0x815

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3971767

Foreign nationals and Dutch citizens with a family heritage from at least eight different countries often face intense pressure to show loyalty to foreign governments, carry out espionage activities on their behalf, or to monitor those in their communities, Dutch counterterrorism office NCTV and intelligence service AIVD warns.

The AIVD said it confirmed that Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, Turkey and others specifically attempt to gather intelligence on their diaspora communities in the Netherlands, and there is a strong suspicion that China, Eritrea and Syria does the same.

Further, people in the Netherlands identified as dissidents by Russia, China and Iran have also been secretly monitored by those governments. The report cautioned that people with heritage and connections to the eight countries mentioned, and others not mentioned, can face intimidation, threats of kidnapping and murder, in addition to others spying on them.

“These forms of state interference not only put pressure on the personal freedoms of residents of the Netherlands, but also undermine the democratic legal order in the Netherlands,” the NCTV said. Its report about foreign state interference in diaspora communities noted that that this can attempt to “influence political decisions or sentiment in Dutch society.”

The report noted a wide range of attempts to either monitor or influence foreign residents of the Netherlands, and Dutch citizens with familial ties to other countries. This includes identifying those who might be able to be used to influence those communities, while also observing those who might become supporters of an opposition movement.

[...]

That intelligence can then be used to either repress people and their families, or manipulate them into carrying out economic espionage in the Netherlands. The two agencies again raised warnings about the China Scholarship Council, which helps Chinese students get grants to study abroad in exchange for loyalty pledges, and a promise to obey directives from Chinese embassies and consulates.

The NCTV and AIVD also noted China’s treatment of Uyghurs living in the Netherlands. The ethnic minority has been subjected to years of harassment, unjust imprisonment, and discrimination in China.

Once [Chinese citizens are] in the Netherlands, they can find themselves on the receiving end of phone calls about family members who are “under the control” of Chinese authorities. “This message is usually accompanied by a clear ‘request’ to stop certain activities, such as publishing critical publications, or participating in or organising demonstrations, or to cooperate with the Chinese authorities,” the NCTV and AIVD stated.

It also noted reports about incidents of harassment that Russian scientists and students have had to endure. “The callers claimed to be from the Russian government and asked them where their loyalty lay in the war with Ukraine. The AIVD confirmed the practices after the reported incidents and made a direct connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” the report said.

[...]

The fields of history and archaeology, while fundamentally objective in their pursuit of knowledge about the past, are frequently co-opted to serve nationalistic narratives that legitimise coercive territorial claims. This is evident in China's strategic use of archaeology to assert ancient ownership over regions like Xinjiang and Tibet, which are currently seeking greater autonomy.

]...]

A recent instance of this archaeological manipulation is the discovery of an ancient Buddhist stupa near Kashgar, an oasis city in Xinjiang, which the government has promoted as evidence of the region's historical ties to China.

[...]

Excavation of this site commenced in 2019, leading to the recovery of two earthen pillars, fragments of a Buddha statue, stone tools, and copper coins. The structure's conical shape has earned it the local Uyghur designation 'Mo'er', which translates to 'chimney'.

Estimated to have been constructed approximately 1,700 years ago, the stupa and its accompanying temple are being appropriated by Chinese authorities to claim the region's unique historical narrative.

[...]

According to Chinese historians, the 'Mo'er' was commissioned by Wu Zetian, a 7th-century Empress of the Tang dynasty known for her promotion of Buddhism. Furthermore, Chinese officials and state media assert that artifacts discovered at this site resemble those found in predominantly Han areas of eastern China.

They also contend that portions of the temple exhibit 'Han-Buddhist' architectural styles and that it was visited by the 7th-century monk Xuanzang from central China, who is credited with disseminating Buddhism throughout the Chinese empire.

[...]

Chinese human rights abuses in Xinjiang have garnered significant international scrutiny in recent years.

[...]

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has also engaged in a broader narrative campaign, disseminating myths to justify its claims over Xinjiang.

This has included the destruction of mosques, renaming Uyghur villages, and distorting archaeological findings and historical narratives to erase the distinct identity of the Uyghur people.

Russland greift Europas Staaten permanent mit hybriden Mitteln an, erklärt Sönke Marahrens, Experte für hybride Kriegsführung. Parallel plane der Kreml, diese Vorbereitungen zur Destabilisierung des Westens auch militärisch "abschließen" zu können.

Sönke Marahrens: Russland ist stark gebunden in der Ukraine und arbeitet mit hybriden Mitteln in den europäischen Ländern, um die Unterstützung für die Ukraine an der Front zu verringern.

[...]

Parallel dazu hat Russland ein Interesse, dass Europa nicht stark ist. Deswegen werden derzeit sowohl die Institutionen NATO und EU, aber auch europäische Staaten permanent mit hybriden Maßnahmen angegriffen.

[...]

Russische Operateure probieren in vielen europäischen Staaten sehr unterschiedliche Dinge aus, die individuell auf den jeweiligen Staat zugeschnitten sind: Hybride Maßnahmen, die in Polen wirken, wirken nicht in Deutschland; was in Deutschland wirkt, würde nicht in Finnland wirken.

[...]

Hier geht es darum, den Staat in seiner Handlungsfähigkeit einzuschränken, aber auch das Vertrauen der Bevölkerung in den jeweiligen Staat zu senken.

[...]

[Dazu kommen] Sabotageakte auf kritische Infrastrukturen, Cyberangriffe, Ransomware-Attacken. Damit kann die Wirtschaftskraft von Staaten geschwächt und auch Unsicherheit erzeugt werden.

Die letzte Gruppe ist die Bevölkerung. Da unterstützt Russland in der öffentlichen Debatte einander konträre Positionen. Das führt zu einer Radikalisierung - und irgendwann auch zu aggressiven Vorfällen.

[...]

In Deutschland sehen wir etwa, dass Russland bestimmte Parteien mit Geld unterstützt und Ähnliches, um hier in die politische Meinungsbildung einzugreifen [...] Aber die gefährlichste Art der hybriden Kriegsführung ist Desinformation. Dadurch können Meinungen gebildet und Narrative gesetzt werden. Antisemitismus oder extreme politische Ideen können befeuert werden.

[...]

Wir benötigen [um gegen Desinformation zu arbeiten] eine grundlegende Befähigung, mit Informationen umzugehen, insbesondere in den sozialen Medien. Da gibt es verschiedene Initiativen, Bürger und Bürgerinnen, insbesondere Jugendliche zu informieren und zu befähigen, Falschinformation, Desinformation, aber auch Informationen, die in einem falschen Kontext gesendet werden, als solche zu identifizieren.

[...]

Cybersicherheit etwa ist kein Zustand, den sie erreichen können, sondern eine sich permanent dynamisch verändernde Lage. Was man heute abwehren konnte, wird morgen mit einer anderen Maßnahme erneut probiert. Und darauf muss man sich vorbereiten. Sie müssen sehr viel auf Flexibilität setzen.

[...]

Da ist eine große Herausforderung [unsere physische Infrastruktur zu schützen]. [...] Auch hier geht es darum, sich für Auffälligkeiten zu sensibilisieren. Und in der Politik gibt es zurzeit die Diskussion darüber, was als kritische Infrastruktur definiert wird. Wie schützen wir das? Aber auch: Sollten solche kritischen Infrastrukturen ausfallen, welche Pläne haben wir dann in den Kommunen und in Firmen? Wir sind in Deutschland auf einem positiven Weg, wir haben das Problem erkannt.

Nur haben wir einen Gegner, den unsere ethischen Grenzen nicht interessieren und der in allen Bereichen unterwegs ist, dies schließt selbst die Ermordung von Regimegegnern in unseren Ländern mit ein.

[...]

Der Plan ist [Russlands ist es], hybride Operationen auch mit militärischen Mitteln abschließen zu können, wie sie das nennen. [...] Schauen Sie sich an, wie die baltischen Staaten ihre Verteidigung aufbauen, wo wir ja mit einer Brigade in Litauen unterstützen. Dort versucht Russland, eine Schwachstelle im europäischen System zu finden, um dort Tatsachen zu schaffen, die Europa destabilisieren würden.

[...]

Man hat ja auch schon [physische Infrastruktur] zerstört, vergangenes Jahr, als ein chinesisches Schiff mit dem Anker runter 200 Meilen rückwärts gefahren ist, um zu zeigen: Wir wissen, wo Schwachpunkte sind und wir gucken uns das ganz genau an. Es ist sogenanntes Signalling. Aber natürlich wissen sie damit auch, wo sie später einmal angreifen könnten.

[...]

Russland bezweckt [mit dieser hybriden Kriegsführung], dass in westlichen Staaten der Blick sich weg vom Krieg in der Ukraine nach innen richtet. Dass diese sagen, wir müssen jetzt Ressourcen dafür einsetzen, dass wir unsere kritische Infrastruktur schützen - sodass wir dann weniger Möglichkeiten haben, die wir der Ukraine zur Verfügung stellen können [...] Aber sowas kann auch zurückfeuern [...] Das sieht man in den baltischen Staaten, aber auch in Schweden und Finnland. Als man anfing, Russland als Bedrohung wahrzunehmen, hat die Bevölkerung ja die Regierung unterstützt und gesagt: Wir wollen der NATO beitreten, wir wollen unsere Freiheit behalten - und hat damit das Gegenteil davon getan, was man sich auf der anderen Seite erhofft hat.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3971767

Foreign nationals and Dutch citizens with a family heritage from at least eight different countries often face intense pressure to show loyalty to foreign governments, carry out espionage activities on their behalf, or to monitor those in their communities, Dutch counterterrorism office NCTV and intelligence service AIVD warns.

The AIVD said it confirmed that Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, Turkey and others specifically attempt to gather intelligence on their diaspora communities in the Netherlands, and there is a strong suspicion that China, Eritrea and Syria does the same.

Further, people in the Netherlands identified as dissidents by Russia, China and Iran have also been secretly monitored by those governments. The report cautioned that people with heritage and connections to the eight countries mentioned, and others not mentioned, can face intimidation, threats of kidnapping and murder, in addition to others spying on them.

“These forms of state interference not only put pressure on the personal freedoms of residents of the Netherlands, but also undermine the democratic legal order in the Netherlands,” the NCTV said. Its report about foreign state interference in diaspora communities noted that that this can attempt to “influence political decisions or sentiment in Dutch society.”

The report noted a wide range of attempts to either monitor or influence foreign residents of the Netherlands, and Dutch citizens with familial ties to other countries. This includes identifying those who might be able to be used to influence those communities, while also observing those who might become supporters of an opposition movement.

[...]

That intelligence can then be used to either repress people and their families, or manipulate them into carrying out economic espionage in the Netherlands. The two agencies again raised warnings about the China Scholarship Council, which helps Chinese students get grants to study abroad in exchange for loyalty pledges, and a promise to obey directives from Chinese embassies and consulates.

The NCTV and AIVD also noted China’s treatment of Uyghurs living in the Netherlands. The ethnic minority has been subjected to years of harassment, unjust imprisonment, and discrimination in China.

Once [Chinese citizens are] in the Netherlands, they can find themselves on the receiving end of phone calls about family members who are “under the control” of Chinese authorities. “This message is usually accompanied by a clear ‘request’ to stop certain activities, such as publishing critical publications, or participating in or organising demonstrations, or to cooperate with the Chinese authorities,” the NCTV and AIVD stated.

It also noted reports about incidents of harassment that Russian scientists and students have had to endure. “The callers claimed to be from the Russian government and asked them where their loyalty lay in the war with Ukraine. The AIVD confirmed the practices after the reported incidents and made a direct connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” the report said.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3973139

Archived link

In a comprehensive statement delivered during the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the European Union (EU) reiterated its concerns about the continuous dire human rights situation in several countries around the globe, including regions under Chinese influence, namely Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong.

