De Chinese Wouden, woensdag 6 november: Amerikaanse verkiezingen, China over EU-klimaatmaatregelen
Na al die wel erg grote woorden van mij de afgelopen twee nieuwsbrieven houd ik mij vandaag eerst even op de vlakte over de Amerikaanse verkiezingen. Vrijdag kunnen we toch pas meer zinnige dingen zeggen. Ondertussen wordt er wel al veel over geschreven over wat China denkt, hoopt, verwacht.
We zouden het tussen al het Amerikaanse nieuws bijna vergeten, maar er gebeurt ook veel wat belangrijk is in Brussel – de nasleep van onze eigen Europese verkiezingen. De hoorzittingen van de nieuwe eurocommissarissen zijn begonnen. Beoogd commissaris voor handel, Maroš Šefčovič, noemde China „de meest uitdagende handelspartner” van China, wat heb op neerbuigend kritische twitterreacties van The Global Times kwam te staan.
De strijd over de EU-heffingen op elektrische auto’s uit China gaat door – er ligt nu weer een formele Chinese zaak bij de Wereldhandelsorganisatie Maar bij de aankomende klimaattop COP29 voert China ook een groep van landen genaamd ‘Basic’ aan die te hoop lopen tegen enkele Europese klimaatmaatregelen. Het gaat om de anti-ontbossingsrichtlijn en de CO2-heffingen die al langer een steen des aanstoots zijn voor de ontwikkelingslanden. Nu stelt de verklaring van China namens een aantal landen voor om het hierover te hebben bij de top. Deze vindt plaats in Bakoe, de hoofdstad van het autocratische Azerbeidzjan, dat net de etnische Armeniërs heeft verjaagd uit de voormalige enclave Nagorno-Karabach. Commissievoorzitter Von der Leyen zal er niet bij zijn – officieel vanwege de politieke verplichtingen in Brussel.
De kranten hebben de achterstand van de Europese autoindustrie ook opgemerkt. Ook Nederlandse kranten schrijven over teruglopende verkoop en achterblijvende technologie. De Duitse trots is niet het enige wat gekrenkt wordt. Ook de Franse trots, luxemerken, hebben te maken met teruglopende verkoop nu Chinese consumenten minder durven te besteden en hun smaak sowieso aan het verschuiven is.
Amerikaanse verkiezingsuitslag 🇺🇸🗳️
From Taiwan to trade, China braces for more rivalry as close US presidential race ends – Reuters 🇨🇳
China urges US to hold the line on climate policy, regardless of election outcome – SCMP 🇨🇳
Awaiting US election, Asian officials see little difference in candidates’ policies – SCMP 🇨🇳
Researchers in China use computer modelling to predict Trump election victory – SCMP 🇨🇳
Taiwan must show new US president it is determined to defend itself, defence minister Wellington Koo 顧立雄 (DPP) says – Reuters: ‘An internal Taiwan security memo, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, said China has recently launched a renewed propaganda campaign trying to stir up fears the island would become a “sacrificial piece” because the United States is likely to change its support for Taiwan after the vote.’ 🇹🇼
China influence may rise after US elections, Taiwanese security official says – Taipei Times 🇹🇼
Chinese Americans targeted with ‘misogynistic and insulting’ election misinformation – The Guardian 🇺🇸
„De gesprekken hier in Brussel gaan al snel over de Amerikaanse verkiezingen – de nervositeit is te voelen” – de Volkskrant 🇪🇺
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Brief regering: Appreciatie van de motie van het lid Ceder c.s. over een strategie ontwikkelen om de groeiende Chinese invloed op de CAS-landen te mitigeren en daarover jaarlijks de Kamer rapporteren – Minister Veldkamp, Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 🇳🇱
5. Hochrangiger Sicherheitsdialog zwischen Deutschland und China – Die Bundesregierung: „Bundesminister Wolfgang Schmidt wurde durch den Leiter der Zentralen Kommission für Politik und Recht, Herrn Sekretär Chen Wenqing begrüßt.“ 🇩🇪
Italian president to visit China – Xinhua 🇮🇹
Senior Chinese official vows to further ties with Italy – Xinhua: ‘[Senate president] La Russa spoke highly of the historic friendship between Italy and China, praising the CPC’s achievements in Party-building and China’s modernization’ 🇮🇹
中央广播电视总台与斯洛伐克通讯社签署合作备忘录 – 央视网 🇸🇰
Tijdens het bezoek van de Poetin-vriendelijke Slowaakse premier Fico aan China ondertekenden de directeur van de Chinese staatstelevisie CCTV en viceminister voor propaganda en de directeur van het publieke Slowaakse nieuwsagentschap TASR een samenwerkingsmemorandum.
