China Watch Thread

[caltrek]

A Review of the Olympics Opening Ceremony
by Aja Romano
February 4, 2022

https://www.vox.com/culture/2022/2/4/22 ... y-politics

Introduction:

(Vox) The Beijing Winter Olympics kicked off to an expectedly weird start, thanks to the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. Directed by legendary Chinese film director Zhang Yimou (who also directed the 2008 Beijing opening ceremony), this year’s opening ceremony focused on visual spectacle, with giant LED screens covering the floor and lining the stage, and no celebrity entertainers.

Facing a diplomatic boycott from many countries over its human rights violations, including the US — meaning the United States sent no official government envoy to the Games but its athletes are competing as usual — China took a low-key approach to this year’s opening ceremony. But inevitably, the tense geopolitics surrounding the event snuck in.

The production, which dovetailed with the Chinese New Year spring festival, included about 3,000 performers, most of them teenagers, and emphasized peace, world unity, and the people around the world who have battled the pandemic. The unifying aesthetic was about as peaceful as you could get: snowflakes.

In the buildup to the ceremony, China had encouraged athletes to sign a “truce mural” with other nations. The government also rolled out a massive winter sports initiative prior to the Games, claiming it had successfully engaged more than 300 million Chinese citizens in winter sports participation, especially targeting kids and teens. The ceremony emphasized these citizens above all else, with no famous singers or actors performing — a first for any Olympics in recent memory.

[caltrek]

China Changes Tack as Xi Tells Putin to Negotiate Peace with Ukraine
by Darragh Roche
February 25, 2022

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ch ... uxbndlbing

introduction:

(MSN) China's President Xi Jinping has told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Beijing supports resolving the Ukraine crisis through negotiation.

The two leaders spoke on the phone on Friday morning and Xi reportedly urged the Russian president to abandon "the Cold War mentality."

China had previously called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis, but blamed the U.S. for sending weapons to Ukraine and declined to refer to Russia's actions as an invasion.

"Recently, the situation in eastern Ukraine has been undergoing rapid changes, which attracts increased attention from the international community," Xi said, according to a readout of the call from Chinese broadcaster CCTV that was also reported by Russian outlet RIA Novosti.

"China supports the settlement of the problem between Russia and Ukraine through negotiations," Xi added.

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

China Eastern Airlines Boeing jet crashes in China, state media says
Source: Reuters

BEIJING, March 21 (Reuters) - A China Eastern Airlines (600115.SS) aircraft with 133 people on board crashed in mountains in south China on Monday while on a flight from the city of Kunming to Guangzhou, state media reported.

The jet involved in the accident was a Boeing 737 aircraft and the number of casualties was not immediately known, CCTV said. Rescue was on its way, it said.

There was no word on the cause of the crash of the plane, a 6-year-old 737-800 aircraft, according to Flightradar24.

The China Eastern flight from Kunming to Guangzhou departed at 1:11 p.m. (0511 GMT), FlightRadar24 data showed. The flight tracking ended at 2:22 p.m. (0622 GMT) an altitude of 3225 feet with a speed of 376 knots.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chi ... 022-03-21/

[wjfox]

Those poor people.

I wonder what caused it. The plane came down almost completely vertically.

[weatheriscool]

US admiral says China fully militarized isles
Source: AP

By JIM GOMEZ and AARON FAVILA

OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA (AP) — China has fully militarized at least three of several islands it built in the disputed South China Sea, arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment and fighter jets in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens all nations operating nearby, a top U.S. military commander said Sunday.

U.S. Indo-Pacific commander Adm. John C. Aquilino said the hostile actions were in stark contrast to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s past assurances that Beijing would not transform the artificial islands in contested waters into military bases. The efforts were part of China’s flexing its military muscle, he said.

“I think over the past 20 years we’ve witnessed the largest military buildup since World War II by the PRC,” Aquilino told The Associated Press in an interview, using the initials of China’s formal name. “They have advanced all their capabilities and that buildup of weaponization is destabilizing to the region.”

There were no immediate comments from Chinese officials. Beijing maintains its military profile is purely defensive, arranged to protect what it says are its sovereign rights. But after years of increased military spending, China now boasts the world’s second largest defense budget after the U.S. and is rapidly modernizing its force with weapons systems including the J-20 stealth fighter, hypersonic missiles and two aircraft carriers, with a third under construction.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-chi ... 90960a6e6c

[caltrek]

The Complexity of China’s Economy Along with Rising Prices – an Analysis
by Wei Hongxu
April 9, 2022

https://www.eurasiareview.com/09042022- ... -analysis/

Introduction:

(ANDBOUND via Eurasian Review) So far this year, the world has experienced a surge in inflation driven by rising energy and commodity prices in the post-pandemic environment, aggravated by global monetary easing and supply chain distortions.

