De Chinese Wouden, maandag 8 april: Chinese satellietbeelden helpen Rusland in Oekraïne, blokvorming Indo-Pacific
Het nieuws vandaag spreekt voor zichzelf. Fijne week.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
‘Meetings in #Yancheng with mayor Zhang Mingkang, in #Dafeng with partysecretary Li Zhijun and a visit to Holland Flower Park, with Kleintje Pils. @IboGulsen’ – Andre Haspels, Twitter 🇳🇱
China’s commerce minister Wáng Wéntāo 王文涛 due in Paris for electric vehicle talks – Reuters: ‘Wang is due on Sunday to meet Renault chief executive Luca de Meo, who is also acting chairman of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), a person briefed on the meeting said. He is also expected to attend a dinner later on Sunday with executives from the cosmetics industry, two other sources familiar with the plans said. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has said he will hold talks with Wang on Monday.’ 🇫🇷🇪🇺
Czechia probing alleged Chinese diplomat tailing of Taiwan Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim 蕭美琴 during Prague visit, foreign ministry says – Focus Taiwan: ‘a report by the Prague-based news site Seznam Zpravy on Friday, alleging a Chinese diplomat was stopped by police while following Hsiao's motorcade in Prague last month.’ 🇨🇿
Gerhard Schröder (SPD)’s Beijing Connection: How the former German chancellor thrives as an apologist of the Chinese party state – Agenda Pública: ‘there are many others with him, including from the Christian Democrat (CDU/CSU) and Liberal (FDP) parties.’ 🇩🇪
Chinese steun voor Rusland 🇨🇳🇷🇺
Dutch set to comply with US demands on China exports – Reuters: ‘its public statements and national security interests suggest it will be slow to approve Chinese maintenance requests in future and quick to deny them.’ ‘Rutte called on China to do more to keep Russia from obtaining “dual-use goods” with both civilian and military applications — such as ASML’s machines and the chips they are used to make.’ 🇳🇱
The US is warning allies that China has stepped up its support for Russia – Bloomberg: ‘Amid signs of continued military integration between the two nations, China has provided Russia with satellite imagery for military purposes, as well as microelectronics and machine tools for tanks, according to people familiar with the matter. China’s support also includes optics, propellants to be used in missiles and increased space cooperation, one of the people said.’ 🇺🇸
Yellen warns China of ‘significant consequences’ if its companies support Russia’s war in Ukraine – FT: ‘Janet Yellen’s warning comes after secretary of state Antony Blinken told EU and Nato foreign ministers that Beijing was assisting Moscow “at a concerning scale”, and providing “tools, inputs and technical expertise”, according to three people familiar with the discussions.’ ‘“The warnings were explicit,” the person said. “There has been a shift and it was felt in the room . . . this was a new development. It was very striking.”’ 🇺🇸
Russia’s Lavrov, who will visit China soon, calls Beijing’s peace plan for Ukraine ‘reasonable’ – SCMP 🇺🇦
Blokvorming Indo-Pacific 🇺🇸🇨🇳
US, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines to hold South China Sea exercises – Reuters: ‘The one-day maritime exercises will involve communication activities and officer of the watch manoeuvres in Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea’ 🇺🇸🇯🇵🇦🇺🇵🇭
PLA patrols South China Sea as US, the Philippines, Japan, and Australia hold joint military drills – SCMP 🇺🇸🇯🇵🇦🇺🇵🇭
US President Biden to warn Beijing against meddling in South China Sea during summit with Japan and Philippines – FT: ‘Biden will stress that the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty applies to the Sierra Madre, said the officials, adding that he expressed “deep concern” when he spoke to President Xi Jinping on Monday.’