China condemns a visit by Estonian lawmakers to Taiwan last week as ‘wrong signal’ – Bloomberg 🇪🇪
China blocking UK plans in Beijing amid east London mega-embassy dispute – The Guardian: ‘China is blocking requests to rebuild the British embassy in Beijing while the fate of its controversial mega-embassy in east London is being decided, the Guardian can disclose.’ 🇬🇧
Swiss university ETH Zurich’s not-so-neutral policy to restrict applications from Chinese students – SCMP 🇨🇭
Chinese premier meets Serbian prime minister – Xinhua: ‘Vučević said Serbia firmly abides by the one-China principle, appreciates China for its firm support on issues concerning Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity [d.w.z. m.b.t. Kosovo]’ 🇷🇸
Serbia’s construction minister resigns after 14 people were crushed to death last week by a falling canopy at a railway station – Bloomberg: ‘at a railway station that was rebuilt by European and Chinese firms two years ago.’ 🇷🇸
Ik wil niks suggereren, alleen meld ik dit omdat andere mensen dat waarschijnlijk wel willen.
First microsatellite developed by China and Russia college students launched – Xinhua 🇷🇺
Handel 🚗🇪🇺
China vecht Europese importheffing op auto's aan bij WTO – NU.nl 🇪🇺
China sues the EU at WTO over EV duties – POLITICO Europe 🇪🇺
China wants talks on trade measures at COP29 climate summit, document shows – Reuters: ‘The [group of] countries have been stern critics of the EU’s trade-related climate policies, including its anti-deforestation law and its carbon border levy’ 🇪🇺
China confronts Europe over climate-based trade restrictions – The New York Times: ‘Because COP29’s agenda must be agreed upon by consensus, each new submission for a discussion item threatens to mire the talks in a prolonged squabble’ 🇪🇺
China’s messy EV dispute with Europe keeps trade tensions in check – Reuters: ‘Fears of a widening tariff war between China and other major exporting nations are keeping diplomacy between the world's second-largest economy and the European Union alive, even as trade talks over electric vehicles stall.’
‘Some EU member states are even using the dispute to bolster bilateral ties away from the Brussels-Beijing negotiations and attract fresh investment from China.’ 🇪🇺
China’s commerce minister urges palatable EV trade solution from EU as France’s visiting junior trade minister defends bloc – Reuters 🇫🇷🇪🇺
China ‘most challenging trade partner’, EU’s next trade chief Maroš Šefčovič tells European Parliament during confirmation hearing – SCMP: ‘regarded as a close ally of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’ 🇪🇺
LVMH, Kering, and other European luxury houses that poured billions of dollars into China are scrambling to adjust to what may be a permanent shift in demand – Bloomberg 🇫🇷🇪🇺
Naast de Duitse autoindustrie is nu een andere peiler van Europese handel met China in verval.
