Fire and fury: the young Chinese hawks chosen to take on Washington - South China Morning Post

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1. Fire and fury: the young Chinese hawks chosen to take on Washington  South China Morning Post
2. Biden offers temporary 'safe haven' to Hong Kong residents in US  The Straits Times
3. Biden to offer temporary 'safe haven' to Hong Kong residents in US  CNA
4. Canada warns citizens about possible Hong Kong exit bans  Yahoo Singapore News
5. China clampdown sparks a student exodus from Hong Kong schools  The Straits Times
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2021-08-05 21:00:27Z
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Biden offers temporary 'safe haven' to Hong Kong residents in US - The Straits Times

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - President Joe Biden on Thursday (Aug 5) offered temporary “safe haven” to Hong Kong residents in the United States, allowing what could be thousands of people to extend their stay in the country in response to Beijing’s crackdown on democracy in the Chinese territory.

Biden directed the Department of Homeland Security to implement a “deferral of removal” for up to 18 months for Hong Kong residents currently in the United States, citing “compelling foreign policy reasons.”

“Over the last year, the PRC has continued its assault on Hong Kong’s autonomy, undermining its remaining democratic processes and institutions, imposing limits on academic freedom, and cracking down on freedom of the press,” Biden said in the memo, using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China.

He said offering safe haven for Hong Kong residents “furthers United States interests in the region. The United States will not waver in our support of people in Hong Kong.”

It is not clear exactly how many people the move would affect but the vast majority of Hong Kong residents currently in the United States are expected to be eligible, according to a senior administration official.

The White House said in a statement the move made clear the United States “will not stand idly by as the PRC breaks its promises to Hong Kong and to the international community.”

Those eligible may also seek employment authorization, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said.

It is the latest in a series of actions Biden has taken to address what his administration says is the erosion of rule of law in the former British colony, which returned to Beijing’s control in 1997.

The US government in July applied more sanctions on Chinese officials in Hong Kong, and warned companies of risks of operating under the national security law, which China implemented last year to criminalise what it considers subversion, secessionism, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces.

Critics say the law facilitates a crackdown on pro-democracy activists and a free press in the territory, after Beijing agreed to allow considerable political autonomy for 50 years.

China retaliated against the US actions last month with its own sanctions on Americans, including former US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross.

China’s embassy in Washington did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the safe haven measure.

‘Big-hearted decision’

US lawmakers have sought legislation that would make it easier for people from Hong Kong to obtain US refugee status if they feared persecution after joining protests against China.

“The PRC has fundamentally altered the bedrock of Hong Kong’s institutions,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, noting that Chinese and Hong Kong authorities had arbitrarily delayed scheduled elections, disqualified lawmakers, undermined press freedom, and arrested more than 10,000 people.

Blinken added the United States was joining allies to offer the protection, in keeping with the Biden administration’s push to counter China in concert with likeminded partners.

Britain’s foreign minister, Dominic Raab, on Twitter welcomed the “big-hearted decision.” Other countries, including Canada and Australia, have taken steps to facilitate Hong Kong immigration or permanent residency following Beijing’s crackdown.

The Biden administration’s move falls under the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program, which does not offer a pathway to citizenship, but can be renewed indefinitely by a president.

Republican Senator Ben Sasse called the safe haven move a “solid step”, but said the US government needed to go further and offer full asylum to Hong Kongers.

Asked about prospects for permanent residency, State Department spokesman Ned Price said residents from Hong Kong could still be referred for consideration to the United States Refugee Admissions Programme.

Samuel Chu, managing director of the Washington-based advocacy group Hong Kong Democracy Council, said data was limited but possibly tens of thousands of people could be eligible for the DED programme, including thousands on student visas. He said the will for many to return to Hong Kong was strong, but that it might take more than one 18-month cycle.

“The overwhelming desire of Hong Kongers is to continue to fight for restoring their autonomy and freedoms,” Chu said.

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2021-08-05 19:04:50Z
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Biden offers temporary 'safe haven' to Hong Kong residents in US - The Straits Times

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - President Joe Biden on Thursday (Aug 5) offered temporary "safe haven" to Hong Kong residents in the United States, allowing potentially thousands of people to extend their stay in the country, in response to what he described as a crackdown on democracy in the Chinese territory.

In a signed memo, Mr Biden directed the Department of Homeland Security to implement a "deferral of removal" for up to 18 months for Hong Kong residents currently in the United States, citing "compelling foreign policy reasons". 

