De meeste aandacht gaat uit naar de afsluiting van de laatste van de Twee Zittingen. De toespraak van Xi Jinping en de persconferentie van Li Qiang waren echter niet zo spannend. Het belangrijkste nieuws voor Europa is de berichtgeving in Reuters en WSJ dat Xi Jinping volgende week al in Moskou zou kunnen zijn om Poetin te treffen én dat hij daarna met Zelensky zou bellen.

Gezien de overeenkomsten in de Russische en Chinese wereldbeelden en daarmee ook de visies op oorzaken van en oplossingen voor de ‘crisis’ in Oekraïne, verwacht ik geen grote wonderen van Chinese bemiddelingspogingen. Xi Jinping is bevriend met Poetin. Als je de Russische invasie van Oekraïne geen Russische invasie van Oekraïne kunt noemen en de schuld geeft aan de Verenigde Staten en de Amerikaanse NAVO, dan is jouw oplossing niet dat Rusland zich volledig terugtrekt, zoals Kyiv eist. Tegelijkertijd moeten we natuurlijk eerst maar zien wat er uit komt. Misschien dat juist de pro-Russische houding Peking een ingang geeft in Moskou.

Goed nieuws voor mensen die graag (weer) naar China reizen: de visumuitgifte wordt hervat en de bestaande tienjarige visa zijn weer geldig.

Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺

Schriftelijke vragen: Het bericht ‘“Verdachte” Chinese kranen staan ook in Nederlandse havens: zorgen om spionage’ – Ruben Brekelmans (VVD), etc., Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 🇳🇱

Biden splits EU’s top ranks over China – POLITICO Europe: ‘Senior figures in the European Council — including President Charles Michel — are pushing for a less confrontational approach to China than that of the Biden administration’ ‘This means there are concerns in several member countries that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is striking a more hawkish tone, in line with the U.S.’ 🇪🇺

TSMC says plan to build fab in Europe still under study – Focus Taiwan: ‘issued the statement after the Commercial Times reported earlier on Monday that the chipmaker has chosen Dresden, the semiconductor hub of Germany’ 🇩🇪

EU must take non-ideological stance with China, says Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto – Xinhua 🇭🇺

China poses significant risks to global prosperity and security, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says – Bloomberg 🇬🇧
Foreign ministry thanks UK and France for backing peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait – Taipei Times 🇬🇧🇫🇷

UK approves increased submarine-related exports to Taiwan last year – Reuters 🇬🇧

President Tsai Ing-wen 蔡英文 [Cài Yīngwén] meets with lawmakers from Balkan states – Focus Taiwan: ‘They will be participating in the 2023 Parliamentary Openness and Monitoring Forum scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday’ 🇽🇰🇲🇰🇷🇴

王鲁彤 Wang Lutong @WangLutongMFA

Warm welcome to Mr. Heinrich Schellenberg @SwissMFAasia, my first European guest after the Two Sessions. We just held the 9th Sino-Swiss Political Consultation with constructive and fruitful dialogue focusing on strengthening China-Switzerland relations.

persconferentie premier

Near-full transcript of Premier Li Qiang’s press conference – Xinhua-linked
NB: de claim dat bepaalde onderwerpen uit de toespraak de meeste aandacht kregen van Chinese netizens en daarmee trending topic werden op Weibo gaat voorbij aan het feit dat deze lijst het product van manipulatie is.
Chinese premier: Ontkoppeling met Amerika is een hype – FD
China’s premier Li Qiang is milder over de VS dan zijn buitenlandminister – NRC: „Li's uitspraken laten zien hoe schizofreen China’s houding tegenover Amerika inmiddels is geworden. Op economisch vlak wil China de VS absoluut niet kwijt als partner, maar politiek gezien legt China de VS het vuur steeds nader aan de schenen.”
Chinese Premier Li Qiang stays close to home in his first big turn on the national stage – SCMP: ‘Li Qiang’s foreign policy footprint appeared even smaller than that of his predecessor Li Keqiang.’

overige

China’s parliament approves changes to speed up ‘emergency’ laws – Reuters

After the Liang Hui: Team Xi in charge –

VS vs China 🇺🇸🇨🇳

President Joe Biden is planning to hold a phone call with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as US-China relations remain icy – Bloomberg

Xí Jìnpíng 习近平’s direct rebuke of US signals that China is braced for rockier relations – Benjamin Kang Lim for The Straits Times: ‘“This is the first time Xi has directly and publicly criticised the US. Its implications should not be underestimated,” a Chinese government insider told The Straits Times, requesting anonymity. “China does not want but is ready for a new Cold War,” the insider said, adding that tit-for-tat in the past was measured, but future US words and deeds will be repaid in kind.’ ‘ST’s insider said China is frustrated with what it sees as an increasingly hostile Washington. “There are limits to China’s restraint, which should not be misinterpreted for political weakness.”’

Zeitentechwarwende ⏱️💽

Taiwanese news agency commentary criticises the European Commission for refusing to enter trade and investment talks while wanting chips – Bloomberg 🇪🇺
Ik begrijp niet waarom Bloomberg doet alsof een analyse van een correspondent van het onafhankelijke Central News Agency een hoofdredactioneel commentaar van een staatspersbureau is. Bovenstaan kop is door mij aangepast.
對台灣「只想要不肯給」晶片外交不是歐盟說了算 – 中央社：「如果透過對話就能取代更制度性的雙邊協定，那歐盟與其他國家的協定不都白忙了？」「一位執委會官員私下回答中央社記者詢問歐盟的『一個中國政策」定義，以及是否歐盟與台灣的任何協定都會違反該政策，他含蓄地說歐盟「與美國、加拿大、日本的一中政策相同』。」 🇪🇺
Europa moet niet te arrogant denken dat TSMC wel naar ons toe komt. Wíj zijn de vragende partij. Taipei heeft ook eisen te stellen en giften te verdelen in de complexe politieke en economische betrekkingen in Oost-Azië.

China leaves EU playing catchup in race for raw materials – POLITICO Europe 🇪🇺
Een lithiummijn in de Portugese natuur: de prijs van Europa’s wens om minder afhankelijk te worden – de Volkskrant 🇪🇺

A former TikTok employee tells Congress the app is lying about Chinese spying – The Washington Post

Tech war: China appoints new president at state chip fund as Beijing ramps up semiconductor push: report – SCMP

Australia says offered China briefing over nuclear submarine deal – Reuters

Chinese Mission to UN @Chinamission2un

The irony of #AUKUS is that two nuclear weapons states who claim to uphold the highest nuclear nonproliferation standard are transferring tons of weapons-grade enriched uranium to a non-nuclear-weapon state, clearly violating the object and purpose of the NPT.

Overige

China buitenland en defensie

China is set to resume issuing all types of visas for foreigners, another step in the country’s emergence from strict ‘Covid Zero’ controls – Bloomberg

China exerts control over internet cable projects in South China Sea – FT: ‘Long approval delays and stricter Chinese requirements, including permits for work conducted outside its internationally recognised territorial waters, have pushed companies to design routes that avoid the South China Sea’

The broader context behind China’s mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia – Mehran Haghirian and Jacopo Scita for The Diplomat

China’s United Nations food takeover effort – Dim Sums

China economie

China’s biggest developer Country Garden warns it lost up to US$1 billion in 2022, despite leading market in sales – SCMP

What does China’s ‘employment-first strategy’ mean for young jobseekers in an overcrowded labour pool? – SCMP

China binnenland

Inside China’s LGBTQIA+ re-education camps: survivors claim shock treatment and beatings – Crikey

Hong Kong

Hong Kong ice hockey body could face sanctions after anthem blunder, as John Lee 李家超 [Léih Gā-chīu] calls such gaffes ‘unacceptable’ – HKFP

Taiwan buitenland en defensie

Speaker McCarthy’s California visit with Tsai an attempt to thread Taiwan needle – The Washington Post: ‘Taiwanese officials have advised McCarthy’s staff, according to people familiar with the matter, that a trip this year would be exploited for political purposes by the opposition Nationalist Party, also known as the Kuomintang.’

Taiwan envoy Hsiao Bi-khim 蕭美琴 [Xiāo Měiqín] meets with US lawmaker Chris Smith, chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, to discuss security – Focus Taiwan

The US would destroy Taiwan’s chip plants if China invades, says former Trump official Robert O’Brien – Semafor

Mainland Affairs Council confirms Taiwanese missing soldier is in China – Focus Taiwan: ‘the MAC had been notified of the soldier’s whereabouts by Chinese authorities, who are in the process of having him returned to Taiwan.’

Taiwan says defence spending this year to focus on readying for ‘total blockade’ by China – Reuters

Agencies urged to counter Chinese radio broadcasts – Taipei Times

Onze man in Taiwan: „China zit in het hoofd van de Taiwanezen” – VRT NWS

Taiwan binnenland en economie

Taiwan’s Vice President and DPP chair William Lai Ching-te 賴清德 [Lài Qīngdé] to seek ruling party nomination for presidential run – Reuters
藍委︰朱立倫已知難而退何必逼說出口 – 自由時報

Economics minister rules out extension of nuclear plant service – Focus Taiwan

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Chinese Wouden 森中台

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