China news roundup / Nachrichten 2026-04-04/05

17 days ago

China probes Politburo member in widest purge since 1976

"Mr Ma Xingrui, former party secretary of China’s western Xinjiang region, was placed under investigation for “severe violations” of unspecified laws and party discipline, the Xinhua news agency reported on April 3.
While Mr Ma was not removed from the Politburo, Chinese officials seldom return from public corruption investigations.
Mr Xi has now effectively ousted three Politburo members, after launching probes into China’s top two generals, General He Weidong and General Zhang Youxia.
That amounts to the widest purge of the Politburo in a single term since the Cultural Revolution years when the Gang of Four political faction was probed in 1976"

--- Emperor Xi's paranoia strikes again, and it will probably only get worse.
By the way: this might actually be a self-fulfilling prophecy with all his paranoid ideas about people conspiring against him. It might come to be that people will conspire against him, because they are worried that they might be next.

China creates new aviation mystery with offshore warning zones

"The zones reserved by China cover a total area larger than Taiwan’s main island, including offshore airspace to the north and south of Shanghai, according to information available from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. They extend from the Yellow Sea facing South Korea, south to waters of the East China Sea facing Japan."

--- So most probably unrelated to anything Taiwan.

Chinese firms market Iran war intelligence 'exposing' US forces

"The intelligence came from a fast growing new market: Chinese firms — some with links to the People’s Liberation Army — marrying artificial intelligence with open-source data to market information they claim can “expose” the movements of U.S. forces.
Beijing has sought to distance itself from any direct involvement in the Iran war, but the firms — many of which have emerged in the past five years as part of the government’s push to harness private AI for military use — are capitalizing on the conflict.
Private firms have long used open-source data — including flight trackers, satellite imagery and shipping data — to generate market intelligence. But the growing AI capability of Chinese firms is making these tools more powerful, underscoring the growing challenge of concealing U.S. military movements from adversaries."

--- AI here, AI there, AI everywhere. Loads of bullshit. You don't need much of an AI to source satellite pictures and stuff.Particularly when the USA was not very good in hiding their material in the first place. If they even tried.

"Satellite photos posted by MizarVision appear to include some commercially available imagery from U.S. and European providers, including Vantor and Airbus. Chinese state media has also previously reported that the firm has used imagery from Planet Labs."

--- Exactly.

China's growing electric car pains offer lessons for the region and beyond

"Climate is proving an unforgiving stress test, particularly for batteries, while ageing hardware and discontinued software updates can affect everything from navigation to driver-assistance features.
After more than a decade of rapid adoption, these growing pains in the world’s largest and most mature EV market are testing the promise of cleaner, cheaper mobility"

--- In China, it hasn't been cleaner anyway, because most electricity still comes from coal. And we should not forget that the production of EV batteries in China is far from environmental friendly.

"Media reports have documented cases involving brands such as HiPhi, WM Motor and Neta, where some owners faced uncertainty over software updates, spare parts and after-sales services after companies ran into financial trouble.
In such situations, features that depend on ongoing software support - including infotainment, navigation and battery management systems - can be left without updates, increasing the risk that owners bear the long-term consequences even if the vehicle remains mechanically usable.
But software and service uncertainty is only part of the risk. The financial stakes rise sharply if battery replacement enters the equation.
Industry estimates in China suggest that replacing an entire EV battery pack often ranges from 50,000 yuan to more than 100,000 yuan, depending on the model and battery size.
It’s a sum that can approach or even exceed the residual value of an older vehicle.
For comparison, a new mass-market EV in China typically sells for about 100,000 yuan to 150,000 yuan, meaning battery replacement alone can amount to a substantial share of - or even rival - the cost of buying a new car, particularly as older vehicles depreciate."

--- Just don't buy a Chinese car.

France condemns China’s execution of a French citizen held on death row for 15 years

"The ministry’s statement expressed “consternation” and added: “We particularly regret that Mr. Chan’s defense did not have access to the final court hearing, which constitutes a violation of his rights.”"

--- In China, you only have rights with Chinese characteristics.

"the Chinese Embassy in Paris said that China “treats defendants of all nationalities equally, handles all cases impartially and strictly in accordance with the law.”"

Tonga’s China debt hindering rebuild from eruption

Belgian hiker disappears in China

--- China Uncensored featured the usual weekend news variety again:

--- China Uncensored: "Chinese "Research" Ships Aren't Just Studying Mud Samples"

--- Sky News(AUS): "China helping Iran ‘very considerably’"

Wie China die "ethnische Einheit" vorantreibt

"Das neue Gesetz birgt die Gefahr einer sich weiter verschärfenden Assimilation. Denn der Text priorisiert Mandarin in Schule, Verwaltung und öffentlichem Leben. Die Sorge lautet dabei nicht, dass Minderheitenkulturen verboten oder unsichtbar gemacht würden."

--- Unsichtbar gemacht werden sie nicht. Sie werden nur in die Tourismus-Ecke verdrängt. Die eigene Kultur gibt es nur noch für Touristen. Als Show.