Geo-Strategic Trend - 115. page

A video showing a Taiwan TV hostess counter a statement that a CCTV hostess made went viral on the Internet.

Following China’s recent announcement of 26 additional measures “to further promote economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait,” a CCTV hostess stated in her program that the future of Taiwan is national unity and the fate of Taiwan is connected with China. At the end of her program, she said, “Wanwan (meaning Taiwan), please come home.”

On November 6, during a live broadcast, Taiwan’s “Times News” political commentary host Chen Ningguan imitated CCTV’s tone and humorously responded, “Xiangxiang (Hong Kong) is suffering from domestic violence. Please stop it. Both Xixi (Tibet) and Xingxing (Xinjiang) are under surveillance. Since Xiangxiang (Hong Kong) is subject to domestic violence, Wanwan (Taiwan) does not want to go home. Wanwan (Taiwan) is scared to see what is happening to Xixi (Tibet), Xingxing (Xinjiang) and Xiangxiang (Hong Kong). Wanwan (Taiwan) likes Internet freedom and does not like to climb the wall (break through Internet censorship.) Wanwan (Taiwan) is not Zhongzhong (mainland).” Chen’s response draw heated responses on the Internet. Some people posted “Wanwan (Taiwan) has our own home even though we have some garbage from Gonggong (mainland) at home. Xiangxiang (Hong Kong) is just like hell right now after it went back to the mainland. How does the mainland believe that Taiwan will be attracted back to the mainland?” One post said when “Gonggong (the CCP) is collapsed, Wanwan (Taiwan) will come home.”

Meanwhile many Taiwan politicians responded that they can clearly see the intent of the 26 measures that Beijing tried to introduce. Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s president responded that the mainland wants to influence the election in Taiwan and force Taiwan to accept the “one country two system” policy. Taiwan’s response is, “It is impossible.”

Source: Aboluowang, November 9, 2019
http://www.aboluowang.com/2019/1109/1366924.html

The Epoch Times recently reported that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has funded many think tanks and institutions and adopted savvy lobbying tactics across Europe in order to promote its agenda. However, the Europe Union (EU) has been watching the CCP’s actions.

Chris Devonshire-Ellis, Chairman and Founding Partner of Dezan Shira and Associates, which advises foreign investors on Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), reported, “China has devoted a large number of resources to lobbying the EU and influential persons connected with it.” “It has mapped out the entire EU structure and, via Embassies, managed to piece together a concise map of who is connected to whom and who is likely to be able to further China’s business interests.”

Beijing has also built up its lobbying experience in its investment push into Africa. In 2015, China bid on and won the Budapest-Belgrade railway project from Hungry and Serbia. China was likely to run it in the same way it ran the BRI projects. The EU then intervened, “insisting that the tender be monitored and subject to controls and regulations imposed from Brussels.” The EU’s involvement made it hard for Beijing to run the project as it desired. Therefore, Beijing adjusted its strategy and put more effort into lobbying the EU so that it could get more and better policy support and a green light for its business and other activities.

Malgorzata Jakimow, assistant professor of East Asian Politics at Durham University and Secretary of the Center for Contemporary Chinese Studies (CCCS), said, “China’s think tank networks are huge. They have been recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the predominant tool for soft power.”

A report that the lobbying watchdog, Corporate Europe, published in April noted, “Often, conferences and seminars held in Brussels with a China theme receive Chinese Government sponsorship.” The report also listed dozens of organizations and networks scattered throughout Europe that have substantial ties to China.

Charles Parton, a former British diplomat to China and a senior associate for the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a defense and security institute, said that many Chinese-born academics in the West are cautious about what they can say because the CCP has control over the lives of their relatives back in China and over whether they can visit or return to China. “It would be quite dangerous for these people, for their health, and for their careers, to do anything but talk the party line.” Parton said he could think of one particular person who is frequently called upon to comment on the radio and speak to the media, but what he says is always purely the CCP Propaganda Department’s message.

Source: The Epoch Times, October 16, 2019
https://www.theepochtimes.com/chinas-belt-and-road-lobbying-push-into-europe-flies-under-the-radar_3113447.html

According to the Canadian news media, the National Post, a talk-show host on a major Chinese-language radio station in Ontario says he was fired because, while on the radio, he questioned a pro-Beijing community leader .

Mr. Kenneth Yau was an unpaid guest host on the Fairchild Radio’s AM1430 station. He interviewed Simon Zhong, head of the Toronto Community and Culture Centre on September 30. Zhong is considered a China ally. Mr. Yau pressed Zhong to explain how he could both be “100 percent Canadian” and also respect the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

After the show, many pro-China listeners complained to the Toronto station. A few days later, the station let Mr. Yao go, using the reason that his on-air style was “too loud.”

Mr. Yau said he has also challenged Beijing’s stance on the Hong Kong protests, prompting threats from listeners to kill his family and rape his daughter. He also defended Canada’s arrest of a Huawei Technologies executive.

Mr. Yau thought that the station felt pressure both from advertisers who had connections with China and relatively recent immigrants who grew up on the mainland under Communist rule and were more loyal to the regime than those who came earlier from places such as Hong Kong.

The incident underscores what many Chinese Canadians see as a troubling reality: most of the media catering to their community are loath to say anything critical of Beijing.

That includes self-censoring topics that the Chinese government considers taboo, such as discrimination against the Falun Gong and human rights in Tibet.

Another host, Anita Lee, on Fairchild’s AM1740 station was let go after expressing support for protesters in Hong Kong. She played Glory to Hong Kong, the rousing anthem that the demonstrators have adopted, an ode to freedom, democracy, and human rights. After a barrage of complaints, Ms. Lee returned to work. Fairchild said she had simply left to spend more time with her children.

Source: National Host, October 8, 2019
Host on Chinese-language station in Toronto says he was fired for criticizing Beijing