China and major democratic countries strengthen their competition in the Pacific. Iran claims short-range missile attack killed Hamas leader. United Nations expert calls for release of human rights defenders in Russia.
Sources:
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-and-major-democracies-step-up-competition-in-the-pacific-20240801/7726616.html
https://www.voachinese.com/a/hamas-leader-killed-by-projectile-20240803/7728833.html
https://news.ifeng.com/c/8ble7Z4miMi
https://news.un.org/zh/story/2024/08/1130371
Outline:
(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:00:46) China and major democratic countries strengthen their competition in the Pacific
(00:02:56) Iran: The short -range ammunition killed Hamas Hania, reiterated the vow retaliation
(00:04:56) United Nations Human Rights Expert: Russia must release all human rights maintenanceers, journalists and anti -war critics
Simply Politics, from China
China’s Pacific Competition, Iran’s Missile Attack, Russia’s Human Rights Violations
China and major democratic countries strengthen their competition in the Pacific. Iran claims short-range missile attack killed Hamas leader. United Nations expert calls for release of human rights defenders in Russia.Sources:https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-and-major-democracies-step-up-competition-in-the-pacific-20240801/7726616.htmlhttps://www.voachinese.com/a/hamas-leader-killed-by-projectile-20240803/7728833.htmlhttps://news.ifeng.com/c/8ble7Z4miMihttps://news.un.org/zh/story/2024/08/1130371Outline:(00:00:00) Introduction(00:00:46) China and major democratic countries strengthen their competition in the Pacific(00:02:56) Iran: The short -range ammunition killed Hamas Hania, reiterated the vow retaliation(00:04:56) United Nations Human Rights Expert: Russia must release all human rights maintenanceers, journalists and anti -war critics
- Duration:
- 7m
- Broadcast on:
- 04 Aug 2024
- Audio Format:
- mp3
Good morning, and welcome to Simply Politics from China. It's Sunday, August 4th. On today's show, China and major democratic countries intensify their competition in the Pacific, while Iran vows retaliation after short-range ammunition kills Hamas-Haniya. Plus, a professor from Fudan University claims Netanyahu delayed the war for personal political gain, stating that this is not the United States. This coverage and more, up next. I'm David, and you're listening to Simply Politics from China. We start off with a look at the escalating geopolitical competition in the Pacific region. In recent weeks, China and democratic countries, including Australia and Japan, have been increasing their engagement with Pacific island nations. This has escalated what some regional politicians and analysts are calling "great power competition," particularly in the security realm. Joining us now is Michael, a correspondent for Simply Politics from China. Can you tell us more about this geopolitical competition in the Pacific region? Indeed, David. As traditional partners roll out new activities and new partners continue to show interest, geopolitical competition in the Pacific region is intensifying. This is, according to Mihai Sora, head of the Pacific Islands program at Australia's Lowy Institute. We understand that the prime ministers of the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu recently made high-profile visits to China. What can you tell us about these visits? That's correct. During their visits, prime ministers Jeremiah Manella of the Solomon Islands and Charlotte Sawai of Vanuatu pledged to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership with China. After his first trip to China as prime minister, Manella announced that China would provide more than $20 million in budget support to the Solomon Islands, although the Chinese government has not publicly confirmed this. What about China's commitment to the Solomon Islands police force? China has reiterated its commitment to support and train the Solomon Islands police force. This began after the Solomon Islands signed two controversial security agreements with China over the past two years. Meanwhile, Japan is also increasing its role in the region. Can you tell us more about that? Certainly. After a three-day summit held in Tokyo in mid-July, leaders from 18 Pacific Island countries agreed to strengthen Japan's growing role in the region. Tokyo and the Pacific Island nations also announced a joint action plan to increase port calls by Japan's self-defense forces and deepen cooperation between maritime police agencies. It seems like the Pacific region is becoming a new arena for geopolitical competition. We'll keep an eye on how this develops. In other news, Iran's state television reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC has accused the United States of supporting an Israeli attack that allegedly killed Hamas political leader Ismail Hania. Here to discuss this further is James, a correspondent for Simply Politics from China. Can you tell us more about these accusations? Yes, David. The IRGC has stated that a rocket with a seven kilogram warhead attacked Hania's residents in Tehran, causing severe damage. They have accused the Zionist authorities of designing and carrying out this action with the support of the United States. However, the statement did not provide details on the location of the residents. What was Hania doing in Iran at the time of the attack? Hania was in Iran to attend the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected Iranian president, Masud Pasekian. Has there been any formal acknowledgement or denial from Israel regarding this alleged assassination? Israel has neither formally acknowledged nor denied killing Hania. However, it's worth noting that Israel had earlier vowed to kill him and other Hamas leaders involved in an attack on southern Israel that triggered the Gaza war. What are the potential implications of this assassination? The assassination has raised concerns about a widening regional conflict and a possible direct confrontation between Israel and Iran, especially if Tehran decides to retaliate. This comes after Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in April, which Israel claimed to have intercepted 99% of. Less than two weeks before that, Israel allegedly attacked Syria, killing two Iranian generals. This marked the first direct military attack on Israel by Iran in decades since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. It seems like the situation is escalating. We'll keep an eye on how this develops. Thanks, James. In related news, UN human rights experts have called on Russia to release all detained human rights defenders, journalists, and anti-war critics. This follows a significant prisoner exchange between Russia and Western countries, including the United States and Germany, on August 1st. Here to discuss this further is Bella, a correspondent for Simply Politics from China. Can you tell us more about this prisoner exchange? Yes, David. In this prisoner exchange, Russia released several individuals, including Evan Gerskovich, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine. In return, Western countries released several Russians, including a former member of Russia's security agency. What have the human rights experts said about those released by Russia? The experts stated that most of those released by Russia were arbitrarily detained for peacefully opposing the Russian government and its war against Ukraine. They were advocating for human rights, reporting news, expressing themselves artistically and engaging in political activities. Their detention violated international human rights standards and is indicative of the intensifying crackdown on dissent and freedom of expression in Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. What concerns do the experts have about those who remain detained? The experts expressed concern over Russia's continued politically motivated imprisonment of between 700 to 1,372 political prisoners. They pointed out that continued detention would expose these individuals to further human rights risks, including torture, ill treatment, and enforced disappearance. What are the experts calling for? The experts are calling on the Russian government to immediately and unconditionally release all-detained political prisoners. They are also urging Russia to repeal laws restricting freedom of expression and to amend the criminal code to prevent the abuse of national security laws to suppress dissent and target opposition figures, human rights defenders, and journalists. Thanks for that report, Bella. This is certainly a situation that requires close monitoring. And with that, we wrap up our stories for today. Thanks for listening to Simply Politics from China. We'll see you back here tomorrow. [MUSIC] [BLANK_AUDIO]