De Chinese Wouden, vrijdag 7 juni: NXP en ASML, handel, Europese verkiezingen
Deze nieuwsbrief moest ik afmaken nadat ik zojuist terug was van het World Forum in Den Haag. Daar leverde ik met de voorzitter van het stembureau waar ik had gewerkt het proces verbaal af. De Europese verkiezingen zitten er op voor Nederland, maar voor de rest van het continent moeten ze nog beginnen.
China en de Verenigde Staten zullen in de gaten houden of Pekings kwelgeest Ursula von der Leyen zal blijven zitten als na dit weekend de posities in Brussel weer verdeeld worden. Één plaaggeest zijn ze in ieder geval al kwijt. Groene europarlementariër Reinhard Bütikofer gaat met pensioen. In SCMP een stuk over zijn transformatie van maoïst tot drijvende kracht achter CCP-kritisch beleid.
Het meeste nieuws is voorlopig op het halfgeleiderfront. Het Taiwanese TSMC is enorm actief. ASML levert het bedrijf dit jaar nog de nieuwste machines. In Singapore gaat de TSMC-gelinkte Vanguard met het Nederlandse NXP bouwen. In Taiwan investeert TSMC in onderwijs. In China gaan klanten voor lagere specificaties, om maar om klant van TSMC te kunnen blijven.
Een andere manier om de exportcontrolemaatregelen van de VS en partners de baas te blijven is te zien bij de Chinese klanten van Nvidia. Die nemen de al bekende cloudroute: je huurt tijd op servers met de meest geavanceerde chips die in de Verenigde Staten staan, waardoor je geen last hebt van de beperkingen op de export van halfgeleiders naar China.
In het stukje over de handelsstrubbelingen tussen China en de EU staat een artikel van Nikkei Asia over het soort Chinese bedrijven dat de meeste staatssubsidie krijgt. Ook zijn er berichten over de zonnepanelenindustrie die productie terugschroeft vanwege overcapaciteit en stukken in de Chinese pers over de Westerse leugens dat er overcapaciteit zou zijn.
Peking is boos op India, omdat de Indiase premier Modi een quote-tweet plaatste met bedankje voor de felicitaties met de verkiezingsuitslag van Taiwans president Lai Ching-te. Een directe interactie tussen de leiders van beide landen! Hoe bestaat het.
Fijn weekend!
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Dutch Naval Air Defence Frigate HNLMS Tromp to make a call in Busan Naval Base – Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Korea: ‘On the occasion of the port call, a roundtable discussing “Sanctions Enforcement at Sea” is being jointly organised by the RoK Navy, Delegation of the EU to the RoK, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and EU project Enhancing Security Cooperation in and with Asia (ESIWA).’ 🇳🇱
Belgium’s Ghent University touts Taiwan partnerships during visit – Taipei Times: ‘The Belgian university and its Taiwanese partners are similar in their core approaches and values, such as paying close attention to the integration of international students, Mangelschots said.’ 🇧🇪
Czech Senate VP Drahoš touts chip cooperation ahead of Taiwan trip – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇿
Ruslands invasie van Oekraïne 🇷🇺🇺🇦
Ukrainian official in Beijing urges China to attend peace summit – Reuters: ‘In a statement on Sybiha’s meeting with Sun, the Chinese foreign ministry made no mention of the request for China to attend the summit.’ 🇺🇦
Vice Foreign Minister Sūn Wèidōng 孙卫东 and Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha Hold Consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of China and Ukraine – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China: ‘Andrii Sybiha said that the Ukrainian side […], abides by the one-China principle [sic], […].
The two sides also had an exchange of views on the Ukraine crisis and international and regional issues of mutual interest and concern.’ 🇺🇦
Taiwan to restrict exports of all nitrocellulose to Russia and Belarus – Taipei Times: ‘to prevent “a regulatory loophole,”’ 🇷🇺🇧🇾
Russia’s VTB aims to cut queues at China branch by end of summer, says CEO – Reuters 🇷🇺
Europese verkiezingen 🗳️🇪🇺
Komen steeds meer Belgische en andere Europese havens in handen van China? VRT NWS Check: „Dat beweert Nederlands politicus Tom Berendsen van het CDA” 🇧🇪🇪🇺
From Maoist to Europe’s top China hawk: outspoken lawmaker Reinhard Bütikofer (EGP) steps down – SCMP: ‘“Seen by many as a polariser, he was actually a consensus builder for a realistic China policy and, as such, appreciated by many in the EU institutions,” said Gunnar Wiegand, until last year the EU’s top diplomat on Asia.’ 🇩🇪
European Elections: Setting the tone for China-EU relations – ISPI 🇪🇺
Technological De-risking in Netherlands-China Relations: The Dutch approach to China may be characterised as ‘protect where necessary and invest in technological leadership’ – Maaike Okano-Heijmans and Vera Kranenburg for ISPI 🇳🇱
Lousewies van der Laan, directeur van Transparency International: „Zorgen om landen die politieke invloed kopen” – RTL Z Nieuws 🇪🇺
Halfgeleiders 🇳🇱🇸🇬🇹🇼
Groen licht voor groei ASML lijkt binnen handbereik, maar er zijn ook zorgen in Eindhoven – NOS 🇳🇱
TSMC affiliate Vanguard 世界先進 to build US$7.8bn Singapore plant with NXP: Venture to make power management and analog chips for cars, industry and more – Nikkei Asia:
‘Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Vanguard’s largest shareholder, will license all necessary production technologies to the company. Sources told Nikkei that TSMC will also send specialists on building chip facilities to help with the construction in Singapore.’ 🇳🇱🇸🇬🇹🇼
Vanguard and NXP unveil Singapore plans – Taipei Times: ‘Vanguard, […], would invest US$2.4 billion to secure a 60 percent stake in the joint venture, VisionPower Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, and operate the fab, it said in a statement. NXP would own the remaining 40 percent by investing US$1.6 billion, it said.’ 🇳🇱🇸🇬🇹🇼
NXP stapt in grootschalige waferproductie vanuit Singapore – FD 🇳🇱🇸🇬🇹🇼
ASML will ship its latest chipmaking machine to TSMC 台積電 this year – Bloomberg: ‘the so-called high-NA extreme ultraviolet machine’
‘Intel […] got the first one shipped to a factory in Oregon in late December’ 🇳🇱🇹🇼
TSMC 台積電 to donate NT$4bn [€114mn] to cultivate school talent in Taiwan – Taipei Times: ‘to four universities and several senior-high schools in the nation for semiconductor research promotion and talent cultivation.’ 🇹🇼
Exclusive: Chinese AI chip firms downgrading designs to secure access to TSMC 台積電 production – Reuters: ‘Two top Chinese AI chip firms, MetaX and Enflame, submitted downgraded designs of their chips to TSMC in late 2023 to comply with U.S. restrictions, according to two of the people.’ 🇨🇳🇹🇼🇺🇸
China’s Nvidia Loophole: How ByteDance 字节跳动 got the best AI chips despite US restrictions – The Information: ‘ByteDance, owner of TikTok, has been renting Nvidia’s best chips from Oracle for AI computing, according to two people with knowledge of the arrangement.’
‘Meanwhile, Chinese cloud providers Alibaba and Tencent have held discussions with Nvidia about potentially obtaining such chips for data centers they would operate in the U.S., according to a person who has been involved in the talks.’ 🇨🇳🇺🇸
China’s main national chip fund is expected to raise more than its original goal of US$47.5 billion, a senior adviser said – Bloomberg: ‘reflecting the government’s resolve to close a technology gap with the US.’ 🇨🇳
Handel 🇪🇺🇨🇳
Trade rules on Chinese electric vehicles should be fair and science-based, German environment official says – SCMP: ‘Dirk Messner, president of Germany’s Environment Agency, said that climate neutrality would not be achieved without overcoming the current state of geopolitical challenges.’ 🇪🇺🇩🇪
Mooi in de lijn van Peking.
Mercedes chief expects EU decision on Chinese EVs tariffs soon – Reuters: ‘Kaellenius once again stressed his stance against restrictions, but acknowledged that World Trade Organization (WTO) rules are not keeping some countries from supporting their national producers.’ 🇪🇺🇩🇪
China nu derde exporteur elektrische auto’s via Nederland – NU.nl 🇳🇱
CATL tops China’s corporate subsidies list, outranking oil majors – Nikkei Asia: ‘The list had long been dominated by state oil companies, but the latest edition shows an emphasis on EVs and other high-priority tech sectors, such as panels and semiconductors.’
China says it never uses EV subsidies barred by WTO – Reuters: ‘The comments came in response to a query on remarks by U.S. President Joe Biden that China provides subsidies to flood the U.S. market with electric vehicles’ 🇺🇸
China urges US to abide by market principles and international trade rules, foreign ministry spokesperson says – Xinhua: ‘Their popularity is the result of the combined effect of comparative advantages and the laws of the market, and an outcome of the efforts of enterprises, instead of an outcome of so-called "subsidies," she added.’ 🇺🇸
Xinhua Commentary: ‘Excessive capacity’, or ‘excessive lies’? – Xinhua
China’s plan to sell cheap EVs to the rest of the world – FT: ‘The resurrection of a car plant in Brazil’s poor north-east stands as a symbol of China’s global advance — and the west’s retreat.’
‘The new Chinese investments are often two-pronged — both in car manufacturing and the raw materials that are central to the new economy.’
China out to drive new economic growth by accelerating autonomous vehicle trial – SCMP
Chinese solar panel maker Longi Green Energy 隆基绿能科技 has made ‘adjustments’ to its production plans at several factories in Southeast Asia as it faces multiple operational challenges including plentiful supply – Bloomberg: ‘Chinese solar companies are trying to turn a corner even as profits evaporate due to a wave of new factories that have come online in the past year. Instead of capturing a growing market, the new supply has overwhelmed demand, prompting US and European officials to complain that China is stymieing their efforts to develop their own supply chains.’
Chinese exporters vying for slots on container ships face months of anxiety, DHL says – SCMP: ‘“We don’t believe that the Red Sea situation will change in the near future,” he said’
No-tariff shipments popular with Shein, Temu hit US customs speedbump – Reuters: ‘partly over concerns that contraband was being brought into the country this way.’ 🇺🇸
Tech War 💽💥
China’s top spy agency warns officials to avoid storing classified data in the cloud – SCMP: ‘Cloud data has become “a major focus of foreign spy agencies”, the Ministry of State Security said on its official WeChat account on Wednesday morning.’
Ook een rapport van Clingendael luidde eerder dit jaar al de alarmbel over de risico’s voor Europese soevereiniteit dankzij onnadenkende sluipende afhankelijkheid van de Amerikaanse cloud. In gesprek met de Kamer riep Maaike Okano-Heijmans op tot het nastreven van cloudsoevereiniteit.
Noren vinden grootste voorraad zeldzame aardmetalen van Europa – NU.nl 🇳🇴
Four cities in Taiwan competing for Nvidia supercomputer centre – Taipei Times: ‘Taipei, New Taipei City, Tainan and Kaohsiung are the locations being considered’
Staff at drugmaker WuXi AppTec 药明康德 under US scrutiny worked with Chinese military scientists – Reuters 🇺🇸
China to exceed ‘green’ hydrogen target ahead of schedule, beating rest of world combined – SCMP
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
US, ‘Five Eyes’ allies warn China recruiting Western military trainers – Reuters: ‘The PLA is using private companies in South Africa and China to hire former fighter pilots, flight engineers and air operations center personnel from Western countries to train its Air Force and Navy aviators, the services said in the notice.’ 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇦🇺🇨🇦🇳🇿
Het Westen waarschuwt zijn gevechtspiloten: Doe geen klussen voor China – Trouw
NewsBreak: Most downloaded US news app has Chinese roots and ‘writes fiction’ using AI – Reuters: ‘As local news outlets across America have shuttered in recent years, NewsBreak has filled the void.’ 🇺🇸
China’s expanding travel curbs are cutting off more state workers from the rest of the world – SCMP: ‘restrictions on a large group of personnel employed in the state sector […] have continued to tighten.’
Lichtpuntje in schuldencrisis arme landen: Zambia geholpen via G20 – NRC 🇿🇲
The US and 13 partner nations in Asia and the Pacific will sign agreements on two more parts of an economic pact key to Washington’s strategy to build clout in the region – Bloomberg: ‘Negotiations on the clean and fair economy pillars of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework were concluded last year and the agreements will be signed Thursday, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said’
Singapore, India, and others pitch ‘clean’ projects in US-led framework – Nikkei Asia 🇸🇬🇮🇳🇺🇸
China unites America and Europe in alarm – The Economist’s Chaguan 🇪🇺🇺🇸
For China’s eager emigrants, the FOMO is real, and a move overseas may be now or never – SCMP
Volksrepublik bringt nicht mehr so viele Start-ups hervor – FAZ
Weekend 🏖️📚
Longreads en achtergrond
Filminterview Wei Shujun: „In China vinden ze het moeilijk te accepteren dat de dader in dit moorddrama snel gevonden is” – NRC
Interview: Het beste aan regisseren is dat je zelf een soort god bent, vindt de Chinese filmmaker Wei Shujun – de Volkskrant
Filmmaker Wei Shujun over ‘Only the River Flows’: „De kracht ervan is dat er heel veel onopgelost blijft” – Parool
De-Risking, aber wohin? Die Schwellenländer der Emerging ASEAN als Alternative zu China – Denis Suarsana for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation 🇩🇪🇪🇺
Dwindling investments become more concentrated – Chinese FDI in Europe: 2023 Update – Rhodium Group and MERICS: ‘Chinese investment in Europe drops to lowest level since 2010’ 🇪🇺
Pekings Investitionsoffensive: Ungarn ist Chinas Türöffner in Europa – Der Spiegel: „44 Prozent aller chinesischen Direktinvestitionen in Europa flossen im vergangenen Jahr nach Ungarn.“ 🇭🇺
Why is Xi not fixing China’s economy? – Scott Kennedy for Foreign POlicy
How China could quarantine Taiwan – CSIS ChinaPower
2024/41: Engaging Southeast Asia: The EU’s role as a resilient and reliable middle power? – Eugene R.L. Tan and Joanne Lin for ISEAS Perspective 🇪🇺
Watch out Beijing, China’s second-tier cities are on the up – The Economist
Podcasts
Disaggregating China Inc – Pekingology with Yeling Tan 🍎
China steps up investments in Hungary, with Alexander Brown and Gregor Sebastian – MERICS China Podcast 🍎
Preventing an invasion of Taiwan –
🍎China’s great power strategy: How to respond to Beijing’s military and political ambitions – FT Rachman Review with Oriana Skylar Mastro 🍎
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 says education exchanges matter to future of China-US ties – Xinhua 🇺🇸
China says open to space cooperation with US but ‘hurdles’ remain – Reuters 🇺🇸
Is Turkish minister’s Xinjiang visit an effort to draw a line under human rights claims [sic]? – SCMP 🇹🇷
For China-Israel ties, the ‘honeymoon is certainly over’, Israeli policy expert says – SCMP 🇮🇱
China reaches deal on Central Asian railway project linking it with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan – SCMP 🇰🇬🇺🇿
Heads of state of China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan congratulate signing of intergovernmental agreement on railway project – Xinhua 🇰🇬🇺🇿
China taps [spokesperson] Wāng Wénbīn 汪文斌 as Cambodia ambassador – Nikkei Asia 🇰🇭
China economie
China plans new carbon measurement standards to boost climate efforts – Reuters: ‘Analysts said the calculations could also play a key part of China’s efforts to reduce emissions associated with product manufacturing – and avoid trade tensions and high import tariffs under the European Union's new carbon border tax.’ 🇪🇺
Country Garden 碧桂园’s Hong Kong liquidation hearing further adjourned to July – Reuters
Does China need its own theory of economics? Some academics call for a new model – SCMP: ‘according to a series of commentaries published in Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily on Monday.’
