Huawei: China threatens to retaliate over US sanctions - BBC News

China has threatened to retaliate against US sanctions seen as an attempt to restrict international trade by the Chinese technology giant Huawei.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Beijing opposed countries imposing unilateral sanctions on Chinese companies and would take action.

The Trump administration on Wednesday effectively blocked Huawei products from being used in US networks.

The order does not name any company, but is believed to target Huawei.

Huawei denies its products pose a security threat and says it is ready to engage with the US.

• Huawei role in UK 'an unnecessary risk'
• The story of a controversial company

Beijing accused President Trump of engaging in industrial sabotage by using state security as "as a pretext for suppressing foreign business".

"We urge the US to stop this practice and instead create better conditions for business co-operation," Mr Lu said.

He did not give any details over how China planned to retaliate against the US sanctions.

What did the US sanctions order say?

According to a White House statement, Mr Trump's order aims to "protect America from foreign adversaries who are actively and increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology infrastructure and services".

It gives the secretary of commerce the power to "prohibit transactions posing an unacceptable risk to the national security", the statement adds.

The move was instantly welcomed by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, who called it "a significant step toward securing America's networks".

The US had already restricted federal agencies from using Huawei products and has encouraged allies to shun them, while Australia and New Zealand have both blocked the use of Huawei gear in 5G networks.

• The US cannot crush us, says Huawei boss

In April 2018 another Chinese tech company, ZTE, was barred from buying US parts after it was placed on the same "entity list". It resumed business after reaching a deal with the US in July.

How did Huawei respond?

Huawei has said its work does not pose any threats and that it is independent from the Chinese government.

"Restricting Huawei from doing business in the US will not make the US more secure or stronger," the company said in a statement.

"Instead, this will only serve to limit the US to inferior yet more expensive alternatives, leaving the US lagging behind in 5G deployment, and eventually harming the interests of US companies and consumers."

The company also said "unreasonable restrictions" on Huawei raised "other serious legal issues".

During a meeting in London on Tuesday, Huawei said it was "willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments" as concerns over the security of its products used in mobile networks continued to grow.

How have other countries responded?

UK Prime Minister Theresa May last month provisionally approved Huawei technology for use in the nation's future 5G telecoms networks, but a leaked account of the meeting said five cabinet ministers raised concerns about the move.

France, Germany and Belgium have not banned Huawei technology, but Japan has from public contracts.

The US has pressured allies to shun Huawei in their next generation 5G mobile networks.

The confrontation over Huawei comes amid a broader trade war between the US and China.

The US has raised tariffs to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese imports and is threatening to tax an additional $300 billion worth.

Stock markets have been hit by the row but have steadied in recent days amid hopes the two countries might hold talks.

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2019-05-16 14:00:19Z
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Bob Hawke has died: Former Australian prime minister who held drinking record dies at age 89; cause of death not released - CBS News

Bob Hawke, Australia's longest-serving Labor Party prime minister, whose charisma and powers of persuasion earned him near-folk hero status among many Australians, died on Thursday, his wife said. He was 89.

The former union leader dedicated much of his political career to trade union issues, and he was widely regarded as a man of his people. He had a down-to-earth attitude, a passion for sports and legendary status among beer lovers — for once drinking himself into the record books.

He won four terms as prime minister, serving from 1983 to 1991 before being ousted by his own center-left party when the economy soured. Only two other prime ministers served Australia longer, and both were members of the conservative Liberal Party.

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He had been actively supporting Labor's campaign for elections on Saturday after six years in opposition. He also said he doubted he would survive to see the Labor victory predicted in opinion polling.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten said Hawke had transformed Australian society and protected the environment, a reference to his government preventing the damming of a wild river in Tasmania state to generate electricity in a major environmental conflict in 1983. "We have lost a favorite son. Bob Hawke loved Australia and Australia loved Bob Hawke," Shorten said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Hawke had "defined the politics of his generation and beyond."

"Bob Hawke was a great Australian who led and served our country with passion, courage, and an intellectual horsepower that made our country stronger," Morrison said. Robert James Lee Hawke was born in the agricultural community of Bordertown, South Australia, to a Congregationalist minister father.

