De Chinese Wouden, maandag 23 september: handel
Het is rustig in het nieuws na vakantiedagen in Oost-Azië. Rusland en China zijn bezig met hun gezamenlijke marine-oefeningen. In Taiwan bereidt men zich voor op wat een roerig start van het parlementaire jaar zal zijn met veel tegenwerking van de oppositie. Op handelsgebied zijn er nu ook grote zorgen bij de Europese staalindustrie over Chinese overcapaciteit.
In de rest van deze week ben ik op reis voor werk. Ik verwacht geen kans te hebben om de nieuwsbrieven van woensdag en vrijdag voor te bereiden.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Von der Leyen strengthens EU grip, but hawkish China agenda to be tested by EV tariffs row – SCMP: ‘The duties proposed by the commission are much lower than those Chinese EV makers face in the United States and Canada, where governments plan 100 per cent tariffs, and it is suspected that the European market would still remain lucrative to those firms even with the extra costs incurred.
In this light, sources say, Beijing’s move is seen as a political power play and an attempt to dilute EU credibility on the global stage.’ 🇪🇺
All British universities in China ‘have a communist party branch’ – The Times: ‘Additionally, Chinese policy documents state that the branches should play “a core governance role” at a JEI.’ 🇬🇧
Ambassador tells Chinese students at Cambridge University to ‘serve the motherland’ during private visit – The Telegraph: ‘It marks the latest in several private meetings between China’s ambassador to the UK and Chinese students enrolled at British universities in recent months.’ 🇬🇧
Rusland 🇷🇺
In Sea of Japan, China and Russia flex power to counter US and allies in Asia-Pacific – SCMP: ‘China’s defence ministry said the drills aimed to “deepen the level of strategic coordination between the Chinese and Russian militaries, and enhance their ability to jointly respond to security threats”.’ 🇷🇺
Eyeing China, Quad leaders to expand joint maritime security operations in Indo-Pacific – SCMP: ‘This new agreement will expand the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA)’
Quad leaders push cooperation on maritime security with China in mind – Kyodo News
Is Europa zich er van bewust dat onze crisis steeds meer verweven raakt met de spanningen in Azië?
Russia accuses West of blatant pressure on China over Taiwan, expresses support to Beijing – Reuters 🇷🇺
Handel 🚗🇪🇺
China’s electric carmakers warn of EU investment cuts over tariff threat – FT 🇪🇺
Duitse minister van Economische Zaken roept ‘autotop’ bijeen vanwege crisis in autosector – de Volkskrant 🇩🇪
Mercedes-Benz cuts its financial forecast for the year as the luxury carmaker cited a rapid deterioration of its business in China – Bloomberg 🇩🇪
Mercedes ruft mehr als 500.000 Autos in China zurück – Der Spiegel: „wegen eines technischen Mangels“ 🇩🇪
US to propose ban on Chinese software and hardware in connected vehicles, sources say – Reuters: ‘The proposed regulation would ban the import and sale of vehicles from China with key communications or automated driving system software or hardware’ 🇺🇸
European steelmakers plead with Brussels to tackle flood of Chinese exports – FT: ‘The flood of “subsidised, below-cost Chinese steel exports” was threatening the sustainability of Europe’s steel industry and its low-carbon transformation, said German steelmaker Salzgitter.’ 🇪🇺
China dairy farms swim in milk as fewer babies and slow economy cut demand – Reuters: ‘China’s milk surplus illustrates the unintended consequences of Beijing’s food security-driven efforts to boost its dairy sector by touting consumption and encouraging expansion.’
Europa en Nieuw-Zeeland kunnen uitkijken naar problemen voor hun zuivelexport naar China.
Chart of the Day: China exports of green energy products pick up pace amid oversupply – Caixin Global
Is China looking to Mao Zedong’s ‘Third Front’ as part of economic self-reliance drive? – SCMP: ‘the main focus this time around appears to be economic security in the face of multiple challenges’
Tech War 💽🇺🇸
Morgan Stanley latest to downgrade ASML on China, memory and Intel concerns – Reuters 🇳🇱
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
EU first defence commissioner calls for obligatory ammunition stockpiles – FT: ‘But the Chinese are [also] watching. The Chinese will make one simple conclusion. The West is quite weak. Despite the fact the combined Western economic spending power is 25 times stronger than Russian, we are not able to win. What is the reason? It’s a question of political will.’ 🇪🇺
Japan and EU plan to set up director general-level security dialogue amid concerns over China – Kyodo News 🇪🇺🇯🇵
Egypt rumoured to buy Chinese J-10C jets as Middle East looks beyond US weapons – SCMP 🇪🇬
China and Nepal launch joint army training in southwest China’s Chongqing – Xinhua 🇳🇵
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
US and China discuss overcapacity, tariffs, and investment restrictions – Nikkei Asia: ‘It was the fifth meeting of the two countries’ Economic Working Group and followed up on Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s April visit to China.’ 🇺🇸
China ‘testing us’ across the region, US president Biden tells leaders at Quad summit – The Guardian 🇺🇸
Malaysian king tells Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 country will work with China to keep peace in South China Sea – SCMP: ‘Xi told Sultan Ibrahim that China would like to strengthen connectivity with Malaysia under the Belt and Road Initiativeas it pertained to infrastructure.’ 🇲🇾
Malaysian King weeps when talking about late son during meeting with China’s Xi Jinping – The Straits Times: ‘The King expressed gratitude to China for assisting the late prince in undergoing a liver transplant’ 🇲🇾
Pakistan and China eye security tie-ups after deadly militant attacks – Nikkei Asia 🇵🇰
Japan-China tensions persist despite Fukushima water compromise – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
Bilateral agreement between China and Japan has no connection to Shenzhen case – Xinhua 🇯🇵
Letter purportedly from father of slain boy urges Japan-China ‘bridge’ – Nikkei Asia: ‘censors soon began to delete online posts about it.’ 🇯🇵
China faces calls for transparency after latest stabbing attack sparks safety fears – SCMP: ‘The incident on Wednesday was the third knife attack against foreigners in China in the past four months.’
‘We don’t feel safe here in New Zealand’: Call for urgent inquiry into foreign interference – Stuff 🇳🇿
China economie
China’s youth unemployment hits new high as fresh graduates flood market – SCMP: ‘with lacklustre job prospects, more fresh graduates are choosing to pursue continued education.’
Haunted by China’s economic outlook, cautious spending spreads to funerals – SCMP
China binnenland
Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti’s prison guard gets 7 years for revealing ‘secrets’ - RFA: ‘revealed information about Tohti’s condition to others, including details of his solitary confinement’
Terwijl de zeespiegel stijgt, verzakt de grond onder Chinese kuststeden – FD
China local finance chief’s killing in Hunan sparks shock and speculation – Nikkei Asia
China’s ‘beautiful governor’ jailed over affairs with 58 subordinates and corruption – The Straits Times
China’s underground tuition industry raises concerns of high costs, quality among parents – The Straits Times: ‘Parents also told ST that the demand for one-on-one tutoring, which exists in a legally grey area, has gone up, resulting in a further shortage of teachers.’
Race to the Red Planet: China accelerates Mars mission timeline, signals confidence in exploration – The Straits Times
Hong Kong
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Taiwan’s Legislature advances proposals on UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 – Focus Taiwan: ‘The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) urged Beijing in its proposal to acknowledge the objective reality of the existence of the Republic of China (Taiwan), stressing that the ROC Constitution maintains its de jure sovereignty that covers both Taiwan and mainland China.’
‘A non-profit with Taiwan ties sets up a small board outside of the Netherlands consulate-general in New York to thank the European country for rejecting China's attempt to “distort” the U.N. resolution and exclude Taiwan from the U.N. system.’
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell criticises China’s misuse of UNGA Resolution 2758 – RTI 🇺🇸
US close to sending US$567 million in immediate security aid to Taiwan from stocks – DefenseNews: ‘the largest such package to date’ 🇺🇸
US to deliver all M-136 mine systems by 2026 – Taipei Times 🇺🇸
Army to receive training for M1A2T tanks in early 2025: Source – Focus Taiwan
Taiwan’s defence ministry reveals FPV drone development project – Focus Taiwan: ‘the military also plans to purchase 3,422 domestically-produced micro drones in six different models’
US and Taiwan seek to strengthen drone supply chain to keep out China – FT: ‘Part of the visit’s focus will be for US companies to find non-Chinese component suppliers or manufacturing partners.’ 🇺🇸
Naar Taiwan kijken voor je leveringsketens van de tegenwoordig militair essentiële drones slaat twee vliegen met één klap: je verkleint je risicovolle afhankelijkheid van China en je helpt de Taiwanese industrie met het opbouwen van de kennis en schaal die ze nodig zullen hebben in geval van oorlog. Het Chinese DJI levert nu wel aan zowel Rusland als Oekraïne, maar zal dat in zo’n geval niet aan Taiwan doen.
Taiwanese coast guard seeks 6,000 volunteers – Taipei Times
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Taiwan’s Constitutional Court rules death penalty constitutional for only the ‘most serious’ crimes – Focus Taiwan
KMT to review Constitutional Court threshold reform – Taipei Times: ‘Raising the threshold to a two-thirds majority would require having more than 10 grand justices presiding over a case, of which at least seven of them would need to reach an agreement to make a constitutional ruling or hand out an injunction, he said.’
Opposition lawmakers’ holding up of 2025 budget bills ‘regrettable’, Premier Cho says – Focus Taiwan: ‘the KMT legislative caucus said that the budget bills were sent back in protest because the administration ignored laws and resolutions passed by the Legislature.’
New Indonesian caregiver union launched in Taipei – Focus Taiwan