Canadian Singer Kris Wu’s Rape Appeal Rejected Amid Public Attention
Canadian Singer Kris Wu’s Rape Appeal Rejected Amid Public Attention
On November 24, Beijing’s No. 3 Intermediate Court rejected Canadian-Chinese singer Kris Wu’s appeal in his explosive rape case while upholding the 13-year sentence, closing an intensely watched judicial process in China.
The case progressed under intense public scrutiny, with every twist rocketing to trending Weibo topics. In a way, it marked the intersection of fandom, scandal, and criminal justice in China’s internet era.
Once enjoying immense popularity, especially among young fans, Kris Wu’s career imploded after the 2021 sexual assault allegations. Police arrested him on rape charges, which the Chaoyang District Court would sentence him to 13 years in prison for in November 2022 based on investigations he exploited multiple intoxicated victims in 2018 and late 2020.
Now, the appeal court upheld this verdict.
Wu’s works had been scrubbed from streaming platforms. For youth-oriented industries like entertainment wrestling with scandals in the internet age, the closure of Wu’s nationally discussed case marked a warning that unlawful actions bring stringent societal and legal repercussions, according to many analysts.
China Launches Experimental Satellite for Space-Based Internet Like Starlink
On November 23, 2023, China launched its Satellite Internet Technology Experiment Satellite (SITE) into its intended orbit. This comes after China successfully launched its first SITE satellite in July this year.
The experimental satellite aims to advance satellite internet technologies, similar to SpaceX’s Starlink system. It will test high-speed satellite-based internet communication capabilities and operating platforms in space. Researchers said the launch enables experiments for an advanced low-orbit broadband satellite communications system providing stable internet connectivity.
Satellite internet refers to technologies that utilize satellites as communication carriers to enable internet access and data transmission between any location on Earth. Essentially, it expands and integrates traditional aerospace and communication technologies.
With a satellite internet constellation technology validation system established through the SITE mission and follow-on satellites, global continuous broadband communication can be achieved in the future. This has major significance for remote area access, emergency communications support, and coverage expansion, which traditional ground networks cannot easily reach.
China-Ecuador Trade: Parliamentary Progress on Free Trade Agreement
According to a report by El Universo website on November 22, with the operation of the new National Assembly, the free trade agreement between Ecuador and China has gained new momentum at the parliamentary level to promote the approval and implementation of the agreement. It is estimated that the agreement will increase Ecuador’s exports to China by 30% in the first three years.
The open image established by the new Ecuadorian government, along with the establishment of the International Relations Committee responsible for these agreements, has sent a positive signal to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Ecuador, that is, the parliament will approve the agreement with China. Gustavo Caceres, president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Ecuador, said: “We are very interested in promoting this trade agreement. It should not be seen as a proposal from the previous government, but a positive proposal for the country, so we will not risk politicizing this issue.”
Chinese netizens are very pleased to see such news. They believe that China’s economy will develop better only by increasing trade and economic exchanges with more countries.