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Tag: China

  • China Asks Singapore To “Respect” Its Position On South China Sea Ruling

    China Asks Singapore To “Respect” Its Position On South China Sea Ruling

    The Chinese government has asked Singapore to “respect” China’s position on the outcome of a recent ruling by an international tribunal and the consensus it has reached with Asean.

    In a statement on Friday (Aug 5), the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hua Chunying said China had made its position on the issue “very clearly”.

    “The related ruling is illegal, invalid and has no binding force,” she said.

    “China hopes that Singapore…can maintain an objective and fair position as the coordinator of China and Asean dialogue relations, so as to advance Sino-Singapore relations and healthy and stable China-Asean ties.”

    Ms Hua was responding to queries from Chinese media regarding Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s comments at a reception hosted by the United States Chamber of Commerce and US-Asean Business Council in Washington on Tuesday, Singapore time. The Chinese media had reported PM Lee’s comments.

    PM Lee had said that he did not think China has changed its policy on its claims in the South China Sea after the ruling on July 12 by an international tribunal.

    He said very few countries would “walk back” from the positions that they have taken to say “well, it’s not quite so absolute and it wasn’t so clearly mine after all”.

    But PM Lee said he did not think that any of the claimants , which include China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, would want to “push it to the brink.”

    “They have interests, they have claims, they would want to maintain them, but nobody wants to go to war,” he had told US officials and business leaders.

    A recent international tribunal has ruled that China’s claims to a number of reefs and features in the Spratly island chain in the South China Sea has no legal basis, in a case brought by the Philippines.

    The 10-member Asean put out a joint communique that referred to maritime disputes after a meeting of its foreign ministers in Vientiane, Laos last month.

    The communique did not specifically mention the tribunal’s ruling. But it stated, in its second paragraph, that the ministers reaffirm their commitment to maintaining regional peace and stability “as well as to the peaceful resolution of disputes, including full respect for legal and diplomatic processes… in accordance with the universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)”. The tribunal was held under the auspices of Unclos.

    Ms Hua on Friday said Asean had also clearly stated its position saying that it, as a collective entity, did not hold a position on the tribunal ruling in the recently concluded Asean foreign minister’s meeting.

    The ministers’ joint communique, however, did not state explicitly that Asean did not hold a position on the ruling.

    Asean and China had separately in Vientiane issued a joint statement on the “full and effective” implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed in 2002.

     

    Source: The Straits Times

  • Osman Sulaiman: Train Defects Saga Shows Limits Of Local Mainstream Media, Lack Of Government Accountability & Transparency

    Osman Sulaiman: Train Defects Saga Shows Limits Of Local Mainstream Media, Lack Of Government Accountability & Transparency

    Most of us would have heard the news about our SMRT trains being exported back to China because of ‘superficial’ hairline cracks.

    Apparently, LTA says that it is of no concern. It tried to downplay the defect. It also mentioned that repair of the trains will take about 7 years and later on clarified that it will take between 3-7 years.

    Interestingly, the news was first reported by foreign media and not by our mainstream media who is supposed to be the citizens first point ofinformation.

    Either they (journalists) are incompetent to sniff out such infos or someone in charge is holding back information to cover up this mess.

    Instead of taking those responsible over these purchases and do a full inquiry, it has decided to keep the matter unknown to the public and hush up these activities (train defects) in an attempt to cover up.

    As these issues involves the life of millions of commuters, it is important that the public is informed of such matters. Afterall, Singaporeans have a stake in the transport system and billions of public funds were used to purchase these trains.

    Our government is never known for its transparency. Where the late LKY would have taken out to dry those responsible over major mishaps, the current leadership has developed a system of shielding those who are responsible.

    Without transparency and a functioning media, we are at the mercy of those who are in position to manipulate the people for its own benefit.

     

    Source: Khan Osman Sulaiman

  • Buruh Cina Peluk Islam Selepas Kagum Tingkah Laku Imam, Penduduk

    Buruh Cina Peluk Islam Selepas Kagum Tingkah Laku Imam, Penduduk

    JEDDAH, Selasa – Sembilan buruh rakyat China membuat keputusan memeluk Islam selepas kagum dengan tingkah laku baik ditunjukkan seorang imam sebuah masjid serta penduduk setempat di sini, ketika mereka berdepan masalah.

