De Chinese Wouden, maandag 16 oktober: Israël-Palestina, Josep Borrell terug uit China
Israël-Palestina lijkt weer een punt te worden waarop China de kans ziet zich tegen de Verenigde Staten af te zetten, met nogmaals een gehoopte rol voor Europa als iets gematigdere speler. De horror over de afschuwelijke slachting die Hamas aanrichtte onder burgers in het zuiden van Israël liet China eerst geen keus dan zich wat neutraal op te stellen.
Maar nu waarschuwingen van regeringen voor mensenrechtenschendingen door Israël toenemen kijken ook Europese leiders steeds bezorgder naar de Israëlische aanvallen op Gaza. Hoewel de steun voor Israël in het Westen nog sterk is, slaat de mondiale stemming – toch al nooit zo pro-Israël – om. Peking voelt zich weer vrij om zich duidelijk achter de Palestijnen scharen.
Minister Wang Yi is flink aan het bellen. Wang vertelde Blinken dat China zo snel mogelijk een vredesconferentie wil. Hij vertelde Saudi-Arabië dat Israël verder is gegaan dan het recht op zelfverdediging toestaat. Aan zijn Iraanse collega vertelde Wang dat China de islamitische landen steunt met één stem over Palestina te spreken. Met Turkije wisselde hij zorgen uit over de humanitaire toestand uit.
In alle gevallen kwam de nadruk terug op het lange lijden van de Palestijnen dat zijn oorsprong zou vinden in het uitblijven van de oprichting van een Palestijnse Staat. Ik heb nog geen veroordeling van specifiek Hamas gezien. Op Chinese sociale media tiert het antisemitisme welig en de Israëlische ambassade in Peking is in shock nadat een diplomaat is neergestoken op straat.
Speciale vertegenwoordiger voor het Midden-Oosten Zhai Jun heeft de vertegenwoordiging van de Arabische Liga en de Arabische ambassades getroffen in Peking. Volgens Wang Yi gaat hij binnenkort naar de regio. China wil een rol hebben bij de onderhandelingen. Tegelijkertijd kunnen we meer lege verklaringen en ‘neutraliteit’ verwachten als Peking daar een echte prijs voor zou moeten betalen.
De Europese hoge vertegenwoordiger voor buitenland beleid Josep Borrell was in China. Zijn team maakt uitgebreid gebruik van de kans om de Europese visie de Chinese informatiecocon in te krijgen. Er was een opinieartikel in de South China Morning Post, een toespraak op de Universiteit van Peking en een persconferentie. Terugkerend thema was de oproep aan Peking om Europa en haar zorgen serieus te nemen, en niet zomaar af te doen als Amerikaanse druk en onbegrip.
Het is goed om te zien dat Borrell de tijd neemt om te praten over het Europese beleid in China. Er zijn echter twee vragen. De eerste is hoe goed zijn verhaal samenhangt met wat Brussel echt doet. Zo verschuilt hij zich wel erg makkelijk achter populisme en protectionisme, wanneer hij spreekt over de Europese zorgen over Chinese dominantie op het gebied van bepaalde technologieën.
Ten tweede vraag ik me af, namens wie hij spreekt, nu we ook de Europese kakofonie over Israël-Palestina aanschouwen. Op dat onderwerp zegt Borrell dingen, die deels indruisen tegen de woorden van Commissievoorzitter Ursula von der Leyen. Met wie zijn de China-stukken afgestemd?
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Fien & Teun Park in China officieel geopend: „Soms knijp ik in mijn arm of het echt waar is” – AD 🇳🇱
‘Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, led a CPC delegation on a visit to Germany from 11th to 13th October.’ – Hu Zhaoming 中联部发言人胡兆明, Twitter 🇩🇪
Hungarian prime minister arrives in Beijing for 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation – Xinhua 🇭🇺
Israël-Palestina 🇮🇱🇵🇸
Israel ‘gone beyond self-defence’ in Gaza, Chinese Foreign Minister Wáng Yì 王毅 tells Saudi Arabia, calls to ‘stop collective punishment’ – SCMP: ‘China’s special envoy for Middle East affairs Zhai Jun, […], warned that the conflict was spilling over’
Wáng Yì 王毅 talks with Blinken over phone on Palestinian-Israeli conflict and China-US ties – Xinhua: ‘China believes that safeguarding one’s own security should not come at the cost of harming innocent civilians, that military options lead to nowhere, and that repaying violence with violence only creates vicious cycles, he said.’
‘China calls for convening an international peace conference as soon as possible’
Chinese and Saudi Arabian foreign ministers hold phone talks on Palestinian-Israeli conflict – Xinhua: ‘Israel's actions have gone beyond self-defense and it should heed the call of the international community and the Secretary-General of the United Nations to stop its collective punishment of the people in Gaza, [Wang] said.’
‘China believes that the historical injustices against Palestine have lasted for more than half a century and cannot go on’
Chinese and Iranian foreign ministers warn against humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip – Xinhua: ‘Wang said that China supports Islamic countries in strengthening unity and coordination and speaking with one voice on the Palestinian issue’
Chinese and Turkish foreign ministers urge ceasefire and dialogue between Israel and Palestine – Xinhua: ‘Noting that the Palestinian issue has always been the core of the Middle East issue, Wang said that without a just and reasonable settlement of this issue, there will be no lasting peace in the Middle East.’
Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue Zhái Jùn 翟隽 has a group meeting with diplomatic envoys of the Arab states to China and responsible officials of the mission of the League of Arab States in China at the latter’s request – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China
Chinese envoy Zhāng Jūn 张军 urges immediate ceasefire between Palestine and Israel – Xinhua: ‘The envoy expressed China’s serious concerns about the consequences of Israel’s imposition of “a full siege” on Gaza’
Israel-Hamas war: China to ‘soon’ send special envoy Zhái Jùn 翟隽 on Middle East de-escalation mission, top diplomat Wáng Yì 王毅 says – SCMP: ‘Beijing will continue to stand on the side of “the shared aspirations of the majority of countries” on the question of Palestine.’
Foreign minister Wáng Yì 王毅: China stands on the side of peace and human conscience on the question of Palestine – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China:
China condemns all acts that harm civilians and opposes any violation of international law.
FM Wang Yi highlighted four priorities that China sees pressing given the severity of the current situation. The first is to stop the fighting as soon as possible, prevent it from spreading endlessly and avoid further deterioration of the situation. Second, it is imperative to observe the international humanitarian law, make every effort to ensure the safety of civilians, open up a humanitarian rescue and assistance passage as quickly as possible, and prevent a severe humanitarian disaster. Third, relevant countries [hallo, Amerika!] should stay calm and exercise restraint, take an objective and just position, work for de-escalation of the conflict, and avoid causing an even bigger blow to regional and international security. Fourth, the UN should play its due role in resolving the question of Palestine. The UN Security Council needs to shoulder important responsibilities for this, build international consensus as quickly as possible and take real measures to that end.
[…]
The root cause of this question lies in the long delay in realizing the dream of an independent State of Palestine and the failure to redress the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people. Israel has the right to statehood, so does Palestine. The Israelis have obtained the safeguards for survival, but who will care about the survival of the Palestinians? The Jewish nation is no longer homeless in the world, but when will the Palestinian nation return to its home?
Diplomat at Israel’s embassy in China ‘stabbed’: witnesses heard screams in Beijing street – SCMP
A 50-year-old relative of an Israeli diplomat based in China was attacked Friday afternoon in downtown Beijing, Chinese police said – Bloomberg: ‘an Israeli embassy spokesperson told Bloomberg News that an employee of the embassy suffered injuries’
Israeli missions in China step up security checks, after weekend curfew order for Beijing staff following knife attack – SCMP: ‘a number of Israelis in Beijing said they had either received calls or been visited by local police on Saturday.’
China not expected to start evacuating citizens from Israel unless fighting spreads to major cities – SCMP
Western diplomats are walking an impossible tightrope with Israel – Gideon Rachman in FT
Carte blanche voor wraakoefening moet van tafel – Erwin van Veen in FD: „De wereld buiten het Westen maakt geen verschil tussen het onrecht van de Russische bezetting van Oekraïne en de Israëlische bezetting van de Palestijnse gebieden. Als het Westen in dit verschil volhardt, handhaaft het een dubbele standaard met geopolitieke gevolgen.”
China kan een grote slag slaan in de publieke opinie buiten het Westen.
Israel-Hamas war: Chinese social media erupts in war of words as Palestine crisis divides opinion – SCMP: ‘mix of online nationalism and anti-US sentiments reminiscent of reactions to the Ukraine war.’
