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McAllen, Texas — A judge blasted efforts by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to shutter one of the oldest and largest migrant shelters on the U.S.-Mexico border in a scathing ruling Tuesday, accusing the Republican of "outrageous" conduct over his claims that the shelter encourages migrants to enter the country illegally. Judge Francisco X. Dominguez ruled that Paxton's attempts to enforce a subpoena for records of migrants who have been served at Annunciation House in the past few years violated the El Paso shelter's constitutional rights. The judge’s ruling prevents Paxton from seeking the records and protects the shelter from what Dominguez called "harassment and overreaching" by Paxton's office. Paxton's office did not respond to requests for comment, but the state is expected to appeal. Annunciation House is one of several nonprofit groups that help migrants from which Paxton's office has sought information in recent months. Team Brownsville, which assists migrants who are dropped off by federal agents in the border city of Brownsville, received a letter demanding documents in May. Paxton is also suing Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley seeking testimony. Dominguez wrote that he previously expressed concern that Paxton's office had not identified which laws Annunciation House was allegedly breaking. "The record before this Court makes clear that the Texas Attorney General's use of the request to examine documents from Annunciation House was a pretext to justify its harassment of Annunciation House employees and the persons seeking refuge," he wrote. "In fact, the record before the Court now establishes that the Attorney General was seeking evidence of alleged criminal activity all along," Dominguez continued. "This is outrageous and intolerable." Paxton alleged that by providing shelter to migrants regardless of their legal status, Annunciation House was facilitating illegal immigration and human smuggling, and operating a stash house. State officials visited the El Paso shelter in early February demanding immediate access to records — including medical and immigration documents — of migrants who had received services there since 2022. Officials from Annunciation House, a Catholic nonprofit that oversees a network of shelters, said they were willing to comply but needed time to determine what they could legally share without violating their clients' constitutional rights. Investigators who sought to access records the day after requesting entry were not allowed inside the shelter. Jerry Wesevich, the attorney representing Annunciation House, said that corporations under the Constitution's Fourth Amendment are protected from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. Wesevich expressed relief after the ruling and said it could affect other organizations. He also questioned why Paxton wanted to close the shelter. "All that's going to mean is more people in El Paso streets. Who does that help? All it does is provide a narrative of chaos on the border, which is a narrative that some people politically want to promote," Wesevich said.

washington — In the four years since Hong Kong enacted its national security law, the country's press freedom record is in free fall, according to media advocates.  More than 900 journalists have lost their jobs, several media outlets have closed or moved overseas, and some journalists, including pro-democracy Apple Daily publisher Jimmy Lai, are in prison.  "The Chinese and Hong Kong government's forced closure of Apple Daily and prosecutions of its owner and editors are very chilling, and they exemplify the city's sharp decline in press and other freedoms," said Maya Wang, the interim China director of Human Rights Watch, also known as HRW.  Once a mainstay of press freedom, Hong Kong's media community has faced numerous setbacks since passage of the 2020 Beijing-backed legislation that cracks down on independent media. The most egregious example is the trial against Lai, which has lasted more than 90 days with the court currently adjourned until July 24.  Lai, who denies charges against him filed under the national security law, has been in custody since December 2020. He and six former staff at Apple Daily — the media outlet he founded — were first arrested in the August of that year.  Apple Daily was shuttered that same year, after authorities froze its assets.  Prosecutors have used more than 150 videos, op-eds and other articles from Apple Daily in their case against Lai. The publisher faces life in prison if convicted.  But rights organizations and international lawyers say the claims against the elderly publisher and his media outlet are "baseless" and that charges should be dropped.  Hong Kong's security bureau did not respond to VOA's email requesting comment. Authorities have previously disputed accusations that the trial of Lai is unfair.  The trial of the other former Apple Daily executives has been postponed for more than two years, waiting for Lai's case to conclude, according to Reporters Without Borders, also known as RSF.  RSF and other rights organizations including HRW and Freedom House have called for the immediate release of those in custody.  Calling the prosecutions "baseless," Wang of HRW told VOA via email that the cases "should also remind the world what Hong Kong has become: a place where people can get life in prison for criticizing the government."  Wang added that Lai, who is 76, might be suffering from ill health, which adds to the urgency of his release.  Aleksandra Bielakowska, RSF's Pacific Asia Bureau advocacy officer, told VOA it is unclear what will happen in the coming months. But, she said, "I estimate that the sentencing will be prolonged until the start of fall."  Bielakowska described Lai's case as a "sham trial" to prove what Hong Kong can do to silence the press wanting to talk about the issues that are not aligned with China.  She noted that earlier in the year, the United Nations raised concerns about the treatment of a witness called to give testimony.  In a letter to Chinese authorities, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture said she was "deeply concerned that evidence that is expected to be presented against Jimmy Lai imminently may have been obtained as a result of torture or other unlawful treatment," and called for an investigation into the allegations of mistreatment and torture.  Bielakowska has been observing Lai's trial. But when she tried to travel to Hong Kong in April for a hearing, her entry was blocked. Bielakowska says she was detained for six hours at the airport, searched, and questioned before being deported.  Since the national security law's enactment, several media outlets have closed or moved some parts of their operations outside of Hong Kong, including VOA's sister network Radio Free Asia and The Wall Street Journal. RSF says that the environment for media has prompted many journalists to leave Hong Kong.   There is an atmosphere of fear for the journalists working on the ground, said Bielakowska, adding that Hong Kong officials have not given a lot of hope for press freedom, and that independent reporting is already deteriorating significantly in China.  Alongside the Apple Daily case, the law has been used to arrest hundreds of pro-democracy activists.  Beijing has dismissed concerns that the security law is affecting press freedom, saying the legislation is needed to maintain stability.  Yaqiu Wang, research director for China and Hong Kong at Freedom House, said her organization is advocating for the U.S. and other governments to impose sanctions against Hong Kong officials involved in the prosecution of Lai and others charged under the national security law.    In December, the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China in a statement also said the U.S. "should sanction the judges and prosecutors involved in this case." Hong Kong ranks 135 out of 180 on the RSF World Press Freedom Index, where 1 shows the best media environment. In 2019, the year before the national security came in, Hong Kong ranked 73. 

WASHINGTON — U.S. officials have approved another Alzheimer's drug that can modestly slow the disease, providing a new option for patients in the early stages of the incurable, memory-destroying ailment.  The Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly's Kisunla on Tuesday for mild or early cases of dementia caused by Alzheimer's. It's only the second drug that's been convincingly shown to delay cognitive decline in patients, following last year's approval of a similar drug from Japanese drugmaker Eisai.  The delay seen with both drugs amounts to a matter of months — about seven months, in the case of Lilly's drug. Patients and their families will have to weigh that benefit against the downsides, including regular IV infusions and potentially dangerous side effects like brain swelling.  Physicians who treat Alzheimer's say the approval is an important step after decades of failed experimental treatments.  "I'm thrilled to have different options to help my patients," said Dr. Suzanne Schindler, a neurologist at Washington University in St. Louis. "It's been difficult as a dementia specialist — I diagnose my patients with Alzheimer's and then every year I see them get worse and they progress until they die."  Both Kisunla and the Japanese drug, Leqembi, are laboratory-made antibodies, administered by IV, that target one contributor to Alzheimer's: sticky amyloid plaque buildup in the brain. Questions remain about which patients should get the drugs and how long they might benefit.  The new drug's approval was expected after an outside panel of FDA advisers unanimously voted in favor of its benefits at a public meeting last month. That endorsement came despite several questions from FDA reviewers about how Lilly studied the drug, including allowing patients to discontinue treatment after their plaque reached very low levels.  Costs will vary by patient, based on how long they take the drug, Lilly said. The company also said a year's worth of therapy would cost $32,000 — more than the $26,500 price of a year's worth of Leqembi.  The FDA's prescribing information tells doctors they can consider stopping the drug after confirming via brain scans that patients have minimal plaque.  More than 6 million Americans have Alzheimer's. Only those with early or mild disease will be eligible for the new drug, and an even smaller subset are likely to undergo the multistep process needed to get a prescription.  The FDA approved Kisunla, known chemically as donanemab, based on results from an 18-month study in which patients given the treatment declined about 22% more slowly in terms of memory and cognitive ability than those who received a dummy infusion.  The main safety issue was brain swelling and bleeding, a problem common to all plaque-targeting drugs. The rates reported in Lilly's study, including 20% of patients with microbleeds, were slightly higher than those reported with competitor Leqembi. However, the two drugs were tested in slightly different types of patients, which experts say makes it difficult to compare the drugs' safety.  Kisunla is infused once a month compared to Leqembi's twice-a-month regimen, which could make things easier for caregivers who bring their loved ones to a hospital or clinic for treatment.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Washington — New satellite images of Cuba show signs the country is installing improved intelligence capabilities at four military bases with suspected links to China, potentially providing Beijing with a network of facilities that could be used to spy on the United States. The imagery, presented in a report Tuesday by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, was taken in March and April. It indicated new or recent construction at three sites near the capital, Havana, as well as work on a previously unreported site not far from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay. “Without access to classified materials, pinpointing the specific targets of these assets is nearly impossible,” the report said. “Nonetheless, the growth of space-monitoring equipment at sites like Bejucal and Calabazar is notable given that Cuba lacks its own satellites or space program.” Bejucal is the largest of the four sites, according to CSIS analysts and first came to prominence during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, when the base was used to store nuclear weapons for the Soviet Union. More recently, it has gained prominence as a major signals intelligence monitoring station, suspected to be tracking electronic communications for China. The new satellite pictures show evidence that Bejucal has seen expansive updates, including a new electronic antenna enclosure. Two other sites near Havana — Wajay and Calabazar — have seen growth as well, with CSIS analysts citing evidence of an expanding and evolving mission, including the installation of antennae, radar dishes and other equipment that could help those using it to monitor satellites. The final site, El Salao, appears to be still under construction. But its location, not far from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay near the city of Santiago de Cuba, and the structures themselves, could be cause for concern for the U.S. The imagery collected by CSIS shows progress on what appears to be an antenna array with a diameter of 130 to 200 meters (425 to 655 feet). Similar arrays, according to the analysts, have shown the ability to track signals up to 15,000 kilometers (9,300 miles). The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the CSIS report. But it follows a report last year by The Wall Street Journal that China was paying Cuba several billion dollars to build a spy facility. U.S. officials later said that China had upgraded its intelligence facilities in Cuba in 2019 but that U.S. pushback had prevented Beijing from achieving its goals. “We're confident that we can continue to meet our security commitments,” said Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder while briefing reporters Tuesday. “We know that the PRC [People’s Republic of China] is going to continue to try to enhance its presence in Cuba, and we will continue to keep working to disrupt that,” he said in response to a question from VOA. “We're continuing to monitor this closely, taking steps to counter it.” China on Tuesday rejected the findings of the CSIS report, with the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Washington calling them “nothing but slander.” “The U.S. side has repeatedly hyped-up China's establishment of spy bases or conducting surveillance activities in Cuba,” Liu Pengyu told VOA in an email. “The U.S. should immediately stop its malicious smearing of China,” Liu said, adding, “The U.S. is no doubt the leading power in terms of eavesdropping and does not even spare its Allies [sic].” Cuba also pushed back against the CSIS report, singling out a write-up in The Wall Street Journal. “Without citing a verifiable source or showing evidence, it seeks to scare the public with legends about Chinese military bases that do not exist and no one has seen,” according to a post by Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio on the X social media platform. The CSIS report says monitoring stations in Cuba could help China to acquire needed capabilities and insights as it tries to militarily surpass the United States. “Collecting data on activities like military exercises, missile tests, rocket launches, and submarine maneuvers would allow China to develop a more sophisticated picture of U.S. military practices,” the report said. “Cuban facilities would also provide the ability to monitor radio traffic and potentially intercept data delivered by U.S. satellites as they pass over highly sensitive military sites across the southern United States,” the report said. Such monitoring stations could also help China gain access to what the report describes as a “treasure trove of data” from commercial communications transiting the southeastern U.S.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Geneva — The U.N. refugee agency is expanding a humanitarian appeal for Sudan, as increasing numbers of people flee the country’s war and widespread hunger in search of safety in neighboring countries. The UNHCR reports more money is needed to aid and protect the swelling population of Sudanese refugees, and it is revising its appeal to $1.5 billion, up from $1.4 billion it requested in January. The appeal will help 3.3 million refugees and the local communities hosting them in neighboring countries through the end of the year. Ewan Watson, UNHCR head of global communications, has just returned from visits to Sudan’s White Nile State and a to the Renk and JamJin refugee camp in South Sudan’s Unity State. He described the situation there as “incredibly difficult, confusing, dangerous, and an appalling tragedy for civilians both still in Sudan and those who have had to leave the country due to the violence.” Briefing journalists Tuesday in Geneva, Watson said “It is one of the most neglected crises globally and for us, it is the most pressing displacement crisis in the world right now.” Since the conflict began in mid-April 2023, he noted that 10 million people have fled their homes in Sudan, “with many displaced multiple times.” Of these, the UNHCR reports nearly 8 million are displaced inside Sudan, while nearly 2 million people have gone to neighboring countries. Money from the January appeal has been used to assist Sudanese refugees who fled to the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. The UNHCR’s revised appeal has been expanded to include two new countries, Libya and Uganda. Since last year’s power struggle between rival generals from the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Response Forces triggered this catastrophic conflict, the UNHCR has registered 20,000 new arrivals in Libya from Sudan, mainly fleeing Darfur. “We understand that thousands more have arrived in Libya that are not registered and are in the East of the country. With more refugees continuing to arrive since the escalation of fighting in the Darfur region, local services available across the country are really overstretched,” Watson said. “Refugee families are being forced to sleep in the open as there is a lack of shelter,” he said. “Medical facilities also cannot keep up with growing needs and this is putting children, in particular, at risk of malnutrition.” He observed that Uganda, which already was the largest refugee hosting country in Africa, is fast becoming home to a burgeoning Sudanese refugee population. Since the outbreak of the war, he said more than 39,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to Sudan, “with 70 percent fleeing just this year. This is three times more than was initially expected or predicted.” “Most of them are arriving from Khartoum and have university level education and are looking to rebuild their lives,” he said, noting that most are being hosted and receiving humanitarian aid, including food, shelter, and health care in the Kiryandongo refugee settlement in the west of the country. “As more people arrive, these services continue to be stretched, while resources to expand assistance are lacking,” he said, adding that only 19 percent of the money required to run its humanitarian operations has been received. “This is abysmally insufficient to cover the most basic needs for people forced to flee. The cost of inaction is having grave consequences for refugees.” The UNHCR official said heavy rains expected in some of the hosting countries risk complicating the delivery of humanitarian aid, particularly in border areas. He appealed to international donors to provide the funds needed to help strengthen government-led efforts to deliver critical assistance to millions of vulnerable people. Otherwise, he warned more and more refugees will be forced to seek help “further afield in countries such as Libya, which are extremely difficult for refugees.” Last week, the United Nations published alarming new data showing that the rapid deterioration in food security in Sudan has left 755,000 people “in catastrophic conditions with a risk of famine in 14 areas.” Reacting to this latest food assessment by the Integrated Phase Classification, IPC, heads of three leading U.N. agencies warned that “Sudan is facing a devastating hunger catastrophe on a scale not seen since the Darfur crisis in the early 2000s.” In its latest update of fighting between the SAF and RSF in the southern town of Sinja the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, reports that more than 60,000 people have fled Sinja for safety, most moving east toward the state of Gedaref. “The fighting continues, and people are on the move as we speak so the situation is very volatile and these numbers could increase in the coming days,” Vanessa Huguenin, OCHA spokesperson told journalists in Geneva on Tuesday. “We and our humanitarian partners are present in Gedaref and are preparing for the arrival of people that have been displaced by the clashes, with food and nutrition supplies … We have a window of opportunity to act but time is running out and we need more funding and access,” she said.

Britain is set to hold a general election on Thursday, July 4, with polls suggesting the country is likely to elect a new leader. How might that change Britain’s stance on key issues like Russia’s war on Ukraine? Henry Ridgwell has more from London.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Washington — It has been more than a month since Lai Ching-te took office as Taiwan’s newly elected president. Since the people of the self-governing island elected Lai in January, China has been increasing its pressure on Taiwan. Beijing considers Taiwan a part of its territory and views Lai as a “separatist.” China’s ambassador to the U.S, Xie Feng, did not respond to VOA’s request for an interview last year when he arrived in Washington.  VOA sat down with Taiwan’s top envoy to the U.S., Alexander Tah-Ray Yui, to talk about Lai’s foreign policy vision, China’s policies in the South China sea and new Chinese guidelines advocating for the punishment of those strongly supporting Taiwan independence. Also discussed was artificial intelligence and Taiwan’s influence in the Caribbean, where five countries have diplomatic ties with the island.   This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. VOA: As a representative of Taiwan in the U.S., what is the single most important thing you hope to accomplish here? Alexander Tah-Ray Yui, Taiwan’s top envoy to the U.S.: Be it security, defense, be it technology, culture, education, etc. — and it's been steadily growing — obviously, my wish to accomplish here is to reach out, not only to the government, to Congress, but also to the American people to show that Taiwan-U.S. relations are relevant and are important for both of us. It's reciprocal, beneficial for both peoples, and we'll continue to promote that. VOA: There's been mounting pressure from China, especially since the new [Taiwan] president started his office. What are some of the most challenging aspects of your diplomatic work here in the U.S., especially during an election year? And do you feel that pressure from China? Yui: After President Lai Ching-te’s assumption on May 20th, things have gotten even more aggressive — [China] conducted military maneuvers around the island, and the presence of military airplanes and ships, near and around our territorial waters is constant. At the same time, PRC [People’s Republic of China] has been conducting what we call “lawfare” — law warfare — lately. [On] June 15th, they [China] implemented the Coast Guard Law number three, which in that law, again, I'm just loosely interpreting, [the] Chinese Coast Guard, using that law, can arrest and detain all within their territorial waters, which includes the whole South China Sea, East China Sea, etc., detain foreigners, seamen, if they deem that they’re in unlawful activities. They can detain them [for] up to 60 days without due process. [On June 21] they [China] announced the 22 suggestions on penalizing Taiwan independence. Any Taiwanese — or actually any person, even foreigners — who are aiding, abetting, promoting Taiwan independence could be under these penal sanctions. They can be arrested, put under judicial process — if even in absentia — and the most it could be, [is] under death penalty sanctions if [they are] deemed extreme pro-independence movement supporters. Again, they're using [the] law to justify that everything they claim is theirs. My government announced that we are elevating the travel warnings to orange, which is second highest level of warning to our citizens to not make unnecessary travel to mainland China, Hong [Kong] and Macao because of this. You mentioned it is election season for the United States. Obviously, we all watch it with a lot of interest, a lot of attention… But we're certain that no matter what the outcome of the elections, the relationship between Taiwan and the United States will continue to grow. VOA: On to technology, Taiwan has been a world leader in semiconductors. China has been trying to be the global leader in artificial intelligence. How does Taiwan plan to compete with China?   Yui: Taiwan has a lot of relevance in terms of the AI revolution. China has been trying to, doing a lot of work, to advance AI … on microchips, semiconductors. They've devoted a lot of resources, a lot of money, a lot of manpower to try to replicate — I'm not saying overcome — just to replicate what Taiwan is doing. And so far, they have not been able to do so. So, it's important for us to maintain this superiority over mainland China. Because technology has to be used for good. It has to be used for exploring, expanding human imagination and benefits instead of being used to control its own people. VOA: China has been active in the Caribbean with its infrastructure and investments. Some analysts even call it a key battleground for China to isolate Taiwan in the Caribbean. What is Taiwan's position?   Yui: PRC has been utilizing the Road and Belt Initiative to try to bring Chinese state-owned companies to build this large and often unnecessary infrastructure, through Chinese financing at high costs. What we are doing and what other countries — the United States and Europe — is that we offer a different alternative to these kind(s) of developments, which is more humanistic. We've always been allies offering through our technical commission the necessary cooperation that they need in terms of medical assistance, education, technology, agriculture, etc. [This] is what they really need and not all these humongous, unnecessary projects that cost a lot of money.

President Biden weighs in on Monday’s seismic Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity that could shape America for years to come. Hurricane Beryl strengthened on Monday into a "potentially catastrophic" category 5 storm as it moved across the eastern Caribbean and now in the path of Jamaica. Another mass evacuation order for thousands of Palestinians in what could be part of a final push of Israel's intensive military operations in nine months of war. And warnings of a very real threat of starvation in Sudan.

Austin, Texas — Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in China fell for the 12th consecutive month in May, according to data released by China’s Ministry of Commerce.    The ministry in a June 21 press release said in the first five months of this year, China’s economy attracted $56.8 billion (RMB 412.51 billion) in FDI, a year-on-year decrease of 28.2%.  Analysts and foreign investors attribute the drop to political risks and China’s struggle to recover stable economic growth since the COVID pandemic.    Jeffrey — a senior Chinese venture capitalist operating investment funds in China since 2008 — who cannot use his full name or affiliation as he was speaking without his company's authorization, told VOA the boom in China’s venture capital industry has passed.    "China's economic growth rate has no room to accommodate a large amount of foreign investment," he said.     China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annual growth was 6 to 7% in the five years leading up to the 2020 pandemic, when the economy recorded its weakest growth in four decades.  Exports boosted China's GDP growth by 8% in 2021 but it then dropped to 3% in 2022 and 5.2% in 2023 as the property sector, employment, and incomes slumped. The World Bank projects growth to drop to 4.8% in 2024, 4.1% in 2025, and 4% in 2026.     Frank Liu, a Chinese businessman living in China who works in cross-border investment between the United States and China but does not want his company to be identified due to concerns about repercussions for himself or his company, told VOA, "Foreign investors, especially Americans, have a different style from domestic Chinese investors. They like long-term investment, so they attach great importance to the stability of your (government's) policies."  China has cracked down on several industries in recent years to ensure adherence to the government line on political and social issues, including tutoring, entertainment, and online games, causing financial losses to companies and discouraging foreign investment.    Crackdowns on some foreign companies have also raised concerns.  Chinese authorities in March 2023 detained five Chinese employees of the Beijing office of Mintz Group, a U.S. due diligence company, on suspicion of illegal operations. In August, authorities questioned employees at the Shanghai branch of Bain & Company, a U.S. management consulting company. There have also been detentions of employees at British and Japanese companies in China.    Paul Orlando, an adjunct professor at the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Southern California School of Business, told VOA that many American technology companies and investors have withdrawn from China.  In emailed responses to VOA, he said, "There's an inability to ignore supply chain risks (brought to mind during COVID), and an inability to ignore political risks. These qualities were present some years ago, but the political changes and multiple examples of China's reach to influence domestic politics elsewhere has received more attention."  A declassified U.S. intelligence threat assessment released in February warned of Beijing’s “higher degree of sophistication in its influence activity,” including by using generative artificial intelligence (AI). The report warned of “growing efforts to actively exploit perceived U.S. societal divisions” online.  "Rather than a large market to enter, more people began to see China as a place where they would never get a fair shot at success or a place that was even actively working against them," said Orlando.    He said this mindset is also influenced by greater concerns about intellectual property protection, industrial espionage, and knowledge of worsening rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong.  "The experience of the COVID period was too extreme. Investing in China even if you did live there or travel there frequently was difficult enough. Without living there or really spending time there it's even more difficult to know what you're investing in," Orlando added.  Chinese Premier Li Qiang invited American and other foreign companies to invest in China when meeting with a delegation led by Suzanne Clark, president of the American Chamber of Commerce, on February 28 and called on Washington not to adopt a policy of decoupling from China.  China has also vigorously promoted a visa-free policy and increased international flights to boost exchanges between Western countries and the Chinese people. But investors and analysts say more and more foreigners, especially in American investment circles, are leaving China.  William Reinsch, the Scholl Chair in International Business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in an email to VOA, "Despite China's statements that Western investment is welcome, actions by the Ministry of State Security like raiding Western company offices and detaining employees send a more powerful signal than anything the government says."  Fears of a worsening trade war with China may also be keeping some investors at bay.   The U.S. announced in May it would increase tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and other products Washington says are unfairly subsidized by Beijing, and the EU and Canada followed suit. China warned it might respond with temporary anti-dumping tariffs on EU pork.  The U.S. Treasury Department issued a "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" on June 21 to restrict and monitor U.S. investment in China's development of AI, computer chips and quantum computing. China responded that it reserved the right to take corresponding measures.  While there seems to be no improvement in relations between China and Western countries, senior Chinese venture capitalist Jeffrey said he was "not as pessimistic as public opinion" about foreign investment in China.  He believes that FDI will perk up if the Chinese economy can recover. Adrianna Zhang  contributed to this report.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.