De Chinese Wouden, maandag 19 mei: ASML
Fijne week!
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Zonnepanelen en laadpalen uit China met ’kill switch’ op afstand bestuurbaar en serieuze bedreiging: ’Land kan worden platgelegd’ – De Telegraaf: „Daarom specificeren bedrijven steeds vaker beveiligingseisen bij de inkoop. Maar Chinese leveranciers houden zich daar later vaak niet aan.” 🇳🇱
The Munich professor from China accused of espionage – Correctiv: ‘it is neither possible to confirm nor deny whether Z. was in fact spying for China at the DLR.’ ‘But the events surrounding the researcher raise troubling questions’
‘as our investigation reveals, Z. maintains extensive connections to the Chinese defence apparatus.’
‘She hired individuals from institutions with military affiliations in China on many occasions, at times bypassing the DLR’s security clearance procedures.’
‘So-called plausible deniability is a deliberate part of China’s far-reaching efforts to acquire foreign technology, experts say. In such murky waters, it is almost impossible to determine where legitimate knowledge exchange ends, where it crosses into illegality, and where espionage against the academic sector begins.’ 🇩🇪
Het woord ‘spionage’ verwart soms meer dan dat het verheldert als het gaat om manieren waarop Chinese overheden, instellingen en bedrijven gevoelige informatie wegvoeren uit Europa.
Chinas Hilfs-Polizei in Wien: Spur zu Verein mit Polit-Connections – Profil: „Der Verfassungsschutz warnt vor chinesischen ‘Übersee-Polizeidienststellen’. Auch in Wien gab es zumindest in den vergangenen Jahren eine derartige Struktur. Die Spuren führen zu einem nicht registrierten Verein mit Connections ins Umfeld der Wiener SPÖ.“ 🇦🇹
Portugal’s rival parties, locked in a tight election race, both want more investments from China – Bloomberg: ‘both sides are backing a $2.2 billion lithium battery plant being built by CALB’ 🇵🇹
Interview: Working with China ‘very important for Europe’s future’, says Danish entrepreneur – Xinhua: ‘national board member of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China, said on Wednesday after receiving a reply letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping.’
‘“A lot of people in Europe do not understand enough about China,” he said.’ 🇩🇰
Taiwanese envoy Chen Chien-jen 陳建仁 attends Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration mass, hopes for papal visit – Focus Taiwan 🇻🇦
UK names Peter Wilson as new ambassador to China – Reuters 🇬🇧
PRC and Russia operationalise strategic partnership – Matthew Johnson for Jamestown’s China Brief: ‘The summit marked a shift from symbolic reaffirmation to functional coordination, particularly in sectors under U.S. scrutiny’
‘Taken together, these documents outline an ambitious, multipronged attempt to frame bloc alignment as both defensive and legally justified. This alignment is normative, not merely strategic. For all its rhetorical coherence, however, this convergence has not erased enduring asymmetries and caution on both sides.’ 🇷🇺
De drie zorgelijke gezamenlijke verklaringen van China en Rusland tijdens het recente staatsbezoek van Xi Jinping aan Vladimir Poetin kregen veel te weinig aandacht in de Europese pers.
Economic Watch: Connectivity facilitates personnel exchanges and trade between China and Russia – Xinhua 🇷🇺
Taiwan’s resilience will help it survive global trade crisis, Tsai Ing-wen 蔡英文 (DPP) says at LSE – Focus Taiwan 🇬🇧
Wereldhandelsoorlog 📉💥
Alarmbellen binnen kabinet over ASML: handelsoorlog tussen VS en China hangt als donderwolk boven onze beursparel – De Telegraaf: „In Den Haag leeft daardoor de vrees dat de Amerikanen ASML als ’wapen’ willen gebruiken in de handelsoorlog met China.”
