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“China Experts” Side with Beijing on Hong Kong Protests

China’s mouthpiece Xinhua News Agency has collected viewpoints from “China experts” in a few countries on the movement going on in Hong Kong.

Robert Kuhn, an American investment banker and author of a propaganda book eulogizing former Chinese Communist Party chair Jiang Zemin, said, “The extreme behavior of the protesters has caused the shutdown of the airport and has caused flights to be cancelled. No country would allow this to happen. The continuation of the riots in Hong Kong is unacceptable.”

Michael Borchmann, a former official from Germany’s state of Hesse, “The riots are still going on and are growing. As the situation develops, people will soon discover that it was not about a specific law, but to create chaos and turmoil in Hong Kong. It is time for the Chinese Central Government to convey the important message of stabilizing the current situation in Hong Kong.”

Ignacio Martínez Cortés, a professor at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM), said, “The extended violent protests by the opposition and radical forces in Hong Kong have hindered the normal operation of the local economy, affected people’s lives, and undermined Hong Kong’s international image.”

Sudheendra Kulkarni, an Indian politician and columnist, hopes “that young people in Hong Kong who are bewildered by external forces will wake up as soon as possible, and that the chaos in Hong Kong will calm down as soon as possible so as to save hope for Hong Kong’s tomorrow.”

Others named in the report include Katalina Barreiro, an expert on international relations at Ecuador’s Institute of Advanced National Studies, Stephen Ndegwa, a Kenya scholar, and Hassan al-Saouri, a political science professor at Al Neelain University.

Source: Xinhua, August 14, 2019
http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2019-08/14/c_1124876756.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Overseas Chinese Organizations Leap Forward to Show Loyalty to the Chinese Government

While Beijing has been blaming the U.S. for masterminding the Hong Kong protests and ratcheting up its rhetoric against the movement, the official media also reported that the “international community” has been condemning the “violent protesters.” One article highlights a list of overseas Chinese organizations.

The article is titled, “The overseas Chinese community has expressed a strong voice, intensely condemning the violent behavior of sabotaging Hong Kong and supporting ‘one country, two systems.’” The article mentioned “over 50 representatives of overseas Chinese organizations in the U.K.” “over 10 overseas Chinese organizations in Southern California,” the Council of Newcomer Organizations (CONCO) in Canada, the Overseas Chinese Association in Bangladesh, 14 overseas Chinese organizations in Hungary, the General Association of Chinese Traders and Entrepreneurs In Madagascar, and a number of overseas Chinese organizations in Madrid, Spain.

The letter from “over 10 overseas Chinese organizations in Southern California” said, “Hong Kong matters are China’s internal affair. (We) resolutely oppose any foreign forces inciting the Hong Kong people to be against the SAR government and the central government, arbitrarily criticizing and interfering in China’s internal affairs. (We) hope that Hong Kong compatriots will open their eyes and cherish their hard-earned prosperity and stability and that you work with the Chinese people at home and abroad to contribute to the peaceful reunification of the Motherland and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”

Source: The Paper, August 12, 2019
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_4142615

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

CAAC to Cathay: Crew Members Who Support Hong Kong Protesters Should Be Banned from Mainland Routes

Starting on Friday August 9, at one of the busiest airports in Asia, the Hong Kong International Airport, a large-scale assemblage of citizens who are against the extradition law have gathered. They have been there for the last three days. During the rally, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued a major aviation safety risk warning to Cathay Pacific Airways, the flag carrier of Hong Kong.

CAAC said that it is concerned that some crew members of Cathay have been charged with rioting because they have participated in violent attacks, but they were not stopped from flying. In addition, CAAC believes that some Cathay employees have maliciously leaked passenger information, posing a serious threat to aviation safety.

CAAC demanded of Cathay Pacific, starting from the early hours on Saturday morning, that all personnel who participated or supported the “illegal” parades and protests and violent attacks and exhibited “excessive” behaviors should be stopped immediately from performing all duties on the mainland flights. Starting in the early morning on Sunday, Cathay Pacific was required submit to the mainland Chinese authority the identity information of all crew members on routes arriving at or flying over mainland China. Beijing would not accept the flight unless approval was given to the crew members.

At the same time, hundreds of Hong Kong citizens have been participating in anti-extradition law rallies at the arrival area of the Hong Kong International Airport. Most people wear black clothes and some wear masks. They have been explaining to travelers what has happened in the past two months in Hong Kong. They have used posters, pictures, songs, slogans, and printed materials. Some people expressed the belief that the event at the airport can help attract international attention.

The BBC reported that, in a statement on Monday afternoon, Hong Kong’s Airport Authority said it was cancelling all flights that were not yet checked in. “More than 160 flights scheduled to leave after 18:00 local time (10:00 GMT) will now not depart.”

Sources:
1. Radio Free Asia , August 9, 2019.
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/gf1-08092019081926.html
2. BBC, August 112, 2019
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-49317975

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Poll Shows 90 Percent of Young Hong Kongese Distrust the Central Government

The civil movement that the Hong Kong government’s attempt to amend the extradition bill triggered has lasted for two months. According to a survey of 1007 Hong Kong residents that the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute Limited (HKPORI) conducted, 90 percent of young people believe that their dissatisfaction comes from a distrust of the central government.

Among the 1,007 Hong Kong residents above the age of 14 that HKPORI interviewed in July, 81 percent showed no trust in the central government. The proportion of those who did not trust in “one country, two systems” or the Hong Kong chief executive was 75 percent. In particular, among the 14 through 29 age group, those distrusting the Chinese government was as high as 91 percent. The proportion against “one country, two systems” or the chief executive was 86 percent and 84 percent respectively. They believe that chief executive Carrie Lam, the Hong Kong police, and the central government are the main factors contributing to the current crisis.

Guo Wenhao, a young community activist, told RFA that young people in Hong Kong no longer think that the SAR government can speak for them, but that it has instead become a yes-man for Beijing:

“With so many protests in Hong Kong in the past, the SAR government has never spoken out for the Hong Kong people. The controversies about the amendment to the extradition bill have been going on for so long. However, the government’s response is to condemn the demonstrators. How could young people trust the government? Nowadays many young people feel that they are farther and farther away from the central government. At the same time the central government has intervened and exerted influence nonstop. The Beijing government has sabotaged the freedom of speech and judicial independence that we previously enjoyed in Hong Kong. Everyone is worried about whether we will become like the dissidents in China; they are worried about whether we will be arrested for ‘inciting the subversion of state power’ whenever we express our opposition to the Chinese government.”

Yao-Yuan Yeh, a professor at the Center for International Studies at the University of St. Thomas, said that a large number of young people in Hong Kong protested the revision of the extradition bill because their sense of deprivation has reached a peak point.

“People born before 1997 can personally feel the difference between the British and the Chinese governance of Hong Kong. Under which regime do people enjoy freedom and dignity? Those born after 1997 have access to free and open information, and know the situation in other countries. China has always wanted to transform or destroy the original political institutions in Hong Kong. With such a contrast, people have developed a sense of deprivation, and as a result they feel angry.”

Source: Radio Free Asia, August 6, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/hj-08062019120432.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Mainland Netizens Reported Young Chinese Scholar for Joining Parade in Hong Kong

Chen Chun, a scholar from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, recently circulated pictures of himself on social media participating in a parade in Hong Kong. Chinese netizens reported Chen and protested. Chen introduced himself as a Ph.D. in ethics and a columnist, born in 1985.

The incident began on July 14, when some Chinese netizens found that Chen’s WeChat account showed photos of him wearing masks at Tai Wai MTR station, as part of the “black silence” parade that seven labor unions of the Hong Kong press industry had initiated.

After the incident went viral in cyberspace, some netizens posted comments on Chen’s Weibo account, a twitter like Chinese microblogging account, criticizing him and calling him a member of the “Hong Kong independence” movement. Although Chen has closed the comment function on his Weibo account, some mainland Chinese continued to slam him. One post said, “(We) may not be able to handle foreigners, but are you daring us to teach you a lesson?”

Chen Chun has not offered any response.