Bob Hawke toasts Hawke's Lager at the launch of Hawke's Lager at The Clock Hotel on April 6, 2017, in Sydney, Australia. Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

By the time he entered politics, Hawke had abandoned his religious upbringing and declared himself agnostic. His lifelong involvement with the labor movement began in 1958, when he joined the Australian Council of Trade Unions, first as a researcher and later as a union advocate.

After scoring several high-profile wins before the Arbitration Commission, Hawke rose through the ranks of the ACTU and was elected its president in 1969. Over the next decade, Hawke developed strong ties with both union representatives and their traditional rivals — employers and government agencies — winning him a reputation as an easy operator.

Negotiations over labor disputes were as likely to take place at the bar over copious beers as before the courts. His reputation as a tippler was cemented during his years as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University in England, where he earned a Guinness world record by downing 2 1/2 pints of beer in 11 seconds.

"This feat was to endear me to some of my fellow Australians more than anything else I ever achieved," Hawke wrote of the 1955 stunt in his autobiography. In 1980, Hawke publicly swore off alcohol and was elected to Parliament, immediately taking up a high-profile role as the opposition's spokesman for industrial relations, employment and youth.

Still, he never shook his booze-loving reputation, and in his later years, did little to discourage it. A January 2012 video of a then-82-year-old Hawke chugging a beer at a cricket match as cheering and laughing fans shouted, "One for the country, Robert!" exceeds a million hits on YouTube.

Bob Hawke skulls a beer at the SCG Australia vs India Jan 4 2012- 1 for the country by Glenn Brandon on YouTube

Not everyone loved him, of course. Some viewed him as arrogant, sexist, even obnoxious.

Hawke was notorious for his short temper and womanizing ways; he admitted to repeatedly cheating on his first wife, Hazel Masterson, during their 39-year marriage and married his biographer and mistress, Blanche d'Alpuget, shortly after their divorce. "Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian - many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era," d'Alpuget said in a statement.

Prime Minister Hawke and his treasurer, then successor, Paul Keating "modernized the Australian economy, paving the way for an unprecedented period of recession-free economic growth and job creation," she said. Australians embraced Hawke as a larrikin, an Aussie term for someone considered endearingly mischievous.

On the strength of his personality and growing popularity with voters, Hawke was elected prime minister on March 5, 1983, after less than three years in Parliament and only one month as leader of the Labor Party. He came to power preaching consensus and, through his intimate knowledge of both the trade union and business communities, was able to forge a wage accord that helped to minimize industrial disputes.

On the back of his success, Hawke called an early election and was again swept to power in 1984. Hawke broke a 1984 campaign promise and called early elections again in 1987, after the Senate twice rejected a government proposal to introduce a national identity card, which Labor said was necessary to crack down on tax evaders and welfare cheats.

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He was narrowly elected to a fourth term in 1990. But as Australia plunged into recession, Hawke's enormous popularity began to wane and his rule as prime minister finally ended on Dec. 20, 1991, when he was ousted by his own party.

He retired from Parliament the following year. Despite his background in the union movement, Hawke's approach to the economy was largely conservative.

In 1983, he oversaw the floating of Australia's currency and later set in motion the sale of several state-run industries — including airlines, banks and telecommunications companies — and curbed government subsidies to underperforming sectors. Like many Australians, Hawke was an avid sports fan, always ready to roll up his sleeves and place a bet.

In 1983, when Australia broke the United States' 132-year winning streak in the America's Cup yacht race, Hawke proclaimed the day a national holiday, famously saying, "Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum." D'Alpuge said she will hold a private funeral with his children Sue, Stephen, Rosslyn and stepson, Louis, and his grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held in Sydney in the coming weeks.

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2019-05-16 13:37:00Z
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Bob Hawke, former Australian prime minister, dead at 89 - CNN

Known affectionately as "Hawkie," Hawke was Australia's Prime Minister from 1983 to 1991, winning four elections and becoming the country's third longest-serving leader.

His wife, Blanche D'Alpuget, released a statement on Thursday describing her husband as "the greatest Australian of the post-war era."

"Bob Hawke and Paul Keating and their governments modernised the Australian economy, paving the way for an unprecedented period of recession-free economic growth and job creation," her statement said.

A Rhodes scholar who graduated from Oxford University in 1956, Hawke quickly rose through the ranks of Australia's trade union movement to become the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions in 1970, according to the Museum of Australian Democracy.

In 1983, after serving in parliament for just three years, he became Australia's Prime Minister in a landslide election victory.

That success revived Hawke's Labor Party, ushering in a sustained period of rule that lasted until 1996.

Hawke served as Prime Minister for almost nine of those 13 years, winning three more polls in the process and cementing his legacy as the party's longest-serving and most electorally successful leader.

In a political landscape that sees regular elections and frequent leadership contests, Hawke's longevity can be matched only by Liberal Prime Ministers Robert Menzies and John Howard.

But Hawke was as famous for his colorful character as his political achievements, his bouffant hair and cheeky sense of humor ensuring that he has endured in the country's affections long after his career came to a close.

He reportedly held the world record for skulling a yard of beer in the quickest time when he was a student at Oxford.

And when an Australian yacht won the America's Cup in September 1983, Hawke famously declared, "Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum" -- a comment that has forever been affectionately associated with the leader.

"Bob Hawke was a great Australian who led and served our country with passion, courage, and an intellectual horsepower that made our country stronger," the country's current Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

"He was true to his beliefs in the Labor tradition and defined the politics of his generation and beyond," Morrison added. "He had a unique ability to speak to all Australians and will be greatly missed."

Hawke was a major economic reformer who, alongside his then-treasurer Paul Keating, liberalized the Australian economy and made the landmark decision to float the Australian dollar.

He also brought in universal healthcare for all Australian citizens, establishing the Medicare system in 1984.

Hawke placed an emphasis on Aboriginal affairs during his years in office, and briefly re-entered the political fray in 2008 to witness a long-awaited apology to the Aboriginal community, made by then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, for years of mistreatment.

Keating, Hawke's right-hand man through nine years of economic reform, ultimately took his job as leader of the Labor Party in a 1991 coup.

But Hawke remained one of Australia's most popular Prime Ministers. He was regularly invited to quickly drink beers at major sporting events by attendees, invariably to huge cheers and applause.

In a statement, current opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten -- gearing up to contest an election on Saturday -- said that "the Australian people loved Bob Hawke because they knew Bob loved them."

"In Australian history, in Australian politics, there will always be B.H. and A.H: Before Hawke and After Hawke. After Hawke, we were a different country. A kinder, better, bigger and bolder country," he said.

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2019-05-16 11:51:00Z
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Bob Hawke, former Australian prime minister, dead at 89 - CNN

Known affectionately as "Hawkie," Hawke was Australia's prime minister from 1983 to 1991, winning four elections and becoming the country's third longest-serving leader.

His wife, Blanche D'Alpuget, released a statement on Thursday describing her husband as "the greatest Australian of the post-war era."

"Bob Hawke and Paul Keating and their governments modernised the Australian economy, paving the way for an unprecedented period of recession-free economic growth and job creation," her statement said.

A Rhodes scholar who graduated from Oxford University in 1956, Hawke quickly rose through the ranks of Australia's trade union movement to become the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions in 1970, according to the Museum of Australian Democracy.

In 1983, after only being in parliament for three years, he became Australia's prime minister and would go on to serve for almost nine years in the country's top job.

Famous for his bouffant hair and cheeky sense of humor, Hawke reportedly held the world record for skolling a yard of beer in the quickest time when he was a student at Oxford.

When an Australian yacht won the America's Cup in September 1983, Hawke famously declared, "Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum."

But he was also a major economic reformer who with his then-treasurer Paul Keating liberalized the Australian economy, floating the Australian dollar and brought in universal healthcare for all citizens.

In the end, it was Keating who took his job as leader of the Labor Party in 1991 coup.

But even after he left office, Hawke remained one of Australia's most popular prime ministers, regularly invited to quickly drink beers at major sporting events by attendees to cheers and applause.

In a statement, opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten said that "the Australian people loved Bob Hawke because they knew Bob loved them."

"In Australian history, in Australian politics, there will always be B.H. and A.H: Before Hawke and After Hawke. After Hawke, we were a different country. A kinder, better, bigger and bolder country," he said.

Developing story, more to come.

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2019-05-16 10:37:00Z
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Bob Hawke, former Australian prime minister, dead at 89 - CNN

Known affectionately as "Hawkie," Hawke was Australia's prime minister from 1983 to 1991, winning four elections and becoming the country's third longest-serving leader.

