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Xinhua: Chinese and Russian Think Tanks Say AUKUS Is Promoting Nuclear Proliferation

China’s state-run Xinhua news reported on August 3rd that the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association and the Russian Center for Energy and Security Studies jointly released a research report in Vienna, Austria, titled “The Risks of AUKUS Nuclear Submarine Cooperation on Nuclear Non-Proliferation Mechanisms and Global Security.” The report claims that AUKUS, a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, is intensifying the risk of nuclear proliferation. The report additionally says that AUKUS “poses a serious challenge to the international nuclear non-proliferation system and the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), severely threatening regional peace and stability.”

The report says that AUKUS cooperation “undermines international norms and creates negative impacts on various non-proliferation mechanisms, nuclear safety, and security, leading to increased arms competition and global insecurity.”

Li Song, the Chinese representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna,  said that AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation should be handled through consultation and consensus among the member states of IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency. He said that China will continue to work towards promoting “open, inclusive, and sustainable” intergovernmental discussion processes at the IAEA.

Source: Xinhua, August 3, 2023
http://www.news.cn/world/2023-08/03/c_1129784778.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend US-China Relations

The “Four-Don’ts Youth” vs. the “Four-Wants Youth”

Since April 2023, the phrase “Four-Don’ts Youth” (“四不青年”) has been circulating on the Chinese Internet, referring to Chinese youths who “don’t look for a date, don’t get married, don’t buy a house, and don’t have children” (“不找对象、不结婚、不买房、不要孩子”). It is another form of “lying flat,” a negative life attitude among young people who have lost hope in life and decide not to put in effort to change their situation.

China’s communist regime is concerned about the country’s demographic situation — it needs people to produce more babies and spend more money so as to head off economic stagnation. A document reportedly from the Guangzhou Municipal Communist Youth League said that, in survey of 15,501 individuals, 1,215 respondents have chosen to follow the “Four-Don’ts” lifestyle. The authorities called for converting youths from “Four-Don’ts” to “Four-Wants” (“want to look for a date, want to get married, want to buy a house, and want to have children” (“要谈恋爱、要结婚、要买房、要孩子”).

Source: China Digital Times, July 19, 2023
https://chinadigitaltimes.net/chinese/698115.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Social Stability

Shanghai to Stop Accepting New Ride-Hailing Cars

{Editor’s Note: In China’s current economic downturn, people are struggling to find jobs. Many have chosen to work for a ride-hailing service (similar to Uber) or do food delivery (similar to Uber Eats). The flood of people entering such jobs means these industries are becoming fully saturated with labor.}

On July 21, the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Management Bureau issued a notice stating that it will suspend the processing of ride-hailing transportation certificates. Starting from September 20, 2023, no new ride-hailing transportation certificates will be issued. Currently, there are about 76,000 licensed ride-hailing vehicles in Shanghai in addition to about 50,000 taxis.

The move by Shanghai’s government makes Shanghai the third city, after Sanya (Hainan Province) and Changsha (Hunan Province), to halt issuance of new ride-hailing certificates this year. Other cities have issued warnings regarding the risks of the ride-hailing industry, stating that local ride-hailing capacity has reached or nearly reached saturation. These include Jinan (Shandong Province), Suining (Sichuan Province), Wenzhou (Zhejiang Province), Dongguan (Guangdong Province), Linyi (Shandong Province), Kunming (Yunan Province), and Shenzhen (Guangdong Province).

Source: Net Ease, July 22, 2023
https://www.163.com/dy/article/IA6JQ4840547RFBR.html?f=post2020_dy_recommends

Briefings | | |   @CS Economy/Resources

At Least 155 Hospital Heads in China Investigated for Corruption This Year

Corruption is common throughout China. The healthcare sector has recently become a major focus of Beijing’s anti-corruption efforts, with at least 155 hospital presidents and communist party secretaries investigated this year, more than double the total for the previous year.

In May, 14 Chinese government ministries jointly published the “2023 Essentials for Correcting Irregularities in Pharmaceutical Procurement and Distribution and in the Medical Services,” aiming to address unethical practices within the healthcare industry. These practices include leaking bid prices, illegal benefits disguised as academic activities, and providing kickbacks to healthcare practitioners.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), July 30, 2023
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202307300120.aspx

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Taiwan Military Officers Under Investigation as Possible Spies for Beijing

Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that a Taiwanese Army Colonel surnamed Xie is suspected of leaking national defense secrets to a designated intermediary in China. The Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office recently ordered the investigation; Xie and others were questioned and their homes searched, leading to arrests for violating the Criminal Code’s provisions on offenses related to foreign states.

Colonel Xie was stationed at the 601st Special Forces Brigade in Longtan District, Taoyuan City. He is suspected of recruiting spies within the Taiwanese military. Xie’s brigade is one of the Army’s most powerful aerial firepower units, responsible for significant defense tasks in the northern region of Taiwan including the central Taipei area.

The ongoing investigation into Xie revealed that he may have developed an intelligence-gathering spy network comprising active-duty and retired Taiwanese military personnel. According to compiled data from court records and reports by Taiwan’s mainstream media, at least 21 active-duty or retired Taiwanese military officers with ranks of captain or higher have been convicted of engaging in espionage activities for China in the past decade.

Source: Deutsche Welle, August 2, 2023
https://www.dw.com/zh/再爆共谍案台陆军中校涉嫌泄密被羁押/a-66416539

 

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Recent Opaque CCP Operations

Communist regimes have acquired a reputation for their black-box operations, where they carefully hide certain internal affairs from the outside world, including from people living under the regime. Several such mysterious operations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have recently attracted attention.

The hottest recent topic is the whereabouts of Qin Gang, former Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs. Qin disappeared about a month ago. Beijing gave an unconvincing explanation that Qin had been away for “health reasons.” Eventually, Beijing announced that Qin has been removed from his post as Minister of Foreign Affairs and that Wang Yi has been appointed as a replacement. Wang was the head of the CCP’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission, which overseas the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The CCP still has not given any details about what happened to Qin Gang.

Wu Guohua (吴国华), Deputy Commander of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force, died on July 4, but the government never announced his death. A short notice about Wu’s death was posted on the Internet on July 27, but it was quickly removed and can no longer be seen. Rumor has it that Wu committed suicide. There were also rumors that several top officials of the Rocket Force, including its Commander Li Yuchao (李玉超)  and a few others, were under investigation for corruption and leaking secrets.

Wang Shaojun (王少军), former Director of the CCP’s Central Security Bureau, was officially announced dead on July 24, three months after his death. No details were given about how he died. The Central Security Bureau is responsible for providing security protection for top CCP officials (CCP Politburo member-level or above).

Source: Radio France International, July 27, 2023
https://www.rfi.fr/cn/中国/20230727-秘不发丧-从火箭军副司令吴国华神秘死亡说起

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics

Internet Article: Sad to See Shanghai Economy Fall to This Level

A Chinese netizen posted an article describing store closures in the key areas of Shanghai. The article provides an angle on the run-down economy of Shanghai as well as throughout broader China.

The author gave examples of three sites, representing small, mid-sized, and large retail stores.

  • Shanghai Train Station: There used to be many small stores selling stationery, mobile phone covers, clothes, etc., along its underground tunnel. These stores are now closed.
  • Hongqiao Train Station: There used to be many mid-sized stores, but most of them are now closed. The train station was hot and the author wondered if the authority couldn’t even afford air conditioning there.
  • Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street: This is a premium shopping district in Shanghai with many large retail stores. Zhidi Square Plaza, a landmark retail plaza, was closed, with some stores at upper level of the plaza still open.

Sources:
1. Central News Agency (Taiwan), July 24, 2023
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202307240273.aspx
2. Have8.tv (copy of the original posting)
https://news.have8.tv/3244441.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

China Acknowledges That It Inflated 2022 Letin Auto Revenue

{Editor’s Note: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is known for reporting fake (inflated) Gross Domestic Production (GDP) numbers, to make itself look better. A recent case evidenced that practice.}

Letin Auto, also known as Levdeo, is an electric vehicle manufacturer in China. Its founder Li Guoxin posted an article under the company’s official account on January 14, accusing the county party chief Wang Xiao for forcing Letin to report an extra non-existing 4.7 billion Yuan (US$660 million) in revenue so that the county could have a better GDP number.

The government conducted an investigation and announced the result: Letin reported GDP 7.095 billion Yuan of revenue in 2022, but its actual revenue was only 2.552 billion Yuan, which means that 4.543 billion Yuan of revenue was fabricated. Following the investigation, the punishment was light. Nine people were said to be involved and were each given a warning within the party. There was no criminal or administrative punishment. The county party chief was also cleared from being guilty.

Letin filed for bankruptcy in May 2023.

Source: Net Ease, July 27, 2023
https://m.163.com/dy/article/IALU4IGA05560VPM.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Economy/Resources