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Facial Recognition Installed in Many Stores in China; Personal Data Accessed

On March 15, 2021, China Central Television (CCTV) reported that many stores have had monitors installed. Because of facial recognition, this has allowed access to the customers’ personal information. According to one of the companies that installed the monitors for those stores, the amount of facial recognition data collected is in the range of hundreds of millions.

It has been reported that such monitors are almost ubiquitous in China. Monitors installed in some stores seem to be harmless but they contain facial recognition systems and the stores secretly access data without informing the customers.

CCTV has visited more than 20 stores across the country that are equipped with facial recognition systems. These stores have all secretly accessed the facial recognition data collected from their customers. They include stores of well-known foreign companies such as Kohler, BMW, and 4S Stores in Shenzhen, Wuxi and Max Mara.

As soon as customers enter a store that has a facial recognition monitor, their faces will be captured and identification numbers automatically generated, without their knowledge. For a chain store, the store will know which location the customer goes to and how many times they have been there.

Companies that help these stores install monitors with facial recognition include Suzhou Wandianzhang Internet Technology Co., Ltd., Yoluoke Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Yaliang Smart Technology Co., Ltd., and Shenzhen Ruiwei Information Technology Co., Ltd.

According to Suzhou Wandianzhang Internet Technology Co., Ltd., it has installed millions of monitors with facial recognition and its database contains hundreds of millions of records that the stores have collected.

Source: China Central Television, March 15, 2021
https://news.cctv.com/2021/03/15/ARTIieo9QjynMSXTVDb224QE210315.shtml

Peoples’ Daily Strikes Back at State Department’ Sanctions of Chinese Officials over Hong Kong

On March 18, People’s Daily, the mouthpiece newspaper of Chinese Communist Party, published an editorial titled, “Advice to the U.S. to put away the tricks of political intimidation.” The editorial was a counterattack against the State Department’s sanctions of 24 Chinese and Hong Kong officials one week after China’s ceremonial legislature approved a plan to reduce the number of Hong Kong lawmakers elected by the territory’s voters.

The article starts, “On March 17, the U.S. State Department issued a so-called statement denigrating the adoption of the relevant decision by China’s National People’s Congress to improve the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and threatening to impose financial sanctions on Chinese personnel. The U.S.’s bullying and interventionist behavior on issues related to Hong Kong is a serious violation of international law and basic norms of international relations. It represents a serious interference in China’s internal affairs and a full exposure of its sinister intentions to disrupt Hong Kong and obstruct China’s stability and development, which is disgraceful.”

The article continues, “The U.S. side is trying to resort to political intimidation by wielding the baton of sanctions, but this nasty behavior cannot stop the general trend of Hong Kong to move from chaos to order. In recent years, under the guise of “human rights,” “democracy,” and “freedom,” the U.S. side has been wielding the baton of sanctions and sparing no effort to back up anti-China and anti-Hong Kong forces. It is a vain attempt to create chaos in Hong Kong and undermine its prosperity and stability, but the facts prove that the so-called declaration of sanctions is just a piece of scrap paper. Since China enacted and implemented the Hong Kong national security law, the law and order in Hong Kong have been maintained, the human rights of Hong Kong residents have been effectively protected, the international community has become more optimistic about the prospects of Hong Kong’s prosperous and stable development, and the confidence of foreign investors in Hong Kong has increased.”

“Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong, and how the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is designed and improved is purely China’s internal affair and no country has the right to say anything or interfere with it. Over the past few days, nearly 100 countries have reiterated their support for China’s implementation of ‘one country, two systems’ in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the UN Human Rights Council, stressing that non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states is an important principle of the UN Charter and a basic norm of international relations, and that one should effectively respect China’s sovereignty and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, including those of Hong Kong. This shows that the Chinese government’s position on Hong Kong-related issues is widely understood and supported by the international community.”

The article ends, “China’s determination to implement the ‘one country, two systems’ policy fully and accurately is unwavering, as is its opposition to any outside interference in Hong Kong’s affairs and China’s internal affairs. Any interference or slander will not shake China’s strong will to safeguard the national sovereignty, security, interest, prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, nor will it stop the firm pace of Hong Kong’s transition from chaos to order and China’s development and growth. In one sentence, the U.S. should put away its tricks of political intimidation as soon as possible.”

Source: People’s Daily, March 18, 2021
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2021-03/18/nw.D110000renmrb_20210318_2-03.htm

Kyodo News: Chinese Company Accesses Personal Information of Japanese LINE Users

On March 17, Kyodo News reported that technical personnel of companies in China had accessed the personal information of Japanese LINE users.

LINE is a freeware app for instant communications on electronic devices such as smartphones, tablet computers, and personal computers. LINE users exchange texts, images, video, and audio, and conduct free VoIP conversations and video conferences. There are more than 86 million users in Japan.  In addition, local governments and companies in Japan also use LINE as infrastructure to serve the public.

