De Chinese Wouden, maandag 29 januari: ASML, De Gaulle, Verenigde Staten, Litouwen
Peking gaat all-in op Frankrijk via het eren van Charles de Gaulle ter gelegenheid van zestig jaar diplomatieke banden op ambassadoriaal niveau (ik weet niet of hier net als bij Nederland de ‘reaffirm’-kwestie speelde). Ambassadeur Lu Shaye ging langs bij het graf van de grote generaal en de Fondation De Gaulle heeft steun verleend aan propagandazender CGTN voor een documentaire over de beste man.
Een ongebonden Europa dat als pool los van de Verenigde Staten staat, dat was altijd al de Chinese droom. De bijbehorende investeringen in Europese Unie-studies kregen een knauw toen deze droom uiteenspatte met de Europese financiële markten ten tijde van de eurocrisis. Maar nu is de nood hoger, dankzij toegenomen blokvorming. Tegelijkertijd geven het vooruitzicht van een mogelijke terugkeer van Donald Trump naar het Witte Huis en een zekere Emmanuel Macron in het Elysée nieuwe hoop aan Peking.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Ukraine invites China’s Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 to ‘peace summit’ in Switzerland, Zelenskiy’s top adviser says – Reuters 🇺🇦
EU suspends WTO dispute with China over alleged economic coercion of Lithuania for ‘technical reasons’ – SCMP 🇪🇺🇱🇹
China’s representative office suspends issuing visas to Lithuanian citizens, Lithuania’s foreign minister confirms – Delfi 🇱🇹
‘Noticed @eu_eeas FIMI report. Shocked that the accusation against #China is not from the media, but #EU official document. Who is able to manipulate European public conversations to achieve political & economic goals except the EU’s partner across the Atlantic?’ – Wang Lutong, Twitter 🇪🇺
De directeur-generaal Europese Zaken van het Chinese BZ vindt het blijkbaar productief om Europese zorgen over Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) toe te wijzen aan Amerikaanse ‘manipulatie’.
2nd EEAS Report on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Threats – EU EEAS: ‘The most obvious example is Russia […]. However, other actors, such as China, also engage in the intentional manipulation of public conversations.’ 🇪🇺
De enige keer dat ‘China’ expliciet voorkomt in het rapport.'
China and Spain urged to boost ties and investment – Xinhua: ‘Over a hundred representatives from Chinese and Spanish businesses came together in Barcelona last week with officials such as China’s ambassador to Spain’ 🇪🇸
China says it jailed British national for 5 years in 2022 for spying – AFP 🇬🇧
Bevestiging van een verhaal van WSJ.
Chinese builders, engineers, and machines are helping to keep Russian heavy industry alive – Bloomberg 🇷🇺
Taiwan has become the Russian arms industry’s main source for high precision machine tools – The Insider 🇷🇺🇹🇷
Eerder ook al in 報導者.
Russia’s planned Power of Siberia 2 gas mega-pipeline to China hit by construction delay – FT 🇷🇺
ASML 💽🇳🇱
A secret agreement between the US and the Netherlands last year to limit ASML’s deliveries to China didn’t stop a surge in sales of its sensitive chipmaking equipment – Bloomberg: ‘The deal, which hasn’t been reported before, stumbled as ASML turned to Beijing to compensate for weak demand elsewhere. The Dutch government permitted more shipments, allowing China to stock up on the gear before new US-brokered export restrictions came into force this month.’
‘the global downturn pushed ASML to successfully lobby The Hague for export licenses to China of critical semiconductor manufacturing kit, dashing US officials’ expectations that the deal would limit deliveries, they said.’ ‘ASML didn’t violate the letter of the agreement, despite the poor optics, according to the people.’
De Gaulle-campagne 🇫🇷🇨🇳
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 urges China and France to jointly open up path of peace and progress for human development – Xinhua: ‘China and France broke the ice of the Cold War and crossed the divide between different blocs to establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level 60 years ago, Xi noted’
Extrait documentaire ‘De Gaulle, un géant visionnaire au-delà du temps’ – CGTN
Volgens de Chinese ambassade is deze documentaire over De Gaulle voor externe propagandazender CGTN gemaakt met steun van de Fondation Charles de Gaulle.
Xinhua Commentary: 60 years on, China-France relations continue to benefit world peace and stability – Xinhua: ‘The unique history of China-France relations has shaped the "China-France spirit" featuring independence, mutual understanding, foresight, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation’
Beijing’s E-Town eyes closer cooperation with French businesses as China and France celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties – The Global Times
herhaling: Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 delivers video speech to reception celebrating 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations – Xinhua (2024/01/25):
With extraordinary wisdom and courage, Chairman Mao Zedong and General Charles de Gaulle opened the door for exchanges and cooperation between China and the West, bringing hope to the world amid the Cold War, Xi noted.
[…]
Macron said that 60 years ago, General Charles de Gaulle went beyond the logic of camp confrontation
Verenigde Staten 🇨🇳🇺🇸
China and US ‘step in the right direction’ with top-level talks in Thailand – SCMP
US and China to hold counter-narcotics talks after back-channel Thai meeting – FT
Wang Yi holds meetings with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China:
The two sides should take this opportunity to sum up experience and draw lessons, treat each other as equals instead of in a condescending way, build common ground and shelving instead of highlighting differences, and respect instead of undermining each other's core interests. […]
[…] The U.S. side must abide by the one-China principle [sic] and the three China-U.S. Joint Communiqués, translate its commitment of not supporting ‘Taiwan independence’ into action and support China’s peaceful [sic] reunification.
Wang Yi pointed out that every country has its national security concerns, but these concerns must be legitimate and reasonable. […] The two sides agreed to further discuss the boundary between national security and economic activities.
The two sides agreed to jointly implement the ‘San Francisco vision’: […]
Background Press Call on APNSA Jake Sullivan’s Meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi of the People’s Republic of China – The White House: ‘Mr. Sullivan underscored during the meeting that the United States and the PRC are in competition but that the United States does not seek conflict or confrontation, and there are areas of cooperation in the relationship.’
Beijing a ‘troublemaker,’ Taiwan’s foreign ministry says – Taipei Times
Taiwan detects 33 Chinese military aircraft around island – AFP
Jemen 🇾🇪
Exclusive: China presses Iran to rein in Houthi attacks in Red Sea, sources say – Reuters: ‘The Iranian sources said Beijing had made it clear it would be very disappointed with Tehran if any vessels linked to China were hit, or the country’s interests were affected in any way.’ 🇮🇷
US-China meetings fail to produce breakthrough on Red Sea shipping attacks – POLITICO 🇺🇸
Great power lite? Why China is reluctant to wade into the Red Sea crisis and join US-led attacks on Houthis – SCMP: ‘left Washington with the burden of protecting freedom of navigation and Beijing with a “free ride”, he said.’ 🇺🇸
Red Sea shipping disruptions ripple through Asia-Europe supply chains – Nikkei Asia 🇪🇺
Tech War 💽💥
Western nations need a plan for when China floods the chip market – Chris Miller for FT: ‘helped by generous subsidies, China’s chipmakers are ramping up production capacity despite concerns about oversupply.’ ‘the US, European and Japanese governments are all debating potential responses to Chinese chip overcapacity. They face complex trade-offs.’
Lithium price plunges on slowing Chinese demand for electric vehicles – FT: ‘tumbled more than 80 per cent’ ‘after slowing demand in China for electric vehicles’
Dankzij soft budget constraints and staatssteun zullen de Chinese producenten overproductie veel langer vol kunnen houden. Wat gaan we dan in Europa doen met onze fabrieken?
Massive operation smuggling semiconductors from US to China via South Korea uncovered – Business Korea 🇰🇷
China’s industry minister Jīn Zhuànglóng 金壮龙 seeks Japan’s cooperation in chips and autos – Nikkei Asia: ‘A delegation of Japanese business leaders met in Beijing’ ‘began visiting China in 1975 […]. This is the first time that China’s industry minister took part in the meeting.’ 🇯🇵
China maakt steeds meer plekken verboden voor Tesla’s – de Volkskrant
New lithium discoveries can secure America’s clean energy future – The National Interest 🇺🇸
Morocco, an unexpected winner of China’s strategy to circumvent the US Inflation Reduction Act – Christian Géraud Neema Byamungu for CSIS 🇲🇦
„Brussel overweegt mogelijk noodsteunmaatregelen voor Europese zonnepanelenindustrie” – FD 🇪🇺
The precarious finances of Taiwan’s sole electricity utility Taipower 台電 are threatening the island’s clean energy ambitions and tarnishing its attractiveness as a manufacturing hub for the world’s biggest chipmakers – Bloomberg
De KMT valt elke poging aan van de regerende DPP om hernieuwbare energie aan te moedigen en Taipower te hervormen uit diepgewortelde oppositie van de KMT tegen de antinucleaire beweging die onderdeel was van de democratiserings- en onafhankelijkheidsbewegingen die leidden tot de DPP. Nu heeft de regerende DPP geen meerderheid meer in het parlement.
