De Chinese Wouden, woensdag 20 december: aardbeving Gansu, rechtszaak Jimmy Lai
Bij een aardbeving in Gansu zijn meer dan honderd mensen omgekomen. President Xi Jinping deed oproepen tot help, maar ook premier Li Qiang mocht instructies geven.
De rechtbank in de zaak tegen mediaman Jimmy Lai doet vrijdag uitspraak in Hong Kong. The Washington Post heeft een verhaal over de mishandeling van een van de getuigen tegen hem. Hij zou gedwongen zijn te helpen bij het spinnen van het samenzweringsverhaal over de protesten van 2019 dat nu de officiële lijn is in Peking en onder Pekings handlangers in Hong Kong.
Goed nieuws voor de Russisch-Chinese betrekkingen, die zich met een nieuw bezoek verder ontwikkelen. Een injectie van ‘stabiliteit en positieve energie’ volgens de beide landen.
Het Chinese spionageschandaal in België uit de Britse, Franse en Duitse pers is nog niet groot binnengekomen in de Nederlandse pers.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
China pulls punches to keep pricey electric cars flowing to EU – Bloomberg: ‘dire reprisal [for the Commission’s probe] hasn’t materialized, at least yet.’ 🇪🇺
Xi will meet Belgian leader amid spy scandal – POLITICO China Watcher: ‘Prime Minister Alexander De Croo is set to visit Beijing on January 10-13, the second week of Belgium’s turn at the helm of the rotating, six-month presidency of the Council, his office told Stuart and Barbara Moens.’ 🇧🇪
Steven Creyelman (Vlaams Belang) noemt Chinese spionage van zijn broer Frank “landverraad” – De Standaard: „Hij blijft voorlopig de commissie Legeraankopen voorzitten” 🇧🇪
China refutes European Parliament’s smears against boarding schools in Xizang [Tibet] – Xinhua: ‘“In recent years, in European countries, we have seen growing violation of the rights of refugees and migrants, growing xenophobia and racism, inadequate attention to economic, social and cultural rights as well as the right to development, and selective application and double standards when it comes to freedom of the press and forced labor,” [the foreign ministry spokesperson] said.’ 🇪🇺
Aardbeving Gansu
Meer dan honderd doden na aardbeving in het noordwesten van China – NRC
Over 120 dead and hundreds hurt after 6.2 earthquake strikes Gansu in northwestern China – SCMP: ‘Residents interviewed by Shanghai-based media outlet The Paper on Tuesday said many people were asleep when the quake struck and did not have time to take shelter.’
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 urges all-out search, rescue, and relief efforts after 6.2-magnitude earthquake – Xinhua: ‘Premier Li Qiang also made instructions’
‘Too dangerous inside’: China quake victims set in for freezing night – AFP
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen 蔡英文 offers help after quake kills at least 127 in China – Taipei Times
Tech War 💽💥
Chinese firms look to Malaysia for assembly of high-end chips, sources say – Reuters: ‘Chinese companies are not just choosing Malaysia. In 2021, JCET Group, the world’s third-largest chip assembly and testing company, completed an acquisition of an advanced testing facility in Singapore.’
US adds 13 companies in China to Unverified List – Reuters
TSMC’s Mark Liu 劉德音 to retire; current CEO C.C. Wei 魏哲家 to be next chairman – Taipei Times
Sharper focus on science and tech innovation tops China’s economic priorities – The Straits Times
Taiwan’s AUO to end display production in Singapore this month – Nikkei Asia: ‘has given some Taiwanese nationals working at the plant the option of transferring back home or moving to Vietnam, where AUO is expanding’
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
Nato-China ties: envoys’ visit to Japan and South Korea point to more ‘institutionalised’ Asia-Pacific link, analysts say – SCMP: ‘Last Monday, the ambassadors from the Nato countries — the US, Britain, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Romania and Poland — met Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa, with the Nato partners saying the deepening of Japan-Nato cooperation was “natural”, according to a Japanese foreign ministry press release.’ ‘The representatives also visited Seoul on Wednesday and met South Korean defence minister Shin Won-sik.’ 🇳🇱
Discussie hierover gaat vaak over China, maar vergeet niet dat het belang wederzijds is. Japan en Zuid-Korea spelen ook een belangrijke rol bij respectievelijk internationale steun en wapens voor Oekraïne.
