A Pacific telecommunications giant recently acquired by Australia’s Telstra has been a conduit for spying activity, alleges a new report. Digicel Pacific was purchased last year with major backing from Australia’s federal government over fears a Chinese-backed entity could swoop in and take over the company while establishing a foothold for Beijing-backed surveillance activity. The $1.6 billion buyout was carried out amidst ongoing competition in the region between democratic allies and the Chinese Communist Party. A new report from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab reveals that “spies-for-hire” had leased or gained use of “global titles,” in an analysis released to the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/private-spies-tapped-pacific-telco-giants-network-5486242
President Joe Biden’s commerce secretary emphasized the importance of dialogue for better economic ties with China. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Sept. 5 that American businesses are “desperate” for dialogue with Beijing after she visited China to meet with CCP officials. After years of strain, she visited Beijing and Shanghai to try to improve bilateral relations. Ms. Raimondo was the first commerce secretary to travel to China in five years and the latest American official to visit over the summer. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited China recently to discuss the trade conflicts and national security concerns between both countries.... 
Two-thirds of Australians prioritise human rights over Australia’s trade with China, a recent poll reveals. “The Chinese Government has been found to violate the human rights of the people of Hong Kong, Tibet, Uyghurs, and is currently being investigated by the U.N. for cases of forced labour in Tibet and Uyghur areas,” reads the question of an online poll conducted by Essential Research during Aug. 16 to 20. “The Australian Government is pursuing a trade re-engagement with China following a period of tariffs affecting imports and exports. “Which of the following is closest to your view on whether Australia should re-engage in trade relations with China, given these human rights abuses?”...