De Chinese Wouden, maandag 26 mei: Nederland, Oekraïne, Verenigde Staten
De zes-puntsconsensus tussen ministers Caspar Veldkamp en Wang Yi staat nu ook op de website van de Rijksoverheid. Een andere visie op de bilaterale relatie blijkt uit een stukje op de WeChat-account van de Chinese ambassade. Ambassadeur Tan Jian sprak over zijn zorgen op de masterclass van het China Kennis Netwerk voor rijksambtenaren.
The Kyiv Independent schrijft over een voorproefje uit een interview van de chef van de Oekraïense buitenlandse inlichtingendienst. Tachtig procent van essentiële elektrische componenten in Russische drones zouden inmiddels uit China komen.
In de wereldhandelsoorlog heeft Trump – zoals ik al voorspelde – nu zijn aandacht gericht op de Europese Unie. Hij dreigt met 50% invoerheffingen op Europese goederen per 1 juni. Het aanbod dat Brussel heeft gedaan aan Washington was duidelijk niet genoeg. Ook dreigt Trump met heffingen om Apple te dwingen iPhone-productie niet uit China naar India te verplaatsen, maar in de VS te beginnen.
Aan de Chinese kant heeft de EU ook niet veel hoop. De ambassadeur in Peking, Jorge Toledo, zei dat er weinig schot zat in de technische onderhandelingen. Het is duidelijk, zoals ik eerder al schreef, dat de houding in Peking is dat verdeeld Brussel toch wel in moet schikken. Brussel zit daar echter niet op te wachten.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Consensus between the Netherlands and China – Government of the Netherlands 🇳🇱
谈践大使同荷外交部“大师班”学员座谈交流 – 中华人民共和国驻荷兰王国大使馆：“谈大使指出，当下中荷关系面临地缘政治影响、涉华负面舆情增多、双方信任赤字扩大及荷方出口管制收紧等挑战，荷兰议会频繁搞涉华动议，凸显双重标准，希望荷方客观理性看待中国，加强对话沟通，增进相互理解，促进民心相通。” 🇳🇱
De Chinese ambassadeur Tan Jian sprak bij de masterclass van het CKN. Het WeChat-bericht van de ambassade had o.a. een paragraaf waarin Tan wees op de problemen in de relatie, o.a. dankzij geopolitieke beïnvloeding, negatieve publieke opinie, Nederlandse exportcontrolemaatregelen en de Tweede Kamer.
Dutch canyoneer rescued after hard fall in eastern Taiwan – Focus Taiwan 🇳🇱
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 urges ‘new chapter’ in China-Germany ties in first call with chancellor Merz amid US trade war – SCMP: ‘“China is willing to open a new chapter of all-round strategic partnership with Germany, lead China-Europe relations to new developments, and make new contributions to the stable growth of the global economy,” he said’ 🇩🇪
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 says China ready to work with Germany to open new chapter in all-round strategic partnership – Xinhua: ‘both sides should not only continue to expand the existing cooperation in traditional fields such as automobiles, mechanical manufacturing and chemical industry, but seek more collaboration in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and quantum technology’
‘China is willing to share with Germany development opportunities brought by its high-level opening-up’ 🇩🇪
Bundeskanzler Merz telefoniert mit dem Staatspräsidenten der Volksrepublik China, Xi – Der Bundeskanzler: „Bundeskanzler Merz unterstrich die Wichtigkeit von fairem Wettbewerb und Reziprozität.“
„ Sie berieten über den russischen Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine. Der Bundeskanzler berichtete über die gemeinsamen Bemühungen Europas und der USA, einen baldigen Waffenstillstand zu erreichen. Er warb dafür, diese Bemühungen zu unterstützen.“ 🇩🇪
Belgian agents bugged Anderlecht football stadium corporate box to spy on Huawei MEP lobbying – POLITICO Europe: ‘They also listened into other conversations involving one of Huawei’s leading lobbyists, including in his car.’ 🇪🇺🇧🇪
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 congratulates Nicușor Dan on election as president of Romania – Xinhua 🇷🇴
China supplying Russian military factories with chemicals, gunpowder, and components, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence chief says – The Kyiv Independent: ‘Ivashchenko told Ukrinform that as of early 2025, 80% of critical electronic components used in Russian drones were of Chinese origin.’ 🇺🇦
China is gearing up for a post-war Ukraine – Justyna Szczudlik for The Diplomat: ‘China’s almost non-existent reaction to Trump’s Russia policy is good evidence that the current U.S. stance on the war in Ukraine and on Russia is beneficial for China.’
‘With Beijing openly stating its interest in reconstruction, participation in a peacekeeping mission could serve as a preparatory phase and further other Chinese goals.’ 🇺🇦
China and Russia leaders’ statement earlier this month avoided wording that could irk Japan – Kyodo News: ‘with Beijing asking to remove such reference so as not to damage ties with the neighboring country, diplomatic sources said Sunday.’ 🇷🇺🇯🇵
China-Belarus ties in high-level development, visiting vice premier Liu Guozhong says – Xinhua: ‘The two sides reaffirmed their commitments to firmly safeguarding the outcomes of World War II and international fairness and justice, opposing hegemonic bullying and unilateral sanctions, jointly implementing the three global initiatives, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.’ 🇧🇾
Delegation of Labour MPs arrives in Taiwan in first visit since UK election – The Guardian 🇺🇸🇬🇧
Wereldhandelsoorlog 📉💥
How Heineken tapped into China’s beer market – FT: ‘Heineken’s growth comes after a deal agreed in 2018 with China Resources Beer, China’s biggest brewer, which gave the state-owned group rights to the brand on the mainland while Heineken took a stake in China Resources Beer and gets royalties from the deal.’ 🇳🇱
EU threatens to walk away from trade showdown with China over lack of progress – SCMP: ‘the ambassador, Jorge Toledo, warned during a panel discussion: “We are having technical negotiations in Brussels … They are not making progress. […]”’
‘On June 13, Chinese officials will be in Brussels for talks on human rights before visiting the Tyrol region on the Austrian/ Italian border to “showcase how multilinguism in education can happily function”.
The site region, where a mixture of German, Italian and the local Ladin dialect is spoken, used to be the subject of a long-running border dispute but the “site trip” will be used by the EU to broach China’s alleged “coercive” efforts to replace local languages in Tibet and Xinjiang with Mandarin.’ 🇪🇺
Von der Leyen belt met Trump over importheffingen – NRC 🇪🇺🇺🇸
Trump threatens EU with 50% tariff from 1 June – Euractiv: ‘“The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.’ 🇪🇺🇺🇸
European officials seek to portray a unified calm after Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on the bloc’s imports – Bloomberg: ‘“This is all part of the negotiation,” Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said Friday during a weekly press conference.’ 🇪🇺🇺🇸
Brussel hoopte op een deal over heffingen. Nu dreigt Trump met 50 procent – NRC 🇪🇺🇺🇸
Trumps frustratie over het uitblijven van handelsdeals richt zich nu vol op Europa – NRC: „Trump lijkt van Europa nu juist een voorbeeld te willen maken voor de rest van de wereld.” 🇪🇺🇺🇸
Ik zei het al, na de aankondiging van de ‘deal’ tussen China en de VS in Genève.
President Donald Trump threatened Apple with a tariff of at least 25% if the tech company does not manufacture their iPhones in the US – Bloomberg: ‘The US lacks the rich ecosystem of Apple suppliers, manufacturing and engineering know-how that — for now — can only be found in Asia.’ 🇺🇸
Xí Jìpíng 习近平’s history shapes China’s trade war negotiating strategy – Lizzi Lee for FT: ‘The appropriate response, in Xi’s mind, may not be a negotiated settlement but a long war of resistance.’
‘Xi is not looking to “win” the trade war in a conventional sense. He’s positioning China for a drawn-out, grinding contest by building domestic capacity, hardening supply chains and rooting out perceived vulnerabilities to foreign pressure.’
China and Indonesia reaffirm Bandung Spirit, pledge closer cooperation – Xinhua: ‘“Today, more than seven decades later, the world is once again at a critical crossroads,” Li said on Saturday when addressing the business community of the two countries.’
‘Prepare for the worst’: China minds, on guard against US punches, stress need for talks – SCMP: ‘many ex-official and policy advisers have urged the government to guard against any future barrage of American punches, and to also rally the support of major trading partners and forge stronger relations with Global South nations.’
VS-China 🇨🇳
Senior US and China diplomats Christopher Landau and Ma Zhaoxu hold phone call to discuss ‘issues of mutual interest’ – AFP 🇺🇸
Voorbereiding voor een telefoongesprek op hoger niveau?
Chinese vice premier Hé Lìfēng 何立峰 meets chair of Citigroup and CEO of Carlyle Group respectively – Xinhua 🇺🇸
In Depth: China’s export engine reboots cautiously after tariff truce – Caixin Global: ‘Ships that had been lingering offshore are now docking, freight firms are scrambling to recall staff back from leave and long idle truckers are back on the road.’
Chinese factories scramble to keep up with US orders amid trade truce – Yicai Global
VS-Taiwan 🇹🇼
TSMC 台積電 hits back, warns US of consequences of semiconductor tariffs – Focus Taiwan: ‘warned the United States that any future tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors could reduce demand for chips and derail its pledge to increase its investment in Arizona.’
Minister welcomes more US cooperation on chips – Taipei Times
VS-wereld 🌏
US-China trade war is pushing Asian nations to pick sides, ministers warn – FT: ‘Malaysia and Singapore find harder to maintain neutrality as geopolitical tensions grow’ 🇲🇾🇸🇬
Indonesian government seizes millions of illegally imported tools from China tracked through TikTok ads – Jakarta Globe 🇮🇩
Japan says its economic importance more clear to US in tariff talks – Kyodo News 🇯🇵
Latin America trade halt with China would be disaster, says outgoing OAS chief – FT
Techoorlog 💽💥
Nederlandse hightech profiteert van de slagkracht van Singapore en Maleisië – NRC: „Een upgrade van de Nederlandse fabriek is niet te betalen, stelt NXP.”
„De verhuizing van Zuidoost-Brabant naar Zuidoost-Azië is al in volle gang.” 🇳🇱
Dit zijn de 7 uitvindingen waarmee ASML-machines nóg complexere chips kunnen maken – NRC 🇳🇱
EUV lithography restrictions on China must continue, Trump’s AI and crypto czar David Sacks says – Reuters 🇺🇸
Xinhua Commentary: Washington cannot win tech race through suppression – Xinhua 🇺🇸
China’s corruption busters eye key tech sectors as Beijing gears up to challenge US – SCMP: ‘The rare release of an anti-corruption report last week indicates that the internet sector may also be another area under investigation.’
Taiwanese government launches talent plan as Nvidia looks to open office in Taipei – Focus Taiwan
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
The Trump administration is considering whether to withdraw thousands of American troops from South Korea, a move that could stir new anxiety among allies – WSJ: ‘An option being developed by the Pentagon is to pull out roughly 4,500 troops and move them to other locations in the Indo-Pacific region, including to Guam’ 🇺🇸🇰🇷
Pentagon denies report of US troop withdrawal plan for South Korea – The Japan Times 🇺🇸🇰🇷
Donald Trump purges dozens of National Security Council officials – FT: ‘Three people familiar with the dismissals said Ivan Kanapathy, the senior director for Asia, remained but his China team had been let go.’ 🇺🇸
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
China lodges representations over Japan’s seizure of Taiwanese fishing boat, foreign ministry says – Xinhua: ‘noting that according to the China-Japan Fisheries Agreement, Japan has no right to take law enforcement measures against Chinese [sic] fishing vessels in relevant waters.’ 🇯🇵🇹🇼
Purely business or sinister security risk? Chinese ‘land grabs’ spook US allies Japan and South Korea – The Straits Times 🇯🇵🇰🇷
South Korea foreign ministry voices concerns over China’s establishment of no-sail zone in overlapping waters in the Yellow Sea – Yonhap News: ‘following its unilateral installation of steel structures on the western side of the PMZ.’ 🇰🇷
China en Indonesië schroeven economische samenwerking flink op – ANP 🇮🇩
In Indonesia, China’s premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强 urges multilateralism in the face of protectionism – SCMP: ‘He told Prabowo that China was willing to work with Indonesia and other developing countries to “uphold multilateralism and free trade”, while “firmly safeguarding their interests and jointly promoting regional and global peace, stability and development”.’ 🇮🇩
China and Indonesia agreed to strengthen ties in tourism and agriculture and step up links between their sovereign wealth funds during a visit to Jakarta by Premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强 – Bloomberg: ‘Both their central banks signed a MOU on a framework for bilateral transactions in local currencies’ 🇮🇩
China and Indonesia reaffirm Bandung Spirit, pledge closer cooperation – Xinhua: ‘“Today, more than seven decades later, the world is once again at a critical crossroads,” Li said on Saturday when addressing the business community of the two countries.’ 🇮🇩
China fully prepared for external shocks, premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强 tells Chinese enterprises in Indonesia – Xinhua 🇮🇩
China en Filippijnen ruziën om een zandbank, en dat kon best eens uit de hand lopen – Trouw 🇵🇭
China deploys water cannon in Spratlys clash with Philippines over Sandy Cay – SCMP 🇵🇭
China warns US against using the Philippines to stir trouble in South China Sea – Xinhua 🇺🇸🇵🇭
China-Thailand meeting yields agreement on strategic cooperation and military exercises – SCMP 🇹🇭
More Malaysians choosing skills over degrees; vocational training gets boost from Beijing – The Straits Times: ‘Malaysia has sent a total of 2,621 trainees to China as at May 1, 2025, according to Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.’ 🇲🇾
Chinese premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强 congratulates Singapore PM Lawrence Wong 黄循财 on 2nd term – Xinhua
Israël onderhandelt met China terwijl EU en Canada handel onder de loep nemen – de Volkskrant: „Vooral een verdrag met China zou Israël een flink grotere afzetmarkt opleveren met geen of weinig handelsbeperkingen. China is ondertussen ook in onderhandeling met Palestina” 🇮🇱🇵🇸
Exclusive: Taliban in talks with Russia and China for trade with Afghanistan transactions in local currencies – Reuters 🇦🇫
Inside China’s ‘stolen iPhone building’ – FT: ‘Online message boards complaining of stolen phones emerging in Shenzhen identify a range of locations in the city.’
China’s advanced Fujian carrier conducts ‘intensive’ eighth sea trial – SCMP
China economie
China is getting ready for a key party meeting to discuss its next 5-year plan – SCMP: ‘A one-month online public consultation on the formulation of the plan was also launched on Tuesday.’
80% of Chinese banks see margins shrink below profitability threshold – Nikkei Asia: ‘To support cash flow, the government has instructed banks to lower lending interest rates to small and medium-sized enterprises.’
Young Chinese put retirement plans on hold amid slowing economy and demographic crisis – SCMP
China’s cyberspace regulator tightens oversight on platforms spreading financial misinformation – Xinhua
China’s local governments must now justify big jumps in fines, charges on private firms – SCMP: ‘part of central government efforts to stamp out illegal investigations and profit-seeking targeting private enterprises.’
Chinese premier Li Qiang chairs State Council meeting on green manufacturing and ecological protection – Xinhua: ‘The meeting also discussed a draft amendment to the nation's Food Safety Law.’
China binnenland
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 stresses high-quality cultural-ethical advancement – Xinhua: ‘made the remarks in a recent instruction, which was conveyed at a national conference on Friday that honored champions of cultural and ethical progress.’
‘When power can define madness’: China accused of using mental health law to lock up critics – The Guardian: ‘victims and activists say that the practice of involuntary hospitalisation remains common, with a weakened civil society limiting the ability of people to defend their rights.’
China greenlights mega-project canal linking resource-rich Jiangxi to wealthy Zhejiang – SCMP
Twinkle, twinkle, little Y-20 … Chinese children’s songs get a military makeover by state media – SCMP: ‘Nationalism on Chinese social media is on the rise, especially since Pakistan’s Chinese-made weapons showed strength against India’s Western and Russian weapons’
Hong Kong
Hong Kong to host carnival at former Tiananmen vigil site for third straight year – SCMP
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
CCP pushing people on Taiwan’s outlying islands to get Chinese IDs, source says – Taipei Times: ‘The efforts are part of China’s promotion of a “Kinmen-Xiamen twin-city living sphere, including a cross-strait integration pilot zone in China’s Fujian Province,” the source said.’ 🇨🇳
Probe of ‘Chinese’ civil servants in second stage – Taipei Times: ‘Government officials yesterday issued a statement urging public servants to disclose whether they hold Chinese ID cards, residence permits or household registrations, saying that failure to comply could result in the loss of Taiwanese citizenship, the source said.’ 🇨🇳
Chinese man caught swimming to Kinmen with flotation ring, Taiwanese coast guard says – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇳
Taiwan opens market to all Japanese beef products – Focus Taiwan 🇯🇵
Philippine official denies mistreatment of Taiwanese fishing vessel crew – Focus Taiwan: ‘The official said the Taiwanese vessel was “engaged in actual fishing within the territorial sea of the Philippines”’ 🇵🇭
Guam Governor visits Taiwan for first trip since taking office – Focus Taiwan: ‘Guerrero and Lai last met in December 2024, when Lai made an overnight stopover in the territory’ 🇬🇺🇺🇸
South Africa downgrades Taiwan’s representative office as it deepens ties with Beijing – SCMP: ‘Meanwhile, Somalia has banned the entry, exit or transit of Taiwanese passport holders, an action seen as retaliation for Taiwan’s growing ties with Somaliland’ 🇿🇦🇸🇴
Raise invasion cost for China by 2027, defence minister Wellington Koo 顧立雄 (DPP) says – Taipei Times: ‘The ministry’s medium and long-term force structure strategy emphasizes developing asymmetric capabilities, enhancing defensive resilience, strengthening reserve forces and countering China’s “gray zone” tactics, he said.’
US, Taiwan drone cooperation boosts security and industry, AIT director says – Taipei Times 🇺🇸
Military expands limits on conscripts with links to China – Taipei Times
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Taiwan’s Central Election Commission approves nuclear power referendum, rejects death penalty vote – Focus Taiwan: ‘According to the CEC, that proposal was not allowed because it contradicted a constitutional court ruling in 2024 requiring unanimous decisions for death sentences.’
Ironisch genoeg is één van de redenen waarom referenda in Taiwan niet grondwettelijke vraagstukken mogen betreffen de angst in o.a. het KMT-kamp voor een onafhankelijkheidsreferendum.
KMT New Taipei City chapters searched – Taipei Times: ‘listed 10 party executives and staff as suspects in their probes into fraud and forgery relating to petition campaigns to recall four Democratic Progressive Party legislators.’
‘New Taipei City KMT executives allegedly instructed staff and volunteers to go to party offices during the Lunar New Year holiday in February to copy names from KMT member lists’
Donovan’s Deep Dives: Lu Shiow-yen 盧秀燕 signals her challenge to KMT leadership – Courtney Donovan Smith for Taipei Times: ‘appealing to centrist voters using moderate language that could propel her to the nation’s highest office in 2028’
President Lai announces NT$10bn [€294m] fund for green growth – Taipei Times
Landslide-damaged railway track in Taiwan’s Hualien County reopens – Focus Taiwan
Civil groups seek driver’s license renewal reform following deadly crash – Focus Taiwan
‘Rapid, intense’ COVID surge reported – Taipei Times
KMT urges Lai to include energy in national security briefing – Taipei Times
Think tank Sanhe practice institute launched in Taiwan to promote peaceful reunification of motherland – Xinhua: ‘The think tank is initiated by the New Party, with participation from the Labor Party and other political parties in Taiwan, as well as young people from various sectors of society.’ 🇨🇳