De Chinese Wouden, maandag 29 april: spionage Duitsland, Blinken, Hamas-Fatah
De grote nieuwsonderwerpen blijven om aandacht vragen. Er komt meer naar buiten over de spionagezaak. Blinken was in China voor een belangrijk bezoek. Peking zou gastheer zijn voor overleg tussen Hamas en Fatah.
Maar ik wil de in Taiwan geïnteresseerden ook aanmoedigen om omlaag te scrollen. De ‘fractievoorzitter’ van de KMT in het parlement leidde een delegatie van ongeveer één derde van zijn fractie naar China. De hoop van Peking om door de KMT via het parlement de Chinese wensen op Taiwan te bereiken lijkt concreter te worden. De vraag blijf hoeveel ze van de KMT gedaan kunnen krijgen.
Voor Nederland is het belangrijk om in de gaten te houden: naast de voorspelbare wens van Peking en Taiwanese zakenlieden in China om de Anti-infiltratiewet af te zwakken ziet de Liberty Times ook Chinese hoop om via de KMT te zorgen dat Taiwan een gat wordt in de door Amerika aangemoedigde barrières voor de uitvoer van hoogwaardige technologie.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Descendants of last Dutch governor-general of Formosa pay respects at Koxinga Shrine in Tainan – Taipei Times 🇳🇱
EU to tell Beijing of plan to blacklist more Chinese businesses for breaching Russia sanctions – SCMP: ‘The aim of the meeting is to enlist Beijing’s help in closing the loopholes, people familiar with the planning said. Previous consultations like this have resulted in the removal of Chinese firms from a draft blacklist before it got published, after Beijing committed to stopping the trade.’ 🇪🇺
EU pulls its gun on China – POLITICO Europe 🇪🇺
Speech by EVP Margrethe Vestager at the EU Competition Day: competition and competitiveness in uncertain geopolitical times – European Commission: ‘doping cannot foster competitiveness, for anyone.’ 🇪🇺
Trade imbalance doesn’t tell the whole story while mutual benefit holds the key to bilateral trade – Mr PENG Gang, Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs, Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the EU 🇪🇺
Wat is het aandeel van de treinen van de door dhr. Peng geprezen China-Europe Railway Express dat helpt de Russische strijdkrachten te bevoorraden?
EU toughens rules for online fast fashion retailer Shein 希音 – AFP 🇪🇺
EU and China agree to further cooperation on circular economy – European Commission 🇪🇺
Japan and EU to boost economic security ties and reduce dependency on China – Kyodo News: ‘The leaders of Japan and the 27-nation bloc are working toward issuing a joint statement promoting the establishment of transparent, resilient and sustainable supply chains at a Japan-EU High-level Economic Dialogue to be held in Paris in early May, the sources said.’ 🇪🇺🇯🇵
Chinese and Russian defence ministers reaffirm close bilateral ties – SCMP 🇷🇺
China ready to strengthen high-level exchanges with France, Wáng Yì 王毅 tells Emmanuel Bonne – Xinhua: ‘Wang said that China and France both insist on independence and win-win cooperation, both oppose the division of the world and bloc confrontation, and both practice multilateralism and uphold the UN Charter and international law.’
‘It is hoped that the French side will push the European Union to continue to pursue a positive and pragmatic policy toward China, Wang added.’ 🇫🇷
China and France agree to deepen military cooperation as South China Sea tensions rise – SCMP: ‘The armed forces of China and France have set up a new inter-theatre cooperation and dialogue mechanism’ 🇫🇷
France and the Philippines to start talks on a ‘visiting forces agreement’, French envoy says – AP 🇫🇷🇵🇭
EVC hosted consultation of Taiwanese police chief with Czech legislators – European Values Center: ‘a Taiwanese delegation led by General Wang Chun-Li (王俊力), Director-General of Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB, 法務部調查局).’ 🇨🇿
De gebruikelijke americentrische beschrijving wil dat de MJIB de ‘Taiwanese FBI’ is.
Visiting Ukrainian NGOs call for more support from Taiwan – Focus Taiwan 🇺🇦
Lawmakers from Sweden support Taiwan’s WHO bid – Taipei Times 🇸🇪
Tory MP claims he was deported from Djibouti due to sanctions by China – The Guardian 🇬🇧
Spionage 🇨🇳🕵🏻♂️
Antwoord op vragen van de leden Sneller en Zeedijk over de Chinese cyberaanvallen op Nederlandse Kamerleden – Minister Bruins Slot, Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal: „Wij delen de zorgen over de gevolgen van Chinese cyberaanvallen. Die zorgen zijn overgebracht door de minister-president en de minister voor Buitenlandse Handel en Ontwikkelingssamenwerking aan de Chinese autoriteiten tijdens hun gezamenlijke bezoek aan Beijing op 26 en 27 maart jl. Daarbij is specifiek verwezen naar de recente attributie door het kabinet van een Chinese cyberaanval op het ministerie van Defensie.” 🇳🇱
China, Russland und die AfD: Alternative gegen Deutschland – Der Spiegel 🇩🇪
Naast achtergrond van de pro-Chinese houding van europarlementariër Maximilian Krah brengt Der Spiegel ook in herinnering dat er Chinese banden waren met de curieuze kamervragen van AfD-Bondsdaglid Stefan Keuter die Hongkongse activisten verdacht maakten.
MEP Maximilian Krah (AfD)’s office accessed ‘sensitive’ documents, EU Parliament trade committee chair says – POLITICO Europe 🇪🇺
Offene Flanken für China, nicht nur bei der AfD: Deutschlands Abhängigkeit von China ist gefährlich, doch die Bundesregierung verändert nichts. Diese Naivität spielt den Antidemokraten in die Hände. – Zeit 🇩🇪
Bundesjustizminister Marco Buschmann rechnet mit weiteren Spionagefällen – Zeit 🇩🇪
China spy suspects in UK and Germany seen as ‘tip of iceberg’ – Nikkei Asia 🇪🇺
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Regular Press Conference on April 26, 2024 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China:
Bloomberg: I have a follow-up question about the German Ambassador being summoned. On March 31, 2022, the Australian Ambassador to China complained that he couldn’t enter the courtroom for the court case of Cheng Lei who was charged with spying in China. You personally at that time said that China is a country under the rule of law. The Chinese judicial authorities try cases in strict accordance with law and fully protect the litigation rights of relevant individuals. Relevant sides should earnestly respect China’s judicial sovereignty and refrain from interfering in the law-based handling of the case by Chinese judicial authorities in any form. So my question is, why was it inappropriate for Ambassador Fletcher to comment on the Chinese legal system two years ago, but it’s now appropriate for the Chinese authorities to summon the German ambassador and to complain about Germany’s legal system in these cases?
Wang Wenbin: I don’t think this is a fair comparison.
About Cheng Lei’s case, the Chinese authorities released information on it, which you may refer to. China’s judicial authorities tried the case and delivered the sentence in accordance with the law. The rights enjoyed by the individual concerned under the law were fully protected, and Australia’s consular rights including the right to visit and the right to be notified were respected and implemented. China is a country that upholds the rule of law and handles matters fully in accordance with the law.
As for the so-called “Chinese spy” cases, we’ve stressed multiple times that the so-called threat of “Chinese spies” is purely baseless. We firmly oppose groundless accusations and vilification against China. China builds its ties with Germany on the basis of mutual respect, mutually beneficial cooperation, equality and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. This is good for both sides and the world at large. We hope that Germany will guard against attempts to damage its relations with China, stand against political manipulation and seriously look after this bilateral relationship. I think you know very well that this is not an issue about judicial systems.
Er zit een stevige journalist bij Bloomberg…
Blinken in China 🇺🇸🇨🇳
Bezoek Blinken aan Beijing kan kloof tussen VS en China niet dichten – de handel en Rusland blijven pijnpunten – de Volkskrant 🇺🇸
Blinken spars with China on Russia support and industrial overcapacity – Nikkei Asia: ‘Before seeing the president, Blinken spoke with Wang for five and a half hours.’ 🇺🇸
Key issues discussed by Blinken in talks with Chinese leaders – Reuters 🇺🇸
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 meets US secretary of state – Xinhua: ‘Noting that the stabilizing trend in China-U.S. relations did not come by easily, Xi said it is hoped that the two teams will continue working actively to follow through on the San Francisco vision [sic] he and President Biden reached, so as to truly stabilize, improve and move forward the bilateral relations.’ 🇺🇸
China hopes US can view China’s development in positive light, Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 says – Xinhua: ‘“This is a fundamental issue that must be addressed, just like the first button of a shirt that must be put right, in order for the China-U.S. relationship to truly stabilize, improve and move forward,” Xi said when meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.’ 🇺🇸
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping Before Their Meeting – US Department of State 🇺🇸
Chinese foreign minister Wáng Yì 王毅 holds talks with US secretary of state – Xinhua: ‘said that currently China-U.S. relations have generally stabilized, avoiding further deterioration, but negative factors are still growing and accumulating.’
‘He said that in the current turbulent international situation, the two countries should first answer a fundamental question on their relationship, which is whether China and the United States should be partners or rivals, adding that it is like the first button of a shirt that must be put right for the stable development of bilateral relations.’
1. ‘the Taiwan question is the “first red line” that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations’
2. ‘Wang said the Chinese people’s right to development is inalienable. The United States has taken endless measures to suppress China’s economy, trade as well as science and technology’
3. ‘Noting that the Asia-Pacific region should not become an arena for major-country contest’
China and US reach five-point consensus at Beijing meeting – Xinhua
1. ‘First, both sides agreed to continue to work hard to stabilize and develop China-U.S. relations in accordance with the guidance of the two heads of state.’
2. ‘Second, both sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges and contacts at all levels.’
3. ‘Third, the two sides announced that they would hold […] consultations.’
4. ‘Fourth, the two sides will take measures to expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges […]’
5. ‘Fifth, the two sides will maintain consultations on international and regional hotspot issues […]’
China’s police chief Wáng Xiǎohóng 王小洪 meets US secretary of state – Xinhua: ‘The U.S. side should inject positive energy into bilateral relations, Wang said.’ 🇺🇸
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with People’s Republic of China Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong – US Department of State: ‘The Secretary stressed the need for continued, sustained, and increased progress on counternarcotics cooperation.’ 🇺🇸
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Press Availability – US Department of State: ‘I reiterated our serious concern about the PRC providing components that are powering Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.’ 🇺🇸
US chip bans not meant to hobble China’s growth, Blinken tells NPR – Reuters 🇺🇸
Blinken: aanwijzingen dat China presidentsverkiezingen VS wil beïnvloeden – NOS 🇺🇸
China-US relations: giant panda pair to take up residence in San Diego – SCMP 🇺🇸
Tenminste één deliverable.
Chinese foreign ministry official Yang Tao on US Secretary of State Blinken’s visit to China – Xinhua
Xinhua Commentary: Washington should stop double-dealing when it comes to US-China relations – Xinhua: ‘This myopic viewpoint reflects Washington's deep-seated reluctance to adapt to a shifting global landscape’
Kremlin, commenting on Blinken lobbying China on Russia, says Moscow and Beijing ties to continue – Reuters 🇷🇺
Taiwan reports Chinese military activity after Blinken leaves Beijing – Reuters 🇹🇼
Overleg Hamas-Fatah 🇵🇸
China to host Hamas and Fatah for Palestinian unity talks – Reuters: ‘the two groups and a Beijing-based diplomat said on Friday’
‘The visit will be the first time a Hamas delegation is publicly known to have gone to China since the start of the war in Gaza. A Chinese diplomat, Wang Kejian, met Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar last month, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.’ 🇵🇸