India’s ascent to continue as China slows, according to Wall Street 2024 forecast – Nikkei Asia
China-Europe container shipping rates soar as Red Sea attacks push firms to skip Suez Canal – SCMP
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
China and Russia can inject ‘stability and positive energy’ into the world, will expand economic and energy cooperation, says Premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强 – SCMP: ‘Meanwhile, China’s ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui told Russian media outlet RIA Novosti that the countries would strengthen contacts at “all levels” next year, while Xi and Vladimir Putin would maintain a “close dialogue”.’
Chinese premier co-chairs 28th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government with Russian PM – Xinhua: ‘an example of a new model of major-country relations.’
US Indo-Pacific commander is ‘very concerned’ about escalation of China-Russia military ties – AP
China curtails ‘dangerous’ fighter jet manoeuvres after Xi-Biden summit – FT: ‘the US and China were negotiating a series of senior-level military engagements for 2024 after the Pentagon submitted an initial proposal to Beijing.’
US aircraft carrier calls at Singapore as China and the Philippines spar – Nikkei Asia
Could China’s dispute with the Philippines derail plans to resume military talks with US? – SCMP
Ik merk op Alibaba’s SCMP helpt de focus te leggen op het risico voor militaire dialoog van de VS met China, die ook onder beleidskritische mensen in Washington DC vaak belangrijk genoeg was om concessies te suggereren. Ik weet niet waar de oproep aan ‘beide’ partijen om te stoppen met escaleren vandaan komt, als de escalatie in eerste plaats tussen China en de Filipijnen plaatsvindt.
Chinese ships enter Japanese waters around Senkaku[/Diaoyutai] Isles – Jiji Press
Iranian and Chinese charged by US with exporting drone components to Iran – AFP
China Sinochem buys rare Venezuelan oil cargo after U.S. suspends sanctions, sources say – Reuters
China economie
China’s real estate meltdown is battering middle class wealth – Bloomberg: ‘While China’s official data show just a mild drop in its existing home prices, evidence from property agents and private data providers indicate declines of at least 15% in prime areas in its biggest cities.’
Is China uninvestable or irreplaceable? Foreign investors ponder rising risks vs rewards of world’s second-largest economy – SCMP: ‘a combination of factors including the ongoing weakness of the economy and geopolitical uncertainty are driving a wave of strategic reshoring and nearshoring.’
NDRC reviews economic situation in advancing building of Chinese modernisation – Xinhua: ‘The NDRC head stated that it is necessary to stabilize expectations, enhance confidence, and accurately assess the situation and trends faced by China’s economic development.’
Christmas ends early for Chinese exporters as Western demand slumps – Nikkei Asia
Shenzhen developer China South City 华南城 to miss bond interest payments – Nikkei Asia
China real estate crash would threaten goal of doubling GDP, according to Japanese report – Nikkei Asia
China binnenland
Could China’s top legislative body soon shed new light on the fates of 2 sacked ministers? – SCMP: ‘The next five-day session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee starting next Monday will examine a report from an NPC review committee on the membership of “certain individual representatives”, as well as relevant dismissal and appointment cases, according to a report by Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily on Tuesday.’
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 ‘personally’ steering China’s reform process, state media report says – Xinhua via SCMP
China rights activist Lǐ Qiáochǔ 李翘楚 goes on trial for ‘inciting subversion of state power’ – The Guardian: ‘Li is the partner of the imprisoned human rights lawyer Xu Zhiyong, one of the leaders of China’s embattled civil rights movement.’
