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Netherlands Telecom Giant KPN Decided Not to Use Huawei 5G Equipment

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that the Netherlands’ largest telecommunications company, Royal KPN NV, announced recently that it will select a European supplier for its core 5G mobile network. KPN is one of the first set of companies that officially stated it would exclude Huawei for 5G. The United States is the one pushing for banning Huawei among its allies, citing national security concerns. Huawei denied any possibility of spying on customers because of Chinese government pressure. KPN explained that the decision of not choosing Huawei was based on the need to protect critical national infrastructure and the potential future impact it might have on the Netherlands policies. The government of the Netherlands has not made an official decision yet. However, the government formed a working group with KPN and other telecommunications companies to coordinate the risk management aspects of building the nation’s 5G infrastructure. In the past decade, Huawei has been one of KPN’s primary suppliers.

Source: Sina, April 26, 2019
https://t.cj.sina.com.cn/articles/view/2101850115/7d47b00302000fpb3

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Information/Technology

The Epoch Times: Taiwan Follows the U.S. and says “No” to Mainland Technology Companies

Because it is concerned about security risks, Taiwan is following the U.S. and has launched an effort to limit government procurement of mainland technology products. Such services range from servers and cloud computing to other services and devices. It is expected that Chinese companies such as Alibaba, Huawei, Lenovo and Xiaomi will be affected.

A number of media reported in January that Taiwan is drafting a blacklist that prohibits all government agencies, organizations, and government-controlled companies from using electronic products from companies such as telecommunication equipment manufacturers Huawei and ZTE, and surveillance camera maker Hikvision.

On Friday April 19, the Taiwan Cabinet Executive Yuan announced an official guide stating that it will impose a ban on mainland telecom equipment, surveillance cameras, servers, webcams, drones, cloud computing services, software, anti-virus software, and consulting. At the same time, the scope of Taiwanese entities that must comply with the ban will also be extended to transportation companies, banks, and telecommunications. Government officials have proposed that private companies in high-tech industrial zones that the government runs should also follow this new regulation.

On Friday, the Nikkei Asian Review quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that major mainland technology companies – including Huawei, ZTE, Alibaba, Lenovo, Xiaomi, Baidu, Hikvision, Inspur (server supplier) and Dajiang (drone manufacturer) are likely to be on the list. Kaspersky Labs, the Russian anti-virus software company, is also on the list. According to the sources, technology products manufactured in the mainland and Russia are also under review in order for the Taiwan government to determine whether they should also be included in the ban.

During a press conference held on Friday night in Taipei, Kolas Yotaka, Executive House spokesman said that the blacklist will be completed in the next three months, but most of the equipment and services that Chinese and Russian companies have made could be included.

In her New Year’s speech that Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen delivered on January 1, she stated, “Before the long-term relationship between the two sides can be established, we must honestly face the national security threats and risks.  . . .  In particular, China (the CCP) is trying to use the openness and freedom of democratic institutions to intervene in Taiwan’s political and social development. This has become Taiwan’s biggest challenge at the moment.  . . . I also asked the National Security Unit to pay attention to information security issues and to ensure that the security of critical infrastructure communications has no loopholes.”

Source: The Epoch Times, April 20, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/4/20/n11200834.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Communist China’s Cultural Invasion of the World — Part III

— Part III: Strategic Implementation —

{Editor’s Notes: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has adopted and, for many years, has carried out its strategy of “Culture Going Global.” The following is a report that Chinascope has created focusing on that strategy, on related government policies, and on the implementation of the CCP’s efforts. Continue reading →

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

Beijing Threatened Delegations to the United Nations (UN)

A human rights organization issued a statement condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for threatening delegations to the United Nations from other countries. The CCP warned them not to support the UN Human Rights Council’s review of China’s human rights record.

Last month, the Beijing delegation sent letters to multiple delegations in Geneva pressuring and warning them not to attend the Xinjiang human rights forum that the U.S., Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.K.were hosting on March 13. Several diplomats verified that they had received such letters, which had the signature of Yu Jianhua, China’s Ambassador to the United Nations and the head of its UN delegation in Geneva.

Some diplomats from developing countries also verified that the CCP diplomats even came to visit them to warn them not to attend the forum.

Source: The Epoch Times, April 2, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/4/2/n11158234.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend US-China Relations

Chinese Official Threatened an Italian News Reporter

During Xi Jinping’s visit to Italy, a Chinese media official from the Chinese Embassy in Rome threatened a female Italian news reporter from the Italian Newspaper Il Foglio multiple times.

The incident happened when Xi Jinping was holding a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Rome on March 22. Yan Han, the lead official from the media office of the Chinese Embassy, came to threaten Giulia Pompili of Il Foglio. He said to her multiple times, “You must stop saying bad things about China.” ” I’m very clear who you are.” Ms. Pompili asked him to show his ID, but he refused. She took out her phone. Yang walked closer to her and requested her to “put down (her) phone.”

Ms. Pompili was covering the Asia-Pacific area for Il Foglio. In 2012, she won a news report award. She has been focusing on China for the past nine years. On April 9, 2016, she wrote an analysis on China’s news reporting industry. She asked, “How can a news reporter work in China? How can they find information in a country that mixes propaganda and news together? How does the government try to restrict the vitality of some factors of the media?”

Source: VOA, March 25, 2019
https://www.voachinese.com/a/chinese-official-threatens-italian-journalist-24032019/4846107.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Communist China’s Cultural Invasion of the World — Part II

— Part II: Government Policies —

{Editor’s Notes: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has adopted and, for many years, has carried out its strategy of “Culture Going Global.” The following is a report that Chinascope has created focusing on that strategy, on related government policies, and on the implementation of the CCP’s efforts. Continue reading →

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

Vietnam’s Largest Telecommunications Company Has Its Own 5G Plan

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that Viettel, Vietnam’s largest telecommunications company has developed a plan to provide its 5G high-speed wireless services in 2021. The company announced that it has been investing heavily in developing its own 5G chips as well as its own equipment that will utilize the chips. Viettel, which has a military background, holds more than half of Vietnam’s high-speed telecommunications market. Most of its 4G technology came from China’s Huawei. However, Viettel decided to take a different approach for the 5G journey. The company decided to depend more on its self-developed technologies. It may also absorb some Western technologies. Viettel’s native design focused on the core 5G chipsets, but for establishing a nationwide network, a large number of different chips are required. Viettel may not be able to self-develop those immediately. The company may have to depend on Intel, Xilinx, Broadcom, Skyworks and Qorvo. In case its internal test results are not satisfactory, Viettel will sync with Washington by importing from Nokia or Ericsson, instead of Huawei.

Source: Sina, April 11, 2019
https://t.cj.sina.com.cn/articles/view/5904298558/15fec723e00100h00c

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Information/Technology

Communist China’s Cultural Invasion of the World — Part I

— Part I: The “Culture Going Global” Strategy —

{Editor’s Notes: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has adopted and, for many years, has carried out its strategy of “Culture Going Global.” The following is a report that Chinascope has created focusing on that strategy, on related government policies, and on the implementation of the CCP’s efforts. Continue reading →

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