China hosts talks between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah in bid to end internal divisions, Riyadh-based Arab News reports – SCMP: ‘China has not confirmed whether two rival Palestinian groups are meeting in Beijing, saying only that Beijing backs “internal reconciliation among Palestinian factions through dialogue and consultation”.’ 🇵🇸
Written interview with Al Jazeera Media Network by Foreign Minister Wáng Yì 王毅 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China: ‘The protracted conflict in Gaza has become a humanitarian catastrophe that should not have happened, which has gone far beyond the bottom line of modern civilization.’ 🇵🇸🇾🇪🇺🇦🇹🇼🇺🇸
Chinese cargo ships poised to gain from Red Sea tensions – Nikkei Asia 🇾🇪
Tech War 💽💥
Bosch to launch urban navigate-on-autopilot functions in Chinese cities – Reuters 🇩🇪
Elon Musk visits China as Tesla seeks self-driving technology rollout – Reuters 🇺🇸
Chinese national arrested in United States for alleged scheme to illegally export semiconductor manufacturing machine – US Department of Justice 🇺🇸
Beijing City to push subsidies for local firms to buy China-made chips to shore up city’s computing infrastructure – SCMP: ‘the city will provide an undisclosed amount of subsidies to help local firms buy graphics processing units (GPUs) made by domestic manufacturers’
China’s drive for tech progress stifled by ‘title-driven’ research approach – SCMP
Someday soon China might dominate the hydrogen supply chain too – David Dodwell in SCMP
Taiwanese chip testing and packaging service provider King Yuan 京元 plans to divest its Chinese subsidiary – Taipei Times: ‘King Yuan said it would shift its investment to Taiwan to catch up with fast-growing demand for chips used in mobile devices, vehicles, Internet of Things, high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) devices.’
MediaTek 聯發科 expects 15% revenue growth – Taipei Times: ‘as a proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications for premium smartphones are fueling demand for its flagship smartphone chips.’
Time to get serious with ‘de-risking’ – Thorsten Benner and Jakob Hensing for Internationale Politik Quarterly: ‘[Germany and Europe] must define their own agenda—in dialogue with like-minded countries’ 🇩🇪🇪🇺
EU should do more to curb steel imports from Asia, says Acerinox CEO – Reuters 🇪🇸
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
A New Pacific Arsenal to Counter China: With missiles, submarines and alliances, the Biden administration has built a presence in the region to rein in Beijing’s expansionist goals – The New York Times 🇺🇸
US Pacific commander says China is pursuing ‘boiling frog’ strategy – FT 🇺🇸
Eens.
Japan’s defence spending climbs to 1.6% of GDP – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Philippines denies deal with China over disputed South China Sea shoal – Reuters: ‘A spokesperson at China’s embassy in Manila said on April 18 that the two had agreed early this year to a “new model” in managing tensions at the Second Thomas Shoal, without elaborating.’ 🇵🇭
China’s coast guard confronts Japanese politicians in disputed East China Sea area – Reuters 🇯🇵
Northeast China port resumes passenger ferry service with Republic of Korea – Xinhua 🇰🇷
China highlights extremism threat, pledges deeper military ties with Kazakhstan – SCMP 🇰🇿
China economie
China factory profits slip as overcapacity troubles economic recovery – FT: ‘The March reading was a blow to Beijing after industrial profits in the January-February period jumped 10 per cent’
China is buying less from its Asian neighbours, too – Sonal Varma (Nomura) in Nikkei Asia
China’s sovereign fund Central Huijin 中央汇金 poured nearly CN¥330 billion [€42b] into stock market in first quarter – Caixin Global: ‘State funds have played a key role in stabilizing China’s latest stock rout.’
China’s distressed property developers reveal wave of job cuts – Nikkei Asia
Exclusive: Country Garden 碧桂园 plans to present debt revamp plan in second half – Reuters: ‘it would help the developer push back against the liquidation petition.’
Chinese brokerage CICC 中金公司 cutting dealmakers' base pay by 25%, sources say – Reuters
Local Chinese authorities are now addicted to traffic fines: What that tells you about the country’s economic woes – The Economist
Bezorgde Chinezen vinden elkaar online in speelse spaargroepen: „Iedereen moedigt elkaar aan” – de Volkskrant: „Chinezen zijn traditioneel al grote spaarders, maar doen daar nu nog een schepje bovenop.” „Economen zeggen al jaren dat de Chinese overheid de binnenlandse consumptie moet versterken om de Chinese economie een gezondere basis te geven.”
China binnenland
Strong tornado kills 5, injures 33 in China’s Guangzhou – Xinhua
China said goodbye to ‘zero-Covid’ rules over a year ago, but is Beijing still hanging on to the past? – SCMP: ‘Noted [i.e. state] outlets China National Radio and Beijing Daily have reported on the issue, with Xinhua now also weighing in.’
Hong Kong
Spokesperson of the Chinese Mission to the EU Speaks on a Question Concerning European Parliament’s Resolution on Hong Kong – Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the EU 🇪🇺
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Group of 17 KMT lawmakers led by KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi 傅崐萁 depart for China – Taipei Times 🇨🇳
Dat is een substantieel deel van de 52 KMT-parlementariërs.
Top political advisor Wáng Hùníng 王沪宁 meets visiting KMT delegation – Xinhua 🇨🇳
KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi 傅崐萁 meets with senior Chinese officials Wáng Hùníng 王沪宁 and Sòng Tāo 宋涛 in Beijing – Focus Taiwan: ‘Fu said the delegation’s visit signified the new sentiment in Taiwan to resume the extensive exchanges and cooperation between the two sides, which were in place prior to 2016.’ 🇨🇳
De strategie is nu om de macht van de KMT in het parlement uit te buiten om Taiwan dichter bij China te brengen. Het is duidelijk dat de KMT en CCP kiezen voor het narratief dat de verkiezingsuitslag hen mandaat geeft om toenadering te zoeken én dat de DPP-regering niet meer de wil van de (meerderheid van de) Taiwanezen vertegenwoordigt.
焦點評論》國民黨與「傅」隨組織 – 自由時報:「『馬習二會』後,中共透過馬辦及國民黨放話,要求台灣修正『反滲透法』。」 🇨🇳
Analyse in de pro-DPP krant Liberty Times. Van elke kamercommissie was een KMT-lid mee. De krant legt uit dat na het eerdere bezoek van KMT-mastodont Ma Ying-jeou het verzoek kwam van China om Taiwans Anti-infiltratiewet aan te passen. Peking zou ook hopen dat ze door de KMT via de Taiwan alsnog de door Amerika-geleide exportcontrolemaatregelen op high-tech kunnen omzeilen.
KMT legislator proposes Ocean Affairs Council rather than defence ministry demarcate restricted waters off Taiwan – Taipei Times 🇨🇳
China to lift ban on Taiwan fish and citrus fruit, Chinese official says – Focus Taiwan: ‘Zhao announced the decision while hosting Kuomintang (KMT) legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi’ 🇨🇳
China to lift Taiwan tourism restrictions for Fujian residents – Nikkei Asia: ‘Travel would first be permitted to Taiwan’s Matsu islands’ ‘Vice Minister Rao Quan announced the eased restrictions to a visiting delegation from Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT)’ 🇨🇳
Taiwan government lukewarm about China’s eased rules on travel to Matsu – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇳
De CCP gebruikt de KMT om met Taiwan te praten i.p.v. de (indirecte) kanalen tussen de overheden.
金門士官仍遭滯留 陳玉珍:正辦理停役程序 – 中央社:「她今天在下榻的北京中國大飯店接受媒體採訪時表示,胡姓士官現在應該已經在辦停役準備,身份很快就不會是現役軍人,希望能夠解套。」 🇨🇳
Chinese military aircraft detected 68.5 km [37 nm] from Keelung – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇳
US and Taiwan to resume trade talks in Taipei starting on Monday – Reuters 🇺🇸
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Migrant fishers’ rights deal takes force after over 1 year in limbo – Focus Taiwan: ‘deal between a major Indonesian fishers' union and two of the largest Taiwanese seafood associations’
Rights group urges the government to improve migrant fishers’ rights – Taipei Times
Strong temblor Saturday aftershock of Hualien earthquake – Focus Taiwan
Slander as a crime constitutional, constitutional court rules – Taipei Times: ‘but its scope should be better defined.’
President-elect Lai Ching-te 賴清德 (DPP) vows to hold annual review of healthcare policies – Focus Taiwan
Donovan’s Deep Dives: Introducing the powerful DPP factions – Taipei Times