De Chinese Wouden, vrijdag 22 november: kabel, handel, Taiwan
Er zijn nog altijd vragen rondom het Chinese schip dat in de buurt van de twee kabels in de Oostzee was op de momenten dat ze door werden gesneden. De Deense marine zou in de buurt zijn. Verder is er nog geen nieuws.
Wel nieuws uit Zweden: Europa’s hoop in bange dagen van elektrische-auto-oorlogen, de batterijproducent Northvolt, is failliet. Het is nog niet zo makkelijk. Wat ook niet makkelijk is de snelste chips maken in China. Volgens bronnen van Reuters heeft de productie van nieuwe AI-chip van Huawei een yield (opbrengst, efficiëntie) van slechts 20%. Ver onder de 70% die nodig zou zijn om uit te kunnen. De commerciële factoren zijn voor Peking op de korte termijn dan ook minder belangrijk dan de strategische.
Taiwans minister van buitenlandse zaken Lin Chia-lung is in Europa. Hij was eerst in Brussel, in het Europees Parlement – waar net een akkoord is waardoor de nieuwe Europese Commissie per 1 december zou moeten kunnen beginnen. Daarna ging hij door naar Litouwen, voor een diner ter gelegenheid van drie jaar een vertegenwoordiging in Vilnius – met de gewraakte naam. De geluiden uit Peking zijn ontevreden maar niet extreem.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Kabinet investeert in talent voor microchipsector – Rijksoverheid 🇳🇱
Congres VS eist inzage in ASML-export naar China – NRC: „Het gaat om gevoelige informatie die het hightechbedrijf in veel gevallen niet zal willen of mogen prijsgeven.” 🇳🇱
Denemarken volgt Chinees schip dat op plek van kabelbreuken in Oostzee was – NU.nl 🇩🇰
Swedish police focus on Chinese ship after suspected undersea cable sabotage – The Guardian 🇸🇪
Foreign ministry says China willing to maintain communication on submarine infrastructure security – Reuters
Het werd al lange tijd gevreesd: sabotage gericht op onderzeese kabels. Hoe kan Europa zich beveiligen? – NRC 🇪🇺
Join Hands to Promote the Healthy and Stable Development of China-EU Relations: Speech by Ambassador Cài Rùn 蔡润 at the 12th China-Europe Forum – Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union:
‘First, China and the EU should be partners, not rivals.’
‘Second, China and the EU should strengthen practical cooperation, not seek decoupling.’
‘Third, China and the EU should add more stability and certainty to the world, not complexity.’ 🇪🇺
Taiwan foreign minister Lin Chia-lung 林佳龍 (DPP) meets lawmakers at European Parliament in Brussels – Focus Taiwan: ‘While in Belgium, Lin and his delegation also visited the Belgian Chamber of Representatives’ ‘The day before on Monday, Lin visited the Interuniversity Microelectronics Center (imec)’ 🇪🇺🇧🇪
Foreign minister Lin Chia-lung 林佳龍 (DPP) marks representative office anniversary in Vilnius – Taipei Times 🇱🇹
Taiwan and Latvia sign MOU on drone industry cooperation – Focus Taiwan: ‘They were joined by over 120 counterparts from Latvia and Estonia, including Estonian parliamentarians’ 🇱🇻🇪🇪
China’s new Ukraine envoy Mǎ Shēngkūn 马升琨 ‘full of confidence’ about deeper ties – SCMP: ‘former deputy director general of the Chinese foreign ministry’s arms control department’ 🇺🇦
New Chinese ambassador arrives in Ukraine – The Global Times 🇺🇦
Als je de verklaring van ambassadeur Ma leest, zou je niet denken dat er een ‘crisis’ woedt in Oekraïne.
Military help for Ukraine ‘too sensitive’, but representative office a goal, Taiwan vice foreign minister says – Reuters: ‘Wu said Taiwan is focusing on developing relationships with Ukraine through its neighbours and providing humanitarian aid.’ 🇺🇦
UK PM Keir Starmer twice declines to directly condemn jailing of Hong Kong pro-democracy figures – The Guardian: ‘Starmer said that UK “mustn’t lose … the opportunity for our economy”.’ 🇬🇧
Oxford University’s China dilemma – POLITICO Europe: ‘Politicians are among those vying to run the elite institution — and they’re squaring off over Beijing’s influence on Britain.’ 🇬🇧
Dodelijke instorting van stationsdak in Servië leidt tot woedende protesten en nu ook tot arrestaties – de Volkskrant: „De Chinese bedrijven ontkennen overigens dat de ingestorte overkapping deel uitmaakte van hun werkzaamheden.” 🇷🇸
Handel 🚗⚡️
Macron dispatching Barnier to Beijing to save French cognacs from Chinese tariffs – POLITICO Europe 🇫🇷
China tests hauling dangerous EV battery cargo by rail to meet spiking demand – SCMP: ‘paving the way for future exports through the China-Europe Railway Express.’ 🇪🇺🇷🇺
China to advance efforts to join Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), commerce ministry says – Xinhua: ‘a new trade partnership agreement initiated by New Zealand, Singapore and Chile’
Lutnick’s China ties draw fire after Trump taps him to lead US in trade war – Reuters 🇺🇸
Trump’s cabinet may be ‘China hawk’ in name only, analysts say – Nikkei Asia 🇺🇸
上海七宝镇发生工人堵路维权事件 – RFA
Tech War 💽💥
Europa’s batterijenkampioen Northvolt vraagt bescherming tegen schuldeisers in VS – De Standaard 🇪🇺🇸🇪
Sweden’s Northvolt files for bankruptcy, in blow to Europe's EV ambitions – Reuters: ‘Northvolt said it has only enough cash to support operations for about a week and said it has secured $100 million in new financing for the bankruptcy process. It said operations will continue as normal during the bankruptcy.’ 🇪🇺🇸🇪
Huawei 华为 aims to mass-produce newest AI chip in early 2025, despite US curbs – Reuters: ‘a lack of advanced lithography equipment has limited the chip’s yield to around 20%, said one source who was briefed on the results. Advanced chips need yields of more than 70% to be commercially viable. Even Huawei’s current most advanced processor, the SMIC-made 910B, has a yield of only around 50%, forcing Huawei to slash production targets and delay filling orders for that chip, the sources said.’
Bovenstaande en onderstaande moeten naast elkaar gelezen worden.
Amerikaanse beperkingen dwingen Chinese chipindustrie tot inhaalslag. „Onze toekomst hangt van Trump af” – Trouw 🇺🇸
US sanctions put China’s military and civilian tech in bed together, Chinese researchers say – SCMP: ‘Trump inadvertently broke down this invisible barrier that had troubled Beijing for decades, according to the study.’ 🇺🇸
STMicroelectronics partners with foundry Hua Hong 华虹 as chipmakers need China, says CEO – Reuters 🇪🇺
TSMC 台積電’s move to cut off Chinese chip firms weighs on annual Beijing semiconductor forum – SCMP
China’s Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 pitches a ‘shared future in cyberspace’ at internet forum amid decoupling fears – SCMP: ‘in a speech delivered via a video shown to the World Internet Conference on Wednesday.’
Wuzhen Summit: China creates AI advisory body, with Alibaba Cloud 阿里云 founder as chief expert – SCMP
TSMC 台積電 to build plants in Kaohsiung, Tainan, and Taichung over next 3 years, NDC says – Focus Taiwan
Taiwan to invest US$3bn to secure ‘AI sovereignty’, tech czar says – Nikkei Asia
Nieuwe omzetprognose AI-chipmaker Nvidia voldoet niet aan de meest optimistische verwachtingen – NRC 🇺🇸
US finalises US$1.5 billion chips award to GlobalFoundries – AFP 🇺🇸
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
China’s Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 visits Brazil’s Brasília to cap tour flexing diplomatic clout – Reuters: ‘several diplomats who had been part of previous G20 summits noticed an evolving posture from the Chinese — less focused on their own narrow interests and more proactive about forging a wider consensus.’
China goes on diplomatic offensive ahead of Trump 2.0 – The Straits Times
‘Resurgence’ in China aid to Pacific amid tussle with US for influence – AFP: ‘Having cut back on Pacific aid at the height of the Covid pandemic, China’s commitments have climbed in recent years, Australia’s Lowy Institute said in a new study.’
Northern Mariana Islands governor backs US$800m US military upgrade amid China threat – The Guardian: ‘“Do I wish that we don’t have to have military bases? I think everybody in this world would like to see peace, but the best deterrent is to have a good defense and to be prepared.”’ 🇲🇵
Declaration on vocational education adopted in Tianjin by 32 countries – Xinhua
World vocational education league established – Xinhua
Weekend 🏖️📚
Longreads en achtergrond
The hardliner: interview with Matt Pottinger – James Crabtree for the Mekong Review 🇺🇸
Outrage is not a policy: The EU should engage Trump’s team to boost industrial capacity outside China and Russia – Joris Teer for EUISS: ‘Despite its wealth and technological prowess, the US share of global production has fallen dramatically. Following decades of globalisation, the combined GDP of the G7 and its partners is still almost three times bigger than that of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. This emerging anti-Western axis, however, exerts formidable control over low-value-added, but strategically essential industries, such as metals production.’ 🇪🇺
The Power Vertical: Centralisation in the PRC’s state security system – Edward Schwarck for the Jamestown China Brief: ‘The PRC’s three-tier state security system was placed under vertical leadership by the MSS circa 2016–2017. This severed the commanding role that provincial governments previously had held over their local state security bureaus.’
A three beats waltz: The ecosystem behind Chinese state-sponsored cyber threats – Sekoia: ‘From 2021 onward, Sekoia observed that operations attributed to China were mostly linked to the Ministry of State Security (MSS) rather than the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).’
Diplomatic data signals shifts over the Xi era – Sense Hofstede for the Jamestown China Brief
The China Coast Guard focusses on enforcing Beijing’s contested maritime claims, more than law enforcement and rescue—with two massive ships leading the charge – WSJ: ‘China’s transformation of its coast guard into a force that can take the lead in open-water confrontations is a vital and telling piece of Beijing’s strategy to dominate a swath of the Pacific’
The Tibet-Aid Project and settler colonialism in China’s borderlands – James Leibold in Made in China journal
China wil geen bloemen op straat voor de slachtoffers van aanslagen – NRC
3 mass murder sprees in just over a week: What’s driving some Chinese to take revenge on society? – The Straits Times: ‘The word liqi – violent rage with a malicious, ruthless edge – keeps coming up in everyday conversations and online.’
In Depth: How China’s companies came to dominate DRC’s copper and cobalt Mining belt – Caixin Global 🇨🇩
Excerpt: How Little We Knew – Nicholas Kristof in China Books Review
Podcasts
The shadowy fleet of tankers moving Iranian oil to China – Bloomberg Big Take Asia 🍎
China’s interest in an expanded BRICS – GMFUS China Global 🍎
How Taiwanese opera has parallels with modern-day drag culture – NPR
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
China speelt dubbele rol op VN-klimaattop in Bakoe – FD
China slams US for blocking Gaza ceasefire resolution at 15-member UN Security Council – SCMP: ‘Despite securing 14 votes in favour, the resolution was blocked by the United States, which cast the sole veto.’ 🇮🇱🇵🇸🇺🇸
Explanation of Vote by Ambassador Fù Cōng 傅聪 on the UN Security Council Draft Resolution on Gaza Ceasefire – Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the UN: ‘The US single use of veto has shattered the Gazan people’s hope for survival and pushed them further into darkness and desperation.’
‘The US Representative called for the release of hostages in their earlier statement. Our position has been very clear from the beginning. All hostages must be released. An immediate and unconditional ceasefire must be established. Both are important. There should be no preconditions attached, and the two things should not be linked to each other. Facts have shown that Israel’s military operations in Gaza have long exceeded the scope of rescuing hostages. Insistence on setting preconditions for a ceasefire is tantamount to giving the green light to prolong the war and condone the continued killing.’ 🇮🇱🇵🇸🇺🇸
New China-linked hacking group attacking global telecommunications networks – Axios
Unveiling LIMINAL PANDA: A Closer Look at China’s Cyber Threats to the Telecom Sector – CrowdStrike: ‘Targeting organizations operating in countries associated with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)’
US backs Philippine forces in South China Sea with special task force – Reuters: ‘an initiative Manila said involves intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.’ 🇵🇭🇺🇸
Cambodia’s flagship canal in hot water as China funding dries up – Reuters: ‘the Funan Techo Canal that will link the Mekong River to the Gulf of Thailand and reduce Cambodia's shipping reliance on its neighbour Vietnam.’
‘Beijing has expressed misgivings about the project and has not made definitive commitments on its funding.’ 🇰🇭
China claims ‘wipe-out’ of large telecom fraud centres in northern Myanmar – Reuters 🇲🇲
China and Singapore launch joint army drill on urban anti-terrorism – The Global Times: ‘This is the sixth edition of the Cooperation series exercise’ 🇸🇬
Japan conveys ‘serious concerns’ to China over military activities – Kyodo News: ‘The meeting was held on the margins of a defense ministerial gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their regional partners in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.’ 🇯🇵
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 calls for ushering in next ‘Golden 50 Years’ of China-Brazil relations – Xinhua: ‘[Lula] pointed out that President Xi has set an example for the world by working for people's well-being, upholding social fairness and justice, and advocating for peace over war, cooperation over confrontation, and creation over destruction.’ 🇧🇷
China and Brazil decide to elevate ties in Xi and Lula meeting – Xinhua 🇧🇷
Elon Musk’s China ties ‘a profound threat’ to US national security, Democratic senator says – SCMP 🇺🇸
Chinese man jailed for 20 months in US over plot targeting Falun Gong – AFP: ‘John Chen, of Los Angeles, was convicted of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government and bribing a tax authority agent.’ 🇺🇸
US deports a third group of Chinese nationals on repatriation flight – SCMP 🇺🇸
China reaffirms support for Saudi-Iran ties ‘across various fields’ in Riyadh talks – SCMP: ‘They also condemned Israeli “attacks and violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Iran.’ 🇮🇷🇸🇦
Ex-Chinese ambassador Fù Yíng 傅莹 offers rare insight into Beijing’s thinking about foreign media – SCMP: ‘decided that interviews would always “start from a negative perspective of China”, so she decided to change tactics by deflecting hostile questions.’
Een persoon die vaak gebruikt wordt om met het Westen te praten.
Exclusive: Audit finds Moon Jae-in 文在寅 administration leaked THAAD details to China and civic groups – The Chosun Daily: ‘After the operation was completed, the U.S. reportedly issued a strong protest to the South Korean government over the prior disclosure to China.’ 🇰🇷
China economie
China advisers call for steady 5% economic growth goal and stronger stimulus in 2025 – Reuters
China’s retail rally in lower-tier locales tops big-city light spenders – SCMP: ‘a more upbeat narrative is unfolding in the nation’s third- and fourth-tier cities.’
Temu owner PDD misses sales estimates amid China slowdown – FT
In Depth: Pandemic-era helping hand comes back to haunt China’s banks – Caixin Global: ‘A government-encouraged surge in lending designed to be a lifeline for small businesses during the pandemic has started to worry Chinese banks, as misappropriation has caused the loans to sour at an increasing rate due in part to China’s stubborn real estate slump.’
China unveils plan to guide exporters through tempestuous trade waters – SCMP: ‘the Ministry of Commerce said it will help enterprises “actively respond to unreasonable foreign trade restrictions” and “create a good external environment for exports”.’
American businesses are dusting off a playbook they used during Donald Trump’s first term: stocking up on imported goods before tariffs are enacted – WSJ 🇺🇸
The US has boosted sales of liquefied natural gas to China this year, although the surge may not last if the incoming Trump administration collides with Beijing over trade – Bloomberg 🇺🇸
Harsh Chinese retaliation against new Trump tariffs is unlikely, economist predicts – SCMP 🇺🇸
Why Trump’s trade war will cause chaos – Martin Wolf for FT: ‘a spread of high tariffs in the US and across the world is likely to lead to a rapid decline in world trade and output.’
Fourth former Chinese IPO regulator goes missing amid corruption crackdown – Caixin Global
China binnenland
China’s governments are building 30,000 miles of high-speed rail—that they might not need – WSJ: ‘It’s becoming a giant money pit. China has spent more than $500 billion on new tracks, trains and stations in the past five years, while the country’s national railway operator, China State Railway Group, is nearing $1 trillion of debt and other liabilities. Just keeping up with its debt requires $25 billion annually.’
‘China is now practically duplicating some routes.’
Wary of ‘vicious’ events, China makes migrant worker arrears a priority – SCMP: ‘officials have been authorised to use “non-routine methods” to resolve all verified cases before the Lunar New Year, which falls on January 29.’
China’s second-richest man Zhōng Shǎnshǎn 钟睒睒 demands apology from ByteDance 字节跳动 founder Zhāng Yīmíng 张一鸣 over online attacks on Douyin 抖音 and Toutiao 头条 – SCMP: ‘The series of attack campaigns led to a debate about the responsibility of the Chinese government, opinion leaders, the public and social media in fermenting nationalist passions, but Zhong is the first businessman to openly point the finger at online platforms.’
China’s second-richest man Zhōng Shǎnshǎn 钟睒睒 blasts Pinduoduo for hurting brands with cutthroat pricing – SCMP
Transgender woman wins record payout in China after electroshock treatment – The Guardian
Hong Kong
Mother of jailed democrat Hendrick Lui 呂智恆 arrested after holding up a banner outside court after son’s sentencing – HKFP: ‘Lui, a 42-year-old social worker and an activist, was sentenced to four years and three months in jail.’
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Taiwan and US sign NT$10.7 billion ($329m) deal for Air Force and Navy spare parts – Focus Taiwan 🇺🇸
Singapore backs one-China policy, not one-China principle, Taiwanese foreign ministry says – Focus Taiwan: ‘In MOFA’s statement, it said China’s statement concerning Taiwan on the Xi-Wong meeting was “unmistakably false.”’ 🇸🇬
Former President Tsai Ing-wen 蔡英文 (DPP) departs for security forum in Canada – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇦
RTX (Raytheon) pays Taiwan US$160 million over arms price gouging, defence ministry says – Taipei Times 🇺🇸
Taiwan’s foreign ministry sues Peruvian contractor over APEC billboard incident – Taipei Times: ‘failed to prevent members of China’s delegation to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit from cutting power to a Taiwanese government billboard in Lima.’ 🇵🇪
Taiwan to donate US$1 million to APEC initiatives, envoy says – Taipei Times
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Taiwanese lawmakers scuffle amid recall debate – Taipei Times: ‘after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers rushed through procedures on proposed amendments to increase the threshold to recall elected representatives.’
Opposition legislators vow to cut TaiwanPlus funding and demand review – Taipei Times: ‘KMT legislators requested that TaiwanPlus remove a news report on the US election describing US president-elect Donald Trump as a “convicted felon,” saying it was inappropriate and biased.’
‘TPP legislators have also criticized TaiwanPlus for using a photograph of TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) in handcuffs during the segment “Taiwan Corruption Crackdown,”’
Donovan’s Deep Dives: The wildly improbable Ko Wen-je 柯文哲 (TPP) saga turns up dark secrets – Courtney Donovan Smith in Taipei Times: ‘If he was indeed serious, that he would offer such a [domestic investigation] post to an openly pro-CCP person is shocking.’
Labour minister may step down after employee’s death – Taipei Times
Probe launched over alleged bullying at CDC – Taipei Times
Taiwanese National Security Bureau major general impeached for indecent assault of woman – Focus Taiwan