De Chinese Wouden, vrijdag 24 maart: TikTok
TikTok heeft zich op veel verschillende manieren onbetrouwbaar getoond. Tegelijkertijd was het spektakel in Washington – waar de CEO voor een vuur van wantrouwende Amerikaanse wetgevers stond – niet bevorderlijk voor een rustig debat noch voor het Amerikaanse imago. Hysterie over China zit oprechte zorgen in de weg. Wat dat sociale media betreft zijn er bredere problemen met privacy die alle platforms betreffen, ook Amerikaanse. Tegelijkertijd is er reden waarom Nederland apps in de ban heeft gedaan voor rijksambtenaren als ze uit landen komen die offensieve cyberprogramma’s hebben waar wij het doelwit van zijn. Net als bij Huawei gaat het bij TikTok niet om mogelijke fancy spionageoperaties die nu aan de gang zijn – hoewel het surveilleren van Amerikaanse journalisten met TikTok door mensen van ByteDance in China alarmbellen af zou moeten doen gaan – maar om de structurele risico’s waar je je aan bloot stelt.
Onder Zeitenwende vandaag aandacht voor de manieren waarop China zich steeds actiever profileert op het wereldtoneel.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
UN chief Antonio Guterres advises EU against isolating Beijing as European states discuss China, Ukraine and trade – SCMP: ‘Guterres tried to assure the 27 leaders that Beijing had a positive view of Europe and wished to maintain good relations’ 🇪🇺
We can’t lose China, some EU leaders say – POLITICO Europe: ‘“China is not perfect, but we might need it one day,” one EU official said. “Several member states share this assessment.”’ 🇪🇺
Germany to examine Deutsche Telekom-Huawei ties, Handelsblatt reports – Reuters 🇩🇪
Spain’s PM Pedro Sanchez to go on visit to China – Reuters 🇪🇸
British MPs call for ‘as much help as possible’ for Taiwan to defend against China – The Guardian 🇬🇧
Taiwan and Germany ink mutual legal assistance pact – Focus Taiwan 🇩🇪
China en Rusland 🇨🇳🇷🇺
China’s top diplomat Wáng Yì 王毅 urged Europe to play a role in supporting peace talks for Russia’s war in Ukraine – Bloomberg
Senior Chinese diplomat Wáng Yì 王毅 and French president’s diplomatic counselor Emmanuel Bonne hold phone talks – Xinhua: ‘briefed President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia upon request’
US fears a war-weary world may embrace China’s Ukraine peace bid – Bloomberg
Xi Focus: Building better world with a shared future – Xinhua: ‘A decade ago, when he visited Russia in his first foreign trip as Chinese president, Xi put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity.’
World Insights: Xi’s Russia visit deepens bilateral cooperation and contributes to human progress – Xinhua: ‘When meeting with Putin, Xi noted that changes unseen in a century are evolving faster and the international balance of power is undergoing a profound shift. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and major countries in the world, China and Russia have natural responsibilities to make joint efforts to steer and promote global governance in a direction that meets the expectations of the international community and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said.’
On national humiliation, don’t mention the Russians – China Media Project: ‘In what has become known as the Amur Annexation, the Qing court ceded over one million square kilometers of land along its northeast frontier to Tsarist Russia between 1858 and 1860.’
Those fretting about the challenge a united China and Russia pose to the West should have another look at the history of their relationship – Minxin Pei for Bloomberg
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Regular Press Conference on March 23, 2023 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China: ‘Just as China was making journeys for peace, the US announced new provision of weapons and equipment worth $350 million to Ukraine, which leaves no question as to who is fanning the flames by supplying lethal weapons and who is promoting talks for peace.’
US vs China 🇺🇸🇨🇳
US due diligence firm Mintz Group says staff detained in China after office raid – Reuters
Biden administration adds 14 Chinese firms to red flag list, 18 from other countries – Reuters
RESTRICT China: It’s ‘game over’ for all Chinese tech companies in the US –
TikTok
Amerikaanse toekomst TikTok weer stapje onzekerder na verhoor topman in Congres – de Volkskrant
America may be a step closer to banning TikTok – The Economist: ‘The committee used Mr Chew as a punching bag for all manner of concerns over big tech.’ ‘But national-security concerns dominated.’
Key takeaways from TikTok hearing in Congress—and the uncertain road ahead – The Guardian
US regulator warns about data security during TikTok hearing – Bloomberg
US should drop all additional tariffs on Chinese goods, commerce ministry says – Xinhua: ‘The potential sale or divestment of TikTok would have an impact on technology exports, which need to go through administrative permission procedures in light of Chinese laws and regulations, Shu said’
Dat helpt niet bij de claim van TikTok dat het geen Chinees bedrijf is.
US regulator warns about data security during TikTok hearing – Bloomberg
‘Earnest and temperate’: TikTok’s Singaporean CEO’s poise fails to sway sceptics in US Congress – The Straits Times
Veel push alerts en sympathieke aandacht in Singapore voor ‘hun’ CEO’.
