De Chinese Wouden, vrijdag 13 juni: zeldzame aardmetalen, Duitse industrie wil maatregelen
De zorgen over zeldzame aardmetalen duren maar voort. WSJ schrijft dat de Chinese exportvergunningen beperkt zijn tot zes maande. Dat geeft Peking controle. De Financial Times en Bloomberg bevestigen eerdere berichtgeving van SCMP dat de Chinese autoriteiten veel gegevens vragen bij de vergunningaanvragen. Met die informatie kan Peking niet alleen technologische kennis vergaren, maar ook beter in kaart brengen waar de zwakke plekken zitten in de leveringsketens.
De Duitse industrievereniging VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau) heeft een policy paper uitgeven waarin de groep vraagt om actie van Europese en Duitse politici. De kop van het persbericht – „China is not playing fair—politicians must respond!” – maakt duidelijk waar het probleem zit. FAZ schrijft dat deze uitgesproken oproep ongewoon is, maar dat de VDMA in ieder geval niet meer naïef is.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
The Chinese embassy in the Netherlands holds event at Peace Palace to celebrate the first ‘International Day for Dialogue among Civilisations’ – Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of the Netherlands: ‘The event featured video remarks by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Ambassador Tan Jian highlighted China’s Global Civilization Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping’
‘The International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations was designated by the UN Resolution adopted last year.’ 🇳🇱
Ambassador Tán Jiàn 谈践’s remarks on the International Day for Dialogue among Civilisations – Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of the Netherlands: ‘There should be no imposing one’s own values or models on others. No ideological confrontation.’ 🇳🇱
Harmonizing Cultures: The Dialogue of Civilizations Through Vocal Art – Diplomat Magazine 🇳🇱
Deze Dag is het gevolg van een succesvolle Chinese campagne om via VN erkenning te krijgen voor Xi Jinpings GCI-initiatief. Ik interpreteer GCI als een Chinese poging om de dominantie van ‘Westerse’ ‘interpretaties’ van democratie en mensenrechten tegen te gaan.
EU and China eye July 24-25 for summit – POLITICO Europe: ‘One of the diplomats said the first day of the meeting would be in Beijing and the second in Anhui’ 🇪🇺
林剑：孙霖江大使担任中国政府欧亚事务特别代表 – 外交部发言人办公室 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇷🇺
Het Chinese ministerie van buitenlandse zaken deelt mee dat ambassadeur Sūn Línjiāng 孙霖江 inmiddels ambassadeur Lǐ Huī 李辉 heeft vervangen als speciaal gezant voor Euraziatische zaken. Een tijd geleden trok Li de wereld over voor het Chinese ‘vredesinitiatief’ voor Oekraïne.
EU targets Chinese banks over Russian trade links – FT: ‘The two small regional Chinese banks under consideration used crypto transactions to facilitate the import of goods covered by existing EU sanctions’ 🇪🇺🇷🇺
ECB and China’s central bank renew cooperation agreement – Reuters 🇪🇺
Chinese premier meets ECB chief – Xinhua 🇪🇺
China and Spain pledge to deepen strategic partnership – Xinhua: ‘Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said during a meeting in Madrid on Wednesday.’ 🇪🇸
How Hungary became China’s new factory hub in the heart of Europe – SCMP: ‘Budapest’s close ties with Beijing have helped, but the country’s generous subsidies, competitive labour costs and good infrastructure have been even more crucial.’ 🇭🇺
Senior Chinese legislator Zhāng Qìngwěi 张庆伟 visits Iceland to boost ties – Xinhua 🇮🇸
China gets new Catholic bishop, as Pope Leo continues deal over appointments – Reuters: ‘a diplomatic deal originally struck in 2018 that gives Chinese officials some input into papal appointments.’ 🇻🇦
President Lai meets French parliamentarian delegation – Focus Taiwan 🇫🇷
Aardmetalen 🌏🧑🏻🏭
China demands sensitive information for rare earth exports, companies warn – FT: ‘Beijing’s commerce ministry is asking for production details and confidential lists of customers as part of its export approval process’
‘frequently requested information covering end users’
‘Jens Eskelund, chair of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, said the level of detail made it difficult for companies in sensitive industries to comply with or even apply for the export licenses.’ 🇪🇺
5 juni 2025: EU pushes China to address ‘alarming’ rare earth export controls – SCMP: ‘“Some applicants are asked for sensitive information that might compromise their intellectual property so they’re reluctant to hand that over, but they need to if they want to get approval,” Adam Dunnett, secretary general at the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, said.’ 🇪🇺
China found world’s pain point on trade—and will use it again – Bloomberg: ‘the new permitting China established around exporting rare earths and other critical minerals is so detailed that Beijing is building up a sophisticated understanding of where every kilogram that it produces is ending up and why, according to two people familiar with the process’
A major Chinese manufacturer of rare-earth magnets received export permits to countries including the US, in a possible sign of easing tensions between Beijing and Washington – Bloomberg: ‘said that officials approved a certain number of export applications, and the company had permits for regions including the US, Europe and Southeast Asia’
China’s commerce ministry is putting a six-month limit on rare-earth export licenses for US automakers and manufacturers, sources said, giving Beijing leverage if trade tensions flare up again – WSJ 🇺🇸
Depleted German rare-earth and magnet importers await China moves – Nikkei Asia: ‘Two key importers told Nikkei Asia that Chinese export controls over seven rare earths […] cut off virtually all supply into Germany for nearly two months.’ 🇩🇪
Exclusive: Hyundai 現代 Motor has a rare earths stockpile that can last about a year, source says – Reuters 🇰🇷
Indian government report in 2012 foresaw China rare earth export crisis – Hindustan Times 🇮🇳
India in touch with China about supply chain predictability after rare earths curbs – Reuters 🇮🇳
China’s critical mineral curbs shake AI data centre suppliers – Nikkei Asia: ‘Since then, prices of these elements have surged, and supplies of materials that use them, such as low-temperature solder paste, can be measured in weeks, executives from multiple suppliers told Nikkei Asia.’ 🇺🇸
Japan en Zuid-Korea, door ervaring wijs, hadden zich beter voorbereid dan Europese grootindustrie.
Exclusive: China-backed militia secures control of new rare earth mines in eastern Myanmar – Reuters: ‘Beijing is heavily reliant on Myanmar for the rare earth metals and oxides needed to produce them: the war-torn country was the source of nearly half those imports in the first four months of this year, Chinese customs data show.’ 🇲🇲
Rights group says global brands are at risk of links to forced labour in China’s minerals industry – AP: ‘The report by the Netherlands-based Global Rights Compliance says companies including Avon, Walmart, Nescafe, Coca-Cola and paint supplier Sherwin-Williams may be linked to titanium sourced from Xinjiang’
‘77 Chinese suppliers in the titanium, lithium, beryllium and magnesium industries operating in Xinjiang.’
Risk at the Source: Critical Mineral Supply Chains and State-Imposed Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region – Global Rights Compliance
Wereldhandelsoorlog 📉💥
European Commission says ‘too early’ to say if spike in Chinese exports could prompt emergency measures – SCMP: ‘despite a surge in Chinese exports to the European Union coinciding with a big drop in shipments from China to the United States in May.’ 🇪🇺
Chinas Export nach Deutschland steigt rasant – FAZ 🇩🇪
ECB’s Lagarde in Beijing gently urges China to change its ways – POLITICO Europe: ‘Lagarde stressed that China and the U.S. had to share the burden of closing the massive trade gap that threatens to tear the world economy apart.’ 🇪🇺
China working to add C919 aircraft certification to agenda for July EU summit – SCMP: ‘Bloomberg and Reuters reported last week that a lucrative deal for European manufacturer Airbus, to the tune of hundreds of aircraft, is being negotiated in the run-up to the summit.’ 🇪🇺
Press Release: ‘China is not playing fair—politicians must respond!’ – German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA): ‘It is not just that Chinese companies have caught up technologically and have lower production costs. “Chinese companies are also heavily subsidized by the government. And they supply products to Europe that sometimes disregard our technical regulations. China is not playing fair, and politicians must respond to this,“ demanded VDMA President Bertram Kawlath at a media conference in which the new VDMA position paper “Leveling the Playing Field: A Call for Fair Competition with China” was presented.’ 🇩🇪🇪🇺
Deutsche Maschinenbauer stecken in der Sackgasse – FAZ 🇩🇪🇪🇺
Germany welcomes China-US export deal and hopes for similar progress in EU-US talks, Chancellor Merz says – Reuters 🇩🇪🇪🇺
Exclusive: French cognac makers offer China minimum import prices to fend off tariffs – Reuters: ‘They were sent to producers several weeks ago for their approval by a Paris-based law firm negotiating on the spirit makers' behalf, a source familiar with the matter said.’ 🇫🇷
In Depth: Chinese exporters pivot to domestic consumers in trade war hedge – Caixin Global
VS-China 🇨🇳
Wapenstilstand in handelsoorlog VS en China gered na gesprekken in Londen – NRC 🇺🇸
The US and China have agreed in principle to a framework for deescalating trade tensions by implementing the consensus they reached in Geneva – Bloomberg: ‘a framework now awaiting the blessing of Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.’
‘Lutnick said the Chinese had pledged to speed up shipments of rare earth metals critical to US auto and defense firms, while Washington would ease some of its own export controls’ 🇺🇸
China and US conduct professional, rational, in-depth, and candid talks, senior official says – Xinhua: ‘The two sides have agreed in principle the framework for implementing consensus between the two heads of state during their phone talks on June 5, as well as those reached at Geneva talks, Li said.’ 🇺🇸
Chinese vice premier Hé Lìfēng 何立峰 urges US to resolve trade disputes with China through dialogue and cooperation – Xinhua: ‘China reiterates that the United States should work with China to honor [its] words with actions, and demonstrate sincerity’ 🇺🇸
用好磋商机制 共护对话成果（钟声） – 《人民日报》（2025年06月12日 第03版）：“中方对经贸磋商是有诚意的，但同时也是有原则的。〔……〕希望美方与中方一样言必行、行必果，拿出恪守承诺的诚信精神和切实履行共识的努力行动，通过平等对话解决两国经贸问题。”
“开放是中国式现代化的鲜明标识。〔……〕中国海关总署日前发布的数据显示，今年前5个月，中国货物贸易进出口总值17.94万亿元人民币，同比增长2.5%，延续增长态势。”
Xi-Trump phone call suggests ties are warming but the timing of a meeting is another thing – SCMP: ‘President Xi Jinping will not travel to the United States in September for the UN General Assembly’
Xi was wel bij de Algemene Vergadering voor de 70e verjaardag van de VN in 2015 – wat samenviel met een staatsbezoek aan de VS – en sprak digitaal in 2021. Hu Jintao is overigens maar een keer geweest, in 2009.
‘With Xi expected to skip this year’s UN General Assembly, analysts believe Trump could come to China first, potentially around the time of the Apec summit in South Korea in November.’ 🇺🇸🇺🇳
How China beat Trump before the trade battle even started – Alan Beattie for FT 🇺🇸
Trump is negotiating away one of America’s most important advantages over China: controls on the most advanced chips – Hal Brands for Bloomberg 🇺🇸
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office urges US to handle Taiwan question with utmost prudence – Xinhua 🇺🇸
Beijing appears to try including Taiwan ‘prudence’ in US-China trade negotiation language – Sense Hofstede 🇺🇸
VS-wereld 🌏
Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia are among Asian countries seeing the sharpest surge in Chinese imports as higher US tariffs upend regional trade, according to Citigroup – Bloomberg: ‘could pose challenges to recipient countries and their local enterprises’ 🇻🇳🇹🇭🇮🇩
China is likely to cut imports of the lowest grades of coal from Indonesia, as a glut of the fuel makes the trade uneconomic – Bloomberg 🇮🇩
China to remove tariffs on nearly all goods from Africa as both criticise US trade moves – SCMP: ‘The measure was announced as African ministers joined Beijing at a meeting in central China affiliated with the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).’
Techoorlog 💽💥
Japan and the Netherlands’ chip exports to China foil US policy, commerce official says – Nikkei Asia: ‘Kessler said he would consider tapping the Foreign Direct Product Rule if the backfilling continues.’ 🇳🇱🇯🇵
US commerce official says China’s Huawei 华为 cannot make more than 200,000 AI chips in 2025 – Reuters: ‘warning that though the number is below the company's demand, China is quickly catching up to U.S. capabilities.’
Nvidia will stop including China in its forecasts amid US chip export controls, CEO says – CNN
Chinese carmakers vow to make supplier payments within 60 days as backlash grows – Reuters: ‘responding to a recent outcry from steelmakers over long payment times as well as regulatory pressure as the backlash to a brutal price war grows.’
Chinese ministry backs carmakers’ payment commitment to suppliers – Xinhua
Tesla faces uphill battle in China as Trump-Musk dust settles – Nikkei Asia 🇺🇸
Chinese carmaker Xpeng 小鹏 develops advanced chips for Volkswagen cars – FT: ‘says it has developed chips for autonomous driving that are more powerful than Nvidia’s products and it expects Volkswagen and other auto rivals to be customers.’ 🇩🇪
BYD 比亚迪 brings EV price wars to small cars in Europe – FT: ‘Chinese brands have adopted a pricing strategy in Europe that is more restrained than in their home market’ 🇪🇺
Leapmotor 零跑汽车 warns over setting minimum prices for China-made EVs in Europe – FT 🇪🇺
Geely 吉利’s Sweden-based Polestar restarts market expansion with France – Reuters 🇫🇷
Jaarvergadering noodlijdend Ebusco uitgesteld door ontbreken goedkeuring cijfers door accountant – NRC 🇳🇱
From AI to chips: China courts private tech firms to help drive next 5-year plan – SCMP: ‘Zheng Shanjie, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), met leaders from five private enterprises’
Taiwan chip titan TSMC 台積電 opens joint lab with University of Tokyo – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
China Focus: Reform pioneer Shenzhen to open new chapter of innovation, opening up – Xinhua
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
China is ‘different kettle of fish’ from ‘rash’ Russia, Finland’s president says in Tokyo – Nikkei Asia: ‘He sees countries aligning themselves in three big groupings that he prefers to call “spheres” rather than “poles”: the Global West, Global East and Global South.’ 🇫🇮
Het ‘alternatieve wereldbeeld’ van de Russische zender RT sluit goed aan bij het anti-Amerikanisme van de Mexicanen – NRC: „In de informatieoorlog in Mexico, en breder in het mondiale Zuiden, verliest het Westen van Rusland, zegt Ivan Fetsjko via een onlineverbinding vanuit Kyiv.” 🇷🇺
Weekend 🏖️📚
Longreads en achtergrond
The EU sees early successes in using foreign subsidy regulation against Chinese companies – Andreas Mischer for MERICS: ‘In the long run, these reactive measures may not provide the same level of protection bestowed by China’s more aggressive approach – one the US seems increasingly keen to adopt, too.’ 🇪🇺
On re-balancing EU-China relations –
: ‘Worryingly, this view from a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs think tank expert lends credence to a narrative of victimhood. […] Given this understanding of the development of EU-China relations, it is hard to envisage the EU and China reaching an agreement on their major disagreements.’ 🇪🇺Testing self-reliance: What the trade war reveals about China’s vulnerabilities and power – Gerard DiPippo and Benjamin Lenain for RAND: ‘China's economy is becoming more secure from a supply perspective, but it's suffering from an internal demand shock that Beijing is struggling to offset’
Hongmen secret associations have links to the CCP’s United Front and organised crime – Martin Purbrick for Jamestown’s China Brief: ‘a broader trend among Chinese criminals who, by publicly declaring loyalty to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) through Hongmen organizations, seek tacit acceptance for their overseas operations.’
Prof. Lao Dongyan on sex and marriage in Chinese law – Sinification
China’s global AI firewall – China Media Project: ‘The success of [DeepSeek’s] model has invited more concerted government involvement to ensure that it complies with the prerogatives of the leadership.’
‘we may be witnessing the creation of a linguistically stratified information environment’
Boekrecensie: Het verdriet achter elke voordeur in Shanghai – NRC
Podcasts
Of Europa meer wapens kan maken? Dat bepaalt China – FD Dagkoers 🍎
Why China can afford to wait for a deal, and the US can’t – Bloomberg Trumponomics 🍎
Chinese FDI in Europe rebounds, with Armand Meyer and Andreas Mischer – MERICS China Podcast 🍎
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
China fighter jet has near miss with Japanese air force patrol plane, Japan government says – Kyodo News: ‘flying just 45 meters away after taking off from a moving aircraft carrier’
‘made other dangerous maneuvers on Saturday and Sunday, such as passing in front’ 🇯🇵
Senior Chinese diplomat Sūn Wèidōng 孙卫东 elaborates on East Asia regional cooperation – Xinhua: ‘certain extraterritorial countries, driven by unilateral hegemony and self-interest, […] the biggest sources of disruption to regional peace and stability.’
