Sepia

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The high cost is related to the fact that non-Chinese drones are nearly twice as expensive, the RCMP said.

Yeah, but non-Chinese drones are also not made under slave-like conditions.

I am not a legal expert, but I guess if one files a lawsuit against you then you'll have to at least defend yourself, at least in Western democracies. So as a legal layman I would say simply ignoring might not be an option.

Experts now apparently have found a legal way to use Russian asset as collateral for this reparation loan.

A quick reminder that Russia has already seized (seized, not frozen!) Western assets within Russia of around 50 billion euros. The Kremlin introduced 'rules' that allowed it to confiscate assets of what it called 'unfriendly countries' as early as 2023. Among the affected Western companies whose assets were seized are Carlsberg and Danone, based in Denmark and France respectively. Both companies were 'punished' - according to the Kremlin - for halting their business in Russia.

Sepia @mander.xyz 1w ago

So can he demand accountability now? Or will this be again seen as 'crossing the line'?

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Sepia @mander.xyz 1w ago

@davel@lemmygrad.ml

Lemmygrad./ml [users] frequently share posts that support authoritarian regimes, as seen in their support for China, North Korea, and Russia. Moreover, their support can extend beyond backing these authoritarian regimes, even cheering on their violent actions, as evidenced by their posts on the Russian invasion of Ukraine ...

Lemmygrad./ml ... also serves as a hub for left-wing extremist subreddits that faced restrictions from Reddit. [There is] an increase in user activity and toxicity levels on Lemmygrad.ml following the migration of r/GenZedong and r/GenZhou. Furthermore, our analysis of the content revealed posts supporting authoritarian regimes, endorsing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and exhibiting anti-Zionist and antisemitic rhetoric. Our findings underscore the importance of studying left-wing extremism on decentralized platforms alongside right-wing extremism to gain a comprehensive understanding of the full spectrum of political extremism on the Decentralized Web ...

Source

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Sepia @mander.xyz 1w ago

@davel@lemmygrad.ml

Lemmygrad./ml [users] frequently share posts that support authoritarian regimes, as seen in their support for China, North Korea, and Russia. Moreover, their support can extend beyond backing these authoritarian regimes, even cheering on their violent actions, as evidenced by their posts on the Russian invasion of Ukraine ...

Lemmygrad./ml ... also serves as a hub for left-wing extremist subreddits that faced restrictions from Reddit. [There is] an increase in user activity and toxicity levels on Lemmygrad.ml following the migration of r/GenZedong and r/GenZhou. Furthermore, our analysis of the content revealed posts supporting authoritarian regimes, endorsing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and exhibiting anti-Zionist and antisemitic rhetoric. Our findings underscore the importance of studying left-wing extremism on decentralized platforms alongside right-wing extremism to gain a comprehensive understanding of the full spectrum of political extremism on the Decentralized Web ...

Source

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Sepia @mander.xyz 1w ago

The degree of Chinese propaganda in this thread is astonishing even for Lemmy. It's almost hilarious how the reality (may it be intentional or unintentional) is ignored just to make the West look bad and China portraying as the big and only.

There is a lot wrong in 'the West' with housing, and countries offering sometime reasonable solutions, and sometimes not. But China has a long way to go also in this respect as the housing condition for a large portion of Chinese people is devastating.

As one research study (here is the archived link) says:

Depending on how one defines homelessness, China has either a very tiny homeless population or an extremely large one. Compared to other countries, there very few vagrants: people living on the streets of China's cities without means of support. But if one counts the people who migrated to cities without a legal permit (hukou), work as day laborers without job security or a company dormitory, and live in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions on the edge of cities, there are nearly 300 million homeless.

Unlike the 'communist' agenda of China that is conveyed here in this thread, a study's conclusion is:

Free market fundamentalism is responsible for the emergence of this sort of homelessness in China.

Another commentary concludes,

China is confronted with a housing paradox. The housing market is crashing, yet more than a fifth of the Chinese population is homeless.

It's really is to find reliable and very good sources on homelessness in China.

It also tells you a lot that as anger mounts in Hong Kong over apartment fires, Beijing warns against ‘anti-China disruptors’ -- (archived link).

But I understand that you cannot discuss this here. As some sort of projection of their own behaviour, they accuse others of 'propaganda' and ignore the facts. It is likely this why Lemmy is still a niche and, as long as this sentiment prevails, will never meaningfully grow imo.

[Edit typo.]

Sepia @mander.xyz 1w ago

Just read a [BBC article]https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8e5j20g27o():

... Several residents have revealed in interviews that the fire alarm did not sound when the fire broke out. Authorities said on Friday that they had checked the fire alarms in all eight blocks and found that they were not working properly ...

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Sepia @mander.xyz 1w ago

Oh, yes, sounds very impressive. But don't make the mistake to think that 'ownership' in China means the same as in Western democracies.

In 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded, all land was nationalized. Although the (most) residents didn't pay rent, the government owned all the land.

In 1980, Deng Xiaoping changed the law and formalized the ownership, but this didn't change the fact that the land was -and sill is- owned by the state. Property rights in mainland China are some sort of 'lease rights' (IIRC 70 years for private property and 50 years for commercial property).

It is true that by this law, most of Chinese citizens indeed have been ending up with property/lease rights. But be aware that the government can revoke this right at any time for no reason as the government still owns the land.

Sepia @mander.xyz 2w ago

Probably, I am not an expert in construction, but several reports (including this one) say there is a lack of security. Another one is economic struggle as the article also suggest. Many people wouldn't live in these homes if they had a choice, but homelessness is on the rise in Hong Kong.

... “Every night on the streets is an emergency. This is a very wealthy city — but one in five at this moment are experiencing food insecurity,” ImpactHK founder Jeffrey Rotmeyer told Al Jazeera.

“These are scary times. We’ve seen the percentage of females on the street double [since the pandemic], and we’ve seen about a 25 percent increase overall. And we are seeing homeless communities pop up in new areas" ...

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Sepia @mander.xyz 2w ago

No, it effects 'ordinary' Chinese people as many invested their life savings hoping to pay for a house or an apartment for themselves and their children. Their money is now gone for property that will never be built, or is half-built and'll be finished. Many are now left behind with an amount of debt.

As the article says:

Money flooded into real estate as the emerging middle class leapt upon what was one of the few safe investments available, pushing home prices up sixfold over the 15 years ending in 2022. ... At its peak, the sector directly and indirectly accounted for about a quarter of domestic output and almost 80% of household assets.

The consequences are dire:

With household debt at a high of 145% of disposable income per capita at the end of 2023, homeowners are increasingly under financial pressure. The country’s residential mortgage delinquency ratio – which tracks overdue mortgage payments – jumped to the highest in four years as of late 2023. Some homeowners are being forced to sell their properties at a discounted rate, which is only exacerbating the problem ... the situation could deteriorate further in 2026 as households struggle to repay mortgages and other loans.

The data for these inferences comes from official Chinese sources - which is, once again, a very bad sign given as China's official statistics are 'opaque' to say the least. The article reads:

The property sector’s drag on inflation could even be greater than official data suggest [because] the methodology used to determine China’s official Consumer Price Index understates falling rents, and, by extension, the broader deflationary impact.

It could even be worse than the data suggests.

And it definitely effects a large number of Chinese people of the middle class, just like you and me.

[Edit for clarity.]

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Sepia @mander.xyz 2w ago

Oh, no, it's also about toxic and unsafe products that threaten people's health because they are offered by retailers that violate any safety and consumer regulation. This is why they have no license.

As Interpol says,

Counterfeit toys pose a significant risk to children, as they may contain hazardous materials and chemicals that can be toxic to children, and their poor build quality can lead to accidents and injuries.

Sepia @mander.xyz 2w ago

Justice and accountability are not tokens for negotiation, say survivors in Ukraine

At the international conference hosted by Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) in Kyiv on 26 November, survivors presented their Call to Action. These demands include:

No amnesty for war crimes

The immediate release of all those still in Russian captivity

The inclusion of survivors of violations committed since 2014 in the Registry of Damages. Survivors also stress that the process for applying for compensation need to be flexible, accessible and survivor-centred

The effective and prompt implementation of Law 4067 (Bardina Law)

The Bardina Law gives survivors of conflict-related sexual violence the right to urgent interim reparation. The law came to force in June 2025 but is yet to be implemented. The pilot project on Urgent Interim Reparations for conflict-related sexual violence survivors proves that the registration process can be inclusive, transparent, credible and survivor-centred.

And don't forget that one in 10 rescued Ukrainian children sexually abused in the occupied territories.

It is important to note that Putin's Russia broke some 400 agreements in the recent decade or so, that's basically every he signed.

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Sepia @mander.xyz 2w ago

The operation is the second in two years and brings the number of counterfeit toys seized by authorities to almost 17m, most of them from China.

bUt It Is cHeAp.

Sepia @mander.xyz 2w ago

If a war breaks out I would work also longer than 60 hours and if this propaganda parrot promises to never come back I pay for his one-way ticket to Moscow or Beijing.

Sepia @mander.xyz 2w ago

Me too.

Sepia @mander.xyz 2w ago

As early as 2012, one report wrote on Chinese Fascism’s Global Consequences:

It is increasingly clear that China is the most powerful, mature and internationally accepted fascist state in global history and its status as such should cause us all a great deal of concern.

Last year, under, China’s Turn to Fascist Rule, another analysis reads,

Under Xi Jinping, China meets all four hallmarks of what constitutes fascism – cult-like worship, hyper-nationalism, a merciless surveillance apparatus and the glorification of military strength.

There are many more.