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Epoch Times: Australian Scholar Blocked from Conducting Research on WeChat

According to an Epoch Times report, a Chinese scholar received considerable resistance from his school when he tried to conduct a research project on WeChat.

James Jing, 39, a China-born Australian immigrant, came to Australia over ten years ago. He has been teaching at the Curtin University in Australia for 12 years. He is working on his PhD degree. For his PhD dissertation he chose the topic, “The Study of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) Censorship System and Social Media Platform on WeChat.” However, he could not get any help from his professors.

Tencent, the company that developed WeChat, has sponsored several activities and projects at the Curtin University.

Jing felt that his academic life has been ended and that the main reason was the CCP’s influence. “I never thought that the CCP had extended its tentacles to the other side of the ocean.” “Curtin’s censorship and self-censorship (on behalf of the CCP) has created a blockage to certain extent. I think it will restrain the potential of its Chinese scholars.”

Jing also acknowledged that discussing this issue openly may result in consequences for him. Nevertheless, his conscience told him that he must go forward. He said, “I have come to the land of Australia and become an Australian citizen. I need to defend Australian values, just like the national anthem ‘Advance Australia Fair.’”

Curtin University denied that the school has adopted self-censorship.

Source: Epoch Times, November 11, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/11/11/n11647561.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Media: Why Did the CCP Politburo Study Blockchain

Recently, at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee, Xi Jinping stressed that there should be a focus on blockchain technology. The CCP Politburo also held a group study on blockchain’s status and trends related to blockchain. Some media interviewed China experts on why the CCP is eying blockchain.

Deutsche Welle interviewed a senior IT practitioner in China who stated, “In fact, China has long been talking about digital finance. In 2014, People’s Bank (China’s Central Bank) created a group to research the feasibility of issuing digital currency. In January 2017, it officially established the Digital Currency Institute. Maybe it is to help People’s Bank launch the Digital Currency Electronic Payment (DCEP).

Blockchain relies on 5G technology to provide fast transportation speed.

VOA interviewed an economics observer, “This policy is more for the political agenda. There are three reasons for the CCP to promote blockchain.”

First, the CCP wants to participate in this “de-centralization” technology early so that it can participate in and control the standard settings and data control areas.

Second, the CCP has the financial ambition to promote a national digital currency. It has been trying to promote China’s national digital currency via the Belt and Road Initiative so as to further compete with the U.S. for financial control.

Third, blockchain can be extended to finance, to supplying China, to manufacturing, and to military areas. Having a first mover advantage or having greater power in controlling and implementing these technologies will help the CCP to reach its ambition of world domination.

Sources:
1. Deutsche Welle, October 28, 2019
https://www.dw.com/zh/专访中共中央政治局为什么学区块链/a-51022583
2. VOA, October 29, 2019
https://www.voachinese.com/a/voaweishi-20191029-voaio-is-xi-blockchain-as-new-impetus-for-economy/5143899.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics Information/Technology

Malaysian Young Man Was Threatened for Complaining about Huawei’s Mobile Phone

A Tweeter’s story revealed that Huawei has tried to silence people when they talk about the problems Huawei phones are having.

Huawei launched its mobile phones Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro in Malaysia on October 3, 2019. A host who has a YouTube channel to evaluate mobile phones bought a Huawei Mate 30 Pro and surprisingly found that all Google software, including YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail, and Play Store, did not work.

He posted a YouTube video to discuss the problem.

Then he posted another video on October 31, reporting that he received threats from Huawei. “Today I heard that (Huawei) was warning me. Huawei told me, ‘You’d better not talk about this. If you continue talking about it and continue ‘slandering’ Huawei, we can sue you.’”

He reported, “Maybe this YouTube (video) will be my last video.” The host warned the audience that Huawei might have the power to close his YouTube channel.

“I feel that Huawei is a villain. I didn’t do anything (against it). I just used the Huawei’s phone and found the issue. I asked for a solution. Why do you warn me like this? … I used to praise Huawei’s phones. …  When I received this warning, my heart sank. … That’s why many big media didn’t report about these problems from Huawei.”

The following are some reader’s comments on the posting:

Comments by “News Revelation”:

“To help people to recall: A Microblog celebrity (in China) questioned if the moon picture that Huawei claimed to be taken with its P30 Pro phone was edited in Photoshop. Then his company fired him because of pressure from Huawei. A few years ago, Huawei’s ad claimed its phone used a high-end memory card but a person reported on the Internet that his test found it was a low-end memory card; he was arrested.”

