Tag: china

Tech firm ASML probes info leak in China

  The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | Key Dutch semiconductor tech supplier ASML said Wednesday it was probing the embezzlement of confidential information about protected technology by a former employee in China. ASML, which is one of the world’s leading makers of machines that help make microchips, however added that the leak was “not material” to its business. “ASML recently discovered misappropriation of confidential information by a (now) former employee in China relating to its […]

US seeks to deflate Chinese balloon worries

  Washington, United States | AFP | by Sebastian Smith The White House sought Tuesday to take the air out of an escalating diplomatic crisis with Beijing, saying that preliminary evidence suggests three unidentified aerial objects shot down by US jets were not involved in a broader Chinese spy balloon program. The United States has been in a state of alarm since a huge white balloon from China was spotted tracking over a series of […]

Oops — US jet pilot misses mystery object with first missile

Washington, United States | AFP | It was more “oops” than “Top Gun” when a US fighter pilot roared up to fire a nearly half-million-dollar Sidewinder missile at a mysterious unarmed object in the sky over Lake Huron — and missed. US officials admit the would-be ace needed a second shot with one of the air-to-air missiles, which cost at least $400,000 a pop, when engaging the unidentified aerial object from an F-16 fighter Sunday […]

Philippines’ Marcos summons Chinese envoy over laser incident at sea

Manila, Philippines | AFP | Tuesday 2/14/2023 Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos summoned Beijing’s ambassador Tuesday to express “serious concern” after a Chinese security vessel was accused of using a military-grade laser light against a Philippine patrol boat in the disputed South China Sea. The confrontation marks an escalation in the diplomatic row, after the Philippine foreign ministry earlier filed a protest to the Chinese embassy condemning the “aggressive” actions of the Chinese coastguard vessel that […]

US not flying any balloons over China: White House

Washington, United States | AFP | Monday 2/13/2023 The White House on Monday denied Beijing’s accusation that the United States has been sending balloons over China to conduct surveillance, as tensions about espionage rise between the two superpowers. “Any claim that the US government operates surveillance balloons over the PRC is false,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said on Twitter. “It is China that has a high-altitude surveillance balloon program for intelligence collection, that […]

China accuses US of sending balloons into its airspace

Beijing, China | AFP | Monday 2/13/2023 by Ludovic EHRET China on Monday accused the United States of flying balloons over its territory, hitting back against Washington’s claims that Beijing has been operating a fleet of surveillance aircraft around the world. Washington strenuously denied Beijing’s charges as “false” and insisted it was China alone that has surreptitiously flown spy balloons, as tensions ramped up between the two superpowers. The downing of an alleged Chinese airship […]

Philippine coast guard accuses Chinese ship of using ‘laser light’

MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — The Philippine Coast Guard on Monday accused a Chinese coastguard vessel of shining a “military-grade laser light” at one of its boats in the disputed South China Sea, temporarily blinding crew members. The incident happened on February 6 nearly 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, where Philippine marines are stationed, the coast guard said in a statement. It was the latest episode in a series […]

Indonesian domestic worker wins compensation for abuse in Hong Kong

  Hong Kong, China | AFP | by Holmes CHAN with Irwanda SAPUTRA in Padang An Indonesian woman who was beaten and burned by her former Hong Kong employers was awarded more than $110,000 in damages on Friday. The abuse meted out to Kartika Puspitasari, 40, made headlines a decade ago and sparked calls for better protections for the army of women who come to the city to cook, clean and care for its children and […]

Philippines’ Marcos strikes defense, infrastructure deals in Tokyo

  Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos hailed new defence and other deals signed with Japan in Tokyo on Thursday, as the nations seek to deepen ties, including on security in response to growing Chinese military pressure. The countries agreed on measures to speed up military deployments for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. They also signed several other deals, ranging from infrastructure loans to cooperation on agriculture and technology. “After our meeting, I can confidently say that […]

China’s Alibaba joins global chatbot race

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said Thursday it was working on a rival to ChatGPT, joining a flurry of global tech firms rushing to match the popular AI-powered chatbot. ChatGPT has sparked a gold rush in artificial intelligence technology, with Microsoft, Google and China’s Baidu all working to develop chatbots that can mimic human speech. The service, created by San Francisco company OpenAI, has caused a sensation for its ability to write […]

Biden says US ‘not looking for conflict’ with China

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the United States is “not looking for conflict” with China despite tensions over the shooting down of what US officials say was a Chinese spy balloon. “We’re going to compete fully with China, but… we’re not looking for conflict — and that’s been the case so far,” he said in an interview with the PBS network. Biden’s comments apparently sought to defuse tensions over […]

Deepfake ‘news anchors’ in pro-China footage: research

Washington, United States | AFP | The “news broadcasters” appear stunningly real, but they are AI-generated deepfakes in first-of-their-kind propaganda videos that a research report published Tuesday attributed to Chinese state-aligned actors. The fake anchors — for a fictious news outlet called Wolf News — were created by artificial intelligence software and appeared in footage on social media that seemed to promote the interests of the Chinese Communist Party, US-based research firm Graphika said in […]