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Poll Shows 90 Percent of Young Hong Kongese Distrust the Central Government

The civil movement that the Hong Kong government’s attempt to amend the extradition bill triggered has lasted for two months. According to a survey of 1007 Hong Kong residents that the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute Limited (HKPORI) conducted, 90 percent of young people believe that their dissatisfaction comes from a distrust of the central government.

Among the 1,007 Hong Kong residents above the age of 14 that HKPORI interviewed in July, 81 percent showed no trust in the central government. The proportion of those who did not trust in “one country, two systems” or the Hong Kong chief executive was 75 percent. In particular, among the 14 through 29 age group, those distrusting the Chinese government was as high as 91 percent. The proportion against “one country, two systems” or the chief executive was 86 percent and 84 percent respectively. They believe that chief executive Carrie Lam, the Hong Kong police, and the central government are the main factors contributing to the current crisis.

Guo Wenhao, a young community activist, told RFA that young people in Hong Kong no longer think that the SAR government can speak for them, but that it has instead become a yes-man for Beijing:

“With so many protests in Hong Kong in the past, the SAR government has never spoken out for the Hong Kong people. The controversies about the amendment to the extradition bill have been going on for so long. However, the government’s response is to condemn the demonstrators. How could young people trust the government? Nowadays many young people feel that they are farther and farther away from the central government. At the same time the central government has intervened and exerted influence nonstop. The Beijing government has sabotaged the freedom of speech and judicial independence that we previously enjoyed in Hong Kong. Everyone is worried about whether we will become like the dissidents in China; they are worried about whether we will be arrested for ‘inciting the subversion of state power’ whenever we express our opposition to the Chinese government.”

Yao-Yuan Yeh, a professor at the Center for International Studies at the University of St. Thomas, said that a large number of young people in Hong Kong protested the revision of the extradition bill because their sense of deprivation has reached a peak point.

“People born before 1997 can personally feel the difference between the British and the Chinese governance of Hong Kong. Under which regime do people enjoy freedom and dignity? Those born after 1997 have access to free and open information, and know the situation in other countries. China has always wanted to transform or destroy the original political institutions in Hong Kong. With such a contrast, people have developed a sense of deprivation, and as a result they feel angry.”

Source: Radio Free Asia, August 6, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/hj-08062019120432.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Mainland Netizens Reported Young Chinese Scholar for Joining Parade in Hong Kong

Chen Chun, a scholar from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, recently circulated pictures of himself on social media participating in a parade in Hong Kong. Chinese netizens reported Chen and protested. Chen introduced himself as a Ph.D. in ethics and a columnist, born in 1985.

The incident began on July 14, when some Chinese netizens found that Chen’s WeChat account showed photos of him wearing masks at Tai Wai MTR station, as part of the “black silence” parade that seven labor unions of the Hong Kong press industry had initiated.

After the incident went viral in cyberspace, some netizens posted comments on Chen’s Weibo account, a twitter like Chinese microblogging account, criticizing him and calling him a member of the “Hong Kong independence” movement. Although Chen has closed the comment function on his Weibo account, some mainland Chinese continued to slam him. One post said, “(We) may not be able to handle foreigners, but are you daring us to teach you a lesson?”

Chen Chun has not offered any response.

Source: Central News Agency, August 6, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201908060187.aspx

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

The Paper: The Renminbi Becomes Independent

On August 5, for the first time since 2008, the exchange rate between the Chinese Yuan and the U.S. dollar surpassed 7:1. The Paper published a commentary analyzing the meaning.

“It reflects a big change in China’s currency policy. It will no longer attempt to keep the exchange rate below 7. From the short-term perspective, under the pressure of Trump’s new tariff on over $300 billion of Chinese goods and the downward pressure on China’s economy this year, devaluing the Renminbi will help the economy.”

“A deeper meaning of the exchange rate’s breaking the 7 limit is that the Renminbi has become more independent. The U.S. dollar index went down in the past three days. The Renminbi went lower against the U.S. dollar but higher against other currency (had the Renminbi followed the U.S. dollar, it would have gone lower against other currency since the U.S. dollar went lower against them).”

“Putting the information together, it showed that the Renminbi has started to cut its tie to U.S. dollar and has started to be independent. This will weaken the dollar’s global position in the long run. After breaking away from the U.S. dollar, the Renminbi will gradually obtain a stronger position in the world. Finally, China made this step (to make Renminbi independent from the U.S. dollar). It is a bit too late to do so, but it is still better than not to make this move at all.”

The author predicted that the Renminbi will continue going down.

Source: The Paper, August 5, 2019
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_4089673

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources US-China Relations

Xinhua: Over 3500 Mobile Malware Found in China Last Year

Xinhua recently reported that, according to statistics that the National Internet Emergency Center provided, a total of 3,517 mobile apps offered at 314 mobile app stores were ordered to be removed from the stores. These malware apps were carrying out malicious activities across critical sectors such as financial services, daily life support, and managing payments. Such illegal behavior typically includes stealing personal information, distributing junk messages, pushing unwanted commercials, spreading fraudulent information, and even deducting fees from users’ accounts without permission. The Center captured over 2.83 million malware instances across the Chinese network, which represents an 11.7 percent year-over-year increase. China currently has a netizen population of 817 million.

Source: Xinhua, July 28, 2019
http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2019-07/28/c_1124808400.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

“Study Buddy” Program for International Students in China Criticized for Deficiency

People in China have been unhappy because the Chinese government has been awarding a substantial number of scholarships to international students from African countries. In July, articles were posted on Weibo alleging that, in 2018, Shandong University developed a study buddy program that connected three local students with each foreign student and they were often of the opposite sex. The matching ratio had been one to one in 2017, but was increased. The posting has drawn wide criticism because of the preferential treatment that foreign exchange students receive in China. On July 7, Shandong University issued a statement stating that its study buddy program is legal and justified. It is in line with the intent of the Ministry of Education to encourage exchanges between Chinese and foreign students.

Based on the study buddy listing posted on Weibo, 47 international students came from Pakistan, Nepal, Yemen, Malaysia, Russia, Afghanistan, Kenya, and other countries. One was from Germany and eight were from South Korea. The list showed that boys were matched with girls, while girls were matched with boys.

During the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in 2018, Xi Jinping said that it will provide 50,000 Chinese government scholarships to students from African countries. In addition, China will invite 2,000 African youths to come to China for the exchange program. Due to the continuous increase in the number of scholarships, the number of foreign exchange students has increased by more than 10 percent for two consecutive years. In a video circulating on mainland media in 2018, a female student from the East Timor said that she can not only support herself while studying in China, but also can send extra money back to her family.

A recent discussion on Weibo of the “Study Buddy” program at Shandong University focused on connecting three female students with one foreign male student and resulted in experts in China paying attention to this as a deficiency in the international student program in Chinese universities.

On July 26th, Financial Times published an article titled “How to Make China a More Attractive Destination for Foreign Students.” The article quoted the data from the International Education Association, which stated that foreign exchange students only account for 0.6 percent of college students in China, far lower than the 5.3 percent in the U.S. The article pointed out that the reason for the low enrollment of foreign students is the restrictions on enrollment conditions and the fee structure. Moreover, there is lack of curriculum and teaching resources for international students.

The article said that the Study Buddy system has existed in the US and UK for a while. It assists the foreign students in adapting to university life. It suggested that universities in China study how the program is managed in the U.S. and the UK. It should encourage communication between local and foreign students while preventing the study buddy situation at Shandong University from happening in the future.

Sources: Radio Free Asia, July 12 & August 2, 2019

1. https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/kejiaowen/ql2-07112019111715.html
2. https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/kejiaowen/bm1-08022019140708.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Aboluowang: Secrete Document Shows Social Credit System to Be Applied to Religious Sites

In recent years, communist China has continued to expand its persecution of religious groups. It was disclosed that the authorities have established a system in which it rates religious sites. Those that have a low score could face a temporary shutdown. If the points continue to fall below the threshold, they will be closed completely.

According to a document that the United Front Work Department of the Henan Provincial Government issued, the authorities have asked officials to rate each religious site from 1 to 5 stars. The document shows that religious sites that scored 95 or more will be rated 5 stars. If the scores are between 50 and 75 for two consecutive years, they will be forced to stop operations for 1 year for internal restructuring and the management will be replaced. If they refuse to make changes or if their score is less than 50 points for two consecutive years, their license will be revoked, which means that they will be completely closed.

The scoring criteria are quite strict and there are numerous ways for points to be reduced. For example, the authorities regard the illuminated cross as a “missionary act.” If a religious place displays signs with neon, a horn, or an illuminated cross, it will lose ten points. If the relevant personnel are unfamiliar with the religious policy, 5 to 10 points will be taken off. If the party members enter the church for personal reasons, 5 points will be taken off. If religious print materials are distributed, 10 points will be taken off.

It is expected that the social credit system will be fully launched and implemented nationwide next year. The rights of the religious personnel could suffer further infringement.

Source: Aboluowang, August 4, 2019
https://www.aboluowang.com/2019/0804/1324416.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Reference News: U.S. Predicament Similar to That before the Fall of the Soviet Union

Reference News, a well-known branch of Xinhua, recently reported, based on some Russian sources, that there was a similarity between the current U.S. political situation and the period before the Soviet Union dissolved. The report said that President Trump’s “political incorrectness” and “arrogant impulses” have accelerated the loss of the United States’ “soft power.”  Many U.S. traditional allies who used to follow the U.S. lead blindly have started to “hold their breath” and have doubts. The U.S. political landscape is heavily divided and the U.S. society is losing its traditional values on family and religion. Although the U.S. is still a very powerful nation, yet fewer and fewer of the U.S. population feel proud of being an American. Only 30 percent of the people surveyed outside the United States had a positive view of the Trump-led United States. Even if a Democratic president is elected in the next election, the fall of the U.S. global influence may continue. The loss of American values may lead to the fall of the empire, just like (what happened to) the Soviet empire. Reference News is one of the only two newspapers in China that can directly publish original foreign news reports legally. It is currently the largest daily newspaper in China.

Source: Reference News, August 1, 2019
http://column.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2019/0801/2387025.shtml

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

DW Chinese: President of Lithuania Stood against Chinese Investment

Deutsche Welle Chinese Edition recently reported that newly elected Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda strongly opposed introducing Chinese capital into port investments. He was referring to the modernization project of the Port of Klaipeda, citing concerns about national security and environmental protection matters. He called for putting a hold on the deep-water port investment since the people of Lithuania had not yet reached a domestic consensus. The President would rather not be forceful in pushing a project that Chinese investments had backed. He described it as “very dangerous.” In February, Lithuania’s national security agencies warned about Chinese spy activities in their official annual security threat report. Klaipeda Port is the largest port in Lithuania and the only non-freezing port in the Baltic region. The location signifies its importance in China’s One Belt One Road strategy. According to Russian reports, the modernization project requires 800 million Euro, which is a heavy burden for a country with a total GDP of only 45 billion Euro.

Source: DW Chinese, July 30, 2019
http://news.dwnews.com/global/news/2019-07-30/60143312.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend