De Chinese Wouden, vrijdag 24 januari: Trump
Fijn weekend!
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Premier Schoof: „Trump blijft aandringen op exportbeperkingen ASML” – BNR: „Schoof benadrukt dat de VS en Nederland, wat betreft het beleid richting China, ‘op één lijn zitten’, zo zegt hij tegen Bloomberg.” 🇳🇱
The Netherlands expects President Donald Trump to keep pressing to restrict ASML’s exports of chip-making machines to China, according to Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof – Bloomberg: ‘“When it comes to ASML, we currently have discussions on a weekly basis,” Schoof said.’ 🇳🇱
Den Haag ontvangt vicepremier China op het hoogste niveau – NOS: „Het is een uitgebreid welkom voor een Chinese overheidsvertegenwoordiger van deze statuur.” 🇳🇱
Visiting Vice Premier Dīng Xuēxiáng 丁薛祥 says China will work with Netherlands to maintain stable global supply chain – Reuters: ‘at a meeting with Dutch King Willem-Alexander in The Hague’ 🇳🇱
High-level EU-China talks to resume as top diplomats prepare to meet in Munich – SCMP: ‘A meeting at the annual Munich Security Conference between February 14 and 16 will mark Kallas’ first face-to-face encounter with China’s leadership’ 🇪🇺
Friedrich Merz (CDU) warns German companies about ‘great risk’ of investing in China – FT: ‘the frontrunner in the race to become Germany’s chancellor’ 🇩🇪
Beijing’s influence could end Ukraine war, Finnish president says – Caixin Global 🇫🇮🇺🇦
Shanghai and Athens forge partnership with twinning agreement – Xinhua 🇬🇷
China and Bulgaria vow to deepen bilateral ties at Spring Festival reception – Xinhua 🇧🇬
China and Switzerland vow to further promote innovative strategic partnership – Xinhua 🇨🇭
Interview: Engaging with Taiwan, China not an either-or matter, UK MP says – Focus Taiwan 🇬🇧
China’s cyber spies are targeting Russia’s aerospace and defence firms – POLITICO Europe: ‘researchers at the Taiwanese cybersecurity firm TeamT5 told POLITICO.’ 🇷🇺
Trump 🟠🇺🇸
Trump reiterates February 1 tariff deadline, muddying timeline for trade action – POLITICO 🇺🇸
China’s foreign ministry vows to defend ‘interests’ against Trump tariff threats – AFP 🇺🇸
Trump says he wants ‘fairness’, nuclear disarmament talks with China – Kyodo News 🇺🇸
Trump disbands cybersecurity board investigating massive Chinese phone system hack – Tech Dirt 🇺🇸
Record number of US companies weigh China exit as Trump tensions rise – FT: ‘The annual survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China found 30 per cent of respondents were exploring alternative sources’ 🇺🇸
Trump ‘unlikely to take the initiative to use Taiwan as a bargaining chip’ with Beijing, Bonnie Glaser says – SCMP: ‘However, if Xi presents a specific task related to Taiwan, it is possible that Trump might consider whether he can use the request to obtain something that he wants.’ 🇺🇸
Trump unmasks American selfishness, say non-Western cynics: But sceptics are wrong to call America First business as usual – The Economist 🇺🇸
Aanpak van de dodelijke drug fentanyl is een symbool voor de relatie tussen China en de VS – NRC 🇺🇸
Handel 🚗⚡️
EU tariffs failing to stop flood of Chinese electric vehicles, new trade data suggests – SCMP: ‘The major European buyers of Chinese EVs were Belgium, Germany, Spain, Netherlands and Romania, according to the data.’ 🇪🇺
EU plans subsidy for EV car sales to counter China – FT: ‘Ribera said she would look at local content requirements to shield European turbine manufacturers’ 🇪🇺
Chinese car giants BYD 比亚迪, Geely 吉利, and SAIC 上汽 sue European Commission over EV tariffs – SCMP 🇪🇺
Nissan 日産 to buy batteries for US EVs from South Korea’s SK On – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵🇰🇷🇺🇸
Japan steel and ethylene production fall to multidecade lows on China glut – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
China tests US clout in South America as trade balloons 40-fold – Nikkei Asia
Tech War 💽💥
China TV brands win more than half Japan’s market for first time – Nikkei Asia 🇯🇵
Weekend 🏖️📚
Longreads en achtergrond
The Leninist Leash: How Beijing’s answer to global demand for choice makes the world more closed off – Sense Hofstede for the Jamestown China Brief
Barry Naughton on the state of the Xi Jinping economy – The Wire China
CCP subnational influence in Malaysia – Sinopsis
China through a Southeast Asian lens – Carnegie China
How (un)popular is China’s Communist Party? As the economy falters and the social compact frays, Xi Jinping wants to know – The Economist
Podcasts
23-01 Chinese delegatie op bezoek bij Premier Schoof en de Koning – NPO Radio 1 Vroeg!
