De Chinese Wouden, woensdag 24 mei: persconferentie Hoekstra en Qin Gang

Na zijn gesprek met minister Qin Gang had minister Hoekstra een persconferentie die zijn Chinese tegenhanger gebruikte om uit te halen naar de Nederlandse pers en geheime diensten. Peking vindt het hypocriet om China te beschuldigen een gevaar te zijn en tegelijkertijd wel enthousiast handel te willen drijven met het land. Ergens hebben ze wel een punt. Maar tegelijkertijd is het misschien wel volwassener om te erkennen dat we inderdaad in China een partner, concurrent en rivaal hebben – zoals de EU-triptych het heet – met inderdaad de laatste tijd vooral de nadruk op rivaal./

In tegenstelling tot zijn Engelse tweets, benoemde Hoekstra in zijn Nederlandse tweets wél onze zorgen over ‘buitenlandse inmenging’. Hij zou de politieservicestations en de bedreigingen aan het adres van journalist Marije Vlaskamp ook benoemd hebben in zijn gesprek. VVD-kamerlid Ruben Brekelmans is blij met stevige woorden, maar wil concrete actie zien, o.a. op het gebied van exportcontrole in de halfgeleiderindustrie. Directeur-generaal Wang Lutong benadrukte de drie vlakken waarop volgens Qin Nederland en China kunnen samenwerken: ‘Offer open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment to each other’, ‘Promote China-Europe exchanges’, en ‘Uphold UN system and WTO rules’. Die lijken allemaal te raken aan ASML…

Hoekstra in China 🇳🇱🇨🇳

Hoekstra in China: „open gesprek”, maar ook lastige thema’s en meningsverschillen – NOS
Chinese minister Qín Gāng 秦刚 valt Nederlandse media aan: Chinese dreiging „verzonnen” – RTL Nieuws
Chinese minister Qín Gāng 秦刚 hekelt Nederlandse veiligheidsdiensten tijdens bezoek Hoekstra – FD
Hoekstra botst met Chinese minister Qín Gāng 秦刚 over geheime operaties in Nederland – De Telegraaf: „Ook vroeg hij aandacht voor de intimidatie en bedreiging van voormalig China-correspondent Marije Vlaskamp.”
China valt Nederlandse inlichtingendiensten aan over verhalen inmenging: „Leugens!” – AD

Press statement Wopke Hoekstra, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Beijing 23 May 2023 – Government of the Netherlands: ‘Our two countries have a mature relation. We both understand the importance of standing up for our national interests’
Chinese foreign minister Qín Gāng 秦刚 holds talks with Dutch deputy PM – Xinhua: ‘China stands ready to work with the Netherlands to oppose decoupling and severing supply chains, Qin said.’
秦刚：中荷可以在三个层面加强合作 – 中华人名共和国外交部：“秦刚强调，中荷可以在三个层面相向而行。”

Safeguarding economy a priority, Dutch foreign minister Hoekstra says in China – Reuters
The Dutch foreign minister said he ‘talked extensively’ about the war in Ukraine in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Qín Gāng 秦刚 and stressed Beijing’s role in finding a solution – Bloomberg
China presses Dutch minister Hoekstra for access to chipmaking tech blocked on security grounds – AP

Beijing rolt rode loper uit voor Nederland, ondanks groeiende stapel conflicten tussen China en Europa – de Volkskrant
De nog altijd „opvallend zoete toon” van China tegenover Nederland zal waarschijnlijk ook te maken hebben met het feit dat de details van de exportcontrole nog niet af zijn (en de wens Europa los te weken van de Verenigde Staten). Er valt nog wat te winnen voor Peking.

Russia and China sign economic pacts despite Western criticism – Reuters: ‘describing bilateral ties at an unprecedented high’
Russia PM Mikhail Mishustin visits China with US-sanctioned delegation – Nikkei Asia

Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺

Schriftelijke vragen: Het bericht ‘Eindhovense toeleverancier van Philips en ASML opent vestiging in China’ – Ruben Brekelmans (VVD), Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 🇳🇱

TSMC still in talks on possible German plant, no decision before August at earliest, executive says in Amsterdam – Reuters

New disclosure rules from Beijing to dampen Chinese interest to list in Europe, say bankers – Reuters 🇪🇺

Big drop in German exports to China raises fears over EU’s economic powerhouse – FT 🇩🇪

Germany’s ‘China City’ Duisburg doesn’t want you to call it that anymore – The Washington Post: ‘The shift in this western German city of 500,000 mirrors a broader rethink in Europe on relations with Beijing.’ 🇩🇪🇪🇺

Majority of British firms cautious on new investments in China, according to survey – Reuters 🇬🇧

‘Vice FM Deng Li 🇨🇳 held political consultation with State Secretary @IBrockova 🇸🇰 in Beijing. With friendship and cooperation as the feature of #China-#Slovakia relations, the two sides jointly commit to enhancing bilateral ties and China-#CEEC cooperation.’ – Wang Lutong, Twitter 🇸🇰

Tech War 💽💥

The European Union and the US are discussing working closely to address risks from investing in sensitive technologies in countries like China – Bloomberg 🇪🇺

China fears Japan’s chipmaking curbs go further than US restrictions – FT: ‘A Chinese government official who works closely with chipmakers said the Dutch lithography giant ASML only expected restrictions on machines that produced advanced chips, while its smaller rival Nikon would face more extensive limits in Japan.’