    Imam berkenaan, Dr Walid Ajaji berkata, penduduk setempat menjumpai pekerja China berkenaan tidur beralaskan kotak berhampiran masjid itu.

    Beliau bersama penduduk kemudian menyediakan tempat tinggal yang lebih selesa di taman masjid berkenaan selain menguruskan makan minum mereka.

    Sebagai bukan Islam, buruh warga China itu pada mulanya takut. Mereka menyangka umat Islam akan melayan mereka dengan buruk, tetapi jauh daripada sangkaan itu, mereka sebaliknya dilayan dengan begitu baik.

    Dr Walid juga berusaha menghubungi Kedutaan China bagi menguruskan kepulangan pekerja berkenaan ke negara mereka dengan selamat.

    Katanya, warga China terbabit meninggalkan syarikat tempat mereka bekerja kerana tidak dibayar gaji sejak sembilan bulan lalu dan mereka dilayan dengan buruk.

    “Perbuatan itu jelas sekali memberi gambaran buruk mengenai negara ini dan rakyatnya,” katanya.

    Bagaimanapun, tanggapan itu berubah apabila Dr Walid dan penduduk Islam setempat memberi bantuan kepada mereka.

    Beliau berkata, pekerja China berkenaan juga memahami maksud sebenar Islam dan perwatakan seorang muslim apabila melihat kebaikan penduduk dan mereka akhirnya menerima Islam.

    Seorang pekerja berkenaan berkata, mereka akan pulang ke China dengan identiti baru seorang Islam.

    “Kami akan meninggalkan negara ini tak lama lagi, tetapi akan membawa bersama kami agama baru serta kenangan indah terhadap kebaikan penduduk di sini yang memberi layanan yang baik sertakan menunjukkan cahaya agama baru ini,” katanya.

     

    Source: www.ismaweb.net

  • China Larang Puasa Semasa Ramadan Di Kawasan Ramai Muslim

    China Larang Puasa Semasa Ramadan Di Kawasan Ramai Muslim

    Para pegawai China dikatakan melarang kakitangan awam, para pelajar dan kanak-kanak di wilayah Xinjiang yang ramai penganut Islam daripada berpuasa semasa bulan Ramadan.

    Demikian menurut lelaman web pemerintah sempena permulaan Ramadan di sana hari ini (6 Jun).

    Parti Komunis yang juga parti memerintah negara itu sudah bertahun-tahun melarang kakitangan pemerintah dan anak-anak kecil daripada berpuasa di Xinjiang, tempat tinggal kepada lebih 10 juta penduduk yang kebanyakannya adalah muslim.

    Mereka merupakan kaum minoriti Islam daripada kaum Uighur.

    Ia juga memerintahkan beberapa restoran untuk kekal dibuka.

    Pertempuran sering berlaku di wilayah tersebut, antara puak Uighur dengan pasukan keselamatan negara itu.

    Beijing sering menyalahkan pihak militan Uighur di atas kejadian-kejadian serangan di Xinjiang dan di wilayah-wilayah lain di China.

    Pihak pemberontak muslim dikatakan mahu wilayah yang kaya dengan sumber itu berpecah dari pemerintah pusat.

    “Anggota parti, anggota kader, kakitangan awam, para pelajar dan anak-anak kecil tidak boleh berpuasa semasa Ramadan dan tidak terlibat dalam aktiviti agama,” demikian menurut sebuah notis yang dimuatnaikkan Khamis lalu (2 Jun) di laman web rasmi kota Korla di tengah Xinjiang.

    “Semasa bulan Ramadan, perniagaan makanan dan minuman tidak boleh ditutup,” tambah notis tersebut.

    Satu laman web yang dikendalikan biro pendidikan kawasan Shuimogou di wilayah Urumqi memuatnaik satu notis Isnin lalu (30 Mei) yang menyatakan “para pelajar dan guru dari semua sekolah dilarang memasuki masjid bagi aktiviti keagamaan” semasa Ramadan.

    Di bandar Altay yang terletak di utara China, para pegawai juga setuju untuk “lebih berhubungan dengan para ibu bapa” demi melarang berpuasa semasa bulan Ramadan, menurut satu laman web Agama Etnik China.

    China sering mengawal ketat kumpulan-kumpulan agama, tetapi sering juga mendakwa ia memberi para penduduknya kebebasan untuk mengamalkan kepercayaan masing-masing.

