China threatens response if US House Speaker meets Taiwan President - The Straits Times

BEIJING/WASHINGTON – China threatened to retaliate on Wednesday if US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen during her planned transit of the United States in May, saying any such move would be a “provocation”.

China, which claims democratically-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly warned US officials not to meet Ms Tsai, viewing it as support for the island’s desire to be seen as a separate country.

China staged war games around Taiwan in August 2022 when then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, and Taiwan’s armed forces have said they are keeping watch for any Chinese moves when Ms Tsai is abroad.

Ms Tsai is going to Guatemala and Belize, transiting through New York and Los Angeles on the way back. While not officially confirmed, she is expected to meet Mr McCarthy while in California.

Speaking in Beijing shortly before Ms Tsai left, Ms Zhu Fenglian, a spokesman of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said that Ms Tsai’s “transits” of the US were not just her waiting at the airport or hotel, but for her to meet US officials and lawmakers.

“If she contacts US House Speaker McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the one China principle, harms China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and destroys peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” she said.

“We firmly oppose this and will definitely take measures to resolutely fight back,” Ms Zhu added, without giving details.

Ms Tsai’s transits will come at a time when US relations with China are at what some analysts see as their worst level since Washington normalised ties with Beijing in 1979 and switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei.

Taiwan is China’s most sensitive territorial issue and a major bone of contention with Washington, which, like most countries, maintains only unofficial ties with Taipei.

However, the US government is required by US law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

No reason to overreact

The US says such transits by Taiwanese presidents are routine and that China should not use Ms Tsai’s trip to take any aggressive moves against Taiwan.

The US sees no reason for China to overreact to planned transits of the US this week and next month by Taiwan’s president, senior US officials said ahead of Ms Tsai’s departure.

A senior US official said that in her previous transits, Ms Tsai had engaged in a range of activities, including meetings with members of Congress, the Taiwanese diaspora and other groups.

“So, there is absolutely no reason for Beijing to use this upcoming transit as an excuse or a pretext to carry out aggressive or coercive activities aimed at Taiwan,” the official said.

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2023-03-29 11:52:06Z
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Eu Yan Sang ordered to recall Brown Rice Si Shen powder due to excess toxin, chemical presence - CNA

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has directed traditional Chinese medicine maker Eu Yan Sang Singapore to recall two batches of its Brown Rice Si Shen powder, after detecting aflatoxin and arsenic elements beyond permissible levels.

The affected batches have the numbers 120 and 121, with respective expiry dates of May 13, 2024 and May 17, 2024, according to an SFA release on Wednesday (Mar 29).

The agency said it detected the aflatoxin B1 carcinogen and arsenic chemical in samples of the powder product, at levels exceeding the maximum limit stated in Singapore's food regulations.

Long-term intake of aflatoxins can cause cancer and liver damage, while long-term intake of arsenic can cause cancer and skin changes.

“Exposure through food, especially those meant for young children, should be kept as low as possible,” SFA said.

Consumers who bought the implicated products are advised not to feed it to their children, it added.

Those whose children have consumed the products, and who have concerns about their children’s health, should seek medical advice.

Consumers may also contact their point of purchase for enquiries, said SFA.

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2023-03-29 11:01:13Z
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Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen defiant after China threatens retaliation for US trip - CNA

TAOYUAN: External pressure will not stop Taiwan engaging with the world, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday (Mar 29) as she left for the United States, hitting a defiant note after China threatened retaliation if she met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

China on Wednesday threatened to retaliate if McCarthy meets Tsai, saying that any such move would be a "provocation".

China, which claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly warned US officials not to meet Tsai, viewing it as support for the island's desire to be seen as a separate country.

China staged war games around Taiwan last August when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, and Taiwan's armed forces have said that they are keeping watch for any Chinese moves when Tsai is abroad.

Tsai is going to Guatemala and Belize, transiting through New York first and Los Angeles on the way back.

While not officially confirmed, she is expected to meet McCarthy while in California, at the end of her trip.

That would be the first meeting on US soil between a House Speaker and a Taiwanese leader, and the prospect has angered Beijing.

"External pressure will not hinder our determination to go to the world," Tsai said at Taiwan's main international airport at Taoyuan.

"We are calm and confident, will neither yield nor provoke. Taiwan will firmly walk on the road of freedom and democracy and go into the world. Although this road is rough, Taiwan is not alone."

Speaking in Beijing shortly before Tsai left, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, told reporters in Beijing that Tsai's "transits" of the United States were not just her waiting at the airport or hotel, but for her to meet US officials and lawmakers.

"If she has contact with US House Speaker McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the 'One China' principle, harms China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and destroys peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," she said.

