De Chinese Wouden, donderdag 16 maart: handel EU, Global Civilisation Initiative, Russofobie en Sinofobie

Mar 16

Kort commentaar vandaag. Ik was laat thuis van het stemmentellen. Mooi om een radertje te kunnen zijn in de democratie.

Ik wijs op toenemende reden voor handelsonenigheid tussen Europa en China. Ook was er een veelzeggende toespraak van China bij de Verenigde Naties in New York waar men zich weer eens in de schoenen van Rusland plaatste door het vergelijken van vermeende Russofobie met Sinofobie die in een bepaald land zou bestaan. Verder is het nieuwe Global Civilisation Initiative van Xi Jinping het lezen waard, alleen ben ik er nog niet aan toegekomen.

Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺

Brussels to curb imports of Chinese green tech – FT: ‘Under a draft of the Net Zero Industry Act seen by the Financial Times, public procurement bids using products from a country with more than 65 per cent EU market share would be downgraded. Similar rules would apply to any government programme subsidising consumer purchases. “China is a prime example,” said a person familiar with the plans.’ 🇪🇺
China asks EU to justify upcoming carbon border tax at World Trade Organisation – SCMP 🇪🇺

Wegen China: „Nicht mehr investierbar“: Deka wirft VW-Aktie aus nachhaltigen Finanzprodukten – Wirtschaftswoche: „Wegen möglichen Menschenrechtsproblemen in China dürfen Deka-Fondsmanager bei nachhaltigen Finanzprodukten nicht länger in Volkswagen investieren.“ 🇩🇪

A Hungarian town seethes over a giant Chinese battery plant – The New York Times: ‘Fidesz has deployed its vast media apparatus to paint the furor over the battery plant as the work of outside agitators funded by the Hungarian-born financier George Soros’ ‘Ms. Pasztor said she has nothing against China but did not want neighborhood houses turned into dormitories for Chinese and other foreign workers, a widespread concern after years of anti-immigrant fear-mongering by Mr. Orban and his party’s media machine.’ 🇭🇺

1,104 scientists and students barred from UK amid China crackdown – The Guardian: ‘data supplied by leading universities […] suggests that, at these institutions at least, Chinese academics account for a majority of those denied clearance.’ 🇬🇧

Rusland

Ukraine war: China will keep pushing for peace talks, envoy tells UN Security Council – SCMP
Sinophobia will lead to conflict and confrontation, says Chinese envoy – Xinhua: ‘On the Ukraine crisis, Geng called on the international community to promote peace talks.’
💡 Remarks by Ambassador Gěng Shuǎng 耿爽 at the UN Security Council Briefing on Ukraine – Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations: ‘Just now, the briefers shared their views about the phenomenon of Russophobia and its relationship with the Ukraine crisis.’ ‘I would like to take this opportunity to point out that for some time now, politicians in a certain country seem to have contracted the conditions of Sinophobia.’ ‘The world has already been thrown into chaos by the Ukraine crisis. [sic] Do they want to create another one to change the world beyond recondition?’
Eerder trok China al parallellen tussen de manier waarom Amerika’s (sic) NAVO de Russische invasie van Oekraïne zou hebben veroorzaakt en de gevaren van de Amerikaanse Indo-Pacific policy in Azië. Nu ziet de Chinese vertegenwoordiger bij de VN blijkbaar een parallel tussen zogenaamde Russofobie en Sinofobie. Weer die waarschuwing dat een Westerse/Amerikaanse foute aanpak die al een crisis (sic) zou hebben veroorzaakt in Europa dat ook dreigt te doen in Azië. Het moge duidelijk zijn met wie Peking zich identificeert.

China, Russia, and Iran launch five days of navy drills in Gulf of Oman, close to US-led Middle East sea exercise – SCMP

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Regular Press Conference on March 15, 2023 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China: ‘We have noted that some Western media have been mysteriously quiet after Hersh reported that the US was behind the Nord Stream blast. But now these media are unusually simultaneous in making their voice heard. How would the US account for such abnormality? Is there anything hidden behind the scene? China supports the UN, as the most authoritative and representative international organization, in playing an active and constructive role in conducting an international investigation and ensuring the safety of transboundary infrastructure. And we support the Security Council in holding discussions about it.’
Dan steunt China dus Russische voorstellen om de complottheorieën te bespreken in de VN-veiligheidsraad.

Global Civilisation Initiative 🌏

Xí Jiìnpíng 习近平 attends CCP-world political parties dialogue and proposes Global Civilisation Initiative – Xinhua
Full text of Xí Jiìnpíng 习近平’s keynote address at the CCP in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting – Xinhua: ‘A single flower does not make spring, while one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to the garden. As the future of all countries are closely connected, tolerance, coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations play an irreplaceable role in advancing humanity's modernization process and making the garden of world civilizations flourish. Here, I wish to propose the Global Civilization Initiative.’

President Xi Jinping promoted China’s development approach in a speech to a gathering of political groups from around the world – Bloomberg

Tech war 💽

Replacing Huawei’s 80,000 5G antennas would cost Germany billions – Light Reading
Hadden de telco’s maar moeten luisteren toen de ‘idealisten’ ze waarschuwden. Wie is er nu pragmatisch?

The US has told the Chinese owners of TikTok that they must sell their shares or risk the app being banned – Bloomberg

Overige

China buitenland en defensie

US Senate recognises McMahon Line as international boundary between China and Arunachal Pradesh – PTI

China coast guard enters waters in East China Sea disputed by China, Japan, and Taiwan – Reuters

China’s ‘greed’ compels [South] Korea to side with US and Japan – Choo Jae-woo for The Korea Times
US President Biden invites President Yoon Suk-yeol 尹錫悅 to lead session at Democracy Summit – The Korea Herald
Peking is nogal effectief gebleken in het vervreemden van Zuid-Korea, onlangs het feit dat veel regeringen in Seoel moeite deden om vriendelijk te zijn met China als onderdeel van een poging tot het voeren van een meer onafhankelijk buitenlandbeleid.

China blocks US webcast of North Korea rights meeting at UN Security Council – Reuters: ‘Diplomats said it is rare for a broadcast to be blocked.’

China’s US balloon flight was a signal of its war preparations – James Char for Nikkei Asia

Chinese business tycoon and Bannon ally Guō Wénguì 郭文贵 [Miles Kwok] arrested in US$1bn fraud conspiracy – The Guardian

China’s sound and fury over Aukus will mean little for ties with Australia – Benjamin Herscovitch for The Guardian
Commentaar: Het onderzeeërpact tussen Australië, de VS en het VK draagt bij aan een nieuwe Koude Oorlog – NRC

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tasks former Governor General David Johnston with examining allegations China interfered in Canada’s last two elections – Bloomberg

Senior Chinese diplomat Wáng Yì 王毅 eyes huge potential in cooperation with Indonesia – Xinhua

China economie

China’s economy shows signs of recovery, though impact of Covid-19 curbs persist – The Straits Times
China’s property sector draws closer to exit from protracted slump – Reuters
China employment slow to return despite end of zero-Covid – Nikkei Asia
Werkloosheidcijfers betreffen ‘stedelijk’ gebied, omdat van mensen met een plattelandsregistratie aangenomen wordt dat ze land zouden hebben. Dat zijn juist de mensen die in de praktijk vaak in fabrieken werken.
World Insights: How does China’s rosy economic outlook strike chord with world? – Xinhua: ‘Observers have voiced confidence in the prospect of the Chinese economy, saying that the country's swift economic revival will serve as a strong growth driver for the globe.’
Dankjewel, China!

China’s pig farms battle new surge in African swine fever – Reuters

China’s onshore bond traders cut off from pricing and transaction services amid regulatory tightening on financial data – SCMP

Honduras dumpt Taiwan en knoopt betrekkingen aan met China – Trouw
Honduras’ China switch driven by Taiwan debts, investment hopes, foreign minister says – Reuters
Je kunt Honduras hierover kritiseren zoals Amerikaanse politici geciteerd in de pers, alleen is dat een beetje hypocriet wanneer je zelf ook hebt gekozen voor formele banden met China i.p.v. Taiwan.