XI JINPING CALLS FOR ‘SOLID’ SECURIT Y BARRIER AROUND CHINA’S INTERNET

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CH I N E S E President Xi Jinping said China must build a “solid” security barrier around its internet under the supervision of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) in his latest call to safeguard online data and information

China must persist in managing, operating and ensuring access to the internet in accordance with the law, Xi said in instructions delivered to officials attending a two-day cybersecurity meeting in Beijing that ended on Saturday

We must adhere to the Party s management of the internet and adhere to (the principle of) making the internet work for the people,” state-run Xinhua news agency cited Xi as saying

In the past decade Xi has made preserving security a priority with his concept of security covering everything from politics and the economy to the environment and cyberspace

In 2015, China passed a national security law with a broader scope to include its cyberspace A year later a law was passed that contained requirements for security reviews and for data to be stored on servers in China

In 2021, China rolled out regulations around so-called critical information infrastructure

This year lawmakers updated anti- espionage legislation to ban the transfer of information related to national security and broaden the definition of spying

Navigating China’s dense network of rules and laws on online data and information is not without risk for companies

In April US consultancy firm Bain & Co said police visited its office in Shanghai and questioned some staff The Financial Times, citing people briefed on the surprise visit, reported that the police also took away computers and phones

Last year regulators told China’s biggest financial data provider Wind Information Co to stop providing offshore users with certain data, sources told

Wagner troops training Belarus forces

MOSCOW A G E N C I E S

Belarus announced on Saturday that instructors from the Russian mercenary force Wagner were training its troops, following weeks of uncertainty about the future of the group after its failed mutiny in Russia

The short-lived rebellion was ended by a deal under which some Wagner fighters and their outspoken leader Yevgeny Prigozhin were supposed to move to Belarus But Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had cast doubt on the deal when he said earlier this month that no Wagner fighters had moved to the country yet

The Belarusian defence ministry appeared to confirm Friday that at least some Wagner fighters had arrived Near Asipovichy units of territorial defence troops are undergoing training, the defence ministry said in a statement Fighters of the Wagner private military company are acting as instructors in a number of military disciplines,” it said The ministry later added that it and Wagner had worked out “a road map for the near term on training and sharing experience between various units

The Wagner group which recruited extensively from Russian prisons, played a key role in the Ukraine offensive A video released by the Belarusian defence ministry showed masked fighters as instructors in the drills for soldiers living in a nearby tent camp

A group of foreign reporters earlier this month was shown a camp near Asipovichy where Belarusian officials said the mercenaries could be based

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address Friday that Kyiv was closely monitoring what is happening there in terms of security” The latest development came as the clock ran down on a UN and Turkey-mediated deal with Russia to allow Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea a vital supply route for the developing world

The deal first signed in July 2022 five months after Moscow s all-out assault on Ukraine, is set to expire on Monday Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened not to renew it because of what he says have been obstacles to Russian exports

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared confident on Friday on the prospects of an extension to the deal

We are preparing to welcome Putin in August and we agree on the extension of the Black Sea grain corridor,” Erdogan told reporters But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told “There were no statements on this subject from the Russian side

Reuters at the time

In 2021, authorities launched a cybersecurity investigation into ride-hailing giant Didi Global two days after it went public in the United States

An article by Xi Jinping general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on deepening the reform of Party and state institutions to modernize the system and capacity for governance will be published on Sunday

The article by Xi also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission will be published in this year s 14th issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the CPC Cen- tral Committee

The article states that deepening the reform of Party and state institutions is an important measure to implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and a deployment to advance the modernization of China s system and capacity for governance

The reform will make Party and state institutions better meet the needs for developing the cause of the Party and the state says the article

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, upholding and strengthening the Party s overall leadership has been a significant objective of deepening the reform of Party and state institutions, the article notes adding that the latest reform has been carried out to strengthen the unified and centralized leadership of the Party s central authorities over major work

Reasonable designs and arrangements for institutional structures and assignment of duties have been made in reforms concerning financial sci-tech and social management says the article

Noting the importance of implementation the article says the institutional reform should be carried out in a coordinated and steady manner

Reforms at central and local institutions should be closely coordinated, it adds

It also calls for efforts to guide Party members and cadres to support the reform and adopt a law-based approach to advancing the reform

International ride -hailing ser vice, Yango, held

Spec Tac

LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T

The international ride-hailing service Yango has made its way to Pakistan after successfully launching in Lahore Rawalpindi & Islamabad The exclusive launch event held on Saturday declared the arrival of the renowned ride-hailing service and broughttogether industry professionals influencers stakeholders and potential customers Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs, was the Chief Guest at the event Hosted by Sidra Iqbal, the launch was an informative and exciting affair as it will open the door to newer companies setting up operations in Pakistan and bring in the promise of hope and economic prosperity The event concluded with a special performance

launch event in L ahore

by talented singer Natasha Baig who enthralled the attendees with her powerful Yango maintains its dedication to providing secure and costeffective journeys for passengers and reliable and steady earnings for drivers Our goal is to benefit partners drivers users and society by introducing newer vehicles for improved partner earnings employing smart technology for efficient dispatching and optimised routes, and encouraging sustainable business practices ” Faisal Iftekhar Country Manager Yango Pakistan spoke about the service s launch in Pakistan We have successfully tested our service in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad, and in less than two months of our presence in the country we already have partnered with more than 50 local transportation providers and seen substantial growth in demand that exceeded our expectations We aim to go beyond that offering the people of Pakistan a convenient public transportation option that is hassle-free and dependable,” he added Yango has already established itself as a prominent entity in the mobility sector across Europe the Middle East and Latin America, encompassing countries such as UAE, Norway, Finland, Bolivia, Peru, and Algeria, including a strong presence in Sub-Saharan Africa Next Yango has set its sight on the South Asian demographic as it aims to expand in the region, starting with Pakistan The service is operational in more than twenty countries globally and is now bringing this contemporary secure and cost-effective application to the Pakistani economy

India ties up with UAE to settle trade in rupees

I n d i a h a s s i g n e d a n a g r e e m e n t w i t h t h e U n i t e d A r a b E m i r a t e s t h a t w i l l a l l o w i t t o s e t t l e t r a d e i n r u p e e s i n s t e a d o f d o l l a r s b o o s t i n g I n d i a s e ff o r t s t o c u t transaction costs by eliminating dollar conversions During a visit by India s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE on Saturday, the two countries also agreed to set up a real-time payment link to facilitate easier cross-border money transfers The two agreements will en- able seamless cross-border transactions and payments and foster greater economic cooperation said a statement from the Reserve Bank of India on Saturday India, the world’s third biggest oil importer and consumer and whose central bank last year announced a framework for settling global trade in rupees currently pays for UAE oil in dollars Bilateral trade between the two countries was $84 5 billion in the year from April 2022 to March 2023 A n o ff i c i a l w i t h k n o w l e d g e o f t h e d e t a i l s o f t h e a g r e e m e n t

Wang urges India to provide fair business environment for Chinese firms

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday during which Wang urged India to provide a fair transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies Wang director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, expressed China s concerns over India s recent restrictions against Chinese firms during talks with Jaishankar on the sidelines of a series of ASEAN foreign ministers’ meetings according to the Xinhua News Agency Wang said common development and prosperity between the two neighbors is a global example calling for mutual support instead of suspicion Jaishankar said the normalization of India-China relations serves the common interests of both sides, adding that India is willing to properly handle differences with an open mind

Photo: MInistry of Foreign Affairs

In recent years the Indian government has intensified its crackdown on Chinese companies most obviously in the smartphone sector For instance, the Indian government in June frozen approximately 4 8 billion yuan($672 million)-worth of Xiaomi’s funds citing alleged illegal transfer of funds overseas This was followed by Indian government s curbs last month mandating that Chinese smartphone manufacturers such as Xiaomi, OPPO and vivo position such as CEO, chief operations officer, chief financial officer, and chief technology officer from local talent, according to Indian media reports Xiaomi India is reportedly undertaking a round of significant layoffs Recent media reports suggest that the company which employed an estimate of 1 400 to 1 500 employees at the beginning of 2023 has downsized its workface to approximately 1,000 India has significantly intensified its curbs against Chinese companies over the past few years, particularly after the border standoff between China and India in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 Liu Zongyi secretarygeneral of the Research Center for China-South Asia Cooperation at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times

These Indian actions toward Chinese firms are unjustifiable, Liu said

The targeted measures by Indian authorities against Chinese companies have not only dented Chinese investors but also potentially undermined the confidence of foreign investors in general with some foreign companies having chosen to exit the Indian market amid growing concerns about their future business prospects, analysts said s a i d I n d i a c o u l d m a k e i t s f i r s t r u p e e p a y m e n t f o r U A E o i l t o A b u D h a b i N a t i o n a l O i l C o ( A D N O C ) , R e u t e r s r e p o r t e d o n F r i d a y

The Reserve Bank of India said the two central banks agreed to link India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and UAE s Instant Payment Platform (IPP) Such arrangements, which are a growing trend in Asia, typically lower the cost of payments Modi landed in Abu Dhabi earlier on Saturday for a one-day visit and met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

SBB varsity ’s final year DVM students to do internship in China

ISLAMABAD: The Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sakrand has sought applications from final year students of the Doctor in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree program for internship in China

According to an update by the university the DVM students of 2019 batch will avail a 9-week internship opportunity at China starting September 2023

The eligible students of DVM Final Professional (currently enrolled in the 10th Semester) can apply until July 31st for the internship Gwadar Pro reported on Saturday

Accommodation and food facilities will be provided by the Chinese government while fair charges will be borne by the students

The university encouraged its students to take advantage of the ‘incredible’ opportunity to gain international exposure S TA F F R E

LG by-poll on vacant seats in DI Khan on August 27

DERA ISMAIL KHAN S TA F F R E P O R T

The District Election Commissioner has said that the local government by-poll on vacant seats of various categories in Village and Neighborhood Councils in Dera Ismail Khan would be held on August 27

According to a notification issued by District Election Commissioner Abdul Rauf Khan Marwat the candidates could submit their nomination papers from July 17 to July 19

The list of candidates who submitted nomination papers would be released on July 20, while the scrutiny of nomination papers would be held from July 21 to 24

The appeals against acceptance and rejection of papers could be filed from July 25 to July 26 and the decision on these appeals would be made by August 1

The revised list of candidates would be made public on August 2 and the candidates would be able to withdraw their nomination papers till August 3

The final list of candidates would be issued on August 4 and election symbols would be allotted on the same day

Bumper C rop: C hina achieves 146.13 million ton summer grain har vest in 2023

S TA F F R E P O R T

China has witnessed another bumper summer grain harvest this year, the country s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported on Saturday, despite adverse weather effect in some parts of the country hurting per-unit output Summer grain output totaled 146 13 million tons this year down 0 9 percent or 1 27 million tons from a year ago data from the NBS showed The output of this summer grain has stabilized and decreased slightly, and is still at a relatively high level, achieving a bumper harvest said Wang Guirong director of the bureau’s rural division Summer grain yield per hectare went down 1 2 percent to 5 491 8 kilograms Wheat a major grain saw harvest decline by 1 3 percent year-on-year in terms of harvest per hectare A decline in per-unit output was mainly due to adverse weather in parts of the country including Central China’s Henan Province Wang said

Since the start of this year ’s sowing period agriculture conditions have been beneficial to grain growth through until late May when wheat-growing areas in central and northern China suffered from extended rainfall, resulting in insufficient light during the grain filling period, ultimately impacting on the harvest In addition the drought in southwestern part of China including Yunnan Province and Guizhou Province led to lower yields according to the official Sowing areas for the summer grain came in at 26 609 million hectares, up 0 3 percent on a yearly basis, the NBS data showed Wang attributed the increase of sowing areas to national supportive policies favor- able agricultural conditions and optimization of the planting structure

In Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for example planting areas rose 4 6 percent year-on-year to 1 2 million hectares for the summer gain thanks to the optimization of the water resources

As the first season of annual grain production, the bumper harvest of summer grain has laid a solid foundation for stabilizing full year ’s grain output, and provided strong support for promoting a sustained economic recovery Wang said Traditionally the summer harvest spans from May to late June with grain output in the period accounting for about a quarter of the annual total China s policymakers have been driving the food security push as the country’s huge population rising level of urbanization and pollution are eroding the country’s arable land