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Week 2 International News

I. CNN 10, September 3, 2020
A. @0:18 A Russian Troll Farm
CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Two years ago, American investigators accused a
Russian organization of interfering with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The
Russian group is the Internet Research Agency. U.S. officials say it`s a troll farm, a
group that aims to anger or provoke people on the internet, creating fake identities,
posing as Americans online, criticizing some of the U.S. presidential candidates. This
is how the U.S. Justice Department said the Internet Research Agency tried to deceive
Americans.

Russia called the accusation absurd and not based on any facts. But now, Facebook
says people connected to the Internet Research Agency are trying to target Americans
again. According to the social media company, Russian operatives tried to deceive
Americans with computer generated photos of people, Facebook accounts and pages
and a website designed to look like a news outlet.

Facebook says the Russian organization was probably shut down before it became
very influential but it points to this as evidence that Russia`s trying to interfere with
the upcoming U.S. election.

Peace Data is the website accused of being part of the Russian operation. It`s
published more than 500 stories in English in this year and 200 in Arabic. It says it`s a
global news organization and calls Facebook`s accusations a lie.

Facebook says it`s findings were the result of an FBI tip that came in July and that it
used so-called technical indicators to link the info to Russia`s Internet Research
Agency. The FBI says it`s been working to better prevent online threats to U.S.
National Security and democratic processes.

B. @1:50 The U.S. Economy

As far as the U.S. economy goes, it`s a mixed bag. Important economic indicators like
retail sales, industrial production and new home construction, they took a hit in March
and April as businesses nationwide shut down.

The unemployment rate, the percentage of American workers without jobs, hit 14.7
percent in April. That was after almost two years of record lows at or below 4 percent.
It has improved since then to 10.2 percent and the new unemployment report that
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comes out Friday will give us more info. The Stock Market meanwhile has been
soaring but that too has mixed reasons.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I`m here in Wall Street, and it`s,
basically empty. Nobody is -- (inaudible) traders are working at home but make no
mistake they`re working.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ hit record highs,
records in the Stock Market.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: March low to a new peak.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This person is Jeff Bezos. He is wealthier than he`s ever
been.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So how can that be? How can millions of people be out of
work? Small businesses closing throughout the country and the Stock Market seems
to be doing so well.

First is that, when we talk about the Stock Market, what we`re really talking about are
indices: the Dow and the S&P 500. Those indices are made up of the largest publicly
traded corporations out there. So when we just talk about the Stock Market, we`re
talking about the evaluation of those companies. We`re not talking about other factors
in the economy like wages, the unemployment rate. How many people are actually
working? And, at a time of crisis like the pandemic, large corporations handled it
better than others.

The second reason, textiles. So take the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones. We know that
that`s just the largest publicly traded corporations. But, even when you look at the
number of the Dow and the S&P 500, it`s still disproportionately affected by the
largest of the companies. Most companies have done really well during the pandemic.
Companies like Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, over the last year
they`ve gone up 49 percent in stock. The rest of the S&P 500 has stayed flat.

So the third reason is speculation. Right? When you look at the stock prices, it`s not
just measuring how a company`s doing at the moment, the speculation (inaudible).
So, take Tesla, Tesla`s stock price has gone up 10 times in the last year, but they`re not
selling 10 times as many cars. People have bought into Tesla with the expectation that
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will one day justify that price. (END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: And that`s another reason why the market`s up. It`s considered a leading
economic indicator, meaning it`s predicting what happens down the road. Many
investors think that if corona virus gets under control and people get increasingly
confident about the economy in 2021, companies in general will be doing better and
potentially the economy as a whole.

II. FTV News, September 4, 2020: Czech Republic, U.S., Japan and Taiwan officials
share rare stage at supply chain forum 
The president of the Czech senate and his delegation are leaving Taiwan Friday night,
after a high-profile six-day visit. Earlier in the day, the senate president attended a
forum in which Taiwan, U.S., and Japanese representatives discussed policy tools for
restructuring supply chains away from China. The director of the American Institute
in Taiwan, Brent Christensen, gave a speech, saying that the parties attending the
forum were linked by shared values that would make them good partners in the post-
pandemic economy.

