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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 4 July 2023

US measure would ban products containing mineral mined with

child labor in Congo

By TAIWO ADEBAYO Asso- ferred to Chinese President
ciated Press Xi Jinping as a “dictator “
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A during a campaign fund-
measure has been intro- raiser last month, leading
duced in the U.S. House to outcry from Beijing. That
to ban imported products has followed tensions over
containing minerals critical a Chinese surveillance bal-
to electric vehicle batter- loon that the U.S. govern-
ies but mined through child ment shot down, U.S.-led
labor and other abusive restrictions on China’s ac-
conditions in Congo, where cess to advanced comput-
China has enormous min- er chips, and the status and
ing stakes. security of Taiwan.
The bill targets China, which But the Biden administra-
sponsor Republican Rep. tion is looking to ease those
Chris Smith of New Jersey tensions with a visit to China
says uses forced labor and this week from U.S. Treasury
exploits children to mine Secretary Janet Yellen, fol-
cobalt in the impoverished lowing Secretary of State
but resource-rich central Antony Blinken’s two-day
African country. Congo is stop in Beijing last month.
the world’s largest produc- China holds a 68% stake
er of cobalt, a mineral used in Sicomines, the copper
to make lithium-ion batter- Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., speaks during the House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on the and cobalt joint venture
ies for electric vehicles, a administration foreign policy priorities on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, in Washington. with Congo’s state mining
key pillar of President Joe Associated Press firm Gecamines, following
Biden’s climate plans. Chi- a 2008 infrastructure-for-
na controls the majority of and other products. vast cobalt resources of statement following the minerals deal, which Con-
the cobalt mines in Congo, “On the backs of trafficked the Democratic Republic bill’s introduction Friday. go now is seeking to re-
strengthening Beijing’s po- workers and child labor- of Congo to fuel its econ- The legislation comes amid view over concerns it gets
sition in the global supply ers, the Chinese Commu- omy and global agenda,” strained ties between the too little benefit from the
chain for electric vehicles nist Party is exploiting the Smith’s office said in a U.S. and China. Biden re- arrangement.q

Hong Kong police offer rewards for arrests of 8 overseas pro-

democracy activists

By ZEN SOO Elmer Yuen, police an- dent of the police’s Na- to return to Hong Kong and omous Chinese city, has
Associated Press nounced at a news confer- tional Security Department, surrender for a reduction in come under increasingly
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong ence. said arrest warrants have their sentences. tight scrutiny by Beijing fol-
Kong police on Monday They are currently living in been issued for the eight Li said the new charges lowing months of political
accused eight self-exiled the U.S., Britain, Canada under the National Secu- and rewards are not in- strife in 2019. Authorities
pro-democracy activists and Australia after some rity Law. He acknowledged tended to spread fear but have cracked down on dis-
of violating the territory’s were earlier accused of that police will not be able are merely “enforcing the sent with over 260 people,
harsh National Security Law various other offenses. to arrest them if they remain law.” including many pro-de-
and offered rewards of 1 Steven Li, chief superinten- overseas but urged them He cited articles of the se- mocracy figures, arrested
million Hong Kong dollars curity law which state that under the National Security
($127,600) each for infor- police have extraterritorial Law.
mation leading to their ar- jurisdiction, and said they Hong Kong’s political sys-
rests. would pursue people over- tem has also undergone a
The rewards are the first for seas who endanger Hong major overhaul to ensure
suspects accused of vio- Kong’s national security. that only “patriots” loyal to
lating the Beijing-imposed The news conference Beijing can hold office.
legislation since it took ef- came less than two weeks The police force said it has
fect in June 2020. It outlaws after the state-owned Ta evidence that the eight
subversion, secession, col- Kung Pao newspaper is- violated the National Secu-
lusion with foreign forces sued an editorial stating rity Law.
and terrorism. that the National Security According to the warrants,
The eight activists are for- Law applies to people out- lawyer Yam, former legisla-
mer pro-democracy law- side Hong Kong, and that tor Dennis Kwok and ac-
makers Nathan Law, Ted China, as a member of In- tivists Yuen, Lau and Anna
Hui and Dennis Kwok, law- terpol, could request assis- Kwok are accused of for-
yer Kevin Yam, unionist Hong Kong activist Nathan Law takes part in a protest during a tance from other countries eign collusion for allegedly
Mung Siu-tat and activists meeting of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi with Italian Foreign in arresting fugitives. calling for sanctions against
Minister Luigi Di Maio, in Rome, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
Finn Lau, Anna Kwok and Associated Press Hong Kong, a semi-auton- Hong Kong officials.q