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China’s Experts: It’s Imperative to Enact Article 23 of the Basic Law

Recently, the Communist Regime in China has been talking about enacting Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law. At the annual Global Times (Huanqiu) meeting, two Hong Kong affairs experts in China stated that it is imperative to enact Article 23.

Wang Zhenmin, former Director of the Legal Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), stated, “The common understanding after Hong Kong’s extradition bill is that the national security issue must be included in the agenda; Hong Kong law has already defined five acts endangering national security, and therefore, Article 23 is not ‘empty.’” He also stated that here is a force in Hong Kong that does not want to acknowledge that Hong Kong has already permanently returned to China and intentionally smears China.

Qiang Shigong, a Law Professor at Beijing University, who also attended the meeting, warned against turning the Hong Kong issue into a “Taiwan-style problem.” He claimed that the Hong Kong issue might not be about the conflicts between Capitalism and Socialism, but rather whether Hong Kong should be united with mainland China.

Note: Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law stated that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region “shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People’s Government,or theft of state secrets, to prohibit foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting political activities in the Region, and to prohibit political organizations or bodies in the Region from establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies.” The Hong Kong government’s attempt to implement the article with a National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill in 2003 caused a great controversy and 500,000 people protested on the streets. Since then, the bill of implementing the article has not been reintroduced.

Source: China News Agency, December 21, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201912210108.aspx

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Data Says China’s Economy Faces Most Difficult Time

An Internet posting by author Tuozhanlaogou (拓展老狗, WeChat account name) has been widely spread in China. Using data and charts, the author explained that China’s economy is at its most difficult time:

  • 28.54 million people used Baidu to search for jobs in 2019, whereas less than 7.5 million people did that in 2018.
  • China’s banking section is making so much money that it squeezes profits out of other industries. China has four companies ranked in the top ten companies with the highest profits in the world. All of them are banks. China’s banking section claimed 40 percent net income return, whereas the U.S. banking section only claims 14 percent.
  • China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are growing and the private companies and foreign companies are shrinking. In 2018, the rate of net asset increase vs. total profit (an indicator of investing profits into businesses) was 60.7 percent, -99.4 percent, and -1.6 percent, for the three types of business. The negative number itself indicates that the economic sizes of the private and foreign companies are shrinking.
  • People are short of money. The fund industry (both mutual funds and hedge funds) raised 500 billion yuan (US $72 billion) in the third quarter of 2017 alone. However, for the whole year of 2019, it has only raised 180 billion yuan.
  • 1,884 movie or TV related companies closed in 2019.
  • New car sales dropped 2.76 percent in 2018 compared to 2017. From January to October 2019, the number of new cars manufactured and sold dropped 10.4 percent and 9.7 percent respectively, compared to a year ago.
  • China’s M2 money is out of control. It has increased from 11 trillion yuan in 1999 to 194 trillion yuan (US $28 trillion) in 2019, twice China’s anticipated GDP in 2019. The U.S. M2 money in 2019 is only US $15 trillion and its GDP is US $21 billion; its M2 is only 71.6 percent of its GDP.
  • In the past 12 months (December 2018 to November 2019), the Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) was below 50 for nine months and above 50 for only three months. The economy is considered contracting when the PMI is below 50 and expanding when above 50.
  • China is departing from real (manufacturing) businesses. Among the total companies’ assets in China, the financial and real estate industries claim 47.9 percent of the assets, whereas the manufacturing sector only accounts for 11.7 percent.
  • In the first six months of 2019, all provinces in China, except Shanghai, ran into a fiscal deficit.

Source: Sina, December 8, 2019
https://cj.sina.com.cn/articles/view/1931232181/731c43b501900jjam

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Taiwan Legislator: Ten Ways the CCP Is Interfering in Taiwan’s Elections

The Presidential Election of the Republic of China (ROC) will be held in Taiwan on January 11, 2020. Recently a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator, Li Junyi, drew attention to the severity of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) interference in the Taiwan’s election. He thinks that Taiwan needs an “Anti-Infiltration Law” to prevent the CCP from using Taiwan’s democratic system to defeat its democracy.

He listed ten ways in which the CCP is interfering:

1. Hacker Attacks – the CCP attacks the government and other websites so it can access and steal information.

2. Establishing Organizations and Communication Tools – CCP spy Zhou Hongxu was suspected of using Wang Bingzhou, a key member of the New Party (a political party in Taiwan), to create Fire News media in order to spread the CCP’s United Front message.

3. Information Control – the CCP controlled social media calls Hong Kong protesters “violent activists.” They are now applying the same method of control in Taiwan.

4. Fake News – the University of Gothenburg, Sweden found that Taiwan has received the largest number of foreign fake news attacks.

5. Buying Social Sites – A group of fans who supported Han Guoyu (the Kuomintang’s Presidential candidate whom the CCP likes and is spending money to support) recently changed its position to support Tsai Ing-wen (the ROC President seeking re-election, as the DPP candidate). The fans group said that a rich businessman from mainland China promised them money (if they supported Han), but after the CCP’s spy Wang Liqiang defected to Australia, that businessman disappeared.

6. Using Civil Organizations – President Zhou Qingjun and member Zhang Xiuye of the Patriot Alliance Association (a pro-CCP organization in the ROC) have been sued for receiving the CCP’s money for Zhang to bid for Taipei’s Council member position.

7. Using an Interfering Party – The Chinese Unification Promotion Party (a Party in the ROC that has been criticized for its connection to the CCP and to gangsters) recently held a ceremony for the CCP’s 70th anniversary of taking over the mainland from the ROC. This party openly advocates that Taiwan re-unites with the CCP.

8. Drawing in Retired Generals – Retired General Wu Sz-huai went to mainland China and saluted the CCP’s flag. Retired General Luo Wen-shan received a political donation from the CCP’s contacts.

9. Connecting with the Media – The CCP invited Taiwan media executives to visit the mainland and to promote the “One Country, Two Systems” concept, which is the CCP’s offer to re-unite Taiwan under its control.

10. Illegal Money Exchanges – Taiwan authorities have found 80 billion New Taiwan Dollars (US $2.64 billion) that came to Taiwan through underground channels.

Source: Epoch Times, December 4, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/12/4/n11700590.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

China Mobile Inspector Revealed How He Monitored the Internet

A former China Mobile worker disclosed the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) monitoring over its citizens’ phone conversations and text messages to Bitter Winter, a publication focused on the CCP’s human rights abuses.

The former inspector of China Mobile Online, who remained anonymous, said that China Mobile monitors its customers’ conversations and text messages using the excuse that it is managing “inappropriate messages.” Covering all territories in mainland China, its system can automatically detect messages related to politics and religion, including those messages against the CCP or those that make fun of the top leaders. All the detected messages must go through a manual inspection.

The former inspector worked with at least 500 colleagues on this duty and their work was intense.

“If you accidentally let a ‘sensitive message’ pass, your monthly salary will be reduced and your annual bonus will be impacted, too. I usually had to process over 10,000 messages each month. In a year’s time it was inevitable to make a mistake or two.”

“Almighty God,” “Falun Gong,” and other religious words are “sensitive words.” Any mention of “Party,” “Quitting the Party,” and “Quitting the Communist Youth League” in messages or discussions is also tightly monitored.

“Any information that is negative about the CCP is put in the politics category,” he explained, “For example, the information about the CCP conducting live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners is directly ‘dealt with’ (meaning deleted), to prevent it from being circulated.”

“If sensitive words were detected in conversations, Multimedia Messaging Services, test messages, or WeChat postings, the system will automatically block it. It will lock the user’s account and prohibit the user from making phone calls or sending messages. The user has to bring his ID card to China Mobile’s retail office and write a guarantee statement to promise not to send sensitive messages any more in order to get his account unlocked.”

Locking a user account or phone is still a small warning. The authorities will impose much harsher punishment for “severe cases.” A resident in Fujian Province was stopped at China’s border. The border guards destroyed his passport and prevented him from going abroad. They said that he had sent messages in the WeChat group to criticize a CCP leader, which was “insulting national leaders and disrupting the public order.”

“The monitoring standard has been updated frequently in the past few years. As it progresses, it gets stricter and stricter, with fewer and fewer loopholes.”

Source: Bitter Winter, December 4, 2019

監聽全國用戶通訊、刪對黨不利留言　前審查員揭中共控制手段

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Apple Daily: Maoming Protesters Won Their Fight against the CCP

Apple Daily reported that citizens in Maoming City, Guangdong Province forced the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader to yield to their demand in four days.

The Huazhou City government, which is under the management of Maoming City, Guangdong Province, triggered the event when the Huazhou government started a land purchase program in Wenlou Town in Huazhou, claiming to build an ecological park. However, it didn’t disclose its real purpose, which was to build a funeral house and a crematorium there.

After its secret agenda was exposed, the residents of Wenlou Town held a fierce protest. Protesters planned to go to the government office on November 28, but a large group of riot police blocked the road. Clashes exploded between the police and protesters. The protesters cut trees to make road blocks to prevent the addition of police reinforcement. They then surrounded the riot police, threw bricks at them, and overturned a police car. Many residents held sticks and even forced the police to retreat to a hill.

The police kept firing tear gas and water cannons. Many protesters were injured, including old people and children.

The standoff inside the city last two days, during which the authorities arrested 200 people. The standoff outside the city continued, with many people holding banners and shouting slogans.

The government softened its position on December 1. Li Weihua, the CCP Party Secretary of Wenlou Town, promised the protesters that the ecological park and funeral house will never be built in Wenlow. In the afternoon, the arrested citizens came back in two buses, though some were said to be on bail awaiting trial.

Source: Apple Daily, December 1, 2019
https://tw.appledaily.com/new/realtime/20191201/1671268/

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Malaysian Student Association Criticized Police for Acting for the CCP

Suara Siswa UM is a coalition of student associations at the University of Malaysia. This group includes UMANY, Demokrat UM, and Angkatan Mahasiswa UM. The organization recently criticized the police for intervening in their academic activities in order to please the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The university allows students’ associations to approve certain academic activities. In November, UMANY approved Professor Ho Ming-sho of National Taiwan University, to give an academic lecture on the topic of, “Reflections on Hong Kong and the Taiwan Social Movement. However, the political police of Malaysia questioned the organization and threatened the event.

UMANY approved Dr. Wu Ruiren, a researcher at Academia Sinica (the National Academy of the Republic of China) to conduct another speech event in later November. The topic was the impact of nationalism in China. The university rejected the organization’s facility application.

Suara Siswa UM felt that the political policing was due to the fact that these topics touched the politics of Hong Kong and Taiwan and thus got on the CCP’s nerves.

UMANY President Liao Yanghong said, “China has more and more influence over Malaysia. They don’t like any external statement or discussion on China’s politics which does not follow the CCP’s position. They have indirectly interfered with our society many times.”

He also pointed out that UMANY’s events related to Hong Kong, from June to now, including both gathering to support the Hong Kong people as well as speeches by people from Hong Kong, were suppressed.

Suara Siswa UM criticized the police for intervening in students’ academic activities and asked why they seemed to take action on behalf of the CCP but did nothing to protect the Malaysians’ freedom of speech and academic freedom under the Constitution.

Source: Epoch Times, December 7, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/12/7/n11707414.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Retired Taiwan General Sentenced for Receiving Political Donation from CCP’s Contact in Hong Kong

The Taipei Court sentenced Luo Wen-shan, a retired Lieutenant General, to 2.5 years in prison for violating the Political Donation Law.

In the past, Luo has served the Administrative Deputy Minister of National Defense and the Deputy Commander of the Joint Logistics Headquarters.

He was charged with receiving political donations from Hong Kong businessman Hui Chi-Ming amounting to a total of HK $2 million (US $255,500).

Hui immigrated to Hong Kong from Guangdong Province in the late 1980s and chairs the Hong Kong Hoifu Energy Group and Sino Union Petroleum & Chemical International. As a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, Hui has met with several of the Chinese Communist Party’s top leaders, including Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Hu Jintao, and Wen Jiabao. On multiple occasions, he has also led China’s delegation to visit other countries.

Luo also received HK $137,500 (US $17,563) from Ho Biu, another Hongkonger in August 2012.

Luo claimed that the money from Hui and from Ho was used to pay for the Presidential campaign advertisements for Ma Ying-jeou during the Taiwan elections and the cost of Hui’s meeting with Ma Ying-jeou and Lien Chan. Ma was the former Taiwan President and the Kuomintang Chairman. Lien also served as the Kuomintang Chairman and former Taiwan Premier.

Source: Radio Free Asia, December 3, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/htm/tw-court-12032019134226.html?encoding=simplified

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Former Canadian Legislative Assembly Member Revealed He Was Detained at China’s Airport

Richard T. Lee served as a Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2017. He recently revealed that, four years ago, the Chinese authorities detained him for eight hours at the Shanghai airport. He and his wife had gone there for a vacation. Chinese officials confiscated and searched his business phone, cancelled his visa, and forced him to fly back from China immediately.

Mr. Lee and his wife had gone to Shanghai at the end of 2015 to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. After they arrived in Shanghai, Chinese authorities separated them. Mr. Lee was kept in a room. Two Chinese officials took away his personal phone and his business phone. They demanded his password, which he eventually gave them. The Chinese officials looked at his emails, including the emails that were in his BC Legislative Assembly account.

Those officials didn’t make a specific charge against him, but they claimed that his actions had “endangered China’s state security.” Mr. Lee asked to talk to the Canadian Consulate in Shanghai and Canada’s Ambassador in China, but his request was denied.

Finally, the Chinese officials returned his phones and asked that he and his wife leave China immediately.

Mr. Lee said that he had openly supported Taiwan independence and democracy in Hong Kong. He believed that was what angered Beijing. “I attended the candle light event in front of China’s Vancouver Consulate on June Fourth every year (the day of the anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre). Many times the Chinese consulate staff warned me not to go there. China’s then Consul General Liu Fei at Vancouver asked me not to attend the event in 2017.”

Mr. Lee was serving as the Deputy Speaker of the BC Legislative Assembly when the incident occurred. He said that he didn’t publicize this case then as he did not want to damage the Canadian-China relationship.

Source: Radio France International, November 30, 2019
http://www.rfi.fr/cn/中国/20191130-加拿大华裔前议员自揭四年前在中国机场曾被不正当拘留

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend