Latest news with #China-linked
The Age
2 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Chalmers hits China-linked companies with landmark lawsuit over crucial military minerals
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has launched an unprecedented lawsuit against China-linked interests to force them to sell their stake in an Australian rare earths miner, whose products are crucial to warplanes, missiles and submarines. The lawsuit, filed in the Federal Court on Thursday against foreign investors in Northern Minerals, is also seeking financial penalties for allegedly refusing to obey Chalmers' direction to sell out of the company last year. The Australian-listed company is developing the Browns Range heavy rare earths project in remote northern Western Australia, which could be one of the first non-Chinese sources of the minerals used in military guidance systems, wind turbines and electric vehicles. Chalmers' court action against an entity called Indian Ocean International Shipping and Service Company Ltd and a former associate follows his order last year for five Chinese-linked groups to sell their shares in Northern Minerals to unconnected buyers by September. 'Foreign investors in Australia are required to follow Australian law,' Chalmers said in a statement. 'We are doing what is necessary to protect the national interest and the integrity of our foreign investment framework.' China's control of rare earths and critical products is an escalating cause of concern to the United States and countries like Australia, after Donald Trump's trade war prompted Beijing to restrict shipments of the materials. It has made similar moves before, including against Japan in 2010 during a territorial dispute. China controls nearly all of the world's heavy rare earth production and Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior fellow Ian Satchwell said the global superpower's interests were seeking to exert influence over Northern Minerals. 'Australia, with like-minded partner nations, is seeking to build alternative supply chains for rare earths and other critical minerals, and the Northern Minerals shenanigans are a very obvious example of China-linked bad faith investing to allegedly seek to disrupt those efforts,' Satchwell said. 'In Australia's case those rare earths are used for things such as F35 fighters, missiles attached to them and in the future, nuclear-powered submarines.'
Arabian Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arabian Post
UNESCO Champions Ethics as AI Race Intensifies
UNESCO has mobilised global policymakers, academics and civil society leaders in Bangkok to cement the adoption of its 2021 Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, the world's only universal AI ethics framework endorsed by all 194 member states. With over 1,200 delegates from 88 nations and more than 35 ministers present, the third Global Forum on the Ethics of AI underlined the urgency of embedding ethics into AI governance amid growing geopolitical tension between the United States and China. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay urged attendees to forge multilateral cooperation. 'Preparing the world for AI and preparing AI for the world,' she said, must ensure AI 'serves the common good'. She announced the launch of a Global Network of AI Supervisory Authorities alongside a Global Network of Civil Society and Academic Organisations, aiming to support national regulators and promote public participation in AI policymaking. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra of Thailand, the first Asia-Pacific host of this forum, confirmed the country's neutral stance in the intensifying AI rivalry. She emphasised transparency, responsibility and ethical foundations as Bangkok seeks to develop its own domestic AI ecosystem. ADVERTISEMENT Industry heavyweights such as OpenAI, Google and China's DeepSeek were conspicuously absent, highlighting the challenge of securing tech-sector buy-in despite mounting tensions in tech diplomacy. Analysts note that US congressional proposals to ban federal use of China-linked AI tools reflect a broader decoupling trend, complicating efforts to forge a global consensus. UNESCO's Readiness Assessment Methodology, applied across 70 countries—including seven ASEAN nations—was showcased as a diagnostic tool to bridge ethical principles and domestic policy. The forum featured 22 thematic sessions and 11 side events exploring AI's intersection with gender, environmental sustainability, health, education, neurotechnology, quantum computing and judicial systems. Participants stressed that ethical governance need not hamper innovation. As one policy advisor noted, a rights-based approach is key to building public trust and preventing inequalities. Commentators also drew attention to the absence of senior officials from the US—a potential signal that Washington is prioritising tech protection over global ethics cooperation. Experts at the forum compared the regulatory philosophies of the US and China. A recent academic analysis highlights divergences: the US has focused on export controls and safety standards, whereas China emphasises state-led data governance and mandatory ethics guidelines domestically. Participants warned that such divergent domestic approaches risk widening the digital divide and obstructing international regulatory coherence. UNESCO also unveiled a new Global AI Ethics Observatory and an 'Ethics Experts without Borders' network to promote knowledge-sharing and rapid deployment of best practices. Civil society groups welcomed the establishment of a global network linking NGOs and academic institutions, noting it as a vital step toward inclusive governance. Thailand's cultural prominence was also noted. Azoulay praised its heritage—from UNESCO World Heritage sites to intangible cultural landmarks like Tom Yum Kung—as a backdrop that reinforces the need to respect diversity when crafting AI policy. Despite strong momentum, analysts caution that global fragmentation remains a major threat. The absence of major private tech firms and widening geopolitical divides limit the prospects for a truly universal ethics framework. Success will depend on translating global principles into enforceable national regulations and aligning competing visions from Washington, Beijing and Brussels.
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
China-tied AI tools like DeepSeek face US federal ban over 'threat'
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers introduced a bill in both chambers of Congress to ban the federal use of China-linked artificial intelligence tools such as DeepSeek, writing the latest chapter in the tech rivalry between the world's top AI powers. Titled the 'No Adversarial AI Act', the proposed legislation aims to prohibit federal agencies from procuring or deploying AI technologies developed in China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. The bill was introduced in the House by US congressman John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, the panel's senior Democrat. Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, and Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, introduced the companion legislation in the Senate. 'Artificial intelligence controlled by foreign adversaries poses a direct threat to our national security, our data and our government operations,' Krishnamoorthi said in a statement. 'We cannot allow hostile regimes to embed their code in our most sensitive systems. This bipartisan legislation will create a clear firewall between foreign adversary AI and the US government, protecting our institutions and the American people.' Chinese AI systems, Krishnamoorthi added, 'do not belong on government devices' and 'shouldn't be entrusted with government data'. The act requires the government to maintain a public list of AI models developed by foreign adversaries, updated every 180 days, with limited exemptions for research or critical functions. Federal agencies would also be barred from buying or deploying those tools unless approved by the head of an executive agency, with written notice to both Congress and the Office of Management and Budget. Exemptions may be granted for specific purposes such as academic research, but they would be tightly controlled. The bill, which appears largely to be targeting China's AI giant DeepSeek, came as Washington accused the company of harbouring close ties with the country's Communist Party and carrying out technology theft from America. DeepSeek has allegedly supported China's military and intelligence operations while gaining access to significant quantities of advanced Nvidia chips, Reuters reported earlier this week, citing a senior State Department official. Moolenaar in Wednesday's statement described AI as 'the strategic technology' at the centre of a 'new cold war', referring to the Sino-American tech rivalry. 'The CCP doesn't innovate – it steals, scales and subverts. From IP theft and chip smuggling to embedding AI in surveillance and military platforms, the Chinese Communist Party is racing to weaponise this technology.' 'We must draw a clear line: US government systems cannot be powered by tools built to serve authoritarian interests,' Moolenaar added. 'The select committee is taking action to block CCP-linked AI from infiltrating US government systems,' the House panel posted on social media on Wednesday shortly after the bill's introduction. The act 'would ban AI tools tied to the Chinese Communist Party, like DeepSeek, from federal use, protecting national security from Beijing's digital authoritarianism', it added. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for Beijing's embassy in the US, called Congress' allegations of Chinese technology theft 'nothing but slander and smears'. 'China actively promotes innovation in artificial intelligence, and places high importance on AI safety and ethics,' Liu said in an emailed response to questions. He described the Congress' move as 'the abuse of national security concepts to politicise trade and technology issues', adding that China firmly opposes America's 'malicious suppression and containment' of China's AI industry. With DeepSeek leading the charge, China's AI sector has expanded rapidly despite sweeping US restrictions aimed at curbing its access to advanced technologies. Its cost-efficient model, seen as a rival to ChatGPT, shook US markets earlier this year and triggered a sharp sell-off in tech stocks. Amid growing concerns over data security, several US companies and government agencies have already barred the use of DeepSeek. The Donald Trump administration is weighing a broader federal ban of the platform across government devices. In a hearing of the select committee earlier on Wednesday, Krishnamoorthi warned that 'DeepSeek is sending our data straight into the hands of the CCP', adding that 'as AI continues to get more powerful, the risks only grow greater'. In recent years, several US bills have been introduced to restrict the use of Chinese AI technologies. In February, US congressmen Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, and Darin LaHood, an Illinois Republican, introduced the 'No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act'. It directed federal agencies to remove the app from use in law enforcement and national security matters. The Senate last month introduced its own legislation to block Chinese AI, including the 'Decoupling America's AI Capabilities from China Act'. – South China Morning Post
AU Financial Review
3 days ago
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Chalmers sues China-linked investor for defying sell order on stock
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is suing an alleged China-linked investor in ASX-listed Northern Minerals, a strategic rare earth miner, for defying a Commonwealth order to sell its stock due to national interest concerns. Chalmers lobbed the case in the Federal Court on Thursday against Indian Ocean International Shipping and Service Company Ltd and its former associate for not complying with Australia's foreign investment law.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Australia sues China-linked rare earths investors
By Christine Chen Australia sues China-linked rare earths investors SYDNEY, - Australia is suing a Chinese-linked company and a former associate over a breach of foreign investment laws linked with rare earths miner Northern Minerals, the national treasurer said on Thursday, adding it was the first case of its kind. Indian Ocean International Shipping and Service Company was one of five foreign investors with ties to China subject to an order by Treasurer Jim Chalmers to divest shares on national interest grounds in June last year. Chalmers said in a statement he had lodged a legal action in the Federal Court and was seeking penalties, declarations and costs. 'Foreign investors in Australia are required to follow Australian law,' Chalmers said. 'We are doing what is necessary to protect the national interest and the integrity of our foreign investment framework.' The statement, which said the case was the first to be brought by a Treasurer before the Federal Court for an alleged breach of foreign investment laws, did not give details of the current stake holdings. It named Indian Ocean, but did not name the former associate. Indian Ocean International Shipping and Service Company could not immediately be contacted for comment. Australia has sought to build a rare earths supply chain to decrease China's dominance over the elements used in products from smartphones to wind turbines and missiles and radar systems. Northern Minerals, a supplier of rare earths to a refinery being built by Iluka Resources in Western Australia, became a flashpoint for the contest after Australia blocked Singapore-based Yuxiao Fund from doubling its stake in the company to almost 20% in 2023. Yuxiao, controlled by Chinese businessman Wu Tao, along with four other entities, including Black Stone Resources of the British Virgin Islands and Indian Ocean International Shipping and Service Company based in the United Arab Emirates, were ordered in 2024 to sell shares worth 10.37% of Northern Minerals' share capital within three months to unconnected associates. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
