How Huawei landed at the centre of global tech tussle - CNA

China’s biggest tech firm, Huawei Technologies, has risen to global prominence as a leader in 5G, the much ballyhooed, next-generation wireless technology. It has also become a major target for the US, which has been trying to convince its allies to ban Huawei equipment from their national networks on spying concerns.

In May 2022, Canada became the latest country to sign on to the American effort. Underlying the wrangling is the question of which country will take the lead in the nascent, "everything-connected" era, and who gets left behind.

WHY DOES THE US HAVE AN ISSUE WITH HUAWEI? 

US government officials say Huawei is dangerous in part because it could use its growing share of the telecom equipment market to spy for the Chinese government.

Already in 2012, a report by the US House Intelligence Committee tagged Huawei and ZTE as potential security threats; the Federal Communications Commission in 2020 designated the companies as such and ordered US carriers to remove equipment made by them from their networks.

Concerns about Huawei drove the 2018 decision by then-President Donald Trump to block a hostile takeover bid from Broadcom, based at the time in Singapore, for the US chipmaker Communal. The deal could have curtailed American investments in chip and wireless technologies and handed global leadership to Huawei.

Such concerns have grown as carriers spend billions of dollars on new 5G networks, which will collect data and enable services on an unparalleled scale.

HOW IMPORTANT IS HUAWEI?

In just more than three decades it has grown from an electronics reseller into one of the world’s biggest private companies, with leading positions in telecommunications gear, smartphones, cloud computing and cybersecurity, and substantial operations in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Huawei generated 850 billion yuan (US$130 billion) in sales in 2019 - more than Boeing. It has plowed billions of dollars into 5G and broke into the top 10 recipients of US patents last year. It has helped build 5G networks in more than 10 countries and was set to do the same in another 20 in 2020.

US sanctions spooked some Huawei customers and suppliers globally, while Chinese consumers and carriers rallied to its side.

WHY IS ITS EQUIPMENT A SECURITY ISSUE?

The US government — like the Chinese and others — is wary of employing foreign technology in vital communications for fear that manufacturers could install hidden “backdoors” for spies to access sensitive data, or that the companies themselves would hand it over to their home governments.

The 5G networks are of particular concern because they will go beyond making smartphone downloads faster. They also will enable new technologies like self-driving cars and the Internet of Things.

UK-based carrier Vodafone Group was said to have found and fixed backdoors on Huawei equipment used in its Italian business in 2011 and 2012. While it is hard to know if those vulnerabilities were nefarious or accidental, the revelation dealt a blow to Huawei’s reputation.

WHO'S USING HUAWEI AND WHO'S NOT?

Japan and Australia joined the US boycott early. The UK prohibited its telecom operators from buying Huawei equipment starting in 2021, and equipment already installed must be removed by 2027.

Sweden banned Huawei and ZTE from its 5G network in October 2020. Countries such as India and Vietnam are considered unlikely to use Huawei. But the company has won 5G customers in Russia, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, including the Philippines and Thailand.

Its equipment tends to be less expensive than alternatives from Nokia and Ericsson and is often higher quality.

In Malaysia, the prime minister has said his country will use "as much as possible". South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has also defended using Huawei equipment.

"We cannot afford to have our economy to be held back because of this fight," he said in 2019.

WHAT'S GOING ON ELSEWHERE? 

Norway decided against a ban, leaving the choice to individual companies; so far two have gone with Ericsson.

Huawei lost two big contracts in Singapore in 2020 but still has a foothold in the market. Brazil has said it is not excluding anyone from bidding.

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2022-05-20 03:28:00Z
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Rare monkeypox outbreaks detected in North America, Europe - CNA

MONTREAL: Health authorities in North America and Europe have detected dozens of suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox since early May, sparking concern the disease endemic in parts of Africa is spreading.

Canada was the latest country to report it was investigating more than a dozen suspected cases of monkeypox, after Spain and Portugal detected more than 40 possible and verified cases.

Britain has confirmed nine cases since May 6, and the United States verified its first on Wednesday (May 18), saying a man in the eastern state of Massachusetts had tested positive for the virus after visiting Canada.

Monkeypox, which mostly occurs in west and central Africa, is a viral infection similar to human smallpox, though milder. It was first recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1970s. 

The illness, from which most people recover within several weeks and has only been fatal in rare cases, has infected thousands of people in parts of Central and Western Africa in recent years but is rare in Europe and North Africa.

The illness often starts with flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle ache and swollen lymph nodes before causing a chickenpox-like rash on the face and body.

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2022-05-18 22:49:00Z
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UK inflation jumps to 40-year peak - CNA

LONDON: Britain's annual inflation rate surged to a 40-year high last month on rocketing energy costs, official data showed Wednesday (May 18), sparking opposition calls for the government to announce an emergency budget to combat a cost-of-living crisis.

Consumer prices index inflation hit 9 per cent in April from 7 per cent in March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement.

The ONS estimated that April was the highest level since 1982, and the fastest rate since the current data series began in 1989.

Nations across the world are plagued by decades-high inflation as the Ukraine conflict pushes up energy and food prices, in turn forcing the Bank of England, the US Federal Reserve and others to ramp up interest rates.

The squeeze on UK household budgets tightened further in April due to tax hikes, while wages are failing to keep pace with inflation.

"GLOBAL CHALLENGES"

"Countries around the world are dealing with rising inflation," said British finance minister Rishi Sunak.

"Today's inflation numbers are driven by the energy price cap rise in April, which in turn is driven by higher global energy prices.

"We cannot protect people completely from these global challenges but are providing significant support where we can, and stand ready to take further action."

The main opposition Labour party, however, wants an emergency budget to help Britons cope with the cost-of-living crunch.

Labour finance spokeswoman Rachel Reeves described the inflation data as "a huge worry for families already stretched".

"Today, Labour force a vote for an emergency budget and for a plan for growth."

Labour is also calling for a windfall tax on the energy sector, which has been boosted as gas and oil prices rocketed on supply worries following key producer Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"APOCALYPTIC"

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey on Monday warned of an "apocalyptic" situation surrounding runaway food costs - which he said were fuelled by major wheat and cooking oil producer Ukraine finding itself unable to export its goods.

Addressing British MPs, Bailey spoke also of a "very real income shock" coming from surging energy and food prices.

Britain risks falling into recession with inflation expected to top 10 per cent by the end of the year, the Bank of England warned earlier this month.

It came as the central bank hiked its main interest rate by a quarter-point to one percent to tackle inflation.

That was the fourth straight increase by the bank, while its key rate now stands at the highest level since 2009.

ENERGY CAP

UK consumer prices leapt in April after a cap on domestic gas and electricity was hiked due to spiking wholesale energy costs.

"Inflation rose steeply in April, driven by the sharp climb in electricity and gas prices as the higher price cap came into effect," added ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner.

"Around three-quarters of the increase in the annual rate this month came from utility bills."

Official data showed Tuesday that Britain's unemployment rate has fallen further to a near five-decade low, but the value of wages continues to erode as inflation soars.

The economy shrank in March on fallout from soaring consumer prices, data showed last week, increasing the prospect of the country falling into recession.

Raised rates have lifted borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, further impacting spending.

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2022-05-18 07:57:11Z
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COVID-19 pandemic or not, Beijing diners won't be denied their Peking duck - CNA

BEIJING: As restaurants in the Chinese capital drift in the doldrums of a COVID-19 ban on dining in, one eatery manager and his army of chefs have set up stalls on the pavement to keep alive some of the old magic and drum up sales of their big seller, Peking duck.

The ban on customers eating in, imposed this month, means restaurants have to rely on takeaway to survive.

For customers of the Ziguangyuan Restaurant, the carving of the duck and slicing of its succulent crispy skin at the table was part of the dining experience.

Manager Zheng Po has set out to save that gastronomic spectacle, putting up stalls outside his restaurant so his takeaway customers can watch their duck get carved.

"Our Peking duck sales have even gone up," Zheng, 35, told Reuters outside his restaurant as a queue of customers waited.

"Our sales of the ducks are even better than what they were before this round of COVID control measures."

To meet the new demand for the takeaway ducks, Zheng's chefs get to work at 6am, two and half hours earlier than when the restaurant used to open its doors for sit-down diners.

The chefs roast the birds until they are a shiny, golden brown, ready for the first takeaway customers who arrive as early as 8am.

One customer, who identified herself as just Zhao, said her priority during the pandemic was getting food on the table but she appreciated the effort to keep alive some of the old enjoyment.

"In normal times ... customers are not only coming to eat but also want to experience the service too," Zhao said before headed home with her duck.

The stakes are high for Zheng, who likened the effort to help his business to a battle. He declined to disclose his sales figures.

Even before the May 1 ban on dining in, Beijing's hospitality sector had been rocked by COVID. In April, the city's catering revenue plunged 25.33 per cent from a year earlier, according to Reuters calculations based on January-April data from the city's statistics bureau.

"My biggest wish is that the pandemic can be over as soon as possible so dining in can resume," said Zheng. 

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2022-05-18 07:54:00Z
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China's economy skids as lockdowns hit factories, retailers - CNA

BEIJING: China's retail and factory activity fell sharply in April as wide COVID-19 lockdowns confined workers and consumers to their homes and severely disrupted supply chains, casting a long shadow over the outlook for the world's second-largest economy.

Full or partial lockdowns were imposed in major centres across the country in March and April, including the most populous city Shanghai, hitting production and consumption and heightening risks for those parts of the global economy heavily dependent on China.

Retail sales in April shrank 11.1 per cent from a year earlier, the biggest contraction since March 2020, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Monday (May 16), a steeper decline than forecast in a Reuters poll.

Factory production fell 2.9 per cent from a year earlier, dashing expectations for a rise and the largest decline since February 2020, as anti-virus measures snarled supply chains and paralysed distribution.

Analysts now warn China's current downturn may be harder to shake off than the one seen during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, with exports unlikely to swing higher and policymakers limited in their stimulus options.

"The upshot is that while the worst is hopefully over, we think China's economy will struggle to return to its pre-pandemic trend," Capital Economics analysts said.

The weak data sent China's blue-chip stock index into the red in a sharp reversal from morning gains and also put an end to the brief rally seen other Asian markets on Monday.

Industrial output around the Yangtze River Delta, which includes Shanghai, fell 14.1 per cent in April, while that in China's northeast shrank 16.9 per cent. Both regions saw a more than 30 per cent dive in retail sales.

In step with the unexpected industrial output decline, China processed 11 per cent less crude oil in April, with daily throughput the lowest since March 2020. In the same month, power generation fell 4.3 per cent, the lowest since May 2020.

"In April, the epidemic had a relatively big impact on the economic operation, but this impact was short-term and external," Fu Linghui, a spokesperson at China's statistics bureau, said at a press conference in Beijing on Monday.

Fu said he expects the economy to improve in May with COVID-19 outbreaks in Jilin, Shanghai and other places coming under control.

Fixed asset investment, which Beijing is counting on to prop up the economy as exports lose momentum, rose 6.8 per cent in the first four months, compared with an expected 7.0 per cent rise.
 

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2022-05-16 02:19:00Z
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Shanghai achieves 'zero COVID' status but normal life is weeks away - CNA

A social media account ran by the Communist Party's official People's Daily newspaper posted photographs on Monday evening that it said showed breakfast joints, restaurants and hairdressers opening up.

But one social media user described the post as "nonsense".

"We have been locked in at home for two months ... This story is meant for anyone else other than people in Shanghai."

By Tuesday morning, the post had been deleted.

A video posted by another state-backed media outlet announced the reopening of an Alibaba Freshippo grocery store, showing about 10 members of staff in hazmat suits making heart shapes with their hands, but only two people who looked like shoppers.

A sign on the shop's door showed customers had to show a negative COVID-19 test, a pass showing they are allowed out of home and an up-to-date mobile phone health app to go in.

Only 20 customers are allowed into the store at any one time.

In all, Shanghai reported fewer than 1,000 new cases for May 16, all inside areas under the strictest controls. In relatively freer areas, the ones monitored to gauge progress in eradicating the outbreak, no new cases were found for a third day.

"PERSISTENT DRAG"

Beijing's latest daily caseload was 52, with authorities discovering a few dozen new infections on an almost daily basis despite gradually tightening restrictions over the past three weeks or so.

Dine-in services are banned in the capital, some malls and other businesses are shut, public transport is curtailed and many residents have been advised to work from home.

Residents in some COVID-affected parts of Beijing's Fengtai district were ordered not to leave their neighbourhoods, state television reported on Tuesday.

In Beijing's largest district, Chaoyang, some compounds have closed side exits while main gates are manned by volunteers checking health credentials on the mobile app authorities use to track COVID-19.

Security personnel patrolled the banks of the nearby Liangma canal, which has become a picnic spot in recent weeks for residents not allowed to go elsewhere. Signs had been put up asking people to "avoid crowds, gatherings and eating together".

Data this week showed the havoc wreaked on the economy by the lockdown in Shanghai and the curbs in dozens of other major cities, with retail sales and industrial output plunging at their fastest pace in more than two years in April.

China's uncompromising "zero COVID" policy has placed hundreds of millions of consumers and workers under various restrictions at a time when the rest of the world is lifting them to "live with the virus" even as infections spread.

But the difficulty of eliminating new outbreaks, as shown by Beijing's struggles, raises concern over the sustainability of any return to normal life in Shanghai and elsewhere once restrictions are lifted.

China's unswerving commitment to the zero-COVID policy, no matter the economic costs, means questions over the outlook will linger.

"The pace of recovery is likely to depend on the speed of normalisation in Shanghai and Beijing and how fast confidence will return to the private sector," Societe Generale strategists said in a note.

"On both points, the zero-COVID strategy could be a persistent drag."

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2022-05-17 04:19:00Z
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Beautiful song shows Ukraine's bravery, NATO deputy says lauding Eurovision win - CNA

BERLIN: Eurovision and NATO might not usually be associated, but on Sunday (May 15) the military alliance's deputy chief congratulated Ukraine for winning the annual music contest with a "beautiful song", calling it a testament to its bravery in fighting Russia.

Foreign ministers from the 30-member alliance NATO gathered in Berlin on Sunday to discuss Finland and Sweden's possible membership to the alliance and its strategy in the face of what NATO deputy secretary general Mircea Geoana said was Russia's "unjustified" invasion of Ukraine.

"I would like to congratulate Ukraine for winning the Eurovision contest. And this is not something I'm making in a light way. Because we have seen yesterday the immense public support all over Europe and Australia for the bravery… Of course the song was beautiful, it is beautiful," the diplomat said.

Geoana took the helm on Sunday as his boss Jens Stoltenberg could not take part in the Berlin meeting after testing positive for COVID--19 earlier this week.

Saturday's marathon Eurovision song contest saw The Kalush Orchestra pip the United Kingdom with their entry "Stefania", and Geoana sought to link its victory with Ukraine's fight against Russia and the alliance's solidarity with Kyiv.

Geoana said NATO wanted to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that despite starting the most "brutal and cynical" conflict since the Second World War, Ukraine continued to surprise with its bravery and the West with its unity.

"So I'm saying that we are united. We are strong, (and) will continue to help Ukraine in winning this war," he said.

Moscow describes its actions as a "special military operation" to disarm Ukraine and rid it of anti-Russian nationalism fomented by the West. Ukraine and its allies say Russia launched an unprovoked war.

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2022-05-15 09:46:52Z
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