"Over the last year, the PRC has continued its assault on Hong Kong’s autonomy, undermining its remaining democratic processes and institutions, imposing limits on academic freedom, and cracking down on freedom of the press," Mr Biden said in the memo, using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China. 

"Offering safe haven for Hong Kong residents who have been deprived of their guaranteed freedoms in Hong Kong furthers United States interests in the region. The United States will not waver in our support of people in Hong Kong," Mr Biden said.

The vast majority of Hong Kong residents in the US are expected to be eligible, according to a senior administration official, but some legal conditions apply, such as individuals not having been convicted of felonies.

The White House said in a statement that the move made clear the United States "will not stand idly by as the PRC breaks its promises to Hong Kong and to the international community."

Those eligible may also seek employment authorisation in the United States, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. 

The measure is the latest in a series of actions Mr Biden has taken to address what his White House says is the erosion of rule of law in the former British colony, which returned to Beijing's control in 1997.

The US government in July applied more sanctions on Chinese officials in Hong Kong, and issued an updated business advisory warning companies of risks of operating under the national security law, which China implemented last year to criminalise what it considers subversion, secessionism, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces.

Critics say the law facilitates a crackdown on pro-democracy activists and a free press in the territory, which Beijing had agreed to allow to operate under considerable political autonomy for 50 years after it regained control.

China retaliated against the US actions last month with its own sanctions on US individuals, including former US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross.

US lawmakers have sought legislation that would make it easier for people from Hong Kong fearing persecution after joining protests against China to obtain US refugee status, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the US should accept people fleeing the Hong Kong crackdown.

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2021-08-05 12:13:06Z
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Indonesia finds COVID-19 deaths more than three times higher for the unvaccinated - CNA

JAKARTA: The COVID-19 death rate for people in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta who were not vaccinated was more than three times higher than those who were, according to new health ministry data.

The mortality rate of those who were not vaccinated was 15.5 per cent compared with 4.1 per cent for those who had received two shots of either the Sinovac or AstraZeneca vaccine, according to data from state hospitals and almost 68,000 patients in Jakarta from May to July.

The Southeast Asian country has been overwhelmed in recent months by a rapid spike in coronavirus cases, and on Wednesday (Aug 4) it passed a grim milestone, recording a total of more than 100,000 deaths from COVID-19.

Global data on vaccinated versus unvaccinated deaths is not easily available but Dr Ines Atmosukarto, a molecular biologist who works on vaccine development, said the data was further evidence of the importance of vaccination.

"This supports the proposition that two doses of vaccines reduces the chance of dying for those infected and requiring hospitalisation,” she said, adding that the data lacked detail about the age, comorbidity and period of observation of the patients.

Separately, data from the town of Banyuwangi on Java island, showed that 93 per cent of COVID-19 patients who died from March to July were not vaccinated, while 6 per cent had received a first dose, and 1 per cent had been fully vaccinated.

Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines were also the vaccines predominately administered in that area.

Siti Nadia Tarmizi, a senior health ministry official, said the data could help combat vaccine hesitancy in Indonesia.

In Indonesia, 18 per cent of the population have had one dose of a vaccine, while 8 per cent are fully vaccinated, according to health ministry data. Indonesia has had 100,600 deaths.

By comparison, in India 27.7 per cent of the population have had one dose of a vaccine and 7.8 per cent are fully vaccinated, according to government data and research by Reuters. India has had 425,700 deaths.

Grappling with the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant that was first identified in India, Indonesia has quickly become Asia’s coronavirus epicentre, now recording more than 3.5 million cases in total since the start of the pandemic.

But as cases have begun to drop in Jakarta and some areas on Java, with the health minister saying this week the country has reached the peak of its second wave, concerns remain that Delta could still ravage far-flung regions ill-equipped to handle a health crisis.

Irma Hidayana, a public health expert and co-founder of independent data initiative Lapor COVID-19 said that vaccine distribution issues, including infrastructure and data, as well as vaccine hesitancy, had hampered the government’s vaccine rollout.

“The ministry of health needs to have well planned vaccine distribution that ensures all vulnerable people are top priority,” she said. “The government must ensure that vaccines are evenly and equally distributed.”

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2021-08-05 08:49:51Z
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New daily high of 20596 Covid-19 cases brings Malaysia's total to 1203706 - The Straits Times

PUTRAJAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Malaysia reported a record 20,596 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday (Aug 5), breaching the 20,000 mark for the first time, the Health Ministry confirmed.

This is the second day in a row that Malaysia has reported a daily case record, with infections showing few signs of receding in the country.

To date, the country has a total of 1,203,706 cases.

Selangor, with 8,549 new infections, remains the state with the highest number of cases.

Other states with more than 1,000 cases are Kuala Lumpur (2,163), Kedah (1,446), Johor (1,300), Sabah (1,062) and Penang (1,022).

On the vaccination front, a total of 494,214 doses of Covid-19 vaccines were given on Wednesday across the country, almost hitting the 500,000 mark.

From the total, 230,053 individuals received their first dose, while 264,161 were given their second dose, according to the vaccine supply special committee, citing data from the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force on Thursday.

Among the states and federal territories, Johor recorded the highest number of first doses administered on Wednesday at 37,542, followed by Sabah (33,404), Selangor (26,753) and Perak (25,747).

For the second dose, Selangor led the country with 83,204 shots, Kuala Lumpur with 45,473 shots and Kedah (18,342).

This brings the total cumulative doses of Covid-19 vaccines administered in Malaysia so far to 22,152,367 doses.

Malaysia is also facing a political crisis on top of the pandemic, as Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin faces doubts over his support among the country's lawmakers in Parliament.

Related Stories: 

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2021-08-05 07:26:14Z
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FILE PHOTO: A woman holds a medical syringe and a small bottle labelled "Coronavirus COVID-19 US developing plan to require foreign visitors to be vaccinated against COVID-19: White House officialFILE PHOTO: A woman holds a medical syringe a - CNA

Some countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom, are relaxing or lifting restrictions for vaccinated Americans to travel.

The White House has held discussions with airlines and others about how it would implement a policy of requiring vaccines for foreign visitors. The administration must also answer other questions including what proof it would accept of vaccination and if the United States would accept vaccines that some countries are using but which have not yet been authorised by US regulators.

The United States currently bars most non-US citizens who within the last 14 days have been in the United Kingdom, the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without border controls, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil.

The White House interagency talks previously had focused on requiring vaccines for nearly all foreign visitors arriving by air. The White House official did not immediately answer questions about whether the administration is developing plans to also require visitors arriving from Mexico and Canada to be vaccinated before crossing land borders.

Currently, the only foreign travelers allowed to cross by land into the United States from Mexico and Canada are essential workers such as truck drivers or nurses.

It was not clear how long the administration will maintain existing restrictions but the official reiterated that infections "appear likely to continue to increase in the weeks ahead" and that "the United States will maintain existing travel restrictions at this point".

Industry officials still think it will be at least weeks and potentially months before restrictions are lifted.

Former President Donald Trump's administration did not set any metrics for adding or dropping countries from the list, and neither has Biden's. Trump did attempt to lift European countries from the restrictions in January but Biden reinstated the restrictions before they were dropped.

Many critics of the restrictions say they no longer make sense because some countries with high rates of COVID-19 infections are not on the restricted list while some countries on the list have the pandemic under control.

The restrictions have separated loved ones and prevented some people working in the United States from returning to home countries and others from coming for employment.

Last week, Reuters reported the White House was discussing the potential of mandating COVID-19 vaccines for international visitors. The sources said at the time no decisions had been made. The Biden administration has also been talking to US airlines in recent weeks about establishing international contact tracing for passengers before lifting travel restrictions.

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2021-08-04 22:32:35Z
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Timeline: How the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded in Malaysia since January 2020 - CNA

PARLIAMENT RECONVENES ON JUL 26

In spite of the measures in the Klang Valley, widespread testing has unveiled a high volume of COVID-19 cases. 

Daily caseload reached five figures for the first time on Jul 13 with 11,079 new infections, and more than half of the new cases were detected in the Klang Valley. 

Following the king's decree, the House of Representatives met for the first time in 2021. 

During the special parliamentary meeting from Jul 26, the prime minister and other ministers briefed the MPs on the country’s COVID-19 response. 

In his presentation, Mr Muhyiddin said most Malaysian states are likely to move into phase four or the final phase of the country’s COVID-19 exit strategy by October at the earliest. 

Mr Khairy Jamaluddin, coordinating minister for the immunisation programme, said 25.2 per cent of the adult population are fully vaccinated as of Jul 27. 

The meeting was supposed to last for five days, but was cut short to four days after COVID-19 cases were detected in the parliament.  

The state of emergency has ended on Aug 1 as scheduled. The motion to debate and annul the emergency ordinances would be tabled in the parliament in September, following different interpretations over the king's role in the process. 

On Aug 4, Malaysia hit another record high for new COVID-19 cases with 19,819 infections, taking the national total to 1,183,110. 

Daily fatalities also hit a new high at 257 on the same day. There have been more than 9,800 deaths so far. 

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2021-08-04 22:19:56Z
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