Comments by “The List of Guillotine”:

“A few months ago, a person posted on a Microblog that his Huawei phone exploded. Then his post was taken out and his account was deleted. You can only blame yourself and take the loss when you run into a problem (with Huawei’s phone).”

Comments by “Talk in Human’s Language”:

“Even people outside of China are warned. How mighty (Huawei is)! The patriots can boast about it now.”

Source: Twitter, October 31, 2019

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend

The Epoch Times: CCP Relies on Heavy Lobbying in Europe

The Epoch Times recently reported that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has funded many think tanks and institutions and adopted savvy lobbying tactics across Europe in order to promote its agenda. However, the Europe Union (EU) has been watching the CCP’s actions.

Chris Devonshire-Ellis, Chairman and Founding Partner of Dezan Shira and Associates, which advises foreign investors on Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), reported, “China has devoted a large number of resources to lobbying the EU and influential persons connected with it.” “It has mapped out the entire EU structure and, via Embassies, managed to piece together a concise map of who is connected to whom and who is likely to be able to further China’s business interests.”

Beijing has also built up its lobbying experience in its investment push into Africa. In 2015, China bid on and won the Budapest-Belgrade railway project from Hungry and Serbia. China was likely to run it in the same way it ran the BRI projects. The EU then intervened, “insisting that the tender be monitored and subject to controls and regulations imposed from Brussels.” The EU’s involvement made it hard for Beijing to run the project as it desired. Therefore, Beijing adjusted its strategy and put more effort into lobbying the EU so that it could get more and better policy support and a green light for its business and other activities.

Malgorzata Jakimow, assistant professor of East Asian Politics at Durham University and Secretary of the Center for Contemporary Chinese Studies (CCCS), said, “China’s think tank networks are huge. They have been recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the predominant tool for soft power.”

A report that the lobbying watchdog, Corporate Europe, published in April noted, “Often, conferences and seminars held in Brussels with a China theme receive Chinese Government sponsorship.” The report also listed dozens of organizations and networks scattered throughout Europe that have substantial ties to China.

Charles Parton, a former British diplomat to China and a senior associate for the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a defense and security institute, said that many Chinese-born academics in the West are cautious about what they can say because the CCP has control over the lives of their relatives back in China and over whether they can visit or return to China. “It would be quite dangerous for these people, for their health, and for their careers, to do anything but talk the party line.” Parton said he could think of one particular person who is frequently called upon to comment on the radio and speak to the media, but what he says is always purely the CCP Propaganda Department’s message.

Source: The Epoch Times, October 16, 2019
https://www.theepochtimes.com/chinas-belt-and-road-lobbying-push-into-europe-flies-under-the-radar_3113447.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

A Chinese Dissident Founded an Anti-CCP Federation

Epoch Times held an interview of a Chinese political dissident, Mr. Wang Zhongyi (whose original name was Wang Rui). Mr. Wang founded a non-governmental organization called the World Youth Freedom Federation (世界青年自由联盟), with the goal of overthrowing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Mr. Wang applied for political asylum in Taiwan when he visited there in 2014. He came to the U.S. in 2018 and registered the federation in April 2019. The organization has over 60 members.

Mr. Wang found that nobody, either inside or outside mainland China truly likes the CCP, but most of them are afraid of the party. “If you want to take on the CCP, the CCP will take you on. It can kill you even if you are outside China.”

To him, this is a twisted situation. It should be that the CCP in the U.S. itself feels scared. How is it that the anti-CCP people have the fear? To change the CCP, Mr. Wang called for the young to join his organization, which does not appeal to or recommend anything to the CCP. Instead it just wants to “overthrow the CCP.”

The organization has two major tasks: “Assistance” and “Protection.”

Many Chinese political dissidents face difficulties when they come to the U.S. as they don’t understand the U.S. system. The federation integrates the resources from its members to provide assistance to the newcomers in a number of areas including job search, school, immigration status, apartment rental, transportation, and even obtaining a driver’s license.

This will enable people to feel the benefits and warmth of the U.S. system. “Only then will they know to pass the warmth on to others and will they have time and energy to promote universal values.”

On the protection side, Mr. Wang thinks that the CCP’s propaganda has misled many dissidents, making them think that the CCP is very powerful. His organization will protect those anti-CCP people. Many young members of the federation have a license as an armed guard, so people don’t have to fear the CCP spies’ threats.

“Being anti-CCP is the responsibility (of our generation). Let’s not pass down the suffering to the next generation.”

Mr. Wang was grateful for the U.S.’ saving many Chinese, but he understood that the U.S. cannot bring all Chinese over. His responsibility is to make China the same as the U.S. He feels that more and more young Chinese who escaped to the U.S. share the same view. He wants his federation to become the key resource to stop the CCP’s overseas expansion and gradually contain the CCP’s influence within China; in the end he and his coworkers will go to China to fulfill their mission.

“We only want to overthrow the CCP. Then we will dissolve our organization.” Mr. Wang does not care who becomes the President after the CCP, because there can never be any regime worse than the CCP. The federation is to build up the power of the people but not to make the choice for the people.

Source: Epoch Times, October 1, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/10/1/n11559203.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

National Post: Host on Chinese-language Station in Toronto Fired for Criticizing the CCP

According to the Canadian news media, the National Post, a talk-show host on a major Chinese-language radio station in Ontario says he was fired because, while on the radio, he questioned a pro-Beijing community leader .

Mr. Kenneth Yau was an unpaid guest host on the Fairchild Radio’s AM1430 station. He interviewed Simon Zhong, head of the Toronto Community and Culture Centre on September 30. Zhong is considered a China ally. Mr. Yau pressed Zhong to explain how he could both be “100 percent Canadian” and also respect the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

After the show, many pro-China listeners complained to the Toronto station. A few days later, the station let Mr. Yao go, using the reason that his on-air style was “too loud.”

Mr. Yau said he has also challenged Beijing’s stance on the Hong Kong protests, prompting threats from listeners to kill his family and rape his daughter. He also defended Canada’s arrest of a Huawei Technologies executive.

Mr. Yau thought that the station felt pressure both from advertisers who had connections with China and relatively recent immigrants who grew up on the mainland under Communist rule and were more loyal to the regime than those who came earlier from places such as Hong Kong.

The incident underscores what many Chinese Canadians see as a troubling reality: most of the media catering to their community are loath to say anything critical of Beijing.

That includes self-censoring topics that the Chinese government considers taboo, such as discrimination against the Falun Gong and human rights in Tibet.

Another host, Anita Lee, on Fairchild’s AM1740 station was let go after expressing support for protesters in Hong Kong. She played Glory to Hong Kong, the rousing anthem that the demonstrators have adopted, an ode to freedom, democracy, and human rights. After a barrage of complaints, Ms. Lee returned to work. Fairchild said she had simply left to spend more time with her children.

Source: National Host, October 8, 2019
Host on Chinese-language station in Toronto says he was fired for criticizing Beijing

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

The U.S. and China’s Exchanges on Twitter

China has long been requesting U.S. diplomats to report and get approval from the Chinese government for meetings with local officials or educational and research institutions in China. As a reciprocal response, on October 16, the U.S. State Department issued a new rule that Chinese diplomats in the U.S. will now have to report meetings with state and local officials, as well as visits to educational and research institutions.

China’s Embassy to the U.S. responded on Twitter: “The US State Department’s latest restrictions on Chinese diplomats are in violation of the Vienna Convention. So far, the Chinese side does not place similar requirements on American diplomats and consular officers in China.”

The U.S. Embassy to China responded on Twitter on October 18: “@AmbCuiTiankai’s Twitter is an example of the open information environment in the U.S. In China, access to Facebook, Twitter & YouTube is blocked and the PRC prevents our diplomats from using Chinese social media. China, why not unlock @USA_China_Talk so your people can see it?”

Source: Epoch Times, October 18, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/10/18/n11597655.htm

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Prague Decided to Terminate Sister City Relationship with Beijing

Objecting to the Chinese Communist Party’s “One China” condition in its  sister city agreement, the government of Prague decided to terminate the sister city relationship with Beijing.

The two cities signed the sister city agreement when Xi Jinping visited the Czech Republic in 2016. The third article of the agreement stated that Prague promised to respect the “one China” policy and acknowledged that “Taiwan is an inseparable territory of China.”

Prague is also the sister city of Taipei.

Prague wanted to annul this “one China” article and contacted Beijing multiple times this year in an attempt to do so, but Beijing never provided any response. Therefore, the city of Prague opted to terminate the relationship.

Beijing did criticize the Prague governor’s trip to Taiwan made last March. Also, early this year, China cancelled the tours to China of four Czech performance troupes, including the Prague Philharmonic, the Pražák Quartet, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Guarneri Trio of Prague.

Source: Oriental Daily, October 7, 2019
https://www.orientaldaily.com.my/news/international/2019/10/07/309504

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend