De Chinese Wouden, woensdag 7 juni: Duitse piloten, Shangri-La en de zee
Veel Zuidoost-Azië in de nieuwsbrief die nogal wat in te halen heeft. De Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore krijgt in Nederland misschien wat minder aandacht, maar is misschien wel een van de belangrijkste geopolitieke fora van het moment. Tegelijkertijd is er onrust in de Straat van Taiwan en de Zuid-Chinese Zee over agressief Chinees gedrag. Na eerder al zorgelijke vliegbewegingen – China lijkt niks te hebben geleerd van het gedrag van de Chinese piloot die het Hainan-incident van 2001 veroorzaakte – zijn er nu ook zorgelijke vaarbewegingen. Gelukkig worden de Chinese jachtvliegers in ieder geval goed getraind door voormalige Duitse militairen…
De Taiwanese politiek wordt nu beheerd door een golf aan beschuldigen van ongewenst seksueel gedrag. Nadat eerst de regerende DPP werd getroffen, zijn nu ook figuren van de KMT aan de beurt.
Nederland en Europa 🇳🇱🇪🇺
Antwoord schriftelijke vragen: Antwoord op vragen van de leden Erkens en Van Strien over de Nederlandse zonnepanelenindustrie – Minister Adriaansens, Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 🇳🇱
Brabant voorzichtig(er) in samenwerking met China: „Toenemende zorgen” – Brabants Dagblad 🇳🇱
EU could agree to new sanctions on Chinese firms next week, diplomats say – SCMP (2/06/2023) 🇪🇺
💡 Suspicious Activity: What are German fighter pilots doing in China? – Der Spiegel: ‘According to reporting by DER SPIEGEL and the public broadcaster ZDF, there appears to be a handful of former German fighter pilots working as trainers in China.’
‘German security officials believe it is very possible that the pilots have passed on military expertise and confidential operational tactics, and even practiced attack scenarios, such as an offensive against Taiwan.’ 🇩🇪
Berlin calls on China to stop enlisting former German military pilots – Reuters 🇩🇪
China berates EU at World Trade Organization for policies it calls unfair – SCMP: ‘railed against a foreign subsidies act, investment screening, and a critical minerals law, described as “unjustified and discriminatory”.’ ‘The EU’s climate policies provided ample fodder for officials from other WTO members who took the floor during the meeting. A representative from Taiwan, a member, urged Brussels to work to “ease the potential impact and concerns” over CBAM.’ 🇪🇺
EU agrees economic weapon in face of China trade spat over coercion – AFP 🇪🇺
‘It's a pleasure to meet with EVP @TimmermansEU for the European Green Deal today. We had a friendly discussion on 🇨🇳🇪🇺 green cooperation and the upcoming fourth 🇨🇳🇪🇺 High-level Dialogue on Environment & Climate.’ – Ambassador Fu Cong, Twitter 🇪🇺
Despite ‘no limits’ ties, China has moved carefully on Russian energy since Ukraine invasion – SCMP 🇺🇦
Sanctions that have sidelined Russia and diverted trade flows are creating an opening for China in Kazakhstan – Bloomberg
China’s France envoy Lú Shāyě 卢沙野 slams ‘attack’ after post-Soviet states uproar in interview with blog: ‘Big deal out of nothing’ – SCMP: ‘Lu said he had a right to express his personal views, which were not “made up” and could be debated, adding that news channel La Chaîne Info under French network TF1 had instead “launched an attack” against him.’ 🇫🇷
Dat betekent dat Lu zijn ‘persoonlijke opvattingen’ over de internationale positie van post-Sovjetstaten dus nog steeds heeft?
Interview accordée par l’Ambassadeur Lú Shāyě 卢沙野 à Vu du Droit – Ambassade de la République Populaire de Chine en République Française 🇫🇷
Taiwan and Lithuania sign MOU to boost bilateral digital resilience – Focus Taiwan 🇱🇹
Taiwan and Slovakia sign MOUs, approve investment at annual economic meet – Focus Taiwan 🇸🇰
Shangri-La Dialogue 🏨🇸🇬
‘Very, very false’: Dutch minister Ollongren (D66) quashes former Beijing ambassador’s view on Ukraine at top security forum – POLITICO Europe 🇳🇱
💡 Germany to send two warships to Indo-Pacific in 2024 amid South China Sea tensions – Reuters
China’s new defence chief Lǐ Shàngfú 李尚福 ghosts the US, but meets with Europeans – POLITICO Europe
Shangri-La Dialogue: Chinese defence minister Lǐ Shàngfú 李尚福 accuses US of double standards in veiled attack – SCMP
Philippine coast guard spokesperson confronts China on its ‘disconnect’ in words and actions in West Philippine Sea [South China Sea] – The Philippine Inquirer
Living the ‘Chinese Dream’: Beijing’s new world order – Al Jazeera
World’s spy chiefs meet in secret conclave in Singapore – Reuters: ‘Such meetings are organised by the Singapore government and have been discreetly held at a separate venue alongside the security summit for several years, they said. The meetings have not been previously reported. The U.S. was represented by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, the head of her country's intelligence community, while China was among the other countries present’
Singapore and China ink pact to set up bilateral defence hotline – The Straits Times: ‘A trial on a security hotline between China and the 10 Asean countries in 2023 is also reportedly in the works to manage disputes in the South China Sea’
Japan and China agree to operate defence hotline properly – Kyodo News
Het nut van zulke hotlines met China is beperkt, omdat de aard van de partijstaat betekent dat Peking juist in tijden van crisis niks kan zeggen zolang de partijlijn nog niet bepaald is. Daarnaast ziet met dialoog en communicatie juist als een beloning voor goed gedrag en is niet opnemen dus een gepaste straf bij ‘misdragingen’ van een ander land.
China ‘trying its best’ to mediate in Ukraine war but must remain neutral: Britain’s Ben Wallace – SCMP
Ukraine war hasn’t changed China’s thinking around possible attack on Taiwan, IISS report says – CNN
Verenigde Staten
Shangri-La Dialogue: China and the US offer competing security visions for the Asia-Pacific – SCMP
China and US lay out rival visions for Asia as ships nearly collide – The New York Times
The Biden administration plans to send US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing in the coming weeks for talks with high level officials – Bloomberg
Senior US, Chinese diplomats hold ‘candid’ talks to avoid escalation of tensions – AP
Top Treasury official meets China’s ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, part of a series of tentative, recent steps to revive high-level engagement between their two nations – Bloomberg
Chinese zeeën? 🌊🇨🇳
Chinese warship nearly hits US destroyer in Taiwan Strait during joint Canada-US mission – Global News CA: ‘The Chinese told both the Canadian and American ships over radio systems that they are entering Chinese territory, despite the joint mission taking place in internationally recognized waters, according to Mountford.’
China rebukes US and Canadian navies for Taiwan Strait transit – Reuters
China’s maritime claims are pushing its neighbours closer to the US – WSJ
Chinese ships leave Vietnam waters after operating for nearly a month despite Hanoi protest – Reuters
Tech War 💽💥
Volkswagen is on a hunt for resources to remove China from its EV batteries – WSJ
Former ByteDance executive claims Chinese Communist Party accessed TikTok’s Hong Kong user data – WSJ
Kantelpunt 🌏⏱️
💡 France objects to Nato plan for office in Tokyo – FT: ‘One French official said Paris believed Nato’s charter required the alliance to limit its geographic reach to the “north Atlantic”. But the official also suggested it could undermine European credibility with China in regard to the war in Ukraine, particularly in terms of asking Beijing not to supply arms to Russia.’
China and Russia conduct air patrols over waters bordering Japan, the Korean peninsula and Taiwan – AFP
Philippines, Japan, and US hold first trilateral coast guard manoeuvres – Reuters
As China risks grow, manufacturers seek Plan B—and C and D – WSJ
Investors have been ‘de-risking’ from China for years – Jeremy Mark for Atlantic Council
Overige
China buitenland en defensie
Indonesia hosts navies great-power rivals China and US in rare joint humanitarian disaster exercises – SCMP
A former Conservative candidate has suspicions about why his Chinese-Canadian volunteers quit. So does the Liberal who beat him – Toronto Star
New satellite images show scale of Chinese expansion at un-demarcated border with India – The Independent
My life was turned upside down by Beijing threats, wife of Chinese ex-official tells US court – The Guardian
China’s 100-plus ‘secret police stations’ span from New York to Tokyo – Nikkei Asia
Britain says China has closed unofficial police stations in UK – Reuters
China economie
Nooit was het voor hoogopgeleide Chinezen moeilijker om werk te vinden dan vandaag – VRT NWS
Investeren in China? Pensioenfondsen lijken voorzichtig afscheid te nemen van het land – Trouw
Why are doubts about China’s export data increasing amid a stalling economic recovery? – SCMP
Chinese developers are about to be kicked off stock markets – Bloomberg via Caixin
China’s top VCs warn dollar fundraising will only get tighter due to geopolitical tension and lacklustre recovery – Nikkei Asia
China’s top investment bank CITIC cuts base salary by up to 15%, according to sources – Reuters
China binnenland
As China’s local governments struggle to repay debts, should Beijing shoulder some of the burden? – SCMP
Chinese universities raise tuition fees by as much as 54% – Reuters
Chinese anti-corruption watchdog says crackdown will continue – SCMP
Hong Kong
Huge police deployment thwarts Tiananmen crackdown commemorations as Hongkongers detained over candles, clothes, and slogans – HKFP
Hong Kong pollster axes release of Tiananmen anniversary survey results, citing government ‘suggestions’ – HKFP
Hong Kong government seeks court injunction to ban protest anthem – Reuters
Taiwan buitenland en defensie
Buitenlandse bedrijven in Taiwan maken exitplannen voor als de oorlog uitbreekt – FD
Biden hasn’t changed U.S. policy on Taiwan, Jake Sullivan says – POLITICO
Chinese IATA officer calls for easing of cross-Strait travel restrictions – Focus Taiwan
US and Taiwan sign trade deal, a move that sparks warning from Beijing – AFP
Beijing voices support for Taiwan’s pro-unification forces in latest exchange – SCMP
Taiwan verkiezingen
President Tsai Ing-wen 蔡英文 [Cài Yīngwén] apologises for DPP’s mishandling of sexual misconduct complaints – Focus Taiwan
DPP and Chinese dissidents accused of wave of sexual assault cover-ups – No Man Is An Island
National policy adviser to the president quits after sexual harassment accusation – Focus Taiwan
Pro-KMT krant UDN al al enthousiast bezig om een beeld van de DPP te schilderen als de partij van corruptie, oplichterij, seksueel wangedrag en intern gekrakeel.
KMT pledges to probe sexual harassment allegation against its lawmaker, former Hualien magistrate Fu Kun-chi 傅崐萁 [Fù Kūnqí] – Focus Taiwan
KMT think tank researcher Albert Tzeng 曾柏文 [Zēng Bówén] apologises over ‘double digit’ harassment allegations from time at Initium – Taipei Times
Presidential Election: Lai Ching-te 賴清德 [Laì Qīngdé] (DPP) backs Taiwan ‘status quo’ and sovereignty – Taipei Times
Taiwan’s 2024 election campaigns see early stumbles – Brian Hioe for The Diplomat
Taiwan binnenland en economie
Three cash-strapped private universities ordered to shut down by ministry – Taipei Times