Especially for Xinjiang, the EU condemns political re-education camps, mass arbitrary detentions, widespread surveillance, tracking and control measures, systemic and severe restrictions on the exercise of fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion or belief, as well as the non-transparent use of the death penalty, the use of forced labour and labour transfer schemes, torture, forced abortion and sterilization, birth control and family separation policies, and sexual and gender-based violence, a statement reads.

The human rights situation in Tibet continues to be dire. Indicators of this include obligatory boarding schooling and DNA sampling, as reported by civil society organisations. The EU will closely monitor the preservation of the fundamental freedoms, cultural heritage and identity of Tibetans and calls on China to ensure full bilingual education both in Tibetan and Chinese at all levels of the schooling system. Cases of closure of schools teaching in Tibetan language are a worrying development. The EU also encourages China to allow more visits from the international community, UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders and civil society organisations to Tibet. Human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, other media workers, academics, writers and intellectuals among others continue to be exposed to harassment, intimidation and surveillance, including at transnational level.

The EU criticizes the sentencing and enforced disappearance including via Residential Surveillance in a Designated Location (RSDL) that could amount to torture and ill-treatment. The EU urges China to introduce a moratorium on the death penalty, adopt rigorous procedures for reviewing capital sentences and reporting death penalty cases. China must also respect the principle of non-refoulement and refrain from extraterritorial activities (including coercion) that are not in line with international law.

The EU also says that in Hong Kong, the repressive use of the China-imposed National Security Law continues to undermine human rights and fundamental freedoms. The broad and vague definition of certain provisions in the new national security legislation adopted in March 2024 and the first arrests under the new legislation add to these concerns. The legislation exacerbates the erosion of fundamental freedoms and political pluralism in the Special Administrative Region. Of particular concern is its extraterritorial application, including the decision to issue arrest warrants for 13 individuals living outside Hong Kong. The sweeping changes in the electoral system have eroded democratic principles and political pluralism.

The EU is following with great concern the national security trials of politicians, media practitioners and pro-democracy advocates, including Jimmy Lai and Chow Hang-tung, and is very concerned about the guilty verdict against them.

The EU urges the Chinese government and the Hong Kong authorities to restore full respect for the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, and democratic principles, and to preserve Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, in compliance with Hong Kong’s Basic Law and China’s domestic and international obligations.

Archived link

In a comprehensive statement delivered during the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the European Union (EU) reiterated its concerns about the continuous dire human rights situation in several countries around the globe, including regions under Chinese influence, namely Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong.

Especially for Xinjiang, the EU condemns political re-education camps, mass arbitrary detentions, widespread surveillance, tracking and control measures, systemic and severe restrictions on the exercise of fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion or belief, as well as the non-transparent use of the death penalty, the use of forced labour and labour transfer schemes, torture, forced abortion and sterilization, birth control and family separation policies, and sexual and gender-based violence, a statement reads.

The human rights situation in Tibet continues to be dire. Indicators of this include obligatory boarding schooling and DNA sampling, as reported by civil society organisations. The EU will closely monitor the preservation of the fundamental freedoms, cultural heritage and identity of Tibetans and calls on China to ensure full bilingual education both in Tibetan and Chinese at all levels of the schooling system. Cases of closure of schools teaching in Tibetan language are a worrying development. The EU also encourages China to allow more visits from the international community, UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders and civil society organisations to Tibet. Human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, other media workers, academics, writers and intellectuals among others continue to be exposed to harassment, intimidation and surveillance, including at transnational level.

The EU criticizes the sentencing and enforced disappearance including via Residential Surveillance in a Designated Location (RSDL) that could amount to torture and ill-treatment. The EU urges China to introduce a moratorium on the death penalty, adopt rigorous procedures for reviewing capital sentences and reporting death penalty cases. China must also respect the principle of non-refoulement and refrain from extraterritorial activities (including coercion) that are not in line with international law.