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
NCTV roept op tot meer civiele weerbaarheid op eerste Congres Nationale Veiligheid – NCTV 🇳🇱
UK’s ‘golden era’ with China harmed British intelligence, says former spy chief – i: ‘Chinese espionage now poses greater long-term risks to the UK than Russian spying, according to Mr Inkster’ 🇬🇧
Japanischer Ex-Militär Yoji Koda über das Wettrüsten in Ostasien: »Wir dürfen Chinas militärische Fähigkeiten nicht unterschätzen« – Der Spiegel 🇯🇵
Chinese-Russia incursions destabilising region, Japanese defence ministry report says – Taipei Times 🇷🇺🇯🇵
Amerikaanse buitenlandminister op tour in Afrika om invloed terug te pakken van China en Rusland – de Volkskrant 🇺🇸🇷🇺
How China’s ‘stadium diplomacy’ is looking to make its mark at the Africa Cup of Nations – SCMP
Monogame handelsrelatie tussen China en de VS is nu driehoeksrelatie – FD
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Israel’s Ashdod port claims it sees strategic risk from rival Chinese-run terminal in northern Haifa during Gaza war – Reuters: ‘Chinese container shipping lines COSCO and OOCL have suspended trade with Israel since Yemen's Houthis said they were targeting ships in the Red Sea’ 🇮🇱
China and North Korea vice foreign ministers meet in Pyongyang – AFP: ‘Sun Weidong’ 🇰🇵
China’s coast guard claims it allowed the Philippines to supply troops at disputed reef Second Thomas Shoal [in the Philippine EEZ] – Reuters 🇵🇭
China’s defence ministry says it opposes Philippine construction on Nansha Islands – CGTN: ‘The current difficulties in China-Philippines relations “are rooted in the Philippines’ treachery, collusion with powers outside the region and its constant infringement and provocation in the South China Sea that undermine China’s legitimate and lawful rights and interests,” Wu said.’ 🇵🇭
As Philippines plans to upgrade South China Sea outposts, Beijing weighs options – Alibaba’s HK-based SCMP 🇵🇭
China and Thailand sign mutual visa waiver agreements – Reuters 🇹🇭
Why China is wary of opening up Afghanistan’s new road to Xinjiang – SCMP 🇦🇫
China’s waterlogged missiles don’t matter – Heather Williams for CSIS: ‘Rather, this news reinforces the need for improved intelligence and understanding of China’s strategic forces and decisionmaking in Beijing.’
China economie
China plagued by growing burden of corporate bond repayments – Nikkei Asia: ‘Nikkei analyzed data from the London Stock Exchange Group and found that the redemption of bonds by Chinese companies in 2024 will increase sevenfold in value from 10 years ago — much faster than China’s gross domestic product, which doubled over the past decade.’
‘The amount of redemption has grown because of massive issues by LGFVs, which account for more than 30% of the outstanding balance of corporate bonds.’ ‘Market participants are growing increasingly alarmed about LGFVs’ ability to repay debt as happened with major real estate companies.’
Lokale overheden, hou ze in de gaten.
China securities regulator said it will halt the lending of some shares for short selling, a move designed to support the country’s slumping stock markets – Bloomberg
China fund with US stocks halts trading to calm investor fever – Reuters
China Evergrande 中国恒大 will once again try to fend off liquidation at court hearings in Hong Kong on Monday – Bloomberg
China’s housing authority will reveal its first list of projects that are eligible for funding by the end of January, in an effort to support developers and stem the country’s property slowdown – Bloomberg
China’s new youth jobless rate does little to quell scepticism about economic data – The Straits Times
China is covering up an economic crisis – Newsweek
Economic Watch: Foreign-funded banks upbeat [sic] about China’s economic development – Xinhua
The hidden truth behind the United States’ economic data – Xinhua: ‘there are possibilities that the U.S. government might be manipulating data to secure its interests.’
Typische projectie.
Despite recent setbacks, economist David Lǐ Dàokúi 李稻葵 says China remains on course to surpass America in economic size in the next decade – Bloomberg: ‘[China’s diplomacy is] aimed at getting people from other countries to come to China or to say good things about China, to praise China as a country, the Chinese political system as a successful model.’
Dat is op zich correct, maar dat komt ook deels omdat publieke uitingen van steun en respect door meerderen en minderen de manier is waarop partijsecretarissen in de partijstaat hun posities versterken. Dit geldt ook voor Xi Jinping en ook voor China in de wereld: zie ook al die compilatiestukken waarin Xinhua lof van allerlei willekeurige buitenlandse experts en leiders opvoert in een eindeloze opsomming.
【新华财经独家】响应机构改革方案 三大AMC公司将并入中投 – 新华财经:“记者从业内知情人士处再次确认,中国信达、东方资产和长城资产三家资产管理公司将于近期划至中投公司。”
China binnenland
US visit firms speculation Liú Jiànchāo 刘建超 will be China’s next foreign minister – SCMP
Eerder ook al voorspeld door The Straits Times en WSJ.
China added more solar panels last year than any other country, adding to a massive renewable energy fleet that’s already leading the world by a wide margin – Bloomberg
China’s clean energy boom ‘an example to the entire world’, IEA analyst says – SCMP
China warns citizens against ‘exotic beauty’ traps of foreign spies – BBC News
Hong Kong
Chinese courts to rule on Hong Kong commercial disputes under new law – The Guardian: ‘to reduce the need for re-litigation in civil and commercial disputes, in cases where there is a connection to mainland China.’
One city, two views: Hong Kong leaders say ‘days of fear’ are over, but ordinary folk beg to differ – The Straits Times
Hong Kong is becoming less of an international city: As foreigners leave, people from the mainland are taking their place – The Economist
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Tuvalu’s pro-Taiwan prime minister Kausea Natano loses seat in partial election results – The Guardian 🇹🇻
Taiwan has broken China’s ‘diplomatic blockade’, legislative speaker You Si-kun 游錫堃 (DPP) says – Nikkei Asia: ‘You urged newly elected opposition lawmakers not to derail military spending aimed at countering Beijing’s saber-rattling.’
Taiwan’s cruise missile project on track, according to source – Taipei Times: ‘three-year plan to make 150 Wan Chien air-to-ground cruise missiles by the end of this year’ ‘the army’s Inspector of Armor has certified a locally produced 105mm rifled gun turret for a planned armored fighting vehicle to be based on the CM32’
Taiwan’s Teng Yun 2 騰雲二型 drone not yet combat ready, source says – Taipei Times
Military should do more about Chinese balloons, experts say – Taipei Times
Taiwan politiek
Fu Kun-chi 傅崐萁 to serve as KMT’s new legislative caucus convener – Focus Taiwan
Nadat de controversiële maar onder KMT-diehards populaire Chinese nationalist Han Kuo-yu de KMT-kandidaat voor parlementsvoorzitter werd, is nu de voor corruptie en fraude vervolgde Fu Kun-chi de enige kandidaat voor fractievoorzitter van de KMT. Ironisch genoeg richt zijn toelichting zich op de grotendeels ongefundeerde beschuldigingen van corruptie aan de DPP waarmee de KMT graag jij-bakt.
Dat deze conservatieve mannen van de oude stempel met behoorlijk kwestieuze verledens de leidende figuren van de KMT worden in de landelijke politiek, zegt veel over de richting die de partij op gaat. De meer Taiwanese, schonere KMT-kandidaat Hou Yu-ih verloor de verkiezingen met een KMT-campagne die gekaapt werd door oude Chinese nationalisten als vicepresidentskandidaat Jaw Shaw-kong, partijlijstaanvoerder Han Kuo-yu en oud-president Ma Ying-jeou. Dat lijkt niet geleid te hebben tot inzicht dat Jaw, Han en Ma het probleem waren, maar tot marginalisatie van kansvollere mensen als Hou. Hoeveel hebben die aan het winnen van de macht over een partij als ze hem daarmee op nationaal niveau onverkiesbaar maken?
How close were the KMT and DPP to a majority? – Nathan Batto’s Frozen Garlic: ‘Even though the KMT won more seats, I think the DPP was actually closer to winning an outright majority.’ ‘the KMT maxed out its potential seats with the number of votes it won.’
De huidige KMT zit al aan het maximum van zijn potentie.
Ko Wen-je 柯文哲 asks KMT and DPP speakership hopefuls to brief TPP caucus – Focus Taiwan
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee (CIPAS) to take over stocks of firms declared illegally obtained assets – Taipei Times: ‘after the Supreme Administrative Court on Thursday rejected the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) appeal’
Pas nadat de DPP in 2016 voor het eerst een meerderheid behield in het parlement, kon een begin worden gemaakt met het verwerken van de moorddadige en dus ook plunderende KMT-dictatuur tijdens de Koude Oorlog. CIPAS onderzoekt diefstal van staatsbezit tijdens de dictatuur op basis van de toen geldende wetgeving. Dat was dus ook al illegaal onder de wetgeving van die dictatuur. De KMT klaagt dat het politieke vervolging is en noemt het verwerken van de dictatuur ‘Groene Terreur’, analoog aan de Witte Terreur waaronder het KMT-regime o.a. tienduizenden mensen executeerde. De rechtszaken die het proces moeten traineren duren lang.
DBS forecasts 3.5% growth for Taiwan’s economy in 2024 – Focus Taiwan
Salaries to rise 2%-5% in Taiwan in 2024, recruitment consultancy survey shows – Focus Taiwan
EVA Air 長榮航空 pilots call off strike during Lunar New Year and Tomb Sweeping holiday – Taipei Times
Taiwan’s Constitutional Court to hear arguments on death penalty – Taipei Times
Illegal workers a possible national security threat – Taipei Times: ‘Support networks for illegal Vietnamese workers are in place in Taiwan, Yeh said.’
Taiwan’s plunging birth rate not just about money, but also gender expectations – The Straits Times