De Chinese Wouden, vrijdag 10 mei: Xi verder naar Servië en Hongarije, overcapaciteit
De Chinese partijstaat is binnenlands gewend om goede en negatieve voorbeelden aan te wijzen ter instructie van de rest. In zijn buitenlandse diplomatie wijst Peking ook graag aan welke landen navolging verdienen en welke op het strafbankje thuishoren.
Na het egostrelende ontvangst in Frankrijk trok Xi Jinping verder naar vriendelijkere landen: Servië en Hongarije. Vooral in het geval van Hongarije was duidelijk te zien dat China het als voorbeeld wil gebruiken voor de andere EU-lidstaten.
Je kunt je afvragen of dit niet juist averechts werkt. Dit zijn juist twee landen, die in de clinch liggen met de EU. Door je daar zo aan te verbinden, wek je een beetje de suggestie aan hun kant te staan in de strijd tegen Brussel. Dat slaat juist negatief neer op China.
In Hongarije waren er veel mooie woorden over de welvaart die samenwerking met China op kan leveren. Xi sprak tijdens zijn ontmoeting met de Hongaarse president zijn hoop uit dat Boedapest het aankomende voorzitterschap van de Raad gebruikt om de betrekkingen tussen China en de EU te bevorderen. Premier Orbán zelf sprak zich uit tegen de Europese zorgen over de ‘zogenaamde’ overcapaciteit in de Chinese industrie.
Ondertussen bericht het Amerikaanse persbureau AP over Hongaarse oppositiepolitici die bij het ophangen van Europese vlaggen werden ondervraagd door onbekende Chinese ‘vrijwilligers’. Deze mannen met rode petjes zeiden op zoek te zijn naar spandoeken en vlaggen met bijvoorbeeld pro-Tibetaanse of pro-Taiwanese opdruk, om te voorkomen dat die de intocht van Xi zouden ontsieren. De actiegroep Students for a Free Tibet zegt ongelijk te zijn behandeld door de Hongaarse politie die praatte met de undercover Chinezen. (Vraagje: wat betekent het voor Europese politiesamenwerking als Hongarije verder gaat dan enkel coördinatie met Chinese agenten op straatniveau?)
In Servië was er eerder al een groots ontvangst waarvoor zelfs medewerkers van staatsbedrijven opgetrommeld zouden zijn om met vlaggetjes te zwaaien. Belgrado onderschrijft als eerste Europese land de visie van Xi Jinping voor de wereldorde.
Wat wel opviel in Servië, is dat Xi Jinping niet naar de voormalige Chinese ambassade ging voor een herdenking. Hij kwam aan op de dag dat het 25 jaar geleden was, dat drie Chinese staatsmediawerkers omkwamen bij een bombardement van de Amerikaanse luchtmacht. Na zijn ‘nooit vergeten’ in een stuk in een lokale krant, was de verwachting dat hij dit moment aan zou grijpen voor een duidelijk anti-NAVO-signaal. Dat hij nu wegbleef, wordt daarom door sommige analisten als handreiking gezien.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Notice of Extending Visa Exemption Policy for the Netherlands and 11 Other Countries – Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Kingdom of the Netherlands: ‘the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg.’ 🇳🇱🇧🇪
China’s soaring Dutch imports signal stockpiling of ASML kit ahead of US-backed export controls – SCMP: ‘despite a broad-based decline in trade between the European Union and China, Dutch shipments rose by 29.5 per cent last month’
‘ASML’s own corporate literature tells a similar story. In the third quarter of this year, China accounted for 46 per cent of ASML’s sales, the company’s quarterly report showed. This was up from 24 per cent in quarter two and 8 per cent in the first quarter.’ 🇳🇱
De stilte rond de Chinese eigenaar van chipmaker Ampleon – FD 🇳🇱
Ambassador Jorge Toledo’s speech at the Reception of Europe Day 2024 – Delegation of the European Union to the People’s Republic of China: ‘And I am afraid there has been very little progress in the more competitive side of our relationship, in trade and investment.’
‘The European Union is the largest and most open single market in the world, but, paraphrasing President Von der Leyen in Paris on Monday, we cannot accept to be the ones to absorb the Chinese industrial overproduction caused by massive subsidies and lack of Chinese internal demand and not act to avoid the destruction of European industry.’
‘Strong disagreement is also the case when it comes to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. I do not think the Chinese government has yet grasped the damage its position on this aggression has done to its image and reputation in Europe and with our allies. Neither do I think it has grasped how existential this is for us Europeans.’ 🇪🇺🇺🇦
Comment des Ouïgours ont été forcés de travailler dans des usines de poisson destiné aux Etats-Unis et à la France – Le Monde 🇫🇷🇪🇺🇺🇸
‘Countries are now forced to confront it’: Rise in Chinese espionage arrests alarms Europe – The Guardian: ‘Roderich Kiesewetter, a German MP and former army officer, said the German secret services had been warning for “several years” about the threat from China but “the warning was … on purpose not heard”.’ 🇪🇺
Hong Kong trade body says ex-employee under investigation, 2 weeks after Germany arrests 3 over spying for Beijing – SCMP: ‘a marketing manager at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) since July 2022.’ 🇩🇪🇭🇰
China’s police chief Wáng Xiǎohóng 王小洪 meets Finnish national police commissioner – Xinhua 🇫🇮
Minister Wang is nogal actief op reis langs verschillende landen de afgelopen weken.
Chinese network behind one of world’s ‘largest online scams’ – The Guardian: ‘Operating on an industrial scale, programmers have created tens of thousands of fake web shops’
China’s foreign ministry congratulates Russia’s Putin on his inauguration – Xinhua 🇷🇺
Xi in Europa 🇪🇺🇨🇳
Met zijn bezoeken aan Servië en Hongarije kiest Xi voor twee buitenbeentjes in Europa – NRC 🇷🇸🇭🇺
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 sends messages on trade and NATO in Europe tour full of symbolism – Nikkei Asia
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 banking on Hungary and Serbia in face of growing China-Europe tensions – SCMP: ‘two friendly countries that have their own tensions with Brussels’ 🇭🇺🇷🇸
Editorial: Xi Jinping’s unproductive European tour – FT
Why China’s Russia ties are in sharp focus as Xi Jinping visits Europe – SCMP: ‘“When they realised economic sanctions could not defeat Russia, they turned to blame China,” Wang [Yiwei, director of the Centre for European Union Studies at Renmin University in Beijing,] said. “It is the West that has pushed Russia closer to China.”’
‘Ding Chun, director of the Centre for European Studies at Shanghai’s Fudan University, said China and Europe shared some common ground regarding the Ukraine war. “There’s a common understanding between China and Europe, especially France and Germany, about seeking a political solution to the Ukraine war,” he said.’ 🇷🇺
De uitspraken van deze twee Chinese experts getuigen niet van een geweldig begrip van de Europese posities.
China’s banks pore over Russia transactions, causing delays and unsettling exporters – SCMP: ‘As recently as this week, transactions related to Russia are receiving heightened scrutiny from Chinese banks, and smaller lenders have halted the processing of deals altogether.’ 🇷🇺
Is de timing toeval of niet?
Collapse of EU-China political ties hampering climate action more dangerous than trade decoupling, top think tank Bruegel’s chief warns – Euractiv
Dit is inderdaad het spreekpunt waarvan Peking – o.a. d.m.v. denktank-uitwisselingen – dialoogpartners probeert te overtuigen. Ik vraag me oprecht af, of het geen manier is om de Europese maatregelen tegen de problemen met China te ondermijnen. Peking investeert al keihard in Chinese groene technologie en heeft daar – binnenlands en mondiaal – enorme successen mee geboekt. De Chinese investeringen in fossiele brandstoffen die nog overblijven, worden gedaan als onderdeel van de strijd tegen Amerikaanse indamming: het veiligstellen van de binnenlandse energievoorzieningen en het ontwikkelen van diplomatieke banden die China geopolitiek noodzakelijk acht. China gaat klimaatmaatregelen nemen uit eigenbelang, niet omdat Brussel zo’n mooie dialoog voert met Peking.
An overview of China-Europe climate cooperation – Wang Zichen (CCG, ex-Xinhua) for Pekingnology: ‘The effort by the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization (under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment), the National Energy Conservation Center, the Xinhua Institute, and the Institutes of Science and Development under the Chinese Academy of Sciences is apparently trying to highlight collaboration on environment and climate as a new “pillar” and “engine” between China and Europe.’