    Source: Berita MediaCorp

  • China Businesses Taps Onto Global Halal Market, But Confused Over What Halal Really Means

    China Businesses Taps Onto Global Halal Market, But Confused Over What Halal Really Means

    QINGTONGXIA — The wine-swilling co-founder of Sai Wai Xiang Halal Foodstuff Co enjoys his pork and does not follow Islam, but still sells more than US$50 million (S$67.4 million) worth of food to Muslims across Asia and the Middle East.

    The company is at the forefront of a Chinese drive into the global halal food and beverage market, exporting as far away as Saudi Arabia.

    Businessman Deng Zhijun bills his wares as “products with Muslim ethnic flavour”, but has difficulty recalling some of Islam’s basic dietary tenets.

    “Muslims definitely don’t smoke and don’t drink alcohol,’ he said over a lunch at the company, in a garden lined with caged peacocks, macaws and chickens. “There’s also some kind of meat they don’t eat, but I forgot.”

    His half-knowledge is typical of China’s complicated relationship with Islam, which officially has more than 23 million adherents in the country. Some independent estimates put it as high as 50 million — which would put China among the world’s top 10 Muslim nations.

    Beijing’s officially atheist Communist authorities oscillate between tight restrictions and more liberal policies that are enforced unevenly.

    Mr Deng’s company is based in Ningxia, a western region a third of whose six million population are Hui. The group are a separate minority under Beijing’s classification policies even though most are essentially from the Han ethnic majority, differentiated only by being Muslims.

    Violence in Xinjiang, the homeland of the other main Muslim minority, the Uighurs, has killed hundreds, with Beijing attributing it to Islamic extremism and foreign influence, while activists blame draconian restrictions on religion and culture.

    In a promotional video playing at Sai Wai Xiang’s factory — set up 14 years ago — a table of happy Chinese diners clink glasses of beer before tucking into their meal.

    “Drinking red wine is very good for the body and has health benefits, just like eating halal food,” said Mr Deng, who recalled a recent trip to Bordeaux and said he often finishes a bottle of the local Ningxia vintages with dinner.

    PORK SAUSAGES

    The global halal food and beverage market is projected to grow to US$1.6 trillion by 2018, according to a report from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, up from US$1.1 trillion in 2013.

    Mr Deng and other company executives pointed to President Xi Jinping’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative that aims to boost trade with a host of countries across South Asia and the Middle East, and he expects a windfall of incentives for halal food.

    But there are concerns over how strictly halal standards are followed in China.

    Last year, hundred of Muslims took to the streets in Xi’an to protest the sale of alcohol in halal restaurants. In Qinghai province a crowd destroyed a bakery after pork sausages and ham were found in its delivery trucks.

    Such fears have an impact in potential export markets, and food safety scares are common in China, from gutter oil to milk powder.

    The integrity of Chinese halal food was “questionable”, Dr Miriam Abdul Latif, a professor of food science and a halal expert at the Malaysian University of Sabah, told AFP, citing examples of “fake halal documents or certificates”.

    To build consumer trust, Dr Latif said, Chinese companies should have their products inspected by certification bodies from Muslim countries.

    SECURITY STRATEGY

    But the issue goes to the heart — or perhaps the stomach — of the relationship between religion and the state.

    China’s current halal certification system is a patchwork of local regulations, with varying strictness. Mosques technically have the right to inspect nearby facilities, but ultimate power rests with local government Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureaux.

    At a high-level national political meeting in Beijing last month, Mr Ma Guoquan, a delegate from Ningxia, called for a single national standard for halal food, and improved enforcement.

    “There are many problems regarding halal food management that can’t be ignored,” Mr Ma said, according to the Ningxia Daily newspaper.

    But some say national laws would be anathema to the ruling party’s official atheism.

    “This kind of legislation would be contrary to the principle of secularism,” Mr Xi Wuyi, a Marxism expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences wrote on China’s Twitter-like Weibo in March. “It could threaten China’s national security strategy.”

    At the same time some Muslims complain over too much government interference in their religion.

    Away from the high-level politics of policing halal food, many of the faithful in Ningxia rely on personal relationships to guarantee quality.

    “I know the meat I buy is halal because I know the butcher, I see him frequently at the mosque for prayer,” said rural resident Na Liang. “I know the baker, I know the family that runs the noodle shop and I know all the food I eat is halal.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com