US military drills in Philippines end—but anti-ship missile system stays – The Japan Times 🇵🇭🇺🇸
China adds Indonesia to 240-hour visa-free transit programme, expands list to 55 countries – Xinhua 🇮🇩
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 and Sassou Nguesso send congratulatory letters to FOCAC ministerial meeting of coordinators – Xinhua: ‘Noting that the current international situation is marked by changes and turmoil, Xi said China is committed to providing new opportunities for the world with the new achievements of Chinese modernization and offering new impetus to Global South partners, including Africa, via its huge market.’
Has Brazil given China too much economic control? – Martin Brown for The Diplomat: ‘the growing ties between Brazil and China has brought Brazil’s economic independence into question.’ 🇧🇷
Chinese state farm tiptoes into Brazil: What’s going on? – Dim Sums 🇧🇷
Massed drone deployments part of military modernisation, China’s PLA Daily writes – SCMP: ‘Citing Russia and Ukraine’s efforts to build unmanned systems forces, as well as the US Defence Department’s Replicator initiative’
China economie
Chinese government officials are going at great lengths to protect jobs even as worsening profitability across companies has reached the highest level in over two decades – Bloomberg: ‘Xi Jinping is trying to clean up his economy without triggering mass layoffs.’
Chinese premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强 says officials must adapt to ‘complex and severe’ situation – SCMP: ‘Officials should “strengthen key work surrounding expanding domestic consumption, building a unified national market, and optimising the business environment,” Li said.’
Senior Chinese officials pledge allegiance to Constitution – Xinhua: ‘advancing Chinese modernization through high-quality development remains an arduous and complex mission amid a more challenging external environment’
In Depth: Why China is taking in less tax as [official] GDP growth stays steady – Caixin Global
China’s booze business looks smashed – The Economist
China binnenland
Billions of data records relating to Chinese citizens leaked online, including WeChat and Alipay details – HKFP: ‘may be part of a surveillance effort targeting Chinese citizens, according to the research team at tech media outlet Cybernews and Bob Diachenko’
China’s single moms win more acceptance as birthrate worries mount – Nikkei Asia
China’s viral Labubu toy has an unlikely fan—the ruling Communist Party – SCMP
Hong Kong
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Former KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 to visit Chinese mainland, spokesperson says – Xinhua: ‘The delegation will attend the 17th Straits Forum in Fujian. In Gansu, they will participate in a commemorative ceremony paying tribute to Fuxi — a legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation’ 🇨🇳
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council slams Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 (KMT) over cross-Strait forum – Taipei Times: ‘Most Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and local government heads are reluctant to attend the forum, as the party is facing a massive recall campaign’ 🇨🇳
Taiwanese YouTuber Gym Boss live-streams unfiltered look at mainland China – SCMP 🇨🇳
Dit artikel is een mooi voorbeeld van hoe Taiwanese influencers én South China Morning Post een Chinees propagandaspelletje meespelen. ‘Gym Boss’ is de afgelopen jaren van de mainstream vervreemd en in een wappie-stroom terechtgekomen terwijl SCMP in dit stuk af en toe klinkt als Xinhua.
Taiwan jails Chinese ship captain for damaging undersea cables – Reuters 🇨🇳
China vows continued crackdown on cyberattacks initiated by Taiwan organisation – Xinhua: ‘Zhu said that law-based actions will be taken against the DPP authorities' illegal activities, including cyberattacks conducted in collusion with external forces.’ 🇨🇳
Taiwan cyber unit says it will not be intimidated by China bounty offer – Reuters 🇨🇳
Security at Electronic Force Command to be raised – Taipei Times
Ex-assistant to KMT lawmakers released on bail in Chinese espionage case – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇳
Taiwan to hold live-fire training for new M1A2T tanks – Focus Taiwan
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Taiwan’s recall votes could be held between July 10 and August 19, election official says – Focus Taiwan
President Lai invites opposition leaders to national security meeting next week – Taipei Times
Independence advocates Chen Wan-chen 陳婉真 and Nan Fang Shuo 南方朔 (Wang Hsing-ching 王杏慶) die – Taipei Times
The curious case of the Taiwan People’s Party, part 1: policy, office, or votes? – Kharis Templeman
FSC previews crypto penalties bill – Taipei Times