De Chinese Wouden, maandag 17 februari: kantelpunt, AfD, Oekraïne
We zijn nu echt op het kantelpunt aanbeland.
Fijne week.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Zwakte in Nederlands bestuur ‘systematisch geëxploiteerd’ door China en Rusland – de Volkskrant: „De urgentie van het [cyber]probleem wordt inmiddels beetje bij beetje gevoeld in Europa.” 🇳🇱
Regelmäßige Treffen der AfD-Chefin mit Ex-Botschafter Wú Kěn 吴恳: Weidel-Sprecher nennt China-Connection »eine Selbstverständlichkeit« – Der Spiegel: „berichtet unter Berufung auf Quellen innerhalb der Partei von monatlichen Zusammenkünften in der Privatresidenz des Botschafters im Süden der Hauptstadt.“ 🇩🇪
In der Berliner Privatresidenz: Weidels geheime Treffen mit dem China-Botschafter – BILD: „Der Grund für ihre Treffen? Sie habe nach dem Ausbruch des Ukraine-Kriegs eine Einschätzung bekommen wollen“
„Pikant: In den Zeitraum der Treffen zwischen Weidel und Wu Ken fiel auch eine Spionage-Affäre um die AfD.“ 🇩🇪
China zoekt toenadering tot EU en Duitsland – Reuters 🇩🇪
China seeks stronger cooperation with Germany and EU, foreign minister Wáng Yì 王毅 tells chancellor Scholz (SPD) – Reuters: ‘Wang conveyed to Scholz China’s appreciation of Germany’s “rational and pragmatic” attitude towards the [EV] tariffs.’ 🇩🇪
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi meets with German CDU chairman Friedrich Merz – Xinhua 🇩🇪
China hopes EU to reach ‘political decision’ on EV tariffs soon, commerce minister says – Reuters 🇪🇺
Chinese foreign minister Wáng Yì 王毅 calls for injecting fresh momentum into China-EU relations for next 50 years – Xinhua: ‘when meeting with Kaja Kallas’
‘China supports all endeavors conducive to peace and backs Europe in playing a significant role in the [Ukraine] peace negotiation process.’ 🇪🇺🇺🇦
Ukrainian senior officials discuss Kyiv’s peace vision with China’s foreign minister – Reuters 🇺🇦
Ukrainian official says ‘China has a crucial role to play in achieving peace’ – SCMP: ‘In a hugely positive readout posted to his X page, Yermak praised Beijing for its “principled position” on “nuclear threats” by Russia’ 🇺🇦
Chinese companies ‘developing’ Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, according to NV analysis – The New Voice of Ukraine 🇺🇦
Europe could be supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine via partnerships with China’s ‘Seven Sons’ defence universities – Ben Forney for Jamestown’s China Brief: ‘many of these same Chinese universities are simultaneously working with Russian entities on dual-use technologies’ 🇪🇺🇺🇦
Umfrage zur Einstellung gegenüber Peking: »Die Europäer sind von Chinas Aufstieg ziemlich überzeugt« – Der Spiegel 🇪🇺
China open to good ties with Czech Republic provided core interests respected, foreign minister says – Xinhua: ‘Wang expressed the hope that the Czech side would engage in earnest self-reflection, develop the right perspective about China, and take concrete actions to rebuild trust with China.’ 🇨🇿
China to work with Austria to uphold multilateralism, foreign minister says – Xinhua 🇦🇹
UK-based lawyers for Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai 黎智英 targeted by Chinese state – The Guardian: ‘Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC said she had received threats via email and social media of dismemberment, rape and death, which have extended to her family in recent months.’ 🇬🇧
Visiting UK parliamentary delegation to meet President Lai, foreign ministry says – Focus Taiwan: ‘the delegation will head to Hsinchu City to visit the Taiwan Space Agency and Asia UAV AI Innovation Application R&D Center in Chiayi County.’ 🇬🇧
Wereldhandelsoorlog 📊💥
China Inc. rethinks investment in Mexico under Trump’s tariff threats – Nikkei Asia 🇲🇽
Intel’s rivals TSMC 台積電 and Broadcom are each eyeing potential deals that would break the American chipmaking icon in two – WSJ: ‘Broadcom and TSMC aren’t working together, and all of the talks so far are preliminary and largely informal.’ 🇺🇸🇹🇼
TSMC 台積電 is considering taking a controlling stake in Intel’s factories at the request of Trump administration officials – Bloomberg: ‘the intended result would have the world’s largest made-to-order chipmaker fully operating Intel’s US semiconductor factories’ 🇺🇸🇹🇼
No need for one country to control chip industry, Taiwanese official says – Taipei Times: ‘Taiwan is willing to be used as a base to assist “friendly democratic countries” in playing their appropriate roles in the semiconductor supply chain, he added.’ 🇹🇼
Official discusses US investment plans – Taipei Times: ‘The government would not restrict tech exports, but it remains a question of whether the US has sufficient workforce and expertise to support the entire semiconductor manufacturing supply chain, the official said.’ 🇹🇼
Storm clouds gather for Chinese shipping lines as Trump threatens more tariffs – SCMP 🇺🇸
Techoorlog 💽💥
Google werkte mee aan censuur door Rusland en China, blijkt uit onderzoek – de Volkskrant 🇺🇸
Revealed: Google facilitated Russia and China’s censorship requests – The Observer 🇺🇸
Tesla uses Chinese courts to silence critics and make them pay – AP: ‘Over the last four years, Tesla has sued at least six car owners in China who had sudden vehicle malfunctions, quality complaints or accidents they claimed were caused by mechanical failures.’ ‘The company has also sued at least six bloggers and two Chinese media outlets that wrote critically about the company’ 🇺🇸
Joop van den Ende: bescherm onze media tegen Amerikaanse manipulatie – NOS 🇺🇸
China tightens grip on tech, minerals and engineers as trade war spirals – FT: ‘Chinese authorities in recent months have made it more difficult for some engineers and equipment to leave the country, proposed new export controls […], and moved to restrict technologies’
‘People familiar with the matter said Chinese officials had made it difficult for the Taiwanese-owned contract manufacturer [Foxconn] to send machinery and technical Chinese managers to India, where Apple is keen to build up its supply chain.’
‘Analysts say Beijing’s emerging playbook resembles the western tech transfer restrictions it has loudly criticised as unfair.’
In Depth: ByteDance 字节跳动 is already looking beyond TikTok – Caixin Global: ‘to focus on other forms of free, algorithm-steered content that have proved to be successful, if controversial, sources of growth in its home market.’
Tencent 腾讯 testing DeepSeek 深度求索 to add China’s hottest AI technology to its Weixin 微信 super app – SCMP
New downloads of DeepSeek 深度求索 suspended in South Korea, data protection agency says – Reuters 🇰🇷
China foundry Hua Hong 华虹 reports 79% drop in net profit on lower chip prices – Nikkei Asia
Are China’s AI advancements a double-edged sword hanging over already dire job prospects? – SCMP
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
In Munich, China’s foreign minister Wáng Yì 王毅 backs Trump’s Ukraine peace process as Vice President Vance launches attack on Europe – SCMP: ‘But the veteran diplomat also used Trump’s words and actions as a contrast to Beijing’s own behaviour.’ 🇺🇦
China’s Wáng Yì 王毅 calls for all stakeholders in Ukraine war to be in peace process – Reuters: ‘“China views all efforts dedicated to peace positively, including any consensus reached by the United States and Russia on peace talks,” China’s foreign ministry readout quoted Wang as saying.’ 🇺🇦🇪🇺
A Steadfast Constructive Force in a Changing World: Keynote speech by H.E. Wang Yi at the 61st Munich Security Conference Conversation with China – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China:
A multipolar world is not only a historical inevitability; it is also becoming a reality. […] China’s answer is, we should work for an equal and orderly multipolar world. […]
First, it is important to advocate equal treatment. […]
Second, it is important to respect international rule of law. […] Respect for all countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity should mean support for China’s complete reunification.
Third, it is important to practice multilateralism. […]
Fourth, it is important to pursue openness and mutual benefit. […] China is willing to synergize high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy, […].
Kruispunt in de geschiedenis van het Westen: Europese leiders staan voor een duizelingwekkende taak – NRC 🇪🇺🇺🇸
VS hekelen Europa om ‘gebrek aan democratisch gehalte’, Duitse defensieminister noemt dat ‘onacceptabel’ – NRC: „President Donald Trump en zijn team zijn deze week begonnen de politieke relatie met Europa om te ploegen en de verhouding met Rusland te ontdooien.” 🇪🇺🇺🇸
Dwingt Trumps elektroshock Europa dit keer wel om in beweging te komen? – de Volkskrant: „De toespraken bevestigen de enorme kloof tussen regerende Europese en Amerikaanse politici” 🇪🇺🇺🇸
München 1938, München 2025: in Europa worden oude trauma’s opgerakeld – NRC 🇪🇺🇺🇸
Vance meets with leader of far-right German political party backed by Musk – POLITICO 🇩🇪🇺🇸
A Munich, J. D. Vance déclare une guerre idéologique à l’Europe – Le Monde 🇪🇺🇺🇸
‘Vance’s message to Europe was a simple one: embrace far-right political movements, super-charged by US tech platforms, or the US will not be there anymore. It is not an offer that Europe can or will accept.. Russia and China are the big beneficiaries. It’s an earthquake in transatlantic ties.’ – Noah Barkin, Bluesky 🇪🇺🇺🇸
Munich Security Conference concludes amid strained transatlantic relations – Xinhua
Champagne!
Von der Leyen demands trigger of emergency clause to massively boost defence spending – POLITICO Europe 🇪🇺
Will China fill gap left by the US at G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in South Africa? – SCMP 🇿🇦
Why China’s loss could be South Korea’s gain as Southeast Asia seeks new weapons suppliers – SCMP: ‘South Korea has become one of China’s top competitors in arms sales, rapidly expanding its defence industry foothold in Southeast Asia’ 🇰🇷
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Quiet clash over Afghanistan may presage more US-China tensions at the United Nations – SCMP: ‘At issue is who should initiate and guide UN resolutions and mandates, which in turn influences how the Security Council handles peace operations or sanctions regimes.’ 🇺🇸🇦🇫🇺🇳
China warship activity near Japan's southwest islands triples in 3 years – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
Thai police to return 10 Chinese suspects linked to actor’s abduction – Reuters 🇹🇭
New fence blocks well-trodden escape route into China – NK Insider: ‘China is installing a formidable barbed wire fence with the latest surveillance cameras along a section of its border with North Korea that is used by escapees.’ 🇰🇵
China’s foreign minister signals Beijing’s willingness to boost Israel ties despite strains from Gaza conflict – SCMP: ‘Wang hailed the long friendship between the Chinese and Jewish people, in particular their mutual help during World War II.’ 🇮🇱
Brazil’s Lula chides Beijing, EU, and US for practices that gave China its tech edge – SCMP: ‘ Lula said China has become a technological powerhouse by “copying everything”’ ‘chided European and American companies for moving their operations to China to exploit what he described as the “slave labour of a country with a very harsh political regime”.’ 🇧🇷
Cook Islands says comprehensive strategic partnership deal signed with China – Reuters 🇨🇰
China economie
China’s foreign investment tanks 99% in 3 years amid economic slowdown – Nikkei Asia: ‘the lowest level in 33 years.’
China saw record outflows of foreign direct investment last year, an exodus that threatens to persist after the resumption of a trade war with the US – Bloomberg
Wall Street banks are scaling back investments and cutting jobs in China as growth prospects unravel – Bloomberg 🇺🇸
China binnenland
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平’s article on full and rigorous Party self-governance to be published – Xinhua
习近平：健全全面从严治党体系 – 《求是》2025/04：“这是习近平总书记2024年6月27日在二十届中央政治局第十五次集体学习时的讲话。”
Hong Kong
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Pilot rescued after parachuting out of Brave Eagle jet trainer – Focus Taiwan: ‘after both engines of his aircraft apparently failed, causing it to crash into the waters off Taitung, eastern Taiwan’ ‘marked the first time a Brave Eagle had suffered an accident’
Taiwanese Supreme Court upholds High Court decision in military espionage case – Focus Taiwan: ‘upheld the decision of the Taiwan High Court to hand eight people, including several active-duty military officers, sentences ranging from 18 months to 13 years for collecting intelligence for China.’ 🇨🇳
US State Department says website update routine, after removal of reference to not supporting Taiwan independence – Reuters 🇺🇸
US, Japan, and South Korea highlight Taiwan Strait peace at Munich meeting – Focus Taiwan 🇺🇸🇯🇵🇰🇷
Canadian frigate transits Taiwan Strait – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇦
Plans to improve national security under way, DPP says – Taipei Times: ‘three main items: establishing a security network covering the whole nation, enhancing density of coverage for all jurisdictions and more severe punishments for those who contravene security laws.’
Fine for having a Chinese residence permit mulled – Taipei Times
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Huang Kuo-chang 黃國昌 wins the TPP chairmanship – Taipei Times: ‘Huang said he would lead the growth of the TPP to meet the expectations of Taiwanese for a grassroots political party.’
Prosecutors investigate manslaughter in deadly Taichung department store explosion – Focus Taiwan
Malaysian influencer sentenced to six months for scam ring involvement – Taipei Times