China’s move last week to restrict graphite exports, a vital material in electric vehicle batteries, will not only compel European automakers to accelerate their efforts to develop alternate sources and materials. But given that the European EV sector continues to depend on batteries from China, the EV supply chain is also emerging as a new source of escalating tensions between Beijing and the European Union. Already, China’s dominance in the EV market has become a bone of contention for the region as the EU accelerates the switch to EVs by practically prohibiting the sale of new petrol and diesel automobiles in the bloc from 2035. In September, Brussels also pledged to shield Europe’s auto industry from a “race to the bottom” by investigating Chinese state subsidies for electric vehicle manufacturers....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/china/ev-supply-chain-a-thorny-issue-in-eu-china-relations-5516578
No. 6 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia upended No. 1 Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic 7–5, 1–6, 6–1 in group play Wednesday at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, China. The two-hour, 10-minute victory was Kasatkina’s opening match in the Azalea Group, one of four three-player groups competing in the round-robin event. Kasatkina can reach the semifinals with a win on Thursday against No. 11 seed Magda Linette of Poland. No. 9 Caroline Garcia of France knocked out No. 2 Madison Keys in the Camellia Group with a 6–3, 7–6 (3) triumph, snapping a four-match losing streak to the American. Keys fired 12 aces, but Garcia saved both break points she faced....
In its third year since the CCP’s implementation of the “National Security Law (NSL)” in Hong Kong, and the damage to the Hong Kong rule of law, human rights, and government accountability system has become increasingly apparent. The “Hong Kong Rule of Law Monitor,” a group formed by legal professionals recently released a report summarizing the state of Hong Kong’s rule of law in 2022, in which it describes “rule of law” as now being utilized by the authoritarian regime as a tool to undermine freedom and human rights. Moreover, the same “rule of law” guise has also been taken as an excuse to enforce the current NSL and the vintage colonial-era sedition law. The concerns about the NSL from both legal academics and practicing lawyers have become a worrying reality....
U.S. President Joe Biden has cautioned Australia on normalising ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In a joint press conference with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House, Mr. Biden mentioned growing tensions across the globe. “Trust but verify is the phrase,” Mr. Biden said when asked if Australia could trust the Chinese regime. “China is having their own internal and external difficulties right now. China’s economic growth is stagnant compared to what it was. China has engaged in activities that Russia and many others have engaged in in terms of intimidation.” Mr. Biden also cemented his intention to continue with the AUKUS agreement—a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United States, and the UK—saying the initiative is not aimed at provoking Beijing, but to liberalise the Indo-Pacific Region from potential unipolar domination....