China news roundup / Nachrichten 2024-04-09
China and Russia agree to boost ties in opposition to West
"In comments reported by the RIA Novosti news agency, Wang said Beijing and Moscow would "provide each other with strong support."
[...] Lavrov and Wang both stressed their support for each other's leaders, with the Chinese foreign minister praising "the strong leadership of President Putin."
"China will support Russia's stable development under the leadership of Putin," he added."
--- Meanwhile in the EU, morons Macron & Scholz still want China to play the mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Why Beijing Might Want to Take a Page From Yellen
"A recent report by Thomas Klitgaard, a research adviser at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, notes that because China used high tariffs to force foreign automakers to set up plants within the country, often by forming joint ventures with Chinese peers, there are now an insignificant number of imported cars in China.
As a result, the report argues, any switch away in China from passenger cars running on internal combustion engines to EVs will mean both winners and losers will be domestic, a zero-sum game that won’t do much to lift Chinese growth."
--- Probably true if you look at the economy as a whole. But that's not how emperor Xi sees it. What he sees is, that the winners will be on the EV side - mostly Chinese companies - & the losers will be combustion engines - mostly produced by foreign car makers -, which means that China wins. Oh, yes, people may lose their jobs, but people are not emperor Xi's concern.
EU’s von der Leyen echoes Yellen’s calls for tough stance on Chinese overcapacity
"European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday said that Europe must talk tough with China on its perceived unfair trade practices, echoing calls a day earlier from U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen."
--- Phhh... Yellen did not 'talk tough', it was all just 'we could', 'we might' or 'we would consider'.
"She also urged the German leader to take a hard stance with Chinese authorities about overcapacity and unfair competitive practices."
--- But moron Scholz has other ideas:
"Scholz said he was skeptical about the need for such tariffs"
--- He prefers the kowtow to tough talks. But at least the EU is doing something, albeit slowly & carefully: EU launches probe into Chinese wind turbines
"China’s Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao saying Sunday that the rise of China’s green technology industry — which includes electric vehicles, solar panels and lithium-ion batteries — is the result of “constant innovations,”"
Carcinogenic Jewelry Sold on Chinese E-Commerce Sites Raises Alarm
"The Incheon Central Customs Office announced on April 5 that tests on 404 jewelry items purchased from sites like AliExpress and Temu found 96 products, or nearly one-quarter, contained cadmium or lead exceeding domestic safety limits — in some cases by up to 700 times the acceptable level."
--- The question now is: Is anything from China safe to buy? I suppose not.
Carcinogens found in kids' goods sold on Chinese apps; Temu under probe
"The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday released the results of its recent examination of 31 best-selling children’s goods and daily necessities sold on AliExpress, an online shopping app operated by Chinese tech giant Alibaba.
The government said eight of them, including a swimming float, a baby walker and two types of teethers, were found to contain hazardous substances far exceeding permitted levels."
--- Seems to be a pattern: 25% of Chinese products across the board are carcinogenic.
Import side De-risking China in 2023: An anatomy of high German import dependencies on China
China blocks popular Tibetan-language blog
--- China Unscripted: "Is China Still Communist? | Bill Gertz"
--- CNBC: "U.S. Amb. to Japan Rahm Emanuel: China's most persistent & pernicious economic strategy is coercion"
--- CNA: Japan seen as 'very attractive partner' in countering Chinese influence in Indo Pacific
--- CNA: Russia and China pledge to deepen security cooperation as Lavrov visits
--- Yahoo: China's economy not performing as poorly as thought
Besuch beim engen Freund und Handelspartner
"China habe die Krise in der Ukraine nicht verursacht, und es ergreife darin auch keine Partei. Man habe davon nicht profitiert und werde das auch nicht tun, sagte Mao Ning, Sprecherin des chinesischen Außenministeriums am Montag."
"nun unterstützt die kommunistische Staats- und Parteiführung in Peking Russland offenbar deutlich offensiver bei seinem Angriff auf die Ukraine. Laut Medienberichten hat China der russischen Armee Bauteile für Gewehre und Panzer, Raketentreibstoff und Satellitenbilder zur Verfügung gestellt."
--- Alles natürlich 'Dual Use', & von daher kann man im Westen ruhig beide Augen zudrücken. & Scholz kann weitermerkeln.
Europa ist von Chinas "Schießbaumwolle" abhängig
Militärallianz wächst: USA, Australien und Großbritannien wollen Japan in Aukus-Gruppe aufnehmen