Hongarije 🇭🇺
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 is set to announce a range of new investments in Budapest as he touts PM Viktor Orban’s Hungary as a model for what the EU’s relationship could look like with China – Bloomberg 🇭🇺
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 sends love letter to Viktor Orbán – POLITICO Europe 🇭🇺
Xi says ready to jointly promote China-Hungary ties to higher levels – Xinhua: ‘It is hoped that Hungary will take the opportunity of taking on the rotating presidency of the [Council of the] European Union (EU) in the second half of this year to promote the steady and sound development of China-EU relations, Xi added.’ 🇭🇺🇪🇺
Full text: China-Hungary Joint Statement on the Establishment of an All-Weather Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the New Era – Xinhua 🇭🇺
Xi Jinping upgrades China’s ties with Hungary to ‘all-weather’ partnership – FT: ‘Analysts said that only China’s ties with Russia, which are officially called “comprehensive strategic partnership of co-ordination for a new era” outranked Hungary’s new designation’ 🇭🇺
China’s Xi receives ceremonial welcome in Hungary ahead of talks with Orbán – AP: ‘Many Chinese nationals in red baseball caps and claiming to be volunteers with China’s embassy were present.
A Hungarian lawmaker with the opposition Momentum party told The Associated Press that he and a colleague had been approached by a group of such men on Wednesday as they attempted to place EU flags on a bridge in Budapest.
In a video obtained by the AP, the lawmaker, Márton Tompos, said that the men, all wearing red baseball caps, confronted him to make sure that no flags or symbols referencing China-claimed Tibet or Taiwan would be hung on the route of Xi’s motorcade.’ 🇭🇺
Rondom Chinese staatsbezoeken verschijnen vaak Chinese ‘vrijwilligers’ en mannetjes met oortjes die mensen/spandoeken aanvallen of afschermen.
Actiegroep Students for a Free Tibet beschuldigt ook de Hongaarse politie. Een activist beschuldigt de politie van samenwerking met undercover Chinezen.
Hungarian fighter jets escort Xi’s plane after it enters Hungary’s airspace – Xinhua 🇭🇺
‘Captivating moments shared between China and Hungary’s leaders in recent years👉’ – Embassy of China in the Netherlands, Twitter 🇭🇺
Servië 🇷🇸
In Serbia, Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 skips site of 1999 Nato bombing in [likely] ‘calculated move’ to not stoke tension with West – SCMP 🇷🇸
2024/05/07: May the Light of Our Ironclad Friendship Shine on the Path of China-Serbia Cooperation – Xi Jinping in Politika: ‘Twenty-five years ago today, NATO flagrantly bombed the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia, killing three Chinese journalists [sic]—Ms. Shao Yunhuan, Mr. Xu Xinghu and his wife Zhu Ying. This we should never forget.’ 🇷🇸
Chinese leader Xí Jìnpíng 习近平’s Serbia trip ‘timed to increase tensions’ with West, US special envoy says – SCMP 🇷🇸🇺🇸
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 hails ‘new chapter’ for China’s relations with Serbia as Belgrade backs his global vision – SCMP: ‘Xi also told the press conference that Beijing supported Belgrade’s efforts to maintain national sovereignty and territorial integrity in Kosovo.’ 🇷🇸🇽🇰
Serbia to Xí Jìnpíng 习近平: No one reveres you like we do – POLITICO Europe: ‘Opposition parties issued a press release Wednesday morning, alleging that employees of Serbian state-owned companies were instructed to skip work and join the sizable crowd welcoming Xi.’ 🇷🇸
China and Serbia chart ‘shared future’ as Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 visits Europe – Reuters: ‘Serbia will also become the first European country in years to enter into a free trade agreement with China when a deal signed last year comes into effect on July 1.’ 🇷🇸
President Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 Holds Talks with President Aleksandar Vučić of Serbia – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China: ‘President Xi stressed that Serbia is China’s first comprehensive strategic partner in Central and Eastern Europe. […] Under the new circumstances, Serbia has become the first European country to build with China a community with a shared future.’