China’s economy in 2025, with Max Zenglein – MERICS China Podcast 🍎
Beijing’s approach toward a second Trump presidency – GMFUS ChinaGlobal 🍎
EMERGENCY EDITION: AI diffusion export controls –
🍎Amb. Burns Reflects from Beijing –
🍎Ep. 16: Oriana Skylar Mastro on China’s challenge to the US – China Books Review 🍎
What happens if Xi Jinping dies in office? – CSIS Pekingology 🍎
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Ships carrying missile propellant ingredients set to sail from China to Iran, say officials – FT 🇮🇷
China keen to engage as Gaza war halts, but will US-Israel ties hinder efforts? – SCMP 🇮🇱🇵🇸
Chinese tests of seawater near Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant show no impact on marine life – SCMP 🇯🇵
Philippines’ government to pick venue soon for second South China Sea case against Beijing – Reuters 🇵🇭
US Secretary of State Rubio backs Manila, condemns Beijing’s ‘dangerous’ actions in South China Sea – SCMP 🇺🇸🇵🇭
Malaysia’s PM Anwar says don’t single out China in South China Sea tensions – AFP: ‘Anwar said that Malaysia had border issues with Singapore and its other neighbours in Southeast Asia but they still managed to cultivate good relations.’ 🇲🇾
China condemns killing of national in Afghanistan attack claimed by Isis – SCMP 🇦🇫
Questions grow over UNHCR inaction as Uyghurs in Thailand face deportation threat – The New Humanitarian 🇺🇳
China’s commerce ministry vows to protect overseas interests as hurdles and uncertainties mount – SCMP
China economie
China rolls out a basket of measures to stabilise its stock markets, including plans to boost the amount pension can invest in the nation’s listed companies – Bloomberg
China to pump CN¥100 billion [€13bn] of insurance funds into stock markets – Caixin Global
Salary caps spread in China’s finance sector amid ‘common prosperity’ drive – SCMP
TikTok owner ByteDance 字节跳动 asks Chinese staff in Singapore to pay taxes to Beijing – FT: ‘as Beijing steps up enforcement of its global tax scheme.’ 🇸🇬
China-focused private equity funds widen their scope under pressure – Nikkei Asia
China binnenland
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 inspects northeast China city Shenyang ahead of Spring Festival – Xinhua
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 inspects steelmaker in northeast China – Xinhua
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 visits flood-affected residents in northeast China – Xinhua
China’s state security agency urges travellers to protect state secrets during holiday trips – SCMP
Hong Kong
36-year-old Hong Kong man charged under Article 23 security law over ‘seditious’ online posts – HKFP
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Retired lieutenant general indicted over ‘invasion’ group – Taipei Times: ‘after using funds from China to recruit military personnel for an “armed” group that would assist invading Chinese forces, prosecutors said yesterday.’ 🇨🇳
PLA conducts military drills around Taiwan – Taipei Times 🇨🇳
Taiwan reports unprecedented undersea cable damage this year – Nikkei Asia
Taiwan military officer dies after she was sucked into fighter-jet engine – The Straits Times
Taiwan binnenland en economie
President Lai signs Constitutional Court bill into law – Focus Taiwan: ‘Per Taiwanese law, the amendments will take effect on Saturday, three days after the promulgation.’ ‘Lai is calling for a Constitutional Court ruling on the constitutionality of the amendments, the spokesperson added.’
Cabinet mulling asking for revote on government budget cuts – Taipei Times
DPP to seek injunction to stop budget cuts – Taipei Times
Ministers say cuts would hurt vital operations – Taipei Times: ‘Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) told a news conference that the Coast Guard Administration might not be able to pay shipbuilders’
Ko Wen-je 柯文哲, Core Pacific trial begins – Taipei Times: ‘Pong pled guilty, saying in his opening statement through his lawyer that he had “told investigators everything that I know, and admit to the charges against me. I will not retract these statements.”’
Legislators should not have other jobs, watchdog group says – Taipei Times: ‘The group said that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislators have been reticent to disclose such information’
Taiwan revokes ROC citizenship of 3 individuals over possession of Chinese IDs – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇳
Taiwan industrial production returns to growth in 2024 on AI demand – Focus Taiwan
President Lai authorises bolder emission reduction targets – Taipei Times