Chinese state media on Wednesday (May 27) reported that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) will let domestic and foreign airlines apply for "green channels" for chartered flights to airports in the mainland.
The countries given the green light are Singapore, Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland, said the media reports.
According to a CAAC notice, flight operators can apply to the air regulator at the provincial level to run passenger charter flights.
South Korea was the first country to establish this "green channel" with China earlier this month. Certain South Korean business travellers were allowed to enter 10 regions, including Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing, after undergoing minimal health screening and quarantine.
More than 200 South Korean workers were the first batch to return on May 10 to Tianjin to resume work at Samsung's subsidiaries, mostly in electronics.
Singapore government officials have been in talks with their Chinese counterparts to re-establish some essential reciprocal travel. An announcement can be expected soon.
It is also in discussions with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea to re-establish essential cross-border trips.
On Wednesday, CAAC deputy director Li Jian said the authorities will consider increasing the number of international flights to meet market demand, while keeping the coronavirus in check.
China shut its borders to foreigners, including those with valid work permits, at the end of March in a bid to curb the virus from being imported into the country.
It also slashed the number of flights, allowing each airline to fly one route into and out of China once a week.
Since then, Singapore Airlines has been operating a direct weekly flight from Singapore to Shanghai, while Silkair has been flying to and from Chongqing once a week.
Mr Li said the maximum number of flights allowed have since been capped at 134 a week, reported China News.
But that number will be increased to 407 a week from June 1. The actual number may be smaller, depending on demand for the routes, he said.
Meanwhile, the US last week accused China of blocking its carriers from resuming flights to China. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have submitted applications to the CAAC to resume flights in June, but have yet to receive approval.
HONG KONG: Hong Kong riot police fired pepper pellets to disperse protesters in the heart of the global financial centre on Wednesday (May 27), as new national security laws proposed by Beijing revived anti-government demonstrations.
Police also surrounded the Legislative Council where a Bill was due to be debated that would criminalise disrespect of the Chinese anthem, amid soaring tensions over perceived threats to the semi-autonomous city's freedoms.
People of all ages took to the streets, some dressed in black, some wearing office clothes, and some hiding their identities with open umbrellas in scenes reminiscent of the unrest that shook the city last year.
"Although you’re afraid inside your heart, you need to speak out," said Chang, 29, a clerk and protester dressed in black with a helmet respirator and goggles in her backpack.
A call to gather around the Legislative Council was scrapped due to a heavy presence of riot police.
Protesters gathered in the Causeway Bay and Central districts, leading to enforcement action, the Hong Kong police said in a statement on Facebook.
About 180 people were arrested after ignoring warnings from authorities against unauthorised assembly, they added.
Traffic in the Central district was disrupted by protesters occupying roads, the police said.
Police earlier said they had arrested at least 16 people aged between 14 and 40, for alleged crimes including possession of offensive weapons, possession of tools for illegal use and dangerous driving.
Many shops, bank branches and office buildings closed early. Dozens of people were seen rounded up by riot police and made to sit on a sidewalk.
Protests have returned to the streets of Hong Kong after Beijing proposed national security laws aimed at tackling secession, subversion and terrorist activities. The planned laws could see Chinese intelligence agencies set up bases in the semi-autonomous city.
The move triggered the first big street unrest in Hong Kong in months on Sunday, with police firing tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters.
Ahead of protests, authorities erected a two-metre wall made of plastic barriers filled with water around the Legislative Council, extending across a park up to Victoria Harbour.
Hong Kong riot police try to clear away people gathered in the Central district of downtown Hong Kong on May 27, 2020. (Photo: AFP/ANTHONY WALLACE)
In other parts of the city, protesters used bins and debris to block roads, while activists issued calls online for demonstrations in various locations later in the day.
Protesters in a downtown shopping mall chanted "Liberate Hong Kong! Revolution of our times" and "Hong Kong independence, the only way out", but dispersed as lookouts shouted a warning to "go shopping!" at the sight of police vans outside.
One protester was seen with a placard reading "one country, two systems is a lie", referring to the political system put in place at Britain's 1997 handover of the city to China that is meant to guarantee Hong Kong's freedoms until at least 2047.
"I’m scared ... if you don’t come out today, you’ll never be able to come out. This is legislation that directly affects us," said Ryan Tsang, a hotel manager.
Chinese authorities and the Beijing-backed government in Hong Kong say there is no threat to the city's high degree of autonomy and the new security laws will be tightly focused.
"It’s for the long-term stability of Hong Kong and China, it won’t affect the freedom of assembly and speech and it won’t affect the city's status as a financial centre," Hong Kong Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung told reporters. "It would provide a stable environment for businesses."
Hong Kong riot police form a line and issue a warning as they plan to clear away people gathered in the Central district of downtown Hong Kong on May 27, 2020. (Photo: AFP/ANTHONY WALLACE)
Hong Kong's most prominent tycoon, Li Ka-shing, said in a statement security laws were within every nation's right, but Hong Kong had the "mission-critical task" to maintain trust in "one country, two systems".
Hong Kong media reported Beijing had expanded the scope of the draft security legislation to include organisations as well as individuals.
The law was being revised to cover not just behaviour or acts that endanger national security, but also activities, broadcaster RTHK and the South China Morning Post reported.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the United States this week would announce a strong response to the planned security legislation for Hong Kong.
HONG KONG SHARES SLIDE
The US-China Business Council urged "all leaders to take those steps necessary to de-escalate tensions, promote economic recovery and the rule of law, and preserve the 'one country, two systems' principle".
Asian shares slipped over rising tensions between the United States and China. Hong Kong shares led declines with the Hang Seng falling 0.46 per cent, though it kept a bit of distance from a two-month low touched on Monday.
Hong Kong riot police try to clear away people gathered in the Central district of downtown Hong Kong on May 27, 2020. (Photo: AFP/ANTHONY WALLACE)
Protesters and pro-democracy politicians say Hong Kong’s National Anthem Bill, which aims to govern the use and playing of the Chinese national anthem, represents another sign of what they see as accelerating interference from Beijing.
The Bill carries penalties of up to three years jail and/or fines of up to HK$50,000 (US$6,450) for those who insult the anthem. It also orders that primary and secondary school students in Hong Kong be taught to sing the March of the Volunteers, along with its history and etiquette.
"As long as citizens don’t disrespect the anthem law, there’s no need to worry, I hope people can discuss the bill rationally," Chief Secretary Cheung said.
The anthem Bill is set for a second reading on Wednesday and is expected to become law next month.
The founder of CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd. was among several billionaires based in the city who rallied behind the draft rule in statements to local newspapers this week, while demonstrators returned to the streets to protest against the mainland’s increasing control.
"It is within each and every nation's sovereign right to address its national security concerns," the 91-year-old billionaire said in a text message sent by his representatives.
"We probably need not over-interpret it. Hopefully the proposed new law can allay concerns the central government has in Hong Kong and give rise to a positive outlook from there."
China last week announced it would write the new law into the city’s mini-constitution, or Basic Law. The step followed months of pro-democracy demonstrations seen as challenging Beijing’s authority. After Britain handed over Hong Kong to China in 1997, the territory has enjoyed autonomy under the “one country, two systems” principle backed by Beijing.
China’s proposed national security law helped trigger a plunge in Hong Kong’s stocks benchmark last week, pointing away from a quick recovery in a $363 billion (S$515 billion) economy that is already battling a recession amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The city’s economy has also suffered from disruptions as thousands of citizens thronged public areas for months to protest against the mainland government’s moves to exert greater control. After Britain handed over its colony to China in 1997, the territory has enjoyed autonomy under the so-called “one country, two systems” principle backed by Beijing.
Mr Li on Wednesday also called on the Hong Kong government to maintain international trust and strengthen its citizens’ faith in the “one country, two systems” principle. Mr Li’s elder son Victor Li on Tuesday expressed hope that the new law could help Hong Kong stabilise and recover.
The proposed national security law is expected to pass in the National People’s Congress, China’s rubber-stamp parliament, before the end of its annual session on Thursday. Some businesses and lawyers have said the new law lacks details, while China has sought to reassure Hong Kong’s judiciary of its continued independence.
A net worth of about $25 billion makes the senior Mr Li Hong Kong’s richest person, and the seventh wealthiest in Asia, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His fortune has slumped by about US$5.6 billion this year, the second most among Asia’s top 10 tycoons.
Leaders of three of the city’s largest property developers also signalled support for the proposed law in comments to pro-Beijing newspapers Wen Wei Po and Ta Kung Pao this week.
Mr Raymond Kwok, chairman of Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd and Mr Henry Cheng, chairman of New World Development Co both said the law can create a safe and stable environment for investment and businesses. Mr Peter Lee, chairman of Henderson Land Development Co, said the legislation can protect Hong Kong’s long-term peace and order.
HONG KONG: Beijing has expanded the scope of draft national security legislation to include organisations as well as individuals, Hong Kong media reported on Wednesday (May 27), a move that is likely to exacerbate concerns over freedoms in the financial hub.
The news comes after China last week proposed national security laws for Hong Kong that drew a swift rebuke from international rights groups and Western governments, with the United States branding it a "death knell" for the city's autonomy.
The law was being revised to cover not just behaviour or acts that endanger national security, but also activities, local broadcaster RTHK and the South China Morning Post reported.
"Chinese lawyers who have handled national security cases in the past say this change could bring not just individuals, but also organisations under the scope of the law," RTHK said.
The security legislation could pave the way for Chinese security agencies to open up branches in Hong Kong. It targets secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference - terms that are increasingly used by authorities to describe last year's protests.
The law has revived mass protests by demonstrators who say China aims to curb the freedoms enjoyed in Hong Kong, a global financial centre with broad autonomy.
Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong insist there is no threat to the city's freedoms.
Hong Kong’s National Anthem Bill if passed into law by the legislature will govern the use and playing of the Chinese national anthem.
This includes provisions that threaten to punish those who insult the anthem with up to three years jail and/or fines of up to HKUS$50,000 (US$6,450).
The Bill states that "all individuals and organisations" should respect and dignify the national anthem and play it and sing it on "appropriate occasions".
It also orders that primary and secondary school students be taught to sing it, along with its history and etiquette.
WHY IS IT CONTROVERSIAL?
Anti-government protests last year were primarily aimed at resisting further integration with mainland China. The Chinese national anthem has been booed at several events, including football matches.
Protesters and pro-democracy politicians say the Bill represents the latest sign of what they see as accelerating interference from Beijing in the freewheeling former British colony.
Britain handed Hong Kong back to Chinese rule in 1997 with guarantees that the city's core freedoms and way of life would be protected under a "one country, two systems" formula, which Beijing says it respects.
The freedoms of speech, press, association and demonstration are explicitly written into the Basic Law, the mini-constitution that guides Hong Kong’s relationship with its Chinese sovereign – freedoms that opponents of the Bill now say are under threat.
More technically, some senior lawyers fear the Bill is highly unusual in that it, in part, reflects the ideological aspirations of China's Communist Party that might prove difficult to enforce.
"It is the first Hong Kong law I've seen that looks like it was written in Beijing," one senior judge told Reuters recently, speaking privately. "It will be a nightmare to rule on."
The Hong Kong Bar Association acknowledged the need for such laws but said parts of the Bill "deviate from the good traditions" of Hong Kong’s common law system.
It said there was a fundamental difference between that system and the "socialist legal system of mainland China which would include political ideology and conceptual guidance".
For years, Chinese officials and their pro-Beijing allies in Hong Kong have wanted to instill a greater sense of patriotic pride across its freest - and most restive - city.
Hong Kong's government says its Bill reflects the city's own legal system and situation.
"The main spirit of the … Bill is 'respect', which bears absolutely no relations to 'restricting freedom of speech' as claimed by certain members of the community and definitely not a so-called 'evil law'," a spokesman said earlier this year.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Further protests and intense legislative infighting over the Bill are widely expected.
The government, under pressure from Beijing, says the Bill is now a priority to be passed into law before the end of this four-year legislative session in July.
Having been mired in a log-jam of legislative procedural battles, the Bill could face a third reading after Wednesday's proceedings and possibly a vote early next month.
If it misses the deadline, the government would then have to decide whether to re-introduce the Bill in the next session or force it into law by promulgation, seen as a highly unusual and potentially explosive option. Deeper public consultation and a re-draft would be the alternative.
Longer term, if the Bill becomes law and is enforced, constitutional challenges can be expected in courts - both into the Bill's content, and the procedural battles through which it passed.
Twitter on Tuesday for the first time prompted readers to check the facts in tweets sent by U.S. President Donald Trump, warning that his claims about mail-in ballots were false and had been debunked by fact checkers.
FILE PHOTO: Visitors look at tweets at The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library presented by The Daily Show in West Hollywood, California, U.S., June 8, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
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SAN FRANCISCO: Twitter on Tuesday for the first time prompted readers to check the facts in tweets sent by U.S. President Donald Trump, warning that his claims about mail-in ballots were false and had been debunked by fact checkers.
The move marked a dramatic shift for the social network, Trump's primary tool for getting an unfiltered version of his message out to his political base, after years of permissive policies around content on its platform.
The company has been tightening those policies in recent years amid criticism that its hands-off approach had allowed abuse, fake accounts and misinformation to thrive.
Trump lashed out at the company in response, accusing it - in a tweet - of interfering in the 2020 presidential election. "Twitter is completely stifling FREE SPEECH, and I, as President, will not allow it to happen!" he said.
Trump, who has more than 80 million followers on Twitter, claimed in tweets earlier in the day that mail-in ballots would be "substantially fraudulent" and result in a "rigged election." He also singled out the governor of California over the issue, although the state is not the only one to use mail-in ballots.
Hours later, Twitter posted a blue exclamation mark alert underneath those tweets, prompting readers to "get the facts about mail-in ballots" and directing them to a page with information aggregated by Twitter staffers about the claims.
A headline at the top of the page stated "Trump makes unsubstantiated claim that mail-in ballots will lead to voter fraud," and was followed by a "what you need to know" section addressing three specific claims made in the tweets.
Trump posted the same text about mail-in ballots on his official Facebook page, where the post picked up 170,000 reactions and was shared 17,000 times. Facebook's policy is to remove content that misrepresents methods of voting or voter registration, but in this case it left the post untouched.
"We believe that people should be able to have a robust debate about the electoral process, which is why we have crafted our policies to focus on misrepresentations that would interfere with the vote," a Facebook spokesman told Reuters.
MISLEADING INFORMATION
Twitter said the application of a fact-checking label to the president's tweets was an extension of its new "misleading information" policy, introduced earlier this month to combat misinformation about the coronavirus.
It said at the time that it would later extend the COVID-19 policy to other types of disputed or misleading information.
Twitter so far has used its policies sparingly against major political figures, but did delete tweets by the presidents of Brazil and Venezuela which violated its coronavirus rules.
The company's alert on Trump's mail-in ballot tweets came hours after it declined to take action on separate tweets Trump had sent about the 2001 death of a former congressional staff member for Joe Scarborough, after her widower asked the company to remove them for furthering false claims.
A Twitter spokesman told Reuters Trump's mail-in ballot tweets were related to election integrity and therefore subject to different treatment under its policies.
Asked about the Scarborough tweets, a Twitter spokeswoman said the company was expanding its products and policies to address such tweets more effectively in the future, without elaborating.
(Reporting by Katie Paul and Elizabeth Culliford; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Tom Brown)