According to Kyodo News, LINE stated that since the summer of 2018, four technicians from Chinese companies working with LINE on artificial intelligence development have been able to access servers in Japan and view information during the development process. In addition to names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses, the information that was accessible also includes the content of the reports by users to LINE about improper conversations.

LINE’s terms of use for users do not explain overseas access. LINE reported to the Personal Information Protection Committee of the Japanese Government on the grounds that there were problems with the measures to prevent such overseas access.  A third-party committee consisting of experts will be set up to investigate the incident.

Source: Kyodo News, March 17, 2021

https://china.kyodonews.net/news/2021/03/36bbab653ad6-line.html

IOC’s Offer of Chinese Vaccine Not Well Received

On Thursday March 11, the newly re-elected International Olympics Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach announced on its official website that China has pledged to provide vaccines for athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics this year and the Beijing Winter Olympics next year. The IOC will pay for the vaccines, and also affirmed that “any vaccination program must be conducted with full respect for national vaccination priorities.”

Chinese official media also announced “for every dose of vaccine that the International Olympic Committee purchases, China will also provide two additional doses of vaccine to delegations participating in the vaccination and they can provide them to the people of their own country.”

Wu’erkaixi, former student leader of the Tiananmen protests of 1989 and deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan Legislative Yuan’s Inter-party International Human Rights Promotion Association, pointed out that Beijing has used the International Olympic Committee as a pawn in its “vaccine diplomacy.”

Wu’erkaixi said, “Obviously China is attempting with this ‘vaccine diplomacy’ to shed its responsibilities in the spread of the virus. China has been trying to buy international organizations and then have them speak for China itself. I call on the world to reject the Chinese government’s ‘vaccine diplomacy’ very clearly. The IOC should not be the pawn of the Chinese government, nor should it be the advocate of China’s foreign propaganda.”

Guan Yao, a member of U.S. based think tank “Dialogue China,” also criticized the IOC for endorsing China when the quality of the Chinese vaccine is in question.

Guan said, “China uses vaccines as a means of diplomacy and propaganda. Now it is using the International Olympic Committee to sell it to the world. As an authoritative international organization, the IOC has made this decision even when there are disputes about the efficiency and safety of the Chinese vaccine. I think the IOC has become a propaganda tool of the Chinese Communist Party.”

Japan’s Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa said on Friday March 12 that the IOC had not consulted with Japan about the Chinese vaccines and that Japanese athletes would not take them. She said the vaccines have not been approved for use in Japan.

The Tokyo Olympics was originally scheduled to be held in the summer of last year, but it was postponed for one year due to the epidemic. More than 10,000 athletes are reportedly participating in the games.

Beijing is accused of committing genocide against Uyghurs and suppressing democracy in Hong Kong. More than 180 organizations and parliamentarians from many countries are calling on the International Olympic Committee and the world to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Source: Radio Free Asia, March 12, 2021
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/vaccine-03122021100604.html

Ex-Official Calls for Attention to Chinese Encroachment on U.S. Territories

Guam and Saipan, the largest islands in the Northern Mariana Islands, are both well-known destinations for Chinese tourists. However, in recent years, China’s malicious acts have affected both U.S. territories.

Guam, only about 1,500 miles from Japan, is home to roughly 7,000 U.S. military personnel, including a U.S. Navy attack submarine squadron, a ship repair facility, and a major U.S. Air Force base. More than once, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has rehearsed attacks on Guam. This is why the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, Adm. Phil Davidson, has recently urged very strongly that the Senate approve the installation of the latest generation of the Aegis Ashore land-based anti-missile defense system in Guam to counter the Chinese missile threat.

Alexander B. Gray is a Senior Fellow in National Security Affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council. From 2018 to 2021, he served on the staff of the National Security Council, including as Director for Oceania & Indo-Pacific Security. He said, “I think with what the Chinese know about Guam, if they could, they would use the same thing they did with the Northern Mariana Islands on Guam which is to undermine the United States from within the U.S. overseas territories. If they could, that would include politically corrupt activities, malicious economic practices, and propaganda infiltration. So I would say that Guam itself is not only a military target. The U.S. must also think about how to protect the territory from infiltration by spies.”

The U.S. territories in the Pacific include Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and American Samoa. In the Caribbean are Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). Additionally, the U.S. administers nine possessions in the Pacific and one disputed possession in the Caribbean (Navassa Island).

Gray cited the infamous scandal that broke on Saipan in 2018. That involved the Chinese-owned company Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd. committing alleged bribery and hiring illegal Chinese laborers to build a casino.

Bloomberg reported in 2018 that Saipan has become the most China-like U.S. territory. The island has become a mecca for Chinese money laundering due to the relaxation of restrictions on gaming investments due to fiscal issues. 2017 saw a Chinese illegal worker killed, protests over unpaid wages, and the FBI’s investigation.