"We firmly oppose this and will definitely take measures to resolutely fight back," Zhu added, without giving details.

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2023-03-29 04:05:00Z
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Mahathir gives PM Anwar 7 days to retract 'slanderous' claims or face legal action - The Straits Times

Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad has demanded that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim retract “slanderous” claims that he had enriched himself and his family while in power.

If Datuk Seri Anwar fails to respond within seven days to the letter of demand dated March 27, Tun Dr Mahathir said he will proceed with legal action.

“These are terrible accusations and give a very bad impression of me. It is slander, unless he can show proof that I have billions of ringgit, I channelled money overseas and I don’t pay taxes,” he told the Malaysian media on Tuesday.

In a speech at his Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s congress on March 18, Mr Anwar had alluded to someone “who had been in power for 22 years and (later) an additional 22 months” using his position to enrich his family and himself.

While Mr Anwar did not mention Dr Mahathir by name, he also said the person was complaining about Malays losing their dominance only after he was no longer in power.

Dr Mahathir demanded on Monday that the Prime Minister back his claim.

On Tuesday, he said it was clear that Mr Anwar was referring to no other former premier but him because “I was in power for 22 years and 22 months”.

Dr Mahathir, 97, served as premier twice – from 1981 to 2003, and from 2018 to 2020 – and resigned both times. He lost his parliamentary seat of Langkawi in the 2022 General Election.

“Although I have heard similar remarks which he made in the past, but at that time he was not prime minister. Now he is prime minister, and prime ministers have the responsibility to not simply make such accusations without any clear proof,” Dr Mahathir added.

He also said he will continue to be politically active as he believes the people still need his experience, adding that he could not say no if people sought him out for advice.

“For the love of the country... if someone comes and asks me for help, I could not say ‘I am sorry I cannot help because I want to rest’. I still have ideas and (if asked) I’m ready to share,” he said.

Dr Mahathir and Mr Anwar used to have a close relationship, with the former calling Mr Anwar his friend and protege.

He anointed Mr Anwar his successor, but later, amid disagreements over how to handle the Asian financial crisis in 1998, he said Mr Anwar was unfit to lead “because of his character”.

Between his stints as deputy prime minister in the 1990s and as official prime minister-in-waiting in 2018, Mr Anwar spent nearly a decade in jail for sodomy and corruption – charges that he said were politically motivated.

After decades of enmity, the two buried the hatchet briefly in 2018 to oust the then ruling Barisan Nasional coalition – only to fall out again within two years, ending their 22-month-old Pakatan Harapan government and plunging Malaysia into a period of instability.

The last election, on Nov 19, left the country in political limbo after no coalition gained enough seats to form a government.

Mr Anwar and rival Muhyiddin Yassin, whose coalitions had the two largest blocs in Parliament but no simple majority needed to form the government, raced against each other to become premier.

The situation was resolved only when Mr Anwar gained the backing of the Umno-led Barisan Nasional to form a unity government.

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2023-03-28 12:30:53Z
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Senior citizen in Johor dies after eating pufferfish - The Straits Times

KLUANG, Johor - A senior citizen from Johor has died after eating pufferfish, while her husband is now hospitalised in the intensive care unit (ICU).

According to Johor health and unity committee chairman Ling Tian Soon, the 83-year-old woman and her husband, 84, from the village of Chamek, ordered the fish, known in Malay as ikan buntal, through social media.

The couple received the fish on Saturday morning, Mr Ling said.

Chinese newspaper Sin Chew Daily reported that the couple ordered the fish from a fishmonger through Facebook.

“They cleaned and cooked the fish for lunch and around 3pm, the woman started shivering and having breathing difficulties,” Mr Ling told The Star on Tuesday. “About an hour later, her husband began displaying similar symptoms.”

Mr Ling said the couple’s son rushed his parents to Hospital Enche’ Hajjah Kalsom’s emergency unit for treatment.

“The woman was pronounced dead at around 7pm while her husband is still in the ICU,” he added.

It is understood that this was the couple’s first time eating pufferfish.

Mr Ling added that the fish they ordered came from a fisherman from the coastal Johor town of Mersing and was processed by a distributor in Batu Pahat.

He said that the seller is also from Batu Pahat and had sold the fish online, adding that 15kg of the fish was sold to four customers in Chamek and the nearby district of Paloh. Another fish was sold to a customer in the town of Yong Peng on the same day.

“Besides the couple, the other customers have yet to consume the fish but the Health Department has obtained samples of the fish from the seller for analysis.

“The public are advised to be careful about what they consume, especially when it comes to food with known risks,” he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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2023-03-28 09:44:17Z
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Russian plan for nukes in Belarus raises questions - CNA

HOW AND WHERE

As often with nuclear policy, few details of the Russian plans have been made public, leaving many unanswered questions.

For instance, it is unclear how the weapons would be delivered if the order to use them in anger ever came.

Putin said that "10 (Belarusian) planes are ready for this type of weapon to be used" and that Russia has also sent a nuclear-capable Iskander missile system.

Moscow will start training crews on Apr 3 and plans to finish the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons by Jul 1.

"So far there is no sign of this construction work. It seems relatively unlikely that it can be completed in three months," said Marc Finaud, deputy president of the France-based Initiatives for Nuclear Disarmament (IDN).

"We can be confident that all the world's spy satellites are scanning Belarus" to see how far Putin's announcements are reflected in reality, he added.

Independent Russian expert Pavel Podvig said: "It is very unlikely - in my view impossible - that actual nuclear weapons will be moved to Belarus."

WHICH PUTIN TO BELIEVE?

While Putin has been dangling the threat of nuclear war, Russia's doctrine for the use of nuclear weapons has not changed.

And the post-invasion rhetoric goes against previous promises by Moscow.

In January 2022 Russia signed a declaration alongside the other permanent members of the UN Security Council that "a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought".

Although global politics has since undergone an epochal shift, Putin struck a similar note last week during the visit to Moscow by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who has refrained from publically supporting the invasion.

"There can be no winners in a nuclear war, and it must never be unleashed," the two said in the joint declaration.

Former diplomat Finaud noted that the Chinese and Russian leaders also pledged that "no nuclear weapon should be stationed on foreign soil".

Putin is "violating Russia's own constantly stated position", he added.

PROLIFERATION

As often when Putin raises the rhetorical temperature, Western governments sought to project calm.

"We have not seen any indication that he (Putin) has made good on this pledge or moved any nuclear weapons around," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Sunday.

"For now it's just an announcement. There's no immediate danger of nuclear use," Finaud agreed - while warning that any movement of warheads risks falling foul of human error, hijacking or accidents.

There is also a clear downside for Putin in making nuclear threats too often.

"All of the huffing and puffing about nuclear weapons drives up demand for deterrence in NATO countries, too," Lewis said.

"That's largely why you see Sweden and Finland seeking security through NATO membership".

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) on Monday recalled that so-called "tactical" weapons can reach an explosive force of up to 100 kilotonnes - compared with just 16 for the bomb that "destroyed Hiroshima and killed 140,000 people" in August 1945.

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2023-03-27 14:12:00Z
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Mahathir says Malays 'lost everything' after he resigned as PM - CNA

Dr Mahathir on Monday demanded that Mr Anwar furnish the proof of his allegations.

“Making accusations is easy. But accusations that are not clearly proven, cannot be accepted as true. It is slander,” he said.

Dr Mahathir also accused the current government under Mr Anwar of rejecting the country’s Constitution after a pro-Malay gathering was called off. 

A Malay rights event had been set to take place on Mar 19 in Kuala Lumpur, with Dr Mahathir in attendance as the guest of honour. It was cancelled after two venues withdrew their permission for the event.  

Dr Mahathir on Monday said that he had participated in the event - organised by a group called Sekretariat Tanah Air - to make the Malays in the country aware of their problems by launching the “Malay Proclamation”. 

He also claimed that the content of the planned event complied with the provisions of the constitutions of the country and that of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). 

He added that obstruction of the launch meant that the government rejected both the country and UMNO’s constitutions.

“UMNO did not object. UMNO no longer adheres to the goals of its establishment. That is why other factions need to be held to protect the rights of Malays and other Bumiputeras.

“When the Government prevents other parties from launching this proclamation, it betrays the promise in the National Constitution. That is why the Malays should be concerned about the government led by Anwar Ibrahim,” said Dr Mahathir.

He had previously criticised the government when the event was first called off, claiming that the current administration was a “dictatorship” that does not “allow the people to voice their opinions or criticise it”. 

Free Malaysia Today reported then that Dr Mahathir said that he had no proof but was convinced that Mr Anwar was behind the cancellation as “nothing like this can be done without his consent or directive”. 

Before the cancellation of the event, Mr Anwar had ordered security forces to be on alert against those fanning racial and religious flames in the country. 

“Any effort by anyone who tries to … heat up the racial or religious temperature in this country will not be allowed,” Mr Anwar told a press conference after a Cabinet meeting on Mar 17. 

In the 15th General Elections last year, Dr Mahathir failed to defend his Langkawi seat, losing his deposit after finishing fourth in a five-cornered fight. 

It was his first electoral defeat in 53 years.

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2023-03-27 07:55:00Z
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