His wife, Blanche D'Alpuget, released a statement on Thursday describing her husband as "the greatest Australian of the post-war era."

"Bob Hawke and Paul Keating and their governments modernised the Australian economy, paving the way for an unprecedented period of recession-free economic growth and job creation," her statement said.

A Rhodes scholar who graduated from Oxford University in 1956, Hawke quickly rose through the ranks of Australia's trade union movement to become the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions in 1970, according to the Museum of Australian Democracy.

In 1983, after only being in parliament for three years, he became Australia's prime minister and would go on to serve for almost nine years in the country's top job.

Famous for his bouffant hair and cheeky sense of humor, Hawke reportedly held the world record for skolling a yard of beer in the quickest time when he was a student at Oxford.

When an Australian yacht won the America's Cup in September 1983, Hawke famously declared, "Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum."

But he was also a major economic reformer who with his then-treasurer Paul Keating liberalized the Australian economy, floating the Australian dollar and brought in universal healthcare for all citizens.

In the end, it was Keating who took his job as leader of the Labor Party in 1991 coup.

But even after he left office, Hawke remained one of Australia's most popular prime ministers, regularly invited to quickly drink beers at major sporting events by attendees to cheers and applause.

In a statement, opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten said that "the Australian people loved Bob Hawke because they knew Bob loved them."

"In Australian history, in Australian politics, there will always be B.H. and A.H: Before Hawke and After Hawke. After Hawke, we were a different country. A kinder, better, bigger and bolder country," he said.

Developing story, more to come.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/16/asia/bob-hawke-australia-prime-minister-intl/index.html

2019-05-16 10:01:00Z
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With a stroke of his pen, Trump worsens Europe's Huawei dilemma - CNN

On Wednesday, United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order escalating his administration's campaign against Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, raising pressure on allies to follow suit in banning the company from their 5G and other networks.

The US claims Huawei, one of China's most important companies, poses a spying risk to Western technology infrastructure. The latest move against the firm comes amid a worsening trade war between Beijing and Washington, after talks expected to bring a breakthrough fell apart, resulting in billions of dollars in further tariffs from both sides.

While some US allies -- notably Australia and New Zealand -- have followed Trump's lead on Huawei, others have been more reticent. Europe in particular is split over whether to ban the company, a market leader on 5G technology which is expected to be the lifeblood of the new economy.

The Huawei issue cuts to the heart of tensions between security and economic interests when it comes to China and Chinese influence. While many countries around the world share Washington's suspicion -- even hostility -- towards Beijing, they are unwilling to take the economic hit that openly standing apart from China would entail.

UK in chaos

Nowhere will Trump's order cause more chaos -- outside perhaps Huawei headquarters in Shenzhen -- than in the United Kingdom.

Earlier this month, British Prime Minister Theresa May fired her defense secretary, Gavin Williamson, after it was alleged he was the source of a news report that the UK was preparing to give Huawei access to parts of the country's 5G network.

May accused Williamson -- who had previously expressed "very deep concerns" about Huawei -- of leaking information from a meeting of the UK National Security Council, a claim he has "strenuously" denied. The council's discussions are normally strictly guarded and the publication of its discussions sparked an immediate furor in the UK.

The Huawei issue has exposed new tensions within May's Conservative Party, already riven over Brexit and shopping around for a new leader to takeover when the Prime Minster stands down in the wake of the UK eventually agreeing how to leave the European Union.

May and her allies are believed to favor limited involvement of Huawei in British network infrastructure, but not a full ban. This is based on the advice of GCHQ, the British intelligence agency responsible for communications surveillance, which has advised close monitoring of Huawei.

Others in the party strongly favor a complete ban, following Washington's lead. Last month, Tom Tugenhadt, Conservative chair of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, said in allowing Huawei to build parts of the country's 5G network "we will be nesting a dragon in the critical national infrastructure of the UK."

He accused May -- in ignoring US and Australian advice against Huawei -- of "putting in danger the 70 year intelligence sharing relationship that has underpinned the security of the UK is worth it, for Chinese commercial gain."

That sense of commercial gain is likely to come into sharp focus should the UK finally leave the EU. Brexit supporters have made it clear they hope better trade relations with China will help boost the British economy in the face of an unavoidable dip following a split with Europe.

Tugenhadt's committee is conducting an inquiry into "China and the international rules-based system." In the panel's most recent report, it said members "see considerable grounds for concern about Huawei's involvement in the UK's 5G infrastructure."

Bob Seely, another Conservative member of the committee, has argued that "Huawei -- by definition -- cannot be a trusted provider because it comes form a one-party state and is mandated to work with Chinese security services."

He has said he hopes Huawei will become an issue in the upcoming Tory leadership contest, and is one of several MPs within the party pressuring May to reverse her position.

The Chinese company has strenuously denied espionage claims, saying that agreeing to spy for Beijing would be equivalent to committing economy suicide.

Speaking during a visit to London this week, Huawei chairman Liang Hua said the company was "willing to sign a no-spy agreement with the UK government ... No spying, no back doors."

Germany uncertain

Another of Huawei's rotating chairmen, Ken Hu, is also in Europe this week. On Thursday, Hu will attend the annual Viva Tech conference in Paris, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.

France is believed to be on the fence about Huawei, but is less likely to issue a full ban than the UK. However, Macron has been encouraging other European leaders to take a stronger stance on China, and he may seek to use Trump's latest move against Huawei as a means to push this agenda.

Certainly, other European countries are more skeptical. The continent also plays host to two of Huawei's biggest competitors when it comes to 5G, Ericsson of Sweden and Nokia of Finland.

During a recent visit to the UK and Germany, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that allowing Huawei into those countries' telecoms infrastructure would make partnering with them "more difficult."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has so far refused to bow to US pressure to ban Huawei, however, even as opposition to its involvement is reportedly growing among some sectors of the German security state.

"Security, particularly when it comes to the expansion of the 5G network, but also elsewhere in the digital area, is a very important concern for the German government, so we are defining our standards for ourselves," Merkel said in March, according to Reuters.

She said the German government would discuss any concerns with European partners, "as well as the appropriate offices in the United States."

That pressure could see Merkel change her position, as she seeks European agreement on this issue. In an interview with the Guardian this week, she said that China, Russia and the US "are forcing us, time and again, to find common positions. That is often difficult given our different interests. But we do get this done."

Trump's latest salvo against Huawei, and indications that more could follow if relations with Beijing do not improve, could juice those discussions. But in a Europe already riven over Brexit and struggling to come up with a coherent strategy on China, it's not clear a consensus is actually on the cards.

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2019-05-16 08:54:00Z
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‘US will RETREAT’ - Iran issues CHILLING warning to Trump as tensions escalate - Express.co.uk

In an incendiary speech, Khamenei insisted the US will retreat from any further moves against the Islamic Republic due to the Iranian people’s resolve. Tensions between the two countries have been souring ever since Trump took office three years ago, especially since the US President withdrew from the nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic. Commenting on the current relations between the two countries, Khamenei said: “In this showdown America will be forced to retreat because our resolve is stronger.

“The definite decision of the Iranian nation is to resist against America.”

The Supreme Leader’s comments come as the UK’s Iranian ambassador, Hamid Baeidinejad, warned that Iranian forces would be “ready for any eventuality in the region”.

He added: “They should not try to test the determination of Iran to confront any escalation in the region.”

Amid the recent back and forth between the two countries, Trump has boldly stated he would send more troops to the region if necessary.

READ MORE: US-Iran crisis: B-52 bombers leave Qatar to 'send message' to Iran

Khamenei continued: “This face-off is not military because there is not going to be any war.

“Neither we nor the US seek war.

“They know it will not be in their interest.”

Recent reports have stated the US would consider sending almost 120,000 troops to the region to respond to any attack or escalation.

READ MORE: Iran nuclear deal: What will happen as Rouhani DITCHES nuclear deal?

Moreover, the State Department announced it would be evacuating all non-emergency staff from neighbouring Iraq and would closing the US Embassy in Baghdad.

In response to those rumours, Trump stated: “Hopefully we’re not going to have to plan for that.

“And if we did that, we’d send a hell of a lot more troops than that.”

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claimed Iran is not seeking conflict but “always defended” themselves.

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2019-05-16 06:24:00Z
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