De Chinese Wouden, maandag 24 juni: praten over auto’s
Vandaag een late nieuwsbrief. Ik geef het goede Nederlandse weer van het afgelopen weekeinde de schuld.
Het belangrijkste nieuws is dat de EU en China overeengekomen zijn te gaan praten over de invoerheffingen op elektrische auto’s uit China. Dat was volgens mij altijd al de inzet van Brussel. De vraag is wat er uit gaat komen, want de Chinese retoriek lijkt nog niet echt inschikkelijk.
Klimaatverandering raakt China hard de afgelopen dagen. Overstromingen hebben aan meerdere mensen het leven gekost.
Het meest opvallende nieuws is de richtlijn uitgegaan door de Chinese juridische autoriteiten voor de bestraffing van mensen voor activiteiten die ‘Taiwanese onafhankelijkheid’ bevorderen.
De meeste aandacht ging uit naar het feit dat mensen in het uiterste geval de doodstraf kunnen krijgen. Dit is een voorbode voor het feit dat Peking een oorlog tussen China en Taiwan vooral als ‘politionele actie’ zal beschrijven, een interne aangelegenheid waarop het internationaal (humanitair) recht niet van op toepassen zou zijn.
Belangrijker op de korte termijn is dat men ook (weer) benadrukt dat rechtszaken bij verstek gevoerd kunnen worden. Gaan we binnenkort showprocessen krijgen tegen hooggeplaatste (voormalige) Taiwanese functionarissen? Uit het kamp van de oppositiepartij KMT komen al geluiden die de schuld geven aan het ‘extremisme’ van president Lai. Zelf vraag ik me af of China ook niet-Taiwanese buitenlanders zal gaan vervolgen. The Global Times had recent een heel stuk met foto over de Amerikaanse Taiwan-expert Bonnie S. Glaser en haar rol in de zogenaamde de ‘grey supply chain’ van beleid voor Taiwanese onafhankelijkheid
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Zorgen over vriendschapsrelatie provincie Zuid-Holland met China: „Zet er een punt achter” – AD 🇳🇱
The EU’s strategy to safeguard its tech against China is stumbling – POLITICO Europe: ‘concerns that the [Economic Security Strategy] initiative would peter out amid concerns in national capitals that the EU executive was overreaching.’ 🇪🇺
Duitse economieminister maakt geen vrienden in China: steun Rusland slecht voor handel – de Volkskrant 🇩🇪
Chinese premier snubs Germany’s economy minister Habeck – DW: ‘a planned meeting with Premier Li Qiang was cancelled at the last minute without explanation.’ 🇩🇪
Germany’s China strategy needs updating, economy minister says – Reuters: ‘to include a longer-term plan and take account of Europe’s approach’ 🇩🇪
German economy minister urges China to shift from coal power – Reuters: ‘He said cooperation with China must be strengthened, adding: “Without China it would not be possible to meet the climate targets globally”.’ 🇩🇪
Hungary is flirting with China—at what cost to the EU? – POLITICO Europe: ‘The Commission already knows it won’t be able to count on Budapest to put de-risking on the agenda for the next six months.’ 🇭🇺
German exports to China drop as trade tensions rise – FT: ‘The Federal Statistical Office said on Friday that German exports to China dropped 14 per cent to €7.5bn in May from a year earlier’ 🇩🇪
Een handtas van Dior, ‘made in’ een sweatshop in Milaan – NRC: „het gerechtelijk dossier dat de uitbuiting in Chinese fabrieken in Noord-Italië blootlegt, werpt een smet op dat zo geroemde Made in Italy.” 🇮🇹
China-France satellite launched to monitor most powerful explosions in space – SCMP 🇫🇷
Xi holds talks with Polish president – Xinhua 🇵🇱
Japan imposes trade curbs on China-based firms for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine – Reuters: ‘It marks the first time Japan has imposed sanctions on China-based firms in connection with the war in Ukraine, according to Japan’s foreign ministry.’ 🇯🇵🇷🇺
Elektrische auto’s 🚗⚡️
China agrees to talks with EU over EV tariffs – FT: ‘The announcement followed a video conference between China’s minister of commerce Wang Wentao and EU executive vice-president and trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.’ 🇪🇺
Experts urge EU to scrap tariff decision on Chinese EVs as two sides agree to launch consultations – The Global Times: ‘Observers said the best outcome the Chinese side wants is that the EC, the executive body of the EU, scrap its tariff decision before July 4 and abide by WTO rules.’ 🇪🇺
China’s BYD and SAIC’s MG undecided on EV price hikes due to tariffs, sources say – Reuters: ‘The sources said that there would be no decision before July 4 when the provisional duties take effect.’ 🇪🇺
China warns of possible ‘trade war’ with EU – Reuters 🇪🇺
China says EU to blame for escalating trade frictions – Xinhua: ‘which could lead to a “trade war.”’ 🇪🇺
Het Chinese frame van ‘trade war’ leidt de aandacht af van het feit dat Peking al decennia ‘trade grey zone’-tactieken toepast.
Germany’s Habeck doesn’t expect a solution to EU tariff tensions on China trip – Reuters 🇩🇪
German automakers and industry associations pressure EU leaders to drop China EV tariffs – Nikkei Asia 🇩🇪
De bubbel van stekkerautostart-ups loopt leeg – NRC: „De echte bedreiging, zo blijkt het afgelopen jaar, komt uit een heel andere hoek, eentje die nog bijna niemand in 2021 heel scherp in het oog had: China.” 🇪🇺
Nissan 日産 plant closure underscores Japanese cars’ China problem – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
Filipijnen 🇨🇳🇵🇭
Philippines accuses China of using ‘illegal force’ to deliberately disrupt resupply mission – Reuters: ‘“We are not downplaying the incident,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told a media briefing after the chairman of the Philippine maritime council said on Friday that last week’s maritime clash was probably a misunderstanding or an accident.’ 🇵🇭
Philippines wants China economic ties despite tensions, top official says – Nikkei Asia 🇵🇭
Dit is waarom Peking vertrouwt dat de lokroep van de gigantische Chinese markt veel problemen zal doen verdwijnen.
Four Chinese warships spotted off Balabac Island in Palawan, Armed Forces of the Philippines – ABS-CBN: ‘transiting within 12 nautical miles’ ‘The military added that international vessels usually pass through the Balabac Strait.’ 🇵🇭
Japan has no right to meddle in China-Philippines maritime issues, says Chinese embassy in Japan – Reuters 🇯🇵
Vietnam says willing to talk to Philippines about Manila’s UN maritime claim – Reuters 🇻🇳
Tech War 💽💥
Import ‘groene’ technologie 13 procent hoger, van auto’s tot warmtewisselaars – NRC: „Duitsland en China spelen de grootste rol in het leveren van ‘groene’ technologie. Duitsland exporteerde voor 4,8 miljard euro naar Nederland, China voor 3,8 miljard.” 🇳🇱
The Biden administration advanced plans to restrict investments by US individuals and companies into China, with a focus on curbing Beijing’s ability to gain ground in semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence – Bloomberg 🇺🇸
China contemplates ‘countermeasures’ after US takes steps to curb outbound tech, AI investment – SCMP 🇺🇸
Intel Foundry pitches 3nm services to Chinese clients: can they use non-US fabs? – Digitimes Asia 🇺🇸
TikTok advertisers prepare contingency plans as US ban looms – FT 🇺🇸
China’s C919 jet noses closer to European certification as regulators plan visit – SCMP 🇪🇺
China’s AI event World Intelligence Expo attracts few foreign firms in Tianjin amid global rift – SCMP: ‘a four-day trade exhibition aimed at promoting the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and industrial equipment’
China’s first industrial nuclear-powered steam generation project goes online – SCMP
‘We’re like gears grinding until they break’: Chinese tech companies push staff to the limit – FT
Taiwan investigates Dahua 大华 for alleged national security violations – IPVM
Tiny Singapore’s chip hub retains a big punch – Reuters: ‘Singapore has carved out a slice of the global tech supply chain making low-end chips vital to electric cars, smartphones and more.’ 🇸🇬
Voor Leiden Asia Centre schreef ik een hoofdstuk over Singapore in een rapport (2023) over Nederlandse halfgeleiderbelangen in Azië.
Decades’ worth of EV battery metals found off remote Japan island – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
EU eyes security and defence partnerships with Japan and South Korea – Nikkei Asia 🇪🇺🇯🇵🇰🇷
China-expert Ties Dams: „China gebruikt Rusland en Noord-Korea als sloopkogels” – Trouw
Bij de NAVO zal Rutte zijn lenigheid voluit moeten benutten – NRC: „De NAVO kijkt met toenemende bezorgdheid naar de groeiende assertiviteit én het groeiende arsenaal van China.”
Pivoting away from China, Taiwan companies rekindle South-east Asia romance – The Straits Times: ‘the first time Taiwan’s investments in the region exceeded th[ose] in China’
Europe must make a realistic commitment to the Indo-Pacific – Fred Sengers in The Diplomat
Ik wijs nogmaals naar mijn andere visie hierop in een eerdere nieuwsbrief en de bespreking in een recente Clingendael Policy Brief.
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Palestinian unity talks in China postponed, Palestinian officials say – Reuters: ‘no new date has been set, Hamas and Fatah officials told Reuters on Monday.’ 🇵🇸
Exclusive: US and China hold first informal nuclear talks in 5 years, eyeing Taiwan – Reuters: ‘Beijing’s representatives telling U.S. counterparts that they would not resort to atomic threats over Taiwan’ 🇺🇸🇹🇼
China’s top prosecutor urges officials to focus on illicit drug trafficking – Reuters: ‘capping a week in which Beijing and Washington announced a rare joint counternarcotics investigation.’ 🇺🇸
Dalai Lama greeted by cheering crowds in New York as he arrives for medical treatment – Reuters and AFP via The Straits Times 🇺🇸
Japan space agency suffers multiple cyberattacks since last year – Kyodo News: ‘A source close to the matter said the cyberattacks are believed to have been perpetrated by Chinese-affiliated hackers’ 🇯🇵
China ships enter Japan waters near Senkaku/Diaoyutai Islands for 4th straight day – Jiji Press 🇯🇵🇹🇼
Chinese Premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强’s visit to Australia went well but new details reveal core issues need more work – ABC News: ‘“You got the sense that there was this frustration for Australia — they just couldn’t break this idea that Li framed everything they did through the lens of competition with America, rather than as sovereign choices which Australia made,” one diplomat told the ABC.’
Australia seeks defence chiefs dialogue with China to reduce military incidents – Reuters 🇦🇺
Chinese-built steel plant in Zimbabwe fires up its furnace as it ‘builds the nation’ – SCMP 🇿🇼
Chinese UN envoy urges efforts to build more peaceful and secure cyberspace – Xinhua: ‘He criticized the practices of forming cliques, seeking “technological dominance,” and interfering with the development of other countries.’ 🇺🇳
China says its Fujian carrier is world’s largest conventionally powered warship – SCMP
Chinese arms firm NORINCO shows Nato-standard artillery with aim of boosting weapon exports – SCMP
Chinese ‘koning van de borstslag’ komt naar de Spelen – tot ontzetting van sommige dopingbestrijders – de Volkskrant
China economie
China’s third plenum: few ‘bold’ moves in store but analysts watch for structural reforms – SCMP: ‘This time, China’s strategy is expected to take more external elements into consideration. Despite low expectations of any bold move in the coming plenum, analysts said it would be worth watching how the world’s second-largest economy approached “high-quality development” and achieved “Chinese modernisation” — citing Xi’s catchphrases.’
Henan province’s bond plan signals Beijing may be expanding hidden-debt toolkit – Caixin Global
Cash is leaving China again, pressuring yuan – Reuters
China’s new graduates face job crunch with only 48% receiving offers – Nikkei Asia
China’s 618 online shopping event marks first sales drop in years – FT
Choke points: China’s Yangtze River shipping is stuck in traffic, and the costs are rising – SCMP
China binnenland
Senior Chinese propaganda official Zhāng Jiànchūn 张建春 faces corruption investigation – SCMP: ‘In 2018 he became the deputy director of the Central Committee’s organisation department’
Tientallen doden bij zware overstromingen in zuiden van China – NRC
China’s historic Huangshan city flooded as devastating rains move north – SCMP
Six feared dead in landslides in China’s Fujian province, CCTV says – Reuters
Subway under construction collapses in China’s Chengdu, creating sinkhole – Reuters
Xi stresses Yellow River basin ecological conservation and high-quality development – Xinhua
Les adieux au Roxie, bar lesbien, dans une Chine qui se ferme – Le Monde
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
China bedreigt Taiwanese ‘separatisten’ met doodstraf – NRC 🇨🇳
China threatens death penalty for ‘diehard’ Taiwan separatists – Reuters: ‘The new guidelines say China's courts, prosecutors, public and state security bodies should “severely punish Taiwan independence diehards for splitting the country and inciting secession crimes in accordance with the law, and resolutely defend national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity”, according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency.’ 🇨🇳
China issues judicial guidelines on imposing criminal punishment on diehard ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists – Xinhua 🇨🇳
“两高三部”联合发布关于依法惩治“台独”顽固分子分裂国家、煽动分裂国家犯罪的意见 – 新华网:“明确对“台独”顽固分子分裂国家、煽动分裂国家犯罪案件可以依法适用缺席审判程序” 🇨🇳
最高人民法院 最高人民检察院 公安部 国家安全部 司法部印发《关于依法惩治“台独”顽固分子分裂国家、煽动分裂国家犯罪的意见》的通知 – 新华社:“其中对国家和人民危害特别严重、情节特别恶劣的,可以判处死刑” 🇨🇳
Autocracy is ‘evil’, Taiwan president says after China threatens death for separatism – Reuters 🇨🇳
MAC slams China death penalty for ‘diehard’ Taiwan independence advocates – Focus Taiwan: ‘“The Beijing authorities have no jurisdiction over Taiwan,” said the MAC, the top government agency handling cross-strait affairs’ 🇨🇳
Lai urged to discard ‘two-state theory’ by Ma Ying-jeou’s office – Taipei Times: ‘The increased cross-strait tension under Lai compared with ties under the Tsai and Ma administrations showed that Lai’s independence leanings are unpropitiously affecting cross-strait relations, he said.’
China presses Global South leaders to support Taiwan ‘reunification’: ‘One China’ recognition no longer sufficient when meeting Beijing's top leaders – Nikkei Asia 🇨🇳
China sanctions several Lockheed Martin units and three executives over arms deals with Taiwan – AP 🇨🇳🇺🇸
China strongly warns against crossing Taiwan red line – Xinhua: ‘no country, organization, or individual should think they can cross the red line on the Taiwan question without facing consequences.’ 🇨🇳🇺🇸
Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang drills to switch focus – Taipei Times: ‘This year, the exercises would be as close as possible to actual combat given the rapidly rising “enemy threat” from China, said a senior official’
Taiwan records 77 PLA aircraft over 48 hours – Taipei Times 🇨🇳
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Legislature votes down Cabinet’s reconsideration request – Focus Taiwan: ‘Executive Yuan (Cabinet) […] said it will seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court on the constitutionality of the amendments after the passed bills are announced by the president.’
President Lai to seek ruling on whether passed amendments are constitutional – Focus Taiwan
More than 30,000 attend Legislative Yuan protests – Taipei Times
Taiwan’s new experience with divided government – Nathan Batto’s Frozen Garlic: ‘a broad power struggle between the executive branch and the legislative branch to determine which party is going to dominate politics over the next four years.’
‘The KMT is utilizing every lever of power it can access in the legislature to try to win as much power as possible. This isn’t just about establishing an investigation power that it can use to continually harass the executive branch, it is also about redirecting finances to (mostly KMT-controlled) local governments and impoverishing the national government so that it can’t pursue major initiatives, rolling back some of the major changes of the last eight years that weakened the KMT, and throwing around the idea of amending the recall law to ensure they don’t lose their legislative power before the next general election.’
Protest march in Taipei for Palestine calls for end to Taiwan-Israel arms links – New Bloom 🇵🇸🇮🇱
Migrant workers demonstrate for inclusion in long-term healthcare system – New Bloom
Taiwan’s GDP forecast to grow 4.36% on AI and chips – Taipei Times
Cabinet approves draft on new residents’ rights – Taipei Times
Train partially derailed by landslide in Hualien, injuring 7 – Focus Taiwan
Green groups criticise Lai for review considering extending nuclear power – Taipei Times
Taiwan’s student numbers plunging, report says – Taipei Times