογράμμισε δε την ανάγκη η Τουρκία να αποσύρει τις δυνάμεις της άμεσα, χωρίς προϋποθέσεις ή όρους και έκανε έκκληση στη σημασία της συνεργασίας της Τουρκικής κυβέρνησης, ώστε να ληφθούν όλα τα μέτρα που θα επέτρεπαν τη δυνατότητα αντιμετώπισης των επιχειρήσεων περίθαλψης, επιστράτευσης, εκπαίδευσης και μεταφοράς ξένων τρομοκρατών μαχητών και μισθοφόρων, εντός των συνόρων των αραβικών χωρών.
Απέρριψε οποιονδήποτε επηρεασμό της δημογραφικής σύνθεσης σε διάφορες αραβικές περιοχές που υπόκεινται στον έλεγχο των τουρκικών δυνάμεων, όπως για παράδειγμα το βορειο-ανατολικό τμήμα της Συρίας, καθώς και τις συνεχιζόμενες παραβιάσεις της κυριαρχίας ορισμένων αραβικών χωρών.
Τέλος, η επιτροπή κάλεσε την τουρκική κυβέρνηση να σεβαστεί τα δικαιώματα επί των υδάτων του Ιράκ και της Συρίας, να παύσει την ανέγερση φραγμάτων στις πηγές των ποταμών Τίγρη και Ευφράτη, ένα γεγονός που επηρεάζει αρνητικά τα υδάτινα μερίδια των δύο αραβικών χωρών, πέραν των σοβαρών περιβαλλοντολογικών και οικονομικών ζημιών που επιφέρουν αυτές οι πρακτικές και για τις δύο χώρες.
ΠΗΓΗ: militaire.gr
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Reuters: U.S. imposes more sanctions over Pakistan’s missile program
The sanctions freeze any U.S. property belonging to the targeted entities and bars Americans from doing business with them.
The United States said on Wednesday it was imposing new sanctions related to nuclear-armed Pakistan’s long-range ballistic-missile program, including on the state-owned defense agency that oversees the program.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that the measures slapped on the National Development Complex and three firms were imposed under an executive order that “targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.”
The sanctions freeze any U.S. property belonging to the targeted entities and bars Americans from doing business with them.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the U.S. action was “unfortunate and biased” and would harm regional stability by “aiming to accentuate military asymmetries,” an apparent reference to the country’s rivalry with India.
A State Department factsheet said the Islamabad-based NDC has sought to obtain components for the country’s long-range ballistic-missile program and missile-testing equipment.
It said the NDC “is responsible for the development of Pakistan’s ballistic missiles,” including the Shaheen family of missiles.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists research organization says the Shaheen series of missiles is nuclear-capable.
Pakistan conducted its first nuclear-weapons test in 1998, becoming the seventh country to do so. The Bulletin estimates Pakistan’s arsenal at about 170 warheads.
Islamabad has refused to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the cornerstone of the international system designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
The other entities slapped with sanctions were Affiliates International, Akhtar and Sons Private Limited and Rockside Enterprise, all located in Karachi, the factsheet said.
It said the companies worked with the NDC to acquire equipment.
“The United States will continue to act against proliferation and associated procurement activities of concern,” Miller said.
Source: Reuters
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Axios: Biden takes final shot at China chip industry with new investigation
The Biden administration said on Monday it launched an investigation into China’s semiconductor sector, which officials claim threatens U.S. national security.
Why it matters: It is a first step toward possible measures, like tariffs, that might seek to squeeze China-made chips out of U.S. products. But with one month left in office, the fate of the investigation — and the ultimate remedies — rests with President-elect Trump.
The big picture: The investigation will largely focus on China’s foundational semiconductors — key inputs in automobiles, medical devices and military defense systems. These are distinct from advanced AI chips, though those have also been targeted by Biden.
The probe will be conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act, which the Biden administration previously used to impose steep tariffs on Chinese imports of electric vehicles, batteries and solar equipment.
Between the lines: This investigation will be in its early phase when Biden leaves office next month — like others under Section 301, the probe may take as long as a year to complete.
Senior administration officials say initiating the investigation now builds a record for the incoming Trump administration to pick up.
China doesn’t stop pursuing its policies just because the U.S. is going through a transition, the officials said.
What they’re saying: Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters that Chinese manufacturers sell chips for ultra-low prices around the world, which makes it less appealing for other companies to compete.
“We’ve seen chips companies hesitate to invest in the U.S.,” Raimondo told reporters, keeping America reliant on China for chips.
“We saw during COVID what happens when we need a chip and we can’t have it — it fuels inflation, makes cars and washing machines more expensive and left our military supply chain vulnerable,” Raimondo said.
What to watch: It’s unclear what priority the investigation gets under Trump.
It would fall to Jamieson Greer, who Trump tapped to lead the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, assuming he’s confirmed.
Tariffs are a central part of the president-elect’s economic agenda. He plans to impose import taxes on his first day in office via executive orders, not the Section 301 process.
The bottom line: The investigation is a parting shot from the Biden-era White House, which implemented a slew of measures aimed at curbing imports from China over the course of Biden’s term.
U.S.-China economic relations will likely stay frosty under Trump.
Source: Axios
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How China’s London Embassy Bid Reveals a Global Surveillance State
In a bold move underscoring the growing tensions between China and democratic nations, Tower Hamlets Council has unanimously blocked plans for a sprawling 700,000-square-foot Chinese “super-embassy” near the iconic Tower of London. This decision reflects escalating concerns over China’s global strategies of infiltration, surveillance, and suppression of dissent. Adding weight to the controversy is the revelation involving Prince Andrew’s alleged entanglement with a Chinese spy known as H6, intensifying fears about Beijing’s covert operations within the UK. A special report by Kaliph Anaz
The Tower Hamlets Council has once again unanimously rejected China’s audacious plan to construct a massive 700,000-square-foot “super-embassy” near the historic Tower of London.
This rejection is more than a local planning dispute; it is a critical stand against the Chinese Communist Party’s systematic strategy of global infiltration, surveillance, and suppression of human rights. The proposed embassy site, a historic Royal Mint Court purchased by the Chinese government six years ago, represents far more than a diplomatic mission.
It is a potential beachhead for a sophisticated surveillance and intimidation apparatus designed to extend the long arm of Beijing’s oppressive regime into the heart of a democratic society. The local council’s decision, backed by robust community opposition and critical input from the Metropolitan Police, exposes the deeply troubling implications of China’s expansionist diplomatic strategy.
London’s rejection is rooted in profound security concerns that go beyond mere bureaucratic hesitation. The Metropolitan Police explicitly warned that the proposed embassy would require significant policing resources, potentially drawing officers away from frontline duties to manage the inevitable protests and security challenges. Authorities highlighted the practical challenges, noting that even small protests could obstruct roads and create substantial community disruption.
More insidiously, the proposed embassy represents a potential hub for transnational repression. Activists like Jason Chao from Hong Kongers in Britain have raised alarm about China’s well-documented history of using advanced surveillance technologies to monitor and intimidate critics. The embassy’s proximity to vulnerable communities including Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, and pro-democracy activists transforms it from a diplomatic facility into a potential instrument of psychological warfare and systematic harassment.
The scale of the proposed embassy almost twice the size of China’s Washington mission suggests ambitions far beyond standard diplomatic representation. It signals an aggressive strategy to create a fortified base for monitoring and potentially controlling diaspora communities. The stringent security measures even surrounding the embassy’s planning exhibition, which involved recording visitors’ identification details, provide a chilling preview of the surveillance regime China seeks to establish.
What makes this rejection particularly significant is the context of the UK’s evolving relationship with China. Under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government, which has expressed interest in improving diplomatic and economic ties, the embassy proposal represents a critical test of Britain’s commitment to democratic values. The government’s decision to call for a national inquiry, with a hearing scheduled for February 2025, indicates the complexity of balancing diplomatic protocols with fundamental security concerns.
The Chinese government’s response reveals its characteristic blend of intimidation and diplomatic pressure. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy dramatically claimed that “host countries have an international duty to support and facilitate the construction of diplomatic mission premises,” implicitly threatening potential diplomatic retaliation. This statement betrays a fundamental misunderstanding or deliberate misrepresentation of diplomatic sovereignty and the right of democratic societies to protect their citizens.
International rights groups have been unequivocal in their opposition. Organisations like Free Tibet have characterized the proposed embassy as a “hub for China’s authoritarian agenda,” designed to target dissidents, monitor communities, and systematically undermine democratic values. The mounting opposition reflects a growing global awareness of China’s extraterritorial methods of political control and suppression.
The embassy controversy illuminates the broader mechanisms of the Chinese state’s global strategy of control. By establishing these expansive diplomatic compounds, China creates infrastructure not just for diplomatic communication, but for comprehensive surveillance and potential intimidation of diaspora communities. This approach is consistent with the Chinese Communist Party’s domestic practices of total information control and suppression of dissent. Within China itself, such diplomatic missions are mirrored by an increasingly sophisticated domestic surveillance state. The technologies and methodologies developed to monitor and control Chinese citizens are then exported globally, presenting a model of technological authoritarianism that threatens the fundamental principles of privacy and individual freedom.
The London council’s rejection, therefore, represents more than a local planning decision. It is a symbolic resistance against a global system of technological authoritarianism that seeks to normalize invasive surveillance, suppress diverse voices, and extend political control beyond national boundaries. By standing firm against this proposal, Tower Hamlets Council has sent a powerful message about the importance of protecting democratic spaces and resisting the normalization of authoritarian practices. As the United Kingdom prepares for the national inquiry, the world watches.
The decision will not just determine the fate of a single embassy, but will signal the international community’s willingness to confront and resist the expanding reach of China’s surveillance state. The battle over this embassy is, ultimately, a battle for the fundamental values of privacy, freedom, and democratic integrity in an increasingly interconnected world. The Chinese government may view this as merely a diplomatic setback. But for those who understand the deeper implications, it represents a crucial line of defense against a systematic approach to global political control that threatens the very foundations of individual liberty and democratic discourse.
Source: London Daily Digital
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