De Chinese Wouden, vrijdag 14 februari: Trump en zijn vrienden
Excuses voor de verlate nieuwsbrief. Het is druk hier, tijdens mijn laatste dagen in Singapore. Volgende week dinsdag reis ik weer terug naar Europa. Ik doe mijn best om bij te blijven, maar verwacht dat de normale service pas vrijdag weer hersteld zal zijn.
Peking is blij met de manier waarop Trump de zaken onder vrienden wil regelen met Poetin (en Xi). Europa staat erbij en kijkt er naar, terwijl Wang in Londen de victorie kraait.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Chinese e-smokkelaars helpen Nederlandse consument bij pakbonfraude – BNR 🇳🇱
China is seeking a peacemaker role in ending the war in Ukraine – WSJ: ‘Chinese officials in recent weeks have floated a proposal to the Trump team through intermediaries to hold a summit between the two leaders and to facilitate peacekeeping efforts after an eventual truce, according to people in Beijing and Washington familiar with the matter.’
‘The Chinese offer, notably, envisions a U.S.-Russian summit without the involvement of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the people in Beijing and Washington.’ ‘The White House declined to confirm whether it had received China’s offer, but still rejected it.’ 🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦
China’s foreign ministry ‘happy’ that US and Russia talking more after Ukraine peace summit reports – AFP 🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦
China validated on its ‘rational’ Ukraine war position, Wáng Yì 王毅 says on Britain visit – SCMP: ‘Beijing was willing to work with parties, such as Europe, to play a “constructive role”’ 🇷🇺🇺🇦
Heel Europa ziet startschot van Trumps vredesinitiatief als grote zege voor Poetin – de Volkskrant 🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦
Europa inclusief Oekraïne is lijdend voorwerp tussen deze grootmachten, zoals de drie autocratische leiders het graag zien.
China aids Russian drone production with smuggled Western parts, says Estonian intelligence – Reuters: ‘Some 80% of such components reaching Russia now come from China, it said.’
‘The offices of Western companies in China are likely involved in the schemes, said Estonian intelligence.’ 🇷🇺🇺🇦🇪🇪
China hedges its energy bets as Russia pipeline plan remains on hold – SCMP: ‘Observers said Beijing could instead buy more liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States to address the bilateral trade imbalance’ 🇷🇺
Taiwan to continue supporting Czech group that helps Ukrainian refugees People in Need – Focus Taiwan: ‘according to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed Tuesday in Prague.’ 🇨🇿🇺🇦
European Parliament urges lawmakers to only use encrypted messages after China hacks in US – POLITICO Europe 🇪🇺
Wáng Yì 王毅 heads to Dublin as Ireland’s role in US-China rivalry comes into focus – SCMP 🇮🇪🇪🇺
Met citaten van mijzelf, op basis van mijn bezoekdatabase.
China and Britain need to strengthen dialogue and communication, foreign minister says – Xinhua: ‘What is important is to have an objective and rational perspective and strengthen dialogue and communication in the spirit of mutual respect, said Wang.’ 🇬🇧
De tekst leest nogal belerend.
China’s Salt Typhoon spies are still hacking telecoms—now by exploiting Cisco routers – Wired: ‘even after those hackers' high-profile exposure, they’ve continued their spree of breaking into telecom networks worldwide’ ‘an internet service provider in Italy’
‘It’s also seen the group target a broader range of universities around the world for apparent espionage, including in […] [the] Netherland[s]’ 🇳🇱🇮🇹
Taiwanese foreign ministry thanks new Belgian government coalition for its support of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait – Taipei Times 🇧🇪
China rejects Swiss government report on ‘transnational repression’ of Tibetans and Uyghurs – AFP 🇨🇭
Tag und Nacht klingelt das Telefon – FAZ 🇨🇭
Wereldhandelsoorlog 📊💥
Donald Trump unveils ‘reciprocal’ tariff plan to hit trade partners – FT: ‘White House officials and Trump warned that trading partners Brazil, India, Japan, Canada and the EU were at risk of being hit by the new tariffs.’ 🇪🇺
Unprecedented US visit by all 13 Canadian premiers paints China as ‘common economic enemy’ – SCMP 🇨🇦
Calvin Klein blacklisting sends chill through US business in China – FT: ‘the blacklisting has highlighted the uncertainty of their presence there.’ 🇺🇸
Taiwan’s president pledges chip talks with US and more investment to mollify Trump – Reuters: ‘Trump spoke critically about Taiwan on Thursday, […] repeating claims about Taiwan having taken away the industry he wanted back in the United States.’ 🇹🇼
President Lai pledges to raise Taiwan’s defence spending to over 3% of GDP – Focus Taiwan: ‘As of press time, the Legislature has yet to finalize the 2025 central government budget plan it passed on Jan. 21 after adopting numerous budget cuts and freezes.’ 🇹🇼
Amid Trump’s tariff threat, Taiwan’s economic affairs minister touts officials’ ‘routine’ US visit and info gathering – Focus Taiwan 🇹🇼
No further US investments mentioned after TSMC board meeting – Focus Taiwan: ‘TSMC, […], held a board meeting in the U.S. state of Arizona marking the first time that the company held such a meeting in the United States in its 37-year history.’ 🇹🇼
Taiwanese prosecutors to investigate ‘White Wolf’ Chang An-lo 張安樂 (CUPP) drug claims – Taipei Times: ‘[After Breitbart’s] Schweizer alleged that Chang and the Bamboo Union gang are producing and trafficking fentanyl in the US.’ 🇹🇼
Thailand’s TCC to build industrial park near Bangkok, eyeing supply chain shift from China – Nikkei Asia 🇹🇭
Trump 🇺🇸🟠
DOGE’s latest target is seen as a gift to the CCP – The Wire China: ‘The Treasury Department has frozen funding disbursements to the National Endowment for Democracy, […]. The freeze has imperiled several China-related civil society groups, […]’ 🇺🇸
China rights monitors suspend work, lay off staff after US aid freeze – Reuters 🇺🇸
US defence chief Hegseth signals ‘early priorities are domestic’ in China remarks – SCMP 🇺🇸
Trump says he wants to work with Russia and China on limiting nuclear weapons – Reuters
Trump meets Modi, says he hopes US, China, India, and Russia can all ‘get along’ – SCMP
China hawk picked for key US Commerce Department job – Reuters
Techoorlog 💽💥
How China is betting big on state-led research to drive a tech revolution – SCMP: ‘China’s state-owned industrial giants have set up nearly 100 new research hubs as part of a government initiative launched in 2022’
Apple and Google restore TikTok app after assurances from Trump – Bloomberg 🇺🇸
Trump says TikTok deadline could be extended – Reuters 🇺🇸
Apple’s AI partnership with Alibaba 阿里巴巴 excites Chinese iOS developers ahead of conference – SCMP 🇺🇸
With DeepSeek 深度求索, China moves to take on Nvidia’s CUDA ecosystem – SCMP 🇺🇸
OpenAI keen ‘to work with China’, CEO Sam Altman says, as DeepSeek 深度求索 rattles tech market – SCMP 🇺🇸
Chinese and South Korean carmakers drive into Indonesia’s hybrid market – Nikkei Asia 🇮🇩
China’s BYD 比亚迪 holds mining rights in Brazil’s Lithium Valley – Reuters 🇧🇷
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
Japan’s China investment drops 60% in 10 years as firms rethink strategies – SCMP 🇯🇵
India expects US$200 million missile deal with Philippines this year, sources say – Reuters 🇮🇳🇵🇭
Weekend 🏖️📚
Longreads en achtergrond
Wind of Change: German China policy after the election – Noah Barkin and Gregor Sebastian for Rhodium Group 🇩🇪
The rise of China’s soft power – The New Yorker: ‘Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s gutting of U.S.A.I.D. will weaken Washington’s reach, but the U.S. was already losing the fight for global influence.’ 🇺🇸
DeepSeeking truth – China Media Project: ‘But do coders and Silicon Valley denizens know what they should be looking for? As we have written at CMP, Chinese state propaganda is not about censorship per se, but about what the Party terms “guiding public opinion” (舆论导向).’
China, Taiwan, and the PLA’s 2027 milestones: Be prepared to be surprised – John Culver for The Lowy Institute
Teens across Asia migrate to Taiwan for promises of semiconductor jobs – Rest of World: ‘Students in these programs often become a low-paid labor force, working long hours in factories in the guise of “practical training,” according to education experts and a recent report from Control Yuan’
China is infiltrating Taiwan’s armed forces – The Economist
Books: House of Huawei 华为 — inside China’s ‘most powerful company’ – FT
Are there ‘safe’ areas of research collaboration with China? – University World News
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Ex-New York State official accused of working for China faces bribery allegation – The New York Times 🇺🇸
Australia accuses China fighter jet of ‘unsafe’ conduct above South China Sea – AFP: ‘a Chinese fighter jet dropped flares near an Australian air force plane patrolling the South China Sea’ 🇦🇺
China warns Philippines of dangers of prolonged US missile system deployment – Xinhua 🇵🇭
Vietnam to use Chinese loans for US$8.3 billion railway linking both countries – Reuters 🇻🇳
China economie
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 to chair symposium attended by Jack Ma 马云 and other Chinese business leaders, sources say – Reuters: ‘a symposium to boost private sector sentiment next week’
China issues US$8.2 billion in bills in Hong Kong to stabilise yuan amid trade tensions – SCMP
China binnenland
China’s richest cities say medical costs are bleeding dry health insurance funds – SCMP: ‘as rising medical costs and a rapidly ageing population put greater strain on the system. As a result, some analysts warn that the trend could become unsustainable in the long run’
China’s coal power habit undercuts ‘unprecedented pace’ of clean energy – The Guardian: ‘“The record decline in solar output and the unexpected drop in wind utilisation […],” […] were driven largely by long-term power purchase agreements that set minimum quotas for coal power bought by local governments.’
‘In 2024 China also approved 66.7GW of new coal-fired capacity, started construction on 94.5GW of new coal power projects — the most in one year since 2015 — and resumed construction on 3.3GW of suspended construction projects.’
Book about Xí Jìnpíng 习近平’s thoughts on improving ethnic work published – Xinhua
Chinese defence industry exec Liú Wèidōng 刘卫东 under investigation for alleged corruption – SCMP: ‘deputy head of a major state-owned ordnance equipment manufacturer’
Let It Burn: Why China’s government is looking the other way on farm fires – Sixth Tone
Tensions with the West are fuelling China’s anxiety about food supplies – The Economist
China’s livestock feed output dropped 6.6 mmt in 2024 – Dim Sums
Chinese authorities play cash-giving Cupid to boost marriage rates – AFP
China opens recruitment for ‘planetary defence force’ amid fears of asteroid hitting Earth – The Guardian
Hong Kong
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Former lawmaker and MAC official Chang Hsien-yao 張顯耀 indicted over alleged China-led election interference – Focus Taiwan: ‘allege that Chang traveled on Sept. 11, 2023, to Beijing where he met Wang Huning, […], and other leading members of the Chinese Communist Party to “confirm the practical plan of Terry Gou running for president”’
Dit zou gaan om het plan om de in peilingen en onder KMT-hardliners toen minder populaire KMT-presidentskandidaat Hou Yu-ih te vervangen door Foxconn-oprichter Terry Guo Tai-ming.
Volgens de berichtgeving van Mirror Media – genoemd in mijn vorige nieuwsbrief – zou Chang ook in contact hebben gestaan met TPP-presidentskandidaat Ko Wen-je. De TPP ontkent alles.
Taiwan’s economic affairs ministry plans trade and investment centre in Japan’s Fukuoka – Taipei Times 🇯🇵
Taiwanese military service members to be required to make a citizenship pledge – Taipei Times
Military recruitment programme for students to start in Taiwan – Taipei Times
Defence ministry relaxes height and tattoo restrictions – Taipei Times
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Executive Yuan pushes back on KMT’s cash payout proposal for tax revenu surplus – Taipei Times
Taipei City councillor Chen E-jun 陳怡君 (DPP) released on bail over alleged corruption – Focus Taiwan: ‘Chen is accused of fraudulently claiming assistant salaries’
Taichung department store ordered to suspend operations after fatal explosion – Focus Taiwan