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Epoch Times: China’s Provincial Authorities Set Quantitative Standards for Obtaining Overseas Advanced Technologies for Job Performance

Epoch Times obtained an internal document from the Hebei (Province) authorities. The document revealed that the provincial authorities set quantitative standards for obtaining advanced overseas technologies as job performance indicators. Moreover, institutions under the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Communist Party of China are directly involved.
The document was the “Provincial Budget Project Performance Evaluation Form” (issued on November 17, 2020) by the Hebei International Talent Exchange Association. It shows that the organization’s “performance indicators” include four components: expanding at least 50 cooperation channels; organizing no less than four international scientific and technological cooperation activities; preparing no less than 50 foreign technology projects in reserve, achieving no less than five cooperation intentions; and adding 60-80 foreign technology experts into the reserve.

Its “output indicators” include: introducing foreign advanced scientific and technological innovations and realizing technology transfer, with the number being equal to or greater than 50; the introduction of 3 high-end talent teams in areas of information and communication, biotechnology, medicine and health, new materials, advanced manufacturing, energy, aerospace, and artificial intelligence; signing at least five relevant agreements with friendly groups, expert organizations, research institutions, and universities in the world.

The Hebei International Talent Exchange Association (International Technology Transfer Center) was established in 1988. It has more than 200 technical projects and more than 300 experts, covering more than 10 categories including artificial intelligence, information communication, biotechnology, medicine and health, new materials, modern services and more.

In its “Application Report of Establishing the International Technology Transfer Center by the Hebei International Talent Exchange Association” on November 21, 2020, it is revealed that the focus of the association’s work is to “introduce advanced scientific and technological innovations from abroad and realize technology transfer.”

In its “Presentation of Achievements, it stated that the association and multiple institutions jointly initiated the “Alliance of International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation.”

So far, this alliance has won the Israeli agriculture project, the production of nanocarbons from waste plastics project, the Hungarian energy grass project, German industrial wastewater treatment technology, South Africa quinoa seed and planting technology, South Africa glaucoma treatment technology and more.

Source: Epoch Times, December 11, 2020
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/20/12/11/n12612099.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Xinhua: Shanghai Begins Vaccinations against New Coronavirus among High-Risk Personnel in Key Positions

According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that Shanghai has successively started vaccinations against the New Coronavirus (covid-19 virus), using vaccines of the inactivated whole virus.
　　
It is reported that this emergency vaccination in Shanghai mainly involves personnel in key positions with a higher risk of contracting the new coronary pneumonia. Specifically, the front-line customs inspection and quarantine personnel at the port involved in imported cold chain items, port loading and unloading, handling, transportation and other related personnel; international and domestic transportation personnel; personnel to work and study overseas; border port staff who are facing a higher risk from overseas epidemics; medical and health personnel; workers at government agencies and departments of public security, armed police, fire fighters, those in community service; water, electricity, gas and other related personnel; personnel at transportation, logistics, elderly care facilities, sanitation, funeral, communications and other related areas.
　　
In due course, Shanghai will launch the new coronavirus vaccination for people going abroad for private purposes.

Source: Xinhua, December 26, 2020
http://www.xinhuanet.com/local/2020-12/26/c_1126910999.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Xinhua: UK Faces Major Challenges Even under the New Agreement with EU

Xinhua recently reported that the British government finally reached an agreement with the European Union, leaving the “No-Deal Brexit” cloud behind. However, the Brits may have several tough challenges ahead of them. At the top of the list of troubles is Scotland being unhappy with the new agreement and the call for Scotland’s independence has intensified. The second major issue is the agreement’s lack of coverage of financial services. Britain is currently the world’s largest net financial service exporter. Forty percent of its financial services serve the EU, including banking, finance, insurance and telecommunications. It appears the EU may not allow the UK to keep the EU single market benefits without assuming obligations. The third big problem for Britain is the difficulties it has on trade agreements with other countries. Other than Japan and Canada, the British government has made little progress with key trade partners like the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Simultaneous talks are still on-going but moving very slowly. According to the British Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), in the next 15 years, the British economic growth may be four percent less than would be the case if it stayed within the EU.

Source: Xinhua, December 26, 2020
http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2020-12/26/c_1126911308.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

U.S. Report to Congress on Human Trafficking in the Seafood Supply Chain

A report to Congress, drafted by the Departments of Commerce (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and State, addresses the issue of human trafficking in the seafood supply chain. The Report lists 29 countries that are most at risk for human trafficking in the seafood sector –documenting the quantity and value of seafood imports from each listed country, and discusses seafood traceability programs in each listed country.

“The fishing sector has an inherently high risk for human trafficking. The work is considered hazardous and often relies heavily on a low-skilled, migrant, easily replaced workforce, vulnerable to trafficking. Fishing is also inherently isolating, with vessels sometimes spending months to years at sea, which impedes individuals’ escape from or reporting of abuse. Emotional and physical abuse, sometimes resulting in death; excessive overtime; poor living conditions; deceptive or coercive recruiting practices; and lack or underpayment of wages are examples of the abuses sustained by human trafficking victims in the fishing sector. Countries with weak legal protections for civil liberties and workers’ rights; high levels of corruption, crime, violence, political instability, poverty; and immigration policies that limit employment options or movement are at an increased risk for human trafficking. Illicit recruiters, unscrupulous vessel captains, and human traffickers exploit such conditions to perpetrate fraud, deception, and violence.”

The report points out that the PRC (People’s Republic of China) is a significant offender in the use of forced labor in its fishing sector, with numerous reports known on Chinese-flagged and -owned vessels throughout the world. “China has the largest fishing fleet in the world and contains a wide variety of vessels that operate on the high seas and in foreign countries’ EEZs (Exclusive Economic Zone) throughout the world. The majority of the crews on board are migrant workers from Indonesia and the Philippines but have also been noted to be from Africa and other Asian countries. According to the media, governmental and non-governmental reports, there have been numerous incidents of forced labor reported on Chinese fishing vessels. Workers report excessive working hours, poor living conditions, isolation at sea for months to years, verbal and physical abuse, nonpayment of wages, document, and debt bondage. Deaths have occurred as the result of abuse on these vessels. Workers are sometimes recruited by agencies that use deceptive tactics regarding their wages and contracts, and they are often required to pay recruitment fees and sign debt contracts. The Chinese fishing fleet is a major player in global IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing; crew members forced to engage in IUU activities on board these vessels are also at high risk of undue penalization. Fishing observers report insufficient oversight of the PRC’s fishing industry, which leaves fishermen at increased risk of forced labor.”

The Report also discusses current U.S. government efforts to combat human trafficking in the seafood industry, including enforcement mechanisms and provides ten recommendations for legislative and administrative action to combat human trafficking in this sector. Recommendations include outreach to listed countries, promoting global traceability efforts and international initiatives to address human trafficking, and strengthening collaboration with the industry to address human trafficking in the seafood supply chain.

Source: State Department, December 23, 2020
https://www.state.gov/report-to-congress-human-trafficking-in-the-seafood-supply-chain/

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

DHS Warns Businesses about Security Risks on Data Services and Equipment from China Linked Firms

On Tuesday December 22, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a business advisory to American businesses warning them of the risks associated with the use of data services and equipment from firms linked to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

According to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf, “For too long, U.S. networks and data have been exposed to cyber threats based in China which are using that data to give Chinese firms an unfair competitive advantage in the global marketplace.”  “Practices that enable the PRC government to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data – both personal and proprietary – put the U.S. economy and businesses in the position of having a direct risk of exploitation. We urge businesses to exercise caution before entering into any agreement with a PRC-linked firm.”

This advisory highlights the persistent and increasing risk of PRC government-sponsored data theft due to newly enacted PRC laws that can compel PRC businesses and citizens – including academic institutions, research service providers, and investors – to take actions related to the collection, transmission, and storage of data even though these actions run counter to principles of U.S. and international law and policy.

The advisory lists six types of situations that pose risks to U.S. businesses or individuals when engaging in data sharing with PRC firms or entities: data centers owned or operated by PRC firms; foreign data centers built with PRC equipment, joint ventures, legally acquired data augmenting illicitly acquired data, software and mobile device applications owned or operated by PRC firms, fitness trackers and other wearable electronic devices.

The advisory recommended that “businesses and individuals that operate in the PRC or with PRC firms or entities should scrutinize any business relationship that provides access to data— whether business confidential, trade secrets, customer personally identifiable information (PII), or other sensitive information. Businesses should identify the sensitive personal and proprietary information in their possession. To the extent possible, they should minimize the amount of at-risk data being stored and used in the PRC or in places that PRC authorities can access.”

In particular, DHS provides a list of examples of the types of data that should be considered particularly sensitive:

1. Technology and other data in connection to export-controlled products.
2. Intellectual property, including trade secrets, relating to emerging technologies identified in China 2025 and other PRC plans.
3. Biotech, genomic data, and medical test data.
4. Personally-identifiable and other sensitive information.
5. Geolocation data.

Source: U.S. Department of Home Security, December 22, 2020
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/12/22/dhs-warns-american-businesses-about-data-services-and-equipment-firms-linked-chinese

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

LTN: Over 10 Million Chinese Emigrated in 2019

Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that, according to the newly released IOM (International Organization for Migration) global report, in 2019, around 10.7 million people from China emigrated to foreign countries. China ranked number three in the world, after India and Mexico. The Report indicated that, in 2019, over 40 percent of the world’s immigrants came from Asia, mainly India, China, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Most Chinese emigrants moved to the United States, Japan, Canada and Australia. By the end of 2019, there were over three million Chinese immigrants living in the U.S., the second largest number after Mexico, which has major illegal immigration issues. Education is the primary driver for the Chinese immigrants, whose average age got consistently younger over the past ten years. New York immigration lawyer Guo Jin explained that, from his experience, a lot of Chinese parents simply could not accept their kids getting brainwashed.

Source: LTN, December 26, 2020
https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/3393193

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Social Stability

Xinhua: China Passed New National Defense Law

Xinhua recently reported that the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress just passed major amendments to the National Defense Law. The newly amended law established “Xi Jinping Thought” as the guiding principle in national defense activities and it enhanced the National Military Commission Chairman Accountability System. The amendments also defined new areas of national security and the need to defend the national interests in these areas. Xi Jinping’s foreign relationship principles have also been applied to policy directions on military related foreign affairs. The new amendments “decisively” clarified and reinforced the concept of “all-people national defense.” It requires that “all state organizations and armed forces, all political parties and people’s organizations, and all enterprises and institutions, social organizations and other organizations” must “support and participate” in national defense duties, and complete assigned national defense tasks. All citizens must strengthen their awareness of national defense. Students and public officials should also take military training or receive national defense education.

Source: Xinhua, December 26, 2020
http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2020-12/26/c_1126911488.htm

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Internal Document: CCP Uses “Military-Civil Fusion” to Gain Access to Advanced Technology Overseas

An internal document that the Epoch Times obtained revealed that a delegation from Hebei province used official visits to foreign countries to help private companies gain access to advanced technologies overseas.

The document which was dated July 12, 2019, came from Qingyuan District, Baoding City, Hebei Province. It mentioned that from November 19 to 26, 2018, the Baoding Economic and Trade Delegation visited the United Kingdom and Italy. During the official visit, it helped the Lizhong Group, a private aluminum casting alloy and wrought aluminum alloy manufacturer, to secure multiple contracts. One of the contracts was with UK MQP Limited on collaboration in the super grain refiner project. The other two included an agreement for a joint development laboratory project with Brunel University in the UK and a strategic investment agreement with HT&L Fitting from Italy. Even though the Lizhong Group is registered as a private company, it has been an active member of the CCP’s military-civil fusion project. As an example, on August 1, 2016, it participated as an exhibitor in the CCP military-civil fusion achievement conference organized by the PLA Baoding branch.

Another internal document showed that the Baoding Municipal government used the “international friendly city program” to work with government officials and companies in Ireland, which is also called “Europe’s Silicon Valley,” aiming to gain access to the advanced technology in Artificial Intelligence. According to the document, Baoding City used three steps to build an “international Friendly City” relationship with Cork County of Ireland. The first step was that it signed a memo of “Cultural Tourism Friendly Exchange City” with Cork County in October 2018. After that, it signed another memo to establish economic and trade cooperation. Lastly, in July 2019, it invited officials of Cork County to visit Baoding and also participate in an international Entrepreneurs summit in Baoding. As part of its “international Friendly City” promotion, from June 9-16, 2019, the Deputy Mayor and also a member of CCP Baoding City standing Committee, led a group of delegates and visited the UK and Ireland. The official memo indicated that the delegation met with business and government officials from those countries as well as China’s Ambassadors stationed in UK and Ireland. They also had a meeting with companies including London-based Benvolant Artificial Intelligence Company.

The CCP has been actively promoting a “military-civil fusion (MCF, 军民融合)” policy. Beijing clearly stated that military-civil fusion is “a necessary choice for the party to achieve powerful military goals in the new era” and emphasized the integration of the private sector into the foundation of the defense industry.

Source: Epoch Times, December 22, 2020
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/20/12/22/n12636952.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics