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Xinhua: Chinese Domestic Clothing Market Saw Sharp Decline

Xinhua recently reported that, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s 2018 total clothing sales saw a 24.8 percent year-over-year decline, which represents 17.85 billion fewer pieces of clothing. Fabric for the clothing market suffered a similar decline at the same time. Also, based on data that the China Business Federation as well as the China National Business Information Center released, the national average of the proportion of income going toward clothing expenditures in consumer spending went from 6.8 percent in 2017 to 6.5 percent in 2018. Even nationwide, large retailers suffered a 4.2 percent decline in clothing sales. All clothing categories had a decline in sales except sports clothing. In the meantime, clothing prices increased by 1.4 percent in 2018 and the clothing rental business enjoyed some growth as well. Analysts expressed their belief that the cause of the market change was that companies are seeing widespread cost increases in terms raw materials. Fashion trends are also adjusting at a much more rapid pace.

Source: Xinhua, September 12, 2019
http://www.xinhuanet.com/2019-09/12/c_1124988599.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

RFA: Engineering Is a Trendy Field in China but Humanities and Social Sciences Are Falling Behind

According to Radio Free Asia, a research report on the world’s scientific research trends from 2000 to 2016 found that engineering has become the latest trend in China, second to medical research. According to the High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education in France, in China, engineering has replaced physics, chemistry, and biology and has become the subject that has the second largest number of published papers, next to medical science. At the same time, the research work being done on the humanities and on the social sciences is falling behind. RFA quoted comments from one of the experts who stated that the humanities and social sciences are a potential means for nurturing social unrest, which might bring too much risk to the Chinese government. On the other hand, science and technology, engineering, and mathematics research are seen as conducive to maintaining economic growth, and to maintaining social and political stability.

Source: Radio Free Asia, September 10, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/kejiaowen/cc-09102019122246.html

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

RFA: Beijing Is Upset about a Stage Play in London on Aids Victims in China

The true story of the Henan AIDS Village, which occurred twenty-four years ago, was recently shown in a play on stage in London, England. The play, called The King of Hell’s Palace, was based on the personal story of former Chinese doctor Wang Shuping, who exposed how officials covered up the truth about the AIDS village. Prior to the show’s opening day, the officials found Wang Shuping’s relatives and friends in China and tried to get them to stop the stage play. They also attempted to reach out to Wang’s daughter who lives in the U.S. They told Wang’s relatives that the play must be stopped because it embarrasses the Chinese government and some officials feel that their reputations may be damaged. Wang told RFA that she will not be silent because of intimidation. She has become a U.S. citizen and believes that she has a responsibility to protect vulnerable and helpless people. She hopes that, through the stage play, doctors who are still working in China will be protected from official oppression.

According to the latest U.N. AIDS data, as of 2018, there were 860,000 people known to be infected with HIV in China, of which 720,000 patients have received antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Source: Radio Free Asia, September 9, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/huanjing/rc-09092019115721.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

China’s State Media Took on Li Ka-shing

After the Hong Kong Real Estate Tycoon Li Ka-shing asked that the administration be lenient toward “the future owners of Hong Kong,” China’s state media blamed him for creating the housing crisis in Hong Kong. One observer thought this might indicate that Beijing is aiming at the wallets of the Hong Kong business elites to help it get through the current economic crisis.

In the past, Li Ka-shing remained low-key on the Hong Kong issue. His son Richard Li Tzar Kai presented a position statement. After pro-CCP gangsters severely cut a news reporter from the Hong Kong Economic Journal, Richard Li, who owns the newspaper, stated that he would cover all of the medical expenses and rehabilitation treatment for the staff and called for the police to bring the gangsters to justice.

Recently Beijing demanded that the Hong Kong business community express their support for Beijing and the Hong Kong government. Li Ka-shing put ads in newspaper, but people felt the ads could be interpreted as either pro Beijing or pro Hong Kong protesters.

On September 8, Li Ka-shing said at a prayer meeting that he wishes the young people be considerate about the big picture and the administration be lenient toward the future owners of Hong Kong. “Though there can be conflicts between the Law and the human feelings, on political issues, if (people) can think about the other party, many big issues can turn into smaller ones.”

On September 12, China’s state media fired at Li.  The Chang’an Sword, the pen name of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) Political and Legal Affairs Committee (PLAC), published an article titled “Li Ka-shing Spoke – Who Should Be Lenient toward the Hong Kong People?” The article stated that “a few future owners of Hong Kong illegally gathered on the street, beat the passengers, attacked the police, lit fires, … (They) created much violence.” “(Being lenient to these people) is nothing more than conniving in their crime. This is not thinking for Hong Kong, but it is watching Hong Kong slip into an abyss.”

It then said that people questioned Li Ka-shing on Internet postings. During the Asian financial crisis in 1997, Li Ka-shing continued to request the small businesses to pay back their debts. “Why didn’t we see you be lenient toward Hong Kong citizen then?”

It further blamed Li Ka-shing and other real estate businesses for hoarding land in Hong Kong and thus created the extremely-high housing prices in Hong Kong. It suggested that the government should develop more affordable housing to improve people’s living standards. “Don’t know if those real estate businessmen, like the richest man Li, will be ‘lenient’ toward the Hong Kong people this time? Will be ‘lenient’ toward the future owners of Hong Kong?”

The People’s Daily also published an article on the Tencent QQ site, titled “Hong Kong Can No Longer Wait to Solve Its Housing Problem!” It said that a large reason that many young people who were not interested in politics got involved in the past three months was because they felt that they cannot control their future. Unaffordable housing prices in Hong Kong are a key reason.

It suggested that the government can follow the Land Resumption Regulation, to use its administrative power to take the land back from private owners. “According to the Basic Law, the compensation for the acquisition of land ‘is equivalent to the actual value of the property at the time.’ The private owner will be paid.”

“For the sake of the people, for the sake of their living, it is time for the real estate developers to show their maximum good will. They should not just think for themselves and grab the last penny they can get. What is it to be responsible to the future of Hong Kong? What is it to be ‘lenient’ to the young people of Hong Kong? This is.”

Reuters quoted a source on September 13 that said Beijing has recently gathering the top executives of nearly 100 State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and asked them to increase their investment in the real estate, retail, and tourism industries in Hong Kong and gain control over Hong Kong companies.

One SOE representative told Reuters, “Hong Kong business elites have done way too little (this time). Most of them don’t belong to (our side).”

A China issues expert commented that the CCP’s taking on Li Ka-shing has a deeper meaning. Beijing’s foreign reserves will be depleted soon. How to quickly gather foreign money has become an urgent issue for the CCP to extend its life. Hong Kong companies might become the CCP’s target for their money pool.

Sources:
1. Epoch Times, September 13, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/9/13/n11519711.htm
2. SINA, September 12, 2019
https://news.sina.com.cn/c/2019-09-12/doc-iicezzrq5484878.shtml
3. QQ, September 12, 2019
https://new.qq.com/omn/20190912/20190912A0NVAA00.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Government/Politics

Nikkei Chinese: China Overseas Acquisitions Declined Significantly

Nikkei Chinese Edition recently reported from Hong Kong that, according to statistics provided by U.S. market research leader Dealogic, Chinese overseas acquisitions saw a significant decline in the first half of this year. The total acquisition value between January and June was US$24.5 billion, which represents a 42 percent decline. And it’s only worth twenty percent of the peak time value in 2016. In the first half of this year, China had a total of 251 overseas acquisitions, which is a five-year low. The highlights of these deals were the five percent shares of Daimler Germany (US$2.7 billion) and the merger with French chip maker Linxens (US$2.6 billion). Analysts said the sharp decline was mainly due to tightened regulatory and administrative restrictions in the EU and the U.S., as well as China’s increased restrictions on capital outflow. More Chinese capital is heading to Southeast Asia, Africa and Russia. Nikkei is the world’s largest financial newspaper.

Source: Nikkei Chinese, September 5, 2019
https://cn.nikkei.com/china/ccompany/37208-2019-09-05-09-15-35.html?start=1

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Epoch Times: CCP Applies Five Measures to Control Hong Kong

Hong Kong Legislative Council Member Eddie Chu recently attended a forum in Taiwan called “What Happened to Hong Kong and What can Taiwan Do?” He said that the CCP used five methods to suppress Hong Kong’s anti-extradition movement and reminded people that, in the future, these measures may also be used to control Taiwan. He called on the Taiwanese people to come together to fight against the CCP, to support Hong Kong, and to defend Taiwan’s freedom and democracy. Chu appeared at the forum together with Joshua Wong, secretary-general of pro-democracy party Demosistō and Lester Shum, former deputy secretary-general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students. Freddy Lim, a Taiwan politician, also participated in the forum.

When asked about why the Taiwanese people need to pay attention to Hong Kong’s anti-extradition law movement, Zhu pointed out that Taiwan is facing the same type of attack from the mainland as Hong Kong is. He summarized the measures that the mainland uses to control Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong police exercising violence, the use high-tech surveillance technology, the application of pressure on business owners to control their employees, the employment of gang violence and the dissemination of fake news. Chu continued that the mainland deploys these five measures overseas. “If everyone thinks that the world should move toward freedom and democracy, we must regard the Hong Kong anti-extradition movement as a battle against the Chinese Communist Party. If more Taiwanese people stand up, it will definitely put more pressure on the CCP. They will re-adjust their strategy toward Hong Kong. It is not only helpful to the situation in Hong Kong. It is also an action that the Taiwanese people can take to defend democracy and freedom and prevent this terrorist rule from taking root in Taiwan.” Chu said that as long as Hong Kong is not a democratic government and does not have free elections, laws similar to the extradition law will continue to come out.

Source: Epoch Times, September 9, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/9/9/n11509346.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Epoch Times: Security Is the Priority for October 1

October 1, 2019, is the 70th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) taking over China. Also, the 4th Plenary Session of the 19th CCP Central Committee will be held in October. The CCP will hold a military parade and other activities in Tiananmen Square in Beijing; also, members of the CCP Central Committee will go to Beijing to attend the 4th Plenary Session. To ensure the smooth progress of the above activities and meetings, the CCP is placing a high priority on maintaining stability, as if one were facing a formidable enemy.

In an exclusive report, the Epoch Times published a copy of an urgent and confidential document that the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the CCP National Security Commission issued on September 2. The document states that Shanxi Province is part of the overall Beijing defenses and is required to be ready for war and to be on duty 24 hours a day.

Following Shanxi, another province, Shaanxi Province, used the term “wartime” in its official document concerning social stability in October.

Hu Minglang, Deputy Governor of Shaanxi Province and Director of the Public Security Department, issued an order on September 4, 2019, imposing a “wartime” prohibition on alcohol for all Shaanxi public security personnel from September 15 to October 4. All public security organs, police officers, police assistants, and other public security personnel at all levels in Shaanxi Province are prohibited from drinking alcohol for any reason at any time and on any occasion. Violators and their chain of command will be held accountable.

As October 1 is approaching, the CCP has strengthened security from the top down. Starting from the end of August, Beijing entered the “October 1 modus operandi” which mandated the removal of knives such as fruit knives and kitchen knives from shelves in the stores. On the eve of the military parade rehearsal from September 7 to 8, Beijing made massive arrests of people who visited Beijing to seek redress of their grievances that the local governments caused.

Meanwhile, Beijing’s Municipal CCP Secretary Cai Qi spoke on August 31, 2019, at the kickoff of the October 1 security campaign asking Beijing security personnel to be “excellent and perfect, and never lose.” His remark became the headline in the State media, Beijing Youth Daily.

Overseas media observed that, by treating its people as the enemy, it appears that the CCP is not preparing for a celebration, but rather, for a major disaster.

Source: Epoch Times, September 12, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/9/12/n11515358.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics Social Stability

Beijing Asks Chinese People to Promote Communist Ideology

On Tuesday September 10, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the country’s top Internet regulator, issued a draft version of the “Cyber Ecological Governance Regulations.”  The document listed 20 categories of contents that are “prohibited ” or “not allowed,” but for the first time, the authorities explicitly encouraged seven types of information to be circulated in cyberspace.

The seven areas include propagating Xi Jinping’s thoughts; propagating the party’s theories, principles, policies, and major decisions, and the highlights of China’s economic and social development; promoting socialist values; guiding consensus among the Chinese people on certain social issues; improving the international influence of the Chinese culture, and promoting stability.

CAC stated that the main purpose of the regulations is to control the contents of the cyber information of the government, enterprises, society and netizens, and to strengthen positive energy and punish illegal information.

Source: Radio Free Asia, September 12, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhengzhi/gf2-09122019085837.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics