The chaotic state of China’s shared power bank market has recently come under scrutiny. On Aug. 30, Chinese state media “The Paper” reported the market for renting mobile phone chargers has been plagued by illegal practices involving consumers’ personal information, including excessive data collection, forced data acquisition, inducement, and unauthorized use. The Cyberspace Administration Office in Shanghai has acknowledged the prevalence of these matters and announced plans for a crackdown. Shared power banks emerged as a common sight in many large cities in early 2017, with charging stations popping up in major shopping centers, transportation hubs, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and gyms. Users could conveniently borrow a power bank and return it to a nearby station using GPS tracking. A countertop charging model also emerged, allowing users to pay and charge their devices directly after scanning a QR code....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/china/rampant-unfair-and-unauthorized-practices-found-in-chinas-shared-power-bank-market-5486959
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says he raised human rights concerns during his recent trip to China, but did not confirm whether he addressed Beijing’s foreign interference in Canada. Mr. Guilbeault, who recently returned from a trip to China to participate in the Beijing-led Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), was questioned by independent journalist Keean Bexte on whether he had taken the opportunity during his visit to bring up concerns about the regime’s foreign interference in Canada. In a video posted Sept. 8 on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr. Bexte asked the minister, “Did you ask your colleagues on the Chinese Communist Party climate committee whether or not they would quit interfering in Canadian democracy, or did you leave that alone?”... 
The U.S. Department of Commerce has vowed to protect national security in the wake of China’s reported breakthrough in manufacturing a 7-nanometer chip without access to advanced equipment. “Let’s be clear: export controls are just one tool in the U.S. government’s toolbox to address the national security threats presented by the PRC. The restrictions in place since 2019 have knocked Huawei down and forced it to reinvent itself—at a substantial cost to the PRC government,” a Commerce Department spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement, using the acronym for the regime’s official name, the People’s Republic of China....
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is very motivated to testify before the newly-launched public inquiry into foreign interference. While speaking to reporters in Singapore on Sept. 7, Mr. Trudeau said he would “willingly” testify and with “very, very much enthusiasm.” The prime minister was responding to a second question from reporters on whether he would testify. “We’re not at that point yet, but we’ve always been open and transparent about everything we’re doing, and I look forward to responding positively to whatever requests the commission makes,” Mr. Trudeau had initially answered. Earlier that day, Public Safety Minister Dominic Leblanc announced the appointment of Court of Appeal Justice Marie-Josée Hogue as inquiry commissioner....