De Chinese Wouden, maandag 2 september: elektrische auto’s, pesten Pacific Islands Forum, corruptieschandaal Taiwan
POLITICO en SCMP brengen nieuws van het handelsfront. Chinese autobouwers zouden in gesprek zijn met de Europese Commissie over een deal. Het zou gaan om een combinatie van vrijwillige exportbeperkingen en minimumprijzen aan de kant van de bouwers in ruil voor lagere invoerheffingen van de Europese kant.
Aan de andere kant van de aarde was er veel aandacht voor een incident tijdens de jaarlijkse bijeenkomst van de Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). De PIF is de regionale organisatie van de eilandstaatjes in de Stille Oceaan. De regio is nog verdeeld tussen landen die formele diplomatieke betrekkingen hebben met China en tussen landen die formele diplomatieke betrekkingen hebben met Taiwan als Republiek China. Samen met het geopolitieke belang van de oceaan maakt dit het tot een speeltoneel voor geopolitiek.
Een Taiwanese viceminister van buitenlandse zaken en de Chinese speciale gezant voor de regio waren ook die kant uit gegaan.. Taiwan en China geven veel steun aan hun vrienden, maar nu de Taiwanese aanwezigheid minder dominant is geworden – onder Pekings diplomatiek offensief van de afgelopen jaren – zijn er dingen aan het verschuiven. De grootste activist is de recente Chinese aanwinst de Solomonseilanden.
Voor de PIF-bijeenkomst waren er al claims van Solomon-Chinese plannen om Taiwan uit de PIF-cirkels te verbannen. Uiteindelijk kwam er alsnog een communiqué online waarin de PIF-landen de banden met Taiwan bevestigen. Vrij snel werd het document plotseling weer offline gehaald. Daarna kwam een nieuwe versie online waarin die Taiwan-zin was verwijderd.
Beelden van de Nieuw-Zeelandse pers laten een boze, dominerende Chinese gezant roepen dat de Taiwan-provisie een fout was die hersteld moet worden. Let vooral ook op de toon en gezichtsuitdrukking van de Chinese ambassadeur Qian. De voorzitter belooft het te fixen. Chinese dominantie op video.
Ik besteed zoveel aandacht aan dit incident, omdat het goed laat zien met hoeveel smaak Chinese diplomaten zich bedienen van pure machtspolitiek in fora waar Peking sterk staakt. Het walst zo over deze kleine landjes heen.
Ondertussen zijn er ook grote ontwikkelingen in Taiwan. De leider van de oppositiepartij TPP Ko Wen-je is gearresteerd in het corruptieonderzoek naar een vastgoedproject uit zijn tijd als burgemeester van Taipei. Dit is niet het enige schandaal dat aan hem kleeft. Misschien vinden ze nog meer.
De TPP heeft de sleutel in handen in het Taiwanese parlement. De partij van president Lai, de DPP, en de Chinese nationalistische oppositiepartij KMT hebben beide geen meerderheid. De TPP verkocht zichzelf aan kiezers als de non-ideologische en corruptievrije partij. Dit schaadt dat imago.
Maar ze hebben ondertussen wel een achterban opgebouwd van jonge mannen. Een deel daarvan protesteerde. De partij heeft tot de volgende verkiezingen nog 8 parlementsleden in een sleutelpositie en een flinke subsidie op basis van de stemresultaten. Ze zijn nu in crisis, maar gaan niet zomaar weg.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Eigenlijk wilde chipgigant TSMC 台積電 ‘nee’ zeggen tegen een nieuwe fabriek in Europa – NRC: „In de ogen van TSMC druist uitbreiding buiten Taiwan tegen de economische logica in.” 🇪🇺🇩🇪🇳🇱
Maar de logica van Europese leveringszekerheid hoeft zich niet ondergeschikt te maken aan de economische logica van TSMC.
Chinese cyberattacks hit nearly half of German firms, according to study – DW 🇩🇪
Taiwan plans to help Czechia build semiconductor cluster – Focus Taiwan: ‘Wu, who led a delegation to attend the annual GLOBSEC Forum in Prague, said Taiwan hopes for cooperation between chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Czech[ia]’s counterparts and such cooperation is expected to transform the country into one of the important semiconductor clusters in Europe over the next three to five years.’ 🇨🇿
Hausse aan Chinese pakketjes bedreigt Nederlandse winkels – FD
Douane en vervoerders worstelen met overvloed aan Chinese pakketjes – FD
Handel 🚗🇪🇺
Chinese EV-makers offer price and volume pledges in bid to avoid EU duties – POLITICO Europe: ‘SAIC and BYD each submitted a request, while Geely put in two, according to one person’ ‘The fifth pledge was put forward by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME)’ 🇪🇺
China’s electric vehicle makers scramble for EU tariff deal, with price floor on the table – SCMP: ‘Online hearings took place on Wednesday’ 🇪🇺
La Chine fait toujours peser la menace d’une forte taxation du cognac – Le Monde 🇪🇺
China’s Chery 奇瑞 bets on continuing petrol demand as it enters UK market – FT 🇬🇧
China’s industrial strategy on ‘collision course’ with top German export industries – Euractiv: ‘Sander Tordoir, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, however, told Euractiv the issue goes beyond cars’ 🇩🇪
Saudi Arabia seeks Chinese tech as it reinvents itself as car and automation hub – SCMP: ‘Saudi industry and mineral resources minister Bandar Alkhorayef is leading a delegation to visit Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Singapore’ 🇸🇦
Tech War 💽🇺🇸
Tech war: Beijing City sets up CN¥8.5 billion [€1.1bn] semiconductor fund as China splurges on chips – SCMP: ‘The state-owned Zhongguancun Development Group established the Beijing Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund’
Overcoming China’s dominance in gallium will not be easy – FT Lex: ‘What now? Ironically, gallium is pretty plentiful. It is a byproduct of bauxite and zinc ore.’
Japan chip equipment makers look beyond China for growth – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
China’s chip capabilities just 3 years behind TSMC 台積電, teardown shows – Nikkei Asia
Pacific Islands Forum
Pacific leaders’ declaration scrubs Taiwan after China complaint – AFP: ‘After five days of talks in Tonga, a “cleared” communique was released Friday that reaffirmed a 30-year-old agreement allowing Taiwan to take part in the Pacific Islands Forum.
But the wording immediately raised the ire of Chinese diplomats, who piled pressure on Pacific leaders to amend the document.
The forum reissued the communique without explanation Saturday morning, conspicuously deleting the paragraph concerning the bloc’s “relations with Taiwan”.’
‘A spokesperson from New Zealand’s foreign ministry told AFP on Saturday there had not been a consensus on the paragraph in question.’
Pacific Islands Forum communique taken down after Chinese envoy calls Taiwan reference ‘unacceptable’ – The Guardian: ‘Nikkei Asia reported that it saw a “visibly angry” [Chinese ambassador] Qian confront the Pif secretary general, Baron Waqa, immediately after the closing news conference and that he called the statement “unacceptable”.’
‘We’ll remove it’: Pacific caves to China’s demand to exclude Taiwan from leaders communique – RNZ: ‘The moment Qian asks the PIF past chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown to remove the Taiwan reference has been caught on camera by RNZ Pacific. “We’ll remove it, I’ll talk to you about it later,” Brown can be heard saying to Beijing’s top diplomat.’
De verwijderde regel tekst: “66. Leaders reaffirmed the 1992 Leaders decision on relations with Taiwan/Republic of China.”
Taiwan signs cooperation pact with Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to continue its ongoing support – Taipei Times: ‘The meeting was the 29th edition of the Taiwan/Republic of China-Forum Countries Dialogue organized by the PIF Secretariat.’
Subtle but substantial? China’s outreach to island states tips military power play with US – SCMP
Juichend stuk van de steeds meer gekleurde SCMP.
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
Taiwanese top NSC official Joseph Wu 吳釗燮 links Indo-Pacific and European security in speech at Globsec Forum in Prague – Focus Taiwan
Chinese companies eyeing US business expansion struggle to fill jobs in hostile climate – SCMP 🇺🇸
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
China ‘deliberately rammed, collided’ with Philippines Coast Guard ship in Escoda/Sabina Shoal on Saturday 31 August – Rappler: ‘This is the fifth incident of harassment caused by China in Philippine waters this August and the second near or within the waters of Escoda Shoal.’ 🇵🇭
South China Sea: Statement by the Spokesperson on the latest dangerous actions – EU EEAS: ‘The EU condemns the dangerous actions by Chinese Coast Guard vessels against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea on August 31.’ 🇪🇺
Spokesperson of the Chinese Mission to the EU Speaks on a Question Concerning EEAS Spokesperson’s Statement on the South China Sea – Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union 🇪🇺
China enters Japanese territorial waters days after air violation protested – Kyodo News: ‘It marked the 10th entry by a Chinese survey ship into Japanese waters off Kagoshima Prefecture since November 2021.’ 🇯🇵
Sarawak minister: ‘Expedite Sarawak naval base plan to defend [Malaysia’s] sovereignty in South China Sea’ – The New Straits Times 🇲🇾
De recent wat China-vriendelijke premier Anwar maakt zich vooral druk over Pedra Branca, jaren geleden al door het Internationaal Gerechtshof toegewezen aan Singapore.
China bespioneert de VS met vier bases vanaf Cuba – BNR 🇺🇸🇨🇺
India has special China problem and LAC standoff calls for investment scrutiny, minister Jaishankar says – Hindustan Times 🇮🇳
(FOCAC) Xinhua Commentary: China-Africa cooperation bolsters common development of Global South – Xinhua: ‘Unlike Western powers that often interfere in the internal affairs of African countries, China proposes a “five-no” approach to cooperation with African countries’
(FOCAC) Xinhua Headlines: China-Africa partnership forges path to mutual growth, modernisation – Xinhua
Xi Story: Xi-proposed principle brings China and Africa closer – Xinhua: ‘the principle of “zhen shi qin cheng” for China’s Africa policy, which means sincerity, real results, amity and good faith.’
Afrikaanse leiders – o.a. de baas van de Malinese junta – zijn aan het aankomen in Peking voor het driejaarlijkse Forum on China–Africa Cooperation. Dit is een belangrijke bijeenkomst. China geeft veel om de samenwerking met Afrikaanse landen, ook om historische redenen. De eerste dienstreizen van minister van buitenlandse zaken in januari elk jaar is naar Afrika als symbool hiervan. De FOCAC is een symbool van de nauwe band, maar ook een plek om die band verder uit te werken.
Chinese loans to Africa back to pre-pandemic volume but show new approach to risk – SCMP: ‘However, it is far below the massive loans Beijing advanced to African countries from 2013 to 2018 in the early years’
New Zealand Chinese journalist faces ‘anti-Chinese’ accusations for working on China documentary – Stuff: ‘Two of Mao’s critics held aspirations for elected office or are now working in the public sector.’ 🇳🇿
Chinese envoy to UN condemns Israeli military operation in West Bank – Xinhua 🇮🇱
China economie
China real estate crisis batters state developers seen as better off – Nikkei Asia: ‘While the magnitude of their troubles is not on the scale of distressed private peers […] the latest earnings underscore that even large state players are not immune.’
Chinese offices emptier than during Covid as slowdown hits – FT
China has been relying on its manufacturing might and export engines to offset the drag from a slumping property market and keep its growth target in sight – Bloomberg
China’s weak factory PMI raises pressure for consumer stimulus – Reuters
China’s central bank enters treasury bond market with net buy of 100 billion yuan [€13bn] – SCMP
China further relaxed data export control, in the Beijing Free Trade Zone –
China binnenland
China’s Communist Party brings in new rules to regulate faith, loyalty, and performance – SCMP: ‘The new rules released by the party’s general office on Thursday, decree that underperforming party members, whose problematic conduct might not warrant a formal corruption investigation, be disqualified from the party, state-run Xinhua news agency said.’
China places former chairman of top aircraft maker AVIC 航空工业 under investigation for corruption – SCMP
Frustration deepens two years after UN report on China abuses of Uyghurs – Reuters 🇺🇳
Terwijl de zeespiegel stijgt, verzakt de grond onder Chinese kuststeden – FD
New guidelines boost China’s teachers, including right to discipline students – SCMP
Hong Kong
League of Social Democrats members accused of unlicensed fundraising set to enter pleas in October – HKFP
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Will the next fight in the Taiwanese legislature be about military spending? – New Bloom: ‘questions about whether the pan-Blue camp will engage in the same scorched earth tactics that characterized the first legislative session.’
Taiwan’s MND submits five-year defence plan – Taipei Times
Navy to add 6 minelayers to counter PLA amphibious landing on Taiwan – Focus Taiwan
Taiwanese military seeks to increase order of Stingers – Taipei Times: ‘almost fivefold from 500 systems to 2,485’
Taiwan military says in annual threat assessment that China lacks ability to invade, but has other options – Reuters: ‘China’s aim with the recent drills was to practice cutting off communication with the outside world and blockade Taiwan, and boarding foreign cargo ships is an option China could take, short of open conflict, the ministry said.’
Taiwan’s MAC warns of China’s use of influencers in info war – TVBS 🇨🇳
China to resume allowing Fujian residents to visit Taiwan’s Kinmen – Xinhua 🇨🇳
Taiwan corruptieschandaal
Ko Wen-je 柯文哲 (TPP) arrested after being summoned over corruption scandal, seeks court ruling on legitimacy – Focus Taiwan: ‘the arrest came after Ko refused to be questioned at night and attempted to leave the prosecutors’ office.’
‘Prosecutors said if Ko had been allowed to leave the prosecutors’ office before they had finished questioning him, risks over whether the investigation would be proceeding smoothly would have increased, which would hinder follow-up probes.’
Ko Wen-je 柯文哲 (TPP)’s home raided over Core Pacific City scandal; 3 detained – Focus Taiwan
TPP accuses prosecutors of targeting Ko Wen-je 柯文哲 (TPP) as court decision expected – Taipei Times: ‘Ko supporters gathered outside the prosecutors’ office, holding signs while chanting slogans demanding Ko’s release and alleging judicial oppression.’
Ko en zijn TPP hebben een significante aanhang onder een bepaald soort jonge man.
Ko Wen-je 柯文哲 (TPP) arrest plunges Taiwan’s No. 3 party into crisis of trust – Nikkei Asia: ‘One diplomat in Taipei told Nikkei Asia that the TPP's troubles could affect the dynamics in the Legislative Yuan and the opposition's efforts to block government programs.’
Corruption suspect Pong Cheng-sheng 彭振聲 taken from court to hospital – Focus Taiwan
Sheen Ching-jing 沈慶京 labels funds to city councillor ‘donation’, court says otherwise – Focus Taiwan
應曉薇男友遭起底!昔黑幫背景全曝光 人稱「情色大亨」 – 自由時報
Taiwan binnenland en economie
President nominates law professor Chang Wen-chen 張文貞 as Judicial Yuan head and Yao Li-ming 姚立明 as deputy; choices panned by opposition – Focus Taiwan: ‘Also Friday, Hsiao announced five new justice nominees who were recommended by her committee and approved by Lai.’
Je hoort niks dan lof over Chang onder de experts, maar in Taiwan moet de benoeming van de hoogste rechters goedgekeurd worden door het parlement. De KMT en TPP waren eerder al twijfel aan het zaaien over de onafhankelijkheid van het hoogste gerechtshof en zullen deze nominaties waarschijnlijk aangrijpen om die campagne te escaleren.
Beef exports from Kinmen to Taiwan suspended after cows get LSD – Focus Taiwan