Ukraine is part of Europe.

That aside, Russia is violating not only human rights and the rule of law with its illegal invasion, it has also broken some 400 treaties since the invasion began in 2014 (that’s basically all treaties the Kremlin has signed).

More importantly, though, Putin has been signing several decrees since 2022 allowing the seizure of Western assets, entangling firms ranging from Germany’s Uniper to Danish brewer Carlsberg.

And Europe is not an “Empire.” Protecting Ukraine means protecting Europe as Russia will not stop here but rather aiming to attack the next country.

Many apparently don’t even read the paraphrased summary before engaging in whataboutism. Is this good?

I’d say it’s more Xi Jinping as European providers are also banned in China, no?

What about avoiding whataboutism?

The industry should discuss what can be done not only to become more independent from China, but also from the USA and the major technology companies, Merz is further quoted as saying.

True. But the EU is a larger bloc. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, there are many others. Stopping support for Russia is also only one requirement imo, but it would be a first step.

At least China’s (along with India’s) December purchases of Russian oil are set to drop over Western sanctions, according to the data. I don’t say Estonia alone can achieve something, and I may be mistaken of course, but it’s important that the Estonian FM makes such a public statement imho.

@KyuubiNoKitsune@lemmy.blahaj.zone

There are many reports on Shein, Temu and other Chinese companies’ sweatshops. As I understand you are from Sweden, there is one by Globalworks Lund AB, an independent not-for-profit enterprise based in Sweden. One report says, among others:

This research shows how Shein and Temu take exploitation to a new level. Our findings high-light mechanisms and practices that increase price pressure on garment suppliers and vendors. Additional harm is caused by unrelenting delivery speed requirements, which force suppliers to take on overstocking risks or incur penalties for delays. Manufacturers and vendors are finding it increasingly difficult to break even, let alone make a profit. To safeguard their businesses, they not only pay their employees less and force them to work longer hours, but they also adopt an increasingly non-committal management style that weakens job security, base wages, regulated working time, and occupational health and safety standards.

Globalworks concludes:

Temu and Shein are spearheading a deeply concerning trend towards the reemergence of a sweatshop economy in which workers labour without formal contracts and under unregulated working hours. Worsening working conditions impact suppliers at lower tiers all over China. Due to intense competition in the fashion industry, more brands and producers will try to follow Shein’s and Temu’s lead. Regulators have little time left to act.

Here is the entire report: Suppliers and Workers Straightjacketed by Ultra-fast Fashion - Labour and human rights risks at Shein and Temu in China – [pdf]

It is noteworthy that this trend has been observed for some time as by several reports, e.g.,

China’s mass exodus: number of asylum seekers surpasses one million under Xi - [January 2025]

Data released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) show a clear trend: between 2012 and mid-2024, over one million Chinese have sought asylum abroad … To put things into perspective: in 2022 alone, the number of Chinese asylum-seekers abroad was the same as during the entire 10-year Hu Jintao era.

And:

The Chinese migrants hoping for a new life in Germany - [February 2025]

A small but growing number of Chinese people are fleeing home, with their sights set on Germany thanks to its reputation as a safe haven for refugees.

As an addition:

Russian drone slams into block of flats in deadly wave of strikes across Kyiv - [includes some short video]

A Russian drone has slammed into a block of flats in eastern Kyiv, killing six people and wounding dozens of others, during a wave of strikes throughout the Ukrainian capital.

As an addition:

Russian drone slams into block of flats in deadly wave of strikes across Kyiv - [includes some short video]

A Russian drone has slammed into a block of flats in eastern Kyiv, killing six people and wounding dozens of others, during a wave of strikes throughout the Ukrainian capital.

There are many reports by consumer protection agencies across Europe and the world on toxic and dangerous products sold on Temu, Shein & Co (one is here, and, no, Chinese companies have their own supply chains and their own sweatshops, European companies that sold these unsafe products would immediately be closed by authorities).

There are many reports by consumer protection agencies across Europe and the world on toxic and dangerous products sold on Temu, Shein & Co (one is here, and, no, Chinese companies have their own supply chains and their own sweatshops, European companies that sold these unsafe products would immediately be closed by the authorities).

[Edit to insert the correct link.]

Israel and the US have shown how powerful abusing peoples privacy can be.

Not only these two. Just look at Russia and China …

Yeah, this far-right AfD which is heavily supported by China and Russia. And another point is that attacks by hackers with ties to the Russian state also contributed to the drop in Germany.

First, Chinese retail platforms like Temu, Shein, AliExpress and others deploy their own supply chains. Only Shein recently announced it would open up its sweatshops to other businesses, but so far this didn’t happen afaik.

And, more importantly, local European retailers would immediately be shut down by the authorities if they sold the toxic and dangerous stuff sold on these Chinese platforms. They face much stricter regulations regarding consumer (and worker) protections than in China, which is one reason why they are more expansive.

What was the reason for Germany’s 3-point drop in its internet freedom score according to the report cited in the linked news article?

To provide a bit more content on the study by Freedom House a brief summary:

• In Germany, factors including criminal prosecutions for memes about politicians, increased self-censorship due in part to threats from far-right actors, and attacks by hackers with ties to the Russian state contributed to a 3-point drop in the country’s internet freedom score.
• Globally, the internet freedom declined for the 15th consecutive year. Kenya (−6), Venezuela (−4), and Georgia (−4) experienced the year’s most severe declines on the report’s 100-point scale. Bangladesh (+5) earned the year’s strongest improvement.
• China and Myanmar, each with a total score of 9, remained the world’s worst environments for internet freedom.
• Iceland (94) held its place as the freest online environment, followed by Estonia (91), falling scores also for Serbia and Nicaragua.

[Edit to include the link.]

@Anonymaus@feddit.org

Did you read the report? This is an absurdly weird framing.

Oh, yeah, the Sanchez government’s stark light on the corruption elsewhere … perfect background (s/)

As an addition:

European partners criticize Spain’s relationship with China as the Kings dine with Xi Jinping

Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands have shown their concerns towards the Asian country, an attitude and positioning that sharply contrasts with Spain’s approach

… “The Italian Minister of Economy, Giorgetti, already called on the European Union to adopt a united stance against China to curb the threat to our industry. A similar sentiment exists in Germany, where the government coalition is taking the lead in reviewing the trade policy between China and Germany. The Netherlands has made a decision regarding Nexperia, and France is considering measures against Shein,” these same sources elaborate …

Regarding the case of Shein, French authorities ordered the inspection of up to 200,000 packages from the company last week to check for possible violations of regulations, a measure intertwined with the Paris Prosecutor’s decision to initiate an investigation for “dissemination of images or representations of minors of a pornographic nature” affecting this same company, as well as the Chinese platforms AliExpress and Temu …

The European Commission prefers not to comment at this time. In the past, they were very critical of Pedro Sánchez’s government, especially when the Prime Minister visited China and requested not to impose tariffs on Chinese electric cars during EU-China negotiations …

As an addition:

European partners criticize Spain’s relationship with China as the Kings dine with Xi Jinping

Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands have shown their concerns towards the Asian country, an attitude and positioning that sharply contrasts with Spain’s approach

… “The Italian Minister of Economy, Giorgetti, already called on the European Union to adopt a united stance against China to curb the threat to our industry. A similar sentiment exists in Germany, where the government coalition is taking the lead in reviewing the trade policy between China and Germany. The Netherlands has made a decision regarding Nexperia, and France is considering measures against Shein,” these same sources elaborate …

Regarding the case of Shein, French authorities ordered the inspection of up to 200,000 packages from the company last week to check for possible violations of regulations, a measure intertwined with the Paris Prosecutor’s decision to initiate an investigation for “dissemination of images or representations of minors of a pornographic nature” affecting this same company, as well as the Chinese platforms AliExpress and Temu …

The European Commission prefers not to comment at this time. In the past, they were very critical of Pedro Sánchez’s government, especially when the Prime Minister visited China and requested not to impose tariffs on Chinese electric cars during EU-China negotiations …