EXCLUSIVE: This is exactly when China blocked ChatGPT, Hugging Face and other AI sites.

I received first access to a platform that can track the precise timing of Chinese censorship, when previously this was difficult.

Explore our interactive graphic:
restofworld.org/2024/when-chin… It was unclear when popular machine-learning site @HuggingFace was first blocked in China. The company reported issues in Oct. 2023.

It was actually blocked on May 7, 2023.

Read for more exclusive findings: restofworld.org/2024/when-chin…

Latest investigation by me, based on research from @DisinfoEU:

A website spread disinformation about Canada. Why did major Indian outlets treat it as news? via @torontostarthestar.com/politics/feder… @DisinfoEU @TorontoStar IFFRAS appeared to be the last active Canadian node of a large fake news network.

This story highlights how disinformation can be weaponized to distort and misrepresent Canada to outsiders — and how it can malign diaspora in the process. @TorontoStarthestar.com/politics/feder…

#Breaking NDP is tabling a motion asking for David Johnston to step aside as special rapporteur on foreign interference “given clear appearance of bias.” @JennyKwanBC will also speak about her briefing with CSIS after she told @TorontoStar she was a “person of interest” to China. Follow announcements live here: cpac.ca/episode?id=01a…

My previous interview with Jenny Kwan: thestar.com/amp/politics/f…

#EXCLUSIVE Canada set to name foreign labs, universities that pose risk to national security

Leading universities say they'll avoid working with the entities altogether — despite potential $100M loss in annual funding from foreign partners. thestar.com/news/canada/20… @TorontoStar The list will include foreign entities at “higher risk” of engaging in research theft, unwanted knowledge transfers and interference, according to documents I saw.

The Canadian government confirmed to me this list is coming - likely first of its kind. thestar.com/news/canada/20…

#EXCLUSIVE University of Waterloo ends research partnerships with Huawei thestar.com/news/canada/20… via @TorontoStar Canada’s top-rated research university will end all its partnerships with Chinese telecoms giant #Huawei.

“We are disentangling ourselves from this company,” Charmaine Dean, vice-president of research at the University of Waterloo, told me exclusively. thestar.com/news/canada/20…

My story on knowing the ABCs of foreign influence coming out soon @TorontoStar. I went on to explain here that the RCMP and CSIS definitions of “foreign influence” are different.

Thanks for having me on the panel, @TheAgenda!

https://twitter.com/theagenda/status/1640446088812584960

Think you know what “foreign influence” means in Canada? Explainer is live tomorrow. Here’s a sneak preview.

Thanks for your contributions @Akshay_Thinks @JessMarinDavis @StephanieCarvin and Chinese-Canadian researchers who aren’t on Twitter 👏 thestar.com/content/thesta…

NEW: Chinese interference in Canada? Chinese Canadians say they reported it for years — and were ignored.

"These are not secrets." For the Chinese diaspora, it's been common knowledge. Here's what they say you should know. thestar.com/politics/feder… @torontostar #cdnpoli This is 72-year-old Cheuk Kwan. He started witnessing and reporting incidents of Chinese government interference in the early 90s.

“But every time we spoke to the government, it felt like we were putting on a show... Nothing was done." thestar.com/politics/feder… #cdnpoli #csis

What a new term for Xi Jinping means to China — and to Canada’s strategy for dealing with Beijing thestar.com/news/world/ana… via @TorontoStar During his decade in power, Xi’s government has pursued an increasingly assertive foreign policy while tightening control at home.

Canada has seen the consequences these changes first hand. thestar.com/news/world/ana… @Nuttallreports @TorontoStar

NEW: Here's the CTV company memo about veteran anchor @LisaLaFlamme_'s termination and why a well-placed CTV source thinks her ouster was likely "not a cost-cutting measure".

"Lisa was our greatest defender."

thestar.com/news/2022/08/1… @TorontoStar @CTVNews #LisaLaFlamme I spoke with the CTV source who said:

“The CTV National news team found out about Lisa’s departure at the same time as the public.”

“There's a lot of fear about what the corporation’s vision for national news at CTV will be." thestar.com/news/2022/08/1…

🧵When I started working in China, I quickly came across "thugs" - not police and not officials - who nevertheless acted in line with CCP goals to repress people like writers, activists, lawyers, villagers resisting land grabs.

Who are they? nuvoices.com/2022/06/29/nuv… While the world sees "unidentified men" attack foreigners like Christian Bale, the system is much more complex and sophisticated than what gets captured on camera.
@onglynette's research fills in the gaps. I spoke with her for the @NuVoices podcast: nuvoices.com/2022/06/29/nuv…

This might be surprising because it goes against stereotypes of polite Canadians, but after working for many different countries’ media I didn’t get much misogyny/racist messages until I moved back to Canada.

https://twitter.com/sabaeitizaz/status/1443952644544938026

Also, a lot of malicious and outlandish gossip among some Canadian journalists targeting women journalists of colour who dared to succeed. A male B.C. journalist spent time on the clock “investigating” if I had fabricated events I wrote about. Probably stemmed from jealousy!

It’s launch day!! Drawing on a decade of research, CHINA UNBOUND is now officially published! Thank you so much for everyone's support. Here's one last thread about #ChinaUnbound & options to order here: joannachiu.com/how-to-order China Unbound weaves historical & political context with my reporting across four continents to present comparative case studies on major topics like Beijing’s far-reaching authoritarianism, the #MengWanzhou saga, and China's growing economic clout through the New Silk Road.

Last year, more anti-Asian hate crimes were reported to police in Vancouver, a city of 700,000 people, than in the top 10 most populous U.S. cities combined. bloomberg.com/features/2021-… @natalieobiko @business .@natalieobiko did a great job explaining stereotypes of wealthy Chinese ruining Vancouver and why those claims were wildly exaggerated, and in any case, the presence of wealthy individuals is no excuse to attack/spit on/denigrate anyone who looks Asian. bloomberg.com/features/2021-…

The Cantonese word for #COVID19 is so hard to pronounce, I sound like a 5 year old! I hope these videos reach Chinese speakers who don’t have access to English vaccine info, even if they want to say “Aiya!” at the reporter’s diction. 😊

https://twitter.com/adrianwkcheung/status/1390688081959870467

Here’s the video in Mandarin! Which was much easier to do even though Cantonese is my first language! Pinyin for the win. Please share with your relatives or others you know who are primarily Mandarin or Cantonese speakers! thestar.com/news/gta/2021/… Edited by @kelseyleewilson

It took me all year to try to understand what’s happening in India with the ramping human rights violations and rising influence of Hindu nationalism. I interviewed dozens of experts. Here’s an explainer: thestar.com/news/canada/20… @TorontoStar The Indian government has pushed for laws and policies that have the potential to render millions of Muslims stateless. The government also imposed a military clampdown in the majority Muslim region of Kashmir, arresting thousands. thestar.com/news/canada/20…

Feel like you’ve aged a decade in 2020? The stress of #COVID19 may actually be adding extra years to your birth age.

I wrote this piece after chatting with a bunch of young people who are feeling much older! !thestar.com/news/canada/20… @TorontoStar People in their twenties told me they were shocked to discover streaks of grey in their hair, but once they thought more about it, they weren’t surprised.

Have you felt like you've aged more than you should in 2020? In what ways? thestar.com/news/canada/20… @TorontoStar #COVID19

I wrote this to try to investigate what's going wrong with my own industry, and the impacts on wider society: Why Canada’s media industry is in more danger than you think — and what we can do to save it thestar.com/business/2020/… @TorontoStar #cdnmedia #cdnpoli At least 250 Canadian newspapers have shut down since 2013, turning swathes of Canada into “news deserts,” where there are few or no journalists covering those communities at all. thestar.com/business/2020/… @TorontoStar #cdnmedia #cdnpoli

THREAD: There’s a lot in this story. If you’ve heard rumours that #COVID19 is a Chinese bioweapon, it’s likely linked to this group, founded by Steve Bannon and billionaire Guo Wengui. And now they’re targeting people they believe are “spies” for China: thestar.com/news/canada/20… These protesters are part of a larger group that has been taking shifts to protest outside journalist and YouTube personality Benson Gao Bingchen’s house almost every day since Sept. 14 for up to six hours at a time. thestar.com/news/canada/20… @huanghebian

The @TorontoStar is restarting it's internship program! Great news for Canadian #journalism. Paid internships are so important because many young reporters can't and really shouldn't work for free.

It's a year-long and the pay is very competitive. jobs.smartrecruiters.com/Torstar/743999… After undergrad, in which I already had experience freelancing as a student for years, I spent two years in journalism grad school and internships in which my income for those years was negative. I'm only still a journalist now because I'm privileged (parents supported me).

NEW: Toronto’s accelerating #COVID19 spread has killed the concept of “social bubbles", prompting officials to urge residents to get close only to other household members.

This is rough for people living alone or with people they have conflict with. thestar.com/news/canada/20… Globally, #COVID19 cases continue to spread, making people who have been acting responsibly feel "helpless," psychologists say.

I wrote about why the long winter ahead may bring a "triple whammy" of negative mental health factors. thestar.com/news/canada/20… @TorontoStar

THREAD: Many Canadians grieved #RBG's passing, and I wondered if some are so engaged with U.S. politics that they are volunteering.

I found out that there could be "unprecedented" levels of Canadian engagement in #US2020 elections this year. thestar.com/news/canada/20… @TorontoStar U.S. law allows foreign nationals to do most routine volunteer work, such as phone canvassing and door-knocking. But experts say there are still questions of undue foreign influence and ethical concerns: thestar.com/news/canada/20…