‘“China is underestimating the potential for escalation. We’ve tried to make that clear in a series of conversations . . . that our mutual defence treaty covers Philippine sailors and ships and by extension . . . the Sierra Madre,” one official told the Financial Times. […] Admiral John Aquilino, head of US Indo-Pacific command, recently issued a similar warning to a delegation of retired Chinese military officers and Cui Tiankai, China’s former ambassador to the US, according to people familiar with the situation.’ 🇺🇸
Japan’s Self-Defence Forces eye joining Balikatan exercises; US-Philippine drills involved over 17,000 personnel last year – The Yomiuri Shimbun 🇯🇵🇵🇭🇺🇸
US, Britain, and Australia weigh expanding AUKUS security pact with role for Japan to deter China, FT says – Reuters 🇯🇵🇺🇸🇬🇧🇦🇺
Aukus weighs expanding security pact to deter China in Indo-Pacific – FT: ‘The Aukus defence ministers will announce on Monday that they will launch talks related to Pillar II of the alliance’ 🇯🇵🇺🇸🇬🇧🇦🇺
The Philippines and China trade accusations over South China Sea encounter – Reuters: ‘Manila said two Chinese coast guard vessels “harassed” Filipino fishing vessels within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone’ 🇵🇭
US set to expand naval base in Papua New Guinea – USNI News 🇵🇬
Why Russia might be warming to China’s Belt and Road plans in Central Asia – SCMP: ‘Addressing the Bo'ao Forum for Asia in the Chinese island province of Hainan, Russian deputy prime minister Alexey Overchuk said the Kremlin and Beijing had discussed the possibility of “improving connectivity” between the initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)’ 🇷🇺
Je mag hopen dat cartoons als de bovenstaande van The Global Times vooral bedoeld zijn als externe propaganda. Maar ik vrees dat in het wereldbeeld van de meest verstokte marxisten-leninisten-maoïsten de Verenigde Staten wel degelijk worden gezien als de kwade kracht achter alle regionale ontwikkelingen. Dat is gevaarlijk, omdat Peking daarmee onderschat in welke mate de buurlanden van China uit oprechte overtuigen en welbegrepen eigenbelang bezig zijn.
Tech War 💽💥
EU follows US move to assess China’s dominance of legacy chips – SCMP: ‘The final meeting of the TTC before elections in both the EU and US aimed to lock in progress on multiple fronts to make it harder for future political leaders to abandon the council.’
‘Two of the mentions of China in the statement were related to concerns over market access for firms that make medical devices. Brussels has been pushing without success for Beijing to open its lucrative procurement market for these devices to European firms.’ 🇪🇺
China solar industry faces shakeout, but rock-bottom prices to persist – Reuters
Japanese leader Kishida Fumio 岸田 文雄 visits new chip factory, stressing ties with Taiwan and support for key technology – AP 🇯🇵
TSMC 台積電 picks Kikuyo for 2nd Japan fab – Taipei Times 🇯🇵
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
Japan aims to sever dependence on China for antibiotics with resumed domestic production of active pharmaceutical ingredients – The Yomiuri Shimbun 🇯🇵
China is gaslighting the developing world – Robert A. Manning for Foreign Policy: ‘But with the possible exception of Pakistan, Beijing is not a security provider. Nor is there a hint of the subtext: that most of China’s initiatives are aimed at delegitimizing and displacing U.S. power.’
‘New normal’: Chinese revenue from African projects is in decline, and the situation is unlikely to change – SCMP: ‘although revenue from Africa is in decline, some parts of the continent are bigger earners than others.’
US pulls further ahead of China as Japan investment destination – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
Chinese expatriate entrepreneurs find a new gold rush destination in Mexico – SCMP 🇲🇽
The new world disorder: how the Gaza war disrupted international relations – The Guardian
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
China will use AI to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea, and India, Microsoft warns – The Guardian: ‘after making a dry run with the presidential poll in Taiwan’
‘Microsoft said the news anchors were created by the CapCut tool, which is developed by Chinese company ByteDance, the owner of TikTok.’ 🇺🇸🇰🇷🇮🇳
China tests US voter fault lines and ramps AI content to boost its geopolitical interests – Microsoft
Over de effectiviteit kunnen we twisten. Maar de bedoeling achter zulke operaties is een luid en duidelijk signaal van de manier waarop Peking kijkt naar de rest van de wereld.
US and China to hold talks on ‘balanced growth’ amid overcapacity concerns, Yellen says – Reuters 🇺🇸
US treasury secretary Yellen says China is too big to export its way to rapid growth – Reuters 🇺🇸
US and China need ‘tough’ conversations, Yellen tells Chinese premier Li – Reuters 🇺🇸
US and China resume talks to avoid accidental clashes at sea – Nikkei Asia 🇺🇸
South Korean coast guard seizes Chinese fishing vessels – Newsweek: ‘for allegedly fishing illegally in the country's waters late last month, confiscating boats and deporting several crew members.’ 🇰🇷
China Coast Guard ships leave Japanese waters off the Senkaku[/Diaoyutai] Islands after 31 hours – Jiji Press 🇯🇵
Vietnamese concerned that canal project in Cambodia could be potential gateway for Chinese forces – The Straits Times: ‘Cambodian officials have touted how the canal would allow Cambodian imports and exports to bypass transits through Vietnamese ports.’ 🇻🇳
China and Thailand sign pacts on outer space and lunar outposts – Reuters 🇹🇭
Over 700 Chinese to be deported after dramatic sweep at two Sihanoukville resorts – Camboja News 🇰🇭
Giving up China is hard, even for Argentina’s anarcho-capitalist president – Bloomberg 🇦🇷
Santokhi bezoekt top Chinese ondernemingen tijdens staatsbezoek – Suriname Herald 🇸🇷
How it feels to live under surveillance by China in Australia – Vicky Xu for The Saturday Paper 🇦🇺
Xinjiang regional Party chief welcomes a delegation from Arab countries; refutes [sic] disinformation made by some forces in US, the West – The Global Times: ‘The delegation, headed by Bassam Zakarneh, a member of Fatah’s Revolutionary Council of Palestine, consists of members of political parties from multiple countries, including Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan and Tunisia’ 🇵🇸🇸🇾🇪🇬🇱🇧🇮🇶🇾🇪🇯🇴🇹🇳
Singapore Deputy PM Heng Swee Keat 王瑞杰 to visit China from April 7 to 12 – The Straits Times 🇸🇬
China economie
Temu is impressed by your video – hoe de Chinese webreus via influencers zijn naam probeert te vestigen – NRC: „Hun verhalen geven een kijkje in hoe een groot Chinees bedrijf te werk gaat om terrein te veroveren in het Westen.”
China binnenland
CCP launches education campaign on Party discipline – Xinhua
Dodelijke windvlaag sleurt zeker 3 mensen uit ramen woonblok China – RTL Nieuws
Southern China still lashed by heavy rains, triggering second flood alert in as many days – SCMP
China’s maternity services put on notice as the country faces an ‘obstetrics winter’ – SCMP
Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s Article 23 law: customs to alert police if visitors caught with seditious materials – SCMP
Beneath the calm, Hong Kong’s new security law drives deeper, quieter changes – AP
Hong Kong struggles to win back long-haul tourists amid fewer flights and travel warnings – HKFP
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
和美日峰會拚場:馬習二會延至10日舉行 – 上報 🇨🇳
UP Media bericht dat de vermeende geplande ontmoeting tussen Ma Ying-jeou en Xi Jining verplaatst zou zijn van 8 april naar 10 april, om samen te vallen met de top tussen de leiders van de Verenigde Staten, Japan en de Filipijnen die dag. Zoals Lev Nachman opmerkte op Twitter, overschat Peking het belang van Ma in de Taiwanese politiek schromelijk.
Former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 (KMT) urges youth to ‘keep in mind’ Chinese cultural roots – Taipei Times: ‘He encouraged young Taiwanese to “firmly remember the roots of Chinese culture and the Chinese nation” and to take pride in being the descendants of the Yellow Emperor.’ 🇨🇳
Taiwan’s former president Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 (KMT) rejects Japan’s claims to Senkaku/Diaoyutai Islands during China trip – SCMP
KMT vice chairman Andrew Hsia 夏立言 visits the US – Taipei Times: ‘Hsia denied that his sojourn aimed to provide a counterweight to former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) ongoing visit to China’ 🇺🇸
Hsia was juist de KMT-functionaris die de afgelopen tijd steeds China bezocht als Peking boos was op de DPP.
First batch of Taiwan’s 38 M1A2T Abrams tanks might be delayed until fourth quarter – Taipei Times: ‘as the US military reportedly plans to invite Taiwan to participate in joint exercises in the second half of the year’ 🇺🇸
US-Taiwan trade deal to be expanded in the field of agriculture, report says – Taipei Times 🇺🇸
De KMT zal tegen verdere opening voor Amerikaanse landbouw zijn.
As Israel’s foreign ties falter amid war in Gaza, Taiwan sees chance to cosy up – SCMP: ‘Taiwan’s defence ministry established a committee to study possible lessons the island could learn from Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel.’ 🇮🇱
New mobile air defence system to debut on Tuesday – Taipei Times: ‘a car-mounted variant of the Tien Chien II (TC-2) air-to-air missile’
Military’s new rifle has started mass production – Taipei Times
Taiwan’s foreign ministry aims to expand ‘Africa Project’ – Taipei Times
Hong Kong Pro-China groups launch online political advertising campaigns in Taiwan: ‘the “China Taiwan Province Return Line (中國台灣省回歸線)” Facebook page.’ 🇭🇰
Taiwan aardbeving
Hualien quake death toll rises to 13 – Focus Taiwan
‘Not giving up’: Taiwan races against time to rescue missing and stranded earthquake victims – The Straits Times
Donations for quake relief top NT$116.84 million [€3.4m] as rescue effort continues – Focus Taiwan
Turkish team set to help boost quake rescue efforts, interior minister – Focus Taiwan 🇹🇷
Taiwan thanks Japan for US$1 million in support of reconstruction – Taipei Times 🇯🇵
Filipino envoy visits Hualien, expresses Manila’s sympathy over quake – Focus Taiwan 🇵🇭
Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu 吳釗燮 criticises Bolivian statement of ‘solidarity’ with China after Taiwan earthquake – AFP: ‘“You shouldn’t be the evil, expansionist PRC’s pathetic puppet that jumps when Beijing says jump,” Wu said on X yesterday.’ 🇧🇴
Wolfje?
Today’s quake and 9.21 – Nathan Batto’s Frozen Garlic: ‘This is a political blog, so you’re probably wondering what kind of political impact this earthquake will have. I confidently predict that it will have almost no impact at all.’
Tsai government’s infrastructure programme built resilience, DPP says – Taipei Times: ‘Lin said that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party tried to stop the program.’
Opinion: Tsai government’s green energy Taipower 台電 upgrades pay off in earthquake – Taipei Times
CWA to issue earthquake alerts on a larger scale following complaints – Taipei Times
Veel positief commentaar in de groene en buitenlandse pers over de paraatheid van Taiwan. De regerende DPP wijst graag op het feit dat pas dankzij hun parlementaire meerderheid van 2016–2024 de regering eindelijk de saaie, moeilijke bureaucratische stappen kon zetten om onzichtbare maar belangrijke stappen te zetten. Maar veel is ook al eerder gedaan, na de vernietigende aardbeving van 21 september 1999 (“9.21”) Deze ‘resilience’ komt niet alleen van pas bij natuurrampen, maar ook in geval van oorlog.
Taiwan binnenland en economie
This is the story behind Taiwan’s Freedom of Expression Day, which falls today – The China Project
Taiwan’s progress in freedom of speech faces new challenges – Focus Taiwan
Zondag 7 april was de dag van de vrijheid van meningsuiting. Dat is de dag waarop activist en journalist Nylon Cheng/Cheng Nan-jung 鄭南榕 zichzelf opblies in 1989 verschanst in het kantoortje van zijn tijdschrift. Hij zat daar toen al enkele weken gebarricadeerd voor een politieoperatie die hem wilde arresteren wegens illegale uitspraken voor Taiwanese onafhankelijkheid. De politiecommandant van de operatie was Hou Yu-ih 侯友宜, nu burgemeester van New Taipei en de verliezende KMT-kandidaat bij de presidentsverkiezing van afgelopen januari.
KMT calls for introduction of death penalty or life imprisonment for child abuse leading to death – Taipei Times
Amendments needed to prevent leaks by legislators, DPP says – Taipei Times
Proposed amendments by DPP legislators aim to raise treason penalties – Taipei Times
Notes from Central Taiwan: the KMT and Taiwan’s construction-industrial money pit – Michael Turton in Taipei Times