China news roundup / Nachrichten 2021-06-10
China has created a 'dystopian hellscape' in Xinjiang, Amnesty report says
"In a 160-page report based on interviews with 55 former detainees, Amnesty said there was evidence the Chinese state had committed "at least the following crimes against humanity: imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law; torture; and persecution." [... with ...] clear intent to target parts of Xinjiang's population collectively on the basis of religion and ethnicity and to use severe violence and intimidation to root out Islamic religious beliefs and Turkic Muslim ethno-cultural practices"
--- But, hey, it's all in the name of the 'fight against terrorism'. So it must be OK. &, anyway, other nations have done bad things, too. Therefore what China does can't be that bad.
Anyway, AI mostly criticises poor, innocent authoritarian regimes, so they must be on the CIA's payroll & we shouldn't believe anything they say.
"Though many of the findings have been previously reported, Amnesty's investigation is likely to add to international pressure on China over its actions in Xinjiang"
--- AI says they only scratched the surface of what's going on. More to come. Will it have consequences? We'll see...
Meanwhile, some lawyers try to get the International Criminal Court involved, again:
Lawyers urge ICC to probe alleged crimes against Uyghurs
"They argue that “Chinese authorities have directly intervened in Tajikistan. The ICC therefore has jurisdiction over these actions which start in Tajikistan and continue into China”"
--- Would be interesting to see the ICC take the case, although the effects would be very limited. China hasn't signed up to the ICC & would ignore a ruling, anyway.
"China saw a wave of Xinjiang-related terror attacks through 2016."
--- Huh? For what I know, there was one (1!) major terror attack in China in 2016, with 5 people killed, 4 of which were the terrorists.
How China went from celebrating ethnic diversity to suppressing it
"While Chiang Kai-shek’s nationalists had begrudgingly accepted the official existence of five groups in the 1930s and 40s, the Communists recognised 55 in all (plus the Han majority), many with populations under 10,000."
--- 55 is still far lower than the actual number, they lumped together a number of groups which are not really one ethnicity.
"Why would the party invest in something it doesn’t think exists? To neutralise it.to recognise ethnic diversity into irrelevance. To shepherd it into extinction"
---Well, not actual extinction, mostly cultural extinction with the exception of stuff that is economically exploitable:
"transformed into “colourful” and “harmonious” lands of diverse cultures ready to welcome authenticity-seeking tourists"
--- Loads of happy, shiny people dancing in more or less traditional costumes & selling more or less traditional items.
China creates legal tool to counter foreign sanctions
"Though Beijing claims the law and measures outlined in the UEL will not affect relations with other countries, the threat of such penalties could make US allies and Chinese business partners think twice before taking a stand against Beijing."
--- It shouldn't, but I can already see the shocked faces of the EU Commission: "What do we do now? This could cost us some business & wonderful Chinese money!"
There are others who should actually be worried, though:
China’s anti-sanctions law ‘can target individuals, families, organisations’
"These measures can be applied to organisations and individuals, as well as extended to the individuals’ spouses, relatives and the organisations that they belong to
[...] Individuals’ property or assets could be frozen or seized, and institutions could be restricted from conducting transactions with individuals or organisations targeted"
--- So, even if you have absolutely nothing to gain from - say - EU sanctions, you might be targeted by China, just for being related to someone who works in a relevant company or institution.
Why it is no longer cool to be a crazy rich Asian in China
"increasingly, any kind of wealth flaunting - intentional or otherwise - is being met with hostility and disdain.
[...] after more than 40 years since the country's opening up, rich people are only getting richer, leaving others far behind and feeling disenchanted and powerless"
--- That's part of the reason. Another part is the growing collectivism from nazis, commies & nammies. Concentrating on wealth & flaunting it is seen as some kind of treason, because you are supposed to support the collective Chinese effort to become the one major power.
China arrests 1,100 over cryptocurrency money laundering
"China has arrested more than 1,000 people for using the profits from crime to buy cryptocurrencies, security officials say, as part of a growing crackdown on the industry."
--- Grrmph. They were arrested for money laundering. I doubt that the use of cryptocurrencies had a major effect here.
Survivor Of Mao’s China Stuns School Board With Chilling Warning About Critical Race Theory
"All of this seems very familiar … the only difference is they used class instead of race. … This is, indeed, the American version of the Chinese Cultural Revolution."
--- Looks like it. But it only started, there is still hope ...
[UK] Government ‘dragging feet’ on China forced labour
[Spain's] Moncloa entrusts the CNI with a report on the theory of the Chinese laboratory that it previously despised
--- DW News: "Europe must define joint position towards China"
--- Bloomberg: "How China Lost Patience with Its Loudest Billionaire"
Wie China Europas Häfen entert
"Durch eine Partnerschaft mit der HHLA könnte Cosco auch gleich einen privilegierten Zugang zum italienischen Adria-Hafen Triest erhalten. Dort hatte der Hamburger Hafenbetreiber im letzten Jahr die Mehrheit an einem neuen Terminal übernommen - mit ausdrücklicher Billigung der Regierung in Rom, die damit den ebenfalls interessierten Chinesen den Weg versperren wollte"
--- & die deutsche Regierung sieht da überhaupt kein Problem. Mal sehen, wie das aussieht, wenn COSCO versuchen sollte, die Mehrheit zu übernehmen.
"Cosco und das Schwesterunternehmen China Merchant besitzen schon in insgesamt 14 europäischen Häfen eigene Terminals - oder jedenfalls Anteile an den Hafenbetreibern
[...] US-Experten zufolge werden bereits mehr als zwei Drittel der 50 größten Containerterminals der Welt bereits von den Chinesen kontrolliert"
--- Hat natürlich rein wirtschaftliche Gründe. Überhaupt keine machtpolitischen Überlegungen involviert.
"Wir können die Chinesen nicht dafür verantwortlich machen, dass sie klug waren. Wir können uns nur selbst die Schuld dafür geben, dass wir derart dumm waren"
--- Tja...
Von einer sozialistischen Demokratie war nur kurz die Rede
"In diesem Moment der Verflüssigung, den China nach der Kulturrevolution erlebte, vor allem in den fünf Jahren zwischen 1976 und 1981, stellte die Kommunistische Partei nicht nur die Weichen für ihren oft beschriebenen Schwenk zur Marktwirtschaft. Sie sortierte angesichts des selbstzerstörerischen Potentials, das ihr die Kulturrevolution gezeigt hatte, auch ihre eigenen Maßstäbe für Herrschaft und Gerechtigkeit."
--- & das Ganze wird gerade von Kaiser Xi wieder umsortiert. Eine neue Kulturrevolution, diesmal der nationalkommunistischen Art, kann man nicht ausschließen.
China reagiert erbost auf US-Gesetzespaket
"Chinas Auswärtiger Ausschuss drückte laut der Nachrichtenagentur AP in einer Mitteilung seine »starke Unzufriedenheit und entschlossenen Widerspruch« zu den Maßnahmen aus."
--- Ist ja auch ungeheuerlich! Was fällt der US-Regierung denn ein, die US-Wirtschaft stärken zu wollen!? Das ist eine schreckliche Einmischung in innerchinesische Angelegenheiten, da dadurch chinesische Dominanz schwieriger zu erreichen ist. Wir erwarten einen bedingungslosen Kotau!