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Nikkei Asian Review: Wang Qishan Is Tasked with Improving China’s Relations with Japan

Nikkei Asian Review reported that Wang Qishan used to coordinate the Sino-U.S. economic relationship since he has many Wall Street contacts. However, after President Trump took office, his influence on Sino-U.S relations seems to have been reduced.

Instead, he has been tasked with improving the Sino-Japan relationship.

Wang visited Japan on October 22 and 23, attending Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement ceremony and meeting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. On December 6 at Zhongnanhai, he also met with the Head of Japan’s National Security Council, Shigeru Kitamura, to discuss Xi Jinping’s visit to Japan in 2020.

Beijing has made Xi’s visit to Japan, planned for April 2020, the number one priority, as its relationship with the U.S. has becomes iffy.

The Sino-Japan relationship stalled in 2012, when Japan “nationalized” the Senkaku Islands, over which both China and Japan claim sovereignty.

Since April 2019, Wan Yi, China’s Foreign Minister, Liu Kun, Finance Minister, and Zhong Shan, Commerce Minister, have all visited Japan. A 25-member military delegation also visited Japan in April.

Nikkei Asian Review said that Wang directed these series of visits.

Li Keqiang also visited Japan in May. It was the first time in eight years that China’s Premier visited Japan.

Source: Epoch Times, December 14, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/12/13/n11721514.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Epoch Times: Ten CCP “Wolf-Style” Diplomatic Events That Backfired in 2019

Epoch Times listed ten diplomatic events in 2019 in which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) tried to coerce the world but got slapped in the face in return.

  1. The NBA Incident: After the Houston Rockets Manager Daryl Morey’s words, “Fight For Freedom, Stand With Hong Kong” were posted on Twitter, Beijing blocked NBA and Rockets games in China. However, the U.S. media and politicians overwhelmingly criticized the CCP for trying to control Americans’ freedom of speech. The CCP quietly toned down its voice and restarted broadcasting certain NBA games.
  2. South Park: The South Park cartoon TV program is known for its dark humor. The 2nd episode of its 23rd season was called “Band in China” (meaning “banned in China”). It touched many CCP taboos including camps in Xinjiang, organ harvesting, quitting the CCP, self-censored media, and Hong Kong protests. Beijing banned this episode. South Park then issued a fake, sarcastic apology, “Like the N.B.A., we welcome the Chinese censors into our homes and into our hearts. We too love money more than freedom and democracy. Xi doesn’t look just like Winnie the Pooh at all.”
  3. Hong Kong Protests: The CCP blamed U.S. diplomat Julie Eadeh for supporting Hong Kong protesters and exposed information about her husband and children in the newspaper in August. The U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus called the CCP a “thuggish regime.” The CCP also tried to prevent the U.S. from passing the “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act,” but the U.S. Congress passed it with overwhelming support and President Trump signed it into law.
  4. Joshua Wong at the Italian Congress: The Italian Congress invited Joshua Wong, a student activist and Secretary-General of the pro-democracy party Demosistō, to give a speech at an online conference. The China’s Embassy in Italy claimed on Twitter that inviting him to the Italian politicians’ conference was an irresponsible act. Italian politicians and media uniformly criticized the CCP for interfering in their affairs.
  5. Huawei at Faroe Islands: In November, Feng Tie, China’s Ambassador to Denmark, threatened Bárður Nielsen, the Primary Minister of the Faroe Islands. He said that if they would not sign up Huawei with a 5G contract, they would have no chance of getting a free trade agreement from China. Many politicians from Denmark criticized the CCP and expressed that they would protect Denmark and its autonomous territory, the Faroe Islands.
  6. Prague’s Sister City: On October 7, the Czech Republic’s capital city of Prague decided to end its sister city relationship with Beijing because China requested it to acknowledge the “one China principle,” acknowledging only the Communist regime but not Taiwan. Beijing retaliated in several ways. It cancelled the Czech’s performance troupes’ tours. The Czech Republic criticized Beijing for interfering in its affairs.
  7. Huawei in Canada: On January 17, 2019, Lu Shaye, then China’s Ambassador to Canada, stated at a news conference that there would be “consequences” if the Canadian government prohibited Huawei from providing 5G network equipment to Canada. Ralph Goodale, the Canadian Minister of Public Safety responded that Canada would not yield to Beijing on national security issues.
  8. The “Potter King” Incident: Taiwan Internet Celebrity “Potter King” hosted a show with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and posted it on YouTube. Papitube, a media company in China, which signed “Potter King” for China’s market demanded that he remove the posting from YouTube since he called her “President.” “Potter King” answered that if he can’t call his President the “President” (because if the CCP’s rule), he’d rather not to make money from China. He said, “From the beginning, I have never kneeled down (to the CCP).”
  9. The Kong Linlin Incident: On September 30, China Central Television reporter Kong Linlin slapped a U.K. Conservative Party member at the party’s annual conference in Birmingham. After the incident, Beijing called Kong the victim who was “personally attacked.” On November 29, the Birmingham Court ruled that it was Kong who was guilty.
  10. The Michael Gui Award: Michael Gui is a Swedish citizen who lived in Hong Kong and published books opposing CCP leaders. Beijing arrested him 2015. In early November this year, the Swedish PEN announced it was awarding him the Tucholsky prize. Gui Congyou, China’s Ambassador, requested of Amanda Lind, the Swedish Culture and Democracy Minister, not attend the award ceremony, threatening that Beijing would take “counter measures” against Sweden and prohibit her from entering China. Mrs. Lind still attended the event. Stefan Lofven, the Swedish Prime Minister stated, “We are not going to give in to this type of threat. Never! We have freedom of expression in Sweden and that’s how it is, period.”

Source: Epoch Times, December 20, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/12/20/n11735005.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics US-China Relations

China’s Experts: It’s Imperative to Enact Article 23 of the Basic Law

Recently, the Communist Regime in China has been talking about enacting Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law. At the annual Global Times (Huanqiu) meeting, two Hong Kong affairs experts in China stated that it is imperative to enact Article 23.

Wang Zhenmin, former Director of the Legal Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), stated, “The common understanding after Hong Kong’s extradition bill is that the national security issue must be included in the agenda; Hong Kong law has already defined five acts endangering national security, and therefore, Article 23 is not ‘empty.’” He also stated that here is a force in Hong Kong that does not want to acknowledge that Hong Kong has already permanently returned to China and intentionally smears China.

Qiang Shigong, a Law Professor at Beijing University, who also attended the meeting, warned against turning the Hong Kong issue into a “Taiwan-style problem.” He claimed that the Hong Kong issue might not be about the conflicts between Capitalism and Socialism, but rather whether Hong Kong should be united with mainland China.

Note: Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law stated that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region “shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People’s Government,or theft of state secrets, to prohibit foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting political activities in the Region, and to prohibit political organizations or bodies in the Region from establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies.” The Hong Kong government’s attempt to implement the article with a National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill in 2003 caused a great controversy and 500,000 people protested on the streets. Since then, the bill of implementing the article has not been reintroduced.

Source: China News Agency, December 21, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201912210108.aspx

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Macao Refused to Let Some Hong Kong and Foreign Reporters Enter

Popular Hong Kong online new media HK01 Network recently reported that the government of Macao refused the entry of multiple members of the press from Hong Kong and other countries. December 20 was the 20th Anniversary of Macau’s Return and Chinese President Xi Jinping was attending the ceremony. The media organizations banned include Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK, an HK government owned, top and official broadcasting organization of Hong Kong), Commercial Radio Hong Kong (CRHK, one of the only two commercial radio broadcasting companies in Hong Kong), the South China Morning Post (the most popular English newspaper in Hong Kong), Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB, Hong Kong’s largest TV broadcaster), Apple Daily and NowTV. The Macao government had issued official press passes to all of the reporters from these media companies. Nevertheless,  these reporters were blocked from entering, including those from the Radio and Television of Portugal, (although permitted later after diplomatic intervention). The Macao authorities refused applications from all online media companies. The Hong Kong Journalists Association issued a public statement calling on the Mainland government and the Macao government to respect freedom of the press. The statement also asked the Hong Kong government to work with the Macao border control to allow free passage for reporters with legal Macao permits.

Source: HK01, December 18, 2019
https://bit.ly/2PJFepA

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Global Times: Putin Commented on Trump’s Impeachment

Global Times reported quickly after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the impeachment articles against Trump, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments were published only one day after the result was out. Putin classified the impeachment as just part of a political fight. He mentioned that the Democrats failed to prove there was Russian collusion and they now were banking on the Ukraine excuse. To him, this was merely the continuation of the resistance delivered by the losers. Putin predicted that the Senate Republicans are very unlikely to remove a Republican president with such a weak excuse. In the meantime, President Trump said at a Michigan rally that the impeachment doesn’t feel real because the nation is in its best shape in history and he did nothing wrong. The White House official announcement also stated that the impeachment was a sham and that it was one of the most shameful political events in U.S. history. Global Times explained that the U.S. Senate is expected to look into the House impeachment articles in January and, with the Republican majority in the Senate, the articles won’t pass the Senate. China has a “Comprehensive Strategic Relationship” with Russia.

Source: Global Times, November 19, 2019
https://world.huanqiu.com/article/9CaKrnKoqvH

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Completes its “10,000 Villages Connected” Project in Kenya

According to Xinhua, China’s official News Agency, the completion ceremony for Kenya’s “10,000 Villages Connected” project was held at the Kinyanjui Primary School in Nairobi, Kenya, on December 20, 2019. The “10,000 Villages Connected” project is an African aid project that China launched in 2019. The plan was to install satellite receiving antennas, set-top boxes, digital televisions, projection televisions, solar systems, and other facilities in 800 villages in 47 counties in Kenya.

Source: People’s Daily, December 22, 2019
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2019-12/22/nw.D110000renmrb_20191222_11-03.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Taiwan Legislator: Ten Ways the CCP Is Interfering in Taiwan’s Elections

The Presidential Election of the Republic of China (ROC) will be held in Taiwan on January 11, 2020. Recently a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator, Li Junyi, drew attention to the severity of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) interference in the Taiwan’s election. He thinks that Taiwan needs an “Anti-Infiltration Law” to prevent the CCP from using Taiwan’s democratic system to defeat its democracy.

He listed ten ways in which the CCP is interfering:

1. Hacker Attacks – the CCP attacks the government and other websites so it can access and steal information.

2. Establishing Organizations and Communication Tools – CCP spy Zhou Hongxu was suspected of using Wang Bingzhou, a key member of the New Party (a political party in Taiwan), to create Fire News media in order to spread the CCP’s United Front message.

3. Information Control – the CCP controlled social media calls Hong Kong protesters “violent activists.” They are now applying the same method of control in Taiwan.

4. Fake News – the University of Gothenburg, Sweden found that Taiwan has received the largest number of foreign fake news attacks.

5. Buying Social Sites – A group of fans who supported Han Guoyu (the Kuomintang’s Presidential candidate whom the CCP likes and is spending money to support) recently changed its position to support Tsai Ing-wen (the ROC President seeking re-election, as the DPP candidate). The fans group said that a rich businessman from mainland China promised them money (if they supported Han), but after the CCP’s spy Wang Liqiang defected to Australia, that businessman disappeared.

6. Using Civil Organizations – President Zhou Qingjun and member Zhang Xiuye of the Patriot Alliance Association (a pro-CCP organization in the ROC) have been sued for receiving the CCP’s money for Zhang to bid for Taipei’s Council member position.

7. Using an Interfering Party – The Chinese Unification Promotion Party (a Party in the ROC that has been criticized for its connection to the CCP and to gangsters) recently held a ceremony for the CCP’s 70th anniversary of taking over the mainland from the ROC. This party openly advocates that Taiwan re-unites with the CCP.

8. Drawing in Retired Generals – Retired General Wu Sz-huai went to mainland China and saluted the CCP’s flag. Retired General Luo Wen-shan received a political donation from the CCP’s contacts.

9. Connecting with the Media – The CCP invited Taiwan media executives to visit the mainland and to promote the “One Country, Two Systems” concept, which is the CCP’s offer to re-unite Taiwan under its control.

10. Illegal Money Exchanges – Taiwan authorities have found 80 billion New Taiwan Dollars (US $2.64 billion) that came to Taiwan through underground channels.

Source: Epoch Times, December 4, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/12/4/n11700590.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Czech Tycoon Paid for a Campaign to Promote Communist China

The Czech media website Aktualne.cz broke a story on December 11 that there is “a network of experts, journalists, and politicians,” which has been seeking to “influence the Czech society” by spreading pro-Beijing opinions. The news caught the attention of several members of the Czech Parliament, who announced on Sunday, December 15, that they intend to ask to set up a parliamentary committee to investigate the matter.

According to Aktualne.cz, this campaign was launched in April 2019 and is funded by Home Credit, an international non-banking financial institution owned by the Czech Republic’s richest man Petr Kellner. The article said that Kellner, who was close to the Czech president, secretly funded a media public relations agency called “C&B Reputation Management” to carry out activities to improve China’s image in Czech. C&B is responsible for external communications for the Sinoskop Institute for Contemporary China, a pro-Beijing think tank that was set up in June 2019. Czech media regularly interviews the head of Sinoskop, who has ties with the Czech President and Petr Kellner.

In addition, Tomas Jirsa, who owns C&B, started to operate the Czech’s major website Info.cz in January 2019. Since then, the site has published several advertisement like pro-China articles, paid by Home Credit. Several journalists who oppose this have stopped working for the website. One of them publicly stated on Czech public television that the site “publishes less and less criticism of China, and the cooperation with an important think tank that criticizes Beijing has also been suspended.”

Under the “Belt and Road” framework, China has been interested in central Europe for years. Czech President Milos Zeman has always wanted to make his country “a gateway to Europe.”

At the same time, however, Czech’s civil society is showing strong resistance to China’s attempts to influence the Czech Republic. For example, the Mayor of Prague questioned the cooperation agreement with Beijing based on the one-China principle. In addition, at the end of November, the Czech intelligence service officially regarded China’s influence as a “threat” to the Czech Republic’s national security.

Source: Radio France International, December 17, 2019
http://rfi.my/53sg.T

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend