China news roundup / Nachrichten 2020-11-12
English news:
Hong Kong: China condemns defiant opposition lawmakers
"Many see Hong Kong's limited democracy as now being in its death throes"
--- It's already dead.
"The UK government has accused China of breaching its commitments to protect Hong Kong's autonomy"
--- & guess what: it will do nothing about it.
"In a last act of defiance, one opposition lawmaker unfurled a banner in the assembly building on Thursday saying the city's leader, Carrie Lam, was hurting Hong Kong. "She will stink for 10,000 years,""
--- Bad enough that she stinks so badly now.
"Observers say that without the pro-democracy lawmakers, there will be no effective opposition"
--- There was no effective opposition in the first place. They could only protest & try to get some attention that way. But after they now indicted lawmakers for protesting inside the legco, even that has become impossible.
cf.: Can Hong Kong's democracy movement survive the walkout?
Hong Kong and China could face fresh US sanctions over ousting of lawmakers
"The US national security advisor, Robert O’Brien, accused China of having “flagrantly violated” its international commitments, and threatened further sanctions on “those responsible for extinguishing Hong Kong’s freedom”."
--- Unlike the UK which only noted the new breach of the Joint Declaration without talking about consequences.
WHO says faces 'onslaught' of cyberattacks as Taiwan complains of censorship
"The World Health Organization said on Thursday it had faced an "onslaught" of cyberattacks by activists"
--- People posting that Taiwan could help or protesting about the WHO leaving Taiwan out of the loop is obviously a highly dangerous cyberattack. Only terrorists would criticise China (& its boot lickers at the WHO).
A smear campaign as the “heavy price” for visiting Taiwan
"The editorial offices of Aktuálně.cz received an appeal to publish this disinformation that included a link to a related French news site. It was sent by the heads of organizations that have connections to Communist China’s propaganda organizations."
--- Gives an impression in how China has spread its influence operations around the world, in various forms, trying to muddy the waters.
"Chinese actors – agents, diplomats, members of party organizations, and others – have sought out ways to influence public opinion in the Czech Republic, spread Chinese propaganda, and improve the PRC’s image by both openly and covertly influencing the media"
--- & they do the same all over the world.
Amid Price War and Unpaid Wages, Couriers Strike and Strive
"couriers are employed directly by stations and have neither labor contracts nor social security. Whenever a dispute arises, they are often unable to even provide evidence to protect their rights"
--- Never work without proper contract in China! Very important lesson, particularly for foreigners. Chinese learn this very early in their life, I think. Only if you are quite desperate would you take such a job.
"Since August, the department has been in arrears to the tune of more than 100,000 yuan in wages. The former person in charge of the department has vanished, while the head office is not assuming responsibility for the station’s debts. All the drivers can do is keep working."
--- Quite common in China, too. Not only in the delivery sector.
China Muslims: Volkswagen says 'no forced labour' at Xinjiang plant
""I can assure you, we do not have forced labour."
But when asked whether he could be absolutely certain of that claim and give an assurance that none of the Urumqi workforce - of which around 25% is made up of Uighurs and other minorities - had been in a camp, Dr Wollenstein said he couldn't."
--- Quite an assurance then.
"I would say everything that is happening outside the fences of all of our production sites all over China and what is happening in the spare time of our employees is out of our control."
--- So, don't make stupid assurances!
"if VW decides unilaterally to close [its Xinjiang plant] they could not produce a single car in China any more."
--- Ah, the mafia at it again. If you don't want to be blackmailed, better not deal with the mafia; ie. don't invest in China.
Australia shouldn't 'shy away' from boycotting Beijing Winter Olympics after China trade sanctions
"We're dealing with a government of intolerance, dictatorial, brooks no dissent, arrests people at a drop of a hat"
--- Worse: at their government's drop of a hat.
"I think there's a very strong case to be made that China should not be rewarded for its astonishingly bad behaviour."
--- But all that money, all that wonderful Chinese money!
China Is Inoculating Thousands With Unapproved COVID-19 Vaccines. Why?
""The decision to approve emergency use came after rounds and rounds of strict debate and evaluation after relevant World Health Organization regulations were fulfilled."
Global health experts say that reasoning is flawed. "There is no emergency in China, because there are basically zero confirmed cases over many months already,""
--- It's almost as if the CCP doesn't trust its own propaganda.
"Companies like Sinopharm will not have any pricing power once the vaccine is approved and formally rolled out; the government will control that. Right now, however, they can charge what they like"
--- There is that. But, I think, that only goes for the Chinese market. Internationally, they are a bit freer in their pricing.
Video News:
--- BBC News: "Hong Kong: Defiant Hong Kong opposition condemned by China "
--- Max Planck Society: "China – The New Science Superpower? National Developments and Global Effects | Berlin Science Week"
--- The Verge: "The challenges Chinese gadget creators face"
Not in the news (yet):
Vistaprint also censors in the name of the CCP?
Deutsche Nachrichten:
Eine "offene Kampfansage" an China?
"Hongkong steuert auf eine Parlamentskrise zu"
--- Quark. Das Parlament wird genauso weiterarbeiten wie zuvor, nur ohne Oppositionsproteste. War auch bisher nicht sehr demokratisch.
"Das Vorgehen der chinesischen Regierung gegen die Opposition in Hongkong sei "ein klarer Verstoß" gegen das Abkommen, betonte Außenminister Dominic Raab."
--- Tja, dann sollte man langsam vielleicht mal mehr tun als nur den chinesischen Botschafter einbestellen.
Chinas nächster Schlag gegen das Fundament der Freiheit
"Mit der Disqualifizierung von Abgeordneten zeigt China, dass der Maßnahmenkatalog der EU bislang keine Wirksamkeit zeigt. Brüssel wird seine Maßnahmen gegenüber Peking verschärfen"
--- Das will ich erst sehen, bevor ich's glaube.
"Die Zeit arbeitet für China"
"Die wirtschaftlichen Verflechtungen der EU mit China reichen immer tiefer. Das Wachstum in vielen Industrien ist abhängig von der chinesischen Nachfrage. Der wirtschaftliche Sog aus China wird für die Europäer immer stärker."
--- Mag sein. Die Abhängigkeit wird aber im Augenblick eher noch überschätzt. Man sollte trotzdem daran arbeiten, sie nicht größer werden zu lassen.