Far East Watch

China’s Two Sessions: Experts warn of intensified pressure on Taiwan – Radio Taiwan International

pgnewser March 7, 2025 0

China’s Two Sessions: Experts warn of intensified pressure on Taiwan – Radio Taiwan International
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Excerpt:

This week marks China’s annual Two Sessions meetings, a nationwide gathering where thousands of political and community delegates converge in Beijing from across mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Taiwanese experts predict that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will escalate its anti-independence efforts toward Taiwan, shifting to strategies focused on shaping a favorable environment for its objectives.

On Thursday, the Institute for National Policy Research hosted a forum in Taipei on China’s 2025 Two Sessions and the evolving dynamics between Taiwan, China, and the U.S.. During the discussion, Director Wang Hung-jen (王宏仁) noted that changes in China’s Taiwan policy reflect its reliance on military pressure, diplomatic alliances, and international legal warfare to advance unification. He emphasized that whether the U.S. can effectively counter China’s strategy depends on the final stance of the Trump administration. Wang urged Taiwan to closely monitor U.S. policy trends, understand the Trump administration’s current priorities, and strengthen its international support network.

International

Corrupt China State-Owned Company to Build Dam in Honduras – Dialogo-Americas.com

pgnewser March 7, 2025 0

Corrupt China State-Owned Company to Build Dam in Honduras – Dialogo-Americas.com
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Excerpt:

The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), accused of corruption, bribery, falsification of documents, and labor violations in projects worldwide, is set to build the Man River (río del Hombre) Dam in Honduras’ Amarateca, near Tegucigalpa, Central American investigative journalism platform Expediente Público reported.

The process behind this work, however, is shrouded in questions. The content of the letter of understanding, signed on September 12, 2024, by the Chinese state-owned company and Tegucigalpa’s Mayor Jorge Aldana, remains a mystery. Although Aldana mentioned an estimated value of $550 million for the project during the public signing agreement, he did not provide details on the source of financing.

The project, according to a study by the Inter-American Development Bank, would consists of diverting the waters of the Man River to Tegucigalpa, through a 21.1-kilometer pipeline and two pumping stations. The reservoir is expected to have a capacity of 90 to 104 cubic hectometers for a flow of 2.12 cubic meters per second.

This and nine other infrastructure projects are part of an emergency decree approved in February 2024, which promotes new works and improvements in the water network and treatment plants, prioritizing investments. In addition, according to the decree, the government of Honduras will be able to carry out direct contracting without going through Congress.