De Chinese Wouden, woensdag 1 mei: Xi komt naar Europa, dag van de arbeid
Vrolijke dag van de arbeid! In zowel China als ook een beetje in Taiwan wordt hierbij stilgestaan. In de trein naar Friesland afgelopen weekend zag ik al een boel toeristen uitstappen bij Steenwijk.
Vast voor deze gelegenheid heeft het theorietijdschrift van de Partij een toespraak van Xi Jinping gepubliceerd over de rol van de vakbonden en de arbeiders in het bouwen van een sterk China en de Grootse Herrijzenis. Dat is een goed excuus om stil te staan bij de curieuze behandeling van arbeiders in het communistische China.
In Nederland is 1 mei niet zo’n nationaal belangrijke dag. Maar in veel landen is het wel een vrije dag en bovendien een moment voor vakbonden om te demonstreren. In deze cultuur staat de arbeider centraal en ook de eisen die men nog heeft voor de vooruitgang van deze specifieke groep.
In China lees je niks over wat de arbeiders met eigen kracht bereikt hebben of over misstanden die ze overkomen hebben. In plaats daarvan doe Xi oproepen die arbeid als grondstof behandelen voor de eens communistische en nu nationalistische heilstaat.
Arbeiders dienen in het China van de CCP als middel. Eerder waren ze soldaten in de industrialisatie die het Nieuwe China groot moest maken. De nieuwe productieve krachten zijn daar de laatste iteratie van. In deze wereld moeten arbeiders geüpgraded worden en zich aanpassen aan de nieuwe tijd om betere radartjes te zijn in de Chinese ontwikkeling. Ik herhaal het nog maar eens: de Chinese Droom is een van bovenaf opgelegde visie van – niet individuele maar – collectieve vooruitgang
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Joining Hands for a Brighter Future – Ambassador Tan Jian in Diplomat Affairs Magazine (华): ‘To sum up, I have good relations with the business; good working relations with the government; challenges with the parliament and media.’ 🇳🇱
Ex-Belgian PM Guy Verhofstadt was a victim of Chinese hacking – POLITICO Europe: ‘Last week, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib summoned the Chinese ambassador over [earlier] allegations.’ 🇧🇪
Cyberattaques chinoises : cinq élus belges ciblés, dont l’ex-Premier ministre Verhofstadt – Le Soir 🇧🇪
Kamer stelt zich burgerlijke partij na Chinese cyberaanvallen tegen verschillende Kamerleden – VRT NWS: ‘[betrokken kamerleden] Samuel Cogolati (Ecolo-Groen), Els Van Hoof (CD&V) en Georges Dallemagne (Les Engagés) hadden voorzitter Eliane Tillieux (PS) aangeschreven om een gerechtelijk onderzoek te vragen’ 🇧🇪
bezoek Xi
China confirms Xí Jìnpíng 习近平’s European tour will include visits to France, Serbia, and Hungary between May 5 and 10 – SCMP: ‘Xi would discuss upgrading China-Serbia relations when he met his counterpart Aleksandar Vučić.’ 🇫🇷🇷🇸🇭🇺
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen invited to Xí Jìnpíng 习近平-Emmanuel Macron summit in Paris next week – SCMP: ‘Von der Leyen’s presence signals an attempt to “Europeanise” the trip and follows a pattern of diplomatic behaviour from Macron.’ 🇪🇺🇫🇷
Chinese President Xi Jinping is heading to the European Union for the first time in five years with a clear message: Beijing offers much more of an economic opportunity for the bloc than the US wants to admit – Bloomberg: ‘Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have united in challenging the US-led world order, which Beijing says is trying to contain its development. The Chinese leader’s stop in Belgrade, which is not an EU member state, will come in the week of the 25th anniversary of the US bombing of China’s embassy in the Serbian capital, an event that brought Russia and China closer over shared anti-American sentiment.’
‘Xi is visiting nations “where selling the dislike for the US-led global security architecture is easier,” […]. Scooping up endorsements in friendly nations will help Beijing send the message that “Europe is on China’s side, no matter what Brussels says,” she added.’ 🇪🇺
Xi’s European tour: why Hungary and Serbia are the important stops – Bob Savic in SCMP: ‘Chinese EV and battery manufacturers’ plans in Hungary and Serbia are also shaping the China-EU dynamic in important ways’ 🇪🇺
卢沙野大使就习近平主席对法国进行国事访问接受媒体联合采访 – 中华人民共和国驻法兰西共和国大使馆 🇫🇷
促进中欧关系健康稳定发展(和音) – 《人民日报》(2024年04月30日 第03版):“近年来,匈牙利在变乱交织的国际形势下坚持做欧洲的和平力量、稳定因素,排除干扰和压力坚定深化对华合作。” 🇫🇷🇷🇸🇭🇺
Commentaar in het Volksdagblad gaat de drie landen af in volgorde Frankrijk, Servië en Hongarije. In het overzicht van het laatste land prijst de gezaghebbende krant Boedapest als een kracht voor vrede in het door internationale turbulentie geplaagde Europa. Mocht je je nog afvragen welke houding t.o.v. Oekraïne men in Peking het liefste ziet…
overige
TikTok ban in EU is ‘not excluded,’ Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (EPP) says at EP election debate – POLITICO Europe: ‘She immediately added that the Commission was “the very first institution worldwide to ban TikTok on our corporate phones.”’ 🇪🇺
EU-lijsttrekkers vallen radicaal-rechts aan om banden met Rusland en China – NU.nl 🇪🇺
EU’s competition chief Margrethe Vestager says probes into Chinese firms are not a message to Beijing – Euractiv: ‘but rather shows that the Commission will protect the interests of European businesses’ 🇪🇺
全荷兰中资企业协会呼吁欧盟切实保障外企在欧盟的合法权益 – 全荷兰中资企业协会:“欧方连续4天在中国企业办公室检查、提取公司电脑和员工手机中的相关数据。突袭检查不仅严重影响了中国企业的正常运营,而且向所有在欧盟运营的外国企业释放了极其负面的信号,引发外企对欧盟营商环境不断恶化的担忧。” 🇳🇱🇪🇺
De Association of Chinese Investment Enterprises in the Netherlands geeft een verklaring uit waarin ze klagen dat de vier dagen voortdurende Europese inspecties bij Nuctech niet alleen de dagelijkse operaties van het bedrijf verstoren, maar ook een negatief signaal afgeven aan buitenlandse bedrijven in de EU die zich al zorgen zouden maken over de voortdurende verslechterende omstandigheden voor ondernemen in de EU.
‘Honeypots’ and influence operations: China’s spies turn to Europe – FT: ‘as European intelligence agencies work together more, Chinese and Russian espionage networks may be tacitly doing the same.’ 🇪🇺
Minister Zhu Jing Attends the Brussels Parallel, ZGC Forum 2024 – Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union: ‘Minister Zhu said that green is the defining feature of China-EU cooperation’ 🇪🇺
Half of Russia’s payments to China made through middlemen, sources say – Reuters: ‘as secondary sanctions fears spook local banks’ 🇷🇺
Taiwan pavilion to be at cultural Olympics event in Paris – Taipei Times 🇫🇷
Taiwan thanks Czechia for earthquake donation pledge – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇿
Chinese-made surveillance kit to be removed from sensitive sites by 2025, says UK – Reuters: ‘The government said it had found that the vast majority of sensitive sites had never deployed the equipment. Of the small number of sites that did have it, about 50% had since replaced it’ 🇬🇧
Derde Plenum
20th CCP Central Committee to hold 3rd plenary session in July – Xinhua: ‘the session will primarily study issues concerning further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization.’
‘It is also essential to implementing the new development philosophy and better adapting to the evolution of the principal contradiction facing Chinese society, ensuring that all the people share the benefits of modernization more fully and fairly, coping with major risks and challenges, winning the strategic initiative in the increasingly fierce international competition and building a stronger Marxist party, the meeting noted.’
China’s Politburo warns of economic risks as Communist Party readies for third plenum – SCMP: ‘Domestic social and economic policy must be coordinated, with the focus on tangible results, it said.’
President Xi Jinping will convene his ruling party in July for a closed-door conclave that will be closely watched for signs of long-term reforms to the world’s second-largest economy – Bloomberg: ‘The conclave typically should have taken place in October or November, one year after China’s new leadership team was set, according to a Bloomberg analysis of meeting readouts.’
Een argument dat ik heb gezien voor het uitstel van het langverwachte Derde Plenum is dat de economische en financiële problemen die de leiders op moeten lossen zo complex zijn, dat de vereiste studies en beleidsprocessen extra veel tijd kostten.
Dag van de Arbeid
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 extends greetings to working people nationwide ahead of International Workers’ Day – Xinhua: ‘This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and a crucial year to fulfill the goals and tasks set in the 14th Five-Year Plan, Xi said, praising the important contributions made by the working people to the cause of the Party and the country.’
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平’s article on mobilising workers to participate in building a strong country and national rejuvenation to be published – Xinhua: ‘it is necessary to promote the spirit of model workers, the working spirit and craftsmanship.’
习近平:组织动员亿万职工积极投身强国建设、民族复兴的伟大事业 – 《求是》2024/09
China May Day travel set to test consumer appetite for spending – Nikkei Asia
Overcapaciteitencalamiteiten 🇨🇳🏭
„De auto van de toekomst komt niet van een westerse maker”: De Chinese auto-industrie rolt haar spierballen – de Volkskrant
Tesla’s self-driving bid for China faces rivals racing ahead – Reuters 🇺🇸
‘Everything has changed’: Foreign auto groups embrace local technology in China – FT 🇪🇺
China’s commerce minister Wáng Wéntāo 王文涛 meets German auto industry president, ministry says – Reuters: ‘Wang Wentao reiterated China’s objection to the [subsidies] investigation and said it encouraged Germany's auto firms to strengthen investment in China, the ministry said on Tuesday.’ 🇩🇪
Ain’t No Duty High Enough: EU duties on Chinese EV imports are unlikely to be high enough to slow market share gains for Chinese automakers – Rhodium Group 🇪🇺
IMF warns of China overcapacity amid improved economic outlook – Nikkei Asia
China’s problem is excess savings, not too much capacity – Michael Pettis for FT: ‘But comparative advantage is only realised in the exchange of goods, and not in their production. This is where the problem of excess Chinese savings emerges.’
‘These are classic beggar-thy-neighbour trade policies in which unemployment — the consequence of deficient domestic demand — is exported by running trade surpluses.’
Reinvestigation: Why does the West distort facts to hype so-called ‘overcapacity in China’? – Xinhua: ‘Industry insiders and experts interviewed believed that the real motive behind the hype about the “overcapacity” theory in China is that the United States and Europe find it hard to face growing strength of the Chinese EV industry.’
Opinion: The flawed logic behind the so-called ‘overcapacity’ of China’s new energy sector – Peng Gang (China Misson) in EUobserver 🇪🇺
China urges US to stop going after China’s new energy sector: spokesperson – Xinhua 🇺🇸
China gaat all-out in een campagne om de westerse wereld ervan te overtuigen dat er geen probleem is met overcapaciteit. Op Twitter merkte iemand al op dat de term ook verdwenen is in de read-out van de Politburobijeenkomst die het Derde Plenum aankondigde. In eerdere bijeenkomsten werden nog wel altijd zorgen genoemd over overcapaciteit in sommige sectoren. Nu moeten we doen alsof die niet bestaan.
China and South Korea vie for advanced shipbuilding orders as battle of the supertankers heats up – SCMP 🇰🇷
Tech War 💽💥
La Junta firma un Memorándum de Entendimiento con una empresa china para desarrollar una fábrica de cátodos de litio en Mérida – Junta de Extremadura: ‘La Junta de Extremadura y la empresa china Hunan Yuneng New Energy Battery Material han firmado un Memorándum de Entendimiento (MoU)’ 🇪🇸
Made in China 2025: China meets most targets in manufacturing plan, proving US tariffs and sanctions ineffective – SCMP
De Hongkongse krant South China Morning Post, eigendom van het Chinese bedrijf Alibaba, is al tijdenlang steeds meer in lijn met de Chinese propaganda gaan varen. Vooral de koppen zijn al een tijdje nogal gekleurd, net als artikelen over Taiwan. In dit geval maakt de kop onjuiste aannames over de Amerikaanse doelen. Nu leest zelfs de tekst wat als een Xinhua-artikel maar dan goed geschreven. Dat is jammer, want dit is een belangrijk onderwerp waarop inderdaad indrukwekkende vooruitgang is gemaakt.
China’s rare-earth miners suffer profit falls as new supply chains rise – Nikkei Asia: ‘China Rare Earth Resources and Technology, a core listed arm of state conglomerate China Rare Earth Group, reported a 5.4% year-on-year decline in annual revenue for 2023, to 3.98 billion yuan ($550 million).’
China expresses grave concerns over Japan’s planned export controls – Xinhua 🇯🇵
China’s exports to Mexico are getting heavier tariffs — is it a sign of more to come? – SCMP 🇲🇽🇺🇸
TikTok’s effort to wall off US user data only focused on the ‘front door’ while leaving the back door wide open, former employees say – Fortune: ‘because of its complex computer network structure’
‘Employees routinely shared user data, including U.S. user data, on these internal systems for testing, product development, and troubleshooting, said Ryan, whose account was corroborated by another former employee who left TikTok in early 2023.’ 🇺🇸
India ‘shocked’ as Musk’s surprise China visit leaves them spurned – Reuters 🇮🇳
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency manpower increase to be given priority, says home minister Saifuddin – The Star: ‘Saifuddin also announced that the US Coast Guard has offered to give two patrol boats to the MMEA as a gesture of cooperation.’ 🇲🇾🇺🇸
Biden signs new memo to boost security of US critical infrastructure – Reuters 🇺🇸
Taiwan hails US-Japan-Philippines ties as ‘great deterrent’ to China – Nikkei Asia 🇹🇼
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Zuid-Chinese Zee
Chinese spy ships stalk US, Philippine, and French warships in South China Sea – USNI: ‘two U.S. exercise spokespeople denied [reports] the Chinese ship disrupted the exercise’ 🇺🇸🇵🇭🇫🇷
The Philippines is weighing a new approach in the South China Sea, according to its defence chief – Bloomberg: ‘increasing encounters with Beijing have damaged its vessels and injured its crew, said Philippine Secretary of Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr, who signaled that he wants maritime operations to be “less telegraphic.”’ 🇵🇭
To fight Chinese trolls, keep telling the truth, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson says – The Inquirer 🇵🇭
China fires water cannons at Philippine ships in South China Sea – Nikkei Asia: ‘The BFAR ship, the BRP Datu Bankaw, was hit directly four times. The tensions led to two collisions that damaged the railings of the BFAR vessel.’ 🇵🇭
China Coast Guard fires water cannons at PH vessels near Scarborough Shoal – GMA News 🇵🇭
Armed Forces of the Philippines monitoring unauthorised Chinese research vessel near Catanduanes – ABS-CBN: ‘“Several attempts to contact the vessel through regular radio channels were unsuccessful, indicating a lack of responsiveness or willingness to engage,” AFP said in its statement.’ 🇵🇭
China, Vietnam coast guards complete first Beibu Gulf [Gulf of Tonkin] patrol of 2024 – Xinhua: ‘the 27th joint patrol conducted by the two countries’ maritime law enforcement agencies since 2006’ 🇻🇳
Verenigde Staten 🇺🇸
Nieuwe Chinese ‘klimaatchef’ gaat in mei naar de VS – FD 🇺🇸
China extends tariff exemptions on certain US goods until Nov. 30 – Xinhua 🇺🇸
China’s leadership hints it is bracing for the possible return of Donald Trump – Shi Jiangtao in SCMP 🇺🇸
China thwarts accurate audits of Xinjiang supply chains, US lawmakers hear – SCMP 🇺🇸
US labour official calls on companies to exit China’s Xinjiang – Reuters 🇺🇸
Georgia governor signs bill into law restricting land sales to some Chinese citizens – AP 🇺🇸
overige
Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian prepares for first sea trial – Naval News
China launches first of 8 advanced stealth submarines for Pakistan Navy – SCMP 🇵🇰
Solomon Islands bids farewell to a polarising PM who became the Pacific’s most China-friendly leader – The Guardian: ‘His potential successor, Jeremiah Manele, was foreign minister at the time the security deal with China was signed.’ 🇸🇧
Peru seeks to avoid arbitration over Chinese-built mega port – Reuters 🇵🇪
How Tibetans are pushing back against China’s involvement in Dalai Lama’s succession – Hindustan Times
China economie
Valutamarkt vreest een door China aangewakkerde valutaoorlog in Azië – FD
There is modest yet mounting speculation China will need to take an extreme and highly controversial measure to devalue the yuan in a big-bang move – Bloomberg
China’s slow April factory and services activity dents economic momentum – Reuters
China’s high-tech output drives growth in factory activity – FT: ‘The National Bureau of Statistics said equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing PMIs were 51.3 and 53.0, respectively.’
Strained Chinese cities struggle to pay home buying subsidies – Reuters: ‘the real estate downturn also affects the ability of cities to lease land to developers, a key revenue source. This meant some local governments were unable to raise funds to pay the promised subsidies’
China’s capital city Beijing will allow families to buy one more home in non-core areas, as even the nation’s largest cities are buckling under the pressure of a record real estate downturn – Bloomberg
China Evergrande 中国恒大 to delay 2023 annual results; shares remain suspended – Reuters
China developer Fantasia 花样年 proposes new restructuring terms, shares up – Reuters
China state firm to sell 20 Shanghai office towers in downturn – Bloomberg
Chinese property shares rally on stimulus hopes – Reuters
China’s private pension push marred by weak financial literacy, as ‘people still have no idea’ – SCMP
China binnenland
China’s intelligence chief vows to organize a ‘powerful offensive’ to fight espionage as it faces a flurry of spying accusations from Europe and the US – Bloomberg
China’s top spy agency vows to fight ‘Taiwan independence’ ahead of William Lai 賴清德 (DPP)’s inauguration – SCMP
国家安全部党委书记、部长陈一新:深入学习贯彻总体国家安全观 坚定不移地维护国家安全 – 学习时报
Man behind China’s first approved Covid-19 shot expelled from national legislature – SCMP: ‘Yang Xiaoming was removed from his post as a deputy of the legislature for alleged “serious violations of discipline and law”, the National People’s Congress (NPC) said in an official statement on Friday, using a common euphemism for corruption.’
First scientist to publish Covid sequence in China ‘evicted’ from lab: Zhāng Yǒngzhèn 张永振 stages protest, as government attempts to avoid scrutiny over handling of outbreak – The Guardian
Zhang heeft de mensheid veel tijd gekocht door tegen de druk van de Partij in relatief tijdig het genoom van het virus online te zetten – nodig voor de ontwikkeling van mRNA-vaccins.
China warns of tight summer power supply amid weather worries – Reuters
China misses air quality goals as economy takes priority, report says – Reuters
Hong Kong
Hong Kong trans activist gets new ID card after ‘incredibly difficult’ 7-year legal battle – HKFP: ‘Although the LGBTQ community generally welcomed the revision, some raised concerns over a potential breach of individual rights by demanding applicants to take “unnecessary medical tests.”’
HSBC 滙豐 chief executive Noel Quinn ‘to retire’ after overseeing record profits in ‘intense 5 years’ – AFP
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi 傅崐萁 touts tourism wins following China ‘ice-breaker trip’ – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇳
DPP bills seek restrictions on lawmakers’ China visits – Taipei Times 🇨🇳
China ‘mischaracterising’ UN resolution that kicked out Taiwan in 1971, US official says – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇳
Exposing the PRC’s distortion of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to press its claim over Taiwan – Bonnie S. Glaser and Jacques deLisle for GMFUS 🇨🇳
Taiwan warns against visiting China due to expanded state secrets law – AFP 🇨🇳
中国大陆再公布海警船在金门水域画面 强调“常态化执法巡查” – 联合早报:“中国海警局官方微博星期一(4月29日)通报,福建海警当天在金门附近海域依法开展常态化执法巡查。” 🇨🇳
Ondertussen gaat het regulariseren van Chinese kustwachtbewegingen rondom Kinmen nog altijd door.
Taiwan seeks to up agricultural exports to US as trade talks begin – Focus Taiwan 🇺🇸
Taiwan binnenland en economie
KMT and TPP lawmakers to work together to oppose NCC nominees – Taipei Times: ‘after a media tycoon was said to have intervened in the nominating process.’
Taiwan Politics Review – European Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan’s Euroview: ‘KMT legislators also proposed to criminalize “contempt of the Legislative Yuan”, similar to the criminalization of “contempt of Congress” in the United States. A Deputy Minister of Justice warned this would have a “chilling effect” on the willingness of witnesses to cooperate with the Legislative Yuan, and a commentary in Taiwan media called the proposal “absurd”. […] If contempt of the Legislative Yuan is criminalized, corporate leaders will need to understand the risks of not cooperating with a Legislative Yuan investigation or otherwise engaging in any behaviour, however well intentioned, that might anger legislators.’
Increased power rates to proceed despite opposition motion, Cabinet says – Focus Taiwan
Vooral industriële verbruikers betalen nog veel te weinig. Voor kleinschalige consumenten valt het mee. Maar ondanks de onhoudbaarheid van de huidige situatie, politiseren de KMT en TPP het toch om de DPP tegen te zitten.
Ten acquitted in Tainan Council speaker elections vote-buying case – Taipei Times
Exports drive Taiwan’s first-quarter 6.51% GDP growth – Taipei Times