De Chinese Wouden, vrijdag 26 april: China in het Europese vizier
Er zijn vandaag zoveel grote verhalen, dat de bovenkant meer de helft van de nieuwsbrief inneemt. De geschiedenis versnelt nog steeds verder.
We openen met een interessant staaltje Chinese diplomatie in Europa. Na het bezoek van Scholz aan Peking is er positief nieuws over samenwerkingen tussen China en Duitsland. Voor het aankomende bezoek van Xi Jinping aan Frankrijk, Hongarije en Servië horen we dat Airbus al in gesprek is over de gebruikelijk bijbehorende orders. Maar het grootste succes is er natuurlijk in Hongarije, waar Orbáns minister van buitenlandse zaken gezellige Chinese spreekpunten herhaalt.
Zoals we eerder deze week al zagen met het nieuws over de gearresteerde Chinese spionnen, is er namelijk affiniteit tussen de extreem-rechtse/anti-Brusselse cirkels en Peking/Moskou. Nadat de assistant van de AfD-europarlementiariër Maximilian Krah gearresteerd was, zou Krah nu zelf onderwerp van onderzoek zijn. Hij zou geld hebben ontvangen van China en Rusland voor werk als europarlementariër.
De onrust in het Westen gaat vooral over spionage. Naast de Duitse en Britse gevallen zegt nu de voorzitter van de kamercommissie buitenlandse zaken van het Belgische parlement dat ze gehackt zou zijn. En uit Canada komende schokkende details over de mate van Chinese inmenging in de verkiezingen van 2019 en 2021 daar.
Voor Peking is de grootste schok natuurlijk juist dat Brussel nu eens de normaal Chinese tactiek toepast van ’s ochtends binnenvallen bij een bedrijf om dan bewijs in beslag te nemen. De onderzoeken van de Europese Commissie gaan inderdaad om vestigingen in Rotterdam en Warschau van veiligheidsscanner-fabrikant Nuctech.
Dat dit bedrijf bevoordeling ontving van de Chinese staat, is af te lezen uit openbare documenten. Het bewijs wat de toezichthouders hopen te vinden zal waarschijnlijk, naast meer details, ook voorbeelden van toedekking betreffen. Toch valt het mij ook vooral op als een duidelijk signaal, dat de Europese Unie niet meer bang is om terug te vechten.
Na het jarenlange nietsdoen kan ik daar zelf alleen maar een beetje tevreden mee zijn. Een vasthoudende verslaggever van Bloomberg had een paar goede vragen bij de persconferentie van het Chinese ministerie van buitenlandse zaken. Dat betrof de andere ‘klap’: de Europese onderzoeken naar oneerlijkheden in de markt voor medische apparatuur. Op Chinese klachten over Europees protectionisme vroeg de journalist hoe het staat met Pekings niet nagekomen toezeggingen om de eigen markt voor publieke aanbestedingen open te stellen voor buitenlandse bedrijven. Dat is het soort ‘strategische communicatie’ met de vinger op de zere plek waar we wat van kunnen leren.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
赵德勇临时代办出席荷兰花车巡游开幕式 – 中华人民共和国驻荷兰王国大使馆 🇳🇱
Airbus in talks on China jet order ahead of Xi visit, sources say – Reuters 🇫🇷
Hungary says Chinese President Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 to visit in May – Reuters 🇭🇺
China-EU relations: Beijing promotes Hungary’s coming presidency as chance for ‘more pragmatic China policy’ in Europe – SCMP: ‘In response, Szijjarto said Hungary opposed “decoupling” with China, and welcomed more investment from Beijing’ 🇭🇺
Chinese and Hungarian foreign ministers hold talks on closer ties – Xinhua: ‘China appreciates Hungary's determination to deepen cooperation with China despite interference and pressure’
‘Hungary is opposed to “decoupling and breaking the chain,” and always believes that viewing China as a threat will only mean missing opportunities, and treating China as a partner is the right choice, Szijjarto said.’ 🇭🇺
New passenger air route opens to connect northeast China and Frankfurt – Xinhua 🇩🇪
China and Germany strengthen barley research cooperation – Xinhua 🇩🇪
Mercedes says it will continue to invest in China tie-ups – Reuters: ‘with Chinese partners like internet firm Baidu’ 🇩🇪
Foreign states are using UK universities to ‘steal advantage’ by covertly acquiring British intellectual property, the government warned – Bloomberg: ‘While the government didn’t name any countries in its statement, concern in Britain has focused increasingly on Chinese funding of British university programs as well as the growing number of students from the Asian nation studying in the UK.’ 🇬🇧
Rusland 🇷🇺
Exclusive: China harbours ship tied to North Korea-Russia arms transfers, satellite images show – Reuters: ‘China is providing moorage for a U.S.-sanctioned Russian cargo ship implicated in North Korean arms transfers to Russia, according to satellite images obtained by Reuters’ 🇷🇺🇰🇵
China must stop aiding Russia if it seeks good relations with West, NATO chief says in Berlin – Reuters
Speech by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Atlantik-Brücke event – North Atlantic Treaty Organization: ‘In the past, we made the mistake of becoming dependent on Russian oil and gas. We must not repeat that mistake with China.’
Putin says plans to visit China in May – AFP 🇷🇺
China and Russia eye stronger intelligence and law enforcement ties as top security officials meet – SCMP: ‘During a meeting on Tuesday, China’s top security official Chen Wenqing, who heads the Communist Party’s Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, told Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev that Beijing supports Moscow in its efforts to ensure national security.’ 🇷🇺
Senior CCP official attends high-level international security meeting in Russia – Xinhua 🇷🇺
No imminent US sanctions on Chinese banks for their trade with Russia, says Janet Yellen – SCMP: ‘But the policy option was something the US “would be prepared to use if necessary”.’ 🇺🇸
US ambassador to NATO accuses China of backing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – POLITICO Europe: ‘by continuing to sell supplies such as drone technology and gunpowder ingredients to Moscow’ 🇷🇺
China’s ties with Russia are growing more solid – The Economist’s Chaguan 🇷🇺
Onderzoek markt medische apparatuur
EU formally launches investigation into Chinese medical device market – Reuters: ‘The investigation is the first under the EU International Procurement Instrument’ 🇪🇺
Notice of initiation of an investigation pursuant to the International Procurement Instrument concerning measures and practices of the People’s Republic of China in the public procurement market for medical devices – Official Journal
of the European Union 🇪🇺
Chinese business group urges dialogue first in EU medical device market probe – Xinhua 🇪🇺
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Regular Press Conference on April 24, 2024 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China:
Bloomberg: I have a question about the EU. The EU this morning at China time announced that they were starting an investigation into Chinese market access to the government procurement of medical devices. Does China have any comment on this new statement from the EU?
Wang Wenbin: The EU has been frequently using its economic and trade “toolkit” and trade remedies. The moves send out a signal of protectionism, aim at Chinese companies and hurt the EU’s own image. The EU says it is the most open market in the world, but as the world can see, the EU is clearly inching toward protectionism. We urge the EU to honor its commitment to open market and the principle of fair competition, observe WTO rules and stop going after and restraining Chinese companies under various pretexts.
Bloomberg: A follow-up on the EU question. You urge the EU to abide by the WTO regulations. When China joined the WTO in 2001, it promised to join the government procurement agreement as soon as possible. China actually applied to join that in 2007 but has never actually joined. Does China ever intend to join the government procurement agreement? And if you don’t, why should the EU give you the same access to their market that other countries have to join the agreement to get when you won’t give them the access to your market?
Wang Wenbin: On China’s application to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), I would refer you to the competent authorities.
Let me say that China has honored its commitments upon accession to the WTO and been exemplary in abiding by WTO rules, which is often recognized by the WTO.
Since our accession to the WTO, China, as the largest developing member, has firmly upheld the multilateral trade regime, practiced true multilateralism and delivered on its commitments to the WTO. […], and China’s contribution to the WTO and global economy and trade is well recognized.
[…]
Bloomberg: Just to follow up on the WTO question, you said that China is a leading member of the WTO and has been appreciated for the efforts it has made to support free trade. But China is not a member of the government procurement agreement, which guarantees freedom of access for members of that agreement. So my question is, why does China think it should have free access to the European market for procurement when China doesn’t provide that access to its own market to European companies and also to companies from all the other WTO members?
Wang Wenbin: I do not think that is an accurate description. According to my knowledge, China has actively applied to join the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement. If you are interested in the specifics, I’d refer you to competent Chinese authorities.
[…]
Inval Nuctech 🇪🇺🏢
Brussel voert druk op tegen vermeende oneerlijke Chinese concurrentie – NRC: „Met de inval bij de Nederlandse vestiging van het Chinese bedrijf Nuctech wil Brussel uitvinden of er in het geheim Chinese staatssteun is verleend waardoor het bedrijf een voorsprong zou hebben op Europese concurrenten.”
Ongekende EU-invallen bij Chinese scannergigant Nuctech 威视 – de Volkskrant
Brussel valt Chinees bedrijf in Rotterdam binnen om ‘verstoren markt’ – FD
EU-Razzia bei chinesischer Sicherheitsfirma Nuctech 威视 – Handelsblatt: „Die Kommission arbeitet bei Razzien mit den Sicherheitskräften der Mitgliedsländer zusammen. Auch in diesem Fall waren niederländische und polnische Behörden involviert.“ „Die Razzia bei Nuctech ist Teil einer größeren handelspolitischen Auseinandersetzung mit China.“
EU conducts ‘dawn raid’ on Chinese security equipment supplier – FT: ‘The raids took place at the Warsaw and Rotterdam offices of Nuctech, a state-owned company once run by the son of former Chinese president Hu Jintao.’
From state contracts to a dawn raid: how Europe turned on China’s Nuctech 威视 – FT: ‘Nuctech has long been criticised for its close links to Beijing and has been red-flagged by the US over potential risks to national security.’
’a Financial Times analysis of European Commission documents shows that governments in Europe awarded more than 160 contracts to Nuctech over the past 10 years.’
‘Groothuis said selling goods at “an unreasonable price” could “trigger” the commission to look into Beijing undercutting its European rivals.’
Nuctech 威视 raids leave Chinese businesses reeling as new EU foreign subsidies regulation shows its teeth – SCMP: ‘They suggest that the European Commission has moved to a new stage in cracking down on what it views as one of the biggest risk to the Eurozone economy: foreign subsidies from Beijing, which it believes are causing industrial overcapacity that could see Europe flooded with cheap Chinese imports.’
‘They also demand levels of openness that many Chinese businesses are not ready for.’ ‘According to Struys, “the reaction time is slow” for Chinese companies. “They need to talk to x, y and z, sometimes even the party. […],” he said.’
Mission of China to the EU is gravely concerned over and deplores EU’s unannounced inspections of a Chinese company – Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union:
[…] The Chinese side takes the view that the EU’s suspicion of so-called subsidies could be completely verified and solved by ways like communications with the company or competent government authorities. […]
The Chinese side believes that the EU’s unannounced inspections interferes with the order of fair competition in the market, clearly jeopardizes the positive atmosphere of trade and economic cooperation between China and the EU, and strikes a strong shock to the confidence and sense of security of all foreign companies in the EU, including Chinese ones. It also highlights the further deterioration of the EU’s business environment and sends an extremely negative signal to all foreign companies operating in the EU. […]
China’s commerce ministry urges EU to create non-discriminatory environment for foreign firms – Xinhua
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Regular Press Conference on April 24, 2024 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China: ‘We urge the EU to honor its commitment to open market and the principle of fair competition, observe WTO rules, and stop wantonly going after and restraining Chinese companies under various pretexts.’
Spionage Duitsland/EP 🇨🇳🕵🏻♂️
Germany probes claims far-right MEP took payments from Russia and China – POLITICO Europe: ‘The German judiciary launched two preliminary investigations on Wednesday against MEP Maximilian Krah from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD)’ ‘for his work as an MEP’ 🇩🇪🇪🇺
Na de arrestatie van zijn medewerker is Krah nu zelf onderwerp van onderzoek.
AfD politician to run in European elections despite aide’s alleged spying for China – The Guardian 🇩🇪🇪🇺
China spy charges up scrutiny of Germany’s far-right ahead of EU polls – Reuters: ‘The high-ranking AfD lawmaker who requested anonymity complained key positions in the party were increasingly held by people with pro-Russia and pro-China views.’ 🇩🇪
‘After four Germans were arrested this week for allegedly spying for Chinese secret services, I was summoned to the MFA today. A quite telling move – but, after all, a good opportunity to explain a few things: 1) We do not tolerate espionage in Germany, regardless of (1/2)’ ‘which country it comes from. 2) We protect our democracy and our constitutional state by constitutional means. 3) The Federal Public Prosecutor General conducts the investigations. In the end, an independent court will decide on the accusations. (2/2)’ – Ambassador Patricia Flor, Twitter 🇩🇪
AfD-Spionageaffäre Scholz »sehr, sehr, sehr« besorgt – Der Spiegel 🇩🇪
Spionageverdacht: Mitarbeiter von AfD-Spitzenkandidat Krah laut Berichten in U-Haft – Zeit: „Laut Medien hat der Bundesgerichtshof nun ein Haftbefehl in Vollzug gesetzt.“ 🇩🇪
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson’s remarks on the so-called ‘threat of Chinese spies’ – Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union: ‘Every time before or after China-Europe high-level interactions in recent years, there would be such a hype, with a clear intention of smearing and hitting China and souring the atmosphere of China-EU cooperation.’
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Regular Press Conference on April 24, 2024 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China: ‘On the so-called case of “Chinese spies,” I made China’s position clear yesterday. […] We urge relevant parties to stop chasing shadows and vilifying China.’
overige operaties 🇨🇳🕵🏻♂️
Opinie: Nederlandse bedrijven onderschatten de dreiging van cyberspionage door vijandige regimes – Marcel van Kaam (KPMG) en Ellen Mok (KPMG) [ook: #4 EP-lijst D66] in de Volkskrant 🇳🇱
German spy agency warns companies against being too ‘naive’ on China – Reuters 🇩🇪
België 🇧🇪
Commissievoorzitter Buitenlandse Zaken Els Van Hoof geviseerd door Chinese spionnen, minister Van Tigchelt wil veiligheidsofficier in parlement – VRT NWS: „Els Van Hoof (CD&V) is lid van de Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC).” 🇧🇪
Head of Belgian Foreign Affairs Committee says she was hacked by China – Reuters: ‘Van Hoof found out about the cyber attack last month, three years after the incident had taken place, via a FBI report, she told VRT in an interview.’ 🇧🇪
Spionage in de Kamer: „Waarom werd China niet eerder op matje geroepen?” – De Standaard 🇧🇪
Canada 🇨🇦
: ‘And for the first time, leaked CSIS intelligence plausibly outlines how the interlocked detentions of Huawei’s chief financial officer and the Two Michaels drove Beijing’s deep interference in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 contests.’Taiwan 🇹🇼
New Taipei borough warden Hsu Cheng-kai 許政鎧 (KMT) and aunt indicted over China junkets – Taipei Times: ‘on charges of working for the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) in China’s Kunshan City last year to invite 12 borough heads to visit China.’
TikTok 📱🇺🇸
Toekomst TikTok onzeker, nu Amerikaanse Senaat heeft ingestemd met uitzonderlijk strenge aanpak – NRC: „Als ByteDance bereid is TikTok te verkopen, wat niet zeker is, dan nog is onduidelijk of de machtige Chinese staat zal toestaan dat het zover komt en dat het succesvolle TikTok en de bijbehorende technologie in Amerikaanse handen komt.”
TikTok-ban in VS iets dichterbij, maar influencers, rechters, China en Trump liggen nog in de weg – de Volkskrant
Exclusive: ByteDance 字节跳动 prefers TikTok shutdown in US if legal options fail, sources say – Reuters: ‘ByteDance also would not agree to sell one of its most valuable assets — its “secret source” — to rivals, said the four sources, referring to the TikTok algorithm.’
How TikTok’s Chinese owners took firmer control ahead of US ban – FT: ‘These people added that ByteDance staff, including senior managers, had been transferred to TikTok; workers based in the US who spoke Mandarin were favoured for their ability to co-ordinate with Chinese counterparts’
‘These claims come after TikTok executives at one point insisted under oath that it was a “distributed” company with no official global headquarters.’
‘Ten current and former employees said the number of Chinese staff had been increasing inside TikTok over the past two years, […]. This has included senior leaders.’
‘Internal systems — such as for staff to communicate, collaborate or access employment information — are hosted in China, TikTok insiders said. But they said the software could also track employee locations through their IP addresses and other biometric data.’
15 april 2024: Some ex-TikTok employees say the social media service worked closely with its China-based parent despite claims of independence – ou ‘Nearly every 14 days, as part of Turner’s job throughout 2022, he emailed spreadsheets filled with data for hundreds of thousands of U.S. users to ByteDance workers in Beijing.’
13 maart 2024: TikTok’s security threats go beyond the scope of House legislation – The New York Times: ‘the security threat posed by TikTok has far less to do with who owns it than it does with who writes the code and algorithms that make TikTok tick.’
22 december 2022: EXCLUSIVE: TikTok spied on Forbes journalists – Forbes
22 december 2022: TikTok admits tracking FT journalist in leaks investigation – FT
16 maart 2020: TikTok told moderators to suppress posts by ‘ugly’ people and the poor to attract new users – The Intercept: ‘The content moderation documents obtained by The Intercept Brasil and The Intercept contain indications that standards enforced on TikTok livestreams originate in China.’
Het grote probleem van het Chinese eigendom is iets wat TikTok niet op kan lossen. Maar de leugens en toedekkingen helpen ByteDance ook niet.
Bij de beschrijvingen over de werkcultuur en het bevoordelen van Chinese werknemers moet ik denken aan een eerder artikel over Huawei Europe in Duitsland.
US: TikTok ban won’t solve harms of Big Tech’s invasive surveillance – Amnesty International
Biden campaign will continue to use TikTok despite divest-or-ban law – FT
There is no TikTok in China, but there is Douyin 抖音. Here’s what it is. – The New York Times
‘Black hole’ of alluring content: Chinese social media apps like Xiaohongshu pull in Singapore users – The Straits Times 🇸🇬
Dat de indirect overheidsgecontroleerde krant The Straits Times schrijft over zo’n onderwerp is vaak een hint dat de Singaporese regering met iets bezig is of dat de Singaporese autoriteiten zich ergens zorgen over maken.
TikTok’s rocky road in Central Asia – Catherine Putz for The Diplomat
Huawei 华为
US wants allies to cut chip-related China exports amid Huawei alarm – FT: ‘amid rising concerns about Huawei’s development of advanced semiconductors.’ ‘Washington wants Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands to use existing export controls more aggressively, including stopping engineers from their countries servicing chipmaking tools at advanced semiconductor fabs in China, according to five people familiar with the conversations.’ ‘just wanted them to use existing export control regimes to tackle the issue.’ 🇳🇱
Republican Senator Rubio calls for blocking of all US sales to Huawei 华为 – Reuters 🇺🇸
Huawei 华为 leads Chinese effort to compete with Nvidia’s AI chips – The Information: ‘The project, part of China's efforts to provide home-grown alternatives to Nvidia's AI chips, started last year and includes Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit, a memory chip maker under U.S. sanctions along with Huawei, according to the report.’
Huawei-led Chinese firms aim to make advanced memory chips by 2026, The Information reports – Reuters
Tech War 💽💥
Foreign ministry spokesperson refutes western accusation of ‘overcapacity’ – Xinhua: ‘He pointed out that accusing China’s new energy industry of overcapacity is a sign of protectionism.’
Western ‘overcapacity’ accusation is typical double standard, says China’s commerce ministry – Xinhua
Polestar may use US plant to sell cars to Europe as EU-China tension rises – Reuters: ‘Polestar builds the majority of its cars in the Chinese cities of Chengdu and Taizhou.’
The ambitions of China’s BYD 比亚迪 stretch well beyond electric vehicles – FT
Apple moves closer to China despite supply chain shifts – Nikkei Asia: ‘Apple increased its China-headquartered suppliers and Chinese manufacturing sites in 2023 while using fewer suppliers from Taiwan, the U.S., Japan and South Korea’
‘37% of the 35 suppliers in Vietnam are from China and Hong Kong’
Apple still leads high-end smartphone sales in China, but Huawei 华为 and Honor 荣耀 are catching up – SCMP
TSMC 台積電 aims to produce ultra-advanced 1.6-nm chips by 2026 – Nikkei Asia: ‘The top American chipmaker also unveiled its 14A (1.4-nm) technology earlier this year.’
Giga-Byte 技嘉 denies sending servers with restricted Nvidia chips to China – Focus Taiwan 🇹🇼
Google to expand hardware R&D team in Taiwan – Nikkei Asia
India seeks overseas help for lithium processing to avoid relying on China – Reuters 🇮🇳
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
Focus harder to rival China’s vast global investment plan, Brussels is told – POLITICO Europe: ‘EU’s Global Gateway funding has been spread “too thinly” and must be concentrated if it’s to stand a chance against Beijing, internal review says.’ 🇪🇺
Ook het punt dat collega’s en ik maakten in onze recente policy brief over de Indo-Pacific.
Weekend 🏖️📚
Longreads en achtergrond
Chinese ‘overcapacity’ is not the problem. Underconsumption is. – Matthew C. Klein for The Overshoot: ‘While China’s motor vehicle exports have surged, flipping the trade balance from a sizable deficit into a large surplus, total Chinese production of motor vehicles has been much less impressive. In fact, the number of finished vehicles assembled recently is slightly below the prior peak in 2017-2018.’
‘The problem is that China’s current green goods export boom is happening in large part because Chinese demand is still so weak.’
Anyone who was paying attention knew China’s real-estate market was a bubble. But the boom was too seductive to pass up. – WSJ: ‘The cheerleaders were operating on a seemingly bulletproof assumption that China’s government would never allow the market to crash.’
Cover Story: China’s balancing act to keep its social security system afloat – Caixin Global
TSMC 台積電’s debacle in the American desert – Rest of World
The Chip Comeback Is America ready to compete in a new era of high-tech industrial strategy? – The Wire China
Toxic: How the search for the origins of Covid-19 turned politically poisonous – AP
Photo Essay: Tibet’s Cultural Revolution – China Books Review
Podcasts
China’s Leftover Women: A Conversation with Dr. Leta Hong Fincher – CSIS ChinaPower 🍎
Temu verovert met agressieve marketingcampagnes de Europese koopjesmarkt – De Volkskrant Elke Dag 🍎
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Verenigde Staten 🇺🇸
China warns Antony Blinken US must choose between ‘co-operation or confrontation’ – FT: ‘The ministry also lashed back at US accusations on Ukraine, saying “China is not the creator or party to the Ukraine crisis”, while also charging the US with interfering in the Asia-Pacific region’ 🇺🇸
In China, Blinken urges fair treatment of American companies – Reuters 🇺🇸
Xinhua Commentary: Washington’s credibility as a judge on human rights deeply questionable – Xinhua: ‘Washington’s China-bashers have not yet tired of exploiting misinformation and propaganda to further their own Sinophobic narrative.’ 🇺🇸
Chinese student in Boston gets 9 months in prison for threatening pro-democracy schoolmate – SCMP 🇺🇸
Agency bars Chinese telecom carriers from offering US broadband services – Reuters 🇺🇸
overige
Israel’s attacks on UNRWA without solid evidence are unacceptable, Chinese envoy says – Xinhua: ‘To guarantee aid delivery by humanitarian agencies is the responsibility of the occupying power.’ 🇮🇱
China calls for early end of catastrophe on Palestinians – Xinhua 🇵🇸
China’s Sinopec 中国石化 charts global expansion with refinery in rival India’s neighbouring Sri Lanka – Reuters: ‘Sinopec, the world’s largest oil refiner, is expected to complete a feasibility study by June for a plant at the Chinese-run Hambantota port, after winning Colombo’s approval last November, two senior industry sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.’ 🇱🇰
China and Bangladesh to conduct joint military training – Xinhua 🇧🇩
South China Sea: Malaysia opposes ‘external forces’ meddling in disputed waters, foreign minister says in swipe at US-Philippines military exercises – SCMP 🇲🇾
Chinese foreign minister holds talks with Malaysian counterpart – Xinhua 🇲🇾
« Les Chinois se comportent comme des rois » : avec les pêcheurs philippins rackettés par la Chine à Scarborough Shoal – Le Figaro 🇵🇭
WADA appoints special prosecutor in Chinese doping case – The New York Times
China’s Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 urges troops to ‘focus on the battlefield’ during trip to military medical school – SCMP: ‘Beijing has been improving the war readiness of the People’s Liberation Army and allocating more resources to military logistics, personnel training and key weapons as it faces a more complex external environment.’
China economie
China 2024 growth outlook raised to 4.8%, deflation risk lingers – Bloomberg
China has taken another step to limit domestic investors’ exposure to offshore debt issued by local government financing vehicles, sources say – Bloomberg: ‘The National Association of Financial Market Institutional Investors, the country’s interbank market watchdog better known as NAFMII, has halted registration of new credit-linked notes, a derivatives product, that use offshore LGFV debt as underlying assets’
China preps for clampdown on financial crimes with new version of anti-money-laundering law – SCMP: ‘to bolster a crackdown on illegal activities like cross-border gambling and underground banks’
China binnenland
China’s ex-Tibet propaganda chief Dǒng Yúnhǔ 董云虎 charged with bribery – SCMP
Censors in China clamp down on micro-dramas – The Straits Times
Hong Kong
Hong Kong hit by third straight IPO flop as AI player Mobvoi disappoints – Nikkei Asia
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
US congressional report says 41 military personnel stationed in Taiwan as of last December – Taipei Times 🇺🇸
Taiwan’s next health minister to be on WHA sidelines – Taipei Times
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip [ong. fractievoorzitter] Fu Kun-chi 傅崐萁 defends trip to China as agenda questioned – Taipei Times: ‘amid criticism that he is leaving while his native Hualien is battered by quakes and while the legislature is in session.’
Defence minister downplays military expert’s warning – Taipei Times: ‘The warning by retired air force lieutenant general Chang Yen-ting (張延廷), was based on a Ministry of National Defense chart posted on Sunday last week, which showed two Chinese fighter jets crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait and getting as close as 41 nautical miles (75.9km) from Keelung.’
Taiwan binnenland en economie
President-elect Lai Ching-te 賴清德 (DPP) names incoming national security team – Focus Taiwan: ‘National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄) will head Taiwan’s defense ministry, and current Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) will replace him at the NSC’
‘the new foreign minister replacing Wu will be Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), the current secretary-general to the president and a former Taichung mayor.’ ‘Lin's current position as the president’s top aide will be filled by 60-year-old Pan Men-an (潘孟安)’
‘Another key national security post, that of National Security Bureau (NSB) director-general, will be retained by 56-year-old Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥)’
Taiwan president-elect picks team of security, diplomatic heavyweights – Nikkei Asia: ‘A prominent defense lawyer, Koo is considered one of the most senior members of Tsai's government’
Taiwanese ministers van defensie zijn vaak oud-militairen en als de DPP aan de macht is dus of partijloos of zelfs KMT-lid.
Wellington Koo is daarentegen een ministerieel zwaargewicht. Hij zal pas de tweede defensieminister zijn die lid is van de DPP – in de nadagen van Chen Shui-bian zat de controversiële Michael Tsai nog 84 dagen op deze post.
Newly-appointed Taiwan’s top China affairs chief Chiu Chui-cheng 邱垂正 (DPP) touted as ‘pragmatic’ – Focus Taiwan: ‘58-year-old Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Vice Chairman and former MAC deputy head’ ‘During his previous tenure as MAC spokesperson, Chiu often maintained a tough stance on cross-strait issues’
‘Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) has been picked to head the SEF’
China should have confidence to talk to island’s legally elected government, Taiwan’s president-elect Lai Ching-te 賴清德 (DPP) says – Reuters 🇨🇳
Defence minister vows more counselors amid military suicides – Focus Taiwan: ‘local media reported 16 suicide/attempted suicide cases among Taiwanese military personnel so far in 2024, resulting in at least 14 deaths.’
Judicial Yuan seeks to address personnel shortage – Taipei Times: ‘A judge fell to his death from a building, a judge fell into a coma in his office and a clerk passed away from illness, it said, citing what it called cases linked to overwork.’
Donovan’s Deep Dives: The powerful political force that vanished from the English press – Taipei Times: ‘Across Taiwan 14 of the DPP local party chair races are being contested between factions, often with alliances differing in different localities.’
沈有忠:派系的進擊:內化的家族卻銳化為共管國民黨的新主人 – 思想坦克:「家族化的地方派系,成為國民黨延續政治實力不可或缺的力量,甚至在立委的部分也必須回過頭來與家族勢力妥協,家族勢力逐漸取得共管國民黨的地位,黨中央反而成為一個沒有基層實力的空殼。」
President Tsai lauds inauguration of Changhua offshore wind farms – Focus Taiwan: ‘Her remarks came at a ceremony held by Danish energy developer Ørsted in Taichung’
Orsted says Taiwan wind project to power TSMC 台積電 on track for 2025 finish – Reuters 🇩🇰