De Chinese Wouden, maandag 26 juni: Oekraïne
De operette in Rusland werd ook in China gevolgd. Een Russische onderminister van buitenlandse zaken was in Peking voor gesprekken. Toen de afloop eenmaal duidelijk was, kwam het Chinese ministerie ook met een summiere verklaring van steun en non-interventie. Dat is gebruikelijk. Wel is interessant wat die onderminister kwam vertellen.
De Taiwanese verkiezingen van januari 2024 zijn nog een eindje weg, maar er komen wel steeds meer vragen over de lusteloze campagne van KMT-kandiaat Hou Yu-ih. Hou zakt steeds verder weg in de peilingen. De regerende DPP wordt ondertussen wel enigszins geraakt door de voortwoekerende #MeToo-schandalen, maar de schade blijft meevallen. Uiteindelijk doen DPP en TPP er ook meer aan dan de conservatie KMT.
The Economist heeft een interessant verhaal over China’s blokkade van export naar Zweden van een belangrijke grondstof die de meest veelbelovende Europese batterijproducent Northolt nodig heeft om de concurrentie aan te gaan met de dominante Chinese producten.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
US-EU: Consultations between US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and European External Action Service Secretary General Stefano Sannino – US Department of State: ‘Under Secretary Nuland and Secretary General Sannino discussed China’s position on Russia’s illegal, unprovoked, and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine. They reaffirmed that direct or indirect support for Russia’s war efforts, including circumvention or undermining sanctions against Russia and arms transfers, would be met with a strong reaction and have consequences for our respective relationships with China.’
‘On Taiwan, they underscored the overriding importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait (the “Strait”), where the United States, the EU, and countries worldwide have clear interests, and regional and global security and prosperity are at stake.’ 🇪🇺🇺🇦
Macron says a global agenda is ‘impossible’ without US-China cooperation – CNN 🇫🇷
Chinese premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强 avoids ‘factional confrontation’ with Europe on maiden trip – FT: ‘Li’s approach signalled that Beijing is embarking on a two-track approach with Europe, attempting to handle business relations and climate co-operation separately from thornier issues, such as China’s support for Russia in the Ukraine war. By contrast, Chinese officials have often made climate co-operation with the US conditional on foreign policy demands.’
Chinese premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强’s Europe trip good for trade, but EU de-risking push makes matters ‘more complicated’ – SCMP
Head of CCP international liaison office Liú Jiànchāo 刘建超 sets off for Rome – Decode39: ‘In an interview with Fanpage, the Chinese ambassador to Italy, Jia Guide, highlighted that leaving the BRI “would negatively impact (Italy’s) image, credibility and cooperation prospect.”’ 🇮🇹
Natuurlijk is het negatief voor de stemming in de bilaterale betrekkingen, als je een vriendschappelijk samenwerkingsverdrag opzegt, omdat je het andere land niet vertrouwt. Alleen zou het helpen als Chinese diplomaten dat op een toon communiceerden die wat minder maffioos klonk.
Fast-fashion giant Shein will strengthen its presence in Europe and Mexico, including selling more locally made products, in a bid to diversify its China-centric supply chain – Bloomberg 🇪🇺
Heet dat ook ‘de-risking’?
Taiwan’s deputy economics minister Chen Chern-chyi 陳正祺 [Chén Zhèngqí] visits EU institutions in Belgium – Focus Taiwan 🇪🇺
Taiwan and Czech constitutional court chiefs meet for first time – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇿
Czech foreign affairs committee calls for Taiwan’s global inclusion – Taipei Times 🇨🇿
Taiwan-backed fund invests in Central and Eastern Europe as ties warm – Nikkei Asia
Taiwan, cruciale pion op schaakbord van de wereldpolitiek: „We zijn een doorn in het oog van China” – De Tijd
Oekraïne 🇺🇦
China expresses support for Russia after aborted mutiny – Reuters: ‘Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko held talks in Beijing on “international” issues on Sunday’
Chinese FM spokesperson makes remarks on Wagner Group incident – Xinhua
China looking to learn lessons from Yevgeny Prigozhin’s aborted Russian rebellion – SCMP
Chinese firm Poly Technologies sent large shipments of gunpowder to Russian munitions factory Barnaul – The New York Times: ‘Open source information suggests the plant may have served as a training camp linked with the Wagner Group’
EU gains new sanctions weapon but will probably be too nice to use it – POLITICO Europe: ‘After Beijing threatened countermeasures, EU countries shied away from imposing stricter trade restrictions on several Chinese companies that the Commission had proposed, and only kept less than a handful of Hong Kong-based companies on the list.’
New EU sanctions over Russia’s war target fewer Chinese companies than planned – dpa
Taiwan joins ERBD plan to help Ukraine insurance sector – Taipei Times
Taipei Representative Office in Budapest office announces donation for Ukrainian children group – Taipei Times
Tech War 💽💥
Why is China blocking graphite exports to Sweden? – The Economist: ‘The insiders aware of the Chinese graphite ban have started to question if the unofficial measures have been designed to stymie innovation in Europe as China builds a [battery] foothold there.’
Chinese scientist arrested in Tokyo after confidential data leaked to firm – The Asahi Shimbun
Taiwan and South Korea, once tech industry rivals, are joining forces under geopolitical pressure – SCMP
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
US combat ship to make rare port call in Vietnam amid South China Sea tensions – Reuters
Biden and Modi take careful indirect aim at China and Russia in joint statement – Reuters
Discussed China with Modi but don’t see India as ‘counterweight’, says White House – The Hindustan Times
China targets weakest link in Washington-Tokyo-Seoul triad – The Nikkei Asia: ‘China has aligned with South Korea’s opposition in an effort to sway public sentiment and prevent the three countries from drawing closer, according to South Korean pundits.’
De EU is defensief op economisch gebied en dat is onverstandig – Alexandre Gomes en Maaike Okano-Heijmans in NRC: „Juist het bedrijfsleven en ontwikkelende economieën van Zuid-Afrika tot Vietnam en van Nigeria tot Kazachstan spelen een sleutelrol in het beschermen van Europa’s economische belangen.”
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
US intelligence report on Covid-19 origins rejects some points raised by lab leak theory proponents – AP
US files first-ever charges against Chinese fentanyl manufacturers – Reuters
Russia and China block move for new Antarctic marine reserves – AFP
China stresses common threats and security as it pushes for Iran-Pakistan engagement – SCMP
China economie
China’s latest holiday spending still below pre-covid levels – Bloomberg
Can China fix youth unemployment woes with military recruitment drive? – SCMP
China binnenland
Charter flights and low-key tours mark a new approach for China’s premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强 – SCMP
China’s anxious parents turn to tutoring black market despite Xi crackdown – FT
Elderly Uyghurs die alone in jail, detained on trumped-up charges – The China Project
Architects of the Uyghur Genocide: Chinese Government Agencies Behind the Systematic Repression – Uyghur Rights Monitor
China defends hillside rice farming as country pushes to guarantee food security – SCMP
China’s groene muur krijgt vorm, oprukken woestijn halt toegeroepen – NOS
Hong Kong
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Taiwan says Chinese air force approached close to island’s 24nm contiguous zone – Reuters
Op zich niet zo moeilijk, gezien de baselines die Taiwan claimt.
Missile production to hit delivery peak – Taipei Times: ‘In other developments, a source close to the military yesterday said that the army is customizing reconnaissance drones made by the CSIST to give them combat capabilities.’
Draftees to have option of finishing college plus military service in 4 years – Focus Taiwan
What Do Taiwanese Think About Expanding Conscription? A new survey finds broad support for the lengthened conscription period, even past the current one year mark – Timothy S. Rich and Serena White for The Diplomat
Taiwan asked Australia to post a military attache to Taipei amid sustained tensions with China – Bloomberg
Palau under CCP pressure to switch recognition from Taiwan to China – The Sunday Guardian
Taiwan verkiezingen
Taiwan’s coming presidential election loomed large in talks between senior Chinese officials and Antony Blinken during the US secretary of state’s recent visit to Beijing – WSJ: ‘Chinese officials indicated the political position of Vice President Lai Ching-te, considered by Beijing as a member of the “pro-independence” wing, could exacerbate tensions across the Taiwan Strait, further harming the relations between the U.S. and China, the people briefed on the matter said.’
Dat Lai zichzelf een ‘pragmatische politiek werker voor onafhankelijkheid’ heeft genoemd wordt vaak verkeerd uitgelegd. De uitspraak was bij zijn eerste optreden in het parlement als premier in 2017. Hij stond bekend als ‘politiek werker voor onafhankelijkheid’, iets wat hij gezien de overtuigingen van veel DPP-stemmers, zijn factie binnen de partij en waarschijnlijk ook zijn eigen opvattingen niet kon ontkennen. Daarom voegde hij dat ‘pragmatische’ er aan toe. De opmerking was juist een verklaring dat hij achter de pragmatische lijn van Tsai Ing-wen staat i.p.v. radicale stappen voorstaat. Dat is dus het omgekeerde van waar het citaat doorgaans wordt aangehaald.
Calls to dump Hou Yu-ih 侯友宜 [Hóu Yǒuyí] as KMT’s Taiwan presidential candidate grow – Courtney Donovan Smith
DPP members defend tuition plan after Ko Wen-je 柯文哲 [Kē Wénzhé] (TPP)’s criticism – Taipei Times
Taiwan binnenland en economie
State-run enterprises to be asked for pay hike plans – Focus Taiwan
New Southbound countries increasingly important for Taiwan exporters, Cabinet claims – Focus Taiwan
Taiwan envoy to Thailand Chuang Suo-hang 莊碩漢 (DPP) resigned over sexual harassment allegations – Focus Taiwan
Talent-strapped Taiwan studies becoming Asia’s first to offer digital nomad visa – SCMP
Taiwan’s chaotic traffic a ‘living hell’ for pedestrians – The Straits Times