It’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu, AIT Director Christensen, Czech Senate
Speaker Milos Vystrcil and Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association head Izumi
Hiroyasu. On Friday, there was the rare sight of U.S., Japan, Europe and Taiwan
officials sharing a stage, during a forum on supply chain restructuring amid the
pandemic.

Brent Christensen, AIT director:

Taiwan has demonstrated time and again that it is a reliable partner and a critical
player for moving toward a more sustainable global economy. I urge Taiwan to
capitalize on the unique opportunity to join the effort to shape global supply chains
for the betterment of the world. Taiwan companies adhere to the rule of law and
protect intellectual property.

Joseph Wu, Foreign affairs minister:

Knowing that we need to end dependence on others to get a head start on national
development. I can assure you that you could not find a more dedicated and
determined partner in the democratic world than Taiwan.

With the advent of the 5G era, information security is national security. And amid the
uncertainties of a world with COVID, countries are realizing the risks of relying too
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much on a single supplier for critical goods. As a result, many countries are looking
into ways to restructure supply chains for technology and medical supplies. But at
Friday’s forum, another issue was on the mind of Czech speaker Vystrcil.

Milos Vystrcil, Czech senate president:

I must say, I’m no supply chains expert, but I just heard that Czech beer is all sold out
in Taipei.

Vystrcil remarked that Czech beer is popular not just because it tastes great, but also
because of an optimized supply chain. He said that quality and safety must be
considered when building a supply chain, and that this could only be done through
cooperation.

III. PBS, September 4, 2020: In Hong Kong, residents self-censor to steer clear of
China’s crackdown
Judy Woodruff:
A letter released by U.N. human rights officials today blasted a new national security
law in Hong Kong imposed two months ago by China. And, with its now customary
fire, Beijing shot back, telling the U.N. to — quote — "stop meddling."

Special correspondent Divya Gopalan tells us now what has changed in Hong Kong
and what has not.

Divya Gopalan:
This is one of the few places where evidence of months of anti-government protests
last year is still displayed openly. The Yau Lei Fong restaurant is known for its
traditional roast meats and a timeline of the 2019 protest movement. But look a little
closer, and you will find black tape covering the slogans that became the anthems for
the protests.

Restaurant owner Jerry Chong says they have obscured anything which could be
defined as subversive, after China's Communist Party imposed a wide-ranging
national security law on July the 1st.

Jerry Chong (through translator):

Not a single person could tell us or define what was against the law. What can you
say? What can't you say? It's really hard to say how I feel, but there's fear in
everyone's hearts.
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Divya Gopalan:
Beijing says the law is necessary to bring stability, after months of sometimes violent
anti-government protests last year. It targets crimes of secession, subversion,
terrorism, and collusion with foreign powers.
One of the leaders of the democracy movement here, activist Joshua Wong, says he is
in the crosshairs of the law. He disbanded his pro-democracy political party hours
before it came into effect.

Joshua Wong:
My life is in risk. And I am not sure, will Hong Kong police knock on my door at
5:00 a.m., storm into my house, and arrest me suddenly?

Divya Gopalan:
Also raising fear, the newly set-up Beijing- controlled security agency, which
operates outside of the city's legal system. Officers can investigate and extradite
suspects to the communist-controlled courts of mainland China.

Grenville Cross:
There is a particular clause which, in very rare circumstances, will enable a case
which occurs here to be transferred to the mainland for trial.

Divya Gopalan:
Grenville Cross was Hong Kong's longest serving chief prosecutor and is now an
honorary professor at two of the city's top universities.

Grenville Cross:
Now, as I understand it, that will only happen extremely rarely and in very clearly
defined circumstances, circumstances where Hong Kong itself is not able to handle
the case.

Divya Gopalan:
The law marks Beijing's full takeover of Hong Kong, which was promised 50 years of
relative autonomy after the British handover in 1997.

In response, the Trump administration removed the special trade and economic
privileges granted to Hong Kong, saying it's now just like any other part of China.

Felix Chung:
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We have our independent legal systems. We have our independent currency. We have
— we are using common law as our legal system, the rule of law. It's still very
different from China.