Xinjiang
‘Like a war zone’: Congress hears of China’s abuses in Xinjiang ‘re-education camps’ – The Guardian
China wants the world to forget about its crimes in Xinjiang: Yet the Uyghurs continue to be persecuted – The Economist
China tries to block prominent Uyghur speaker Dolkun Isa at UN – AFP: ‘After Mr Mao’s objection, US representative Sam Birnbaum took the floor to insist on Mr Isa’s right to address the council’
Irakoorlog
伊拉克战争充分暴露美式霸权真面目(钟声) – 《人民日报》(2023年03月24日 第15版)
Tech War 💽
Europa hinkt achterop in de zonnepanelenindustrie: „China is marktleider en kans is groot dat Europese producenten voor VS zullen kiezen” – VRT NWS
Solar power: Europe attempts to get out of China’s shadow – FT: ‘Bringing Chinese companies onboard would speed the transition, industry players say.’
In zijn recente boek The Rupture beschrijft Andrew Small hoe Angela Merkel begin vorig decennium pogingen van de Europese Commissie om de zieltogende Europese zonnepanelenindustrie te redden van Chinese dumping de nek om draaide om de betrekkingen met Peking te sparen.
EU leaders set to back steps to compete with US and China – Reuters
Interview: China can sway chip markets without overtaking US-Japan-Taiwan-Netherlands tech advantage, says Chris Miller – Nikkei Asia
Nederland moet voortouw nemen in wereldwijde chipalliantie – Martijn Rasser in FD 🇳🇱
China releases top chip investor Chén Dàtóng 陈大同 to bolster semiconductor efforts – FT
UK parliament bans TikTok from its network – POLITICO Europe
China Evergrande’s EV unit warns it may halt production amid funds shortage – Reuters
Lithium prices nosedive amid weaker demand – Caixin Global
Taiwan braces for drought in key chip hubs again – Nikkei Asia
Zeitenwende ⏱️
China’s rise relied on ties to the West, which Xi Jinping is now loosening – The New York Times
China slashing foreign subscriber access to key academic research database CNKI – Nikkei Asia
China gaat rustig door met ontkoppeling.
China is starting to act like a global power: Beijing grows bolder in challenging the US-led global order – WSJ
World expects China to take bigger role in regional issues after Iran-Saudi deal, foreign minister Qín Gāng 秦刚 says – SCMP
China wraps up navy drills with Russia, Iran in Gulf of Oman amid renewed diplomacy – SCMP
The world according to Xi: Even if China’s transactional diplomacy brings some gains, it contains real perils – The Economist
钟华论:在强国建设、民族复兴新征程上勇毅前行 – 新华网
Senior CCP official Lǐ Shūlěi 李书磊 addresses international forum on democracy – Xinhua: ‘Attendees also said that China has embarked on a broader path of democracy and contributed Chinese wisdom to the political advancement of mankind.’
Weekend
Longreads en achtergrond
Stephen Kotkin on China: Communism’s Achilles’ Heel, Deterrence, and Learning from the USSR –
🍎Xi Jinping Thought and the end of (Chinese) history – Willy Wo-Lap Lam for Jamestown China Brief
Podcasts
President Xi bezocht Moskou, wat betekent dat voor de oorlog in Oekraïne? – de Volkskrant Elke Dag 🍎
Pain without parole – The Economist’s Drum Tower 🍎
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
US Navy rejects China claim that warship ‘illegally’ entered part of South China Sea – The Guardian
Philippines tells China to stop ‘coercion, intimidation’ in South China Sea dispute – The Straits Times
Canadian lawmaker Han Dong resigns from ruling party caucus following claims he secretly advised Chinese diplomat – The Guardian
New Zealand foreign minister to discuss security with Chinese counterpart on Friday – Reuters
Lula’s China visit to refresh Brazil ties with pragmatic approach – Reuters
China’s expanding influence in Iraq – Sercan Çalışkan for The Diplomat
China economie
China’s new premier, Lǐ Qiáng 李强, takes pro-private sector campaign on the road – SCMP
Global banking fallout is vindication for China stocks bulls – Bloomberg
China binnenland
China’s huge quarantine camps standing months after ‘zero Covid’ – Al Jazeera: ‘Many of the local authorities said they planned to rent out the facilities after the pandemic to generate income and fund the debt.’
China’s State Council appoints, removes officials – Xinhua
Hong Kong
Hong Kong government announces measures to lure wealthy family offices – Reuters
Veel gaan nu naar het veiligere Singapore.
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
End to Taiwan ties nears as Honduras foreign minister goes to China – Reuters
Honduras says US$2.5 bln demand from Taiwan before China announcement was not donation but ‘a negotiated refinancing mechanism’ – Reuters
Biden’s China point-woman Laura Rosenberger takes over top Taiwan agency of US – Nikkei Asia
US House passes Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act – Taipei Times
邱太三:馬英九盼「馬習二會」 關注陸方如何出招 – 中央社
獨家》共艦通過恆春外海被我海軍驅離!嗆「台灣是中國一部分」 – 自由時報
Nu ook vaker aan de oostkust:
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Post-Covid spending bill clears Legislature – Focus Taiwan
Taiwanese central bank raises discount rate to 1.875% – Taipei Times
張亞中:賴清德成老鷹!國民黨還在找母雞 – 三立新聞網:「國民黨總統人選採取徵召,國民黨秘書長黃健庭今天與已宣布爭取總統提名的孫文學校總校長張亞中會面,張亞中提出10點質疑徵召方式,並認為,賴清德已經蛻變成為兇猛老鷹!國民黨還在找最強母雞。張直言,很遺憾國民黨放棄了這麼好的機會,捨棄規規矩矩的初選,目前採取自以為是的徵召。」