BMW en Volkswagen kunnen niet op tegen China’s gelikte auto’s. „Europa heeft de boot gemist” – Trouw 🇩🇪
Ferrari verkoopt bijna een derde minder auto’s in China – FD 🇮🇹
NXP Semiconductors fell in late trading after giving a disappointing forecast for fourth-quarter sales and earnings, hurt by a slowdown in the automotive industry – Bloomberg 🇳🇱
Schaeffler will cut about 4,700 jobs in Europe and close two sites as an auto industry slump drags down sales of the German company’s components – Bloomberg 🇩🇪
Norway shows just how China has advanced in cars – Richard Milne for FT 🇳🇴
Is Germany’s business model broken? – FT: ‘An upended relationship with China is at the root of some of Germany’s current woes.’ 🇩🇪
BYD 比亚迪, Saic 上汽, Geely 吉利: So stark subventioniert China seine Autohersteller – Handelsblatt: „Eine Tiefenanalyse von Bilanzen chinesischer Autohersteller, die das Handelsblatt unter anderem mithilfe von Bilanzexperten durchgeführt hat, zeigt das Ausmaß.“
Ehemaliger VW-Designer Stefan Sielaff: „Der Vorsprung durch Technik passiert jetzt in China“ – FAZ: „Heute arbeitet er für Geely und hat gerade ein neues Auto vorgestellt.“ 🇩🇪
Shein 希音’s European entity reports 68% sales growth in 2023 – Reuters 🇪🇺
Tesla’s October China-made EV sales fall 5.3% y/y – Reuters 🇺🇸
Chinese Premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强 expressed confidence that his government can pull off an economic recovery, while also taking an apparent jab at the US and EU over trade – Bloomberg: ‘Speaking after Li, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim commended China for its handling of trade in the face of “obscure, condescending and unfair trading practices” by nations he didn’t name.’
(CIIE) 7th China International Import Expo opens in Shanghai – Xinhua
Xinhua Commentary: China’s door opening even wider to foreign visitors and businesses – Xinhua
Tech War 💽💥
French families sue ByteDance 字节跳动’s TikTok over alleged promotion of self-harm content – POLITICO Europe 🇫🇷
Ouders in Frankrijk klagen TikTok aan om zelfmoorden – NRC 🇫🇷
The US semiconductor industry is uprooting Chinese companies from supply chains, spurred by directives from Washington DC – WSJ: ‘Chip toolmakers are telling suppliers that they need to find alternatives to certain components obtained from China or risk losing their vendor status.’ 🇺🇸
Some of the world’s most-guarded semiconductor technology ended up in China’s Huawei Technologies 华为技术’ new AI chips, showing the limits of the US’s attempts to thwart such hardware linkups – WSJ: ‘Based on a preliminary internal investigation, TSMC believes its technology was routed somehow through Sophgo, a Chinese chip company, though others could be involved, according to people familiar with the matter. A less-likely scenario discussed internally involves the TSMC circuitry—or “die” in chip-industry parlance—having been culled from a Huawei stockpile amassed before the U.S. sanctions hit more than four years ago, the people said.’
China’s Ministry of State Security publicises gallium smuggling case, calling for higher vigilance against espionage activities – The Global Times
Chinese solar firms go where US tariffs don’t reach – Reuters: ‘the scope of the shift to Indonesia and Laos in this latest phase has not previously been reported.’
China needs more ‘skilled talent’, and they deserve better pay, Premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强 urges – SCMP: ‘called for better vocational education and cultivation of craftsmanship talent’
Huawei 华为 courts global chip talent with new Shanghai R&D hub – Nikkei Asia
After SpaceX’s requests, Taiwanese suppliers move manufacturing abroad, sources say – Reuters: ‘The first source familiar with SpaceX’s requests to move out of Taiwan is an employee of a Vietnam-based foreign-owned supplier’ 🇺🇸🇻🇳
Taiwan’s soaring energy prices and growing outages hit chipmaker TSMC 台積電 – FT: ‘The power price increases do not pose a significant financial problem for TSMC.’
Samsung 三星 denies voluntary retirement and layoff rumours as executives strategise foundry solutions – DigiTimes Asia 🇰🇷
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
A budding alliance between Russia and North Korea is handing Chinese President Xi Jinping another problem, as Beijing comes under growing international pressure to rein in two of its closest diplomatic partners – Bloomberg: ‘China has publicly remained muted on North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia, a sign it’s unhappy with Kim adding risks to the geopolitical landscape.’ 🇰🇵🇷🇺
Ik weet niet of het ik eens ben met deze logica.
China worstelt met onvoorspelbare buurman Noord-Korea – NRC 🇰🇵
Peking heeft geen interesse in grote instabiliteit, maar wel bij verzwakking van het ‘Amerikaanse’ westen. Plannen om China los te weken – van Noord-Korea of Rusland – zijn wensdromen die voorbijgaan, niet alleen aan Pekings strategische belangen, maar ook aan de eindeloze geschriften van Xi Jinping, waarin hij de Chinese opkomst als wetenschappelijk bepaalde onvermijdelijkheid uitlegt met het Amerikaanse Westen als structurele tegenstander.
US accuses Russia and China of shielding North Korea at UN – Reuters 🇺🇸🇰🇵
Chinese envoy calls on US to create conditions for easing Korean Peninsula tensions – Xinhua: ‘The envoy said the key to solving the disputes lies in the hands of the United States.’ 🇺🇸🇰🇵
In some areas of military strength, China has surpassed America – The Economist: ‘The old image of China’s armed forces as focusing on quantity over quality is increasingly outdated.’ 🇺🇸
How many foreigners work in the Chinese capital? Fewer and fewer – SCMP: ‘just 22,000 foreigners are living and working long term in the Chinese capital.’ ‘well down on the 37,000 foreigners reportedly working in the city a decade ago.’
‘The report said the percentage of Americans and Europeans had dropped from 16 per cent in 2019 to 12, while Africans now made up 31 per cent of the foreign work force, up from 26 per cent.’
French Navy’s Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group about to set sail for Indo-Pacific deployment – Naval News 🇫🇷
NATO-type Southeast Asian security group not feasible, Philippines defence minister says – Reuters 🇵🇭
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Singapore mobile carrier Singtel was breached by Chinese state-sponsored hackers this summer as part of a broader campaign against critical infrastructure operators around the world – Bloomberg: ‘The previously undisclosed breach was discovered in June, and investigators believe it was pulled off by a hacking group known as Volt Typhoon’
‘seen as a test run by China for further hacks against US telecommunications companies’
‘In the US telecommunications attacks, which investigators have attributed to another Chinese group called Salt Typhoon, AT&T Inc.and Verizon Communications Inc. are among those breached, and the hackers potentially accessed systems the federal government uses for court-authorized network wiretapping requests’ 🇸🇬🇺🇸
Chinese warships could use Peru’s big new port, US general warns – FT 🇺🇸🇵🇪
Malaysia complains to Vietnam over South China Sea reef expansion, sources say – Reuters: ‘Malaysia's letter was sent to Vietnam’s foreign ministry in early October but has so far received no reply, the two officials said’ 🇲🇾🇻🇳
Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing to make first China visit since seizing power – Reuters: ‘attend summits of the Greater Mekong Subregion and the [ACMECS] and join a meeting with Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam from Nov. 6-7 in Kunming’ 🇲🇲
China’s Wáng Yì 王毅 and Japan national security adviser Akiba Takeo 秋葉 剛男 agree to keep bilateral dialogue – Kyodo News: ‘intended to lay the groundwork for the first summit between Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, […], and Chinese President Xi Jinping’ 🇯🇵
Shooting in Pakistan’s Karachi injures two Chinese nationals – Reuters 🇵🇰
With Chinese official’s visit, Kenyan president says deal to fund and build highway is close – SCMP 🇰🇪
Chinese premier meets Malaysian prime minister in Shanghai – Xinhua: ‘Li said that China-Malaysia relations have entered a new stage of historical development and are moving steadily toward the goal of building a China-Malaysia community with a shared future.’ – Xinhua 🇲🇾
Chinese premier meets with Mongolian prime minister in Shanghai – Xinhua: ‘China will work with Mongolia and other Asian countries in the pursuit of peace, solidarity and cooperation’ 🇲🇳
PLA Air Force to debut J-35A stealth fighter jet at Airshow China – The Global Times
Ik vind hem visueel wel erg op de F-35 JSF lijken.
China economie
Six cities, one question: is China’s property market turning a corner? – FT: ‘Despite the burst of optimism, interviews by the Financial Times across six cities show lingering doubts about the sector’s longer-term prospects.’
Singapore’s CDL buys CN¥8.94 billion [€1.15bn] Shanghai site as confidence rises in China property – SCMP
Foreclosures in China soar, threatening to choke off bank profits – The New York Times: ‘The roster of homes seized and listed for auction leaped 43 percent last year, according to official data.’
China’s services activity picks up as conditions improve, Caixin PMI shows – Reuters
Yum China 百胜中国 wary of weak consumption even as results beat estimates – Nikkei Asia
China’s students pay for internships in hypercompetitive job market – Nikkei Asia
China loosens rules on foreign strategic investment in listed firms – Caixin Global
Cashed-up Chinese tourists from smaller cities venture overseas – SCMP
China binnenland
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 urges China’s provinces to be patient and fair in push for economic reforms – SCMP: ‘He also urged them to break down the fences of vested interests in each province in favour of a national market and to avoid “selective law enforcement”, the newspaper said.’
De zoveelste bevestiging dat misbruik van heffingen en boetes door blutte lokale overheden een probleem zijn en dat Peking dit doorheeft.
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 inspects central China’s Hubei Province – Xinhua: ‘Xi visited a museum, a vegetable farm and a village to learn about efforts to enhance the protection, research and use of cultural relics, and efforts to promote rural revitalization.’
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 urges building strong and modernised airborne force – Xinhua: ‘urged fully intensifying troop training, enhancing combat preparedness and improving airborne operation capabilities to build a strong and modernized airborne force.’
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 urges joint efforts in city governance – Xinhua: ‘encouraged the active participation of citizens in urban development and governance to jointly build harmonious [NB] and beautiful cities.’
Xí Jìnpíng 习近平’s father Xí Zhòngxūn 习仲勋 the subject of new historical drama on state television – SCMP: ‘the first time his story has been dramatised for TV.’
China space station crew returns to Earth after 6 months in space – AP
China’s ‘bat lady’ Shí Zhènglì 石正丽 opens path for new coronavirus research – SCMP
Cover Story: How AstraZeneca’s China fraud was about more than greed – Caixin Global
AstraZeneca shares tumble after reports China unit is linked to insurance fraud – The Guardian
China warns young soldiers against online dating, gambling – Reuters
疑兩年前「任期制」聯合早報文章惹惱習近平 上海法學教授遭限制出境 – RFA
Hong Kong
Three Hong Kong men jailed for 28 days over squirting water at police and TVB reporters at Songkran festival – HKFP: ‘found guilty of assaulting a police officer and common assault’
Hong Kong legal body Law Society issues warnings to lawyers linked to 2019 protester relief fund – HKFP
Hong Kong’s common law tradition can bolster city’s ‘connector’ role, Beijing’s foreign ministry head in city says – SCMP: ‘also dismissed as “rumours made by insane people” critical comments that the city had lost its freedoms’
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Ex-President Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 (KMT)’s foundation invites Chinese student group to Taiwan – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇳
Taiwanese radio host Chang Meng-tsung 張孟崇 and wife indicted for allegedly working with China, including Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, to sway Taiwan elections – Focus Taiwan: ‘Chang was one of the Unionist Party’s at-large candidates in the 2016 legislative elections.’ 🇨🇳
Two ‘hometown association’ heads indicted over China-funded trip to Anhui for local KMT officials before elections – Focus Taiwan 🇨🇳
Canada posts cyber attaché in Taiwan as ties deepen – The Globe and Mail 🇨🇦
President Lai meets visiting Paraguay Senate head – Focus Taiwan 🇵🇾
President Lai praises progress on next-generation light frigate at keel-laying ceremony – Focus Taiwan: ‘the vessel will be equipped with domestically built anti-ship and anti-air missiles’
Taiwan Air Force kicks off annual Sky Dragon drills – Focus Taiwan
Taiwan binnenland en economie
National Development Council to meet with SMEs and old economy sector to understand needs better – Focus Taiwan: ‘the DGBAS acknowledged that the local economic recovery has been uneven, with the old economy sector lagging behind’
DPP legislator urges legal changes to counter Beijing’s psychological warfare against the armed forces – Taipei Times
Taiwan’s ruling DPP again suggests openness to nuclear energy – New Bloom
Frank Wu 吳豊山 takes office as SEF chairman – Focus Taiwan: ‘he was an SEF board member in the early years after its establishment in 1990’
Justice ministry’s proposal to raise illegal abortion penalties shelved after opposition from women’s groups – Focus Taiwan