De Chinese Wouden, maandag 26 februari: protest in Den Haag, Oekraïne, McKinsey, gedwongen arbeid
Het tweejarig jubileum van de volledige Russische invasie van Oekraïne is afgelopen weekend herdacht. Terwijl de Taiwanese vertegenwoordiging in Brussel op Twitter trotst deelt dat het deelnam aan de mars voor Oekraïne, probeert de Chinese ambassadeur Fu Cong met graphics de neutraliteit van Peking te bewijzen in de ‘Oekraïne-crisis’ door te wijzen dat Xi Jinping en Wang Yi met beide kanten spraken.
Maar in de VN-veiligheidsraad liet ambassadeur Zhang Jun horen waar China echt staat: de aanvallen zijn op wapenleveranties, uitbreiding van de NAVO en Amerikaanse onwil. Ook staatspersbureau Xinhua heeft zulk commentaar. Ik zie geen enkele verwijzing naar de Russische nationalistische argumenten voor genocide en de Russische brutaliteit in Oekraïne.
Deze nieuwsbrief heeft ook een flinke selectie Chinese brutaliteiten. In The New Yorker staat een lang stuk over de verschrikkelijke behandeling van Noord-Koreaanse dwangarbeiders die in weerwil van de VN-sancties in China werken. Een nieuw rapport duidt de de ontwikkelingen in nog altijd lopende dwangarbeid van Oeigoeren in China. Maar ook de Tibetaanse en Mongoolse minderheden hebben het weer zwaar te verduren.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
‘During the Chinese embassy’s (元宵节) Lantern Festival in Den Haag, a courageous @abdulrahman_uyg stood up against the staged event featuring fake Uyghur children (dressed in traditional Uyghur attire), shouting “China, stop the #UyghurGenocide!”’ – Dutch Uyghur Human Rights Foundation, Twitter 🇳🇱
‘A brief explanation of the scandal the #ChineseNewYear celebrations. Chinese community in Holland celebrated Chinese New Year today by dressing Chinese children in Uyghur traditional clothing and showcasing Uyghur dancing on stage to hide China’s genocide.’ – Abdurehim Gheni Uyghur (ئابدۇرېھىم غېنى ئۇيغۇر), Twitter 🇳🇱
Ik ben geen fan van Nederlandse overheden die zich dienstbaar maken aan de etno-nationalistische agenda van de Volksrepubliek. Dan maak je jezelf begrijpelijkerwijze doelwit van demonstraties door de slachtoffers – de Tweede Kamer sprak tenslotte zelf van genocide.
Er zijn bovendien meer gemeenschappen in Nederland die Chinees Nieuwjaar vieren dan expats uit China, nog meer als je alle vormen van de maankalender meeneemt.
Draken, vuurwerk en duizenden mensen op straat tijdens viering Chinees Nieuwjaar – Den Haag FM 🇳🇱
Brussels’ regional parliament calls for support of Taiwan – Taipei Times 🇧🇪
Voorstel van resolutie betreffende de plaats van Taiwan op het wereldtoneel – Brussels Parlement 🇧🇪
China and EU hold talks on cooperation in autos and raw materials – Reuters 🇪🇺
China’s 1 trillion yuan EV, solar, and battery exports face overcapacity concerns as US and EU anxieties grow – SCMP
China’s Wáng Yì 王毅 urges Germany to reject protectionism and ‘bloc confrontation’ as EU eyes economic security measures – SCMP 🇩🇪
Chinese foreign minister Wáng Yì 王毅 meets with German diplomat Jens Plotner in Beijing – Xinhua 🇩🇪
Interview: China’s ambassador to Greece calls for stronger China-EU economic ties – Xinhua: ‘Both sides support multipolarity and oppose bloc confrontation, the new Cold War, decoupling and severing supply chains.’ 🇬🇷🇪🇺
Volkswagen slammed by Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany over forced Uyghur labour – Nikkei Asia 🇩🇪
‘Share Your Story on the 10th anniversary of the Establishment of the Open and Pragmatic Partnership for Comprehensive Cooperation between China and the Netherlands’ – Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands, Facebook 🇳🇱
Kaohsiung rubber ducks draw 9 million visitors in 1 month – Focus Taiwan: ‘created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’ 🇳🇱
Oekraïne 🇺🇦
Europa had het voeren van oorlog net afgeleerd. Nu komt het wapens tekort voor Oekraïne – de Volkskrant: „De besluitvorming in Europa is complex, zegt Rem Korteweg van Instituut Clingendael”
Opinie: De Russen moeten in de pan gehakt worden, maar reken niet op ons – Bas Heijne in NRC
Na twee jaar sancties is Ruslands economie niet lamgelegd, maar oververhit. Hoe kan dat? – NRC: „Weliswaar kan Rusland de producten niet meer direct invoeren, maar indirect – via landen als China, Turkije en in Centraal-Azië – zijn chips en andere gesanctioneerde producten nog steeds te bemachtigen.”
US and China officials discuss Russia-North Korea military cooperation, State Department says – Reuters: ‘The Chinese statement made no mention of Russia’ 🇰🇵
US targets dozens of entities from China, UAE, and Turkey for helping Russia – Reuters
Taiwan’s leadership ‘extremely worried’ US could abandon Ukraine – POLITICO Europe: ‘Taiwanese senior officials repeatedly questioned members of a visiting U.S. congressional delegation on what stalled aid to Ukraine means for U.S. commitments to defend the island from potential Chinese aggression.’
Taiwan is fuelling Russia’s war, according to report – Taipei Times: ‘About 20 percent of nitrocellulose — a compound used in gunpowder — imported into Russia has been sourced from Taiwan, a joint British-Ukrainian investigative report showed.’
Two years on, peace still elusive in Ukraine crisis – Xinhua: ‘weariness caused by the two-year-long conflict, dubbed by some analysts as “Ukraine Fatigue,” is now permeating Western nations’
‘it seems that some Western countries don’t want to lose this opportunity to weaken Russia, and continue to exacerbate the conflict and profit from it.’
China calls for political settlement of Ukraine crisis [sic] – Xinhua: ‘the parties concerned should not create artificial obstacles to make peace more challenging to achieve, much less supply weapons to profit from the prolonged crisis.’ ‘Zhang stressed that strengthening or expanding a military bloc cannot guarantee regional security.’
‘China firmly opposes the unlawful sanctions imposed on Chinese companies by the United States, Britain and the European Union, using the Ukraine issue as an excuse.’
Explainer: What are the hidden motives behind US refusal to stop two ongoing fights? – Xinhua
‘2 years of the 🇺🇦 crisis, 2 years of 🇨🇳’s peace efforts. We are doing our part in our own way. We will not give up as long as there is a glimmer of hope. #China #UkraineCrisis #EU #peace’ – Fu Cong 傅聪, Twitter
‘This week marks the 2nd anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We joined the march in support of Ukraine with more than 7,000 peace-loving friends in Brussels. Taiwan🇹🇼 is committed to stand firm with 🇺🇦 for as long as it takes! #SlavaUkraini #PromoteUkraine’ – Taiwan in the EU and Belgium , Twitter
March held in Taipei to support Ukraine on anniversary of Russia’s invasion – Focus Taiwan
Wang Huning over Taiwan
China’s Communist party toughens Taiwan rhetoric with call to ‘fight’ independence – FT
‘“Previous statements only pledged to ‘resolutely oppose’ Taiwan independence, but now they are using ‘fight’,” [反对 vs 打击] said Chang Wu-yueh, an expert on cross-Strait relations at Tamkang University in Taipei.” 2023 used 要坚决反对“台独”分裂活动和外部势力干涉, 2024 used 要坚决打击“台独”分裂、遏制外部势力干涉. this phrase 巩固扩大国际社会坚持一个中国的格局 Consolidate and expand the international community’s adherence to the One-China principle is new from 2023 and interesting’ – Bill Bishop, Twitter
China’s top Taiwan official Wáng Hùníng 王沪宁 pledges support for pro-unification forces – SCMP: ‘In contrast to his speech last year, this time Wang did not refer to “one family across the Taiwan Strait” or of Beijing’s efforts to “promote policies benefiting the Taiwanese people”.’
Wáng Hùníng 王沪宁 says China aims to contain ‘foreign interference’ over Taiwan at two-meeting on work for this year – Reuters
McKinsey
McKinsey-led think-tank Urban China Initiative advised China on policy that fed US tensions – FT: ‘advised China to deepen co-operation between business and the military and push foreign companies out of sensitive industries’
‘This is quite a story from FT on its role in formulating the policy “Made in China 2025” - @waltbogdanich and I wrote about McKinsey working on the policy in a 2018 story and in our 2022 book but this story deepens McKinsey’s involvement.’ – Mike Forsythe 傅才德, Twitter
‘I find it interesting that McKinsey has said it doesn’t work with China’s government at the national level. Maybe true NOW but certainly not in the past. @waltbogdanich and I lay it out pretty explicitly in “When McKinsey Comes to Town.” Here’s some examples.’ – Mike Forsythe 傅才德, Twitter
‘My understanding of McKinsey in China As you’ve learnt in my book, I had close interactions with ministries and large SOEs during my time in China. The followings are my understanding / knowledge of McKinsey China business’ – Desmond Shum, Twitter: ‘McKinsey could be invited to submit reports for segments of the reports, but no foreign companies would be leading the draft. It’s likely McKinsey subsequently expanded on its limited role and came out with an expanded report.’
TL;DR: McKinsey heeft niet hoogstpersoonlijk de anti-Westerse elementen in Made in China 2025 gestopt, maar heeft wel op veel manieren nauw samengewerkt met de Chinese partijstaat.
US Republicans call for McKinsey to be banned from federal contracts – FT: ‘A spokesperson for the Democratic staff of the House China committee said the FT report was “deeply concerning” and the panel would be inquiring into the matter.’
Gedwongen arbeid en onderdrukking in China
Inside North Korea’s forced-labour programme in China – The New Yorker: ‘China is supposed to enforce the sanctions in a similar manner. Nevertheless, according to State Department estimates, there are currently as many as a hundred thousand North Koreans working in the country.’ 🇰🇵
Uyghur forced labour policies seen continuing through 2025, according to report – RFA
Forced labour in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Assessing the continuation of coercive labour transfers in 2023 and early 2024 – Adrian Zenz for Jamestown China Brief
Lessons on genocide from Xinjiang and Gaza – Nader Hashemi and James A. Millward for DAWN
Police interrogate and beat Tibetans arrested in dam protest – RFA: ‘beating some of them so badly that they required medical attention, three sources told Radio Free Asia.’ ‘On Friday, RFA reported exclusively that police had arrested more than a 1,000 Tibetans’
China’s Inner Mongolia emerges as model for Xí Jìnpíng 习近平’s ethnic affairs policy, analysts warn of cultural ‘erosion’ – SCMP: ‘include the compulsory use of Mandarin as the teaching language in schools, censorship of art and cultural works, and repealing local laws’
Tech War 💽💥
TSMC 台積電 opens first chip plant in Japan for Sony and Renesas – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
TSMC 台積電’s Kumamoto plant opens as most advanced fab JASM in Japan – Focus Taiwan: ‘the fab will roll out chips made of TSMC}s mature 12 nanometer, 16nm, 22nm and 28nm processes’ 🇯🇵
Japanese government to subsidise 2nd JASM fab – Focus Taiwan 🇯🇵
TSMC werkt graag via joint ventures. In Japan met Sony als JASM, in Singapore met het Nederlandse NXP als SSMC, en straks in Dresden met NXP en het Duitse Bosch als ESMC. Alleen het wat geplaagde project in het Amerikaanse Arizona doet het zonder lokale partner – juist daar worden straks wel de geavanceerde chips geproduceerd.
German students from Dresden in Taiwan to take part in TSMC 台積電 internship programme – Focus Taiwan: ‘an internship program intended to support the development of a new fab by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) in Germany’ 🇩🇪
Nvidia has begun sampling two new AI chips for China market, says CEO – Reuters: ‘have had some of their computing power cut back to comply with new U.S. rules’ 🇺🇸
US-China tech war: second-tier ‘legacy chips’ at forefront of battle for semiconductor supremacy – SCMP 🇺🇸
Groei autoverkoop loopt op zijn einde, opmars stekkerauto’s vertraagd, China heerst – Trouw: „Autofabrikanten lopen vooral aan tegen de magere marges op elektrische auto’s.”
US should block cheap Chinese auto imports from Mexico, US makers say – Reuters 🇺🇸
Google plans to begin Pixel phone production in India in Q2 – Nikkei Asia 🇮🇳
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
‘Disillusioned about China’, more Chinese aim for US via risky Darien Gap – Al Jazeera 🇺🇸
Émigrés are creating an alternative China, one bookstore at a time – The New York Times: ‘From Tokyo and Chiang Mai, Thailand, to Amsterdam and New York, members of the Chinese diaspora are building public lives that are forbidden in China and training themselves to be civic-minded citizens — the type of Chinese the Communist Party doesn’t want them to be.’
US and Japan stage military drill with eye on China – Taipei Times: ‘a military drill to simulate the retaking of outlying islands in Kyushu and Okinawa Prefecture in a conflict scenario’ ‘conducted with a possible “Taiwan emergency” in mind’ 🇺🇸🇯🇵
The US has narrowed the gap with China in the number of diplomatic posts they both run – Bloomberg 🇺🇸
Strengthening Japan’s ties with Central and South American countries; foreign minister Kamikawa unveils diplomatic initiative at meeting in Panama –The Yomiuri Shimbun 🇯🇵
Malaysia’s prime minister Anwar Ibrahim decries ‘China-phobia’ among US and western allies – FT 🇲🇾
Vietnam and the art of not choosing – Janan Ganesh for FT 🇻🇳
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
China can learn from Russia to beat Western sanctions as ‘de-risking’ pressures mount, foreign affairs expert Ding Yifan says – SCMP: ‘formerly the deputy director of the Institute of World Development under the State Council’s Development Research Centre’ 🇷🇺
Chinese police work in Kiribati, Hawaii’s Pacific neighbour – Reuters: ‘with uniformed officers involved in community policing and a crime database program, Kiribati officials told Reuters.’ 🇰🇮
VS en China praten over lastenverlichting voor opkomende economieën – FD 🇺🇸
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 replies to letter from Iowa’s Muscatine High School students – Xinhua 🇺🇸
Philippines accuses China of attempting to block another vessel near Scarborough Shoal – AFP 🇵🇭
Japan and China start new talks on Fukushima water release – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
China’s Latin American investments downshift to smaller, more strategic projects – SCMP
Cambodia’s airport dreams stall as Chinese money dries up – Nikkei Asia 🇰🇭
Zambia says it has signed debt restructuring deal with China and India – FT 🇿🇲
Airbus says sorry for banning Chinese attendees’ visits at Singapore Airshow, pledges to optimize procedure – The Global Times: ‘in regard to some netizens saying that an Airbus-built military transport plane affiliated with the German air force was displayed at the Singapore Airshow and Chinese attendees were banned pay on-board visits.’ ‘said the move made Chinese aviation fans feel regret and disgust.’ 🇸🇬🇩🇪🇫🇷
Handig precedent voor als Europese toeristen een keer een Chinees militair vliegtuig van binnen willen bekijken.
