Geo-Strategic Trend - 141. page

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that Harry Roque, the spokesperson for the Philippine President, confirmed at a press conference that Chinese mobile communications companies were officially invited to enter the Philippines domestic market. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte personally extended the invitation when he met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang not long ago. This is a special rights authorization to establish a third mobile communications company in the Philippines. The authorization not only includes cellular operation rights but also allows Internet connection services. It is still unclear which Chinese communications company will be the one entering this new market. The Presidential Office expects the Chinese application to be submitted in 45 days. Not long ago, the Philippines granted a U.S. Facebook company rights to take on the Trans-Pacific Cable project.

Source: Sina, November 20, 2017
http://finance.sina.com/bg/economy/sinacn/20171120/19391676717.html

According to an analytical article that Duowei News published, the delegate who Xi Jinping sent to North Korea returned back to Beijing on November 20. There are four possible reasons for Kim Jong-un not meeting with Xi’s delegate.

1) Japanese Nikkei reported that, according to an anonymous source, the first reason that Kim Jong-un took a stance against meeting the delegate was because the level of the delegate was too low; the second was because China cooperates with the U.S. and the United Nations to exercise economic sanctions against North Korea.

2) Another analysis suggested that Kim Jong-un was extremely upset that Xi’s delegate visited Vietnam and Laos first before coming to North Korea. In the past, the Chinese delegate would always visit North Korea before visiting other countries. Kim Jong-un was also unable to accept the fact that Xi Jinping extended warm hospitality toward Trump during his visit while Kim only received a letter from Xi. As of that time, the leaders of these two countries had never officially met.

3) The media from China and North Korea had different coverage about the visit. North Korean media reported that Xi’s delegate offered a gift to Kim Jong-un but Kim Jong-un did not accept it. Also, the delegate had a dinner banquet with high ranking officials from North Korea during the visit. China’s official media did not report any of this.

4) An article that China’s mouthpiece, Huanqiu, published on November 18 suggested that people shouldn’t have high expectations for this visit. According to the article, “The delegate is not a magician. … He simply helped by knocking on the door so it would open, but it could close at any time.”

Source: Duowei News, November 21, 2017
http://news.dwnews.com/global/big5/news/2017-11-21/60024970.html

Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that China’s grand plan of “The Belt and Road,” which started in 2013, is now facing difficulties across the board. The US$1 trillion investment plan in 65 countries is being challenged in its implementation phase. Many processes have been disrupted by rebels, autocracy, political stability issues and legal challenges such as land ownership disputes. For example, The Jakarta section of the Indonesian high-speed railway hasn’t started construction since 2015 {when Indonesia awarded the rail project to China}. The construction of the railway from China to Singapore got stuck in Thailand due to labor movements. Debates over the high cost have slowed down the Laos section of the same railroad. The construction of the Cooperation Center at the border between China and Kazakhstan received complaints from the locals for benefiting only the Chinese. The new political leader of Kyrgyzstan has now stopped the railway from China to Uzbekistan. Even the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project is being disrupted as rebels along the way have blown up natural gas pipelines and trains. Chinese engineers were also attacked.

Source: LTN, November 14, 2017
http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/2253376

The Central News Agency published an article about covering the Taiwan National flag with a digital mosaic during the Hong Kong version of the Taipei Universiade documentary. The article pointed out that Hong Kong continues to follow the mainland’s strategy of demoting Taiwan’s status on the international stage. The Central News Agency article reported that, when a Taipei Universiade documentary that Taipei and the National Geographic produced was aired in Hong Kong, the Taiwan national flag in the documentary was covered with a digital mosaic. According to the Department of Taipei Tourism, the Hong Kong National Geographic channel applied the digital mosaic in order to “comply with local regulations.” The Department of Taipei Tourism stated that the change was unilateral and violated its contract agreement. It requested that the Taiwan National Geographic channel take legal responsibility for providing the necessary compensation or ensure that the correct version of the documentary will be replayed in Hong Kong. The Taipei Universiade documentary was first aired on the Taiwan National Geographic channel on October 31, followed by 43 countries including Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong.

Source: Central News Agency, November 17, 2017
http://61.219.29.200/gb/www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/201711170220-1.aspx

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported, based on Russian media sources, that representatives from the U.S. Navy were allowed to enter the Russian nuclear submarine Chakra, which has been serving in the Indian Navy under a long-term lease agreement. Earlier, the Americans had been allowed to visit the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier (formerly named Admiral Gorshkov), which caused Russia to protest. However, it is India that owns the aircraft in its entirely. The Russians considered the Chakra entry to be a political gesture and questioned why the Indians created such an unfriendly incident. Some members of the U.S. Navy delegation were well-trained submarine experts. Observers expressed their concerns about any serious impact it might have on the on-going negotiations between India and Russia for a second submarine lease as well as the plan for the joint construction of fifth-generation fighter jets.

Source: Sina, November 10, 2017
http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2017-11-10/doc-ifynsait6953976.shtml

According to South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo (English: The Central Times), China arrested two North Korean agents who attempted to murder Kim Han-sol, son of Kim Yong-nam. Kim Yong-nam was Kim Jong-un’s elder brother. North Koreans murdered him in Malaysia in February.

Seven members of North Korea’s intelligence agency tried to carry out the murder plan against Kim Han-sol. China tightened its security control during the 19th National Communist Party Congress, which helped the discovery of this attempt.

Source: DW News, October 30, 2017
http://news.dwnews.com/global/news/2017-10-30/60020546.html

Major Taiwanese news group Eastern Media International recently reported, based on sources from North Korea, South Korea, and Japan that North Korea’s Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site suffered a major mountain structural change. This resulted in large-scale collapses of the underground tunnels for nuclear tests. North Korea completed its sixth nuclear test on September 3. A collapse occurred around September 10 burying around 100 workers. During the rescue mission, a second collapse took the lives of roughly another 100, mainly rescue staff. South Korean officials thought that, after the last test, the nuclear site had a big hole, the size of around 100 meters. If North Korea conducts more nuclear tests under the current conditions, serious radioactive leaks may occur. Three small scale earthquakes occurred after the last nuclear test. Scientists expressed the belief that structural collapses caused those quakes.

Sources: Eastern Media International, October 31, 2017
https://www.ettoday.net/news/20171031/1042620.htm