De Chinese Wouden, woensdag 27 maart: Mark Rutte, Filip Dewinter, gehackt Koninkrijk, spanningen Filipijnen
Helaas geen tijd voor commentaar vandaag. Er is ook zoveel nieuws. Misschien moeten we het eerst maar even allemaal laten bezinken. In Peking zijn ze tenslotte nu ook hartstikke druk met het bezoek van Rutte en Van Leeuwen.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Rutte bezoekt China voor het eerst in vijf jaar, maar erg gezellig zal het niet worden – Trouw 🇳🇱
Voor het vertrek naar China heeft Nederlandse delegatie telefoons, iPads en laptops gewisseld – AD 🇳🇱
Geoffrey van Leeuwen: „We zijn wakker geworden rond investeringsklimaat” – FD
Dutch trade minister vows to defend ASML interests ahead of China visit, FD reports – Reuters 🇳🇱
EU climate envoys plan joint trip to China – POLITICO Europe: ‘Germany, France, Denmark and the Netherlands will send their top climate diplomats to join the trip, tentatively scheduled for April 8’ 🇪🇺🇳🇱
Chinese rail company CRRC 中国中车 withdraws bid from Bulgarian public tender amid EU inquiry – SCMP: ‘The inquiry, announced last month, was the first of its kind and marked the maiden use of a foreign subsidies regulation designed to stop state handouts from distorting the EU’s single market.’ 🇧🇬🇪🇺
European parliamentary delegation visits Taiwan – Focus Taiwan: ‘A delegation from the European Parliament and German Bundestag arrived in Taiwan on Monday’ ‘Meanwhile, a seven-member parliamentary delegation from Romania is also on a visit to Taiwan’ 🇪🇺🇩🇪🇷🇴
Filip Dewinter 🇧🇪🕵🏻
Documenten bewijzen: Filip Dewinter werkte in opdracht van Chinese Communistische Partij – Humo„Onkostennota’s en brieven tonen hoe het boegbeeld van Vlaams Belang, op vraag van de Chinese spion Changchun Shao, extreemrechtse politici in Europa bewerkte, een Chinese inlichtingendienst naar België haalde en de Syrische ambassadeur bij Shao thuis uitnodigde.” 🇧🇪
„Vergoed mijn lobbywerk maar naar jouw voldoening”, krabbelde hij snel op een papiertje van de Kamer: hoe Filip Dewinter betaald werd door China – Humo: „De twee opvallendste namen zijn Meng Jianzhu en Cheng Guoping.” 🇧🇪
De Chinese spionkop van Vlaams Belang – Apache 🇧🇪
De desbetreffend China Association for International Friendly Contact (CAIFC, youlian) wordt doorgaans beschouwd als onder controle van de diensten van het Chinese Volksbevrijdingsleger. Traditioneel dient de CAIFC voor het bewerken van ‘vriendelijke personages’. Zie screenshots op mijn Twitter-account voor relevante passages uit ‘Chinese Spies’ van Roger Faligot en ‘Making the Foreign Serve China’ van Anne-Marie Brady.
„Vlaams Belang-coryfee Dewinter werkte voor Chinese inlichtingendiensten” – NRC
Vlaamse media: politicus Filip Dewinter jarenlang werkzaam voor China – NOS
Chinese hacks 🇨🇳🕵🏻
UK and US sanction Chinese entities for ‘malicious cyber activity’ against British MPs and Pentagon contractors – SCMP 🇬🇧🇺🇸
Seven Hackers Associated with Chinese Government Charged with Computer Intrusions Targeting Perceived Critics of China and US Businesses and Politicians – US Department of Justice: ‘The targets included every European Union member of IPAC, and 43 United Kingdom parliamentary accounts, most of whom were members of IPAC or had been outspoken on topics relating to the PRC government.’ 🇪🇺🇳🇱
Er zijn ook een aantal Nederlandse (voormalige) parlementariërs lid (geweest) van IPAC en dus doelwit.
APT31: the Chinese hacking group behind global cyberespionage campaign – Reuters: ‘It is allegedly linked to China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) in the province of Hubei.’
China-backed hackers escalate cyber campaigns, targeting operational technology – Penetration Testing: ‘The APT31 incident, involving attacks on air-gapped industrial systems in Eastern Europe, serves as a stark reminder of the lengths to which these groups will go to infiltrate the most secure environments.’
Cyber-attacks linked to Chinese spy agencies are increasing, say analyst – The Guardian
Verenigd Koninkrijk 🇬🇧
UK accuses China of cyberattacks on British democracy – POLITICO Europe: ‘Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said “Chinese state-affiliated actors” had been behind two separate “malicious” attacks on both the U.K.’s electoral watchdog and on lawmakers themselves.’
Foreign Office summons senior Chinese diplomat over ‘malicious cyber activity’ – The Guardian
Tory MPs urge tougher action on China after cyber-attacks – The Guardian
Labour tells China it will act on interference in UK democracy – The Guardian: ‘Catherine West, the shadow Asia minister, travelled to Beijing last week as part of a delegation of British MPs for meetings with senior Chinese government figures and businesses.’
Chinese cyberattacks won’t silence us, say British lawmakers – POLITICO Europe
Opinion: Too little, too late: we are still not facing up to the China threat – Iain Duncan Smith in the Telegraph
A Chinese ‘wolf warrior’ impersonated me, says Iain Duncan Smith – The Guardian
UK politicians should use ‘disappearing messages’ on devices, says GCHQ – FT
‘Imperative’ to protect Britons from malign state actors online, says UK – FT
Nieuw-Zeeland 🇳🇿
New Zealand parliament targeted in China-backed hack in 2021, spy agency says – The Guardian
Parliamentary network breached by the PRC – Beehive
reacties
UK: Statement by the Spokesperson on recent malicious cyber activities – EU EEAS 🇪🇺
Evidence Britain provided on hacking allegations was insufficient, says Chinese foreign ministry – Reuters 🇨🇳
Foreign spy arrested while attempting to subvert sensitive personnel into giving state secrets: Chinese MSS – The Guardian 🇨🇳
Filipijnen 🇵🇭🇨🇳
Philippines summons China envoy over standoff, dares Beijing to seek arbitration – Reuters
China to take resolute countermeasures if Philippines keeps challenging bottom line, says defence spokesperson – Xinhua: ‘Wu warned the Philippines to cease making any statements that may escalate tensions and stop all acts of encroachment.’
Serieuze taal van het Chinese ministerie van defensie.
China says relations with Philippines at ‘crossroads’ amid maritime incidents – Reuters
Beijing: Manila never honoured its word to remove grounded warship in South China Sea – ABS-CBN
Voor zover bekend is die belofte nooit gedaan.
China Coast Guard injures Philippine crewmembers with water cannon – The Maritime Executive
‘WATCH: a Chinese navy helicopter dangerously hovering overhead, leaving several BFAR officials and marine biologists injured. The incident happened on Saturday, March 23 during a maritime resource assessment at Sandy Cay 3, a sandbar near Pag-asa Island. @News5PH @onenewsph’ – Gio Robles, Twitter
‘LOOK: AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., AFP-Western Command Commander VADM Alberto Carlos, and PCG Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan conferred awards to three Navy personnel who were severely injured during the resupply mission […]’ – PTVph, Twitter
Filmpjes op sociale media laten het intense geweld zien dat de Chinese waterkanonnen aanrichten op de Filipijnse schepen. Het internationaal recht is duidelijk, de Chinese claims kloppen niet. Het meest relevant voor de vraag of de Amerikaanse gewapende bijstandsverplichting is wanneer het gebruik van een waterkanon overgaat in een ‘aanval’. Als er iemand komt te overlijden?
Spokesperson of the Chinese Mission to the EU Speaks on a Question Concerning the Statement by the EEAS Spokesperson on the South China Sea – Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union 🇪🇺
South Korea has ‘grave concerns’ over China using water cannons against Philippine ships – Reuters 🇰🇷
Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 (KMT) urges President Tsai Ing-wen 蔡英文 (DPP) to visit Itu Aba/Taiping Island in South China Sea, against NSB advice – Taipei Times 🇹🇼
Tech War 💽💥
Miljardenimpuls voor behoud techbedrijven regio Eindhoven – NOS 🇳🇱
Kabinetsplan voor behoud ASML: meer woningen, extra geld voor onderwijs en beter ov – RTL Nieuws 🇳🇱
South Korea is tapping into multinational Wassenaar framework to review export controls for sensitive products like semiconductor-related equipment, the country’s trade minister said – Bloomberg 🇰🇷
US and Vietnamese top diplomats discuss greater chip cooperation, State Department says – Reuters 🇻🇳
TikTok’s troubles just got worse: The FTC could sue them, too – POLITICO: ‘over allegedly faulty privacy and data security practices’ ‘The FTC case is unrelated to the forced-sale bill.’ 🇺🇸
TikTok, POLITICO und Springer : Tausendmal berührt – SZ 🇩🇪
China challenges US electric vehicle subsidies at WTO – Nikkei Asia 🇺🇸
WTO partially upholds China's anti-dumping complaint against Australia – Reuters: ‘The trade dispute involves a Chinese complaint over Australia’s anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures on products including railway wheels, wind towers and stainless steel sinks.’ 🇦🇺
China’s electric car scientists create powerful electromagnetic catapult for aircraft carriers – SCMP
China and Russia challenge US claim to mineral-rich stretches of seabed – FT: ‘given its position on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos)’ 🇺🇸
Batteriefabrik in Schleswig-Holstein : Der große Preis von Dithmarschen – SZ 🇩🇪
China’s ‘de-risking’ from West worsens EU industrial decline, experts say – Euractiv 🇪🇺
China’s effort to boost manufacturing could put ‘meaningful upward pressure’ on US inflation, the NY Fed says – Bloomberg 🇺🇸
China’s EV price war is killing brands and infuriating consumers – Rest of World
China’s zombie car plant problem – FT
China’s solar billionaire feels the heat as sector faces upheaval – FT
Taiwan mulls cross-industry alliances to lead new supply chains, Lin Chia-lung 林佳龍 says – Focus Taiwan
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
China turns on new Mekong River dam, despite adverse impact on fishes and farming in Southeast Asia – The Straits Times
Chinese billionaire pleads guilty to straw donor scheme in New York and Rhode Island – AP 🇺🇸
Five Chinese nationals among six killed in suicide bomb attack in Pakistan – Al Jazeera 🇵🇰
Pakistani PM vows to bring to justice perpetrators of attack on Chinese – Xinhua 🇵🇰
China’s new ambassador to Singapore Cao Zhongming aims for high-quality bilateral cooperation – The Straits Times: ‘Separately, Mr Liu Jianchao, who heads the International Department of the Communist Party of China, is visiting Singapore from March 25 to 28 at the invitation of Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.’ 🇸🇬
John Moolenaar named new chairman for US House select committee on China – SCMP 🇺🇸
China released a former member of the South Korean national men’s soccer team who had been held in detention for nearly a year – Bloomberg 🇰🇷
China proposes maritime dialogue with Australia amid rising tension in South China Sea – VOA 🇦🇺
Het is bij China altijd erg opletten dat het voorhouden van een dialoog niet gebruikt wordt om elders concessies te krijgen, terwijl je nog maar moet zien of er iets zinnigs uit de dialoog komt.
A Canadian watchdog is calling for penalties against Dynasty Gold after it concluded the company used forced labor at its Chinese mine in Xinjiang – Bloomberg: ‘Dynasty owns a majority stake in the mine through a subsidiary, according to the watchdog.’ 🇨🇦
China-hosted session of Western Pacific Naval Symposium will seek to prevent drone collisions at sea – Nikkei Asia
China economie
China’s distressed property developer losses start to pile up – Nikkei Asia: ‘Through profit warnings, three midsize Hong Kong-listed real estate companies over the weekend announced billions of dollars in net losses, while China Evergrande Group said it had withdrawn its bankruptcy filing in New York.’
Alibaba is calling off an IPO for its Cainiao logistics arm, shelving a much-anticipated debut that could have raised more than US$1 billion, sources say – Bloomberg: ‘China’s e-commerce pioneer decided to postpone the transaction because of poor market conditions, people familiar with the matter said.’
China’s Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 to meet with American executives on Wednesday, sources say – Reuters
China’s foreign investment, confidence push gathers speed as top officials highlight ‘win-win opportunities’ – SCMP
China vows to treat foreign firms equally amid industrial upgrade push – Reuters
China to speed up ‘new productive forces’, vice president says – Reuters
China’s Instagram-like app Xiaohongshu 小红书 makes first profit – FT
China binnenland
China plays down concerns over state health insurance scheme, but questions remain over ‘value for the money’ – SCMP: ‘China’s state health insurance system regulator has called for more enrolment from vast rural areas, while dismissing widespread concerns over a falling participation rate.’
China wary of ripple effects as hydropower-producer provinces combat drought – SCMP
China, battling low birth rates and high costs, encourages frugal weddings – Reuters
Former China soccer head jailed for life after corruption crackdown – Reuters
Uyghur publisher Erkin Emet jailed for books on Uyghur historical independence and identity – RFA
Hong Kong
Hong Kong activist Ma Chun-man 馬俊文 denied early release days after new security law axed eligibility – HKFP: ‘He is the first prisoner to be made ineligible for early release after a new domestic national security law was enacted on Saturday.’
Hongkonger shot by police during 2019 demos withdraws appeal against conviction and 6-year jail term – HKFP
Chinese University of Hong Kong removes copies of ‘unauthorised’ student publication from campus – HKFP
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 (KMT) to make second trip to China next month – Reuters: ‘leading a group of students on an 11-day journey to visit locations including Beijing’ 🇨🇳
Ex-president Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 (KMT) hopes to meet ‘old friend’ Xi Jinping on China trip, aide says – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇳
Ma is nog altijd invloedrijk binnen de KMT, maar zijn autoriteit liep een behoorlijk knauw op door de combinatie van onhandige China-vriendelijke uitspraken voor verkiezingen en het verlies tijdens de verkiezingen. Peking maakt hem belangrijker dan hij nog is in het bredere Taiwanese politieke landschap – hoewel het natuurlijk lastig is als de eisen voor contact zorgen dat iedere persoon die dialoog met de CCP voert zich daarmee marginaliseert in Taiwan.
Taiwan Coast Guard expels four Chinese fishing boats from Taiwan’s restricted waters off Taichung and Hsinchu – Focus Taiwan: ‘Chinese fishing vessels have been periodically discovered in the waters near Taichung's coast’ 🇨🇳
Speldenprikken bij het hoofdeiland Taiwan is iets serieuzer dan voor het kleine Kinmen dat vlak voor de Chinese kust ligt.
Taiwan calls on CPTPP to devise detailed accession guidelines – Focus Taiwan
Singaporean charged over bomb threats he allegedly sent via Facebook to two Taiwanese KMT politicians Lo Chih-chiang and Han Kuo-yu – The Straits Times: ‘Loo was remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for a medical examination.’ 🇸🇬
China will be ready for potential Taiwan invasion by 2027, US admiral warns – The Hill
Ik blijf erbij dat mensen als deze teveel maken van een jubileum dat symbolisch als deadline dient voor een set moderniseringsdoelen.
President Tsai oversees delivery of 2 indigenous Navy corvettes – Focus Taiwan
Taiwan tests air defences in early morning missile drills – Reuters
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Inflation in Taiwan likely to hit 2.03% due to power rate hikes – Focus Taiwan: ‘For its part, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world's largest contract chip maker, which is said to fall into the category of the ultra-high voltage power users, is expected to see its electricity bills increase by 25 percent, as it consumes more than 500 million kWh per year.’
Hoog tijd dat TSMC iets meer gaat betalen.
Taipei City to end contract with scandal-hit network supplier – Focus Taiwan: ‘Controversy surrounding the lucrative contract surfaced after prosecutors on March 15 requested the detention of Taipei City Councilor Chen Chung-wen (陳重文) of the KMT on suspicion of corruption for allegedly accepting bribes from Taifo.’
Immigration agency casts light on foreign spouses – Taipei Times