China news roundup / Nachrichten 2020-11-14

English news:

China's state control of economy grows with 50 backdoor takeovers

"China's government, state-owned enterprises or state-backed funds have taken de facto control of 51 companies so far this year, up from around 20 to 30 in 2018 and 2019"

--- Some probably because of Wuhan virus-related problems, but most were obviously strategic decisions.

"Return on equity at listed Chinese companies has fallen from 13% in 2010 to just 7% in 2019, with a particularly steep decline after Xi took power"

--- Everything is fine under emperor Xi's heaven.

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$300M in Bitcoin Flow to Binance From Huobi as China Gets Tougher on Exchanges

"A lot of users went to Binance because Chinese users are more familiar with Binance and Binance’s executives are all overseas
[...] Huobi is now based in Seychelles, while OKEx is in Malta. It is unclear where Binance’s main business operations are located"

--- It doesn't really matter where the exchange is based, as long as the owners are Chinese. Point in case:

"rival exchange OKEx, with deep ties to China, all withdrawal services remain suspended after it said a holder of a private key needed to authorize withdrawals was out of touch while cooperating with public security investigators in China"

--- As long as these Chinese stay outside of China, there may be no problem, but a visit to China or Hong Kong & everything may go awry. Even if they stay abroad, the CCP could harass their families to blackmail them. Safest thing to do is to avoid crypto exchanges with links to China.

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China-backed trade deal to be signed at Southeast Asian summit

"The pact, which was first proposed in 2012 and viewed as a Chinese-led rival to a now-defunct US trade initiative, loops in 10 Southeast Asian economies along with China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia."

--- Probably not a good idea of the US to give up on TPP.

"as several nations battle serious Covid-19 outbreaks, and with many promised priority access to Chinese-made vaccines, a stand against Beijing is seen as unlikely"

--- Perhaps. Although priority access probably doesn't mean much when dealing with China. The associated disappointment might then actually work against the CCP.

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Pandemic derails Olympic figure, speed skating test events in Beijing

"Beijing will no longer host the figure skating Grand Prix Final scheduled for December or the speed skating world championships in February due to the novel coronavirus pandemic"

--- Because of the extreme paranoiy in Beijing? Anyway, it would be quite impractical for international athletes to compete in China, considering the testing & quarantine requirements.

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China turns its attention to frozen foods in battle to eliminate virus threat, but experts remain skeptical

"Some even speculated that frozen food imports might have caused the initial outbreak in Wuhan last December"

--- Because it's totally impossible that it started in China! Totally impossible!

"While it is technically possible to catch Covid-19 from food or packaging, experts say it requires the convergence of a series of low-probability events."

--- Strange, how low-probability events happen quite often in China, when it helps to shift the blame.

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China’s band of daigou shoppers turn to domestic sales after coronavirus halts overseas trips for luxury goods

"daigou, are small-time buying agents who would traditionally travel abroad on shopping trips for their customers"

--- & they are partially responsible for the lack of personal protective equipment when the Wuhan virus hit Europe & the US.

"The conversion of social media traffic from [the presentation of] products into sales is very efficient, backed by our credibility selling foreign brands for years."

--- I just don't get it.

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--- Other news:

China to develop new CBDC test zone in Beijing

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Video News:

--- China Uncensored: "Ein Sprecher des Außenministeriums verurteilte die "ausländische Intervention""

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--- Hoover Institution: "How Racist Rhetoric Increases Chinese Overseas Students' Support for Authoritarian Rule"

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--- Al Jazeera: "China's unity song backfires as propaganda on South China Sea"

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Deutsche Nachrichten:

Peking will eine demokratische Fassade

"Diese Strategie mit dem Begriff „China first“ zu charakterisieren wäre eine Untertreibung. „China only“ trifft es eher. Die Welt sollte ihre Schlüsse daraus ziehen."

--- Muß man wohl so sehen.

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China verurteilt "ausländische Einmischung" im Hongkonger Parlament

"Ein Sprecher des Außenministeriums verurteilte die "ausländische Intervention""

--- Was in China so als Intervention gilt.
Mal abgesehen davon hat das VK sowieso jedes Recht zu einer echten Intervention, da China gerade einen Vertrag mit dem VK bricht. (Nicht, daß ich da viel erwarte.)

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