A Canadian warship has navigated the contested Taiwan Strait as part of a joint exercise with allied naval forces, an action that showcased its commitment to safeguarding the international status of the waterway in response to China’s territorial assertions. The Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigate, HMCS Ottawa, transited the disputed waters alongside the USS Ralph Johnson, a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, in what both parties have characterized as a freedom-of-navigation exercise, as reported by CBC News. During their 17-hour crossing on Sept. 6, the ships were closely shadowed by Chinese warships. “Moving through the Taiwan Strait is to demonstrate a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Sam Patchell, the commanding officer of the Canadian warship, told CBC News. “The only way we can do that is to come here and signal it.”...Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/canadian-navy-crosses-taiwan-strait-challenges-chinas-claim-5488855
A Texan nonprofit gives funding to a Chinese Communist Party-controlled (CCP) Confucius Classroom operating inside an Oklahoma High School, according to an Oklahoma superintendent and documents obtained by The Epoch Times. The CCP Confucius class, teaching American students, talks about the communist government positively while censoring the atrocities committed in its history. Oklahoma superintendent Ryan Walters was elected with one mission: To upend a corrupted education system. In an interview with EpochTV’s “American Thought Leaders,” Mr. Walters talked about the ills sabotaging the education of the next generation of Americans, in a state ranking 49th out of 50 in academic achievement....
Part one of this series examined the crisis in Hong Kong’s stock market, which has been decimated by an exodus of foreign capital and a pessimistic mood as foreign investment, human freedoms, and human capital leave the once thriving city. Experts theorize that the current bear market reflects a brutal strategy to bring the former British colony in line with mainland China—one that is content to lose Hong Kong’s people in order to remake the city in the communist mold. Driven by growing discontent with the current situation in Hong Kong, a steady stream of residents are choosing the path of emigration....
Chinese battery maker Gotion High-tech has chosen Illinois as the site for its new state-of-the-art $2 billion electric vehicle (EV) lithium battery manufacturing plant, the state’s governor said on Friday. The factory will be built on a sprawling 150-acre site in Manteno and is expected to begin production next year. It will focus on lithium-ion battery cells, battery packs, and energy storage systems integration. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker referred to Gotion’s new gigafactory as “the most significant new manufacturing investment in Illinois in decades,” which he said will help to create 2,600 new jobs. “Today, we take another leap forward, announcing the largest electric vehicle battery production investment in Illinois to date,” Mr. Pritzker said in a statement on Sept. 8....