The EU also says that in Hong Kong, the repressive use of the China-imposed National Security Law continues to undermine human rights and fundamental freedoms. The broad and vague definition of certain provisions in the new national security legislation adopted in March 2024 and the first arrests under the new legislation add to these concerns. The legislation exacerbates the erosion of fundamental freedoms and political pluralism in the Special Administrative Region. Of particular concern is its extraterritorial application, including the decision to issue arrest warrants for 13 individuals living outside Hong Kong. The sweeping changes in the electoral system have eroded democratic principles and political pluralism.

The EU is following with great concern the national security trials of politicians, media practitioners and pro-democracy advocates, including Jimmy Lai and Chow Hang-tung, and is very concerned about the guilty verdict against them.

The EU urges the Chinese government and the Hong Kong authorities to restore full respect for the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, and democratic principles, and to preserve Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, in compliance with Hong Kong’s Basic Law and China’s domestic and international obligations.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3971505

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s goal to turn Hungary into a global EV battery hub is facing environmental backlash and legal challenges.

• Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wants to make Hungary a global EV battery hub and Chinese investors have funneled billions into the sector.

• Locals fear environmental degradation, and previously spent years opposing South Korean battery plants.

• Grassroots protests, including legal challenges, have seen success in halting projects and pressuring regulators to impose fines for pollution.

Eva Kozma watched as excavators raked up clouds of dust and flatbed trucks shuttled steel beams across a bustling construction site on the outskirts of a tranquil Hungarian village. A longtime resident of the village, Kozma pointed at the former farmland where Chinese battery giant CATL is building a factory. Bales of hay still dotted the 221-hectare industrial park.

“Before the factories, we had fields of corn, wheat, and sunflowers. There were apple and cherry farms, and the cows were still grazing,” Kozma, a 48-year-old mother of three with an environmental engineering background, told Rest of World.

CATL, the world’s largest producer of electric vehicle batteries, is constructing an $8-billion battery plant just north of Mikepércs, a town of around 5,000 located 250 kilometers east of Budapest. “We fear that CATL will bring pollution and environmental consequences on our land,” Kozma said.

CATL dominates global EV battery production with a more than 40% market share, employing over 80,000 people worldwide and supplying leading car brands including Tesla, Ford, and Volkswagen. The company operates five overseas factories in the EU and Southeast Asia, and is in talks with American carmakers to launch plants in the U.S. CATL did not respond to Rest of World’s request for comment.

[...]

The announcement of the massive CATL factory in 2022 has sparked a new phase in small-town Hungary’s ongoing battle against the burgeoning EV battery industry, with powerful new players: Chinese investors. In 2023 alone, China funneled over $8.5 billion in foreign direct investment to Hungary. The funds largely went to its battery sector. Chinese battery manufacturers have announced planned investments of over $10 billion to produce EV batteries in Hungary.

“People fear them as poison factories. Once they hear that a new battery plant is coming … they think it’s another polluting and problematic company,” Andrea Éltető, economist and senior research fellow at the Institute of World Economics’ Hungary branch, says.

[...]

Locals protesting the now China-dominated EV battery ecosystem told Rest of World that they are not against the role of EVs in combating climate change, but are troubled by what they view as the government’s opaque decision-making that has silenced public input.

[...]

The EV investment boom of recent years boosted Budapest and Beijing’s relationship, and led to China becoming Hungary’s top foreign investor in 2023. Almost half of all Chinese foreign direct investment in Europe now flows to Hungary. The country’s proximity to EU markets means easier access for Chinese companies. CATL’s Hungarian gigafactory plans to supply batteries to carmakers including BMW and Mercedes-Benz, according to partnership agreements.

[...]

In [the Hungarian city of] Ács, a battle is playing out at the courthouse between a local environmental organization and the county government office that issued the operational permit for Bamo Technology Hungary, the domestic subsidiary of a Chinese cathode factory. The trial, which began this month, could take half a decade to conclude, and has cost the environmental group tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, a resident involved in the lawsuit told Rest of World, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.

[...]

As civic action ramps up, so, too, has government pressure. Last month, the government launched a “special investigation” into Göd-ÉRT, a civic organization led by a local investigative journalist [...] Authorities have accused the association of using foreign aid to influence elections, and are requesting extensive data and documents that include information on their press appearances, databases, and “public opinion” campaigns. Orbán’s office did not respond to Rest of World’s request for comment.

The women from Mikepércs fear that they will be targeted next. But they and other activists in Hungary’s small towns say they will continue their work. They are celebrating other small victories this year, such as in Alsózsolca, where local protests halted a Slovenian firm’s plans to build a battery recycling plant. Meanwhile, CATL told Chinese state media earlier this year that “everything is on schedule,” and its battery plant near Mikepércs will begin production in 2025.

[...]

Foreign nationals and Dutch citizens with a family heritage from at least eight different countries often face intense pressure to show loyalty to foreign governments, carry out espionage activities on their behalf, or to monitor those in their communities, Dutch counterterrorism office NCTV and intelligence service AIVD warns.

The AIVD said it confirmed that Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, Turkey and others specifically attempt to gather intelligence on their diaspora communities in the Netherlands, and there is a strong suspicion that China, Eritrea and Syria does the same.

Further, people in the Netherlands identified as dissidents by Russia, China and Iran have also been secretly monitored by those governments. The report cautioned that people with heritage and connections to the eight countries mentioned, and others not mentioned, can face intimidation, threats of kidnapping and murder, in addition to others spying on them.

“These forms of state interference not only put pressure on the personal freedoms of residents of the Netherlands, but also undermine the democratic legal order in the Netherlands,” the NCTV said. Its report about foreign state interference in diaspora communities noted that that this can attempt to “influence political decisions or sentiment in Dutch society.”

The report noted a wide range of attempts to either monitor or influence foreign residents of the Netherlands, and Dutch citizens with familial ties to other countries. This includes identifying those who might be able to be used to influence those communities, while also observing those who might become supporters of an opposition movement.

[...]

That intelligence can then be used to either repress people and their families, or manipulate them into carrying out economic espionage in the Netherlands. The two agencies again raised warnings about the China Scholarship Council, which helps Chinese students get grants to study abroad in exchange for loyalty pledges, and a promise to obey directives from Chinese embassies and consulates.

The NCTV and AIVD also noted China’s treatment of Uyghurs living in the Netherlands. The ethnic minority has been subjected to years of harassment, unjust imprisonment, and discrimination in China.

Once [Chinese citizens are] in the Netherlands, they can find themselves on the receiving end of phone calls about family members who are “under the control” of Chinese authorities. “This message is usually accompanied by a clear ‘request’ to stop certain activities, such as publishing critical publications, or participating in or organising demonstrations, or to cooperate with the Chinese authorities,” the NCTV and AIVD stated.

It also noted reports about incidents of harassment that Russian scientists and students have had to endure. “The callers claimed to be from the Russian government and asked them where their loyalty lay in the war with Ukraine. The AIVD confirmed the practices after the reported incidents and made a direct connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” the report said.

[...]

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s goal to turn Hungary into a global EV battery hub is facing environmental backlash and legal challenges.

• Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wants to make Hungary a global EV battery hub and Chinese investors have funneled billions into the sector.

• Locals fear environmental degradation, and previously spent years opposing South Korean battery plants.

• Grassroots protests, including legal challenges, have seen success in halting projects and pressuring regulators to impose fines for pollution.

Eva Kozma watched as excavators raked up clouds of dust and flatbed trucks shuttled steel beams across a bustling construction site on the outskirts of a tranquil Hungarian village. A longtime resident of the village, Kozma pointed at the former farmland where Chinese battery giant CATL is building a factory. Bales of hay still dotted the 221-hectare industrial park.

“Before the factories, we had fields of corn, wheat, and sunflowers. There were apple and cherry farms, and the cows were still grazing,” Kozma, a 48-year-old mother of three with an environmental engineering background, told Rest of World.

CATL, the world’s largest producer of electric vehicle batteries, is constructing an $8-billion battery plant just north of Mikepércs, a town of around 5,000 located 250 kilometers east of Budapest. “We fear that CATL will bring pollution and environmental consequences on our land,” Kozma said.

CATL dominates global EV battery production with a more than 40% market share, employing over 80,000 people worldwide and supplying leading car brands including Tesla, Ford, and Volkswagen. The company operates five overseas factories in the EU and Southeast Asia, and is in talks with American carmakers to launch plants in the U.S. CATL did not respond to Rest of World’s request for comment.

[...]

The announcement of the massive CATL factory in 2022 has sparked a new phase in small-town Hungary’s ongoing battle against the burgeoning EV battery industry, with powerful new players: Chinese investors. In 2023 alone, China funneled over $8.5 billion in foreign direct investment to Hungary. The funds largely went to its battery sector. Chinese battery manufacturers have announced planned investments of over $10 billion to produce EV batteries in Hungary.

“People fear them as poison factories. Once they hear that a new battery plant is coming … they think it’s another polluting and problematic company,” Andrea Éltető, economist and senior research fellow at the Institute of World Economics’ Hungary branch, says.

[...]

Locals protesting the now China-dominated EV battery ecosystem told Rest of World that they are not against the role of EVs in combating climate change, but are troubled by what they view as the government’s opaque decision-making that has silenced public input.

[...]

The EV investment boom of recent years boosted Budapest and Beijing’s relationship, and led to China becoming Hungary’s top foreign investor in 2023. Almost half of all Chinese foreign direct investment in Europe now flows to Hungary. The country’s proximity to EU markets means easier access for Chinese companies. CATL’s Hungarian gigafactory plans to supply batteries to carmakers including BMW and Mercedes-Benz, according to partnership agreements.

[...]

In [the Hungarian city of] Ács, a battle is playing out at the courthouse between a local environmental organization and the county government office that issued the operational permit for Bamo Technology Hungary, the domestic subsidiary of a Chinese cathode factory. The trial, which began this month, could take half a decade to conclude, and has cost the environmental group tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, a resident involved in the lawsuit told Rest of World, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.

[...]

As civic action ramps up, so, too, has government pressure. Last month, the government launched a “special investigation” into Göd-ÉRT, a civic organization led by a local investigative journalist [...] Authorities have accused the association of using foreign aid to influence elections, and are requesting extensive data and documents that include information on their press appearances, databases, and “public opinion” campaigns. Orbán’s office did not respond to Rest of World’s request for comment.

The women from Mikepércs fear that they will be targeted next. But they and other activists in Hungary’s small towns say they will continue their work. They are celebrating other small victories this year, such as in Alsózsolca, where local protests halted a Slovenian firm’s plans to build a battery recycling plant. Meanwhile, CATL told Chinese state media earlier this year that “everything is on schedule,” and its battery plant near Mikepércs will begin production in 2025.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3914045

Here is the study: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp1274

Most people in most countries state that they wish to have a democratic government. But the definition of democracy has been constantly contested. Without understanding what people really mean by democracy, the concept is vulnerable to being exploited by dictators and anti-democratic politicians for their own ends.

[...]

A new research study led by the University of Oxford, National University of Singapore, and Emory University has now shed light on the question: "How do people around the world define democracy?"

The study surveyed over 6,000 people from the United States, Italy, Egypt, India, Thailand, and Japan- countries with highly different political regimes, democratic histories, geographic regions, levels of development, and cultural backgrounds. The study explored how people prioritize nine different attributes in their understanding of what makes a country democratic, using examples of hypothetical countries.

[...]

• Overwhelmingly, participants were significantly more likely to view countries that select their leaders through free and fair elections as more democratic than countries without elections.

• Participants were also significantly more likely to view countries with strong protections for civil liberties as more democratic compared with countries without such protections.

• The relevance of these was consistent regardless of people's age, gender, education, minority status, or political ideology.

• After elections and liberties, the two most important attributes were gender equality, then economic equality. Countries in which men and women have equal rights are more likely to be seen as democratic than countries with highly unequal gender rights. Relative equality between the rich and poor (compared with high inequality) also increased the likelihood that a country was seen as more democratic.

• Then, countries where leaders must respect the legislature and courts' authority in decision making were more likely to be perceived as more democratic compared with countries in which the leader frequently bypasses the legislative and judicial branches when making decisions.

• In contrast, the researchers found little evidence of an "authoritarian" redefinition of democracy taking root anywhere. Even within authoritarian countries such as Egypt or Thailand, democracy was still perceived as being rooted in elections and liberties.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3914045

Here is the study: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp1274

Most people in most countries state that they wish to have a democratic government. But the definition of democracy has been constantly contested. Without understanding what people really mean by democracy, the concept is vulnerable to being exploited by dictators and anti-democratic politicians for their own ends.

[...]

A new research study led by the University of Oxford, National University of Singapore, and Emory University has now shed light on the question: "How do people around the world define democracy?"

The study surveyed over 6,000 people from the United States, Italy, Egypt, India, Thailand, and Japan- countries with highly different political regimes, democratic histories, geographic regions, levels of development, and cultural backgrounds. The study explored how people prioritize nine different attributes in their understanding of what makes a country democratic, using examples of hypothetical countries.

[...]

• Overwhelmingly, participants were significantly more likely to view countries that select their leaders through free and fair elections as more democratic than countries without elections.

• Participants were also significantly more likely to view countries with strong protections for civil liberties as more democratic compared with countries without such protections.

• The relevance of these was consistent regardless of people's age, gender, education, minority status, or political ideology.

• After elections and liberties, the two most important attributes were gender equality, then economic equality. Countries in which men and women have equal rights are more likely to be seen as democratic than countries with highly unequal gender rights. Relative equality between the rich and poor (compared with high inequality) also increased the likelihood that a country was seen as more democratic.

• Then, countries where leaders must respect the legislature and courts' authority in decision making were more likely to be perceived as more democratic compared with countries in which the leader frequently bypasses the legislative and judicial branches when making decisions.

• In contrast, the researchers found little evidence of an "authoritarian" redefinition of democracy taking root anywhere. Even within authoritarian countries such as Egypt or Thailand, democracy was still perceived as being rooted in elections and liberties.

Here is the study: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp1274

Most people in most countries state that they wish to have a democratic government. But the definition of democracy has been constantly contested. Without understanding what people really mean by democracy, the concept is vulnerable to being exploited by dictators and anti-democratic politicians for their own ends.

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A new research study led by the University of Oxford, National University of Singapore, and Emory University has now shed light on the question: "How do people around the world define democracy?"

The study surveyed over 6,000 people from the United States, Italy, Egypt, India, Thailand, and Japan- countries with highly different political regimes, democratic histories, geographic regions, levels of development, and cultural backgrounds. The study explored how people prioritize nine different attributes in their understanding of what makes a country democratic, using examples of hypothetical countries.

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• Overwhelmingly, participants were significantly more likely to view countries that select their leaders through free and fair elections as more democratic than countries without elections.

• Participants were also significantly more likely to view countries with strong protections for civil liberties as more democratic compared with countries without such protections.

• The relevance of these was consistent regardless of people's age, gender, education, minority status, or political ideology.

• After elections and liberties, the two most important attributes were gender equality, then economic equality. Countries in which men and women have equal rights are more likely to be seen as democratic than countries with highly unequal gender rights. Relative equality between the rich and poor (compared with high inequality) also increased the likelihood that a country was seen as more democratic.

• Then, countries where leaders must respect the legislature and courts' authority in decision making were more likely to be perceived as more democratic compared with countries in which the leader frequently bypasses the legislative and judicial branches when making decisions.

• In contrast, the researchers found little evidence of an "authoritarian" redefinition of democracy taking root anywhere. Even within authoritarian countries such as Egypt or Thailand, democracy was still perceived as being rooted in elections and liberties.