De Chinese Wouden, vrijdag 3 mei: hoge Taiwanese delegatie naar Tweede Kamer, Duitse toestanden
De altijd goede Noah Barkin heeft in zijn maandelijkse nieuwsbrief voor GMFUS een brisant overzicht over de Duitse houding t.o.v. China onder Scholz. Voor een nieuwsbrief zijn het nogal wat achtergronddetails. Barkin schrijft dat het nogal wat is dat Duitse inlichtingendiensten en NAVO-baas zich publiekelijk uit menen te moeten spreken. Blijkbaar strekt het gevoel terug te moeten duwen tegen Berlijns Chinabeleid zich ook uit tot de bronnen van Barkin die hem zoveel materiaal hebben geleverd.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Nederland importeerde vorig jaar voor het eerst sinds 2016 minder uit China – NRC: „Consumenten lieten Chinese computers, laptops en tablets vaker links liggen en kochten in plaats daarvan vaker elektronica uit Taiwan.” 🇳🇱
Gesprek: Mw. Chen-Chu, voorzitter Control Yuan en voorzitter Mensenrechtencommissie Taiwan – Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal
Hoge delegatie uit Taiwan in Nederland!
De Taiwanese DPP-mastodont Chen Chu is voorzitter (President) van de Control Yuan, één van de vijf machten in grondwet van de Republiek China (ROC). Net als de premier (Executive Yuan) en de kamervoorzitter (Legislative Yuan) draagt zij dus ook de titel Yuan President 院長 yuànzhǎng. Dat maakt haar een van de vijf hoogste politieke functionarissen onder President Tsai Ing-wen.
In december 2022 was ze al in Duitsland en Frankrijk. Nu komt ze naar Nederland voor de 13e World Conference van het International Ombudsman Institute die begint op 13 mei in Den Haag. Dus ook in de Tweede Kamer op 16 mei.
Chen Chu 陳菊 (Chén Jú) was 2018–20 de secretaris-generaal van het presidentieel kantoor – Amerikanen zouden zeggen: Tsai Ing-wens chief of staff – en daarvoor 12 jaar lang burgemeester van Kaohsiung, de grootste stad in het DPP-gezinde zuiden van Taiwan. Chen is echter het bekendst als activiste en voormalig politiek gevangene. Ze is een van de Kaohsiung Eight, die na protesten tegen de toenmalige KMT-dictatuur in 1979 werden gearresteerd. Pas in 1986 kwam Chen weer vrij.
Ze bleef altijd een favoriet doelwit van KMT-politici. TPP-leider Ko Wen-je kwam in opspraak toen hij haar een ‘vet zwijn’ noemde.
Opinie NSC: „Stop de export van data naar Chinese overheid” – Dirk Gotink en Reinout van Malenstein in AD 🇳🇱
How China’s ad-hoc tech pipeline fuels Russia’s Ukraine war efforts – Nikkei Asia: ‘in China, Russians looking for components can operate pretty openly, according to merchants in China, Ukrainian researchers and European diplomatic sources.’ 🇷🇺
Ukraine war: US takes aim at Chinese firms in wave of sanctions targeting Russia – SCMP 🇷🇺
US intelligence officials assess that Russia and China are working more closely together on military issues, including a potential invasion of Taiwan – Bloomberg 🇷🇺
China-Russia military exercises near Taiwan force US to revise plans, intelligence chiefs say – SCMP 🇷🇺
EU probe into Chinese electric vehicles is ‘advancing,’ Commission says – POLITICO Europe: ‘hinted Brussels could impose tariffs “before the summer break.”’ 🇪🇺
Chinese and French experts seek multilateral future at global governance forum in Paris – Xinhua 🇫🇷
Xi replies to letter from Serbian steelworkers – Xinhua 🇷🇸
Shell exited its power business in China at the end of last year as the company continues to refocus its investments in a bid to drive up profitability – Bloomberg 🇬🇧🇳🇱
China tensions bubble up as HSBC seeks its next boss: The surprise departure of Noel Quinn has placed fresh focus on an uncomfortable dilemma – The Telegraph 🇬🇧
Taiwan inaugurates first tourism service center in Europe – Taipei Times 🇫🇷
Duitse toestanden 🇩🇪
Watching China in Europe—May 2024 – Noah Barkin: ‘But having leverage and using it are two different things, as we witnessed during German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent trip to China. The leader of the EU’s biggest economy demonstrated, with what he did and did not say, that his approach to China is still shaped by fear’
‘It is a worrying sign when your own intelligence agencies and the head of NATO feel the need to publicly (albeit indirectly) voice their concerns about your policies in the aftermath of a trip like this. But that is what happened in the week after Scholz returned.’
‘The Chancellery, I learned, made an eleventh-hour request that the Commission delay until after his return the announcement of its case against China for discriminatory procurement practices in the medical devices sector. It appears that the arrests of three German citizens for passing on information about military technologies to China, and of a parliamentary assistant to a far-right German member of the European Parliament on suspicion of spying for China, were also slow-rolled in order to avoid embarrassing Chinese leaders while Scholz was in Beijing.’
’I understand that separately, one month before the Scholz trip, Berlin denied a request by Taiwan’s Vice President-Elect Hsiao Bi-khim to travel as a private citizen through southern Germany during a visit to Europe.’
‘I understand that Macron may still try to convince Scholz to join the Xi party in Paris when the two leaders meet for a private dinner, together with their wives, on Thursday. But an official in Scholz’s entourage rebuffed the notion that he could travel to Paris to see Xi so soon after his China trip.’
‘“Germany has to be careful that it is not seen to be acting against European interests on China. We are very close to that line,” a veteran EU diplomat told me.’
‘The messages coming from Berlin have triggered concerns in some parts of the Commission that Germany could try to sabotage the EV case.’ 🇩🇪🇪🇺
‘Heard today the view from a knowledgable German friend that getting pork import restrictions lifted was the only tangible deliverable of Scholz’s China visit. Well it turns out that it is withheld by the Chinese side until Berlin moves on Huawei’s access to German 5G network ⬇️’ – Mathieu Duchâtel, Twitter 🇩🇪
Scholz and Macron to hold secret dinner in Paris ahead of Xi’s visit – POLITICO Europe 🇩🇪🇫🇷
Xi’s trip to Europe may lay bare West’s divisions over China strategy – Reuters 🇪🇺
Hacker-Hammer um 400 Politiker: Regierung verschweigt Spionage-Angriff aus China! – BILD: ‘Die deutschen Behörden informierten die Opfer NICHT! Geschehen ist auch nichts. Tausende westliche Beamte, Parlamentsabgeordnete, Journalisten und Wissenschaftler hatte Peking über Jahre von einer staatlichen Hackergruppe angreifen und ausspähen lassen. Darunter mindestens 400 Abgeordnete.’ 🇩🇪
New Zealand spy watchdog has questions over country’s agencies’ handling of cyberattack – Stuff: ‘The January 2021 cyberattack by the China state-backed group APT 31 targeted the account of China expert Professor Anne-Marie Brady, along with then-MPs National’s Simon O’Connor and Labour’s Louisa Wall, co-chairs of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC).’ 🇳🇿
Chinesische Spionage: Die AfD ist nicht das Hauptproblem – Thorsten Benner für NTV: „Peking kann auf eine große Zahl deutscher Eliten zählen, die sich aus einer Mischung aus Ego, Überzeugung und Profit für die Zwecke des Parteistaats und seiner Unternehmen einspannen lassen.“ 🇩🇪
Tech War 💽💥
Vrees voor Chinese dominantie in windmolens en waterstof – NU.nl 🇪🇺
The EU’s China challenge: Rethinking offshore wind and electrolysis strategy – TNO and HCSS: ‘“China keeps the market structurally closed to European parties, but expects free access for their products on our continent. This is one of the reasons why they are building up a position that allows them to compete excellently on price,” says author Joris Teer’ 🇪🇺
China halves rice-growing cycle in deserts of Xinjiang, opening new front in food security drive – SCMP: ‘Yang Qichang, the project’s leader and a chief scientist from the academy’s Institute of Urban Agriculture, said the structures his team built in Hotan cost 350 yuan (US$48) per square metre, a third of what glass greenhouses from the Netherlands — an industry leader — would cost. The Hotan structures also consume a quarter of the energy that a standard Dutch glass greenhouse does, he said.’ 🇳🇱
Opinie: Om Nederland veilig te houden, moeten we met AI vooroplopen – Maaike Okano-Heijmans en Alexandre Gomes in Trouw 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Croatian president hits out at prospect of EU TikTok ban – POLITICO Europe 🇭🇷
TikTok fights to keep China platform out of US addiction suits – Bloomberg: Lawyers spearheading hundreds of lawsuits accusing social media platforms of addicting youths say the protections that TikTok’s platform in China offers for children show the popular video-sharing app could operate more responsibly in the US.’ 🇺🇸
Tensions grow as China ramps up global mining for green tech – BBC News: ‘ranging from violations of the rights of local communities to damage to ecosystems and unsafe working conditions.’
China’s largest metals companies, including its state iron ore buyer, are considering their next steps following BHP’s blockbuster US$39 billion approach for rival Anglo American – Bloomberg
China’s BYD 比亚迪 and Neta 哪吒 eye growth in Indonesia with new EV investments – Nikkei Asia 🇮🇩
US moves to bar Huawei. 华为 and other Chinese telecoms from certifying wireless equipment – Reuters: ‘This new proposal would permanently prohibit Huawei and other entities on an FCC list of companies posing national security risks’ 🇺🇸
Taiwan chipmaker PSMC 力積電 opens plant with eye on AI semiconductors – Nikkei Asia
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
Een nieuwe ‘As van het Kwaad’? Hoe China, Rusland, Iran en Noord-Korea de wereld willen veranderen – Knack
Anti-China sentiment in US grows over past 4 years, Pew survey says: Over 40% of Americans see Beijing as an enemy; 81% hold unfavourable view – Nikkei Asia 🇺🇸
Americans Remain Critical of China: Many see China as increasingly influential and consider limiting its power a top priority – Pew Research Center 🇺🇸
China’s migrant workforce getting older as pay rises lag behind general population – SCMP
China and America trade blame for a world on fire: A global contest is under way to recruit like-minded countries as supporters – The Economist’s Chaguan
Japan and EU to cooperate in digital regulation – Jiji Press 🇯🇵
Weekend 🏖️📚
Why Xi Jinping is afraid to unleash China’s consumers – FT: ‘China’s seeming reluctance to rebalance its economy is one of the great challenges facing global financial systems, threatening to worsen Beijing’s trade and diplomatic relations not only with western countries but also with developing nations.’
‘Self-reliance in manufacturing under extreme circumstances, even armed conflict, is an important part of this, academics in Beijing say. “China should be prepared for war,” says Liu Zhiqin, senior researcher at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China.’
‘“This has been going on for at least about 8-10 years,” says Zhiwu Chen, chair professor of finance at the University of Hong Kong, of China’s shift to an industrial policy that takes into account “war preparation”.’
‘The Chinese economy has locked itself into a system in which every economic problem is met by supply-side policies that expand investment or, more precisely, that force households to increase their indirect transfers to investment and manufacturing.’ – Michael Pettis, Twitter
« Xi Jinping ressemble bien plus à Staline qu’à Mao Zedong » – Jean-Philippe Béja dans Le Monde
Planned Obsolescence: The Strategic Support Force in memoriam (2015-2024) – Jamestown China Brief
Xi Jinping’s vision of war seen in creation of ‘Information Force’ – Anushka Saxena in Nikkei Asia
Onderwijs in patriottisme springlevend in China, al wordt de boodschap nu anders verpakt – de Volkskrant
Xi believes China can win a scientific revolution: Beijing’s techno-nationalist policies are more geopolitical than economic – Tanner Greer in Foreign Policy
Why China’s companies are recruiting their own militias: Officials want to keep things calm in an era of slowing growth – The Economist
China mulls a bold test of taxation without representation: With revenue declining, its leaders must figure out how to collect more money – The Economist
Chinese firms are expanding in South-East Asia: This new business diaspora is younger, better-educated and ambitious – The Economist
Can investment from TSMC 台積電, Infineon, and others revive Europe’s chip dreams? – Nikkei Asia
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Zuid-Chinese Zee
Philippines summons Chinese diplomat over South China Sea flare-up – Reuters 🇵🇭
‘Close enough to see their faces’: Chased down by China in South China Sea – BBC News: ‘The BBC was onboard the Philippines coast guard vessel BRP Bagacay when it was accosted by Chinese vessels on Tuesday.’ 🇵🇭
China’s fishing ban in East Sea violates Vietnam’s sovereignty – Government News, Socialist Republic of Vietnam 🇻🇳
Verenigde Staten 🇺🇸
US official urges China and Russia to declare only humans, not AI, control nuclear weapons – Reuters 🇺🇸
China, Russia space ‘militarisation’ could include nuclear weapon, US official says – SCMP 🇺🇸
USADA slams WADA for ‘half-truths’ in China doping case – Reuters 🇺🇸
Opinion: How China’s ruling party fuels the US fentanyl crisis – Mike Gallagher and Raja Krishnamoorthi in The Washington Post: ‘The party provides subsidies in the form of rebates for the value-added tax, or VAT, to companies that manufacture fentanyl analogues, precursors and other synthetic narcotics, so long as the products are sold outside China.’
‘companies’ sales pages included clear indications of drug trafficking, with advertisements that appeared to cater to non-Chinese customers.’ 🇺🇸
US lawmakers urge action over China in the Caribbean: ‘alarm bells’ – Newsweek 🇦🇬🇺🇸
overige
Salomonseilanden hebben nieuwe premier: voormalig buitenlandminister Jeremiah Manele – NRC: „Manele heeft onder andere beloofd om het ,Chinagezinde’ buitenlandse beleid van de eilanden voort te zetten.” 🇸🇧
Bob Carr’s lawyers send legal letter to Winston Peters – 1news: ‘Peters criticised the former Australian senator’s views on the security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. He also made allegations concerning Carr’s relationship with China.’ 🇦🇺🇳🇿
China economie
China’s listed banks see interest margins fall below warning line – Nikkei Asia
China binnenland
Death toll from southern China road collapse rises to 48 – AFP
Xi directs rescue operation and safety overhaul following fatal road collapse in south China – Xinhua
China enlists Tencent 腾讯, Weibo 微博, and Douyin 抖音 to protect state secrets – Nikkei Asia: ‘a revised State Secrets Law, requiring internet companies such as Tencent and Weibo to delete leaked information and cooperate with government investigations’
Number of writers jailed in China exceeds 100 for first time, says report – The Guardian: ‘There are 107 people behind bars because of their published statements in China, more than any other country on the index.’
China erases memory of ‘white paper’ protests in further threat to journalism – The Guardian
Teacher Li 李老师: the full transnational repression story – Safeguard Defenders
Uyghur spy turns to religion and lands in Xinjiang prison – RFA
Chinese scientist who published Covid-19 virus sequence allowed back in his lab after sit-in protest – AP
Hong Kong
US law firm Mayer Brown to split from Hong Kong partnership – Reuters
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
China obstructing tourism, not Taiwan, Mainland Affairs Council says – Taipei Times 🇨🇳
Fujian moves reflect China’s bid to ‘localise’ Taiwan issue, expert says – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇳
Taiwan on alert for post-inauguration Chinese drills – Reuters 🇨🇳
Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) identifies up to 30,000 false posts weekly – Taipei Times: ‘notable items of which it sends along to the National Security Council to respond’ 🇨🇳
Taiwan must harden undersea cables, NSB says – Taipei Times 🇨🇳
傻眼!台演員吳沐玹赴中拍戲 遭逼簽「中國台灣」政治立場承諾書 – 自由時報:「吳沐玹經紀人陳孝志今證實已簽下承諾書,還說『很多藝人都有簽,不是只有我們。』並稱藝人再大牌都是一樣要簽,才能在中國工作。」🇨🇳
Weer berichten over Taiwanese artiesten (nu acteurs) die een verklaring moeten ondertekenen waarin ze erkennen dat Taiwan bij China hoort voordat ze kunnen werken in China.
Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te 賴清德 (DPP) reaffirms cooperation with Japan; Taiwan leaders speak with LDP Youth Division delegation in Taipei – The Yomiuri Shimbun 🇯🇵
Taiwan’s VP-elect: Stop delaying on arms – POLITICO China Watcher: ‘Hsiao also urged the Biden administration to allow the self-governing island to enter into co-production deals with U.S. arms manufacturers’ 🇺🇸
Taiwan says may be hard to attend WHO assembly, Blinken offers support – Reuters 🇺🇸
China opposes US statement encouraging Taiwan’s presence at WHA – Xinhua 🇨🇳
Donovan’s Deep Dives: What is behind Vice Premier Tseng Wen-tsan 鄭文燦’s huge demotion? – Taipei Times: ‘head[ing] the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) […] is a huge demotion for one of the most powerful figures in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).’
‘I think there is high possibility that Lai wanted a powerful figure who has the ear of people at the highest levels of government as his envoy to China. It sends a strong message to China that the incoming Lai administration is serious about restarting talks. Tseng is also widely perceived as a moderate within the party on China.’ 🇨🇳
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je 柯文哲 (TPP) listed as suspect in alleged corruption case – Focus Taiwan: ‘involving Taipei's Core Pacific City mall redevelopment project and the Beitou Shilin Technology Park project, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office said on Thursday.’
蔡英文八年執政,一頁頁抗中保台史 – My-Formosa
Peiling aan de vooravond van het einde van de acht jaar van Tsai Ing-wen op 20 mei laat zien hoe ongeëvenaard ze is. Zij staat nog een paar procentpunten in de plus, terwijl de norm in de democratische periode grote impopulariteit bij vertrek lijkt te zijn.
Vertrouwen/Geen vertrouwen:
Tsai Ing-wen (2024/4): 49.7% vs 42.0%;
Ma Ying-jeou (2016/5): 28.9% vs 53.7%;
Chen Shui-bian (2008/05) 20.5% vs 57.4%.
Tevreden/Niet tevreden:
Tsai Ing-wen (2024/4): 49.6% vs 45.6%;
Ma Ying-jeou (2016/5): 25.9% vs 64.4%.
Unions mark International Workers’ Day with march – New Bloom
KMT steps back from controversial labour bill – Taipei Times: ‘a proposal to reduce the pay of employees working during a probationary period, following opposition from youth and labor groups, while a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker criticized it as a copy of a Chinese law.’
‘Meanwhile, Fu used his authority as [KMT] party caucus whip to force the alteration of the wording on a separate item to “mainland” instead of “China.”’
國民黨立委傅崐萁要求提案用詞中國改大陸 鄭文燦:沒必要 – 中央社
Fu Kun-chi 傅崐萁 (KMT) undermining national security and trying to nullify security laws, DPP and TSP say – Taipei Times
KMT eyes economic affairs ministry budget freeze over electricity prices – Taipei Times
NCC chair appointment becomes firestorm between pan-Blue and pan-Green camps – New Bloom: ‘The pan-Blue camp has, in past years, sought to amplify the perception that the NCC is controlled by the DPP and acts at its behest.’
Amended act renders electronic signatures legally equal to physical ones – Focus Taiwan
Taiwan’s factory activity expanded for the first time in two years, leading a broad rebound in Asia – Bloomberg
Hualien reconstruction funds approved – Taipei Times
Taiwan’s manufacturing industry could be the first to recruit Indian workers – Focus Taiwan