De Chinese Wouden, maandag 8 mei: vicepresident Han naar Nederland, Oekraïne
Vicepresident Han Zheng was bij de kroning van Karel III in het Verenigd Koninkrijk en komt nu op bezoek naar Portugal en Nederland.
Totdat we meer details hebben over het bezoek van Han, is het belangrijkste nieuws Oekraïne. Er was enige opwinding toen bleek dat China voor een VN-motie over Europa had gestemd waarin kritische taal voorkwam over ‘Russische agressie’. Later bleek dat China zich had onthouden van stemming toen die clausule werd behandeld en stelde een woordvoerder van de Chinese vertegenwoordiger zelfs expliciet dat de Chinese voorstem niet moet worden gezien als steun voor die kritische taal.
Het enthousiasme voor een mogelijk sprankje hoop verblindde de aandacht voor de structurele associatie van Peking met Moskou. Wensdenken over China komt veel voor in Europa op het Oekraïne-dossier, zoals ook een stuk in de SCMP weer eens aanhaalt. Kijk maar eens naar wat China op de grond doet, bijvoorbeeld bij de Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Tegelijkertijd staat er ook een interssant stuk in de Washington Post van een journalist die net Blinken had geïnterviewd. In eerdere nieuwsbrieven heb ik gewezen op het opmerkelijk onopgemerkte feit dat uitnodigingen voor een Chinese rol in onderhandelingen met Rusland ook Peking een stem gaan geven in de vorming van de na-oorlogse Europese ordening. David Ignatius merkt echter op, dat Chinese betrokkenheid misschien wel vereist is, om te zorgen dat een revanchistisch Moskou zich ook daadwerkelijk aan een vredesovereenkomst zou houden.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Chinese vice president Hán Zhèng 韩正 to attend King Charles III’s coronation ceremony, visit Portugal and the Netherlands – Xinhua 🇳🇱
UK’s Cleverly raises Xinjiang and Taiwan with Chinese vice president – Reuters 🇬🇧
De Chinese zusterstad is uit de gratie geraakt in Nederland – NRC 🇳🇱
Oekraïne
China says its stand on Ukraine war ‘has not changed’ after UN vote – SCMP: ‘“The ‘yes’ vote was a vote on the entire text of the resolution and cannot be considered an endorsement of that paragraph,” the mission said.’ 🇺🇦
After Xi Jinping’s call with Volodymyr Zelensky thrilled many in Europe, now comes a new take: calm down – SCMP: ‘“I believe the excitement has less to do with a Chinese change of heart and more a function of the Europeans’ wish to have been handed justification for keeping business as usual with Beijing,” said one senior western European diplomat, who requested anonymity to speak freely.’ 🇺🇦
Bovenstaande is ook mijn mening.
China’s foreign minister Qín Gāng 秦刚 pledges to keep Moscow close in Ukraine peace bid – SCMP
China and Russia pledge to boost ties and SCO cooperation – Xinhua: ‘China will continue to facilitate talks for peace and stands ready to maintain communication and coordination with Russia to make concrete contributions to a political settlement of the crisis, Qin said.’
Chinese Foreign Minister Qín Gāng 秦刚 urges neighbours to keep their distance from US at SCO – SCMP
The US warms to a role for China in resolving the Ukraine war – David Ignatius for The Washington Post: ‘Russia has been unhappy with the Chinese mediation effort, several administration officials told me. But Moscow, subordinate to Beijing economically and militarily, can’t easily resist China’s wishes. That’s one reason administration officials are intrigued by Chinese peace efforts; they believe they might prevent Russia from trying to renew the war later — after a pause. “The only stability is China as a guarantor,” one official told me.’ 🇺🇦
China’s March crude oil imports from Russia jump 1.5-fold on year – Kyodo News
Russia confirms enriched uranium supplies to Chinese reactors – SCMP
Belt and Road Initiative
Italy unlikely to renew BRI deal with China, but needs time to discuss with Beijing, official says – Reuters: ‘a formal decision would not be made ahead of this month's Group of Seven summit in Japan’ 🇮🇹
In missione per conto di Xí Jìnpíng 习近平. Il diplomatico Wáng Lǔtóng 王鲁彤 a Roma per la Via della Seta – Formiche
Where did China’s belt and road plans go wrong in Italy? – SCMP: ‘Enrico Fardella, director of ChinaMed and professor at the University of Naples L’Orientale in Italy, said Italy saw no economic return after signing the MOU with China. “Italy gained no economic return whatsoever while other EU countries who refused to sign the MOU gained more economic benefits.”’ 🇮🇹
China-Europe freight train routes via Xinjiang’s Alataw Pass increase to 104 – Xinhua
Overige
Ambassador Fù Cōng 傅聪 met with Chairman Bernd Lange of the International Trade Committee of the European Parliament – Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union 🇪🇺
China’s CEEC 17+1 club for talking to Central and Eastern Europe is dead, Czechs say – POLITICO Europe 🇨🇿
China and Central and Eastern Europe see closer economic ties – Xinhua
EU representative office’s 20th anniversary focuses on Ukraine – Taipei Times 🇪🇺
Veiligheidswetgeving 🕵🏼♂️📊
Ondanks beloftes over economie is het voor buitenlandse bedrijven lastig zakendoen in China – de Volkskrant: „De uitwisseling van financiële data, lang als voordelig gezien voor de economie, wordt nu vooral als riskant ervaren: als potentiële munitie voor politieke tegenstanders.”
China’s espionage law updates undercut courting of investors – Lester Ross for Nikkei Asia
Chinese companies told to step up data security checks on auditors – FT
Some Chinese students in US wary of going home under new anti-espionage law – Nikkei Asia
China verbiedt steeds meer critici het land te verlaten – Trouw
Tech War 💽💥
Nederland kan niet zonder wetenschappelijke samenwerking met China – Ingrid d’Hooghe in NRC 🇳🇱
TikTok hield locatie katten-account Britse journalist in de gaten – RTL Nieuws
The words TikTok parent ByteDance may be watching you say – Forbes
TikTok tracked users who watched gay content, raising concern by employees – WSJ
Vietnam to inspect TikTok from mid-May – Tuoi Tre News
Chinese group Putailai to build Europe’s largest anode factory in Sweden – FT
Taiwan’s Wistron to wind down operations in India – The Hindu businessline: ‘Tata Electronics was going to take over Wistron’s iPhone manufacturing facilities in Karnataka’
India and Indonesia CEOs woo global investors as ‘China plus one’ options – Nikkei Asia
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
De échte nieuwe wereld is een koude, cynische plek om te leven – Arnout Brouwers in de Volkskrant
German navy announces new Pacific deployments as global navy chiefs call for more Pacific cooperation – USNI News
Japan engaging with Taiwanese diplomatic allies to prevent lean to China – Taipei Times
US-China rivalry and North Korean threat puts squeeze on South Korea in the Taiwan Strait – SCMP
China’s new ‘Top Gun’ normalises war with America: A PLA-backed box-office hit takes China to the danger zone – The Economist’s Chaguan
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Presidentiële werkgroep moet (nog meer) investeerders uit China aantrekken… – Dagblad Suriname
Why China may be reluctant to get too deeply involved in Sudan peace efforts – SCMP
Mexico claims proof of Chinese fentanyl smuggling – BBC News
China calls on Pakistan and Afghanistan to help fight terror, protect Chinese interests in first 3-way talks since 2021 – SCMP
China, Afghanistan, and Pakistan pledge to enhance cooperation on security and counter-terrorism – Xinhua
The Taliban agreed to extend China’s Belt and Road Initiative to Afghanistan, potentially drawing billions of dollars to the sanctions-hit country – Bloomberg
China-India relations: Qín Gāng 秦刚 pledges better dialogue and cooperation to improve ties – SCMP
Chinese troops to hold rare joint military exercise in Laos – Reuters
Casino’s, criminaliteit en onaffe panden: China’s dubieuze reputatie in Cambodja – FD
China’s aircraft carriers play ‘theatrical’ role but pose little threat yet – Reuters: ‘the Chinese carriers are effectively still in training mode, eight of the experts said.’
Canada summons Chinese ambassador and considers expelling a Chinese diplomat after MP and his family harassed – The Guardian
China economie
China’s services activity grows but at slower pace, according to Caixin PMI – Reuters
Western companies warn of hit from China’s slow recovery – FT
The mood at China’s largest trade fair was downbeat as factories grapple with a slowing global economy and a scarcity of US buyers – Bloomberg
Chinese listed companies return to profits after three quarters of declines, more room for growth in 2023, analysts say – SCMP
China’s second-richest province Jiangsu goes big into green economy and innovation – The Straits Times
Xi Focus-Closeup: Revving up China’s transformation to a country strong in manufacturing – Xinhua
China needs foreign workers. So why won’t it embrace immigration? Opposition to multiculturalism is fuelled, in part, by claims of racial purity – The Economist
China forex reserves rise to US$3.205 trillion in April – Reuters
China binnenland
China bespioneerde veel Oeigoeren voor weinig resultaat – De Standaard
China flags Uyghurs as ‘extremist’ for having Quran, report says – Al Jazeera
China: Phone search programme tramples Uyghur rights – Human Rights Watch
Why China’s censors are deleting videos about poverty – The New York Times
Hoeveel weten wij, hoeveel weet de regering in Peking van de onvrede?
China’s local-debt crisis is about to get nasty – The Economist: ‘The pressure on Guizhou’s officials is immense. The province is said to owe about 2.6trn yuan ($380bn, or 130% of local GDP) in various forms including bonds and opaque debts owed by local-government-financing vehicles (LGFV)’
China’s Xivilising mission – Ryan Ho Kilpatrick for China Media Project: ‘Proclamations like these make it clear that Xi Jinping is no longer considered merely an inheritor or even protector of a great civilization, but the creator of one, too.’
Local officials tried to cover up scale of Chinese mine disaster by hiding bodies, report finds – SCMP
In China ging BMW diep door het stof om ‘ijsjesrel’ – Garrie van Pinxteren in NRC
Hong Kong
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Taiwan trade chief John Chen-Chung Deng 鄧振中 [Dèng Zhènzhōng] warns against ‘unnecessary fear’ of China – AP: ‘Deng said he hopes for resolution of the tax [treaty] issue before that first Taiwanese plant starts operation in Arizona’
1st Taiwan-US Science & Technology Cooperation meet to be held in May – Focus Taiwan
The Biden administration is pulling together a US$500 million [€453m] weapons package for Taiwan, using a fast-track authority that it has relied on to speed arms to Ukraine – Bloomberg
Taiwan says new F-16V deliveries delayed, working to minimise damage – Reuters
Taiwan buys four Reaper drones for 2025 delivery – Taipei Times: ‘drone operators would be trained in the US.’
Taiwan to receive 46 US torpedoes in 2025: source – Taipei Times
St. Kitts and Nevis deputy leader to arrive in Taiwan Monday – Focus Taiwan
Taiwan binnenland en economie
💡 Some Indigenous people in Taiwan want to drop their Chinese names: ‘That history has nothing to do with mine’ – LA Times
Police chief detained in corruption and bribery probe – Taipei Times
Foxconn founder Terry Gou 郭台銘 [Guō Táimíng] vows to ‘preserve peace’ with China if elected Taiwan president – AFP
De zakenman met enorme financiële belangen in China legde niet uit hóe hij de vrede wil bewaren.
KMT backs Terry Gou’s 郭台銘 [Guō Táimíng] Taiwan-wide nuclear energy plan – Taipei Times
Social welfare bill passed by legislature – Taipei Times
Tijdens de dictatuur was er geen algemene sociale zekerheid, maar waren zulke dingen verbonden aan banen die voorbehouden waren aan de minderheid Vastelanders of KMT-loyalisten. Pas in de jaren negentig kwam er een zorgverzekeringsstelsel voor iedereen. Deze extractie werd door de ook-belasting-betalende Taiwanezen in de DPP-achterban gezien als een van de reden waarom ze het KMT-regime koloniaal noemden.
List of White Terror victims revised upward to nearly 19,000 – Taiwan News
Taiwan’s forex reserves register new record high – Taipei Times