Lieutenant General He Lei, vice-president of the PLA Academy of Military Science and head of the PLA delegation, attends the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, which ended on Sunday. Joseph Nair/ap Two senior Chinese and Japanese military officials met in Singapore on Sunday, People's Liberation Army's delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue said in a news release. Lieutenant General He Lei, vice-president of the PLA Academy of Military Science and head of the PLA delegation, met on Sunday morning with Lieutenant General Kazuaki Sumida, vice-chief of staff of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces' Joint Staff, at the Shangri-La Hotel on the sidelines of the regional security conference that concluded later in the day. He told Sumida that Sino-Japanese relations appeared to be improving, but they are still sophisticated and fragile. China always holds a positive attitude toward communication and exchange with Japan in defense affairs and that the two sides should make efforts to improve their defense relations, He said according to the news release. He said China attaches great importance to the negotiation of an air-sea communication mechanism between the two countries' defense departments and has made a lot of effort on this matter. China hopes that Japan will consider this issue in a strategic perspective and use flexibility to handle it, the Chinese officer said. Sumida said more communication and exchanges between the two nations' defense departments would contribute to stable relations, which are crucial to security in the Asia-Pacific. Sumida was quoted by the Chinese news release as saying that the air-sea communication mechanism will be established through efforts from both sides. The Japanese officer also said Japan is willing to enhance bilateral exchanges and talks in defense, especially when the two countries mark the 45th anniversary of normalization of their diplomatic ties this year and as they mark next year the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China. [email protected]personalised fabric wristbandscustom printed wristbandsmake your own rubber braceletcustom rubber wristbands
Hong Kong police have notified a local pro-independence group of the intention to ban its operation in accordance with the Societies Ordinance, the city's security chief said on Tuesday.In a press briefing, Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu said he had received a recommendation from an assistant societies officer to make the move.The group will have 21 days to make representations in writing and explain why the Secretary for Security should not make such an order, Lee said.The deadline is 5 pm on Aug 7.Lee said he will not make a decision until after the deadline, or until after he receives the group's written representations within the deadline.According to Section 8 of the Societies Ordinance, the Societies Officer may recommend the Secretary for Security make an order prohibiting the operation of a society if he reasonably believes the prohibition of the society's operation is necessary in the interests of national security, public safety, public order or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.This is the first time Hong Kong police have enforced Section 8 of the Societies Ordinance since the city was returned to the motherland in 1997, Lee said.People enjoy freedom of association in Hong Kong, but such freedom is not limitless, Lee said.As stipulated in the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance, lawful restrictions may be placed on the exercise of freedom of association if they are necessary in the interests of national security or public safety, public order, the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others, Lee added.Founded in 2016, the Hong Kong National Party claims to uphold "a self-reliant nation" and an "independent Hong Kong" as its goal.Its convener, Andy Chan Ho-tin, acknowledged receiving a letter from the police on Tuesday, as he uploaded the bilingual message onto the group's social media page.