China economie
In a first, Chinese developer China South City 华南城’s creditors plan to sue state-owned shareholder for dues – Reuters: ‘The lawsuit will be filed using a keepwell provision, which the state-owned shareholder had provided to China South City’s dollar bonds’
People’s Daily warns China’s US$63 trillion financial sector: serve the real economy and enrich lives – SCMP
Chinese prosecutors step up efforts to encourage healthy growth of enterprises – Xinhua
China's new home prices extend declines despite policy support – Reuters
China binnenland
China demands drug suppliers boost imports to combat rise in winter respiratory diseases – SCMP
China’s top anti-graft body releases work report – Xinhua
“紧急通知 目前公安部正在我的160万追随者列表和评论区逐个排查关注我的人,一经确认身份就会通知地方警察打电话叫人喝茶,因此请所有身在国内的朋友阅读下列注意事项:〔……〕” – 李老师不是你老师
Hong Kong
Hong Kong court voices concerns over lack of clarity in proposed ban on ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ 願榮光歸香港 protest song, despite ‘lawful acts’ exemption – SCMP
Anthem of the Hong Kong protests — “Glory to Hong Kong” – YouTube
Two Chinese cities join Hong Kong travel scheme to boost tourism – Reuters: ‘The Chinese cities of Xian and Qingdao have been added to a travel scheme that allows residents to visit Hong Kong in a personal capacity, rather than in a tour group’
Veelzeggen dat zulke beperkingen nog bestonden.
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
China says it has conducted patrols in waters near Kinmen – Reuters
KMT Deputy Chairman Andrew Hsia 夏立言 to visit China – Taipei Times: ‘express condolences to family members of Chinese fishers who died in waters near Kinmen County’
‘The KMT said it had begun planning the trip at the end of last year, adding that although the delegation does not have plans to visit Chinese officials, it would not reject an opportunity to do so.’
De CCP en de KMT gedragen zich graag alsof de KMT het enige geschikte aanspreekpunt is voor Peking in Taiwan.
Cross-Strait stability highlighted at G20 – Taipei Times
US and EU officials express support for Taiwan’s international participation – Focus Taiwan 🇪🇺🇺🇸
Taiwan and US sign international development MOU – Taipei Times 🇺🇸
72 DPP and KMT lawmakers establish joint US caucus – Taipei Times 🇺🇸
House China committee demands Elon Musk open SpaceX Starshield internet to US troops in Taiwan – CNBC: ‘lawmakers learned that U.S. troops stationed in Taiwan were not able to use Starshield despite the Pentagon’s stipulation of global access’ 🇺🇸
Dit is waarom Taipei aan een alternatief voor werk voor Starlink.
AIDC and Northrop sign MOU to upgrade E-2K Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft in Taiwan – Taipei Times 🇺🇸
Taiwan pledges to donate US$300,000 in relief supplies to Guatemala – Focus Taiwan 🇬🇹
Culture, democracy and clout: why three Pacific countries are sticking with Taiwan – The Guardian: ‘For Pacific countries, competition between the US and China in the region has provided “a lot more leverage” when negotiating support from western allies, says Marinaccio.’
Don’t mention the war: The local Taiwanese officials blind to the need to prepare for potential conflict – HKFP: ‘District chiefs like Tsai are typical of a segment of the population that doesn’t believe in the possibility of a war and encourages better communication with China.’
Op het laagste niveau van het Taiwanese bestuur is er vanwege historische en praktische redenen nog een dominantie van KMT, Chinese invloed en vriendjespolitiek.
Taiwan binnenland en economie
People identifying as only Chinese slumps to 2.4% – Taipei Times
Why some Taiwanese want to boycott the viral ‘Ke Mu San’ TikTok dance – The Straits Times: ‘“TikTok has become so popular among young Taiwanese that some of them have started using mainland Chinese terms in their everyday language,” said National Taiwan University political scientist Chen Shih-min, who has seen it happen among his 11-year-old daughter and her friends.’
‘United front’ propaganda suspect freed without bail – Taipei Times: ‘Prosecutors have transferred the case to the Kaohsiung branch of the High Court, which covers national security cases, and applied for pretrial detention.’
Taichung Bank chairman detained for allegedly embezzling NT$1 billion [€29m] – Focus Taiwan