Geo-Strategic Trend - 118. page

McMaster University, a reputable university in Canada, recently disqualified the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) from having an official club status. The reasons were that it interfered with the freedom of speech of the students on campus and that it has a close connection with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Rukiye Turdush, a Uyghuer activist, was invited to attend an event on February 11 at McMaster University that was related to Xinjiang’s “Re-education Camps.” Some unhappy Chinese students yelled loudly at the event and were suspected of swearing.

As Deutsche Welle reported, the WeChat screenshots that anonymous students provided showed that the Chinese students had been in contact with the Chinese Embassy regarding Turdush’s participation in the campus event. The Chinese Embassy asked the students to report on the situation and on the attendees, and hoped that the students would bring the case to the university. The CSSA subsequently issued an open letter opposing the university’s invitation given to Turdush to give a speech, criticizing it as a “ridiculous anti-China speech.” The letter charged Turdush with “publicly promoting East Turkistan separatist activities, promoting national hatred, and attacking the Chinese government.” After the Student Representative Assembly (SRA) at McMaster University, conducted an investigation, it decided that the behavior of the CSSA was in violation of the rules. On the 28th, the SRA voted to disqualify the CSSA as an official club.

Before the vote, Simranjeet Singh, one of the members of SRA, said that many students stood up to express their concerns about the CSSA. He said, “Although we do not have the ability to change what is happening in China, we have the ability to protect students at McMaster University.” After it loses its status, the CSSA will lose the funds that the Student Union allocated to it, the privileges of booking school classrooms, and the channels for publicity and promotion.

Source: Central News Agency, September 30, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/201909300144.aspx

On September 26, Wang Yi, China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister, said that China will make an all-out effort to “do whatever our African brothers expect from us and whatever is in their interests.” Wang made these remarks at the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of China and the Security Council of African Member States at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Wang stated that China stands firmly with its African brothers, whether from the past, present, or future. The world today faces unprecedented and major changes that have occurred in the past 100 years. The most important change is the rapid growth of a large number of developing countries such as China and Africa. Wang Yi said that, when China regained its seat in the United Nations, it relied on African brothers and developing countries. African countries are China’s most important and most trusted partners and have been since the first day that China joined the U.N. Security Council.

Wang said reflecting Africa’s appeals, addressing its concerns and safeguarding its interests have become the focus of China’s work in the U.N. Security Council.

Wang further said that China will make an all-out effort to “do whatever the African brothers expect from us and whatever is in their interests.”

Source: Xinhua, September 27, 2019

http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2019-09/27/c_1125045797.htm

On September 20, at the opening ceremony for the launch of Ruzibazi hydropower station project located in Burundi’s Rumonge province  the President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, said that the project will expand the cooperation between Burundi and China and enhance the level of bilateral relations.

The hydropower station project is China’s largest aid project in Burundi. It was Sinohydro Bureau 14 Co. Ltd. that undertook the project.  It will be a hydropower station, with an installed capacity of 15 megawatts, over the Ruzibazi River, about 43 km south of Bujumbura, the economic capital of Burundi.

In an interview with Xinhua News Agency, Burundi’s Energy Minister, Come Manirakiza, said that the Ruzibazi hydropower station will constitute a large proportion of capacity of the country’s total installed power stations and is very important for the future development of Burundi.

According to Li Changlin, the Chinese ambassador to Burundi, in addition to the hydropower project, China has also implemented a number of aid projects in agriculture, education, and public health.

Source: Xinhua, September 21, 2019
http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2019-09/21/c_1125022509.htm

Xinhua recently reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman. Saudi Arabia is China’s “comprehensive strategic partner” and a key partner of the One Belt One Road Initiative. Saudi Arabia firmly supported China’s “One China” policy on the issue of Taiwan. King Salman provided more information on the recent attack against Saudi Arabia’s oil refineries. Xi Jinping strongly condemned this attack and the damage it caused to the region and the international energy market. Xi called for a fair investigation and asked all parties to remain calm to avoid an escalation of the crisis.

Source: Xinhua, September 20, 2019
http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/leaders/2019-09/20/c_1125021138.htm

According to German TV 2, Germany’s Business Daily and other media reports, unfair competition from China has caused huge losses for Germany’s online merchants. According to the statistics of the German Industry Association, the loss in the electronic products industry alone is as high as five billion euros (US$5.51 billion) each year. Gero Furchheim, chairman of German E-Commerce and Distance Selling Trade Association (BEVH), told Deutsche Presse-Agentur, “This has caused tremendous losses to Germany and has cost thousands of jobs.” Since China’s cargo transportation surged three years ago, Deutsche Post DHL has estimated that it has lost 120 million euros (US$132 million dollars). The value of China’s sale of electrical appliances to German private homes alone is estimated to exceed 1 billion euros (US$1.1 billion) per year.

The postage for goods sent from China is very low. The U.S. and other developed countries hope to solve this problem during a special meeting in Geneva that the Universal Postal Union will hold on September 24 where they will raise China’s postage. Meanwhile White House trade adviser Navarro will lead a delegation to Geneva, Switzerland, next week, demanding reforms to the Universal Postal Union (UPU) which has been around for 145 years. The U.S. could withdraw from the UPU as early as October 17, if the negotiation fails.

Source: Radio Free Internationale, September 22, 2019
http://www.rfi.fr/tw/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B/20190922-%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B%E4%BD%8E%E9%83%B5%E8%B2%BB%E5%B0%8E%E8%87%B4%E5%BE%B7%E5%9C%8B%E7%B6%B2%E5%95%86%E6%90%8D%E5%A4%B150%E5%84%84%E6%AD%90%E5%85%83

The international airport near Luanda, the capital of Angola, a west-coast country in south-central Africa, is projected to handle an annual traffic of 13 million passengers. However, this huge project, which has been under construction for 15 years, has not yet been completed. A Chinese company has been constructing the airport. To date, it has cost billions of dollars. In 2004, President José Eduardo dos Santos commissioned the China International Fund (CIF) and the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht to undertake the project.

Due to design flaws and quality issues, China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) replaced CIF. In 2009, construction was suspended due to financial difficulties. Angolan construction workers protested that the project mainly used Chinese workers. The first phase of the construction was completed in 2012. The airport was originally planned to be put into use in 2015 to 2016. The opening was postponed until 2017. Now the design of the airport is outdated. Its functions and technical equipment are no longer fit for today’s needs. Therefore, the airport’s opening has again been postponed temporarily until 2023. Angolan Minister of Transportation Ricardo de Abreu said that it is necessary to ensure that the new airport has modern equipment and a modern layout. To finance the project, the construction company can borrow $6.5 billion.

Angolan journalist Rafael Marques told Deutsche Welle, “This is one of the biggest unfinished projects in Africa. … The project as originally planned was to cost $300 million. Now the cost has increased to $9 billion, and it’s still uncertain when it will be completed.” The Angolan reporter went on, “This is a meaningless construction project. It has no hope of completion and it has trapped Angola in heavy debts.”

Marques added that all previous investments in Angola or any form of real estate project generally involved corruption. He said, “The main difference now is that the scale of Chinese investment in Angola is unprecedented and this has led to the most serious corruption in Angola’s history.”

Source: Deutsche Welle Chinese, September 8, 2019
https://p.dw.com/p/3PAWT