“The CNMI, for instance, has been inundated by the “birth tourism” phenomenon emanating from China and encouraged by a parole visa program initiated under the Obama administration. Birth tourism has overwhelmed the CNMI’s medical capacity, and, in recent years, foreign births have exceeded native ones there. At the same, four of China’s largest construction firms and a major casino operator were found by U.S. authorities to be persistently paying local workers below the minimum wage.”

Gray published an article at Real Clear Defense, pointing out that “the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of all U.S. territories and possessions totals over 1.3 million square miles, with the U.S. possessions in the Pacific totaling over 750,000 square miles by themselves.” “China’s global approach to strategic competition has shown no signs of respecting U.S. territories or possessions, however. Indeed, given the relative neglect U.S. territories receive at the highest levels in official Washington, these small islands are even more vulnerable to Beijing’s predations.”

Gray suggested enlargement or establishing of a permanent base for the U.S. Coast Guard in Guam and American Samoa. “The U.S. Coast Guard is the entity most capable of enforcing U.S. sovereignty and safeguarding vital interests across the territories and possessions. Whether it is enforcing EEZs in the Minor Outlying Islands, preventing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing across the Pacific, or countering narcotics and human trafficking in the Caribbean, the Coast Guard is an essential tool in blunting Beijing’s assault on U.S. territories.”

“The NSC (National Security Council) could create a Director-level position responsible for integrating U.S. territories and possessions into the broader national security discussion across regional and functional areas. Having an official inside the White House complex directly accountable for the integrity of U.S. territories would generate needed energy across the U.S. government.”

Roughly 3.5 million Americans live in the five U.S. Territories as citizens or nationals. U.S. Census data indicates that the population of Puerto Rico alone (estimated at 3.2 million as of 2019) is larger than that of 20 states.

Source: Radio Free Asia, March 11, 2021
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/junshiwaijiao/rc-03112021093613.html
Real Clear Defense, March 11,
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/03/11/us_territories_the_frontlines_of_global_competition_with_china_767683.html

China Speeding up Legal Activities to Cut off Foreign “Long Arms”

Well-known Chinese news site Sina (NASDQ: SINA) recently reported that the Chinese Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress plans to speed up the process of creating new laws that focus on anti-sanctions, anti-interference, and anti-long-arm-jurisdiction. This was in response to the call Xi Jinping made in November 2020, asking law makers to “push forward” on the front of the “foreign-related rule of law.” With the background of the U.S. rallying allies together against communist China, international political analysts expressed the belief that part of China’s strategy is to “use the rule of law to oppose the rule of law.” China expects its new “legal weaponry” will “deter” the West. One of the biggest legal problems China faces today is the application of the U.S. domestic law in China, such as in the case of Huawei. It appears that the new “legal battlefield” is now open for business in the U.S.-China strategic competition.

Source: Sina, March 10, 2021
https://finance.sina.com.cn/jjxw/2021-03-10/doc-ikknscsi0440686.shtml

Global Times: 200 HK Officials Must Leave Due to Refusal to Sign Sworn Statement

Global Times recently reported that Patrick Nip Tak-kuen, Secretary for the Civil Service of the Hong Kong government, revealed on March 8 that around 200 Hong Kong government officials did not sign a Sworn Statement before the deadline of February 28, 2021. The Sworn Statement was imposed on all government officials not long ago. Patrick Nip Tak-kuen suggested those who refused to sign the Statement would have to leave. One of the main reasons that the Hong Kong government required the signature was that many government officials participated in social and political movements that disagreed with the leadership’s policies. The New Civil Servants’ Union announced its dissolution immediately after the government asked for their signatures, due to the need to protect member privacy. Currently there is not yet a report analyzing the profiles of the officials who refused to sign. The Bureau for the Civil Service is expects to report this matter to the Legislative Council in April.

Source: Global Times, March 9, 2021
https://china.huanqiu.com/article/42EGNgw841L

RFI Chinese: LinkedIn Announced Pause in Adding New Chinese Members

Radio France Internationale (RFI) Chinese Edition recently reported that Microsoft-owned professional social network LinkedIn announced on March 9 that it will pause in accepting new Chinese members into the network. The announcement also said the decision had nothing to do with the recent major state-sponsored attack on Microsoft’s email products from Chinese hackers. LinkedIn explained that the company is reviewing legal compliance requirements for its Chinese version of services. However, no details on the legal front have been provided. LinkedIn is one of the very few international social networking platforms that survived the Chinese market, while China’s Great Firewall bans networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram in the name of national security. Microsoft’s Bing search engine is also banned in China. LinkedIn started its Chinese version in 2014, before Microsoft acquired it. LinkedIn decided to obey the Chinese censorship at the time in exchange for expanding its business in China. Currently LinkedIn has around 50 million Chinese users (Editor’s note: LinkedIn global user population is estimated to be 760 million). LinkedIn has received wide criticism for its deletion of accounts of Chinese political dissidents and its removal of politically sensitive content.

Source: RFI Chinese, March 10, 2021
https://bit.ly/3rN49sN