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Researcher: China May Have Inflated Its GDP By 30 Percent

Luis Martinez, Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago, published a research paper with a model to analyze a country’s economy. He used the brightness of lights at night from satellite images as a proxy indicator of economic activity. Martinez reasoned that more economic development leads to more infrastructure development, including more streetlights and buildings and more lights. He then compared the stable and credible democracy countries to authoritarian regimes and found that the latter overstate their economy by 30 to 35 percent.

Martinez’s model showed that China’s might have exaggerated its GDP by one-third.

A 2019 report by the Brookings Institution was in agreement with Martinez’s conclusion. It suggested that China overstated its economic growth by 2 percent each year and thus its actual economic volume was 12 percent smaller than the official number.

Source: VOA, November 1, 2022
https://www.voachinese.com/a/satellites-shed-light-on-dictators-lies-about-economic-growth-20221031/6813568.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Economy/Resources

After the Confucius Institute, the CCP Switched to Promoting the Lu Ban Workshop

The Chinese Communist Party has been promoting the “Lu Ban Workshop (鲁班工坊)” in countries along the path of its Belt & Road Initiative (BRI).

Launched by the Tianjin Municipal Government, the Lu Ban Workshops are named after Lu Ban, a famous Chinese craftsman. They provide vocational education, from mechatronics to applied electronics, and from automation to robotics, to residents of hosting countries, with a focus on local needs.

Xi Jinping has personally promoted the Lu Ban Workshop on several occasions, including at his meetings with presidents from the target countries.

The first workshop was established in Thailand in 2016. There are now 25 Lu Ban Workshops in 19 countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Portugal, and in Central Asian countries.

The Lu Ban Workshop has essentially the same export model as the Confucius Institute: Chinese vocational and technical schools seek local partners in targeted countries and offer courses in those local schools to teach skills related to Chinese standards.

There has been growing concern over the Confucius Institutes as they promote the CCP ideology and impose CCP policy at the local partner school. In the past few years, there has been a wave of interest in closing Confucius Institutes and 104 of the 118 Confucius Institutes at U.S. universities have been closed.

Source: VOA, November 6, 2022
https://www.voachinese.com/a/luban-workshop-china-2022-11-06/6821047.html

 

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Student Informer Reported on Chinese University Professor

On October 27, Xu Songyan, a professor at China’s Southwest University (SWU) located in the city of Chongqing, posted on Weibo, a Twitter-like Chinese microblogging platform, that a student informer who, after secretly sitting in his class, told him that Xu will be questioned (by the authorities). The post, which was subsequently deleted from Weibo, received attention from millions of Chinese netizens.

Chinese universities have what are called “information officers,” who are students appointed by the school to collect information on teaching activities, and who regularly file reports with the university. These student “informers” also report faculty members’ views and opinions to the university’s Communist Party and administrative authorities. The academic fields are under close watch including programs of literature, history and philosophy.

Xu Songyan is currently a professor at SWU’s School of History and Culture, where he teaches ancient Greek and Roman history. Recent years have seen criticism of the promotion of ancient Greek culture in mainland China, as ancient Greece was known as the birthplace of western democracy. Communist Party chairman Xi Jinping once said that the “path to socialism with Chinese characteristics must be deeply rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese culture, that one should have a firm confidence in Chinese culture, and that one should not ‘always talk about Greece.’”

This is not the first time that a student “information officer” reported a professor. In May 2018, Zhai Juhong, a professor at the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, was reported by a student informer and expelled from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by the CCP Committee of the university. She was also dismissed from her position and disqualified as a teacher because of her comments on constitutional amendments, the state-owned enterprises and the institution of the People’s Congress.

Source: Ming Pao (Hong Kong), October 28, 2022
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B/article/20221028/s00013/1666895213286/

Briefings | | |   @CS Social Stability

Chinese Violence: Its Diplomats Dragged Protesters Inside Its Consulate to Beat Them

On Sunday, China’s consul-general and other staff members of the Manchester Consulate in England attacked protesters outside their facility and dragged a man inside their compound so they could beat him. As the situation heated up, China continued its wolf warrior approach and lodged representations to the U.K. to demand the protection of its diplomats.

On Sunday, a group of Hong Kong activists held a peaceful protest outside the Chinese Consulate. In response to their peaceful protest, a group of men, wearing masks, came out of the consulate gate and started beating them. The consulate staff members even dragged one protester inside the consulate grounds to assault him further. U.K. police intervened and pulled the man out.

The victim, Bob Chan, explained, “I was pulled inside and was beaten up.”  He had injuries to one of his eyes, and pain in his head and back. He said, “The worst is that near my spine there are some internal injuries and it still hurts when I sit down.”

Scenes of the attack were videotaped and widely viewed online. The British were shocked by the Chinese diplomats’ actions.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told Sky News that the episode was “absolutely unacceptable” as the protests were “peaceful and legal.” James pointed out, “They were on British soil.”

British Foreign Office summoned Chinese charge d’affaires Yang Xiaoguang on Tuesday. “Today we have made our view clear to the Chinese authorities: the right to peaceful protest in the UK must be respected,” said foreign office minister Zac Goldsmith.

China countered toughly.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at the media conference on Wednesday that China lodged representations to the UK. “We hope that the UK will earnestly fulfill its responsibility and take effective measures to strengthen the protection of the premises and staff of Chinese embassy and consulates in the UK,” Wang said.

Zheng Xiyuan, China’s consul-general at Manchester, who was videotaped for coming to the protesters, kicking the banner, and pulling Bob’s hair, told Sky News that he was at the demonstration “peacefully.” “He (Bob Chan) was abusing my country, my leader, I think it’s my duty,” said Zheng.

In a letter sent to Greater Manchester Police, Zheng stated the banners featured a “volume of deeply offensive imagery and slogans,” including a picture of the Chinese president Xi Jinping with a noose around his neck. He also stated that he was disappointed police didn’t do more to help the consulate and claimed his staff were under attack.

Sources:
1. Radio France International, October 19, 2022
https://www.rfi.fr/cn/国际/20221019-中国称就驻英领馆港人被打事件向英方-提出交涉
2. Radio Free Asia, October 18, 2022
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/junshiwaijiao/al-10182022082738.html
3. Sky News, October 20, 2022
https://news.sky.com/story/chinese-consul-general-defends-actions-after-being-seen-pulling-protesters-hair-in-manchester-12724934
4. Global Times, October 19, 2022
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202210/1277465.shtml

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Several Countries Are Taking Action against China’s Police Stations on Their Land

After a report revealed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has established police service stations and conducted police operations in foreign countries, some  of these countries started conducting investigations. In some other countries politicians have put on pressure for action to be taken.

Safeguard Defenders, a human rights organization in Spain, reported in September that the CCP has extended its police operations overseas. It has set up at least 54 police service stations in 30 countries, including the U.S. (New York), France (Paris), Canada (Toronto), Spain (Madrid), and elsewhere. Their main mission is to hunt for those Chinese who stole money and went overseas. “Rather than using legal forms of international cooperation, they have resorted to pressuring targets to return. In fact some 230,000 people have been involved for a little over year.”

These police service stations have physical locations and phone numbers so that people can call and provide information. Beijing claimed that its purpose was to provide ID services or China’s driver’s license renewal to Chinese citizens overseas.

However, some countries where Beijing has conducted these police operations, feel this is a violation of their sovereignty.

Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Ministry officials have expressed concern to the Chinese Embassy and are consulting within the entire government as to how to resolve this issue.

The Ministry of Interior in Spain started its investigation.

In the U.S., Jim Bank (R), Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Michael Waltz (R), Mike Gallagher (R), along with 18 other House Representatives, wrote a letter to Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary of Justice Garland, stating, “There should be no room for the Chinese government to exercise extraterritorial law enforcement unilaterally on U.S. soil.”

On October 4, the Canadian House of Commons committee on relations between Canada and the People’s Republic of China held a hearing on this issue. Weldon Epp, a China lead with Global Affairs Canada, stated at the hearing, “The activity that’s being alleged (about the police service stations) would be entirely illegal, totally inappropriate and would be the subject of very serious representations.”

Sources:
1. Scribd.com
https://www.scribd.com/document/599145539/Banks-Waltz-Gallagher-letter-to-Austin-Blinken-about-CCP-police-arm-in-NYC?secret_password=Rnjt1JQ6WoEg4gW1d91F
2. Epoch Times, October 10, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/10/10/n13842597.htm
3. Epoch Times, October 9, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/10/9/n13841856.htm
4. Epoch Times, October 11, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/10/11/n13843260.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Biden Said U.S. Will Defend Taiwan In the Event of a China Invasion

The 60 Minutes TV program that aired on Sunday, September 18, showed an interview with U.S. President Biden on September 15, in which Biden clearly stated that the U.S. will defend Taiwan.

The 60 Minutes correspondent, Scott Pelley, asked President Biden,”What should Chinese President Xi know about your commitment to Taiwan?”

Biden answered, “We agree with what we signed onto a long time ago,” “that there’s one China policy, and that Taiwan makes its own judgments about their independence. We are not moving– we’re not encouraging their being independent. We’re not– that– that’s their decision.”

“But would U.S. forces defend the island?” Pelley asked.

“Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack,” Biden said.

“So unlike Ukraine, to be clear, sir,” Pelley continued, “U.S. forces, U.S. men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?”

“Yes,” Biden replied.

Many observers felt this would shift the U.S. policy on defending Taiwan from “strategic ambiguity” to “strategic clarity.”

This is the fourth time that President Biden said the U.S. will defend Taiwan if China invades the island. He made similar statements last October and also in May this year.

Each time afterward, including the recent 60 Minutes interview, the White House spokesperson said the U.S. position on Taiwan has not changed.

Robert Tsao, a Taiwanese tech tycoon, told Financial Times in an interview that Taiwan’s stand-off with China is not about unification or independence. “These are fake issues,” he said. “China’s nationalism is anti-civilizational. Taiwan, on the other hand, stands on the side of civilization, which values reason, science, progress, peace, human rights, the rule of law and democracy. That is why we cannot be together with them.(ie. with China)”

Sources:
1. VOA, September 20, 2022
https://www.voachinese.com/a/us-taiwan-china-2022-09-19/6754043.html
2. CBS, September 18, 2022
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-joe-biden-taiwan-60-minutes-2022-09-18/
3. Financial Times, September 20, 2022
https://www.ft.com/content/e72d62af-7f01-40d4-83dc-b15612cf9764

Briefings | | |   @CS Defense/Military US-China Relations

CNA: Estimates Say Twitter Accepts “Hundreds of Millions of Dollars a Year” from China for Ads

Primary Taiwanese news agency Central News Agency (CNA) recently reported that, although China bans 1.4 billion citizens from Twitter, its government spent a great deal of money on global advertising on the Twitter social platform. China has become Twitter’s fastest-growing overseas advertising market and one of its largest revenue generators outside the United States. A review of open government information shows budget documents and propaganda tweets from 2020 to 2022 found that Chinese local governments and the Communist Party propaganda offices in cities, provinces and even in districts across China have been buying a large number of Twitter ads in the U.S. These campaigns are often outsourced by the government to state media, spreading the word about its economic achievements to international audiences, and, with exemptions, circumventing Twitter’s ban on state media advertising. For the first time, it shows how important China has become to Twitter. Twitter is in a tough spot right now, as the company’s U.S. business has stagnated and it still faces investor pressure on growth goals. However, China’s business has become a source of internal conflict at Twitter. One group is inclined to expand its business opportunities as much as possible. The other is concerned about the wisdom of dealing with state-run institutions amid growing tensions between the United States and China. According to sources familiar with this matter, Chinese gaming, e-commerce and technology companies are also major Twitter customers. The overseas advertising that Twitter sells to Chinese customers is estimated to be “hundreds of millions of dollars a year.” Twitter declined to comment on internal discussions and its sales in China.

Source: CNA, September 14, 2022
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aopl/202209140066.aspx

Briefings | | |   @CS Information/Technology US-China Relations