LLD – Page 82 – Chinascope

China Blasted Open Embankment to Deal with Disastrous Flooding

A new round of heavy rain that started on July 17 is wreaking havoc on the middle and lower reaches along the Yangtze River. With torrential rainfall taking place, areas such as Chongqing, Jiangsu, and Anhui, the Yangtze River, Lake Tai, the Huai River and other waters are experiencing severe flooding.

The Hydrological and Water Resources Survey Bureau of Jingzhou City, Hubei Province issued its highest flood warning on July 19, indicating that, due to heavy rainfall, the water level of Lake Chang has reached 32.84 meters, 0.34 meters above the warning level. The water level of Lake Hong is 26.99 meters, .02 meters above the highest level. It is expected to rise and stay at a high mark for a while. The water level of 12.83 meters of Lake Chao in Anhui province exceeded the historical high of 12.80 meters, which was in 1991. The flooding in the Yangtze River on July 18 also rewrote the record books of Nanjing city’s hydrological history, bringing a water level to 10.26 meters, 0.04 meters higher than the record set in 1954.

According to the official Xinhua News Agency, at 3 a.m. on July 19, the embankment of the Chu River in Anhui province was blasted open in two gaps, and water flowed into two flood storage areas. It was a measure viewed as a last resort to handle the continuously rising water level that would possibly run over the embankments. These two areas were previously used in 1991, 2003, 2008, and 2015.

Affected by the water coming from upstream and local areas, the inflow and water level of the Three Gorges Reservoir continued to rise. On July 17, the upstream of the Qing River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, saw a peak water level of 420.68 meters. It was higher than the historic level of 420.64 meters in 1989. As the water level continued to rise, the urban district of Enshi city was almost soaked. The authorities decided to elevate the emergency response of the urban flood control to the highest level.

Source: Central News Agency, July 19, 2020
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202007190121.aspx

Briefings | | July 19, 2020 | Economy/Resources

Beijing’s New Brainwashing Campaign for Students

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has once again launched a brainwashing campaign. It is requiring its members and school students to study the “Four Histories,” which refers to “the history of the CCP, the history of new China, the history of the reform and opening up, and the history of socialist development.” In one sentence, it is the history of the Chinese Communist Party. Parents of students shared some WeChat screenshots of a teacher’s message to the parents with Radio Free Asia: “Please ask each student firmly to keep in mind the contents of the ‘Four Histories.’ There will be exams when the new semester begins.”

According to official media, the “Four Histories” is a new political drive and it is a “key task” to promote the contents in classrooms at colleges and universities. East China Normal University in Shanghai has incorporated the campaign materials in the school’s seminar series so that the students will be learning and also preaching to people outside of the campus.

Source: Radio Free Asia, July 15, 2020.
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhengzhi/ql-07152020062503.html

Briefings | | July 17, 2020 | Government/Politics

Amid Domestic and International Pressure, Xi Mandates Loyalty to the Party

As China is facing intensified internal and external pressures, the head of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Xi Jinping published an article in the upcoming issue of Qushi magazine, the official publication of the Central Committee of the CCP, warning that one cannot afford to falter even a little bit on the issue of “adherence to the party’s leadership.”

Xinhua News Agency, the mouthpiece outlet of the CCP, reported that Xi’s article entitled, “The Leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is the most Essential Feature of Socialism with Chinese characteristics” will be published on July 16th. It emphasizes that the greatest advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is “the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party,” and that the CCP is the paramount political leading force.

Xi said that the CCP’s governance is “a great blessing for China, the Chinese people, and the Chinese nation.” “On the important principle of adhering to the Party’s leadership, which determines the future and destiny of the party and the country, the entire party and the whole country must maintain a high degree of ideological, political, and behavioral consciousness, and cannot falter even a little bit.”

Observers believe the timing of the article, a signal to compel loyalty from CCP members, as well as people in China, only shows the unprecedented challenges that Xi is now facing.

Source: Central News Agency, July 15, 2020
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202007150432.aspx

Briefings | | July 15, 2020 | Government/Politics

After Accepting Money from Beijing, Cambridge University College Issued Report Praising Huawei

The British newspaper The Times reported on July 10 that Cambridge University’s Jesus College produced a paper accused of “reputation laundering” for Huawei and that it had received £200,000 (US $255,000) from the Chinese state and £155,000 (US $198,000) from the telecom giant, despite repeated warnings from British intelligence about Huawei’s possible espionage activities for Beijing.

In February, the UK-China Global Issues Dialogue Centre, which is under Jesus College, published a white paper on global communications reforms, which gave a favorable portrayal of Huawei. The paper also said that “transnational governance” of the technology industry “needs to consider differences in the normative standards accepted by different countries.”

The Times also revealed that, in September 2018, when the UK-China Global Issues Dialogue Centre was created, it banked £200,000 (US $255,000) from an agency of China’s State Council, the country’s administrative authority. Jesus collage also confirmed that it received £155,000 (US $198,000) from Huawei last September to “cover a two-year research co-operation.”

Zhu Rui, a doctoral student from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that Huawei, nominally a private company, is the property of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). When Jesus College turned a blind eye to the potential consequences and accepted donations from Huawei, it was subjecting its academic freedom to the influence of the CCP. On issues of religious freedom, human rights, and democracy, it cannot say what it wants to say, as if someone’s throat is being choked.

Teng Biao, a legal scholar living in exile in the United States, who has been studying the CCP’s overseas infiltration, criticized Jesus College for selling its soul for money. “Many universities around the world have kowtowed to the Chinese government for money and have conducted self-censorship. This is a typical example of China’s accelerated infiltration and expansion. With the almost unlimited financial resources that the Chinese government has plundered from its people, it is able to use economic means to buy favorable political expressions about Beijing.”

RFA found that the cooperation between Jesus College and Huawei is only the tip of the iceberg of Cambridge University’s connections with China. The Cambridge Centre for Chinese Management (CCCM), under Cambridge’s Judge Business School, has Tian Tao, a senior adviser from Huawei, and Hu Yanping, former SVP at Huawei among its directors.

The China Centre, a separate entity, is also affiliated with Jesus College and a charitable trust oversees it. It organizes a two-week training course for executives from Chinese state-owned companies. Professor Peter Nolan, 71, one of the charity’s trustees, is the director of the China Centre and a fellow at Jesus College. He became the first ever “Chong Hua” professor at Cambridge, a role founded in 2012 “to further the study of China.” According to The Times, the daughter of former Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao backed the professorship with a £3.7 million donation she made. The Times reported that the charitable trust which oversees the China Centre was sent £55,000 in November 2018 from a group linked to China’s State Council.

Huawei’s donations to British academic and scientific research institutions have attracted broad attention. At the beginning of last year, Oxford University said it would suspend accepting donations or sponsorships from Huawei. RFA also reported earlier that Huawei provided £5 million in research funding to Imperial College London and a super-fast 5G network to the university. Because the university is studying the corona virus, the incident triggered widespread public criticism; the criticisms allege that Huawei has a mission to interfere with virus research and affect the university’s objectivity in virus investigations. As early as 2017, Huawei and British Telecoms jointly announced a new round of a five-year cooperation plan, which will invest £25 million to establish a joint research team with Cambridge University.

Source: Radio Free Asia, July 13, 2020
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/uk-donate-07132020041327.html

Briefings | | July 15, 2020 | Geo-Strategic Trend

AmCham in Hong Kong: Thirty Percent of Surveyed Members Consider Withdrawal

Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), the official broadcasting service in Hong Kong, reported that the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong surveyed 183 businesses regarding the national security law, which accounted for 15 percent of its total membership.

Forty-nine percent of the respondents believed that the national security law has had a negative impact on business. Thirty percent considered divestment or moving their business out of Hong Kong over the medium or long term. Another 5.5 percent were thinking about short-term divestment. The study showed that 41 percent of the interviewees are extremely concerned about the national security laws, including the coverage of the law, the ambiguity of law enforcement, the impact on the judicial independence of Hong Kong, and the weakened status of Hong Kong as a financial center. Another 56 percent believed that the provisions were stricter than expected, and worried about provisions such as extraterritorial jurisdiction, extradition to China, and collusion with foreign forces.