‘Serbia firmly supports China’s legitimate position on issues concerning its core interests including on Taiwan. There is but one China in the world. Serbia will, without hesitation, continue to unswervingly provide China with firm support.’ 🇷🇸🇹🇼
‘Meanwhile in 🇷🇸... List of documents signed w 🇨🇳... including MoU on cooperation in the development of human resources of Min. for European Integration’ – Srđan Majstorović, Twitter 🇷🇸🇪🇺
Frankrijk 🇫🇷
La visite en France de Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 n’a pas permis de dissiper les nuages qui planent sur la relation bilatérale – Le Monde 🇫🇷
China and France to cooperate on Notre-Dame restoration – Xinhua: ‘The Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum in northwestern China announced on Wednesday that it will collaborate with its French counterpart’ 🇫🇷
French counterpart!? Is Macron al bezig met zijn mausoleum of zo?
Kishida deserved the warm embrace Macron gave Xi – Celine Pajon in Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
Overcapaciteitencalamiteiten 🏭🇨🇳
Europe’s new anti-subsidy weapon is powerful but hard to control – Alan Beattie in FT: ‘it’s striking how the FSR is addressing companies and sectors that trade defence is not.’ ‘Before long, the FSR might well put the commission into conflict with member states.’ 🇪🇺
Belgium’s ports drowning under glut of Chinese electric cars: ‘Some are parked here for a year, sometimes more’ – Le Monde: ‘huge parking lots can accommodate some 130,000 vehicles, but they now find themselves too cramped.’ 🇪🇺🇧🇪
Urgent: Hungary does not identify with rhetoric of so-called ‘overcapacity’ or ‘de-risking’, Orbán says – Xinhua 🇭🇺
‘Xi Jinping described overcapacity as the 2nd major problem facing China's economy at the Central Economic Work Conference.. 主要是有效需求不足、部分行业产能过剩、社会预期偏弱、风险隐患仍然较多’ – Nathaniel Sher, Twitter
The Chinese Mission to the EU hosts Salon 19 event themed on China’s economy and China-EU economic relation – Mission of the People's Republic of China to the European Union: ‘Attendees of the event included heads of institutions such as Bruegel, the European Centre for International Political Economy, the European Institute for Asian Studies, BusinessEurope, and the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce.’
‘European participants highlighted China’s crucial role as a driver of global economic growth and its status as the EU’s main trading partner, calling for stable and stronger EU-China economic relations.’ 🇪🇺
China unveils draft rules that appear aimed at slowing the breakneck expansion of its battery industry — a key target of US and European complaints about Chinese overcapacity – Bloomberg: ‘Firms in the lithium-ion battery sector should avoid building plants that “simply expand production capacity,” the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said’
China’s overcapacity dilemma solvable with ‘painful restructuring’ of some industries, scholars say – SCMP: ‘Lu Feng, a professor at the National School of Development at Peking University, admitted supply overflows exist – naming petrol cars, petrochemicals, low-end computer chips, batteries and electric vehicles (EVs) as examples – but the rearrangement of the industries involved would ultimately be beneficial.’
China’s surging industrial loans are going to the wrong places, new research finds – Bloomberg: ‘the credit growth was inflated by lending to local government-related entities and financial speculation, [Rhodium] found’
China’s local governments swap debt for data as pressure builds to relieve burdens – SCMP: ‘Since the beginning of this year, at least 77 entities in China have registered their data as assets, including 19 local government financing vehicles (LGFVs)’
EU tariffs on Chinese EVs could backfire, German car bosses at BMW and Volkswagen warn – Reuters: ‘saying it could upend the bloc’s Green Deal plan and harm automakers that import cars made in China.’ 🇪🇺🇩🇪
Volkswagen warns Brussels against raising tariffs on Chinese electric cars – FT: ‘VW brand chief Thomas Schäfer said: “I don’t believe in tariffs. I want everybody to compete on the same terms.”’ 🇪🇺🇩🇪
De financiële belangen van grote Duitse autofabrikanten die all-in zijn gegaan op produceren in China zijn niet per se gelijk aan de nationale belangen van Europa en Duitsland.
Blown Away: EU faces stifling wind energy competition from China – Ryan Featherston for
: ‘The worry for EU policymakers is that China’s wind industry is simply at an earlier stage of what has become a familiar process: widespread subsidization followed by a process of consolidation within China, causing suppliers to turn their capacity toward external markets to scrape by any margin they can get outside of China.’ 🇪🇺What Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 gets wrong about China’s economy: Despite his protestations, the country does have an overcapacity problem – The Economist
SMIC 中芯 posted weaker-than-expected quarterly profit due to sluggish macroeconomic conditions in China – Bloomberg
‘SMIC's 2024Q1 result is out […] Chinese corporations don't care abt short term earnings & stock px
Willing to live w/ high capex, high depreciation & low margin to achieve higher mkt share’ – tphuang, Twitter
💡 Xi Jinping’s plan to save China through science – Tanner Greer: ‘There is a logic behind Chinese techno-nationalism.’
Tech War 💽💥
China will make just 2% of most advanced chips by 2032, SIA & BCG report says – Nikkei Asia: ‘“China seems to be putting a lot more energy into the so-called legacy chips,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO of SIA.’
Huawei 华为’s new phone uses more China-made parts and memory chip – Reuters
Huawei 华为 breaks free from Google ecosystem with homegrown OS – Nikkei Asia
Chinese companies hit with US trade restrictions over quantum technology and spy balloon incident – Reuters 🇺🇸
US eyes curbs on China’s access to AI software behind apps like ChatGPT – Reuters 🇺🇸
China’s BYD 比亚迪 will consider second Europe plant in 2025, executive says – Reuters 🇪🇺
Nvidia’s AI R&D centre project in Taiwan on schedule, economic official says – Focus Taiwan 🇺🇸
Hon Hai 鴻海 (Foxconn) underlines US$1b investment in Wisconsin operations – Focus Taiwan 🇺🇸
Why Big Tech may never recover in China – Time
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
US overtakes China as Germany’s top trading partner – Reuters 🇩🇪
Taiwan’s export dependence on China drops to 22-year low – Nikkei Asia: ‘China accounted for 30.7% of Taiwan’s exports for the first four months of the year’ 🇹🇼
Is China financially decoupling from the US? – Robin Brooks for Brookings 🇺🇸
Japan doubles development aid in 10 years, vying with China – Nikkei Asia: ‘a record $19.6 billion in 2023’ 🇯🇵
Australia unveils A$113m [€69m] in Tuvalu funding amid China push in region – Nikkei Asia 🇦🇺🇹🇻
In today’s China, to get rich is perilous: Business sectors can be praised one day and banned the next – The Economist’s Chaguan
Whispering advice, roaring praises: The role of Chinese think tanks under Xi Jinping – Nis Grünberg and Grzegorz Stec for MERICS: ‘Think tanks that proactively support government positions increasingly dominate the space, also in track 1.5 and 2.0 fora.’
We recap Taiwan’s historic day-long hearing about the death penalty – The News Lens
Weekend 🏖️📚
Longreads en achtergrond
The liberal international order is slowly coming apart: Its collapse could be sudden and irreversible – The Economist
The New Propaganda War: Autocrats in China, Russia, and elsewhere are now making common cause with MAGA Republicans to discredit liberalism and freedom around the world – Anne Applebaum for The Atlantic: ‘If people are naturally drawn to the image of human rights, to the language of democracy, to the dream of freedom, then those concepts have to be poisoned. That requires more than surveillance, more than close observation of the population, more than a political system that defends against liberal ideas. It also requires an offensive plan: a narrative that damages both the idea of democracy everywhere in the world and the tools to deliver it.’
‘But the story of how Africans—as well as Latin Americans, Asians, and indeed many Europeans and Americans—have come to spout Russian propaganda about Ukraine is not primarily a story of European colonial history, Western policy, or the Cold War. Rather, it involves China’s systematic efforts to buy or influence both popular and elite audiences around the world; carefully curated Russian propaganda campaigns, some open, some clandestine, some amplified by the American and European far right; and other autocracies using their own networks to promote the same language.’
‘Because the American extreme right and (more rarely) the extreme left benefit from the spread of antidemocratic narratives, they have an interest in silencing or hobbling any group that wants to stop, or even identify, foreign campaigns.’
Patriotism for Sale: WeChat Channels’ information ecosystem – Doublethink Lab
In rapidly ageing China, millions of migrant workers can’t afford to retire – Reuters: ‘If these migrants were to rely solely on China’s basic rural pension, they would live on less than the World Bank’s poverty threshold of $3.65 a day’
‘China’s Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) estimates the pension system will run out of money by 2035.’ ‘CASS surveys show the level of healthcare funding for urban workers was in some cases about four times higher than for those with a rural hukou.’
‘Traditionally in China, children had been expected to support the elderly. But most of those retiring in the coming decade, a group almost as large as the entire U.S. population, only had one child due to birth limits enforced from 1980 to 2015.’
Two poems, four years in detention: the Chinese dissident who smuggled his writing out of prison – Liao Yiwu in The Guardian
2024: Chinese CDC study on rising HIV infections among over-50s – 高大伟 David Cowhig’s Translation Blog: ‘among the newly reported cases of HIV/AIDS in China each year, the proportion of individuals aged 50 and above increased from 22% in 2011 to 44% in 2020.’
Paris Report 2: Europe’s Economic Security – Jean Pisani-Ferry, Beatrice Weder Di Mauro, and Jeromin Zettelmeyer for CEPR
Podcasts
Stroeve gesprekken en veel cognac: het Chinese staatsbezoek aan Frankrijk – de Volkskrant Elke Dag 🍎
Unpacking China’s PLA Restructuring: A conversation with Dr Joel Wuthnow – CSIS ChinaPower 🍎
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Zuid-Chinese Zee
Philippine military chief accuses China of ’malign influence effort’ – Reuters: ‘The Manila Times published what it said was a transcript of a phone conversation during which it said a Philippine admiral had agreed to China's proposal of a “new model”’ ‘The Manila Times said the conversation had taken place in January and the transcript was provided by a “ranking Chinese official”, which it did not name.’ 🇵🇭
Wescom chief agreed to China’s ‘new model’ – The Manila Times: ‘There was no way to immediately confirm if it was Carlos on the recording played for The Manila Times, as the vice admiral had gone on personal leave.’ 🇵🇭
After China’s claims of a recorded call, defence secretary Teodoro asks: Did its embassy violate Philippine law? – Rappler: ‘Even as he expresses doubt over the authenticity of the supposed recording of a phone call with the Western Command’s chief, the Philippines’ defense chief points out: wiretapping is a crime’
‘A copy of the transcript was shared to both Bloomberg News and the Philippine-based Manila Times.’ 🇵🇭
US and Philippine troops sink China-made decommissioned Philippine vessel in drills – AFP 🇵🇭
KMT and TPP lawmakers to visit Itu Aba/Taiping Island on May 18 – Focus Taiwan: ‘led by Foreign and National Defense Committee convener and KMT lawmaker Ma Wen-chun’ 🇹🇼
overige
New US and China climate envoys, seeking show of progress, meet for first time in Washington – SCMP 🇺🇸
US official discusses North Korea with China, airs repatriation concerns – Reuters 🇺🇸
US officials confront China over Volt Typhoon cyber espionage – Reuters 🇺🇸
China air and sea forces monitor USS Halsey’s Taiwan Strait transit – SCMP 🇺🇸🇹🇼
China changes story on military confrontation, accuses Australia of spying – ABC News 🇦🇺
Defence chief rejects China’s spying accusation after helicopter's near miss in confrontation – ABC News 🇦🇺
Angola agrees deal with Chinese state bank to ease debt crunch – FT: ‘unlocking cash from a Chinese-controlled account to pay interest on a crucial loan,’ ‘cash held as collateral for a multibillion-dollar loan.’ 🇦🇴
We are pro-Singapore: Incoming PM Lawrence Wong 黄循财 on standing between the US and China in an interview with The Economist – The Straits Times: ‘He responded that Taiwan is fundamentally quite different from Ukraine, even though people have tried to draw parallels between the two. Ukraine is a sovereign country’ ‘Singapore has long upheld its “one China” policy and opposed Taiwanese independence’ 🇸🇬
Het heeft iets Xinhua, hoe de Singaporese overheid komt met een transcript van het interview, wat vervolgens trouw wordt doorverteld door The Straits Times.
China’s commerce ministry launches anti-dumping investigation into imports of India’s cypermethrin – The Global Times 🇮🇳
Chinese President Xi appoints senior diplomat Xu Feihong as new envoy to India – PTI: ‘after an unusually long delay of 18 months’ 🇮🇳
Chinese companies break ground on Tunisia’s photovoltaic power station – Xinhua 🇹🇳
Chinese warships plan visit to Cambodia and East Timor amid US worries – Reuters 🇰🇭🇹🇱
Nicaragua cancels Chinese plan for controversial canal 10 years on – The Guardian 🇳🇮
Smooth sailing for China’s Fujian aircraft carrier as it finishes first sea trial – SCMP
China economie
Hangzhou, a major city in eastern China, removed all of its remaining homebuying curbs, the latest example of a local government pursuing aggressive easing to end the property crisis – Bloomberg: ‘Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, announced similar steps hours later.’
China’s Country Garden 碧桂园 aims to pay missed coupons by next week – Reuters: ‘China Bond Insurance Co would do so on its behalf if it missed paying within a grace period that ends next week.’ ‘Such a move would be the first time the state-owned company has come to the rescue of an issuer under a Beijing-led programme launched in 2022 to bolster investor confidence, and analysts warned it could make future issuance harder.’
China’s exports rise in April as Beijing prioritises high-tech manufacturing – FT: ‘The value of China’s trade also expanded during the first quarter, with exports rising 1.5 per cent year on year in dollar terms and imports climbing 3.2 per cent over the same period.’
China’s exports return to growth, rising 1.5% in April – Nikkei Asia: ‘The strong imports were buoyed by double-digit growth in the value of high-tech products and crude oil bought into the country.’ ‘The small increase in exports was mostly due to a lower base for comparison, noted Capital Economics.’
China sovereign wealth fund CIC 中投公司 targets Japan’s lesser-known brands – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
In Depth: Why Chinese PE and VC firms are chasing Middle East money – Caixin Global
China tech is seeking growth in the Middle East – FT Lex
China binnenland
UHRP analysis finds 1 in 26 Uyghurs imprisoned in region with world’s highest prison rate – Uyghur Human Rights Project: ‘Uyghurs, Turkic and other non-Han peoples in the Uyghur Region account for more than a third (34 percent) of China’s estimated prison population, despite making up only one percent of China’s overall population.’
Former Chinese defence minister Wèi Fènghé 魏凤和 emerges after months of speculation – SCMP: ‘Wei’s name was spotted on a wreath at the funeral of Oyunqemag’
Shanghai district Xuhui tripling mass surveillance, expanding behavioural analytics – IPVM
Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR government bid to ban ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ 願榮光歸香港 protest song approved by appeals court – HKFP
Ik lees berichten dat YouTube sommig video’s helemaal heeft verwijderd, waardoor ze ook buiten Hong Kong ontoegankelijk zijn.
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Defending Taiwan by Defending Ukraine: The Interconnected Fates of the World’s Democracies – Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu in Foreign Affairs 🇺🇦
11 Chinese vessels detected in Taiwan-controlled waters off Kinmen – Focus Taiwan: ‘the first intrusion into Taiwan’s prohibited and restricted waters by Chinese patrol vessels operating in coordination with other types of Chinese vessels, and the fourth intrusion into the areas recorded this month, according to Taiwan's CGA in a statement.’ 🇨🇳
Matsu Islands government halts plan to help residents apply for Fujian province-launched city pass with Fuzhou, Mainland Affairs Council says – Focus Taiwan: ‘Tzeng Wei-feng (曾偉峯), an assistant research fellow at National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations, told CNA in a previous interview that the moves reflect efforts by China to localize the Taiwan Strait and assert Taiwan as a province of China, which requires only coordination between provinces, not country to country contacts.’ 🇨🇳
China may try to sabotage May 20 ceremony, source says – Taipei Times 🇨🇳
Taiwan says its military is ready for China moves around new president’s inaugural – Reuters 🇨🇳
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson lashes [sic] DPP authorities for currying favour with Japan – Xinhua: ‘According to media reports, the elected-leader [sic] Lai Ching-te of the Taiwan region [sic] said that he looked forward to strengthening cooperation with Japan after May 20, alleging that “any contingency for Taiwan is a contingency for Japan and vice versa.”’ 🇨🇳
Taiwan donates US$500,000 to help people in Gaza – Focus Taiwan 🇵🇸
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Ko Wen-je 柯文哲 (TPP) faces scrutiny over Taipei development – New Bloom: ‘Ko has to date benefited from a political image that is considered free of political corruption.’
Czech pact information she revealed already public, argues legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin 徐巧芯 (KMT) – Taipei Times: ‘The Czech Republic’s full disclosure of the bilateral memorandum of understanding is more democratic, Hsu said.’ 🇨🇿🇺🇦
真「徐禁評」?溫朗東:檢舉節目者信箱與徐巧芯一樣 – 自由時報
Opposition’s NCC boycott may nix iPhone 16 launch in Taiwan – Taipei Times
Matsu Islands official impeached for corruption and unauthorised deer culling – Focus Taiwan