Victor Westerkamp
Victor resides in the Netherlands and writes about freedom and governmental and social changes to the democratic form of nations.
TSMC, Bosch, Infineon Open Microchip Plant in Germany
Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC announced on Aug. 8 a plan to invest 10 billion euros to build a semiconductor plant in Dresden by 2027. The decision has raised questions as the chips are projected to...
China Sees 99-percent Drop in Inbound Visitors as Economic Downturn Continues
The Chinese tourist industry has plummeted even after the reopening of the country from “zero-COVID” lockdowns, with the first quarter of 2023 seeing just a tiny fraction of visitors to the People’s Republic as compared...
British Official Announces ‘Nuclear Power Renaissance’
Britain is on the verge of a comprehensive nuclear power renaissance, according to British Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps. The Minister spoke last month in London on the occasion of establishing a new government agency called...
YouTube Blogger Uncovers Fake EV Boom in China
China boasts the world's most robust registration figures for electric cars, especially Chinese models; however, carmakers might produce more electric cars than necessary, profiting from the generous subsidy regulations. Officially, some 5.7 million electric vehicles...
Germany’s Security Bureau Warns of Beijing’s Long Arm in Politics and Policy
The German Bureau for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) issued a security notice of Chinese interference and espionage targeting German politicians and authorities on July 28. According to the report, the Chinese Communist Party...
China’s State Security Calls Upon Ordinary Citizens to Become Counterespionage Informants
Communist China’s spy agency, the Ministry of State Security (MSS), has issued a call for citizens to actively participate in a counter-espionage program that encourages and normalizes people spying on and reporting on each other....
Italy’s Defense Minister Calls the Belt and Road Agreement “A Destructive Act”
Italy's Defense Minister said his country is considering opting out of the Belt and Road Initiative with China, calling it a destructive act to enter the program in the first place. Still, it remains to...
Rescue Teams Will Have to Wait Until Ignited EV-Carrying Cargo Ship Is Burned-Out
Since Wednesday, the burning cargo ship carrying around 3,800 cars has been bobbing off the Dutch coast. The fire is burning out, but an environmental catastrophe could still exist. The fire on the car freighter...
Beijing Disciplines Jack Ma’s Ant Group With $1 Billion Fine
Ant Group, the parent company of Alibaba and Alipay, has just been fined nearly $1 billion by state regulators, and it remains to be seen if the pet child of formerly China's richest man Jack...
Global Production Lags Due to Self-Imposed Restrictions
According to several studies, the overall production capacity of factories worldwide shrank in June due to lagging demand in China and Europe which muddled the forecasts for suppliers. Production revved up in Asia, but more...
New Zealand ‘Carefully Managing’ Not to Push Hot Buttons With China: Foreign Minister
New Zealand is "carefully managing" its relationship with China and avoids getting pulled from "pillar and post," Nanaia Mahuta, the nation's foreign minister, said without confronting China on human rights issues. She had concluded a...
Indictment Details Plan to Steal Samsung Secrets for Foxconn China Project
South Korean prosecutors have accused a former Samsung employee of stealing and leaking sensitive information he used to help his new employer set up a chip factory in China. Former Samsung executive and Singapore-based consultancy...