Competition authority Antitrust Office targets Apple

As of: June 21, 2021 2:46 p.m.

The Federal Cartel Office is now also investigating Apple. Above all, the US group’s business conduct in the App Store wants to investigate. Similar proceedings are in progress against other large tech companies. The Federal Cartel Office initiates investigations against the technology group Apple. The authority wants to find out whether the US group with parts of its business a “cross-market importance” has in competition. Cartel Office President Andreas Mundt said: “We will now examine whether Apple has built a digital ecosystem across several markets around the iPhone with the proprietary iOS operating system.” After all, the US group also produces tablets, computers, headphones and watches and sells them at the same time “a range of device-related services and services”. The Group’s Services division includes the App Store, iCloud, technical support at AppleCare, the Apple Music music service, the range of games in front of Apple Arcade, the Apple TV + streaming service and other services.

EU sees unfair competition

During its investigation, the Cartel Office will also examine Apple’s technical and financial resources as well as access to data, according to Mundt. One focus of the investigation will be on the operation of the app store, as this enables the group in many cases to influence the business activities of third parties.

Apple’s app store system is already being investigated by the EU Commission, which accuses the group of unfair competition with other providers of music streaming services. Among other things, it is controversial that 15 to 30 percent of the digital revenues in the App Store go to Apple. “We look forward to discussing our approach with the Federal Cartel Office and engaging in an open dialogue about any concerns”it said in a response from Apple. The group is “proud to be an engine for innovation and jobs”. The iOS platform alone supports more than 250,000 workplaces in Germany.

Cartel office can intervene earlier

The background to the investigation is a reform of the Act against Restraints of Competition (GWB) in January. A central component is the modernization of abuse control. The supervisory authorities can now intervene earlier in the event of suspected violations by large digital corporations and prohibit anti-competitive practices.

This also makes it easier for the Cartel Office to take action against large digital companies that are important to competition across borders between different market areas. This has already had consequences: the last time the Bonn authority was against the online network Facebook and in May against the mail order company Amazon and against the internet company Google Investigation started.

According to the cartel office, an expansion of the investigation against Apple is imminent. The authority intends to “to take a closer look at Apple’s specific behavior in a possible further procedure”. The Office has received various complaints against potentially anti-competitive practices

At noon on the same day, discuss with Newspaper Workers, A leader of the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention (A05 – Ministry of Public Security) said that the unit has received an official dispatch from the Voice of Vietnam Electronic Newspaper. Currently, the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention and a number of professional units of the Ministry of Public Security have investigated and clarified. Website VOV Newspaper is not accessible at the time – Photo: Screenshot Like Newspaper Laborer It was reported that from the evening of June 12, the access to Vov.vn electronic newspaper had difficulties, the transmission line was slow. By 12 o’clock on June 13, readers could not access the Vov.vn link at all. According to the technical department of the Voice of Vietnam Electronic Newspaper, this is the result of a denial of service (DDoS) attack that overflows the bandwidth, making access to the newspaper crippled. At the same time, the fanpage of this newspaper also received tens of thousands of negative and offensive comments. The agency has been in contact with Google and Facebook to handle the related issues. A representative of the Voice of Vietnam Electronic Newspaper also said that the attack on the newspaper affected the operation of the editorial office, affecting readers’ access to information. The Voice of Vietnam has sent a dispatch to the relevant authorities to request a settlement, in which it is requested that the Ministry of Public Security search for the perpetrators of the online newspaper attack. Online newspaper Voice of Vietnam (Vov.vn) has had many technical solutions to fix the problem and access normally from the evening of June 13.

A leader of the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention (Ministry of Public Security) also confirmed that he had received an official letter from VOV. Currently, the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention and a number of professional units of the Ministry of Public Security have investigated and clarified. In addition, the Cyber ​​Emergency Response Center (VNCERT) and network operators also participate in supporting and solving problems. At the time of the cyber attack, readers could not access the website of VOV newspaper. Photo: VOV. Exchange with Zing , a representative of VOV’s technical department said that cyberattacks on the agency’s resource system began on June 12. At about 13:00 on June 13, the bandwidth system was overloaded, suspected of being attacked by a denial of service (DDoS). On the morning of June 14, the administrator continued to record a new attack that caused the bandwidth of the system and the website to be overloaded. This is the first time this newspaper has been attacked by DDoS. In addition to the above attacks, the VOV side also believes that the person behind the attacks also discredits the stars of the VOV electronic newspaper on Google or repeatedly makes offensive and threatening comments on the newspaper’s fanpage. The VOV side is reviewing and detecting malicious code in the system, and at the same time limiting the consequences of cyberattacks, calculating damage to coordinate with authorities to solve.

On the afternoon of June 15, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Decision 1578/QD-BCT, applying anti-dumping tax and anti-subsidy tax on a number of cane sugar products originating from the Kingdom of Thailand. Specifically, imported sugar cane under HS codes 1701.13.00, 1701.14.00, 1701.99.10, 1701.99.90, 1702.90.91 will be subject to an official anti-dumping tax of 42.99% and an anti-dumping duty rate. the official subsidy is 4.65%. These two taxes are additional import taxes, applied to imported sugar cane originating from Thailand, including imports under tariff quotas. This decision has a term of 5 years, effective from June 16, Before that, the final investigation conclusion of the investigating agency determined that some Thai sugarcane products had dumping behavior, subsidized imports of the goods under investigation; The domestic industry is suffering significant injury and there is a causal relationship between the imports of the dumped and subsidized goods and the substantial injury to the domestic industry. In order to have a basis for determining the origin of imported goods subject to the application of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tax, the customs authority will check the documents certifying the origin of goods, including: origin of goods (C/O), or proof of origin in accordance with the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and EU (EVFTA), UKVFTA… Previously, on May 12, the Trade Remedies Administration (Ministry of Industry and Trade) held a public consultation (online form) with the participation of 80 delegates representing groups of stakeholders including: Governments, businesses, associations of Thailand and Vietnam. At the consultation, a representative of the domestic industry said that the Thai sugar industry is supported by the Government from controlling the domestic market (supporting fixed prices, dividing market shares), controlling imports, export subsidies, direct financial support of 1.3 billion USD/year, debt financing, input subsidies, so when entering Vietnam, it caused serious damage to the industry, so it is recommended to impose taxes. Pursuant to the provisions of the Law on Foreign Trade Management, on September 21, 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Decision No. 2466/QD-BCT on the initiation of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation on cane sugar with originating from Thailand on the basis of the application dossier of the representative of the domestic industry. Implementing Vietnam’s commitments in ASEAN regarding the application of tariff quotas under the WTO, Vietnam has abolished tariff quotas on sugar imports for ASEAN countries since January 1, 2020. In the first eight months of 2020, the amount of cane sugar imported into Vietnam increased dramatically, reaching nearly 950,000 tons, an increase of more than 6 times over the same period in 2019. In which, the amount of cane sugar imported from Thailand into Vietnam accounting for a major proportion, reaching nearly 860,000 tons (compared to the same period in 2019 it was 145,000 tons and the whole year 2019 was 300,000 tons). According to a representative of the domestic industry, the sudden increase in imports is the main cause of damage to the domestic sugar industry. The domestic production of cane sugar in the 2019-2020 crop year is estimated at less than 800,000 tons, down from 1.2 million tons in the 2018-2019 crop year. In addition, the domestic industry has also provided information and evidence that cane sugar products imported from Thailand are being dumped into Vietnam and the Thai Government has been maintaining some subsidy policy for sugarcane farming activities of farmers and the sugar industry.

A representative of the Trade Remedies Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) said that the investigation and application of trade remedies, specifically the application of anti-dumping and anti-dumping measures on a number of cane sugar products originating from Thailand imported from Thailand. imported into Vietnam, has been implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in accordance with the provisions of the law on foreign trade management, as well as in accordance with international practices, based on objective and verifiable grounds and evidence. real. After more than 5 months of investigation (since September 2020), based on the investigation results, and before making the final conclusion of the case, on May 12, 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Trade held a meeting hold a consultation session to listen to the opinions of all interested parties. The final conclusion of the Investigation Agency of the case, determined that there was an act of dumping and subsidizing the imported goods under investigation (cane sugar products originating from Thailand), causing significant damage to the domestic manufacturing industry; there is a causal relationship between imports of dumped and subsidized goods and substantial injury to the domestic industry. On that basis, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has decided to impose an official anti-dumping tax of 42.99% and an official financial tax of 4.65%. Anti-dumping tax, CTC is an additional import tax, applied to imported cane sugar originating from Thailand, including imports under tariff quotas. The time limit for application of anti-dumping tax and financial tax is officially 05 years from the date on which the decision on application of anti-dumping tax and financial tax officially takes effect (unless it is changed or extended according to another decision of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. ). Illustration Regarding the application of anti-dumping and anti-dumping duties, effective retroactively, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said, based on the final investigation conclusions and data of the General Department of Customs on the import situation of investigated goods. The Ministry of Industry and Trade determined that there was no sudden increase in the volume or quantity of dumped and subsidized goods entering Vietnam in the period from the time the investigation was conducted until the application of the CBGP tax. and temporary CTC. Therefore, there is not enough basis to apply anti-dumping and anti-dumping measures taken effect in advance according to Clause 4, Article 81 and Clause 4, Article 89, Law on Foreign Trade Management. In order to have a basis for determining the origin of imported goods subject to anti-dumping tax and CTC, according to Decision 1578/QD-BCT, the customs authority will check the documents certifying the origin of goods. , including: Certificate of Origin (C/O); documents certifying the origin of goods in accordance with the provisions of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. Free Trade Vietnam – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Accordingly, if the customs declarant submits documents certifying the origin of goods from a country or territory other than the Kingdom of Thailand, the official anti-dumping tax and CTC is not required. If the customs declarant submits proof of origin from the Kingdom of Thailand or fails to submit the proof of origin, the official anti-dumping tax and CTC as mentioned above (anti-dumping tax is 42.99%, CTC tax is 4.65%). The Ministry of Industry and Trade also said that in case the anti-dumping tax and the official CTC are lower than the provisional anti-corruption tax and the provisional CTC (the tax rate is temporarily applied when there is no final investigation conclusion and the official tax is imposed). This tax difference will be refunded. Pursuant to current legal regulations, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the investigating agency will notify the receipt of application for exemption after the Ministry of Industry and Trade issues a decision to apply trade remedies. A quick information to the reporter of the Industry and Trade Newspaper right after learning that the Ministry of Industry and Trade officially applied anti-dumping tax and CTC tax on imported sugar originating from Thailand, a leader of the Vietnam Sugar Association, said. : The Vietnam Sugar Association is quite satisfied with Decision 1578/QD-BCT of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. This is a timely decision, which will make an important contribution to support the development of Vietnam’s sugar industry, when in the context of integration, the sugar industry has faced great challenges due to the unfair competition of the sugar industry. imported sugar (mainly imported from Thailand) due to subsidies, dumping, and smuggling into the Vietnamese market. Compared with the previous decision to impose anti-dumping tax and temporary CTC, the official anti-dumping tax and CTC also eliminated the difference between raw sugar and refined sugar.

In the Declaration, Member States signed a commitment to “provide a safe and appropriate environment for journalists” and to “investigate, prosecute and punish threats and acts of violence” against to journalists. Marking the first session of UNGASS working in the field of prevention and combating corruption, the Declaration called for effective international cooperation and stronger preventive measures to protect reporting and denouncing parties. and fight against corruption. This statement highlights the role of law enforcement officials, prosecutors and the judiciary as key actors in anti-corruption law enforcement, promoting transparency and the rule of law. The declaration was welcomed by the G7 Ministers and the High Representative of the European Union, who issued a joint statement reaffirming the important role of civil society and the free media in combating corruption. . The G7 affirmed that it will “protect and promote the right of access to information for all citizens, including civil society organisations, media and journalists”. UNESCO contributed to a side event about the importance of protecting journalists and strengthening the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a watchdog monitoring Indicator 16.10.2, SDG 16 on ensuring public access to information and protecting fundamental freedoms, UNESCO has emphasized protecting and promoting the regulated press. investigation as an important part of the fight against corruption. “Investigative journalism and the press in general play an important role in bringing allegations and cases of corruption to light. Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure a safe and free environment. for journalists to assist it in uncovering corruption, money laundering to other organized crime.” – Mr. Guilherme Canela, Head of UNESCO’s Division of Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists UNESCO’s designation as a watchdog for SDG Target 16.10.2 has provided a key impetus for the organization to step up efforts to promote public access to information. Based on the monitoring results of SDG 16.10.2, UNESCO plays an important role in strengthening the United Nations’ support for the development of policies and laws on access to information, to protect the right to equal participation. equality as well as providing tools for civil society and the media, informing citizens, enhancing transparency of procurement, budgeting and many other areas of public life. In just four years, UNESCO has assisted 14 countries in passing Access to Information legislation. As a result, the public is informed to participate actively in public debates with decision-makers, including in the development of public policy and legislation. “Access to information allows citizens to obtain information held by public authorities, including the right to request and receive information, and the government’s obligation to proactively disclose information.” – Mr. Jaco du Toit, Head of UNESCO’s Global Access to Information Department Thông The Declaration of the 14th United Nations General Assembly on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice recognized the uniqueness of the threats facing journalists and called for global cooperation to change the situation. new to end immunity for crimes against journalists. To that effect, since 2013, UNESCO and its partners have trained more than 18,000 judicial authorities and 8,500 security forces on international and regional standards for freedom of expression, to promote promote a freer and safer environment for journalists and media workers around the world. Quynh Hoa According to UNESCO

One theory is that the virus came from a bat-like animal. The virus then passes to another animal that has close contact with humans and infects them. The second theory suspects that the SARS-CoV-2 virus leaked from a chemical laboratory in Wuhan, China – where the first patient with Covid-19 was recorded. This hypothesis has been rejected many times, even by the WHO team of experts who came to Wuhan to investigate and rejected this hypothesis. However, in recent weeks, this question has been dug up again. Both of these hypotheses still have no reasonable answer, creating a controversy among scientists. The focus of public opinion The Wuhan Institute of Virology specializes in the study of pathogens in nature that are capable of infecting humans – causing novel diseases and high mortality. The Institute has collected many samples from wild animals for experiments to assess the vulnerability of humans to a variety of animal viruses. The institute has carried out numerous studies on bat viruses since the 2002 SARS outbreak, which claimed the lives of 774 people worldwide. Years after a strenuous search, scientists discovered a virus similar to the one that causes SARS exists in a bat cave in southwestern China. To reduce the risk of pathogens accidentally escaping, the facility had to enforce a series of stringent procedures, such as protective clothing or air filtration systems. However, even the most stringent measures cannot eliminate the risk of the virus leaking into the environment. Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Photo: South China Morning Post. For some scientists, the spread of pathogens by a careless laboratory worker is a plausible theory that explains how the pandemic began. The Wuhan Institute of Virology is located right near the Huanan seafood market – the outbreak is considered the most likely to transmit the virus from animals to humans. The location between the two immediately raised suspicions. Many people are even more suspicious in the context that the animal that carries the disease has not been identified and the Chinese government repeatedly refuses to allow the investigation of the scenario that Covid-19 is a leaked product from a laboratory. The scientists developed the hypothesis based on concerns about the risks associated with laboratory research, clues in the virus genome, and information from the institute’s studies. The Wuhan Institute of Virology insists that its laboratory does not have a virus closely related to SARS-CoV-2 – the origin of the Covid-19 outbreak. This hypothesis was repeatedly rejected, and was forgotten for some time. Until May 23, Wall Street Journal Citing a confidential US report, it was revealed that in November 2019, before China reported its first Covid-19 cases, some researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were hospitalized. . Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian stated on May 24 that the article was “completely untrue”. The ability to transmit viruses from animals to humans A larger number of scientists believe that the virus that causes Covid-19 is of natural origin because there is no scientific evidence to support the scenario of a leak from a laboratory. Kristian G Andersen, a scientist at Scripps Research, who has done extensive research on coronaviruses, Ebola and other pathogens transmitted from animals to humans, says similar natural gene sequences are present in viruses as well. corona. Many new diseases in the past originated in bats. Photo: SCMP. In addition, from a historical perspective, a number of new diseases that have emerged in the past century have been traced back to human interactions with wild and domestic animals, including SARS (bats), MERS-CoV. (camels), Ebola (bats or primates) and Nipah viruses (bats). However, under any scenario, there is not enough evidence to prove that the other scenario cannot happen. 24 scientists recently sent a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) demanding a rigorous, independent investigation, arguing that an international investigation into China in early February was insufficient. deep. US President Joe Biden on May 26 also ordered intelligence forces to “double efforts” to investigate the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic and report the results of the investigation within 90 days.

Security guards stand guard outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology (China)Source: South China Morning Post Recently, Mr. Chris Said, a data scientist, a member of the House of Representatives of Malta, posted on Twitter a list of viruses that have accidentally escaped from laboratories so far. According to him, SARS-CoV-1, the virus that caused the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 29 countries around the world in 2003, had leaked from several Asian laboratories. The first time SARS-1 “escaped” was in August 2003 at the National University of Singapore. The second time happened in December 2003 in Taiwan (China). The results of the investigation showed that a SARS scientist in Taiwan handled the leaked biological waste without wearing gloves, masks or gowns. In April 2004, SARS-1 escaped from the National Institute of Virology of China. The H1N1 bird flu virus first appeared in the world in 1918, causing a global pandemic. In 1977, the virus “re-emerged” and many believe it was the result of a leak from a laboratory. That lab is said to be working on a way to produce a live attenuated vaccine in response to the threat of a global flu pandemic. Martin Furmanski, a researcher at the Scientific Working Group on Biological and Chemical Weapons (USA), wrote in a 2014 report that authorities do not want to disclose the laboratory origin of H1N1 because worried about affecting virus research cooperation between countries. “Virilologists and public health officials quickly realized that the most likely source (of H1N1) was a lab leak, but they agreed not to make this public,” Furmanski wrote. Foot-and-mouth disease emerged in the UK in 2007, about 4km from a biosafety level 4 laboratory in the Pirbright area. The results of the investigation showed that the construction vehicles were carrying sludge contaminated with the virus from a faulty sewage line in Pirbright, Italian newspaper The Print reported on May 31. Smallpox virus leaked from two prestigious smallpox laboratories in the UK. The first occurred in 1972 at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The second case was recorded in 1978 at the Birmingham Medical School. Continuing to investigate the origin of COVID-19 In recent days, world opinion has heated up again about the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the global pandemic COVID-19. On May 13, a group of 18 scientists published in the journal Science (Science) of the United States, calling for a more thorough investigation of the origin of SARS-CoV-2. They believe that the hypotheses about the accidental release of the virus from the laboratory and natural transmission are both possible in reality. Earlier, in March, a team of experts sent by the World Health Organization (WHO) to China concluded that the hypothesis of a laboratory leak was “extremely unlikely” in reality. However, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the team’s assessment of whether SARS-CoV-2 could emerge in the community after a laboratory incident was “not broad enough” and request further investigation. Even America’s top medical expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who once denied the lab leak theory, now says he doesn’t believe the virus evolved naturally. US President Joe Biden has ordered the US intelligence community to investigate the origins of COVID-19, after new surveillance results showed there was a possibility of a pandemic after SARS-CoV-2 leaked from the laboratory. experience in China, American newspaper The Wall Street Journal reported on May 27. The White House came under pressure to investigate on its own after China told the WHO that its part of the investigation had been completed, and efforts to trace the source of the virus should turn to other countries. President Biden wants the US intelligence community to produce a report on the origin of COVID-19 within 90 days. He said that US intelligence focuses on two scenarios, SARS-CoV-2 comes from human contact with an infected animal or from a laboratory incident. Earlier, a US intelligence report wrote that three researchers at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology became so sick in November 2019 that they had to be hospitalized. In December 2019, China reported its first cases of COVID-19. “This questions the credibility of the claim by veteran researcher Shi Zhengli of the Wuhan Institute of Virology that there is no transmission of SARS-CoV-2 or SARS-related viruses among staff and students. of the Wuhan Institute of Virology”, American newspaper USA Today May 24, citing documents from the US State Department. However, the intelligence report on 3 Chinese researchers seriously ill The Wall Street Journal The mention is not conclusive evidence that SARS-CoV-2 leaked from the lab, and the intelligence community still doesn’t know for sure what illness they have, CNN reported.

Front of Wuhan Institute of Virology Photo: Reuters This information adds weight to calls for a more complete investigation into the possibility that the COVID-19 pandemic virus escaped from this laboratory. The above content is mentioned in a report from the Donald Trump administration, which said that some researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), a center dedicated to research on corona viruses and other pathogens, had fell ill in the fall of 2019 “with symptoms resembling COVID-19 and common seasonal flu.” U.S. officials and former officials with intelligence on researchers in Wuhan expressed differing views on the strength of the evidence outlined in the report. One said that information was provided by an international partner and could be important, but needed further investigation. Others claim that the information is very reliable. “The information that we have comes from a variety of sources and is of very good quality. It is very accurate. What the report doesn’t talk about is the exact reason why they got the disease,” the source told Journal City Wall . Many epidemiologists and virologists believe that November 2019 was the time when SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 pandemic, began to spread in Wuhan. Beijing says that the first confirmed case in the city fell ill on December 8. China has repeatedly denied that the virus escaped from laboratories. On May 23, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited a report published by an investigation team led by the World Health Organization (WHO) after a visit to the Wuhan Institute of Viruses (WIV), saying that the virus leaked from the laboratory. experience is extremely unlikely. “The US continues to hype the theory of lab leaks. Are they really interested in traceability or are they trying to distract? China’s Foreign Ministry said. However, WIV does not share with the WHO team raw data, diaries and lab records where a lot of coronaviruses from bats are studied, the animals that many scientists consider most likely to be the animals. origin of the virus. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the team had not yet fully tested the lab leak hypothesis, so further investigation was still needed. There is an opinion that the article of Journal City Wall appearing before the upcoming WHO meeting was to heat the matter up again. But the Biden administration declined to comment on the intelligence report, saying only that all credible theories about the origins of the pandemic should be investigated by WHO and international experts. Abnormal point Shi Zhengli, the leading expert on bat coronaviruses at the WIV, said that the virus did not come out of the place where she was working. She told the WHO investigation team that all staff here were negative for COVID-19 antibodies and there were no staff changes in the corona virus research team. In February, Dutch virologist Marion Koopmans, a member of the investigation team who traveled to Wuhan, told NBC News that some WIV staff members fell ill in the fall of 2019, but she attributed it to common seasonal illnesses. “It’s normal to get sick from time to time. Nothing outstanding. Maybe 1 or 2 people. It’s not a big deal,” Koopmans said. Beijing even suggested that the virus could have originated outside of China, including a laboratory at the Fort Detrick military facility in the US state of Maryland, and then called on WHO to investigate the first COVID-19 outbreaks. in other countries. But most scientists see no evidence to support the idea the virus originated in a US military lab, and the White House says there is no credible reason to investigate the facility. . It is normal for Chinese people to go to the hospital for medical examination and treatment when they are sick, because family doctor services are not yet common. COVID-19 and seasonal flu, although two different illnesses, share many of the same symptoms, such as fever, cough, and aches and pains. However, it is worth noting that members of the same corona virus research team were sick and had to be hospitalized with similar symptoms, before the disease was detected. David Asher, a former US official who led the State Department task force to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, told a Hudson Institute panel in March that he suspects suspected that the WIV researchers were sick at the same time from the common seasonal flu. “I highly doubt that three people with good protective clothing working in a third-degree lab caught the flu and were hospitalized with severe symptoms in the same week that had nothing to do with the coronavirus,” he said. Asher said, these three people could be the “first known COVID-19 outbreak”.

“After information was spread online about the image of artist Hoai Linh’s account statement, the Bank checked and verified the incident and discovered that an employee intentionally copied the screen and leaked it. Currently, MB has suspended this person’s work and will take disciplinary action at the highest level; at the same time, transfer the entire case file to the investigating agency for handling in accordance with the law.” , the statement said. MB Bank also confirmed that the disclosure of information on the air was caused by a breakdown in the bank’s information technology system or a hacker attack. Because this system is built on the most advanced technology and security platforms in the world today, the bank’s online transaction rate reaches 90% with hundreds of millions of safe transactions. The MB representative also said that in the spirit of respecting the law, the Bank is committed to taking strict measures to ensure absolute compliance with the provisions of the law on protecting customer information throughout the system. The Bank will take appropriate disciplinary measures for all individuals who disclose/leave information, do not comply with professional ethics regulations, do not comply with legal regulations, industry and MB. It is known that a week ago, on social networks, a “controversial” case appeared, artist Hoai Linh was more than 6 months late paying over 14 billion VND in relief money for flood victims in the Central region, transferred by benefactors. come. Just a few days later, the online community released photos of dozens of statements showing the transactions of comedian Hoai Linh’s account opened at MB bank. Immediately, a wave of protests against MB’s disclosure/passage of confidential customer account information. After about 3 days of actively researching, until today, May 27, MB has an official feedback.

The COVID-19 pandemic first broke out in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China. Photo: Getty Images The United States and several countries are closer than ever to defeating COVID-19 thanks to progress in vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. But the world still does not know how this deadly virus appeared, and there is a growing opinion from the scientific community that it does not happen naturally. The US is stepping up calls for more research and warning about the risks of future pandemics. Washington is also more open to weighing the theory that a mistake or failure in a Chinese laboratory caused the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the Chinese Government completely rejected this hypothesis and said that the dossier to trace the origin of the COVID-19 epidemic was closed. What’s new? According to CNN, a recent US intelligence report found that several researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology fell ill in November 2019 and were hospitalized – a new detail on the severity of the symptoms. disease in these scientists. It is not clear whether the researchers at that time had COVID-19 but the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) vehemently rejected the report, considering it a lie to promote the hypothesis that the virus leaked from the laboratory. . Scientists who worked for the WIV previously said the institute had nothing to do with COVID-19 disease until December 30, 2021. On May 24, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also denied the information that three Wuhan researchers were hospitalized before the outbreak of COVID-19 and affirmed that this information was “completely untrue”. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian confirmed that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was not exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus before December 30, 2019, and its staff so far have not been infected. Scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Photo: AFP Meanwhile, on May 25, speaking at the US Congress, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the failure to fund previous research on Corona virus in bats in China. Quoc is a “negligence of duty”. According to Fauci, the US should have pursued to the place where the contact between animals and humans could lead to the spread of the virus between species. Dr. Fauci himself, the leading infectious disease expert in the US, said this week he did not believe the COVID-19 outbreak occurred spontaneously and prompted further investigation. A World Health Organization (WHO) adviser, Jamie Metzl, also said the leak hypothesis is possible, while scientists are “groping, creating and studying” the virus with the aim of vaccine development. “So I believe what could have happened was a leak, followed by a cover-up,” said Metzl, who served at the US State Department and the Atlantic Council during the US presidency. President Bill Clinton said. The conclusion is that further investigation is needed An in-depth study conducted by WHO in collaboration with the Government of China, published in March, explored the different possible origins of the COVID-19 epidemic and came to the conclusion that: although still It is not yet known how the disease originated, but it is likely that it spread to humans, either directly from bats, or more likely from an intermediate species that caught the virus from bats and then spread to humans. for human. Bats can be an intermediary that spreads the SARS-CoV-2 virus to humans. Photo: NPR The WHO report called the laboratory leak theory “extremely unlikely”, citing the fact that no laboratory staff in Wuhan were infected before December 2020 as an argument against this hypothesis. After the WHO report was published, its officials still called for an additional and public investigation from the Chinese side. Meanwhile, a newly released US intelligence report shows that laboratory workers of the Wuhan Institute of Virology have been sick since before December. According to WHO adviser Jamie Metzl, in the early stages of the outbreak of the disease. when China did not warn the world appropriately, Chinese officials blamed the transmission on an initial hotspot, a seafood market in Wuhan, which at this point was essentially Is not right. This expert said that there is a lot of evidence that the Chinese government initially tried to cover up the existence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. “Whatever the origin of the pandemic, the first month, when China was spending all its energy trying to cover things up rather than fixing the problem, allowed the fire in the furnace to cause a fire in the kitchen.” into a house fire and a worldwide fire,” said Metzl. The Wuhan Institute of Virology became the center of doubts about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Photo: Getty Images A group of well-known and experienced scientists also criticized the WHO report for not taking seriously the hypothesis that the virus leaked from the laboratory. According to them, this hypothesis was refuted within just a few pages of a hundred-page report published by WHO. The scientists wrote in the journal Science: “We must seriously consider the contagion hypotheses in the wild and in the laboratory until we have enough data.” Fear of a recurrence of a pandemic These “closed doors” have also helped conspiracy theories expand. Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton has promoted the idea that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was purposefully created as a biological weapon. But there’s no concrete evidence to back up that claim, and experts still say it’s unlikely. Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, told CNN it’s unlikely the Wuhan lab manipulated the virus to make it more contagious. but “we have to find out” the truth. Dr. Offit said that the world needs to do something to prevent another pandemic. “What I know is that they [Trung Quốc] must allow this [điều tra mở về nguồn gốc dịch]“This is now the third pandemic to emerge in the past 20 years,” said Mr. Offit. First there was SARS 1, then there was MERS. I think we can assume we’re not done with this yet.”

Many people are curious about the owner of the Dogecoin account worth 12 billion USD – Photo: iStock. The story behind the man who owns the world’s largest Dogecoin virtual currency account is probably not as attractive as the story of investors on social networks like Elon Musk or his fans. However, since the beginning of the year, with the price of Dogecoin increasing by more than 100%, the account value has reached 12 billion USD, making many people curious about its owner. According to Business Insider, this Dogecoin “shark” account has the address DH5yaieqoZN36fDVciNyRueRGvGLR3mr7L, owning a total of 36.7 billion Dogecoins since 2019, equivalent to 28% of the total number of Dogecoins in circulation. Many analysts and investors began to dissect who is behind this “huge” virtual currency account. Some people even send a small amount of Dogecoin to the above “shark” account to try to find out the identity of the owner. “The above account could be linked to a cryptocurrency exchange,” said Patrick Lodder, a core developer of Dogecoin. Working for the Dogecoin project since 2014, Lodder said that anyone can send Dogecoin coins to a public account, but the amount deposited into an account cannot be a “clue” for identification. account holder, unless it is an extremely large amount. Buying Dogecoin since 2019, the above “shark” account is rarely sold. The last sale was 100 million Dogecoin in April 2021 and is also the only sale this year. Based on this information, CoinDesk’s director of research suggested that the account must be owned by an individual, not a transaction. In response to this information, Lodder said it could be a cold wallet of an exchange. “An exchange that manages a lot of Dogecoin might not keep it on a server but store it offline – on a cold wallet, for example. This explains why there are not many sales from this account. With such a high value virtual currency account, it is safer to store it in a cold wallet,” Lodder analyzed. Lodder said the only way to determine for sure who the account owner is is for the person to speak up and present evidence, but this is a risky job if you look at the “terrible” account value. “above. On social networks, countless speculations about the owner of the above account. Following the data on the blockchain, an account on the news site Reddit hypothesized that this “shark” address could be one of the cold wallets of Robinhood – the famous free-to-use stock exchange. in U.S.A. This theory is agreed by more than 4,000 people in the Reddit community. However, many others believe that this account may belong to “Dogecoin father” Elon Musk. Like many other cryptocurrencies, Dogecoin is a decentralized currency, not managed by an authority or entity. This makes it more secure and less vulnerable to change by any entity. However, this also creates rumors of lack of control and endangers the coin. “Rumours of ‘sharks’ selling Dogecoins can scare investors into selling,” Lodder said. Dogecoin was born in 2013 as a satire to the crazy craze of virtual currency and was designed with the design concept from the famous “Doge” trend on the Internet. Dogecoin was not originally created as a means of payment but simply as a joke. However, this virtual currency is still bought and sold on virtual currency exchanges. Dogecoin often increases in price when it is promoted by famous individuals on social networks. In early 2021, Dogecoin was only $0.004, even when Bitcoin – the largest virtual currency on the market – skyrocketed to nearly $30,000. In early May, this virtual currency set a record of $0.718/Dogecoin.

Rouge Dior Forever Liquid is the first line of Dior’s cream lipsticks that does not “transfer” (color strings) but still gives a standard, brilliant color effect. With its super pigmented formula and melt-in-your-mouth texture, it won’t fade or become smudged even when you’re wearing a thick mask. In particular, one of the advantages of Rouge Dior Forever Liquid is its thinness, which brings a comfortable feeling to “rustic” lips like no lipstick. This lipstick line also has the ability to last up to 12 hours. Rouge Dior Forever Liquid color 741 (Forever Star) and color 999 (Forever Dior) With this collection, Peter Philips, the Creative and Visual Director of Dior Makeup, created 11 outstanding lipstick shades from luxurious nude tones to intense reds. Among these shades, are two iconic Dior lipsticks reimagined in liquid form for the first time, including the legendary #999 red and the luxurious nude pink #100 Forever Nude. The flawless coverage and color of the Rouge Dior Forever Liquid collection set the tone for the unmistakable lips and temperament of any woman who owns them. Beauty Blogger from China @oroyn9o adorns her lips with Rouge Dior Forever Liquid 626 (Forever Famous) lipstick Beauty blogger @cq_bq wears a deep nude lip color 820 (Forever Unique) with a matte lip liner style. Hot Instagramer @tingting_lai uses lipstick color 458 (Forever Paris) Youtuber Michi MakesUp wears Rouge Dior Forever Liquid 200 lipstick (Forever Dream) The sisters not only fall in love with Dior’s brand new lipstick line because of its durable matte lipstick but also because of its luxurious, pretty and compact design. With a minimalist yet sophisticated angular lipstick design, it’s not surprising that Rouge Dior Forever Liquid has become a cosmetic item on the wish-list of any lipstick fanatic. This lipstick puts on a translucent shell, reflecting the true, vivid colors inside. The petal-shaped tip is the perfect tool for precise application of lipstick. Perform: phoenix

https://dulich.petrotimes.vn/ The skin is aging quickly, prone to pimples, the skin is easy to catch the sun, dark, old Along with the hot summer sun, the skin is more prone to oil secretion. The skin condition is getting worse and worse, making you always in a state of discomfort. Eating a lot of sweets will cause the body to secrete male hormones, which increases the amount of oil secreted on the skin, the pores from there getting bigger and bigger, causing the blockage, causing the skin to break out, leading to scars. Continuous bruising appears on the skin. Too much sugar makes the collagen in the skin and body work less efficiently, the skin cells harden, leading to a decrease in elasticity. Wrinkles will become more and more imprinted, making the skin rough, rough, even causing serious dermatitis. Factors that cause damaged oily skin, hair loss in buns As mentioned above, eating a lot of sugar will tend to secrete male hormones, increasing the amount of oil not only in the face but also in the scalp. An oily scalp makes the hair sticky very quickly, the pores on the scalp are clogged and damaged, causing the hair to fall out. No matter how carefully you wash your hair and take care of your hair, you will still experience constant hair loss. The body accumulates excess fat, within 2 days a fat Eating a lot of sugar can also increase ghrelin, the hormone that causes hunger. So you will always tend to eat more, mainly carbohydrate rich foods which lead to the accumulation of fat in the belly. No matter how hard you practice, no matter how fast you eat, as long as you are still hungry for sweets, your 2nd round is still full of fat. This is the reason why the skin ages quickly, the hair falls out, and the 2nd round of fat. Eating a lot of sugar brings a lot of negative things to the beauty of women, you need to curb it right away to immediately improve the problems that are arising with your skin, hair and physique. https://dulich.petrotimes.vn/

The image of an article by Sheng Kinh Times shared about the event that the dragon fell on Yingkou. (Photo from Sohu) In “Yingkou City Chronicle” (of China Book Publishing House) and “History of Yingkou” (by Heilongjiang People’s Publishing House) both mentioned this strange incident. According to the records in it, in the summer of 1934, in Yingkou suddenly appeared heavy rain for 40 days in a row. Heavy rains caused the water of the Lieu River to rise rapidly and turned the reed swamp on the north bank of the river into a vast body of water. After the rain stopped, the people living here discovered a giant dragon trapped in the reeds. At that time, people believed that dragons coming down from the sky were a good omen. Fearing that the dragon would die, many people knitted reeds into sunshades and poured water over the dragon to prevent it from drying out. Many monks and people came to pray and pray until there was another long rain and the dragon disappeared. More than 20 days later, this dragon reappeared in the reeds 10km from the mouth of the Lieu River. However, this time, the dragon was no longer a living being but dead, the flesh beginning to rot with an unpleasant fishy odor. After that, the city’s 6th police station came to decompose and bring the dragon’s skeleton to an empty land near the West Sea estuary for people to admire for a few days. The “Tinh Kinh Times” at that time reported on this event. As a result, a large number of curious people from the three northeastern provinces took the train to Yingkou. At that time, train tickets to and from Yingkou both increased rapidly and were extremely scarce. The image is said to be the skeleton of a dragon. (Photo from Qulishi) The article in Thinh Kinh also shared that the dragon was stranded in a hole 17m long, 8m wide, on the wall of the crater there were very clear claw marks. It has 2 horns on its head and 4 claws on its belly. This description is quite similar to the records in the “Chronicles of Yingkou City” in terms of length and detail with horns on the head. In addition, this book also said that the dragon has up to 29 dorsal vertebrae. According to the book, the dragon’s skeleton was made into a specimen and delivered to Yingkou Fisheries High School for display. CCTV came in and the truth was unexpected Since the arrival of the true dragon in Yingkou, this story has attracted many media coverage over the years. Many mixed opinions have been given and all want the truth about this story to be revealed soon. But it wasn’t until 2004, when the “Into Science” column of China Central Television’s CCTV 10 channel gave the audience a satisfactory answer about the dragon’s fall. So at Doanh Khau. From a scientific point of view, the program editors made a documentary titled “The solution to the mystery of 70 years ago” based on reports from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Realistic image of baleen whale bones. (Photo from Sohu) In the end, with the collected documents and evaluation results, the conclusions of the editorial team and experts in the film made everyone completely surprised. Accordingly, the fact that the dragon descended in Yingkou is just a legend handed down for more than 70 years from 1934 to 2004. In fact, the animal stranded in the reeds on the banks of the Liao River that year was just a one baleen whale giant. And that picture of a cactus with two horns was misplaced. That so-called dragon horn actually refers to the lower jaw bone of the whale. So after many years of controversy, the case of dragons falling at Yingkou has finally come to a conclusion, although many people still think that CCTV’s assessment is not satisfactory.

Illustration. That could improve your chances of discovering organisms in distant worlds. How to find exoplanets Since 1999, a process of detecting exoplanets called the transit method has found thousands of other worlds by measuring the brightness of the stars that these planets orbit around. No one knows if these planets have any life, but if scientists observe the Earth using this method, they will probably detect signs of life. Once those signs are identified from Earth observations, experts can then find similar clues in the exoplanets. Scientists have recently described this approach as a mission called the Earth Transit Observer (ETO). This year, they presented this at the 52nd Moon and Planetary Science Conference. Most of the exoplanets we know of are found by transit, according to the US NASA Space Agency. Modern telescopes such as the Kepler Space Telescope and the Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) can detect exoplanets when the path of a planet dims a star’s light overnight. slice. This is true even for stars thousands of light-years away. Scientists can estimate the magnitude of a planet based on the amount of light it is blocking and calculate the size of its orbit. The size and temperature of a host star as well as the distance between the planet and the star will provide additional clues as to whether exoplanets have life or not. The measure of transit can also hint at an exoplanet’s atmosphere. During a transit, a star’s light is filtered through atmospheric molecules. This could help researchers identify elements like oxygen and methane there. Such signs are often so small that astronomers need more transit observations to confirm the existence of these elements – according to a statement by the scientists. However, other factors on exoplanets and stars can affect the reading of molecules in the atmosphere. For example, planets change with the seasons, weather patterns and ocean currents. In addition, the activity of the Sun, such as the rise and fall of the solar wind, and the formation of solar storms also change. Any of these conditions can shape the behavior of the atmosphere, thus potentially affecting the proportion of molecules and elements in their atmosphere. Illustration. Finding “New Earth” Lead author Laura Mayorga of the planet-finding mission article in the Journal of Planetary Science says that, to understand those variables, “you need to know your stars as well as predict your planets. what do you look like ”. This can be a challenge when both the stars and the exoplanets are alien. “This is a very difficult problem,” says exoplanet astronomer at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel Maryland (USA). Luckily, scientists already have all of those answers for a pair of inhabited planets and stars. That is our Earth and the Sun. For the ETO mission, a small satellite with a device capable of imaging near-violet to near-infrared light spectrum will observe the Earth as it passes in front of the Sun. The spectrophotometer will check for water and carbon dioxide markers as well as biological markers – oxygen and methane, ozone and methane. Besides, it is to point out the favorable conditions for life (of course, also to see if the signs are unique to Earth or not). The transit technique used in such an investigation would be similar to the technique used by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to study some of the thousands of exoplanets, scientists say. know moving through their host stars ”. Since we all know the climate change on Earth and the patterns of the Sun’s activity, scientists can observe how they affect the reading of atmospheric molecules and then apply them to our observations. close to the “new Earth”. “The Solar System is the only place where we know all the answers. We can test our technique, point out limitations and make a connection between the results, ”said Mayorga in the statement -“ Then we can connect that with Unanswered observations from exoplanets ”. Scientists plan to submit the ETO proposal to NASA’s Astrophysical Pioneer Program in the fall of 2021.

Under feudalism in China, the Empress Dowager Cixi was a powerful woman. She is a person of high status in both the harem and the court. That is why, Cixi, the Empress Dowager, does not eat anything that makes many people interested and learn. According to experts, Cixi Empress Dowager likes to enjoy a luxurious life. Therefore, each of her meals is shown to be noble and regal. The luxury of the meal for Empress Cixi is worth about 200 taels of silver or more. On her dinner table are always dozens of delicacies from many regions. More than 120 chefs work in Tay Thien room just to serve the dining needs of Empress Dowager Cixi. These chefs can prepare more than 4,000 dishes and more than 400 types of breakfast. The chef is always ready to work whenever the Empress Dowager Cixi is excited to eat and drink something. When serving the Empress Dowager Cixi, the chefs always have to strictly adhere to her taboo not to process dishes from beef. The fact that the Empress Dowager Cixi did not eat beef made many people curious why she did so. According to some historians, she hated dishes made from beef because she thought it was both fishy and hard. Even the Empress Dowager Cixi once said that eating beef is a big crime. The reason is that the Qing royal family has not eaten beef for centuries. Only during some major holidays, this meat can be used by chefs in the palace to prepare dishes. However, Cixi Empress Dowager doesn’t eat a single piece of beef. Invite readers to watch the video: The US and China tense in high-level dialogue. Source: VTV24.

According to Politico, Pentagon officials have passed intelligence on the suspected attacks to US lawmakers. However, a Defense Department spokesperson told the site that the agency was ignorant of direct energy attacks against US troops in Syria. US military soldiers in Syria. Photo: US Army Even so, according to two former US national security officials involved in investigative efforts, direct energy attacks on US soldiers abroad, suspected of being behind by Russia, are becoming. of such concern that the Pentagon’s Office of Special Operations and low-intensity conflicts began an investigation last year. It is unclear exactly how many US soldiers were injured or how badly they were injured. Direct energy attacks are used to describe directing certain energy sources to a specific target, such as using lasers or microwave energy, to cause total harm to human health. The investigation is part of a broader effort to investigate direct energy attacks on US government officials and agencies, Politico said. Previously, many US officials in Cuba, China and Russia mysteriously fell ill, with the main reasons allegedly being affected by microwave radiation sources.

According to the results of the National Nutrition Census 2019 – 2020, the diet of people in 2020 has increased on average, but only about 66.4% – 77.4%. compared with the recommended adult nutritional pyramid needs.

Meat consumption increased rapidly, more than 1.5 times, from 84g / person / day (2010) to 136.4g / person / day (by 2020); consumption in city areas is higher. Meanwhile, rice consumption tends to decrease. There is a trend in city schools to increase the consumption of soft drinks and fast foods.

Consumption of meat and ready-to-eat foods is the cause of obesity and overweight.

The rate of stunting in school age children (5-19 years old) is 14.8% (in 2010 this rate was 23.4%). It is very noteworthy that the rate of overweight and obesity will increase from 8.5% in 2010 to 19% in 2020 (more than 2 times), of which it is 26.8% in urban areas (more than 3 times higher). 18.3% in rural areas and 6.9% in mountainous areas.

Exercise will help children avoid obesity.

Proper nutrition and increased exercise to prevent obesity

According to Assoc. Dr. Le Bach Mai – Former Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nutrition, if the child has mild physical activity, sleep less than 8 hours / day, the risk of being overweight and obese is almost 3 times higher than that of physically active children. heavy power, enough sleep, little computer sitting Therefore, elementary school students need 1-2 hours / day of physical exercise and sports. On the other hand, feed your baby regularly on a fixed day of the month before eating. If your child gains weight in excess of the standard for 3 to 5 months in a row, parents need immediate treatment to avoid obesity. When the baby has shaped the eating habits and overweight is too much, it is difficult for parents to lose weight.

Experts also recommend that the best method is proper nutrition, increase physical activity, and reduce sedentary time. Children under 2 years old should not watch TV, older children should only watch TV for less than 2 hours / day or less than 14 hours / week. In addition, the sleep time, for children 0-5 years old is 11 hours / day; 5-10 years old is 10 hours / day; over 10 years old is 9 hours / day.

Also according to experts, the prevention of overweight and obesity is not only the responsibility of the health sector but needs the coordination of many other disciplines, including the Education sector. The school needs to balance school meals, create a playground for children to exercise and play sports. On the other hand, children need to be educated to realize the harmful effects of obesity and how to prevent them. Besides, parents need to set an example for their children about healthy and balanced exercise and eating habits; encourage and encourage your child to play sports or participate in active games instead of playing games, “surfing” Facebook …

The requirements for energy and protein at specific ages are as follows:
+ From 6 years old: Energy 1600; 36g protein
+ From 7-9 years old: Energy 1800; Protein 40g
+ From 10-12 years old: Energy 2100– 2200; Protein 50g

Attention: If it is not possible to process many kinds of dishes in a day, the child’s protein can be calculated as follows: For every 100g of lean meat is equivalent to 150g of fish or shrimp, 200g of tofu, 2 duck eggs or 3 eggs . If you eat all kinds of vermicelli, vermicelli, pho, potato, maize, and cassava, you must reduce the amount of rice.

Alibaba was fined $ 2.8 billion for alleged monopoly.

JD.com, Meituan and ByteDance lead China’s first group of Big Tech companies to commit to complying with the law after China Market Surveillance Agency (SAMR) asked them to “learn lessons” from Alibaba. Group Holding in Beijing’s latest antitrust investigation.

On April 14, 12 out of 34 tech companies released a public statement pledging to do business in compliance with the law after SAMR warned of Alibaba’s recent antitrust sanctions and conducted self-testing. next month.

Earlier, e-commerce giant Alibaba was fined a record $ 2.8 billion for forcing small businesses to sell exclusive products on the platform. Monopolistic behavior is understood as how businesses eliminate competition of competitors by forcing customers to choose “one of two”.

JD.com has made eight promises including “never taking measures to force sellers to choose either and never abusing a dominant market position or making any exclusive deals. “. The e-commerce group also said it will “never publish illegal advertisements and never sell products of substandard quality”.

Meituan’s delivery staff.

Meituan promised not to impose unreasonable measures forcing sellers to “choose one of the two” and would not abuse its market position to limit competition. In addition, the company is committed to providing full support to the Chinese regulatory authorities. “Once we find evidence of illegal conduct, we will report it to regulators in a timely manner and readily cooperate with any investigation,” Meituan said.

ByteDance, the owners of short video apps TikTok and Douyin, made 13 promises in its public statement. China’s most valuable unicorn company says it will “not illegally collect and misuse user data” and adhere to “minimum guidelines” in collecting data from users. E-commerce platform Pinduoduo said it will “proactively assume more social responsibility”, as well as comply with legal and regulatory requirements.

The rest of the companies are expected to announce their public commitment over the next two days

Beijing’s targeting of key Big Tech firms including Kuaishou, Bilibili and Didi Chuxing comes at a time when the Chinese government is resolutely using antitrust laws and other regulatory methods to halt. out-of-control expansion.

SAMR has accused major tech companies of misconduct such as forcing sellers to choose only one trading platform, abuse of market dominance, abuse of big data to unfair pricing. for certain customers, ignoring poor quality products, leaking customer data, and tax evasion.

“No one is allowed to cross the regulatory lines and not touch the legal red line,” SAMR said on Tuesday.

34 Internet service providers are on the spot, many of which are listed on US and Hong Kong exchanges. Companies were asked to “raise responsibility and give priority to the national interests”.

“Companies must absolutely avoid disordered capital expansion to ensure China’s economic and social security, you must absolutely avoid monopolies to ensure fair competition,” according to Beijing’s statement towards Internet service platforms.

SAMR says companies have one month to do a “self-check and self-repair”, after which the government will conduct follow-up and “severely punish” those companies that fail to address the misconduct.