Chip wars with China risk ‘enormous damage’ to US tech, says Nvidia chief – FT

Chinese companies still keen on US but face higher hurdles – Nikkei Asia: ‘The chill, he argued, was coming from political rhetoric.’

Singapore is benefiting from the US-China discord in at least one respect: semiconductor and equipment sales – Bloomberg

South Korea asks US to review China rule for chip subsidies – Reuters

Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️

Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 is taking aim at the secretive world of US$10,000-an-hour China consultants – Bloomberg: ‘This makes doing due diligence harder, and drives up the cost of investing in China, the analyst said.’
China’s new anti-spy law is just the beginning – Peter Humphrey for POLITICO Europe
Business group: Companies in China want ‘clarity’ after security rule changes, raids on consultants – AP

Analysis: China prioritising Turkmenistan over Russia in next big pipeline project – Reuters

Overige

China buitenland en defensie

China’s new US envoy Xiè Fēng 谢锋 arrives to a nearly impossible task: thawing relations – POLITICO
New Chinese ambassador Xiè Fēng 谢锋 to US acknowledges challenges in relations – Reuters
Xie was degene die de waslijst met punten van ‘fout gedrag’ naar Amerika stuurde.

China’s fishing fleet embroiled in rising tensions with US – FT: ‘a crackdown on the industry has become a pillar of Joe Biden’s broader Indo-Pacific policy designed to push back against China.’
Op klachten over de destructieve en niet onregelmatig illegale Chinese visserij ver van de eigen kust is het antwoord vaak dat China met een vijfde van de wereldbevolking recht heeft op een evenredig deel van de gezamenlijke rijkdom van de mensheid.

Chinese scientists war-game hypersonic strike on US carrier group in South China Sea – SCMP

South China Sea: Chinese naval training ship in Vietnam on goodwill visit amid Spratlys tensions – SCMP

China’s trade-pact bid ‘impossible’ for Australia to approve while Beijing’s sanctions remain, sources say – SCMP: ‘Beijing wanted “a clear commitment from Australia, preferably public” that Canberra would support China’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and “deny Taiwan’s membership”, during minister Don Farrell’s trip in Beijing in early May’

Canadian special rapporteur rules out inquiry into Chinese interference claims – The Guardian
Canadians who say they were targeted by Beijing slam David Johnston: ‘Another day of being unheard’ – Toronto Star

Chinese hackers attacked Kenyan government as debt strains grew – Reuters

China economie

China’s economic prospects are flat for the next two decades, requiring Beijing to tackle some deep-rooted problems to improve its growth outlook, according to the outgoing head of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China – Bloomberg

China firms plagued by payment delays, with big cash-flow risks, survey finds – SCMP

China binnenland

China’s effort to move local governments’ mountain of ‘hidden debt’ faces uphill climb – The Straits Times

China pledged to step up auditing work this year to ensure officials are enforcing major policy initiatives, state broadcaster CCTV reports – Bloomberg
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 stresses unique role of auditing in Party’s self-reform – Xinhua

China expands website for religious workers in latest move to tighten control – SCMP

Hong Kong

Hong Kong and Guangdong will deepen cooperation to boost high-quality growth in Greater Bay Area, CE John Lee 李家超 [Léih Gā-chīu] says – SCMP

3 crew members of Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific fired over alleged discrimination of Mainland Chinese – HKFP

Hong Kong’s leader says police will investigate suspicious withdrawals from organ donation register – AP

Taiwan buitenland en defensie

Taiwan’s NSB warns of threat posed by China’s overseas police stations – Focus Taiwan

Vice President Lai Ching-te 賴清德 [Lài Qīngdé], the DPP’s presidential candidate, pledges to uphold cross-Strait status quo – Focus Taiwan

Most Taiwanese support domestic defence programme – Taipei Times: ‘Eighty-five percent of Taiwanese back the government’s autonomous development of national defense equipment, but have become less inclined to support its purchase of US arms packages’

Delivery of Taiwan’s first new F-16 fighters has been delayed by problems deeper than Covid-related supply chain issues – Bloomberg

China likely to disregard civilian flight routes near Taiwan, researcher says – Taipei Times: ‘after a Chinese civilian aircraft flew over Kinmen County last month.’

Information security firm suspected of recruiting for China; owner on bail – Taipei Times

Taiwan tour operators eager for rebound in cross-Strait tourism, but travellers are wary – The Straits Times

Estonia speaks in support of Taiwan’s inclusion at WHA for 1st time – Focus Taiwan
世卫大会拒绝涉台提案是正义之举、人心所向（钟声） – 《人民日报》（2023年05月24日 第02版）：“2009年至2016年，台湾地区连续8年以‘中华台北’名义和观察员身份参加世卫大会，这是在两岸均坚持体现一个中国原则的‘九二共识’基础上，通过两岸协商作出的特殊安排。”

Taiwan binnenland en economie

Export orders fall for 8th straight month in April – Focus Taiwan

Downpours do little to ease drought conditions in southern Taiwan – Focus Taiwan

Mask rule to be extended for three types of venues – Taipei Times