Fifty-one percent of the respondents felt working and living conditions in Hong Kong were less safe after the implementation of the law, and 41 percent were pessimistic about the prospects of Hong Kong.

Source: Radio Television Hong Kong, July 13, 2020
https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1537397-20200713.htm

Briefings | | July 13, 2020 | Economy/Resources

China’s Looming Bad Debt Risks

The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), which regulates the country’s financial industry, is concerned about the rise in non-performing assets, or bad loans, due to the deteriorating economic and epidemic conditions. The CBIRC suggested measures to prepare for the increase in non-performing loans.

In response to the questions from journalists, the spokesperson of the CBIRC listed four major risks and challenges.

1. The increased pressure of non-performing loans. Although the balance of non-performing loans has not increased significantly since the beginning of this year, due to the time lag between the decline in the real economy and the impact seen in the financial sector, as well as the short-term hedging effect of macro policies, the risk of default has been temporarily delayed. However, the number of non-performing loans will continue to rise in the coming months.

2. Serious problems in some small and medium-sized financial institutions. As the asset quality has increasingly deteriorated under the impact of the epidemic, risks continue to build up.

3. The resurgence of chaotic practices. Some high-risk shadow banks have revived; the leverage (debt) ratio of companies and households has increased. Some funds have flown into the real estate and stock markets, adding to the asset bubbles.

4. Illegalities occur from time to time. For example, the fake gold scandal of Wuhan’s Kingold Jewelry has revealed the almost nonexistent internal control and risk management in some financial institutions.

As of the end of June, the balance of non-performing loans in the banking industry was RMB 3.6 trillion (US $0.51 trillion), an increase of RMB 400.4 billion (US $57.2 billion) from the beginning of the year, with a non-performing loan ratio of 2.10 percent, 0.08 percentage points higher than the beginning of the year.

Source: Central News Agency, July 11, 2020
http://https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202007110163.aspx

Briefings | | July 13, 2020 | Economy/Resources

Merkel’s Weak Attitude Toward Beijing Criticized

The French newspaper Le Monde published an editorial on Wednesday, criticizing the European Union’s weak response after Beijing passed its rubber-stamp Hong Kong National Security Law. The newspaper cited Washington’s elimination of Hong Kong’s special status and the ban on arms exports, Canada’s suspension of its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, and the UK’s offering of citizenship to up to 3 million Hong Kong residents. However, the 27 EU countries have fallen into the trap of interdependent economic relations with China.

Le Monde pointed the finger at Germany, which has served as the EU’s rotating presidency since July 1. Germany finds it difficult to look beyond the economic cooperation that has been carefully woven with China for 15 years, which translates to an annual trade of over 200 billion euros between Berlin and Beijing. The Hong Kong people are disappointed with Merkel.

The newspaper also criticized France, which fears to damage relations with Beijing at the moment when it must fully reopen the economy after coming out of the epidemic. While not giving any details, on Wednesday evening, French Foreign Minister Le Drian assured the Senate that France would take countermeasures against the Hong Kong National Security Law.

Le Monde believes that since the emergence of the epidemic, Beijing has shown its true face. Xi Jinping’s China has transformed and become more aggressive in all respects without hesitation, including the usage of provocative rhetoric to support its policies and disparage the EU model. It has proven that Beijing has become the EU’s institutional opponent. The newspaper pointed out that China’s brutal approach in Hong Kong also poses a severe test for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It proposes that the EU could at least suggest to the Hong Kong people that they would be willing to provide asylum to whoever wishes to escape from the authoritarian regime. If the EU wants to become a global actor and be respected, there is no other choice but to be tough when facing China.

Inside Germany, there has been much criticism of Merkel’s weak performance on the Hong Kong issue. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) criticized Merkel’s attitude towards China. Nils Schmid, a spokesman for the SPD’s parliamentary group, reminded Merkel that she should bid farewell to her outdated perception of China and face reality. Christian Lindner, leader of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), believes that Germany cannot betray its values.

Source: Radio France International, July 8, 2020
https://www.rfi.fr/cn/中国/20200708-港版国安法-默克尔对北京小心翼翼受质疑

Briefings | | July 9, 2020 | Geo-Strategic Trend

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