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  • World University Rankings 2024: 5 universities from China among top 10 in Asia

    World University Rankings 2024: 5 universities from China among top 10 in Asia

    Five universities from China have secured spots among top ten in Asia, as per The Times Higher Education’s (THE) World University Rankings 2024.

    In the world’s top 100, seven are from China.

    The rankings also underscore the significant rise of universities within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

    The top 10 universities in Asia are –

    1. Tsinghua University, China

    Established in 1911, Tsinghua University, located in northwest Beijing, offers 51 undergraduate programs and over 200 postgraduate degrees. It ranks in the top 20 globally and maintains top 40 positions in all 11 of THE’s subject rankings.

    2. Peking University, China

    Founded at the end of the 19th century, Peking University is China’s first modern national university. It is renowned for its programs in physical sciences and engineering and houses the largest university library in Asia with 11 million books and resources.

    3. National University of Singapore

    The National University of Singapore, the country’s oldest and largest institution, excels in research and innovation. It ranks in the global top 20, with notable strengths in engineering, technology, law, and computer science. Its distinguished alumni include four Singaporean prime ministers and presidents, and two Malaysian prime ministers.

    3. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

    Nanyang Technological University, a research-intensive institution with three campuses in Singapore, stands out in the Asia University Rankings for its excellence in engineering, technology, and computer science.

    5. The University of Tokyo, Japan

    Japan’s highest-ranking university, The University of Tokyo, has climbed three positions to enter the top five in Asia. Established in 1877 as Japan’s first national university, it offers a wide range of academic courses and features a unique structure that begins with a liberal arts program followed by specialised studies.

    6. University of Hong Kong

    In the University of Hong Kong (HKU) English is the primary language of instruction. The faculties include Architecture, Arts, Business and Economics (HKU Business School), Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine (Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine), Science, and Social Sciences.

    HKU hosts over 5,000 international students from 90 countries and regions, offering numerous opportunities for studying abroad.

    7. Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

    Shanghai Jiao Tong University offers over 60 undergraduate programs across nine major disciplines, including economics, law, literature, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, management, and arts. It has more than 16,000 undergraduates and over 280,000 postgraduates, including over 6,000 doctoral candidates in approximately 200 programs. The university also features 11 state laboratories and national engineering research centers.

    8. Fudan University, China

    Founded in 1905 Fudan University in Shanghai, offers 70 undergraduate degree programmes across the arts, humanities and sciences, and prides itself on having an international outlook. A number of its courses are taught in English and the institution boasts global connections and exchange programmes with almost 200 overseas universities.

    9. Zhejiang University, China

    Located in Hangzhou – one of China’s most picturesque cities – Zhejiang University is organised across seven faculties and 36 schools. It is home to 3,500 full-time academic members of staff and around 45,000 student. ZJU is also renowned for the number of business start-ups it gives rise to.

    10. Chinese University of Hong Kong

    Founded in 1963, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a forward-looking comprehensive research university with a global vision and a mission to combine tradition with modernity and to bring together China and the West. Home to over 70 diverse nationalities, CUHK is proud to represent some of the world’s most promising students and professionals.

  • Philippines says China Coast Guard rules a provocation

    Philippines says China Coast Guard rules a provocation

    Reuters : Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Friday that China’s rules about how its Coast Guard can operate in the South China Sea were a matter of international concern, describing them as a provocation.

    China, which has maritime sovereignty disputes with the Philippines and other claimant countries in the South China Sea, has issued new rules that would enforce a 2021 law explicitly allowing its Coast Guard to fire on foreign vessels.

    “Such behaviour is not only a violation of UNCLOS, but also a violation of precepts the UN charter which lays upon each responsible state the duty to refrain from the use of force or aggression to enforce, particularly in this case, illegal territorial claims in the maritime domain,” Teodoro said in a speech at the Philippine Navy’s anniversary.

    “That is a provocation insofar as I am concerned,” he added.

    The Philippines and China have had several maritime run-ins in the South China Sea in the past few months that included the use of water cannon by Chinese coast guard vessels that damaged Manila’s boats and injured crew members.

    Responding to concerns, the Chinese foreign ministry has said this week the new rules were meant to protect the maritime order, and that there was no need to worry if there was no illegal behaviour by the individuals and bodies involved.

  • New Taiwanese president calls on China to stop its threats

    New Taiwanese president calls on China to stop its threats

    Taiwan President Lai Ching-te asked China on Monday to stop its military and political threats, saying in his inauguration speech that peace is the only choice and that Beijing had to respect the choice of the Taiwanese people.

    Lai, addressing the crowd outside the Japanese-colonial-era presidential office in central Taipei, repeated a call for talks with China, which views the proudly democratic island as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Beijing’s control.

    “I also want to urge China to stop intimidating Taiwan politically and militarily, and to take on the global responsibility with Taiwan to work hard on maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the region, to ensure the world is without the fear of war breaking out,” he said. “We also want to declare this to the world: Taiwan makes no concessions on democracy and freedom. Peace is the only option and prosperity is our goal for long-term peace and stability.”

    There was no immediate reaction from China, which repeatedly called Lai a “separatist” risking war in the run-up to his election in January.

    Taiwan has faced pressure from China, including regular air force and navy activities near the island, since the election victory by Lai, 64, who is widely known by his English name, William.

    Lai, who took over from Tsai Ing-wen having served as her vice president for the past four years, said people must be realistic about the threat and Taiwan must show its determination to defend itself.

    “Fellow citizens, we have the ideal to pursue peace, but we must not have illusions,” he said. “Before China gives up using force to invade Taiwan, citizens must understand this: Even if we accept all of China’s claims and give up our sovereignty, China’s ambition to annex Taiwan will not disappear.”

    Lai received loud applause after reiterating that the Republic of China – Taiwan’s formal name – and the People’s Republic of China are “not subordinate to each other”, a line Tsai also took.

    Taiwan’s defence ministry, in its daily report on Monday about Chinese military activities in the previous 24 hours, said six Chinese aircraft had crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line, which previously served as an unofficial boundary but that China says it does not recognise.

    At least one of the aircraft got within 43 nautical miles (80 km) of the northern Taiwanese port city of Keelung, according to a map provided by the ministry.

    In attendance at the ceremony are former US officials dispatched by President Joe Biden, lawmakers from countries including Japan, Germany and Canada, and leaders from some of the 12 countries that still maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, such as Paraguay President Santiago Pena.

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai, saying the United States looked forward to working with him “to advance our shared interests and values, deepen our longstanding unofficial relationship, and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.

    FIGHTER JETS AND SING-ALONGS

    Taiwanese fighter jets flew in formation over Taipei after Lai’s speech.

    At the end of the ceremony, Lai and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, formerly Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the United States, led the crowd in a sing-along to pop songs as they danced onstage with the other performers.

    Lai wore a purple tie, representing a butterfly native to Taiwan, and a yellow pin on his lapel of mustard flowers, a common plant in fields across the island.

    He received seals symbolising his presidential power from the parliament speaker, including the seal of Republic of China and the seal of honour, both brought to Taiwan after the Republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong’s Communists.

    Late Sunday, widely read state-backed Chinese newspaper the Global Times said Lai could become “more and more provocative” once he takes office.

    “So in the long term, the state of cross-straits relations will not be optimistic,” it said in an online commentary.

    Lai’s domestic challenges loom large too, given his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its parliamentary majority in the January election.

    On Friday, lawmakers punched, shoved and screamed at each other in a bitter dispute over parliamentary reforms the opposition is pushing. There could be more fighting on Tuesday when lawmakers resume their discussions.

  • Incoming Taiwan president Lai to pledge steady approach to relationship with China

    Incoming Taiwan president Lai to pledge steady approach to relationship with China

    TAIPEI, May 18 (Reuters) – Taiwan’s next president, Lai Ching-te, will pledge to secure stability by maintaining the status quo in the island’s relationship with China in his inauguration speech on Monday, an incoming senior security official said.

    Lai, who succeeds President Tsai Ing-wen after having been her vice president for the past four years, will have to deal with a China that has ramped up pressure – including almost daily military incursions near its airspace – on democratic Taiwan to accept its sovereignty, a claim strongly rejected by Taipei.

    Lai, 64, has repeatedly offered to hold talks with China but has been rebuffed by Beijing, which has not renounced using force to bring Taiwan under its control. Lai and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) say only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.

    “We will talk about our stable and steady approach, continuing the fundamentals laid down by President Tsai,” the incoming official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told a briefing in Taipei.

    “We will make sure that Taiwan plays an indispensable role in the global economy and geopolitics while maintaining the status quo and working with all parties to ensure the status quo will not be eroded.”

    The official said, however, the new government will face a “more difficult and complex” reality at home and abroad because China has staged “more provocative” military incursions that have alarmed Taiwan on a daily basis and launched influence campaigns to split public opinion in Taiwan.

    “We will continue to make it clear to the international society that it is the other side which keeps destroying international order and ruining the opportunities for cross-strait exchanges,” the person said.

    China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, which this week said “Taiwan region’s new leader” had to make a clear choice between peaceful development or confrontation, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

    In the run-up to Lai’s election victory in January, Beijing repeatedly denounced him as a supporter of formal independence for Taiwan, framing the vote as a choice between war and peace.

    China says any move by Taiwan to declare formal independence would be grounds to attack the island. The government in Taipei says Taiwan is already an independent country, the Republic of China, and that it does not plan to change that. The Republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communists.
    In the days leading up to Lai’s inauguration, China has escalated its daily military activities, including staging mock attacks on foreign vessels near Taiwan, sources have previously told Reuters.

    The incoming official said Lai will pledge to further modernise Taiwan’s defence and continue programmes to manufacture its own military aircraft and ships.

    “Our goal is to make sure a conflict will never happen,” the official said.
    Lai, widely known by his English name William, also faces a big domestic challenge given the DPP lost its parliamentary majority in the January election.

    Lawmakers fought with each other in chaotic scenes in parliament on Friday as the two main opposition parties pressed ahead with controversial reforms to the chamber, including making false statements in the legislature a criminal offence.

    Lai, writing on Facebook in the early hours of Saturday, called for “rational” debate so harmony can be restored and a consensus obtained.

  • Putin in trade push on final day of China trip

    Putin in trade push on final day of China trip

    Russian leader Vladimir Putin was in the northeastern city of Harbin on Friday, the final day of a visit aiming to promote crucial trade with China and win greater support for his war effort in Ukraine.

    Putin arrived Thursday on his first trip abroad since his March re-election, meeting President Xi Jinping for talks in which the leaders framed their nations’ ties as a stabilising force in a chaotic world.

    China and Russia’s strategic partnership has only grown closer since the invasion of Ukraine, and Beijing has rebuffed Western claims that it is aiding Moscow’s war effort.

    China has also offered a critical lifeline to Russia’s isolated economy, with trade booming since the invasion and hitting $240 billion in 2023, according to Chinese customs figures.

    Putin’s trip to Harbin is part of efforts to enhance that economic relationship.

    Lying just a few hundred kilometres from the border with Russia, the city has long served as a key hub for cross-border trade and cultural exchange.

    The Russian president will attend the opening ceremony of a Russia-China trade expo on Friday, Moscow’s state news agency TASS reported, and will be accompanied by Han Zheng, China’s vice president.

    Putin will hold a press conference with Russian media later in the day.

    Western criticism

    The Russian leader’s arrival came hours after he hailed his country’s troops for advancing on “all fronts” on the battlefield in Ukraine, following a major new ground assault.

    Western countries have meanwhile been mounting pressure on China to cut off support for Russia’s economy.

    After Washington vowed to go after financial institutions that facilitate Moscow, Chinese exports to Russia dipped in March and April, down from a surge early in the year.

    In a statement to the media following talks with Putin, Xi said the two sides agreed on the need for a “political solution” to resolving the war.

    The two men later ditched their ties for a less formal meeting over tea at the palatial Zhongnanhai leadership compound.

    China’s state broadcaster aired footage of Xi embracing Putin following their talks, which saw the Chinese leader express support for an “international peace conference recognized by Russia and Ukraine”.

    There are no indications Moscow and Kyiv are prepared to engage in direct talks, which Ukraine says would only be used by Russia to buy time to prepare for a new assault.

    Hours after Xi and Putin met, US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said that China couldn’t “have its cake and eat it too” with regard to the West and Moscow.

    “It can’t have it both ways and want to have (better) relationships with Europe and other countries while simultaneously continuing to fuel the biggest threat to European security in a long time,” Patel said, referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

  • Kyrgyzstan Secures Chinese Investment in Renewable Energy, Forges Stronger Economic Bonds

    Kyrgyzstan Secures Chinese Investment in Renewable Energy, Forges Stronger Economic Bonds

    BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, March 3. In a significant stride towards bolstering economic ties and fostering sustainable development, Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Akylbek Japarov, has successfully garnered support from Chinese banks and businesses for investment in renewable energy projects across Kyrgyzstan. The move comes after productive meetings held in Kashgar, where Japarov engaged with leaders from various Chinese companies and financial institutions, highlighting the burgeoning political rapport between Kyrgyzstan and Chinese regions, paving the way for robust economic collaboration.

    Renewable Energy and Economic Progress
    During the discussions, Japarov emphasized the pivotal role of renewable energy in Kyrgyzstan’s economic development strategy, urging Chinese investors to participate in the construction of hydroelectric, solar, and wind power stations. These projects aim to bolster Kyrgyzstan’s renewable energy sector, fostering energy independence and sustainability while presenting lucrative opportunities for Chinese stakeholders. The investment is poised to stimulate economic growth and job creation, underscoring Kyrgyzstan’s commitment to green energy initiatives.

    Fortifying Trade Relations
    In tandem with renewable energy endeavors, Japarov convened with executives from a leading agricultural processing and export company based in the Kyrgyz autonomous region of Kyzyl-Suu, situated in western Xinjiang. Discussions centered on expanding bilateral trade by exporting environmentally friendly agricultural products from Kyrgyzstan to China. This collaborative effort seeks to capitalize on the supply of high-quality, sustainable agricultural goods, further enhancing economic cooperation between the two nations.

    Strategic Alliance
    The outreach to Chinese banks and businesses underscores Kyrgyzstan’s strategic imperative to deepen economic relations with China while advancing renewable energy capabilities. This partnership is poised to propel Kyrgyzstan towards sustainable development and energy autonomy, positioning the nation as a regional leader in green initiatives. For China, investment in Kyrgyzstan’s renewable energy sector aligns with the Belt and Road Initiative, bolstering its influence in Central Asia and fostering economic integration.

    A New Chapter in Bilateral Relations
    The discussions in Kashgar mark a watershed moment in Kyrgyzstan-China relations, symbolizing a shared commitment to mutual prosperity and environmental stewardship. As Kyrgyzstan embarks on its journey towards sustainable growth, the collaboration with Chinese enterprises promises to usher in a new era of economic resilience and ecological sustainability. With both nations poised to reap the rewards of this strategic alliance, the future holds promising prospects for enhanced cooperation and shared prosperity.

  • The US needs India to buffer China, and Modi knows it

    The US needs India to buffer China, and Modi knows it

    Hal Brands; Bloomberg

    The killing of a Sikh separatist in Canada in June, allegedly by agents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Indian government, has opened a rift between one of America’s closest allies and one of its most vital geopolitical partners. It has also illustrated an unavoidable irony of President Joe Biden’s foreign policy.

    Biden aims to bolster a threatened global order by hastening India’s rise. As India rises, however, it will act in ways that sometimes challenge the very order Washington must defend. And if Biden’s team believes, as Asia policy czar Kurt Campbell has said, that the US and India have “the most important bilateral relationship on the planet,” then Washington will probably tolerate a lot of bad behavior to keep that relationship intact.

    The geopolitical case for US-India cooperation is unimpeachable. Way back in 1904, British polymath Sir Halford Mackinder explained why.

    Thanks to the modernisation of both technology and tyranny, he wrote, there was a growing possibility that aggressive powers would dominate Eurasia and control its unmatched resources. So the era’s liberal hegemon, Great Britain, must cultivate “bridge heads” on the edges of the supercontinent — Korea, France and India — so it could keep the world in balance by keeping Eurasia divided.

    Today, large swaths of Eurasia are ruled by US enemies — a prickly, bellicose China; a vengeful, violent Russia; an expansionist Iran. India, an increasingly prosperous country of 1.4 billion people, may be the key to holding the balance — and particularly to denying China a free hand on land as it also expands at sea.

    India is no less critical as a global manufacturing hub, a contributor to resilient technological supply chains, and a diplomatic leader of the developing world. This is why Biden has so prioritised strengthening US-India relations by hosting Modi for a state visit in Washington, helping make the recent G-20 meeting a showcase for Modi’s leadership, and pursuing deeper cooperation across the board.

    Yet Biden doesn’t view India as a prospective military ally; he isn’t counting on New Delhi to rush to America’s assistance in a war with China over Taiwan. The idea is simply that America and India share a vital interest in keeping Beijing from dominating Asia and, perhaps, the world. So the US helps itself by helping India develop economically, mature militarily, and otherwise put its power athwart China’s path to primacy.

    It’s not all upside. A US president who initially talked about a great clash between autocracy and democracy has taken a very muted approach to discussing the infringement of human rights, civil liberties and political freedoms in Modi’s India — or the incendiary Hindu nationalism in which his government traffics.

    Likewise, India hasn’t done much to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. In fact, it has benefitted greatly from the war, which allows it to obtain Russian oil at discount rates. And if indeed Modi’s men killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June, his government is emulating the transnational repression associated with harder-edged autocracies like China, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

    The trouble with tying oneself to quasi-illiberal governments is that they tend to do the very things Washington deems corrosive to the liberal order. Indeed, if India is an indispensable partner, it remains deeply ambivalent about the system Biden means to preserve.

    India opposes Chinese hegemony, but that doesn’t mean it loves American might. New Delhi wants a multipolar system, in which India stands among the great powers, rather than a unipolar system in which Washington and its allies tower above the rest. And as India’s influence grows, it will demand great-power prerogatives — including, perhaps, the right to trample the sovereignty of other democracies by targeting domestic enemies on their soil.

    Right now, Modi’s government believes New Delhi holds all the cards. Indian officials have privately said they just don’t believe Washington will do anything to spoil the relationship, given how desperately America needs support against Beijing. They’re probably right.

    This dilemma will govern Biden’s response to Nijjar’s murder. When Russian agents poisoned one of Putin’s enemies on British soil in 2018, there was a coordinated Western response featuring mass expulsions of Russian diplomats. Canada isn’t going to get a similar level of solidarity.

    To be sure, the US is helping: American intelligence reportedly helped establish India’s complicity. But the US also reportedly asked the Canadian government to slow-roll its public accusation — even as Biden raised the issue with New Delhi behind closed doors — to avoid ruining Modi’s star turn at the G-20. Expect the Biden administration to privately tell New Delhi that this sort of extraterritorial repression is unacceptable — and to try hard to avoid any further public spat. Whether Modi listens is another matter.

    A deteriorating global situation makes the US increasingly dependent on imperfect partners that are wont to do unpleasant, even brutal things. There is no answer to Chinese power without a more assertive India — and no avoiding the fact that Washington won’t always like what such an India does.

    Hal Brands is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and the Henry Kissinger Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

  • Climate change displacement: ‘One of the defining challenges’

    Climate change displacement: ‘One of the defining challenges’

    By Edna Mohamed

    Climate-induced catastrophes have devastating global effects, from intense heatwaves to heavy rainfall.

    In 2023, record-breaking heatwaves hit much of continental Europe and resulted in wildfires and flash floods that took lives.

    In China, typhoons have forced school closures and evacuations. Meanwhile, in South Asia, rising temperatures and longer monsoon seasons are increasing cases of mosquito-borne dengue fever.

    Last week, the United Nations published a new report on climate change and found that countries agreeing to fight global warming by signing the Paris accord had only made limited progress.

    The 2015 Paris Agreement is a legally binding treaty to limit the global temperature increase this century to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius. Experts have warned past that level, the problems arising from widespread flooding, droughts and heatwaves could become unmanageable.

    As weather patterns continue to become more volatile, the prospect of climate-induced migration is increasingly becoming a core issue.

    According to the UN, extreme weather events, including heavy rainfall and droughts, have already caused “an average of more than 20 million people to leave their homes and move to other areas in their countries each year”.

    Here’s everything you need to know about climate-induced migration:

    How much of an issue is climate displacement?

    Climate-induced migration is a movement pattern caused by the effects of climate-related disasters, including droughts leading to a food and farming crisis.

    Ezekiel Simperingham, global lead on migration and displacement for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), told Al Jazeera: “Climate-related migration and displacement is becoming one of the defining challenges that we are seeing as a humanitarian network. We’re not just seeing it in one region … we’re seeing it across different regions. We’re seeing it manifest in very different ways.”

    According to Climate Refugees, an organisation documenting the growing threat of climate displacement, climate change can exist as a “threat multiplier”.

    “Exacerbating existing risks and creating new ones like food and water insecurity and competition over resources, which contributes to conflict and compound displacement,” it said.

    For those who fled conflict and seek refuge in a new country, climate change will direly affect an already displaced population.

    Eujin Byun, a spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told Al Jazeera western and central Africa, which suffer from frequent flooding, are also dealing with continuing conflict.

    “So its not just one factor pushing this vulnerable displaced population, but it’s also that very complex dynamic that they have to keep moving around,” Byun said.

    Climate-induced displacement vs ‘climate refugees’

    While many climate-displaced peoples are also fleeing conflict, climate organisations are wary of referring to them as climate refugees and find the phrase limiting.

    In international refugee law, the term “climate refugee” does not exist, and that type of migration does not qualify for protection under the 1951 Refugee Convention.

    Wildfires burn in the village of Sykorrahi, near Alexandroupolis town, in the northeastern Evros region, Greece [File: Achilleas Chiras/AP]
    Wildfires burn in the village of Sykorrahi, near Alexandroupolis town, in the northeastern Evros region, Greece [File: Achilleas Chiras/AP]

    Under the UN convention, a refugee is defined as a person who “owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of [their] nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to … return to it”.

    Byun explained that referring to a person as a climate refugee limits the complex situation because the term would mean that a person fled strictly because of a climate event and not from other issues affecting the country.

    “I think part of the reason why people are grappling with the terminology, and I think part of the reason why we try and have a more expansive approach is because we’re also seeing that people are moving in very different ways because of climate change,” Simperingham added.

    Sanjula Weerasinghe, coordinator of migration and displacement at the IFRC, also told Al Jazeera that only some people are moving in the same way that refugees do, and more often than not they’re making decisions based on various factors.

    “Some of it will be related to climate, but some of it may be related to the governance around where they live. Some of it relates to their livelihoods, which may be impacted by climate, but preexisting conditions and how they were able to or unable to earn an income,” Weerasinghe said.

    “To just highlight the climate as the key reason why is not entirely accurate.”

    Where are people moving to?

    According to the Migration Data Portal, in 2022 about 8.7 million people in “88 countries and territories were living in internal displacement as a result of disasters”.

    The top five countries with the highest levels of internally displaced people (IDPs) were Pakistan, the Philippines, China, India and Nigeria because of weather-related issues such as floods and storms.

    Byun said there are two displaced populations: those internally displaced and those who left for neighbouring countries.

    “They [people affected by climate change] don’t really want to cross the Mediterranean because they still have their farm to keep, they still have property back in their country,” she said.

    So narratives of a “flood of refugees” coming to the Global North are not the reality and are not helpful in understanding climate migration, Simperingham added.

    Cars are submerged in a flooded area in the aftermath of Storm Daniel in Megala Kalyvia, Greece [Giannis Floulis/Reuters]
    Cars are submerged in a flooded area in the aftermath of Storm Daniel in Megala Kalyvia, Greece [Giannis Floulis/Reuters]

    What can be done?

    As climate-induced migration becomes one of the defining humanitarian struggles worldwide, the UN has said the world must invest in preparedness to “prevent further climate-caused displacement”.

    The UN has also created a Refugee Environmental Protection Fund to invest in reforestation and clean cooking programmes in climate-vulnerable areas.

    Simperingham explained one of the opportunities related to climate migration is that efforts can start before people have moved to address their humanitarian needs.

    “What I mean is better understanding the communities, the parts of the world that are at the highest risks of the impact of climate, especially where they are intersecting with other risks and vulnerabilities”, he said.

    But, some argue there needs to be more discussion on solutions from the global community.

    “What can be done to stop that same situation happening again? What are the options for people to move within their country and sustain their resilience and wellbeing? So that’s an area – and that’s an agenda that needs a lot of attention,” Weerasinghe said.

    SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

  • Fukushima: China’s anger at Japan is fuelled by disinformation

    Fukushima: China’s anger at Japan is fuelled by disinformation

    By Derek Cai
    BBC News, Singapore

    Rocks thrown at schools, threats of a boycott and hundreds of hostile phone calls – these are just some of the ways Chinese people have shown their displeasure with Japan in recent weeks.

    The catalyst? Japan’s release of treated waste water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.

    Scientists largely agree that the impact will be negligible, but China has strongly protested the release.

    And disinformation has only fuelled fear and suspicion in China.

    A report by a UK-based data analysis company called Logically, which aims to fight misinformation, claims that since January, the Chinese government and state media have been running a coordinated disinformation campaign targeting the release of the waste water.

    As part of this, mainstream news outlets in China have continually questioned the science behind the nuclear waste water discharge.

    The rhetoric has only increased since the water was released on 24 August, stoking public anger.

    In recent days, a rock was thrown at a Japanese children’s school in Qingdao, while another school in Shandong had several eggs hurled into its compound. A brick was also thrown at the Japanese embassy in Beijing this week.

    While there have been no reports of Japanese nationals in China being hurt, or companies being damaged, Tokyo has demanded that Beijing ensures the safety of its citizens.

    Japan’s foreign ministry even warned its citizens in China to be cautious and to avoid speaking Japanese loudly in public.

    “China always protects the safety and legitimate rights and interests of foreigners in China, in accordance with law,” China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in response to the demand, insisting that Beijing has considered the “so-called concerns of the Japanese side”.

    Logically’s data also showed that, since the beginning of the year, state-owned media have run paid ads on Facebook and Instagram, without disclaimers, about the risks of the waste water release in multiple countries and languages, including English, German, and Khmer.

    “It is quite evident that this is politically motivated,” Hamsini Hariharan, a China expert at Logically, told the BBC. She added that misleading content from sources related to the Chinese government had intensified the public outcry.

    What are the concerns over Fukushima water release?

    “This isn’t about food safety, China itself has had a lot of scandals regarding food safety. The Chinese narrative has often been positioning itself as an ‘alternate leader’ in the world order, and that the US and its allies propagate an unequal world order,” she noted.

    Dozens of posts on Chinese social media Weibo showed panicked crowds buying giant sacks of salt ahead of the Fukushima water release. Some worried that future supply would be contaminated. Others believed – falsely – that salt protected them against radiation.

    A restaurant in Shanghai, in an apparent effort to profit off the hysteria, advertised “anti-radiation” meals with errant claims of reducing skin damage and cell regeneration. A social media user asked wryly, “Why would I pay 28 yuan for tomato with seasoning?”

    Still others online have criticised the Fukushima discharge itself. They also mocked Japan’s campaign to prove the safety of its seafood, which includes a video of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida eating what he called “delicious” raw fish.

    Some compared notes about which Japanese cosmetic products to avoid. One user posted a screenshot of her returning products from Shiseido, Japan’s leading cosmetic brand. “Don’t buy, don’t buy, return them all!” she said.

    In response, a Shiseido spokesman said the company does not use seawater in its cosmetics.

    The anger has also reached Japan’s shores. Local businesses from Tokyo to Fukushima have complained about receiving a flurry of abusive phone calls from numbers with Chinese dialling codes since last Thursday.

    What happened at Fukushima 12 years ago?

    Japan’s economy is also expected to take a hit. As soon as the water was discharged, China – Japan’s biggest buyer of seafood – banned all aquatic imports from the country.

    Mr Kishida responded with a rescue package to help Japan’s fish industry, including measures to increase domestic consumption and find new overseas markets.

    Tokyo also hinted this week that it may file a complaint with the World Trade Organization over the ban. Japanese media also reported that Mr Kishida has asked Toshihiro Nikai, widely seen as the most pro-China lawmaker in his governing Liberal Democratic Party, to visit China to resolve the issue.

    Relations between Beijing and Tokyo have been bitter since Japan’s invasion of China in the early 1900s. More recent developments have not helped either, as an assertive Beijing clashes with US allies in the region, including Japan.

    In 2012, swarms of violent protesters across China targeted Japanese businesses over a maritime territorial dispute between the two countries.

    This month, to Beijing’s ire, Japan released a joint statement with the US and South Korea, denouncing what they called China’s “dangerous and aggressive behaviour” in the region.

    China’s anger over the Fukushima water release has persisted despite approval by the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

    In July, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved Japan’s plan – announced two years ago, provoking uproar across Asia – concluding that the impact on people and the environment would be negligible.

    Over the next 30 years, some 1.34 million tonnes of treated water – enough to fill 500 Olympic-size pools – will be released into the Pacific. It has accumulated since the 2011 tsunami destroyed the Fukushima plant, causing a nuclear meltdown.

    But Beijing called the plan reckless and accused Tokyo of treating the sea like its “private sewer”.

    The Japanese public too has been divided over the issue. And other neighbours have also voiced concerns, including Hong Kong and South Korea who have imposed a ban on seafood from the waters around Fukushima. There have been protests in Seoul but the government has said it backs the discharge, and has sought to debunk fake claims that have gone viral on social media.

    Meanwhile, opinions are also split in the scientific community. Some said the level of radiation is too low to pose any danger, but others have said more studies need to be done.

    Additional reporting by Kelly Ng

  • Indian PM rejects Pakistan, China’s objections on G20 meets

    Indian PM rejects Pakistan, China’s objections on G20 meets

    New Delhi:  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday rejected Pakistan and China’s objections on holding G20 meetings in Jammu and Kashmir. In an interview to PTI, the prime minister said it is natural to hold meets in every part of the country.

    “Such a question would be valid if we had refrained from conducting meetings in those venues. Ours is such a vast, beautiful and diverse nation. When G20 meetings are happening, isn’t it natural that meetings will be held in every part of our country”, he said.

    In his interview to the news agency, PM Modi spoke on wide range of issues including G20 summit, terrorism, India’s economic growth, ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ model etc. Here are the 5 big takeaways from the prime minister’s interview.

    1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on India’s presidency at the G20, linking it to its efforts in fighting the pandemic, human-centric development approach and vaccination drive. “Looking at India’s experience, it was recognised that a human-centric approach works even during a crisis. India’s response to the pandemic through a clear and coordinated approach, direct assistance to the most vulnerable using technology, coming up with vaccines and running the world’s largest vaccine drive, and sharing medicines and vaccines with nearly 150 countries – were noted and well appreciated”, he said.

    “By the time India became the president of G20, our words and vision for the world were not being taken merely as ideas but as a roadmap for the future”, Modi added.

    2. PM Modi spoke of debt crisis as a matter of great concern for the world.

    “The debt crisis is indeed a matter of great concern for the world, especially developing countries. Citizens from different countries are keenly following the decisions being taken by governments in this regard. There are some appreciable results too”, he said,

    “First, countries that are going through debt crisis or have gone through it, have begun to give greater importance to financial discipline. Second, others who have seen some countries facing tough times due to the debt crisis are conscious of avoiding the same missteps,” Modi said.

    3. PM Modi also called for reforms in the United Nations, saying a mid-20th century approach cannot serve the world in the 21st century. “Today’s world is a multipolar world where institutions are extremely important for a rules-based order that is fair and sensitive to all concerns. However, institutions can retain relevance only when they change with the times”, the prime minister said.

    4. Prime Minister Modi said India will become a developed nation by 2047, while hitting out at the previous UPA government for ‘not having faith’ in India’s abilities. “Unfortunately, in the past, there used to be an attitude of getting things done right here in Delhi, in and around Vigyan Bhavan. Perhaps because it was an easy way out. Or perhaps because those in power lacked confidence in the people of different parts of the country to successfully execute plans of such scale”, he said.

    5. During the interview, PM Modi spoke of terrorism and how it was using technology to radicalise and capitalise on emerging digital avenues like dark net, metaverse and crypto platforms. “Cyber terrorism, online radicalisation, use of networked platforms to move funds from money laundering to drugs and terrorism – are just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.

    6. On Ukraine war, PM Modi called for “Dialogue” and “diplomacy” the only way to resolve different conflicts in different regions.

    7. The prime minister spoke about India’s skilled hands and his government’s ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ model. “For a long time, India was perceived as a nation of over one billion hungry stomachs. But now, India is being seen as a nation of over one billion aspirational minds, more than two billion skilled hands, and hundreds of millions of young people,” Modi said. “The Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas model that has shown the way in India can also be a guiding principle for the welfare of the world”, the prime minister added.

    8. The prime minister took a veiled jibe at the populist measures by some state governments in the country. “Populism may give political results in the short term but will extract a great social and economic price in the long term. Those who suffer the consequences the most are often the poorest and the most vulnerable,” he said.

    9. The PM said corruption, casteism and communalism will have no place in India’s national life. “The quality of life of our people will be on par with the best countries of the world. Most importantly, we will achieve all of this while caring for both nature and culture,” Modi said.

    10. Modi credited a decisive mandate to his government, which according to him led to “a stable government, predictable policies and clarity in the overall direction”.