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Media freedom situation in Afghanistan

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The Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) has announced that it has removed Afghanistan’s membership in the coalition, citing the deterioration in the country’s media freedom situation as a core reason behind it.

Canada and Netherlands, which jointly chair the global MFC, said that the situation of Afghan media is no longer in accordance with the country’s obligations and they have annulled its membership.

Afghanistan joined the coalition in January 2020 after fulfilling the Global Pledge, and committed to fulfill its global obligations towards freedom of expression. However, the MFC said the decision to remove Afghanistan from the coalition was made after consultation with the members of the coalition and in accordance with the membership conditions of this association.

MFC said that “for the coalition, it is clear that unfortunately the situation of media freedom in Afghanistan is no longer in accordance with the global commitment (of this country) and the current situation (of media freedom) is one of the serious concerns of (the coalition).”

The coalition also lamented the rapid loss of freedom of media in Afghanistan since last year due to persistent harassment, assaults, detentions, and exclusion of women from the media, putting journalists’ lives in danger every day. But the MFC will continue to keep a careful eye on the state of media freedom in Afghanistan.

A quick change on Afghanistan’s freedom of expression

There has been a quick change in the landscape of freedom of media in Afghanistan after regaining power by the Taliban in 2021. Hundreds of journalists and media workers left the country, and hundreds more became jobless within a night. Several news agencies, including some popular tv channels and newspapers closed due to political and economic pressures.

But it is not the end of the road, because still there are many media outlets active in Afghanistan and are making all out efforts to report impartially with all journalism ethics codes. But at the same time they are scrambling to get first hand news as access to information has been limited. There are also reports coming out over censorship that have made the free flow of information into serious challenges.

Reports of violence against journalists have also hit the peak and as per the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) report, there have been over 200 cases of journalist human rights violations recorded in the past over one year.

Over 245 cases of violence against journalists recorded during Taliban’s first year rule

Afghanistan Journalist Center said it acknowledges the concern of the MFC about the situation of freedom of expression in Afghanistan as it had recorded at least 245 incidents of violence against journalists and media workers during the one year of the Taliban rule from 15 August 2021 to 15 August 2022.

The center also recorded at least 130 cases of temporary detention with violence and threats from one to several hours or several days during the span of time. Among the detained journalists, Khalid Qadri, former presenter of Nowruz Radio in Herat province, has been sentenced to one year in prison for publishing his critical views on the Taliban government on social media.

The Taliban has urged to comply with its commitment regarding the applicability of the law of mass media and related laws and regulations (approved by the republican system) and while respecting the free media, it should immediately remove the restrictions imposed on the media outlets and journalists.

Taliban regretted expulsion of Afghanistan from MFC

Reacting to the expulsion of Afghanistan from MFC, the Taliban top official regretted the decision and said that the government is fully committed to support free media in Afghanistan.

Taliban advisor to the Ministry of Information and Culture, Abdul Matin Qani said that the ministry is committed to freedom of expression and fully supports media outlets and access to information in accordance with Islamic and national values.

The Taliban condemns the unilateral decision of the MFC to remove Afghanistan from the global coalition, according to Qani, blaming the MFC for not fully aware of the realities in Afghanistan. “The international community should understand the realities on the ground in Afghanistan and surely they are aware of the fact that Afghan media are operating freely and freedom of expression is there in Afghanistan,” the official said.

While calling the MFC’s decision regrettable, Qani said that the ministry will continue to support the freedom of expression and the media in Afghanistan. The MFC was asked to reconsider its decision.

However, the Taliban has apparently ordered the media not to publish news, reports, and analytical materials in opposition to and against the Taliban regime, ideology, and method of governance. Taliban had already banned broadcasting of foreign movies, TV series, and commercial advertisements that contain images of women. Female journalist’s appearances on the screen had already been restricted and they must wear a hijab during any news bulletin or interviews.

219 media outlets in Afghanistan stopped operations

219 media outlets in Afghanistan have stopped operations in the past one year. Out of 547 active media outlets in Afghanistan till 2021, only 328 media outlets have continued to operate after the Taliban seized power. Other media protecting agencies also said that the activities of 318 media outlets were stopped and nearly three thousand journalists lost their jobs during the past one year.

Indeed, the growth of an independent media in Afghanistan since 2001 was one of the greatest successes and most of these outlets were privately owned. Most of the government’s performance and activities are observed and covered by media and are criticized by media when required and it was effective somehow. But it was not like everything was perfect, and the media sector does not have challenges. Nearly 50 journalists were killed and hundreds of violations against the media have been recorded at that time. Several cases of journalist’s assassination remained uninvestigated, and in most of these incidents the previous government was blamed for.

However, the Taliban, the current ruler of Afghanistan, must let the media workers and journalists carry their jobs because journalism is not a crime but rather it plays a role of bridge connecting people to the government. In fact, the media has been considered as the fourth pillar of the state because it informs the government of situation on the ground.

ASIA

China delays approval for BYD’s Mexico factory amid US concerns

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The Beijing administration is delaying approval for the electric vehicle manufacturer BYD to establish a factory in Mexico, over concerns that the smart car technology developed by China’s largest electric vehicle producer could leak across the border into the US.

BYD initially announced plans in 2023 to build a car factory in Mexico, with intentions to also produce vehicles in Brazil, Hungary, and Indonesia. The Mexico factory was projected to employ 10,000 people and produce 150,000 vehicles annually.

However, according to two individuals familiar with the matter, local car manufacturers require approval from China’s Ministry of Commerce to produce overseas, and the ministry has not yet granted this approval.

Officials fear that Mexico would grant unrestricted access to BYD’s advanced technology and know-how, potentially even allowing the US to access it. One of these individuals told the Financial Times, “The biggest concern for the Ministry of Commerce is Mexico’s proximity to the US.”

According to these individuals who spoke to the Financial Times, Beijing is also prioritizing projects in countries that are part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure development program.

Changing geopolitical dynamics have also contributed to the cooling of relations with Mexico. Mexico attempted to maintain relations with Donald Trump, who threatened exports and employment by imposing customs duties on cross-border trade.

Trump also initiated a trade war with Beijing, imposing customs duties on imports from China. In retaliation, Beijing imposed customs duties on approximately $22 billion of US goods, primarily targeting America’s agricultural sector.

Trump’s team accused Mexico of being a “back door” for Chinese goods to enter the US duty-free through the North American Free Trade Agreement. The Mexican government denies this, but responded to US pressure by imposing customs duties on Chinese textile products and initiating anti-dumping investigations into steel and aluminum products originating from China.

The second individual stated, “The new government in Mexico has further complicated the situation for BYD by adopting a hostile stance towards Chinese companies.”

In November, shortly after Trump’s re-election, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that there had still been no “definite” investment offer from any Chinese company to establish operations in Mexico, despite BYD reaffirming its intention to invest $1 billion earlier that month.

Gregor Sebastian, a senior analyst at the US-based consulting firm Rhodium Group, noted, “The Mexican government clearly wants to receive some investment [from China], but its trade relations with the US are much more important.”

Sebastian stated that it would not be “commercially logical” for BYD to currently expedite the construction of a production facility in Mexico, noting that the absence of a robust automotive supply chain would force BYD to import numerous components from China, which would be subject to higher customs duties.

When asked whether US customs tariffs and Mexico’s tougher stance against China had halted the company’s plans, BYD Vice President Stella Li stated that “they had not yet made a decision regarding the Mexico plant.”

Last year in February, Li had said that they would choose a location for the factory by the end of 2024.

BYD reported selling over 40,000 vehicles in Mexico last year. The company stated that it aims to double its sales volume in 2025 and open 30 new dealerships in the country.

BYD sold 4.3 million electric and hybrid vehicles worldwide in 2024 and introduced the “God’s Eye” advanced driving system in February, planning to install this system in its entire model range.

Earlier this month, Tesla’s biggest competitor raised $5.6 billion from the sale of shares in Hong Kong, with the proceeds expected to support its overseas expansion.

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BYD shares soar on promise of ‘5-minute EV charge’

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Shares of BYD, China’s electric vehicle (EV) champion, hit a new record high on Tuesday after its founder, Wang Chuanfu, claimed their EVs can now charge as quickly as filling a car with traditional fuel.

BYD, a rival to Tesla, saw its shares rise by over 6% in early trading in Hong Kong, reaching HK$408.80 (approximately $52.62) per share, marking an approximate gain of 85% over the last 12 months.

