Geo-Strategic Trend - 126. page

Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that China temporarily delayed the funding of the Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) construction under the One Belt One Road initiative. Only half of the 470-kilometer railway project, leading to nowhere, has been completed. China has put the funding on hold due to its concern over project feasibility problems. Another reason may be significant resource waste. In addition, it may have something to do with Kenya’s debt level. The total funds on hold has reached US$4.9 billion. Critics pointed out that the SGR project was too costly and may not turn profitable in the long run. Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta visited China this May, hoping to get the funding resumed. However, the Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Wu Peng told local media that he could not understand the source of Kenya’s confidence. The SGR has been labeled the largest project in half a century. Most of Kenya’s debts, that is, around 22 percent of all that it owes, is to China.

Source: LTN, July 19, 2019
https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/2857749

According to a news article that RFA published, a Falun Gong practitioner said that when the Dragon Boat Festival was held in Ottawa,  Canada’s capital, last month, he appeared at the event wearing a T-shirt with the words “Falun Dafa” on it. {Falun Gong is also known as Falun Dafa.} The event organizer of the Dragon Boat Festival went up to him and ordered him to take off his T-shirt, saying that the Dragon Boat Festival was an event that the Chinese Embassy sponsored.

Gerry Smith recalled that John Brooman, the event organizer, told him that this is a Chinese cultural activity. The Chinese government paid tens of thousands of dollars to help rent the park. They don’t allow political messages to appear in this park. Brooman later threatened to expel other Falun Gong practitioners from the park. On the official website of the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival, the Chinese Embassy is clearly listed as the “gold sponsor” of the event. Smith later sent an e-mail to Brooman expressing his disappointment and said that he will also file a complaint with the Ottawa City Council. Brooman wrote back to Smith saying that he didn’t intend to offend him and that he did not want to politicize the event. Smith said, however, that he only wore a Falun Gong T-shirt. Other Falun Gong practitioners were practicing the exercises outside the dragon boat event venue and did not hold banners or distribute flyers. Ottawa City officials told Smith that no one can ask him to take off his clothes. He can report the incident if it happens again. Both Brooman and the Chinese Embassy did not respond to RFA inquiries.

A representative from the Falun Gong group in Ottawa told RFA that this is not the first time that Communist China has used money to exercise its control in Canada. It disregards Canada’s fundamental values and tries to exercise its influence. This is exactly how they export the persecution overseas. Another example is that, each year, the Falun Gong group in Ottawa has been kept from participating in the annual parade that is held in Chinatown.

Source: Radio Free Asia, July 18, 2019
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shehui/lf-07182019122111.html

Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that, according to various unverified sources and online communications, Chinese Customs ordered several shipping companies for online shopping sites to stop carrying yellow helmets, yellow umbrellas, flags, flagpoles, and banners (along with other demonstration supplies) that had Hong Kong as their destination. The ban took effect on July 11. This appears to be a new mechanism that the Mainland government came up with to undermine the on-going protests that the Hong Kong residents carried out. Even loud speakers and masks were banned. The Customs notification to the shipping companies used a very strong tone and warned that an “extremely serious punishment” may follow any violation. This news triggered a major wave of discussions in the online Chinese communities outside China. Many netizens suggested sending the goods to Taiwan first and then they could be shipped to Hong Kong. According to Hong Kong Economic Daily, the Chinese Customs actually issued the initial notification on June 27. However, the latest notification sounded more serious.

Source: LTN, July 12, 2019
https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/2851235

Taiwan United Daily News reported on July 12 that Wuhan University recently launched an investigation of an exchange student from Taiwan for his “Taiwan Independence” remarks. Wuhan University said that it will weigh in on the investigation results and decide on its final decision. Ke Quanyao, who recently graduated from National Taiwan Normal University with a Master’s degree from the Physical Education program was accepted at Wuhan University as an exchange student. However a Weibo posting addressed to the university on July 11 claimed that Wuhan University has “recruited a student who worships the ‘Japanese Spirit’ and favors ‘Taiwan Independence.’” The posting also contained the offer letter Wuhan University issued to Ke Quanyao along with screen shots of articles posted on Ke’s Facebook page. The posting also claimed that Ke Quanyao does not agree with the “1992 Consensus” . . . and that he believes that Japan is his motherland and he hopes that Japan will unify Taiwan. It further stated that Ke is not suitable to be an exchange student in the mainland and that “I hope your school will consider it carefully.” In the statement Wuhan University issued, it wrote that Wuhan University is directly affiliated with the Ministry of Education and, according to the statement, “We welcome all Taiwan compatriots, overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese who support the one-China principle to study and exchange with Wuhan University”

China Times reported on the same day that Ke Quanyao had decided not to pursue his studies at Wuhan University as an exchange student. Ke told the Central News Agency that there is nothing he could do if people from the mainland broke the firewall to visit his Facebook page and take screen shots of his comments which were meant to be seen only by his Facebook “friends.”

Source:
1. United Daily News, July 12, 2019
https://udn.com/news/story/7331/3924498
2. China Times, July 12, 2019
https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20190712002798-260407?chdtv

Epoch Times reported that a group of Chinese soldiers recently crossed the border into India and tried to prevent local Tibetan residents from hosting an annual birthday celebration for the Dalai Lama.

According to Indian Economic Times, the incident occurred on July 6. At that time, about 11 Chinese soldiers wearing plain clothes were accused of crossing the line of actual control (the line of actual control is the de facto boundary between China and India), and entering the Indian-controlled Kashmir Ladakh area. At the time, the local residents were holding the 84th birthday celebration for the Dalai Lama.

Chinese government sources said that the Chinese soldiers only protested near the line of actual control, held a banner with the words “All activities to separate Tibet are prohibited,” and also did not cross the line. However, the residents of the Ladakh region of India refuted the statement. In a Facebook page that Urgain Chodon, head of Koyul Village, posted, she shared photos of the soldiers standing next to their vehicle and the five-star flag and banner. She said that the village residents have been holding birthday celebration ceremonies for the Dalai Lama for a number of years. This year, for the first time, Chinese soldiers crossed the border and entered 6 kilometers into India. Not only did they put up the five-star flag representing China, but they also told them that they could not put up the Tibetan flag, claiming that it was inciting the villagers.

This is believed to be the first large-scale invasion of Chinese soldiers since the confrontation between the Chinese and Indian troops in 2017.

Chodon questioned why these Chinese soldiers wouldn’t communicate their message with the Indian military. She said that she will write to Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister and Rajnath Singh, head of National Defense about the incident.

Source: Epoch Times, July 14, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/7/14/n11383617.htm

RFI reported that protesters in Hong Kong have called for a new action this weekend: withdraw cash from the Bank of China.

As the anti-extradition bill movement continues in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong people raised “Five Major Requests” for the response of the authorities.
1. Remove the extradition bill;
2. Retract the “riot” declaration;
3. Investigate the police accountability in firing at people (on June 12);
4. Do not prosecute protesters; and
5. Carrie Lam should resign.

Some protesters called for an action to target Chinese banks to apply pressure to Beijing.

The plan was passed among people via an Internet platform Telegram. On Twitter, the plan is called “Everyone to Withdraw Cash: Send the Bank of China Back to China.” The announcement requests the Hong Kong government respond to each and every item of the “five major requests” by 6 p.m. on Friday July 12. Otherwise, it calls for everyone to take their money out of the Bank of China.

The announcement pointed out that withdrawing money does not break the law and should not be investigated or result in arrest. Nor should the authorities go after anyone after the event is settled. Withdrawal will start on the morning of July 13. The location will be announced on the TG channel on the evening of July 12. If there is no announcement, people should go to Bank of China’s branches near their homes.

Source: RFI, July 8, 2019
http://cn.rfi.fr/港澳台/20190708-香港反送中新计划全民到中国银行取钱测试其压力