China news roundup / Nachrichten 2021-06-16
Lisbon has shared dissident info with repressive regimes for years
"After initially brushing off the incident as a bureaucratic mishap, municipal authorities on Friday admitted it was actually part of city hall’s standard operating procedure: Since 2011 city employees have disclosed the names, identification numbers, home addresses and telephone numbers of activists to countries that protesters were targeting.
[...] Medina took to national broadcaster RTP on Thursday night to publicly apologize for what he deemed a “bureaucratic error,”"
--- Nothing to do with me, really. Some minor anonymous office assistants made a stupid mistake. Absolutely not because I have some sympathies for authoritarian regimes.
"it’s called into question Portugal’s status as a place of refuge for political exiles, as well as its reputation as a country that defends the right of free expression"
--- If it is really only the Lisboa mayor, not that big a deal, I suppose (internationally, that is). But considering how quiet the current Portuguese EU presidency is about eg. China, you have to be worried a bit.
An invasion isn't the only threat from China that Taiwan and the US have to worry about
"Much of the focus has been on military preparations for deterring or fighting off a Chinese invasion. While essential, that focus misses an important threat short of a full-scale invasion: a blockade"
--- Why would China instate a blockade? That would only alarm Taiwan's allies & have them prepare for war with China. International support for Taiwan would only increase.
"The Joint Blockade Campaign could also include "large-scale missile strikes and possible seizures of Taiwan's offshore islands," like the Pratas Islands in the South China Sea"
--- That's war, not really a blockade. An invasion is an invasion, even if it doesn't include the Taiwanese mainland.
"Breaking such a blockade would also be extremely difficult. China has the largest navy in the world"
--- Meh. They would have to completely surround Taiwan. That's a lot of sea area to cover. I doubt that the US (& allies) would let the PLAN just stop their ships on the way to Taiwan. So, the PLAN would have to use force. Which in turn would lead to battles (& probably war) with the US. & on the eastern side of Taiwan, the Chinese can only rely on their aircraft carriers for air support. Attacked from Taiwan in the west & the US from the east, I doubt they would stand much of a chance.
"A blockade without an invasion is a distinct possibility, and it's uncertain how the world would react to a blockade-only scenario"
--- The EU would probably be 'very concerned', but the US & Australia, perhaps also Japan, would mobilise. Which is not really what China would want. Much more probable is the attempt of a surprise invasion. The CCP would hope to finish off Taiwan, before its allies would become organised.
Commanding the Mirror's Reflection
"history is a “mirror,” and that understanding it leads us to a love of the CCP and a love of the nation (以史为镜、以史明志，知史爱党、知史爱国)"
--- Understanding it correctly, that is. Which means emperor Xi's understanding. & if you don't come to the same understanding, you commit blasphemy.
"If we revisit the great history of our party leading the people in the revolution, we will increase a lot of positive energy in our hearts."
--- All that positive energy collected from the dozens of millions of souls of vic... er ... communist martyrs of the Great Leap Forward or the Cultural Revolution (among others).
"The idea of the CCP’s legacy as a Chinese cultural inheritance is everywhere"
--- As we all know, even benevolent emperor Qin already employed the same humanist values that the CCP fights for.
cf.: China Repackages Its History in Support of Xi’s National Vision (reposted WSJ article, end of which is missing)
US and allies are pushing China and Russia closer together, but will their 'unbreakable friendship' last?
""China and Russia are united like a mountain, and our friendship is unbreakable," foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a news briefing"
--- Hmm, the mountains I know are far from unbreakable. They keep crumbling at all the surfaces.
"Through its Belt and Road Initiative, China has expanded its economic influence in Central Asia, an area long deemed by Russia as its sphere of influence"
--- That's one point of contention. There will be a much bigger one, though, if China's power keeps growing. There are Russian areas in the Far East which China sees as historically Chinese.
cf.: What the Biden-Putin summit has to do with China
Alibaba's Jack Ma is 'lying low', says co-founder
"He's actually doing very, very well. He's taken up painting as a hobby, it's actually pretty good"
--- Is he painting Winnie-the-Pooh pictures?
House Republicans zero in on Big Tech’s relationships with China
" Controlling the flow of Americans’ data to China
Reviewing how app stores vet apps for ties to the Chinese Communist Party
Evaluating how tech companies avoid suppliers that use forced labor.
Exploring efforts to combat counterfeit goods"
--- Sounds reasonable. Particularly interesting for Amazon could be the last point. From what I have seen, Amazon's marketplace is swamped by Chinese fakes.
China to Unveil Tough New Rules for Private Tutoring Sector
"The trial vacation ban, which adds to plans to bar online and offline tutoring on weekends during term time, could deprive tutoring companies of as much as 70-80% of their annual revenue
[...] The ban on vacation and weekend tutoring would be implemented in nine municipalities and provinces, including Beijing, Shanghai and Jiangsu, for twelve months before being rolled out across the country"
--- Interesting. But could be good for university students. Instead of working underpaid for some tutoring company, they could work illegally directly for families & get all the money.
Covid outbreaks in Chinese ports could cause global goods shortages
5 Questions: David Relman on investigating origin of coronavirus
China releasing metals stockpiles in bid to cool inflation
--- China Uncensored: "Why Turkey ABANDONED Uyghurs for China"
--- Bloomberg: "How Taiwan Became the Biggest Risk for a U.S.-China Clash"
--- DW News: Where does the India China border conflict stand one year after the deadly Ladakh clashes?
--- America Uncovered: G7 Summit Tries to CHALLENGE China's Belt and Road
Das halbe Bild: Phoenix zeigt eine Doku über Xinjiang – und lässt das Leid der Uiguren weg
"Untertitel der Sendung: „Eine moderne Oase“. Es geht um Volkstänze, traditionelle Musik, moderne Baumwollernte, riesige Windparks und spektakuläre Wachstumszahlen"
--- Nur glückliche, tanzende Menschen in Xinjiang. Absoluter, totaler Zufall, daß das genau dem entspricht, was die KPCh-Propaganda verbreitet.
"obwohl Phoenix seinen Zuschauern versprach, „mit großer Offenheit und einfühlsamer Neugier in verschiedenste Lebenswelten und Kulturen rund um den Globus“ zu blicken"
--- Offenheit mit chinesischen Charakteristiken.
"Weiterer Koproduzent ist die ZDF-Tochter ZDF Enterprises, unterstützt wurde die Reihe von der neuseeländischen Filmkommission"
--- Naja, Neuseeland ist ja leider sowieso zu großen Teilen in Chinas Tasche, aber schon interessant, daß auch das ZDF sich nicht zu schade für sowas ist.
"Phoenix verteidigt die Serie ebenfalls: Die Filme sagten nicht, dass sie „die gesamte gesellschaftspolitische Lage der Uiguren oder einer Region Chinas abbilden“"
--- Wir zeigen nur in totaler, chinesischer Offenheit ausschließlich hübsche Bilder.
China fährt Investitionen deutlich zurück
"Auch im laufenden Jahr gingen die Investitionen weiter zurück, heißt es in dem Bericht. Gründe seien die Pandemie, hohe Hürden für Kapitalabflüsse aus China sowie stärkere Kontrollen in der EU"
--- Ein weiterer wichtiger Faktor dürfte sein, daß chinesischen Konzernen kreditfinanzierte Expansion schwerer gemacht wurde. Die KPCh hat anscheinend Angst, daß noch mehr Konzerne unter ihrer Schuldenlast zusammenbrechen.
Weiterer Rückschlag für die Beziehungen
"Klar ist aber, dass sich durch das Anti-Sanktionsgesetz in der Sache wohl nicht viel ändern wird.
Denn die Volksrepublik ist kein Rechtsstaat, und auch ohne rechtliche Grundlage hat die kommunistische Führung in der Vergangenheit immer wieder ausländische Firmen und sogar ganze Staaten bestraft."
--- Darf man auch nicht vergessen. Wie sich das Ganze tatsächlich auswirken wird, werden wir aber erst noch sehen.