Page 6 - aruba-today-20200909

A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 9 september 2020
Zimbabwe group tries to stop Chinese coal mine in game park

By FARAI MUTSAKA in the whole of the Mata-
Associated Press beleland North province
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — and provides a vital safe
An environmental group in haven for these and other
Zimbabwe has applied to endangered and specially
the country's High Court to protected animals," said a
stop a Chinese firm from statement by the Hwange
mining coal in Hwange Na- Area Stakeholders, a
tional Park, which hosts one grouping of interested par-
of Africa's largest popula- ties such as safari opera-
tions of elephants. tors, animal welfare groups
The Zimbabwe Environ- and residents.
mental Lawyers Association The legal effort to stop min-
argues that the creation of ing in Hwange park comes
a coal mine in the park by as Zimbabwean wildlife
the Zimbabwe Zhongxin officials are investigating
Mining Group Tongmao the cause of the deaths of
Coal Company (Pvt) Ltd more than 20 elephants in
would cause "devastating" a forest area near the na-
ecological degradation tional park. It is suggested
and force wildlife to flee. that the young elephants
The mining may cause a that died may have eaten
decline in tourism and de- In this Sunday Nov. 10, 2019 file photo a herd of elephants make their way through the Hwange poisonous plants because
crease the incomes of lo- National Park, Zimbabwe, in search of water. normal vegetation has
cal residents who rely on it Associated Press dried up from lack of rain-
for income, while poach- fall. Zimbabwe, constantly
ing and conflict between government to the Chinese a threat to the reserve, the area of Hwange park, ac- plagued by power shortag-
people and wildlife could firm in February, 2019, and organization said in its ap- cording to court papers. es, is heavily reliant on coal
increase, the organization the firm has started explor- plication filed this week. The area is "one of the and hydropower for elec-
argued. atory work in the park, ac- "There is acute risk of irre- two only heavily wooded tricity. Chinese firms have
More than 45,000 elephants cording to Bhejane Trust, a versible ecological deg- segments of the National been involved in multi-bil-
are estimated to live in wildlife conservation orga- radation including unmiti- Park comprising of mineral lion dollar projects to boost
Hwange park along with nization which works in the gated loss of animal and springs, salt springs, thermal coal-fired power plants.
more than 100 mammal park in partnership with the vegetative species, reduc- springs, ecologically active Several Chinese firms also
and 400 bird species, in- national parks agency. tion of animal habitats of waterholes, various dams mine gold, diamonds and
cluding buffalos, leopards, Drilling, land clearance, many rare species includ- and pans," said the docu- other minerals in Zimba-
and lions, that are already road-building and geologi- ing black rhino, pangolin, ment. The mine may pol- bwe. The country's ministry
struggling for food and cal surveys related to the elephant, and wild (paint- lute the water sources in a of environment, climate,
water in the vast savan- planned coal mining proj- ed) dogs," said the organi- perennially dry area of the tourism and hospitality on
nah due to a prolonged ect inside the park, which zation. The mine is planned park, said the document. Monday said the govern-
drought. The mining license sprawls for more than to cover 105 square kilo- The area for the proposed ment "will pronounce itself"
was granted by President 14,500 square kilometers meters (40.54 square miles) mine "represents the only on the matter "in the next
Emmerson Mnangagwa's (5,600 square miles), pose in the Sinematella Camp habitat with black rhino few days."q
China launches initiative for

global data security issues

He said mounting risks for petitive edge," Wang said, such as Australia and Brit-
cyber security threaten na- according to a transcript ain are participating in that
tional security, public inter- of his speech released by initiative, which seeks to ex-
ests and personal rights. the ministry. "Such blatant clude Chinese telecommu-
The move comes amid a acts of bullying must be op- nications companies like
deterioration in U.S.-China posed and rejected." Huawei and ZTE, as well as
relations encompassing Wang said that it was im- apps, cloud service provid-
trade tensions and com- portant to develop interna- ers and undersea cables
petition in telecommuni- tional rules on data security from their internet networks.
cations and artificial intel- that will "reflect the will and The U.S. has expressed
In this Aug. 30, 2020 file photo, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi ligence technologies, with respect the interests of all concerns over national
delivers a speech during a press conference at the Institute for the U.S. accusing Chinese countries through broad- security threats from ser-
International Relations in Paris. technology companies of based participation." vices provided by Chinese
Associated Press threatening American na- U.S. Secretary of State Mike technology companies like
tional security. Pompeo last month un- Huawei, Bytedance and
By ZEN SOO aimed at discouraging oth- "Bent on unilateral acts, a veiled the "Clean Network" Tencent. Washington has
Associated Press er countries from using Chi- certain country keeps mak- program, saying it is aimed dissuaded some U.S. allies
HONG KONG (AP) — China nese technology. ing groundless accusations at protecting citizens' pri- from using Huawei's tech-
has launched an initiative Foreign Minister Wang Yi against others in the name vacy and sensitive informa- nology in 5G networks, say-
to address global data announced the initiative of 'clean' networks and tion from "malign actors, ing data potentially could
security issues, a counter- in Beijing on Tuesday at a used security as a pretext to such as the Chinese Com- be accessed by the Chi-
move to the U.S. "clean seminar on global digital prey on enterprises of other munist Party." More than nese government. Huawei
network" program that is governance. countries who have a com- 30 countries and territories vehemently denies that.q