China health authorities say respiratory illnesses spike is finally easing – SCMP
China gives green light for 5-year plan to cut digital red tape, ‘meaningless labour’ – SCMP
Uyghur students in Hangzhou targeted in Chinese police ‘anti-terrorism’ project – IPVM
Hong Kong
Witness against Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai 黎智英 was mistreated, Post examination finds – The Washington Post: ‘raising questions about whether his testimony will be voluntary and reliable. The Post’s reporting reveals previously undisclosed details about the coercive treatment of the 12 escapees, especially Li, by Chinese authorities’
Hong Kong: Statement by the Spokesperson on the start of the national security trial against Jimmy Lai 黎智英 – European External Action Service 🇪🇺
UK demands consular access to Jimmy Lai 黎智英 as West assails Hong Kong publisher’s trial – SCMP: ‘the British government has been frustrated by Hong Kong authorities failure to recognise Lai’s British citizenship.’
China’s Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 praises Hong Kong chief on security as Jimmy Lai 黎智英 trial starts – Nikkei Asia
How China’s slowdown is deepening Hong Kong’s ‘existential crisis’ – FT
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Illegal Chinese dredgers to be confiscated by Taiwan after law amendment – Taipei Times
Taiwan reports more suspected Chinese weather balloons crossing Taiwan Strait – Reuters
Luggage and packages from China subject to X-ray inspection – Taipei Times: ‘after a new type of African swine fever virus was discovered in spicy sausage’
Taiwan verkiezingen
DPP’s VP candidate Hsiao Bi-khim 蕭美琴 challenges applicability of ‘1992 Consensus’ – Focus Taiwan: ‘Hsiao asked at the campaign event: “How can we rely on proposals from three decades ago to navigate the future world?”’
DPP’s Lai Ching-te 賴清德 claims his election will minimise risk of war with China – Focus Taiwan
DPP voices concern over KMT vice chair Andrew Hsia 夏立言’s trip to China – Taipei Times
Lai Ching-te 賴清德 (DPP) touts cultural plans – Taipei Times
KMT’s Hou Yu-ih 侯友宜 advocates ‘middle-way’ approach to governance – Focus Taiwan: ‘On the issue of the “1992 consensus,” Hou reiterated his support for a version of it that is in line with Taiwan’s laws and Constitution, which he said provide a legal framework for relations with China.’
Hou Yu-ih 侯友宜 says his focus is on making KMT ruling party – Taipei Times: ‘“How can Taiwanese have faith in the regime in Beijing when they look at Hong Kong?” [Hou’s running mate Jaw Shaw-kong] asked.’
De beschrijving van de kritische opstelling van de Chinese nationalist Jaw t.o.v. de rechtszaak tegen Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong is het meest interessante deel van het bovenstaande artikel.
Hou Yu-ih 侯友宜 (KMT) pledges to aid Chinese spouses as president – Taipei Times
Government needs overhaul, Ko Wen-je 柯文哲 (TPP) says – Taipei Times: ‘again called for the adoption of a parliamentary system.’
Ko Wen-je 柯文哲 (TPP) proposes reforms to boost Taiwan’s financial resilience – Focus Taiwan: ‘criticized Taiwan's low tax revenues as potentially risky and advocated reforms to strengthen Taiwan’s financial resilience.’
Ko komt met serieuze hervormingsplannen die onder jongere kiezers hoop op verandering zullen wekken.
Taipei widely backed at COP28, says foreign ministry – Taipei Times: ‘The ministry said TPP vice presidential candidate Cynthia Wu [吳欣盈], who blamed it for being denied entry to COP28 events, had ignored its advice to keep a low profile’
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Taiwan sets prison terms and fines for spying on its military bases – SCMP
Taoyuan pilots union does not rule out going on strike – Taipei Times
Income and house tax amendments passed – Taipei Times: ‘targets landlords and real-estate investors’
Indigenous status law updated – Taipei Times