The company’s billionaire founder, Wang, stated on Monday that the new charging system developed by the Shenzhen group for BYD’s own EV batteries can add approximately 470 km of range in five minutes.

This claim suggests that BYD has surpassed competitors like Tesla and Mercedes-Benz in fast-charging technology, although the new system depends on several preconditions, including sufficient voltage at charging stations.

There is increasing competition among EV and battery manufacturers to establish faster charging infrastructure to help alleviate consumer concerns about the driving range and charging speed of EVs compared to traditional internal combustion engine vehicles.

According to Chris Liu, a Shanghai-based senior analyst at Omdia consulting, China is estimated to install approximately 460,000 new public EV chargers this year, accounting for about two-thirds of the global total, bringing cumulative units to approximately 2.1 million.

BYD’s recent share price increase comes a month after the company shook the global automotive industry by launching a free advanced autonomous driving system, dubbed “God’s Eye,” which it plans to install in its entire new car series.

These moves put further pressure on Elon Musk’s Tesla and Germany’s Volkswagen, as well as a host of domestic competitors, who have been losing market share as EV sales have exploded in China in recent years.

According to data from Automobility, a consulting firm in Shanghai, BYD already holds approximately 35% of the Chinese EV market. It has an 18% share in the pure battery EV segment and a 56% share in the plug-in hybrid segment.

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China’s AsiaInfo expands with DeepSeek-powered AI

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China’s largest telecom software infrastructure provider says that working with artificial intelligence (AI) startup DeepSeek is helping the company develop its own AI capabilities, which it will use to expand in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

AsiaInfo Technologies CTO Ouyang Ye said in an exclusive interview with Nikkei Asia that the company’s collaboration with DeepSeek began well before it rose to global prominence earlier this year with a low-cost approach to developing AI models.

Ouyang said that AsiaInfo also works closely with other top-tier Chinese large language models (LLMs) such as Alibaba Cloud’s Tongyi Qianwen and ByteDance’s Doubao, but that the rise of the open-source DeepSeek model is what facilitates and accelerates the deployment of the company’s various AI solutions.

“Our telecom infrastructure software solutions for China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom fully support DeepSeek’s model,” said Ouyang, referring to the country’s three major telecom providers. He said that his company was the first in the industry to embed and fully support DeepSeek.

According to research by AsiaInfo and Tsinghua University, DeepSeek’s model performs well in specialized technical areas such as monitoring network failures and optimizing wireless communication performance.

The CTO said that, for example, China Unicom’s Guangdong subsidiary used AsiaInfo’s DeepSeek-enhanced solutions in February to optimize service efficiency. This initiative reduced training costs by 75%, enhanced AI assistant capabilities, accelerated response times by 200%, and increased the efficiency of human-machine collaboration by 40%.

Hong Kong-based AsiaInfo, a leading telecom software infrastructure solutions provider, competes with US-based Amdocs, India’s Infosys, and Poland’s Comarch. Some network equipment makers like Huawei, HPE, Cisco, and Nokia also provide some software services.

In addition to infrastructure software, AsiaInfo also provides business and operations support systems, such as network monitoring software and customer and billing management, including processing telecom billing information for China’s 1.4 billion population.

AsiaInfo is also the largest software provider for China’s 5G private networks, serving the country’s leading energy providers and steelmakers, such as China Nuclear Group and Shougang Group, as well as miners and wind farm operators. Private networks are set up by businesses or organizations to provide on-site connectivity to facilitate services like factory automation.

Ouyang is optimistic that AsiaInfo can leverage AI to boost its overseas expansion, and that 5G private networks are expected to be a significant growth driver in the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The majority of AsiaInfo’s business is in China, and going overseas is one of the company’s core strategies for growth.

“This year, the growth potential in the overseas market is quite large, especially in the fields of mines, ports, and energy, where we have more specific domain expertise,” the senior executive said.

AsiaInfo Chairman and CEO Edward Tian previously stated that the traditional telecom market and spending have slowed in 2024, but the adoption of AI and LLMs has become a key growth driver for the company as customers begin to adopt these technologies in their services.

AsiaInfo says its software can run on servers and other hardware from different companies, including Nvidia, Huawei, and Hygon.

While leading Chinese tech companies and government agencies are adopting DeepSeek, some governments, such as Italy, Australia, Canada, and South Korea, are banning its use on official devices.

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