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Another Chinese Official Charged with Data Fraud

Sun Shutao, former vice chair of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was recently expelled from the Chinese Communist Party and public office for falsifying economic data. This event follows the similar expulsion of former Jiangsu deputy party secretary Zhang Jinghua in May.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) charged Sun with falsifying data so as to achieve personal advancement. He was also charged with engaging in transactions for power, sex, and money. The CCDI stated that Sun illegally accepted huge amounts of property (i.e. bribes).

Mainland Chinese media noted that Sun is the third official who has been publicly charged with data falsification. Before Zhang Jinghua, official Kong Lingdong of Qinghai province was charged in September 2022.

The Chinese government has a reputation for data falsification. In March, National Bureau of Statistics director Kang Yi vowed to crack down on the phenomenon, announcing a zero-tolerance policy for falsification.

The expulsions of Sun, Zhang and Kong indicate the Chinese government’s stance on the manipulation of data for political advancement. Despite periodic crackdowns, however, there are fundamental political incentives in place that encourage such data falsification; the practice remains widespread as officials face intense pressure to meet economic targets.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), October 9, 2023
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202310090254.aspx

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Survey: 92% of Japanese Have “Bad” Impression of China

A joint Japan-China public opinion survey released on October 10, 2023 showed deteriorating perceptions among the two countries. 92.2% of Japanese respondents had a “bad” impression of China, up 4.9 percentage points, while 62.9% of Chinese had a “bad” impression of Japan, up 0.3 points. Compared with previous surveys, more Japanese cited China’s actions contradicting international rules, while more Chinese pointed to tensions over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands dispute as well as Japanese politician rhetoric.

68.4% of Japanese viewed bilateral relations as “bad” or “not good,” up 12.2 points, while 41.2% of Chinese held this view, up 3.5 points. Despite this year being the 45th anniversary of the Japan-China Peace and Friendship Treaty, 81.6% of Japanese and 47.9% of Chinese were “not aware of the matter.”

Regarding Japan’s recent discharge of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, 47.6% of Chinese and 33.2% of Japanese were “worried.” Only 5.8% of Chinese felt that the discharge would “hinder” relations.

Some 1,000 Japanese and 1,506 Chinese responded to the survey, which was the 19th of its kind. The survey was conducted between August and September of this year.

Source: Kyodo News, October 10, 2023
https://china.kyodonews.net/news/2023/10/ccdd04967a15-92.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Uses Israel-Hamas War in Anti-US Propaganda

China’s state newspaper Global Times has used the war in Middle East to criticize the United States.

One editorial states, “It should be noted that the Palestinian-Israeli issue is a complex collection of problems, and that the interference of external forces is one of the main reasons for the delay in resolving the issue and even for the intensification of hatred. The United States-led Western countries have long been ‘pulling the strings’ on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, and it is obvious that the United States has been behind a number of wars in the Middle East throughout history. After the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the decisions of the United States and other Western countries to hastily take sides has not helped to solve the problem; rather, it is likely to add fuel to the fire.”

Another editorial argued, “It must be said that the prolonged marginalization of the Palestinian issue by the United States and the West is cruel. It is even more hypocritical for the elites of the United States and the West to ignore the actual humanitarian catastrophe [in Palestine] and to discuss the abstract concept of human rights. We have noticed that many in the US and the West have publicly expressed opinions, trying to create pressure to ‘choose sides’, keeping track of those countries that ‘have not condemned Hamas.’ In a phone call with the Saudi foreign minister, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken even unapologetically ‘instructed’ the Saudis to ‘unequivocally condemn’ the attack. Truth be told, Washington is in no position to educate anyone on this issue.”

Source: Global Times, October 8, 2023
https://opinion.huanqiu.com/article/4ErWijmRxmd
Global Times, October 9, 2023
https://opinion.huanqiu.com/article/4EsMjhCtt0J

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

LTN: China Ranks Last in 2023 Internet Freedom Survey

Non-profit organization Freedom House recently released its 2023 report “Freedom on the Net.” Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) cited the report, saying that, among the 70 countries considered in the report, China’s Internet freedom has ranked at the very bottom for the past nine consecutive years.

China scored only 9 points out of 100, and it rated as “not free”. Taiwan scored 78 points, ranking first in the Asia-Pacific region, and was rated as “free.” The Freedom House report researched the internet environment throughout the world, covering 89 percent of internet users globally. The report ranked the countries based on the criteria of “obstacles to accessing the Internet,” “restrictions on content,” and “user rights violations.”

The report showed that the country with the highest freedom in the world is Iceland (94 points), followed by Estonia (93 points), Canada (88 points), Costa Rica (85 points), the United Kingdom (79 points), Taiwan (78 points), Germany and Japan (77 points), and then United States, France, Australia and the Republic of Georgia (scoring 76 points each). Freedom House has published reports on internet freedom for 13 consecutive years.

The Chinese government has invested heavily in the AI industry, ensuring that internet-related companies follow the government’s authoritarian rule. After years of efforts, China’s Cyberspace Administration has successfully used algorithms, synthetic media and AI to conduct heavy-duty censorship of China’s Internet environment.

Source: LTN, October 5, 2023
https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/4449090

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Social Stability

China Times: Over 50 Percent of Professionals Plan to Leave Hong Kong

Major Taiwanese newspaper China Times recently reported on a survey by Robert Walters which found that, although the Hong Kong government has introduced a number of measures in recent years to retain and attract talents, more than half of professionals still plan to leave Hong Kong.

Around 15.6 percent of the professionals hope to leave Hong Kong as soon as possible, and 36.7 percent plan to leave in the next 3 to 5 years. Among those planning to leave, 51 percent are between the ages of 27 and 42, and 38 percent are between the ages of 43 and 58.

The survey shows that 96 percent of the professionals who plan to leave have already taken strategic actions to prepare for working abroad. The most common strategy was working for a multinational company, with 60 percent of the respondents adopting this strategy. Meanwhile, some 40 percent of the respondents have already applied for overseas jobs, and 31 percent have started training and studying for overseas careers.

The survey interviewed professionals in different fields such as accounting, engineering and development, financial services, healthcare, human resources, legal and compliance, sales and marketing, supply chain, logistics and procurement, as well as technology and transformation, etc.

Source: China Times, October 2, 2023
https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20231002701097-430801

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Social Stability

BBC Chinese: Indonesia Bans TikTok E-Commerce Services

BBC Chinese recently reported that the Indonesian government last week required TikTok to separate its e-commerce functionality from its video sharing services. The measures took effect on October 4. Authorities said the ban was intended to protect local brick-and-mortar and online retailers.

Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan said E-commerce cannot become social media now; the two need to be separated. He added that if TikTok does not comply with the new regulations within one week, its operating license may be revoked.

In 2021, Indonesia became the first country to pilot e-commerce services for TikTok, and it is also one of the largest markets in the world for the TikTok Shop. TikTok responded in a statement saying its first priority is to comply with local laws and regulations. It will no longer conduct e-commerce transactions in Indonesia.

Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest economy, and the country’s online retail industry has boomed in recent years. Indonesia’s population exceeds 278 million, while TikTok’s users in Indonesia number 125 million. This figure includes 6 million seller accounts as well as millions of content creators who use the TikTok Shop to make money.

The rise of online retailers has hit brick-and-mortar stores hard in Indonesia.

Source: BBC Chinese, October 4, 2023
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/business-67003951

 

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

CCP Media Praises “Community of Common Destiny for Mankind”

{Editor’s note: The “Community of Shared Human Destiny” is a political framework promoted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to advance foreign-policy goals, i.e. increasing the CCP’s power to influence other international players and its ability to dominate in the realms of economics, security, and geopolitics. [2]}

Xinhua reported that China’s State Council Information Office recently released a white paper titled “Working Together to Build a Community of Shared Human Destiny: China’s Proposals and Actions.” The article said that “this year marks the 10th anniversary of China’s proposal” of the concept. The article stated that over the past decade, the idea of a “Community of Shared Human Destiny” has formed into a scientific and theoretical system, and that this concept “is superior to the idea of ‘Universal Values’ promoted by a select few Western countries. It aligns with the trend of the times, advocates for global cooperation, and promotes the development of the international order in a more just and equitable direction.”

Sources:

[1] Xinhua, September 28, 2023
http://www.news.cn/world/2023-09/28/c_1129891341.htm

[2] “Community of Common Destiny”, Wikipedia, retrieved October 7, 2023
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_of_Common_Destiny

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Yunan University Military Training Performance: Students Act Out Police Suppression of Workers’ Protest

A recent video circulating online shows scenes from a military training performance at Chuxiong Normal University in Yunnan Province. In the video, students acted out how police might suppress workers who have not been paid and who are protesting for their salaries.

In the video, some students dressed as the “unpaid workers,” holding white pieces of paper displaying signs that read “Pay Our Debts.” Some workers at the fore wore black masks and rushed toward the “police,” also played by students. The police dressed in camouflage uniforms, using tear gas and other methods to disperse the workers. They then surrounded and violently restrained the workers, arresting and taking them away one by one.

The video has sparked widespread discussions among internet users. People commented that the CCP “does not treat people as people,” regarding even workers’ demands for unpaid wages as illegal. A report by the Epoch Times provided a footnote saying that China’s economy is worsening, so authorities may anticipate more incidents and clashes around workers’ unpaid salaries.

Source: Epoch Times, October 4, 2023
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/23/10/4/n14087686.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Social Stability