Borell in China 🇪🇺🇨🇳
China: High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell holds the 12th EU-China Strategic Dialogue with Director/Foreign Minister Wáng Yì 王毅 – EU EEAS
Chinese FM and EU foreign policy chief hold 12th round of China-EU High-level Strategic Dialogue – Xinhua
‘Common trust has been eroded’ between EU and China, Josep Borrell tells Peking University audience – AFP
Speech by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at Peking University – EU EEAS
We need to work with China, just as China needs to work with us. That is all the more necessary since the world in which we live has become both more interdependent and more conflictual. EU-China relations are no exception to this trend, which I would call ‘conflictual interdependence’.
[…]
‘Fortunately, this remains a peaceful rivalry. It is a rivalry rooted in a lack of compatibility between our values. It is not a gesture of hostility. And even while this rivalry persists, it should not prevent us from working together.’
[…]
As far as we are concerned, abiding by the rules, living by multilateralism, cannot be based on cherry picking - namely accepting the rules of the WTO but not those of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
[…]
We are a major export market for China, on a par with the United States. China therefore needs the European Union. The problem arises from the fact that this trading relationship has for many years been an imbalanced one, and that imbalance continues to worsen.
[…]
Decoupling at the human level must be avoided too. And here too, China really holds the keys to prevent it.
[…]
Europe takes China seriously. It expects the same in return.
China must address trade gap with Europe or face voters demanding more protectionism, Josep Borrell says – SCMP
Opinion: Obstacles to better China-EU relations can be cleared – Josep Borrell Fontelles in SCMP
In recent months, the European Union has decided to “de-risk” its economy. This has stemmed principally from the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion. […] China itself has been pursuing this kind of policy for years. In 2020, President Xi Jinping said …
[…]
China often complains that it is misunderstood. In order to help us understand China better, more Europeans need to be able to go to China to work and study. Unfortunately, European companies wishing to send expatriates to China currently face considerable difficulties.
[…]
Finally, security is an important aspect of the relationship between Europe and China. We have to convey our concerns to China in a frank way. Since the outbreak of the war against Ukraine, China’s ambivalent position has been difficult to understand in Europe, … […] The other major security issue in EU-China relations is Taiwan.
De speechschrijver van Borrell heeft goed zitten kijken naar wat China zelf doet en zegt.
China-EU Dynamics – Mission of China to the European Union: ‘Wang Yi said that China attached great importance to its relations with the EU and regarded the latter as an important and independent pole in a multipolar world. China-EU relations were of global strategic significance and should not be subjected to or disturbed by any third party.’
‘Zhang Jianhua, Chairman of the National Energy Administration, held the 11th China-EU Energy Dialogue with Kadri Simson, EU Commissioner for Energy, in Beijing.’
‘China’s special envoy for climate change Xie Zhenhua spoke with the EU’s new Commissioner on climate change Wopke Hoekstra’
China’s stance on Ukraine war is critical to good relations with EU, bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says – SCMP: ‘Enrique Mora, the EU’s deputy secretary general for political affairs, will visit Beijing next week to continue the dialogue on outstanding regional issues, he added.’
China: Press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell after concluding his visit to the country – EU EEAS
US-EU de-risking and its impact on China –
: ‘Beijing should “make full use of the differences between the US and the EU's de-risking strategies towards China” so as to thwart this containment strategy.’Tech War 💽💥
Upcoming US rules on AI chip exports aim to stop workarounds – Reuters: ‘The updates are expected this week’ ‘The U.S. now plans to introduce new guidelines for AI chips that will restrict certain advanced datacenter AI chips not currently captured, the official said.’
Huawei pushes back on the EU calling it ‘high-risk’ – POLITICO Europe: ‘filed a complaint with the European Ombudsman office last month’ 🇪🇺
In ieder geval correctere form van protest dan toen Huawei grote hoeveelheden nepaccounts mobiliseerde op sociale media, of de andere schimmige praktijken op het kantoor in Duitsland.
Chinese embassy criticises Costa Rica for 5G company restrictions – Reuters
TSMC applies for permanent China chip waiver from US – Focus Taiwan: ‘TSMC said the company has been granted an extension of a waiver to supply semiconductor equipment to its factory in Nanjing, China’
TSMC’s Morris Chang 張忠謀 says tougher competition in store for chipmaker – Nikkei Asia: ‘One of the competitors Chang mentioned by name was U.S.-based Intel.’
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
Chinese think tanks aspire to thrive with independence and internationalisation – Center for China and Globalization [Denktank met Verenigd Front-achtergrond.]: ‘Speaking from his own experiences, Tu elaborated on how complex approval procedures due to security concerns had scared off exchanges between Chinese think tanks with government officials, as well as between Chinese think tanks and their foreign counterparts.’
China’s attempt to grow its influence shouldn’t pressure other countries or it risks a backlash, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong 黄循财 said at CSIS – Bloomberg
Singapore wants to work with US to bolster rules-based order, says Deputy PM Lawrence Wong 黄循财 – The Straits Times: ‘Asked if China’s “aggression” is the “most acute” in the Indo-Pacific, he said it is a phase of China’s nation-building journey.’
Wong is de aangewezen opvolger van premier Lee Hsien Loong.
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Oeigoerse dwangarbeiders vissen voor China de wereldzeeën leeg – The Outlaw Ocean Project via Follow the Money
China schendt op grote schaal mensenrechten in de visserij – NU.nl
Wat heeft de Nieuwe Zijderoute opgeleverd? Halve bruggen, verdreven bevolking en heel veel schulden – Trouw
Afghanistan’s Taliban to join China’s Belt and Road forum, elevating ties – Reuters
Russia’s Putin to visit China to deepen ‘no limits’ partnership with Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 – Reuters
Putin says China’s belt and road plan isn’t a bid to conquer but a ‘desire for cooperation’ – SCMP
China’s promise of prosperity brought Laos debt — and distress – The Washington Post:
‘There is “no country in the world with a higher amount of debt exposure to China than Laos. It is a very, very extreme example,” said Brad Parks, AidData’s executive director. “Laos went on a borrowing spree and got in over its head.”’
‘Laos has had to make compromises, including on its own sovereignty, to appease Beijing and seek some financial forbearance, allowing Chinese security agents and police to operate in the country as Beijing extends its repression beyond its borders, according to human rights groups and Lao activists. The Laotian electrical grid is now partly controlled by China, in what analysts believe is a trade-off in lieu of debt repayments. A Chinese company provides security for the new train line.’
‘Discontent with both China and the Laotian government have “melded together at this point,” said Joshua Kurlantzick’
Sri Lanka president to visit China as debt talks progress, source says – Reuters
China economie
China’s newly chartered CCP Central Finance Commission started work late September while concerns over stability loom – SCMP:
‘The commission has set up a general office on Beijing’s Financial Street, with the office’s day-to-day operations conducted under Vice-Premier He Lifeng, the source said.’
Een makelaar in China die een woning verkoopt, is haast een volksheld – de Volkskrant
China’s economic slowdown is raising doubts over President Xi Jinping’s dreams of turning the Yangtze River Delta into a stronger economic powerhouse and Silicon Valley of the East – Bloomberg: ‘local governments aren’t in a collaborative mindset’ ‘many have tried harder to lure businesses from neighboring provinces’
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 tells China’s biggest economic zone, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, to ‘balance growth and security’—and no more mega projects – SCMP: ‘play a bigger role in protecting national security in terms of food, energy, key industry chains, and water’
‘More than 100 officials have been transferred from the central bank, securities and banking regulators, the person said on condition of anonymity given the matter’s sensitivity. Others have been moved from the finance ministry and the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s chief economic planner.’
‘“The main task is to strengthen the party’s leadership on financial affairs,” the person said.’
Partij-ificatie. Zie ook Rethinking Chinese Politics van Joseph Fewsmith over de aard van de leninistische partijstaat: ketens van persoonlijke netwerken waarin machtige figuren maar vooral de grote leider de macht consolideren door niet alleen kritieke functies te verzamelen, maar ook het belang van functies en de focus van de bureaucratie te verschuiven naar de centra in hun handen. Daarom versterkte Hu Jintao de staat en Xi Jinping weer de partij.
China proposes stock stabilisation fund to lift economic confidence – FT
China binnenland
Replace ‘Tibet’ with ‘Xizang’ on product translations, Chinese e-commerce platform Weidian warns its online retailers – SCMP: ‘The platform warned merchants their products would be removed if they displayed the word “Tibet”.’
‘Meanwhile, the United Front Work Department, a body responsible for dealing with non-party individuals and groups both inside and outside China, said on its WeChat account in August that the issue is also political, not just linguistic.’
‘An English-language Xinhua readout of remarks by a Chinese envoy to the United Nations published on Wednesday used “Xizang” instead of “Tibet”.’
Nieuw (laatste?) stadium in eerder ingezette verandering.
China officials hasten to implement Xí Jìnpíng 习近平’s doctrine on culture and propaganda – SCMP: ‘especially those in charge of propaganda and cultural works’ ‘[Shen] also said it was necessary to tighten ideological controls across all its broadcast platforms’
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平’s article on adapting Marxism to Chinese context to be published – Xinhua
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平’s late father lauded by Communist Party ahead of 110th anniversary of birth – SCMP
Xi Focus: Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 calls on Jiangxi to write its chapter in Chinese modernisation – Xinhua
Xi Jinping is weer erg zichtbaar, na een tijdje iets minder actieve dienst.
Uyghur prison inmates forced to work 12–14-hour days on farmland leased to Han Chinese businessmen – RFA
Hong Kong
Twenty arrested in Hong Kong over false document pension withdrawals amid row over UK passport – Reuters
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
China persuades Taiwanese business representatives to ditch Kinmen investment event – Taipei Times: ‘The TAO in August organized a separate investment event in China for “Taiwanese compatriots,” at which representatives of Taiwanese business associations in Xiamen and Kunshan criticized Vice President William Lai’
Negligence and manpower issues could hurt military, says Control Yuan – Focus Taiwan: ‘the Naval Fleet Command has not held any surface shooting drills or maintained or trained people on the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System installed on its vessels for three years, according to the statement.’
Schijnt dat de Phalanx toch al wat achterhaald is, maar de andere problemen genoemd in dit nieuwsbericht zijn slechts een bloemlezing van de structurele tekortkomingen waarmee de Taiwanese strijdkrachten nog altijd kampen.
Visiting Canadian parliamentarians meet with President Tsai Ing-wen 蔡英文 – Focus Taiwan
Ex-President Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 (KMT) to visit US, meet with Taiwan’s top US envoy – Focus Taiwan
Taiwan verkiezingen
KMT and TPP fail to reach consensus on how to find ‘strongest candidate’ after meeting – Focus Taiwan
TPP and KMT discuss alliance plans and objectives – Taipei Times: ‘The KMT representatives said that the party agrees with four of Ko’s seven main political ideals, while partially agreeing or differing on the other three.’
TPP rejects KMT’s primary proposal – Taipei Times
全文/藍白合首度談判 會議紀錄一次看 – TVBS
藍白談出火氣》柯嗆藍:讓給你選 也選不上 – 自由時報
藍白唯有放下非我不可的執念 才能實現政黨輪替的理念 – 聯合報新聞網總編輯王茂臻
Blue-White cooperation in Taiwan’s presidential election? – Nathan Batto’s Frozen Garlic: ‘The two sides are so far apart and the time is so short that it seems extremely unlikely they will find a mutually acceptable solution. All in all, this strikes me more as an effort to speak to their own bases – especially on the KMT side – than to actually consolidate the opposition forces. They want to be able to tell their loyal supporters that they tried to cooperate but the other side was unreasonable and obstinate.’
Registratie van de presidentskandidaten bij de kiescommissie is 20-24 november. De oppositiepartijen moeten opschieten als ze alles rond willen krijgen in een maand. Commentatoren zien het niet lukken. Het is dat ik hier al eerder over heb geschreven en dat de nieuwsbrief al zo lang is. Maar het is weer tekenend voor de onmacht van de oppositie.
Accepting so-called ‘1992 Consensus’ equivalent to giving up Taiwan’s sovereignty, says Lai Ching-te 賴清德 (DPP) – Taipei Times
DPP’s Lai Ching-te 賴清德 proposes increased government funding for culture – Focus Taiwan
Court approves polling booth in Taipei Prison – Focus Taiwan
CEC to appeal prison vote ruling – Taipei Times
Online voting guide shows pro-LGBTQ and women’s rights candidates – Focus Taiwan
PrideWatch | 彩虹選民投票指南
Lai Ching-te (DPP, groen) beleeft niet bepaald de doorbraak die hij zou willen. Maar zijn concurrenten modderen ook nog maar wat voort.
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Yunlin council speaker Shen Tsung-lung 沈宗隆 (KMT) resigns amid ongoing wind farm corruption investigation – Taipei Times
KMT, voor kernenergie, probeert juist regelmatig om groene energie en DPP te verzwakken door te stellen dat er corrupte belangenverstrengeling zou zijn tussen beide.
Taiwan set on carbon ‘fee’ rather than ‘tax’ to cut carbon – Focus Taiwan