„Betrokken bewindspersonen buigen zich vrijdag [16/05] over de mogelijke scenario’s en de flinke gevolgen voor het Nederlandse bedrijfsleven en de verhoudingen met China, voor het geval Amerika de druk op Nederland weer zou opvoeren om nieuwe exportrestricties op te leggen aan ASML.” 🇳🇱
Zorgen om ASML: chipbedrijven in vuurlinie van handelsoorlog tussen VS en China – RTL Nieuws 🇳🇱
Trump administration considers adding Chinese chipmakers to export blacklist – FT: ‘but some officials want to delay the move to avoid hurting efforts to strike a long-term trade agreement with China.’ 🇺🇸
Europe warned to change fast or become a ‘shock absorber’ of US-China trade war – SCMP: ‘Customs statistics suggest that circumstances may have changed even in the short window in which the US and China maintained mutual tariffs north of 120 per cent.’ 🇪🇺
China’s defiant stance in negotiating a tariff truce with the US has convinced some countries they need to take a tougher position in their own trade talks with the Trump administration – Bloomberg: ‘Officials in Brussels viewed the US-China tariff announcement as leaving high tariffs in place and limited on several fronts, according to people familiar with EU discussions.
The meager negotiating gains for the US and the lack of a clear end game during the 90-day reprieve show how limited is Trump’s appetite to keep ratcheting up the pressure on Beijing, the people said on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.’ 🇪🇺
Global supply chains threatened by lack of Chinese rare earths – FT: ‘Beijing’s commerce ministry had approved some licences for exports to Europe, but at a pace far too slow to meet demand.’
Dat China en de VS hun tarieven verlagen, betekent niet dat de handelsoorlog voorbij is – Trouw 🇺🇸
The China-US trade war has calmed down for now but Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 is still going all out to ensure that in the future his nation has economic options in places like Brazil and Ethiopia – Bloomberg
To survive the trade war, China aims to create a stronger domestic economy – SCMP: ‘Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday that China would continue to anchor its development strategy in bolstering “domestic circulation”’
China’s commerce ministry slaps anti-dumping duties on plastics from US, EU, Japan, and Taiwan – Reuters: ‘the highest anti-dumping rates of 74.9% were levied on imports from the United States, while European shipments will face 34.5% duties.’
‘General duties of 32.6% were placed on imports from Taiwan, while Formosa Plastics received a 4% tariff and Polyplastics Taiwan 3.8%.’ 🇪🇺🇺🇸🇯🇵🇹🇼
VS-China 🇨🇳
US President Donald Trump said on Fox News he would be willing to travel to China to speak with Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 about foreign policy and economic issues – Bloomberg 🇺🇸
Donald Trump’s tariffs on China will likely remain at a level expected to severely curtail Chinese exports to the US after the 90-day truce, analysts and investors say – Bloomberg 🇺🇸
China-US 90-day tariff truce should be extended, Global Times says – Reuters: ‘Analysts say Beijing is unlikely to rush to announce how exactly it will meet all of its pledges.’ 🇺🇸
Container ship owners swamped as US-China trade detente revives demand – Reuters 🇺🇸
China-US air freight tumbles on ‘de minimis’ tariff; airlines adjust routes – Reuters 🇺🇸
VS-Taiwan 🇹🇼
Taiwan top trade negotiator Yang Jen-ni 楊珍妮 meets with US representative Jamieson Greer in Jeju – Focus Taiwan: ‘met on the sidelines of the APEC trade ministers’ meeting in Jeju’ 🇺🇸
Interview: Taiwanese industry undaunted by US tariffs, economic affairs minister Kuo Jyh-huei 郭智輝 says – Focus Taiwan: ‘but are concerned about being affected more heavily than regional economic competitors Japan and South Korea’ 🇺🇸
GlobalWafers open to investing US$4bn more in US to meet local demand – Nikkei Asia 🇺🇸
VS-wereld 🌏
Cheap Chinese goods are flooding South-east Asia. Can the region turn the tide? – The Straits Times: ‘In Indonesia, South-east Asia’s largest economy, industry associations and trade unions say about 250,000 workers in the garment and textile sectors were laid off between 2022 and 2024 – with another half a million at risk in 2025.’
‘In Thailand, about two-thirds of the ceramics and handicraft factories in Thailand’s northern Lampang province have shuttered in the past five years’
‘China’s trade surplus with Asean member countries has more than doubled from US$90 billion in 2021 to US$190 billion in 2024.’
Some Chinese companies eye Singapore listings to expand markets amid trade war – Reuters: ‘Chinese companies are looking to tap the Singaporean bourse as they look to enter, or expand business in, Southeast Asia amid a trade war with the United States’ 🇸🇬
Techoorlog 💽💥
Brief regering : Fiche: Mededeling AI Continent Actieplan – Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 🇳🇱
Nvidia plans Shanghai research centre in new commitment to China – FT: ‘the R&D centre would research the specific demands of Chinese customers and the complex technical requirements needed to satisfy Washington’s curbs.’ 🇺🇸
Nvidia chief Jensen Huang 黃仁勳 expressed confidence in his company’s trade partners and said there’s no evidence of its prized semiconductors being diverted to the Chinese market – Bloomberg 🇺🇸
Greenland dangles rare earths partnership with EU as Trump looms – POLITICO Europe: ‘Motzfeldt also lashed out at the Trump administration over news of U.S. spying on Greenland’ 🇬🇱🇪🇺
South Korea fines China’s e-commerce giant TEMU for user data violations – AFP 🇰🇷
Australian firm produces heavy rare earths, first outside China – AFP 🇦🇺
China afhankelijk van instabiel Myanmar voor zeldzame mineralen – BNR 🇲🇲
Chinese car manufacturer introduces EV brand to Ethiopian market – Xinhua 🇪🇹
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
China provided Pakistan with air defence and satellite support during its clash with India this month, according to a research group under India’s defence ministry – Bloomberg: ‘The performance of the Chinese defense systems were below average and “failed miserably” in some instances, Kumar said, citing an Indian military assessment.’ 🇮🇳🇵🇰
Pakistan foreign minister Ishaq Dar to visit China on heels of conflict with India over Kashmir – AFP 🇵🇰
Xí Jìnpìng 习近平 extends congratulations to 34th Arab League Summit – Xinhua: ‘Xi said that looking ahead, China will remain a trustworthy friend and partner for them, standing firmly on the side of the just cause of Arab states.’
Xinhua Commentary: Striving for a more closely knit China-Arab community with a shared future – Xinhua
US museum returns to China ancient silk manuscripts from Warring States period – Xinhua: ‘The silk manuscripts were unearthed in 1942 from the Zidanku site in Changsha’ ‘currently the only known silk manuscripts from the Warring States period’ 🇺🇸
Could Brazilian leader Lula’s Beijing trip herald greater Chinese defence role in region? – SCMP: ‘Norinco’s potential acquisition of a stake in Avibras, a financially troubled Brazilian aerospace and defence company.’ 🇧🇷
China’s defence ministry announces new military academies as part of PLA modernisation drive – SCMP: ‘According to the Ministry of Defence, the new institutions are the PLA Ground Force Service Academy in Hefei, Anhui province; the PLA Information Support Force Engineering University in Wuhan, Hubei province; and the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force Engineering University in Chongqing.’
China uses carrots and sticks to boost military ranks and discourage dodgers – SCMP: ‘Chinese authorities have long shown concerns that the military is not recruiting enough young people.’
China economie
Richard Koo van Nomura Research: „Ik denk dat we ons allemaal zorgen moeten maken over Taiwan” – FD: „Dat de rente zo laag staat in een ontwikkelingsland als China, waar nog steeds volop investeringsmogelijkheden en ideeën om geld te verdienen zouden moeten zijn, is veelzeggend.”
„Ze zullen dus hun consumptie moeten aanjagen om de balansrecessie op te lossen, hun afhankelijkheid van de export te verminderen én om die markt te worden die niemand kan negeren. Doen ze dat niet, dan blijft China kwakkelen en ontstaat er wellicht een politieke crisis. Ze zouden dan weleens hun aandacht kunnen verleggen naar andere kwesties”
UK overtakes China as second-largest US Treasury holder – FT: ‘Analysts believe China also holds a growing proportion of its US assets through third party custodians’
Tariff cuts ease mass China layoffs threat, but job market pain persists – Reuters: ‘China still faces challenging U.S. tariffs of 30% on top of duties already in place.’
Investors see no end in sight to China property slump – Nikkei Asia: ‘Developers are slashing prices in a bid to unload housing inventories that are vastly above demand.’
China binnenland
China’s CCDI investigates Guangxi governor Lán Tiānlì 蓝天立 over suspected disciplinary violations – Reuters: ‘Lan is the second regional or provincial-level head to be investigated in less than two months, after the same body launched a probe into the governor of northern Shanxi province in April.’
Senior CCP official Cài Qí 蔡奇 stresses problem-oriented approach in work conduct education campaign – Xinhua: ‘during an investigation tour in Tangshan in north China’s Hebei Province’
China has world’s fastest rise in dementia with up to 115 million cases forecast by 2050 – SCMP
Xi calls on persons with disabilities to draw strength from role models, pursue dreams – Xinhua: ‘Xi noted that persons with disabilities are an important force advancing Chinese modernization, and they are also a special and vulnerable group that needs more support and attention.’
China activates Level-IV emergency response to flooding – Xinhua
China’s next-gen surveillance tools get AI boost to target Telegram and VPN users – SCMP
Hong Kong
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
China should review Taiwan policy, President Lai Ching-te 賴清德 (DPP) says – Taipei Times: ‘ahead of the first anniversary of his presidential inauguration tomorrow.’ 🇨🇳
Taiwan president Lai Ching-te 賴清德 (DPP) rallies the troops ahead of possible Chinese drills – Reuters: ‘Lai visited army engineers and anti-submarine helicopter crews at bases in the southern city of Kaohsiung to thank them for their efforts before the traditional Dragon Boat festival at the end of the month.’ 🇨🇳
Taiwan bars two Chinese nationals from World Masters Games – Focus Taiwan: ‘citing concerns that they intended to disrupt the event with political messages’ 🇨🇳
Chinese father and son arrested after sailing to Taiwan on a rubber boat illegally – Focus Taiwan: ‘According to sources, Song said that he fled to Taiwan for “freedom” because he was persecuted in China.’ 🇨🇳
Economics minister talks chip and AI cooperation with Texas governor – Focus Taiwan 🇺🇸
Tien Kung IV missiles’ initial tests done – Taipei Times
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te 賴清德 (DPP)’s approval ratings dip ahead of 1st anniversary in office amid uncertain US ties – The Straits Times: ‘survey results by leading pollster Formosa released on April 29 showed that Mr Lai’s disapproval rating of 47.3 per cent has overtaken his approval rating of 47.1 per cent, the first time’
More than 60% approve of Lai administration’s foreign policy, survey says – Taipei Times
Legislature passes KMT’s referendum proposal on opposing death penalty abolition – Focus Taiwan: ‘despite abolition not being the stated policy of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government.’
‘In Taiwan, the death penalty remains on the books, but the Constitutional Court last September severely limited its use’
Donovan’s Deep Dives: KMT chair Eric Chu 朱立倫 manipulates foreign diplomats for domestic political gain – Courtney Donovan Smith for Taipei Times: ‘Chu has positioned himself as a warrior for the pan-blue cause and used his Hitler comments to, as he sees it, courageously take a stand in the face of condemnation.’
Taiwan’s last remaining nuclear reactor shut down – Taipei Times