Inflation in the United States hit a record high of 7.5% in January. In major economies such as Europe and the United Kingdom, it is above 5%, while emerging market economies such as Brazil have seen inflation of over 10%. As a result, the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England have tightened monetary policy in response to high inflation. At the same time, the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as well as European and American sanctions on Russia also brought about distortions in the prices of energy and some raw materials, driving up global inflation and economic turmoil. Meanwhile, China’s economic recovery and growth are also under increased stress, according to ANBOUND* researchers, due to changes in the international situation and the possibility of “stagflation” in the global economy.

Inflation in China has failed to pick up in the first two months of the year, with the continually high PPI reflecting the burden of growing raw material prices on firms, and the low CPI reflecting the present sluggish domestic demand. These factors have increased the pressure on business operations and profitability. Such a complex situation not only means that the country’s economy will face difficulties in maintaining growth this year but also makes it more difficult to adjust macro policies. There will be further structural adjustments and cost-push inflation. This requires adjustments from both the supply and demand sides.

Conclusion:

In the view of ANBOUND, the “triple pressure” facing the macroeconomy, i.e., a contraction of demand, supply shock, and “weakening expectations” has not been eased but instead has further increased. In terms of macro policy, adjustments should be made on the demand and the supply sides to avoid a vicious cycle of simultaneous contraction of the both sides.

*Note concerning source (not independently verified):

Anbound Consulting (Anbound) is an independent Think Tank with the headquarter based in Beijing. Established in 1993, Anbound specializes in public policy research, and enjoys a professional reputation in the areas of strategic forecasting, policy solutions and risk analysis. Anbound's research findings are widely recognized and create a deep interest within public media, academics and experts who are also providing consulting service to the State Council

https://www.eurasiareview.com/author/anbound/

[caltrek]

I suppose this really belongs in the USA Watch thread. Still, that thread is so overburdened with complex issues, I will just post this here instead.

The DOJ’s China Initiative Dragnet Is Over. But the Aftereffects Will Be Felt for Years.
by Dan Spinelli
April 8, 2022

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/20 ... ump-biden/

Introduction:

(Mother Jones) Nearly three years ago, a University of Kansas chemistry professor named Feng “Franklin” Tao was arrested and accused of concealing his work for a Chinese university. His arrest “disrupted the transfer of American intellectual property to China,” then-Assistant US Attorney Tony Mattivi would tell the New Yorker. It also inaugurated a new stage in the China Initiative, a Trump-era Justice Department program aimed at fighting Chinese espionage. Tao became the first academic charged under that program.

The Biden administration ended the China Initiative in February after years of heated criticism from academics and Asian American advocates, who have decried the program as overzealous and far-removed from its original national security goals. But Tao’s case lived on, trudging its way through federal court in Kansas City even as nine other scholars of Asian descent had their China Initiative cases dropped by prosecutors or dismissed by federal judges. This week, he was convicted on four charges of wire fraud and making false statements.

“While we are deeply disappointed with the jury’s verdict, we believe it was so clearly against the weight of the evidence we are convinced that it will not stand,” Tao’s attorney Peter Zeidenberg said in a statement. The judge in the case did not immediately set a date for sentencing.

While billed as a broad counter-espionage program, the bulk of China Initiative cases in the past two years involved research integrity issues like lying on a grant application, not spying or theft. During Tao’s trial, the judge barred mention of the China Initiative and the controversy surrounding the program, even as DOJ acknowledged its flaws publicly. “By grouping cases under the China Initiative rubric,” DOJ official Matthew Olsen said in February, “we helped give rise to a harmful perception that the department applies a lower standard to investigate and prosecute criminal conduct related to that country or that we in some way view people with racial, ethnic or familial ties to China differently.”

[wjfox]

[caltrek]

With Shanghai in a near total lockdown, this is a map of the commercial ships currently waiting offshore to be loaded and offloaded of goods; exacerbating global supply chain woes

Of course, we know that it is all Biden's fault. /sarcasm

[caltrek]

China's Economy is Sputtering
by Matt Phillips and Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian
April 19, 2022

https://www.axios.com/authors/baebrahimian

Introduction:

(Axios) The largest single driver of global economic growth — China — is stalling as its "zero COVID" policy collides with a massive virus outbreak and large-scale lockdowns.

Why it matters: Many are focusing on inflation and the war in Ukraine, but the path of the world economy and global financial markets this year largely hinges on China's economic and public health.

Driving the news: A slew of Chinese economic data out Monday confirmed that the world's second-largest economy has sputtered as the government combats the worst outbreak of COVID so far on the mainland.

• Retail sales tumbled 2% during March. Compared to March 2021, retail sales were down 3.5%, the worst annual drop since 2020.

• The country's unemployment rate rose to 5.8%, above the government's target of 5.5% and the worst since May 2020, when the country was first emerging from lockdowns after the initial virus outbreak in Wuhan.

• Industrial production slowed sharply in March, as did investment in the domestic real estate sector, which has been a key driver of the country's growth.

[wjfox]

[Time_Traveller]

Bye-Bye Huawei! Honor has surpassed its master conquering China

April 29, 2022

A few years ago, Huawei was potentially one of the few smartphone makers that could dethrone Samsung at the top of the smartphone market. However, in light of the US Ban that started in 2019 back under Trump’s administration, the company had its dream destroyed. Since 2019, Huawei has been trying to survive in an industry where it can’t use any US-related technology or software. Huawei resisted a few years, but things started to become more problematic at the end of 2020. The US Ban was extended to the relationship between TSMC and Huawei. TSMC was the big supplier of SoCs for the Kirin chipset division. Without chips, the company took a big hit in its smartphone manufacturing. In November 2020, Huawei decided to sell Honor to a Chinese state company, to fully concentrate on Huawei-branded smartphones. The honor was then able to revive as an independent brand, free of the band and its consequences. After a very good comeback in 2021, the company has officially overcome Huawei in the domestic market.

https://www.gizchina.com/2022/04/29/bye ... ing-china/

[wjfox]

Mental...

[wjfox]

Hong Kong's John Lee: Ex-security chief becomes new leader

3 hours ago

John Lee has been named Hong Kong's new leader, after a closed voting process in which he was the sole candidate.

His appointment is being widely seen as a move by the Chinese government to tighten its grip on the city.

Known as a staunch Beijing supporter, Mr Lee oversaw the sometimes violent crackdowns on pro-democracy protestors in 2019.

Mr Lee replaces outgoing chief executive Carrie Lam, who had served since 2017.

Hong Kong's leaders are selected by a closed-circle committee of around 1,500 members, who are nearly all pro-Beijing loyalists - although this time there was only one contender for them to elect.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-61345463



Reuters

[Time_Traveller]

Hong Kong's John Lee: Ex-security chief becomes new leader

3 hours ago

John Lee has been named Hong Kong's new leader, after a closed voting process in which he was the sole candidate.

His appointment is being widely seen as a move by the Chinese government to tighten its grip on the city.

Known as a staunch Beijing supporter, Mr Lee oversaw the sometimes violent crackdowns on pro-democracy protestors in 2019.

Mr Lee replaces outgoing chief executive Carrie Lam, who had served since 2017.

Hong Kong's leaders are selected by a closed-circle committee of around 1,500 members, who are nearly all pro-Beijing loyalists - although this time there was only one contender for them to elect.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-61345463



Reuters

Corruption at it's finest, this rate Hong Kong will be officially part of China by the end of the decade.

[weatheriscool]

President Xi ‘suffering from deadly brain aneurysm’ as he faces coup over devastating Covid lockdowns, reports claim
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18556168/ ... -lockdown/
Imogen Braddick

12:30, 13 May 2022Updated: 16:04, 13 May 2022

PRESIDENT Xi Jinping is suffering from a deadly brain aneurysm, reports claim - as he faces a coup over China's devastating Covid lockdowns.

The Chinese president, 68, reportedly wanted to be treated with traditional medicine rather than undergo major surgery after he was rushed to hospital.

[caltrek]

President Xi ‘suffering from deadly brain aneurysm’ as he faces coup over devastating Covid lockdowns, reports claim
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18556168/ ... -lockdown/
Imogen Braddick

12:30, 13 May 2022Updated: 16:04, 13 May 2022

PRESIDENT Xi Jinping is suffering from a deadly brain aneurysm, reports claim - as he faces a coup over China's devastating Covid lockdowns.

The Chinese president, 68, reportedly wanted to be treated with traditional medicine rather than undergo major surgery after he was rushed to hospital.

This is either fake news, or a small number of news organizations have scooped the rest of the world. It should be interesting to see if more mainstream outlets pick this up.

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

Chinese leader Xi defends record to UN human rights chief
Source: AP

By KEN MORITSUGU

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping defended China’s record to the top U.N. human rights official Wednesday, saying each nation should be allowed to find its own path based on its particular circumstances and criticizing those countries that lecture others on human rights and politicize the issue.

“Through long-term and persistent hard work, China has successfully embarked on a path of human rights development that conforms to the trend of the times and suits its own national conditions,” Xi told U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet in a video call, according to an online report by state broadcaster CCTV.

Bachelet is in the middle of a six-day visit to China that includes stops in Xinjiang, a remote northwestern region where the Chinese government has been accused of human rights violations and genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic groups. Her trip has been criticized by the U.S. and others, who think that China will limit whom she can talk to, stage manage her trip and use it for propaganda purposes.

The CCTV report didn’t mention Xinjiang or the Communist Party’s often harsh treatment of dissidents and activists and ethnic groups in Tibet and Inner Mongolia.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/united-natio ... 7a1b006525