Opinions

Last weekend, I ran into an article in the Austrian mainstream newspaper “der Standard” entitled “Wien’s verborgenes Chinatown” or “Unter dem Radar: Wiens chinesische Community abseits der Teigtascherlmafia” (its website). It’s indeed a pity that the author of this article held such a distorted view of the Chinese community in Vienna. By citing a few negative cases, he is generalizing the image of the community and misleading the reader to a wrong interpretation of the reality. The majority of the Chinese living in Vienna as well as other parts of Austria has been conforming well to the rules and laws…

The simple background of the countryside houses, the crisscrossed muddy paths, the vast endless fields, in between the real yet metaphorical human figures, half in shadow, half exposed in sunlight … India, an ancient and mysterious country, a country not lacking attraction and charm! But it is the country with the most imbalanced birth ratio of men and women in the world: 1000-750. By 2020, 32 million single men in India will not be able to find a wife. How did this situation come into being? The 2019 Rama Rau documentary “The Daughter Tree” draws a shocking but realistic picture….

As early as 2013, the United Nations has been calling for a global moratorium on lethal autonomous robotics, weapons systems that can select and kill targets without a human being directly issuing a command. But according to Time Magazine, China and the US are fighting a major battle over killer robots and the future of AI, simultaneously working on the technology while trying to use international law as a limit against their competitors. Being more and more intimidating, the issue of AI killer robots has raised huge concerns during the related yearly UN meeting in Geneva. In August this year,…

This year’ G7 Summit, held from 24 to 26 August in Biarritz, France, ended in rare harmony. The Group of 7 (G7) was established in 1975 with countries including France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada. G7 expanded in 1998 by Russia’s inclusion to the G8. On March 25, 2014, the other members expelled Russia due to the annexation of Crimea and returned to the format of the G7. Now, EU is also considered part of the summit. As world powers, G7 member states represent 45% of the global economy. What’s more important, they share…

On 6. June, LGP (Lansky, Ganzger+Partner), a very well-known law firm with its headquarter in Vienna, Austria, held a panel discussion on the topic of “ One Belt –One Road and the Western Balkans”.  And I was there. Ambassadors from China, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Croatia, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the Russian Federation, as well as the representatives of the EU, the OSCE and the Austrian ministries attended the afternoon activity which turned out to be a well-discussed, insightful and significantly meaningful event. The panelists include Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Austria Mr. LI Xiaosi, former Ambassador of the…

On 5. June, 2019, UN Secretary-General António Guterres gave a message to the world about the issue of environmental protection: The theme for this years’ World Environment Day is air pollution.  All around the world — from megacities to small villages –people are breathing dirty air.  An estimated nine out of ten people worldwide are exposed to air pollutants that exceed World Health Organization air quality guidelines.  This is lowering life expectancy and damaging economies across the planet. To improve air quality, we must know our enemy.  Deaths and illnesses from air pollution are caused by tiny particles that penetrate our defences…

On 3. May, 2019, the UN Secretary-General Guterres sent out an important message on World Press Freedom Day: A free press is essential for peace, justice, sustainable development and human rights. No democracy is complete without access to transparent and reliable information. It is the cornerstone for building fair and impartial institutions, holding leaders accountable and speaking truth to power. This is especially true during election seasons — the focus of this year’s World Press Freedom Day. Facts, not falsehoods, should guide people as they choose their representatives. Yet while technology has transformed the ways in which we receive and…

  On occasion of the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, 24 April 2019, UN Secretary-General António Guterres sent a message to the world: This first observance of the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace underscores the value of international cooperation for the common good. For nearly 75 years, the multilateral arrangements established after the Second World War have saved lives, expanded economic and social progress, upheld human rights and, not least, helped to prevent a third descent into global conflagration. From the articulation of international law to the advancement of gender equality, from protecting the environment to…

For the EU, Brexit has been an eyesore beyond description. The tug-of-war between the EU and the UK is of a protracted war. On April 10, the EU member-state leaders met in Brussels, Belgium and reached an agreement to allow the UK to postpone the Brexit until October 31 this year. On June 2, the EU will give the decision another evaluation. British Prime Minister Teresa May originally only wished to postpone it until June, and French President Macronalso expressed support for it. But EU Council President Tusk and German Chancellor Merkel both stated that the matter could be extended…

  On 8 March 2019, UN Secretary-General António Guterres sent a message to the world at the UN Observance of International Women’s Day 2019, New York: Gender equality and women’s rights are fundamental to global progress on peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. We can only re-establish trust in institutions, rebuild global solidarity and reap the benefits of diverse perspectives by challenging historic injustices and promoting the rights and dignity of all. In recent decades, we have seen remarkable progress on women’s rights and leadership in some areas. But these gains are far from complete or consistent –…