De Chinese Wouden, maandag 15 juli: Plenum, Rusland, handel, Trump
Hoe zorgt Europa voor de eigen veiligheid met minder steun van de VS en een consoliderende groep rond China-Rusland?
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
‘Gebeld met minister van Buitenlandse Zaken van #China, Wang Yi. Goed om met hem kennis te maken. We spraken onder andere over de bredere Nederland-China relatie, de EU en de NAVO.’ – Caspar Veldkamp, Twitter 🇳🇱
China and the Netherlands to collaborate on stabilising global industrial and supply chains, Chinese foreign ministry says – Xinhua: ‘It is believed that the Netherlands will encourage the European side to view China in an objective and rational way and play a constructive role in maintaining the sound and stable development of China-Europe relations, he said.
Wang said that China absolutely does not accept the groundless accusations made at the recent North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington against China.’ 🇳🇱
US and EU companies cautious on China investment amid ‘new normal’, chamber officials say – SCMP: ‘Foreign direct investment in China fell by 27.9 per cent year[-on-year] from January to April’ 🇪🇺
Finland’s once-brisk China ties rattled as Russia sanctions fracture travel and trade links – SCMP 🇫🇮
China-Rusland 🇷🇺🇨🇳
Wit-Rusland en China willen dat hun militaire inspanningen gezien worden – NRC 🇧🇾
China kondigt militaire oefeningen aan met Rusland „om vrede en stabiliteit te bewaren” – VRT NWS 🇷🇺
China and Russia hold joint exercise – Xinhua: ‘in the waters and airspace near Zhanjiang city in south China in early July’ 🇷🇺
China and Russia hold drills as Japan and Nato raise alarms over Ukraine – SCMP: ‘The drills are the first the two countries have held in Zhanjiang, a prefecture-level city on a South China Sea inlet, since the Ukraine war began in February 2022.’ 🇷🇺
China and Russia navies conduct joint patrol in parts of Pacific, China media says – Reuters: ‘their fourth joint sea patrol in the Western and Northern Pacific Ocean’ 🇷🇺
China’s June exports to Russia rise more quickly than in previous month – Reuters: ‘faster than the 0.92% pace in May, but still much slower than double-digit export growth at the beginning of the year, customs data showed on Friday.’ 🇷🇺
Chinese carrier strike group operating in Philippine Sea – USNI: ‘on June 12, the Indonesian Navy issued a release stating that it was carrying out the final planning conference for the Indonesian Navy-Russian Navy bilateral exercise Orruda 2024. Indonesia said it would be the first-ever bilateral naval exercise between the two navies.’ 🇮🇩🇷🇺
Als je de competitie voor het midden niet wil verliezen, zul je zelf ook iets moeten doen.
Why the Tumen River border could test relations between China, Russia and North Korea – SCMP: ‘Despite their close ties with Beijing, both Russia and North Korea still have reservations about allowing Chinese shipping – especially its navy – access to a key waterway’ 🇷🇺🇰🇵
Aanslag Trump 🇺🇸
How the Trump Pennsylvania rally shooting looked from China – SCMP
China following shooting incident at Trump rally, foreign ministry spokesperson says – Xinhua: ‘Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed sympathies to Trump, who was injured by the shooting, said the spokesperson while responding to media query.’
Taiwan condemns shooting at Trump campaign rally – Focus Taiwan
Trump rally shooting: Chinese online retailers quick off the mark with souvenir T-shirts – SCMP
A triumph for ‘Comrade Trump’: Chinese social media reactions to Trump rally shooting – What’s on Weibo
Derde Plenum
China set for third plenum that could prove a ‘defining moment’ of Xi Jinping era – SCMP: ‘one political researcher from Tsinghua University […] said the watershed third plenum would be used by the party elite to review achievements under Xi’s leadership and lay down plans to hit goals set for 2035, “which will lay the groundwork for the president’s grand legacy of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation by 2049”.’
‘The event is expected to close on Thursday with a brief communique summarising the key decisions. According to precedent, this should then be followed within days by a full party document outlining the decisions made.”’
‘State news agency Xinhua has been setting the tone for the gathering with a series of articles praising the achievements of the past decade followed by another series on the “inspirational” lessons to be drawn from Xi’s rule in the past decade.’
4 Chinese economists and academics advising Beijing on capital, employment and finance – SCMP
Xi Focus: Inspiring China’s reform with vivid metaphors – Xinhua
Chinese economy gathers steam amid targeted policy mix – Xinhua
World Insights: How global political parties draw lessons from CCP’s stewardship of China – Xinhua
China’s partijtop moet kiezen: economisch drastische ommezwaai of pleisters plakken? – FD
Xi zet vol in op hightech, maar de gewone Chinees heeft liever een baan of een huis dan vliegende auto’s – Trouw
China’s spectacular economic growth has left trillions of dollars worth of hidden local debt, threatening its future – WSJ
Handel 🇪🇺🇨🇳
Germany set to abstain in vote on EU tariffs for China EVs, sources say – Reuters: ‘because the anti-subsidy investigation continues and negotiations between the EU Commission and the Chinese government are ongoing, the sources said.’ 🇩🇪
Scholz setzt auf Einigung mit China – FAZ 🇩🇪
Italy to offer defunct Stellantis brands to Chinese automakers to encourage them to set up factories, report says – Reuters 🇮🇹
China’s Tianqi 天齐 is looking at a lithium plant in Europe to supply electric car batteries – SCMP: ‘said it is exploring a key country in the electric vehicle (EV) supply chain in the European Union.’ 🇪🇺
Chinese battery giant CATL taps global rich for US$1.5bn fund to back overseas suppliers – FT: ‘The offshore fund would enable Fujian-based CATL, a supplier to Tesla, Volkswagen and Ford, to finance an ecosystem of companies needed to help it expand production in Europe and other foreign markets, two people with knowledge of the matter said.’
Chinese EV laser maker Hesai 禾赛 fights back against Pentagon blacklisting – FT: ‘Hesai has a market share of just under 50 per cent of lidar sales to the global automotive industry and works with most of China’s top EV makers.’ 🇺🇸
Turkey puts best foot forward for Chinese investors – AFP: ‘to draw on its geographical position and an EU customs deal’ 🇹🇷
De rol die Mexico speelt vis-à-vis de VS.
Xi’s push to save China’s economy by accelerating advanced manufacturing has left even cutting-edge sectors struggling with excess supply – Bloomberg: ‘Still, what has brought industry-wide overcapacity could also develop China’s technological edge.’
Tech War 💽💥
Ericsson expects losses to ‘aggressive’ Huawei 华为 as sales fall – Light Reading: ‘Huawei could perhaps not have wished for a better outcome. After years of dithering under European Union (EU) pressure, Germany’s government this week said the controversial Chinese vendor will be allowed to provide 5G radio access network (RAN) equipment for another five and a half years. What’s more, the ban that comes into force at the end of 2029 — on security grounds — will affect only the “critical functions of the 5G network management systems.” This might not even cover the entirety of an element management system (EMS), according to a source within Huawei.’ 🇩🇪
China’s Transsion 传音 sued by Qualcomm and Philips as IP woes mount – FT: ‘Nokia, the Finnish telecoms company, is also pressuring the Chinese company to start making payments for patented technologies’ 🇺🇸🇳🇱🇫🇮
Transsion is een prijsvechter die vooral in ontwikkelingslanden verkoopt. Dus belangrijkste aanklachten zijn in India.
US chip equipment makers rely on China for 40% of sales – Nikkei Asia: ‘have become more dependent on the Chinese market’ 🇺🇸
Foxconn 富士康 factories in China on hiring spree ahead of Apple’s AI-compatible iPhone 16 launch – SCMP
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
Japan’s defence report warns of Ukraine-like development in East Asia; analyses China’s actions around Taiwan – The Yomiuri Shimbun 🇯🇵
Japan and Germany agree to boost security cooperation in Indo-Pacific – Kyodo News: ‘the two leaders agreed to hold high-level intergovernmental talks in Germany, possibly next year, to grapple with a wide range of global and regional issues.’ 🇯🇵🇩🇪
Japanese and German leaders agree to launch economic security consultation framework; combating economic coercion – The Yomiuri Shimbun: ‘The framework is envisaged to involve senior officials of the Foreign Ministry and the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry on the Japanese side and their German counterparts from the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. Measures to strengthen supply chains for semiconductors and other key products are expected to be on the agenda for consultations.’
‘For defense, the two leaders welcomed the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA)’ 🇯🇵🇩🇪
Japan and Pacific islands to oppose status quo changes amid China clout – Kyodo News: ‘At the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting to be held in Tokyo on July 16-18, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also plans to announce more than 60 billion yen ($380 million) in development aid over the next three years to counter China’s influence and bring the island nations closer to Japan, sources close to the matter said.’ 🇯🇵
The US revives air base on Peleliu — islanders ask if war is coming again – NZZ: ‘Peleliu is not the only old airfield that the U.S. Air Force is putting back into operation. Construction work is also underway in Tinian, in the Northern Mariana Islands — likewise in Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia. Together, these islands form the so-called second island chain, a strategic line controlled by Americans in the western Pacific.’ 🇺🇸🇵🇼
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Canada has done a detailed mapping of what it says are covert Chinese police operations within its borders – Bloomberg: ‘and wants to explore a response with Group of Seven allies’ 🇨🇦
China is sanctioning six American defence companies and senior executives for their involvement in a recent US arms sale to Taiwan – Bloomberg: ‘Anduril Industries, Maritime Tactical Systems, Pacific Rim Defense, AEVEX Aerospace, LKD Aerospace and Summit Technologies Inc.’ 🇺🇸
US sanctions more Chinese officials for ‘genocide and crimes against humanity’ in Xinjiang – SCMP 🇺🇸
China blasts US Tibet-China dispute bill, vows to defend its interests – Reuters 🇺🇸
Een hele serie commentaren en veroordelingen.
Wikimedia Foundation’s accreditation to World Intellectual Property Organization blocked for a fourth time by China – Wikimedia Foundation: ‘based, once again, on false accusations that the Foundation is complicit in spreading disinformation.’ 🇺🇳
China economie
China posts record trade surplus as foreign importers rush to beat tariffs – The Guardian: ‘Analysts said the disparity between booming exports and sluggish imports highlighted the reliance of China’s economy on access to the west’s affluent consumers and would put pressure on Beijing to do more to stimulate domestic demand.’
China’s exports top forecasts, but falling imports point to more stimulus – Reuters
Number of Chinese rural banks merging and being absorbed has already quadrupled this year – Yicai Global: ‘And the structural reorganization of rural banks will accelerate which means their number will continue to reduce, according to market insiders.’
China’s relentless e-commerce price war leaves sellers struggling to make ends meet – Reuters
Institutions snapping up Chinese treasury bonds are shorting the economy, state media says – Reuters
China binnenland
Intense online censorship seeks to dampen scandal over unwashed fuel tankers transporting cooking oil – China Digital Times
App that tracked fuel tankers in China used to transport cooking oil is disabled – The Guardian
China launches online crackdown on ‘harmful’ content targeting children – AFP
Senior CCP official stresses forging strong sense of community for Chinese nation – Xinhua: ‘head of the United Front Work Department’
Stokjes, tasjes, rietjes: in bezorgland China groeit de plasticafvalberg – FD
Hong Kong
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
NSB and MJIB investigating case of Xinhua reporter, MAC says – Focus Taiwan: ‘suspected of illegally working on the production of a political TV talk show’ 🇨🇳
Taiwan hopes to resume cross-Strait tourism exchanges, SEF says – Focus Taiwan: ‘Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council raised an “orange” travel alert for China, Hong Kong, and Macau on June 27.’ 🇨🇳
Taiwan on alert over ‘waves’ of missile tests in north China’s Inner Mongolia – Reuters 🇨🇳
Taiwan hopeful of receiving all 66 F-16V jets by end of 2026, defence ministry says – Focus Taiwan: ‘The MND responded that production of the F-16V jets Taiwan ordered was delayed due to development and software integration issues relating to equipment Taiwan wants installed in the aircraft.’ 🇺🇸
Reactions to new Han Kuang drill – Taipei Times
De nieuwe defensieminister voort al substantiële veranderingen door in de manier waarop de strijdkrachten oefenen.
President Lai inspects Keelung naval base – Focus Taiwan
Taiwan binnenland en economie
High court rejects former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan 鄭文燦 (DPP)’s appeal against detention – Focus Taiwan: ‘The fact that Cheng sent messages related to his defense to his secretary before prosecutors interrogated him clearly indicates a substantial risk of colluding’
Sommige kranten zeggen dat Cheng zelfs aan details uit de aanklacht kwam via zijn connecties.
Dozens police questioned in Hsinchu City corruption case – Taipei Times: ‘as city councilors accused local politicians and officials of pressuring law enforcement officials.’
Tainan police make another arrest related to fatal shooting case – Focus Taiwan: ‘A Chuan, a wanted fugitive with several previous criminal convictions, was heavily relied upon by Lin Shih-chieh, police said, and they suspect he may have engaged in disputes that played a role in the murder of Lin Shih-chieh.’
Taiwan opposition KMT seeks constitutional court rule change as key decisions loom – Nikkei Asia: ‘raising concerns that the bench may become unable to function’
KMT and TPP convene investigative committee under new powers on egg shortages – New Bloom: ‘the KMT has accused the DPP of political corruption over efforts by the DPP to alleviate egg shortages that Taiwan saw in 2023.’
Legislature passes fraud prevention bill third reading – Taipei Times
Amendments to child sexual exploitation act clear legislative floor – Focus Taiwan
Taiwan passes legislation on marine conservation – Focus Taiwan
Legislator Lai Shyh-bao 賴士葆 (KMT) apologises for hitting two pedestrians with SUV – Taipei Times
The KMT supports peaceful unification and President Lai is ‘naive,’ Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 tells Sin Chew Daily – Taipei Times: ‘Taiwanese who support independence are few, he added.’