China news roundup / Nachrichten 2024-02-26
China’s plan to reshape world trade on its own terms
"The WTO — which holds its biennial ministerial conference this week — has fallen hostage to sharp divisions between the US and China as trade friction escalates between China and the west.
As the world trade body falters, China is accelerating efforts to construct an alternative trade architecture that is insulated from US influence and centred upon the developing world."
--- Sooner or later, even 3rd World countries will realise that China is not about fair & free trade.
"Most analysts do not foresee drastic scenarios such as the demise of the WTO. But some say that the multiple challenges that the organisation faces — including hefty industrial subsidies in several large trading nations and the establishment of parallel FTA architectures such as the one China is building — could undermine it significantly"
--- Yawn. Lots of 'if' & 'could' in this article. I doubt that China is interested in the demise of the WTO. It still profits very much from this organisation.
"Signing bilateral and regional FTAs is a priority of Xi Jinping, China’s authoritarian leader. “China will strive to build a more open and inclusive environment for development,” Xi said in a speech last September. “China will expand the globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas,” he added.
A Chinese trade official, who declined to be named, puts it more forcefully. “China plays the leading role in free trade while the US and EU are becoming more protectionist,”"
--- & the FT lets this bullshit just stand as is? Bilateral agreements are obviously not about free trade, but about giving China more leverage.
China warns EU, UK of ‘negative impact’ after firms blacklisted
"In an unprecedented move, Europe singled out mainland Chinese companies last week"
--- Er ... what? A few Chinese companies were included in a long list. Hardly what you can call 'singled out'.
""The European Union disregarded multiple interventions and discouragements from China, and acted single-handedly to list four Chinese companies in the package of sanctions. Such unilateral sanctions and [the exercise of] long-arm jurisdiction have no basis whatsoever in international law, nor were they authorized by the United Nations Security Council," the ministry said in a furious statement posted online.
It added that the sanction package "violates the consensus and spirit of the China-EU leaders' meeting" — referring to the summit between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in December — and "will bring about negative impact on China-EU trade and economic relationship.""
--- Doesn't sound that furious. I had expected more. But we will see whether the CCP will counteract.
"China and Russia do not target third parties"
s.a.: China opposes U.S. sanctions on Chinese companies for Russia-related reasons
Singapore Airshow: Chinese visitors allegedly barred from Airbus military plane
"In one widely-circulated video filmed by a Chinese blogger on the weekend, a woman wearing Airbus identification is seen asking him for his nationality.
The man was attempting to enter an Airbus A400M transport aircraft owned by the German air force, the Luftwaffe.
The woman tells him that she needs to check his nationality "because it is a German aircraft".
When he tells her that he is Chinese, she immediately refuses him entry, saying "it's German rules, it's military restrictions"."
--- That hurts the feelings of all Chinese. Probably a little overreaction by some German officer. But funny, anyway.
"the European plane manufacturer said they were aware that some visitors at the Singapore Airshow had "raised questions about access" to the A400M plane.
"We immediately communicated and coordinated with the customer and our Airbus teams at the show to ensure that the aircraft was open to all visitors for the remainder of the airshow. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused,""
--- Was to be expected. Airbus doesn't want to lose Chinese customers. But it might be a good idea to move Airbus' military endeavours into a separate company.
Why it would be a dangerous folly to end US–China science pact
"Another notable but little-known project aims to reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation. Since 2009, China and the United States have been working together to convert a type of nuclear research reactor called a miniature neutron source reactor so that instead of using highly enriched, weapons-grade uranium as fuel, it runs on low-enriched uranium — which cannot be used in nuclear weapons. China has supplied this type of reactor to a number of countries, including Iran, Nigeria and Pakistan. In a small way, this cooperation has contributed to a safer world."
--- Utter bullshit. Particularly Pakistan's nuclear weapons program got a lot of support from China.
Nature keeps up its work as China shill.
CCl4 emissions in eastern China during 2021–2022 and exploration of potential new sources
--- 60 Minutes: "State of the U.S.-China relationship as countries compete economically"
[Hier wäre Ihr Artikel gewesen.]