China’s political advisors vow to contribute to developing socialist market economy – Xinhua
We zijn nog in de aanloop naar het Derde Plenum, dat normaal economische onderwerpen behandelt.
China urgently needs to level playing field, improve fairness for all firms, business survey says – SCMP
China binnenland
Chinese who lost money in bank fraud detained for months after protest – Reuters: ‘Most were released after several days in detention, during which they were served mouldy food and had limited sleep, but Ou and two other defrauded depositors are still being held by Zhengzhou police, the two people said.’
Chinese official dies ‘after being stabbed over housing dispute’ – SCMP
Changes to China’s gaokao exam are about politics, not fairness: Extra points for minority students are going away – The Economist
Hong Kong
Two UK judges quit Hong Kong’s top court, as Lord Collins cites ‘political situation’ – HKFP 🇬🇧
Singaporean and Swiss banks target Hong Kong as rivals feel geopolitical chill – Nikkei Asia: ‘as some Western peers retreat’ 🇸🇬🇨🇭
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
President Lai Ching-te 賴清德 (DPP) congratulates Narendra Modi (BJP) on his reelection as India’s Prime Minister – Focus Taiwan 🇮🇳
Beijing objects after India’s PM Modi thanks Taiwanese president Lai for election message – SCMP 🇮🇳
US announces sales of F-16 parts to Taiwan worth US$300 million – Focus Taiwan 🇺🇸
Taiwan and US hold defence industry symposium – Taipei Times: ‘The symposium is held in Taiwan during the first half of each year, followed by a symposium in the US in the second half of the year.’ 🇺🇸
Bipartisan support for Taiwan gives hope for free trade deal, US business group says – Reuters 🇺🇸
US firms in Taiwan have needs they want met, from natural disasters to grid upgrades – Alibaba’s SCMP 🇺🇸
China’s economic coercion will only hasten Taiwan’s efforts to diversify trade links – The Straits Times: ‘Even if the entire ECFA deal were to be terminated, it would affect only around 4 per cent of Taiwan’s total exports and only 10 per cent of Taiwan’s exports to China. However, the political fallout of the ECFA moves could be significant and could impact regional stability, analysts said.’ 🇨🇳
Taiwan can exercise self-defence or take countermeasures if territorial airspace violated, defence minister Wellington Koo 顧立雄 (DPP) says – Focus Taiwan: ‘during a legislative committee meeting when asked about the ministry’s definition of “first strike” and the right to self-defense.’ 🇨🇳
Yunlin and Kinmen magistrates apply to attend Straits Forum in China, MAC says – Focus Taiwan: ‘Chang and Chen are from the opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People’s Party, respectively.’ 🇨🇳
Fewer than 100 ROC/Taiwan veterans expected to visit China for Whampoa centennial, veterans minister says – Taipei Times: ‘In comparison, more than 10,000 ROC veterans are expected to attend the centennial celebrations at the academy’s current [sic] location in Kaohsiung’ 🇨🇳
Taiwan binnenland en economie
KMT puts infrastructure bills on hold – Taipei Times: ‘As party members have not reached a consensus on the projects, the bills would not be passed by the middle of next month as planned’
Control Yuan President Chen Chu 陳菊 (DPP) pledges support for Control Yuan abolition – Taipei Times: ‘but it can only be achieved through a constitutional amendment.’ ‘freezing its budget would contravene Constitutional Interpretation No. 632, she said.’
Cabinet to have Legislature reconsider ‘unconstitutional’ amendments – Focus Taiwan
Eerste formele stap in het terugstuurproces.
Taiwan’s May CPI growth rises above central bank target – Focus Taiwan
Ex-miners call for compensation for 1984 disasters – Taipei Times: ‘They have invited President William Lai (賴清德) — whom they described as Taiwan’s most famous “coal miner’s son,” whose father died in a mining accident in 1960.’