Divya Gopalan:
Pro-Beijing legislative councilor Felix Chung, who represents the textile and garment
industry, says the United States is complicit in stripping away the city's highly
regarded international status.

Felix Chung:
I don't think Hong Kong is changed by that law. Hong Kong is changed by the
international conflict, especially between the U.S. and China.

Divya Gopalan:
But, according to the American Chamber of Commerce, the national security law is
affecting the business environment. Forty percent of U.S. companies surveyed had
plans to move capital, assets or operations out of the city.

Police can raid premises without a court warrant, and they can order Internet firms to
remove content or seize their equipment. Online media giants like Facebook and
Google say they have stopped responding directly to data requests from the Hong
Kong police.

A number of activists, students, and protesters have already been arrested for social
media posts. And with no clear wording of what exactly is illegal, any activity,
secessionist, demanding independence, saying Hong Kong is not China, could be
prosecutable.

At stake is the city's freedom of speech and vibrant media industry, which doesn't
exist anywhere else in China. According to the Hong Kong government, the national
security law only targets a small minority of lawbreakers, but it has triggered
widespread unease.

We have certainly felt it while putting together this report, with a number of
previously outspoken figures on both sides of the political divide refusing our
interview requests, due to concerns that what they say could potentially be used
against them, although it is here in the local press where the most chilling effect of the
law can be felt.
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The Apple Daily is the city's most-read pro-democracy newspaper. On August 11,
200 police stormed the newsroom in a raid that was livestreamed to a shocked city.
They arrested top executives, including the paper's billionaire owner, Jimmy Lai, who
has strong ties in Washington. He faces charges of colluding with foreign countries, a
charge he's told the "NewsHour" late last month that's open to interpretation.

Jimmy Lai:
They are very strict about collusion with a foreign power. Even now, accepting your
interview could be collusion with foreign power. So, I have to be cautious of what I
say, you know, so, this is the fact of life here now.

IV. FTV News, September 9, 2020: MOEA cultivates supply chain for 5G private
network market
 The Ministry of Economic Affairs held a press conference on Tuesday, to showcase
efforts to build a supply chain for 5G private networks. Ninety tech companies and
the Industrial Technology Research Institute have been developing chips, network
equipment, cloud servers, and other infrastructure needed to provide private networks
to enterprise clients. The global private network market is expected to reach an annual
output value of NT$50 billion by 2022.

The MOEA’s Department of Industrial Technology held a press conference with

representatives from ITRI and major tech firms such as Compal and Alpha Networks.
They showcased their work on an ecosystem for 5G private networks.

Lin Der-sheng, MOEA Department of Industrial Technology:

For example, if you had machines running and there was too much of a lag, wouldn’t
there be problems? 5G delivers bigger connections, greater capacity, and lower
latency, which can solve those problems.

For Taiwan, this is the first year of the 5G era. Led by the MOEA, some 90 domestic
tech companies invested in infrastructure for 5G private networks. They’re setting up
a new business model that integrates communication technologies and service
providers.

Pangan Ting, Industrial Technology Research Institute:

Thirty years ago, you could only watch movies in cinemas. Now when you watch
movies, you can watch through various channels. They are what is called a private
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network. A public network is basically just the network that’s provided. It’s not like
you ask your telecoms provider to configure it to suit your needs.

5G private networks have already been deployed at hospitals and audiovisual facilities
for testing. They’re being used to support high-resolution remote patient monitoring
as well as first-person experiences in virtual reality. So far, results are good. Alpha
Networks, which manufactures small cells for 5G networks, said it’s confident in
growth ahead for the private network market.

Yeh Feng-chi, Alpha Networks:

If Taiwan relies too much on large foreign manufacturers, there will be a problem, in
that there will be a relative lack of flexibility. 5G private networks very much call for
subtle customization. We can make modifications according to the different needs of
the customer.

Dedicated small cells can enable highly secure 5G private networks. Domestic
enterprises are working together to support the wider application of 5G. They expect
5G to generate some NT$50 billion in output value by 2022, driving a national digital
transformation.