De Chinese Wouden, woensdag 20 november: kapotte kabel Oostzee, raad BZ Brussel
Na alle berichten over Chinese drones voor Rusland kwam er afgelopen maandag niks uit de vergadering van Europese ministers van buitenlandse zaken. Waren de vele nieuwsberichten over inlichtingen pogingen van betrokkenen om enige ophef te creëren in de verwachting dat er weinig zou gebeuren? Blijken de inlichtingen minder overtuigend? Of vinden de Europese landen het nog altijd moeilijk te handelen?
Er is recenter China-Rusland nieuws. Twee kabels in de Oostzee, tussen Zweden en Litouwen en Finland en Duitsland, zijn doorgesneden. De hoofdverdachte is het Chinese schip Yi Peng 3. Dit brengt in herinnering dat in oktober vorig jaar de gasleiding tussen Finland en Estland werd vernield door het anker van de in Hong Kong geregistreerde New New Polar Bear. Toen kwam het schip weg, nu is de Deense marine in touw.
Na de APEC in Peru is nu de G20 in Brazilië afgelopen. Het lijkt erop dat de Europese leiders hun ontmoetingen met Xi Jinping hebben gebruikt om de Chinese leider op het hart te drukken dat de Noord-Koreaanse troepen een groot probleem zijn. Xi zocht gemeenschappelijke punten: Franse strategische autonomie en Duitse tegenstand tegen invoerheffingen op elektrische auto’s.
De G20 is ooit ingesteld om in reactie op financiële crises grotere delen van de wereld dan slechts de G7 te betrekken. Xi Jinping – voorstander van ‘echt multilateralisme’ i.p.v. Westerse groepen – laat zich dit geen twee keer zeggen. De Chinese bijdragen tijdens de bijeenkomsten richtte zich op het Mondiale Zuiden, en negeerde de Westerse aanwezigheid.
Xi benadrukte ontwikkelingsprojecten en samenwerking. Het oorspronkelijke G20-doel van gezamenlijke besluitvorming over mondiale financiële stelsel is wat hem betreft: meer inclusiviteit. Dat betekent een zwaardere stem voor de niet-Westerse wereld en geen beperkende maatregelen zoals heffingen. (Het bericht in FT dat de EU ook overweegt China verplichtingen tot technologie-overdracht op te leggen zal ook wel op de lijst van Westerse zonden verschijnen.)
Dit is een duidelijk voorbeeld van de manier waarop Peking veel landen in de wereld voor zich weet te winnen. Het appeleert aan een duidelijk negatief sentiment t.o.v. het Westen zonder – te doorzichtig – het direct hard aan te vallen. In plaats daarvan houdt China een positief verhaal voor het Mondiale Zuiden. (Wat heeft Europa daartegenover staan?) Ondertussen is het in Chinese teksten voor binnenlands gebruik wel duidelijk dat het Westen de tegenkracht is bij het tot stand brengen van deze ‘gemeenschap van een gedeeld lot voor de mensheid’ (als je de tijd hebt, gá dat boek van Kevin Rudd lezen!).
De waarden van Xi’s nieuwe wereld zijn helaas te merken in Hong Kong. Daar kregen 47 democratische politici jaren aan gevangenisstraffen opgelegd voor het organiseren van voorverkiezingen die als doel hadden hun kamp meer kans op een meerderheid in het lokale parlement te geven. Ondermijning!
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
‘Today, the Dutch Parliament adopts a resolution calling for an investment agreement between Taiwan and leading EU nations—a pivotal step to strengthen ties, boost economic stability, and counter intimidation. #Taiwan #EU #ASML @ipacglobal’ – Jan Paternotte (D66), Twitter 🇳🇱
Ambassador Cài Rùn 蔡润, Head of the Chinese Mission to the EU, Presented His Letter of Credence to President of the European Council Charles Michel – Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union: ‘There are no fundamental conflicts of interests between China and the EU.’ 🇪🇺
Chinees vrachtschip verdacht van sabotage onderzeese kabels in de Oostzee – NRC: „Deense marineschepen schaduwen een Chinees vrachtschip dat mogelijk betrokken is geweest bij de vernieling van onderzeese kabels in de Oostzee, dinsdagochtend vroeg.” 🇸🇪🇱🇹🇫🇮🇩🇪
„China en Rusland komen straffeloos weg met hun sabotage” – Nieuwsuur
Chinese vessel spotted where Baltic Sea cables were severed – FT: ‘Yi Peng 3, a Chinese-registered vessel that was on its way from the Russian port of Ust-Luga to Port Said in Egypt, passed close to both the Swedish-Lithuanian and Finnish-German cables around the time each was cut on Sunday and Monday’ 🇸🇪🇱🇹🇫🇮🇩🇪🇷🇺
Sweden probing undersea cable incident, Lithuania ‘clarifying’ details – LRT: ‘Sweden has launched a probe after two telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea, one connecting the country with Lithuania and the other running between Finland and Germany, were damaged on Sunday.’ 🇸🇪🇱🇹🇫🇮🇩🇪
‘Denmark seems to have nabbed the Chinese flagged ship linked to the Baltic cable cutting …’ – Shashank Joshi, Twitter 🇩🇰
EU warns China of ‘consequences’ if it’s found to be making armed drones for Russia – SCMP: ‘Several diplomatic sources described the intelligence as “conclusive”, “convincing” and “credible” on Friday.’ 🇪🇺
Chinese trade with Russia ‘directly affecting’ EU security, Dutch foreign minister says – Reuters: ‘“I raised this twice with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and I think as Europeans we should all do this, […],” Veldkamp said.’ 🇳🇱
Germany’s Scholz to address drones for Russia with China’s Xi – Reuters: ‘Earlier in the day, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Chinese drone aid “must and will have consequences”.’ 🇩🇪
Spionage für Peking: Bundesinnenministerium warnt vor falschen Reportern aus China – Der Spiegel: „Das Bundesinnenministerium warnt vor chinesischen Spionen, die als Journalisten getarnt in Deutschland tätig sind.“
„Die mutmaßlichen Spione seien eng an die chinesische Botschaft in Berlin angebunden.“ 🇩🇪
Zoals het stuk schrijft, is dit een bekend gegeven. Vraag is dus waarom het Duitse ministerie van buitenlandse zaken juist nu waarschuwt voor Chinese spionnen die zich voordoen als journalisten.
Products made with forced labour: Council adopts ban – Council of the EU 🇪🇺
Chip powerhouse Taiwan calls for economic partnership deal with EU – Reuters: ‘Speaking at a Taiwan-EU investment forum in Taipei, Lai said that facing the threat of expanding authoritarianism, Taiwan and the EU must form a “strong democratic umbrella” and build secure supply chains for global democracies.’ 🇪🇺
De Commissie heeft al meerdere keren aangegeven dat ze een allesomvattende overeenkomst niet zitten. Dat heeft deels te maken met het politieke signaal dat voor Taipei juist een belangrijke reden is om het na te streven. Deels zou het ook te maken hebben met het beperkte nut. Haalbaarder is het om te gaan voor specifieke deelovereenkomsten in bepaalde sectoren of met weerbaarheid van leveringsketens als focus.
EU-Taiwan WTO offshore wind agreement paves way for dealmaking – Nikkei Asia 🇪🇺
Xi and Macron preface exhibition of China’s Tang Dynasty in France – Xinhua: ‘Xi depicted the Tang Dynasty as one of the most prosperous dynasties in Chinese history, […], with its cultural influence extending across Asia and reaching Europe through the Silk Road.’ 🇫🇷
Rusland 🇷🇺
Russia and Chinese foreign ministers discuss ties, Ukraine, and Korean Peninsula on G20 sidelines – Reuters: ‘“We are truly at an unprecedented stage in the development of our strategic relations of a comprehensive partnership,” Russia’s Sergei Lavrov told his Chinese counterpart’ 🇷🇺
China-Russia gas pipeline completed, set to power Shanghai by end of 2024 – SCMP: ‘the pipeline inside China commenced partial operation five years ago and has since been lengthened to the south.’ 🇷🇺
Long-haul train runs ensure efficient trade between Chinese manufacturers and European households – The Global Times: ‘NDRC announced on Tuesday in Beijing that it plans to collaborate with other government departments and China State Railway Group to strengthen the international rail transport network and prioritizing participation in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route’
G20-top Brazilië 🏔️🇧🇷
China’s Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 announces steps to support ‘Global South’ at G20 summit – Reuters: ‘He also announced that China, along with Brazil, South Africa and the African Union, were launching an “Open Science International Cooperation Initiative”’
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 says AI should not be ‘a game for the wealthy’ – Nikkei Asia
Xi calls for building just world of common development, outlines China’s actions for global development – Xinhua: ‘If China can make it, other developing countries can make it too, and this is what China's battle against poverty says to the world, he added.’
Full Text: Address by Chinese President Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 at Session I of 19th G20 Summit – Xinhua: ‘Today, transformation of a scale not seen in a century is accelerating across the world.’
‘China will always be a member of the Global South, a reliable long-term partner of fellow developing countries, and a doer and go-getter working for the cause of global development.’
At G20 summit, Xi urges a fair, equitable global governance system – Xinhua: ‘Greater international consensus could be built to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, he added.’
‘It is important to seek a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis and work to stop fighting and end the conflict in Gaza at an early date’
Full Text: Address by Chinese President Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 at Session II of 19th G20 Summit – Xinhua: ‘Let us carry forward partnership, practice true multilateralism, and usher in a better future of common development and prosperity.’
China has key role to play in avoiding nuclear escalation, France’s Macron says – Reuters: ‘Macron said North Korea’s decision to send troops to fight in Ukraine had raised the stakes for China’ 🇫🇷
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 says China and France shoulder common responsibilities amid new changes in international situation – Xinhua: ‘China-France relations are of unique strategic significance and global influence as both are independent, mature and responsible major countries, Xi noted’ 🇫🇷
Xi asks Germany’s Scholz to help resolve issue of EU tariffs on Chinese EVs – Reuters: ‘A German government spokesperson said in a statement that Scholz's meeting with Xi had lasted 30 minutes and that the chancellor had addressed geopolitical issues’ 🇩🇪
Scholz trifft Xi in Rio: „Niemand soll sich vor seinen Nachbarn fürchten müssen“ – Der Spiegel: „Zuvor hatte er bereits angekündigt, dass er mit Xi über den Einsatz nordkoreanischer Soldaten in Russland und die Berichte über chinesische Drohnenlieferungen an Moskau sprechen werde.“ 🇩🇪
Xi Jinping says China insists on resolving differences with EU via dialogue – Xinhua: ‘China regards Germany as an important partner in advancing Chinese modernization, and will continue to provide broad market opportunities for German companies.’ 🇩🇪
Chinese officials bundle British journalists out of Starmer-Xi meeting – POLITICO Europe: ‘Reporters were aggressively ushered out of the bilateral in Rio de Janeiro as Starmer raised human rights’ 🇬🇧
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 calls on China and Britain to adopt rational and objective perspective on each other’s development – Xinhua: ‘The two countries enjoy vast space for cooperation’ 🇬🇧
No fundamental conflict of interests exists between China, Australia, says Xi – Xinhua 🇦🇺
Xi calls for all-round development of China-Mexico relations in new era – Xinhua 🇲🇽
China’s Xi meets Argentina’s Milei for the first time in Rio – Reuters 🇦🇷
Lula cuts G20 discussion short on Ukraine, irking Europeans – Reuters 🇧🇷
Hongkongse vervolging 👮🏻♀️🇭🇰
Zelfs voor dissidenten die spijt betuigden kent de Hongkongse rechtbank weinig genade – NRC
Kopstukken van pro-democratische beweging in Hongkong veroordeeld tot jarenlange celstraf tijdens controversieel proces – VRT NWS
Hong Kong: Statement by the Spokesperson on the sentencing in the “Hong Kong 47” case – EU EEAS 🇪🇺
‘The Netherlands shares these EU concerns. We call on the Hong Kong authorities to respect the rights and freedoms of all Hong Kong citizens in accordance with the Basic Law, the Sino-British Declaration and its international commitments. ↓’ – Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Twitter 🇳🇱
Keir Starmer refuses to condemn Hong Kong crackdown in public – FT 🇬🇧
Taiwan blasts jailing of HK activists – Taipei Times 🇹🇼
Central government office for safeguarding national security in HKSAR supports punishment of subversion activities – Xinhua: ‘The office strongly condemned the words and deeds that interfered with the law enforcement and judicial organs of Hong Kong’
Benny Tai 戴耀廷 and Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 among 45 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists jailed up to 10 years in landmark national security case – HKFP: ‘Pro-democracy activist Benny Tai has been jailed for 10 years over organising an unofficial primary election in 2020’
‘We will survive this’: Mixed emotions for families of Hong Kong democrats jailed in landmark national security case – HKFP
Jailing of 45 Hong Kong democrats in landmark trial draws criticism – Reuters
Hong Kong 47: Dozens queue for 5 seats in courtroom to witness sentencing of democrats in landmark security law case – HKFP: ‘suspecting that some people had been paid to line up for seats in the courtroom so that others could not attend the hearing.’
Handel 🚗⚡️
EU to demand technology transfers from Chinese companies – FT: ‘in return for EU subsidies as part of a tougher trade regime for clean technologies following the election of Donald Trump.’
‘The requirements, while at much smaller scale, echo China’s own regime, which pressures foreign companies into sharing their intellectual property in exchange for access to the Chinese market.’ 🇪🇺
‘Brussel eist Chinese technologie in ruil voor subsidies’ – FT
Een klein koekje van eigen deeg?
Hennessy plan to trial bottling cognac in China to avoid tariffs prompts strike in France – Reuters 🇫🇷
Trump seeks pledge that his Treasury secretary will enact tough tariffs – FT: ‘In addition to 60 per cent tariffs on all Chinese imports, Trump has floated a universal tariff of up to 20 per cent on all goods coming into the US.’ 🇺🇸
China to address world’s overcapacity concerns by cutting export-tax rebate for solar and lithium battery products – SCMP: ‘reduced from 13 per cent to 9 per cent’
Trump’s new China tariffs could give potent but brief boost to Southeast Asia – SCMP 🇺🇸
Will ‘China plus one’ put Vietnam in Donald Trump’s trade crosshairs? – FT: ‘Its economy has become heavily dependent on the US, which accounts for nearly 30 per cent of all of Vietnam’s exports.’ 🇺🇸🇻🇳
Donald Trump kiest China-criticus Howard Lutnick als minister van Handel – VRT NWS 🇺🇸
US advisory panel on China backs repeal of permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status – SCMP: ‘Revoking the status would give Washington more leverage in addressing China’s unfair trade practices, the commission said’ 🇺🇸
India wants rules of origin addressed to curb Chinese goods via ASEAN – Nikkei Asia 🇮🇳
Japan sees rise in steel anti-dumping probes amid China overcapacity – Nikkei Asia: ‘South Africa announced on Sept. 20 an investigation into alleged dumping of flat-rolled products by China, Japan and Taiwan.’
Tech War 💽💥
Exclusive: Huawei 华为’s plan to make more powerful Nvidia-like chips is getting hit by US curbs – Bloomberg: ‘its marquee chips will be stuck at aging technology till at least 2026, the people said’
‘Huawei’s main production partner, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., is struggling to churn out even 7nm chips at steady volumes.’
‘effort isn’t going well because of subpar local gear used in conjunction with ASML’s DUV systems, according to one of the people.’
Donald Trump tariffs would hurt US defence sector, warns Beijing adviser – FT: ‘citing the reliance on low-cost Chinese parts of American manufacturers including the defence industry.’ 🇺🇸
Een bekende kwetsbaarheid waar Peking misschien niet te veel aandacht op zou moeten willen vestigen tot het moment waarop ze het kunnen gebruiken om de Amerikaanse oorlogsmachine een slag te slaan.
China rushes to boost domestic chip supply ahead of Trump’s return – Nikkei Asia 🇺🇸
The global race to break China’s grip on graphite – FT: ‘A new graphite facility will open in Malaysia today — with a novel approach to creating the battery material’ 🇲🇾
Chinese startups supported by Microsoft and Google incubator programs worked with police – Rest of World 🇺🇸
Lithuania trying to keep IC project with Taiwan on track despite issues – Focus Taiwan 🇱🇹
Hon Hai 鴻海 (Foxconn) AI-driven factories to begin production in Taiwan and Mexico – Focus Taiwan: ‘using a digital simulation technology created by AI chipmaker Nvidia’ 🇲🇽
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
Japanese, US, and Australian defence chiefs plan to set up new defence framework, aiming for closer ties – The Yomiuri Shimbun: ‘plan to establish [a] “Trilateral Defense Consultations” framework for coordinating security policies.’ 🇺🇸🇯🇵🇦🇺
Philippines and United States to sign military intelligence-sharing deal – Reuters: ‘the General Security of Military Information Agreement or GSOMIA’ 🇺🇸🇵🇭
Vietnam’s new social media rules look a lot like Beijing’s, even as it’s been economically capitalising on anti-China sentiment – Catherine Thorbecke for Bloomberg 🇻🇳
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
China defence minister declines US meeting, breaking military talks – Defense News: ‘the first time in a year that Beijing has paused high-level military talks.’ ‘citing objections over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.’ 🇺🇸
China scrambles to connect with potential Trump officials – FT: ‘after several years of struggling to get meetings with Republicans in Washington.’
‘One person in Beijing with connections to the Chinese Communist party said China wanted to do a deal with Trump, if possible.’ 🇺🇸
Xi’s warning to Biden contains message for Trump: don’t seek regime change in China – SCMP 🇺🇸
South China Sea accidents ‘increasingly likely’ during next Trump term, retired PLA officer Zhou Bo says – SCMP: ‘but China is better prepared this time’ 🇺🇸
Chinese envoy Fù Cōng 傅聪 calls for strong actions from UN Security Council in Middle East – Xinhua: ‘Fu pointed out that the unsatisfactory performance of the council is not caused by disagreements between some countries, but rather due to the fact that one permanent member has been on the opposite side of the international community.’ 🇵🇸🇱🇧🇮🇱
Bloomberg analysis of nearly five years of satellite images show how billions of dollars of sanctioned Iranian oil are flowing annually to China – Bloomberg: ‘Forty miles east of the Malaysian peninsula sits the world’s largest gathering point for dark fleet tankers.’ 🇮🇷
Chinese and Indian foreign ministers meet on bilateral ties – Xinhua: ‘The two sides should strive to make practical progress in such issues as resuming direct flights, exchanging journalists and easing visa procedures as soon as possible, [Wang] said.’ 🇮🇳
Chinese and Pakistani militaries to hold joint anti-terrorism exercise – Xinhua: ‘The last joint exercise in this series was held in 2019.’ 🇵🇰
China admits plane entered Japan airspace in August but unintentional – Kyodo News: ‘The [Japanese] officials were briefed by the Chinese government that a Y-9 spy plane was hit by turbulence, prompting the crew to take evasive action’ 🇯🇵
Myanmar rebel leader has been detained in China, report says – The Diplomat: ‘RFA Burmese quoted one source as saying that the Chinese government is holding Peng in a bid to force the him to “negotiate withdrawal of his troops from Lashio.”’ 🇲🇲
China says Myanmar MNDAA rebel chief in Yunnan for medical care, contrary to detainment reports – SCMP: ‘On Monday, Yangon-based news agency Myanmar Now reported that Peng has been held in Yunnan since he was summoned there for a meeting with a senior Chinese official late last month.’ 🇲🇲
Debt-saddled Laos struggles to tame rampant inflation with cost of staples like rice doubling – AFP: ‘a growing number of households are resorting to foraging.’ ‘In recent years, the Laos government has borrowed billions of dollars from neighbour China’ 🇱🇦
Suriname en China ondertekenen belangrijke financieringsovereenkomst – Dagblad Suriname 🇸🇷
Suriname signs debt rescheduling with China, finance minister says – Reuters 🇸🇷
New Zealand prepares to tighten espionage laws to stop foreign interference – Reuters: ‘While Goldsmith did not name any country, the bill comes at a time when New Zealand is increasingly vocalising its concerns about China’s behaviour in the Pacific.’ 🇳🇿
China and Ethiopia police sign pact to foster closer security ties – China Global South Project 🇪🇹
In Africa, China values party-to-party ties for stronger political and economic relations – SCMP
Prins Jaime, Nederlands toponderhandelaar op de klimaattop, vindt medestanders in de paus en China: „Houd het schaakbord klein” – de Volkskrant 🇳🇱🇺🇳
Negotiators at COP29 are struggling to forge a consensus to boost funding to help poor countries. The fading US role has created a bigger opening for China to work with the EU – Bloomberg 🇺🇳🇪🇺
China’s soaring emissions are upending climate politics – The New York Times: ‘Last year, China for the first time passed Europe as the second-largest historical emitter, according to an analysis published on Tuesday by Carbon Brief’ 🇺🇳
China and India should not be called developing countries, several developing countries’ Cop29 delegates say – The Guardian 🇺🇳
Shark lobby slams China and Japan for vetoing US-led move to ban ‘finning’ – POLITICO Europe
Top political advisor Wáng Hùníng 王沪宁 urges pooling strength of Chinese from home and abroad for Chinese modernisation – Xinhua: ‘urged the China Overseas Friendship Association (COFA) to shoulder more responsibilities’
China economie
Economic Watch: China poised to sustain economic recovery toward annual growth target – Xinhua
China’s stimulus lifts tax revenue for first time this year after policy shift – SCMP
China’s official urban youth-jobless rate hovers above 17% for fourth consecutive month – SCMP: ‘Meanwhile, the jobless rate for the 25-29 age group, excluding college students, edged up to 6.8 per cent last month.’
Amid property crisis, China must shift from ‘availability’ to ‘quality’, premier Li urges – SCMP: ‘Li said that housing construction and renovations should take into account the diverse needs of different demographics’
China binnenland
‘Many’ children injured in central China car crash outside primary school, state media reports – AFP
Middle school stampede in China’s Xinjiang injures 14 – AFP
China’s top procuratorate stresses swift and stern punishment for major vicious crimes – Xinhua: ‘The top procuratorate stressed a zero-tolerance approach toward crimes targeting students and compromising school safety’
China’s spy agency warns of security threats from surveillance camera network flaws – SCMP
China imposes new food transport rules after outrage over cooking oil in fuel tankers – SCMP
Hong Kong
Hong Kong independent bookstore event disrupted by people accusing writer of ‘poisoning’ readers – HKFP: ‘a group of people came to the venue and caused a disturbance. They later went downstairs and harassed participants on their way in, he said.’
Hong Kong government defends custody of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai 黎智英 amid claims of ‘unlawful’ detention – HKFP
Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai 黎智英 to take witness stand in collusion trial – AFP
PLA Navy fleet to visit Hong Kong for public events – Xinhua
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Taiwan is setting aside fears of a Chinese invasion and trade-war crossfire to focus on potential cooperation with the incoming Trump administration – WSJ: ‘Behind the scenes, senior Taiwan officials expressed uncertainty about how China might respond to a hawkish U.S. administration.’ 🇺🇸
Trump’s national security advisor pick Waltz touts Taiwan’s importance – Focus Taiwan 🇺🇸
Taiwan plans to spend NT$70.6 billion [€2.1bn] on American weapons next year – SCMP: ‘weapons including portable short-range air defence missiles and radar system upgrades.’ 🇺🇸
Premier Cho denies Taiwan concessions on US meat imports in trade talks – Focus Taiwan 🇺🇸
Gezien acties in het verleden is het aannemelijk dat oppositiepartij KMT de DPP-regering, als Trump straks aan de macht is, niet alleen keihard gaat aanvallen op defensie-uitgaven die naar de VS gaan, maar ook op het gebied van handelstoezeggingen aan Washington.
Ex-President Tsai to address security forum in Canada, her office confirms – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇦
China’s top Taiwan affairs official Sòng Tāo 宋涛 meets with former leader of Taiwan’s legislature Wang Jin-pyng 王金平 (KMT) – Xinhua 🇨🇳
Former leader of Taiwan’s legislature Wang Jin-pyng 王金平 (KMT) visits Fujian to worship ancestors – Xinhua: ‘Earlier, Wang had visited Baijiao to worship his ancestors in 2019, accompanied by his immediate family and relatives.’ 🇨🇳
Taiwanese ambassador attends Haiti government swearing-in ceremonies – Focus Taiwan 🇭🇹
Alternative R&D service for Taiwanese conscripts expanded – Taipei Times: ‘The nation’s compulsory military service for men 18 years or older has since 2008 included alternative service in research and development (R&D) programs in science and technology fields in the public or private sector.’
Taiwan binnenland en economie
TPP extends detained chair Ko Wen-je 柯文哲’s leave of absence for an additional three months – Taipei Times: ‘He is suspected of profiteering involving real-estate developers during his time as Taipei mayor.’
‘The party has protested what they say is Ko’s unfair treatment and politically motivated prosecution.’
Groups to hold rally against KMT’s proposed changes to Constitutional Court – Taipei Times
Four indicted over buying signatures for Foxconn founder Terry Gou 郭台銘’s presidential campaign – Focus Taiwan
Ex-Yuanli Township head Liu Chiu-tong 劉秋東 handed 11-year sentence for corruption – Focus Taiwan
Taiwan’s average monthly wage advances 3.22% – Taipei Times: ‘to NT$46,643 (US$1,446)’
KMT proposal downplays their former regime, DPP says – Taipei Times: ‘proposal to include the Qing Dynasty and Japanese colonial period in an act to preserve “sites of injustice”’
Policemen lose jobs for putting pinhole cameras in women’s restroom – Focus Taiwan
Labour minister apologises after civil servant’s death – Taipei Times
Premier pledges to address issue of Chinese sailors at state-owned CSE – Focus Taiwan