Source: Central News Agency, August 6, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201908060187.aspx

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Chinese Manufacturers Move to Vietnam to Evade Tariffs

As the prospect of the US-China trade war continues to be unpredictable, many Chinese manufacturers have turned to Vietnam to set up plants in the hope of avoiding high tariffs.

The statistics show that, in the first seven months of this year, the Southeast Asian country attracted US$20.2 billion in foreign investment, down 13.4 percent from the same period last year.

China topped other countries by investing US$1.78 billion in Vietnam in the first seven months. However, due to the large number of investment projects, a total of 364, the average size of each investment was quite small.

With the ongoing US-China trade war, since last year, Chinese manufacturers have set up small-size plants in Vietnam. The purpose is to import semi-finished products from China, change the country of production, and then sell to the U.S. and European markets to avoid high tariffs.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs reported that 15 products imported from China have shown a significant growth. Six of them are on the list of targets for high tariff sanctions that the United States has imposed on China, including timber products, electric wires, electronic components, mobile phones, furniture, household appliances, and leather shoes.

Source: Central News Agency, July 30, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/201907300115.aspx

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

NRTA Chief Emphasize Loyalty to the Party

The National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), formerly the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT, 1998–2013) and the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT, 2013–2018), is a ministry-level executive agency directly under the State Council of the People’s Republic of China. Its main task is to censor the radio, film, and television industries.

On July 25, Nie Chenxi, head of the agency and also deputy chief of the Chinese Communist Party’s Propaganda Department, gave a speech at one of the NRTA divisions. Nie said, “NRTA is a political organ, and the Propaganda Division is a key office. On either major or minor issues, it should take an unambiguous and firm stand on political directions. We must always follow the requirements of the General Secretary and consciously adjust ourselves to the basic theories, policies, and strategies of the Party. We should be on the same page as to the decisions and arrangements of the Central Committee (of the CCP).”

Nie added, “We should look at every program, every documentary, and every cartoon from a political standpoint and adhere to the principle that ‘every word matters, every second is about politics, and every day is a test.’ We must be absolutely loyal to the Party and vigorously temper the political character of loyalty, being ethical and duty bound, and constantly enhance our sense of mission and sense of political responsibility.”

Source: NRTA, July 30, 2019
http://www.nrta.gov.cn/art/2019/7/30/art_112_46920.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Taiwan’s “CCP Agent” Legislation Targets Pro-Beijing Media

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen recently highlighted the situation of mainland China’s all-round infiltration into the island, against the backdrop of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s proposal of “one country, two systems” for Taiwan earlier this year. Tsai told the media that for the sake of national security, the government will push for Chinese Communist Party (CCP) agent legislation.

In May 2019, nearly 70 Taiwanese media attended the 4th Cross-Strait Media People Summit, hosted by China’s Beijing Daily and Taiwan based Want Want China Times Media Group. On July 16th, the Financial Times published a report, alleging Want Want-owned media outlets the China Times and CtiTV were taking orders on a daily basis from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) on how to prepare their news.

A month ago, on June 23, a demonstration was held in Taipei against the “red media.” Thousands of people took to the streets to protest the Want Want group.

A former China Times reporter told BBC Chinese that, since the Want Want Group purchased the China Times, the newspaper has given priority to cross-strait news. For example, if there is a Chinese Communist Party official visiting Taiwan, the reporter may have to give up other pre-scheduled reporting activities and cover the Chinese official instead, even if the story is not newsworthy.

China Times was founded in 1950, originally a newspaper with considerable credibility in Taiwan. In 1986, its daily circulation reached as high as 1.2 million. In November 2008, after the Want Want Group gained ownership of the paper, its style gradually changed toward the position of being pro-Beijing. After 2014, China Times underwent a massive revision. Its new motto became “identifying with China, true love of Taiwan, and unification at last.” In June of 2019, during the 30 year anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre, stories of a China Times senior reporter being shot by the People’s Liberation Army in 1989, and a series of related in-depth reports were all removed from its website.

The former reporter believes that it is necessary to expose the relationship between such institutions and foreign forces. Such a relationship should be made public showing whether the content of the media represents a particular group or regime, and readers should be allowed to obtain complete information.

Source: BBC Chinese, July 25, 2019
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-49119237

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend