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Survey: 92% of Japanese Have “Bad” Impression of China

A joint Japan-China public opinion survey released on October 10, 2023 showed deteriorating perceptions among the two countries. 92.2% of Japanese respondents had a “bad” impression of China, up 4.9 percentage points, while 62.9% of Chinese had a “bad” impression of Japan, up 0.3 points. Compared with previous surveys, more Japanese cited China’s actions contradicting international rules, while more Chinese pointed to tensions over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands dispute as well as Japanese politician rhetoric.

68.4% of Japanese viewed bilateral relations as “bad” or “not good,” up 12.2 points, while 41.2% of Chinese held this view, up 3.5 points. Despite this year being the 45th anniversary of the Japan-China Peace and Friendship Treaty, 81.6% of Japanese and 47.9% of Chinese were “not aware of the matter.”

Regarding Japan’s recent discharge of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, 47.6% of Chinese and 33.2% of Japanese were “worried.” Only 5.8% of Chinese felt that the discharge would “hinder” relations.

Some 1,000 Japanese and 1,506 Chinese responded to the survey, which was the 19th of its kind. The survey was conducted between August and September of this year.

Source: Kyodo News, October 10, 2023
https://china.kyodonews.net/news/2023/10/ccdd04967a15-92.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

LTN: China Ranks Last in 2023 Internet Freedom Survey

Non-profit organization Freedom House recently released its 2023 report “Freedom on the Net.” Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) cited the report, saying that, among the 70 countries considered in the report, China’s Internet freedom has ranked at the very bottom for the past nine consecutive years.

China scored only 9 points out of 100, and it rated as “not free”. Taiwan scored 78 points, ranking first in the Asia-Pacific region, and was rated as “free.” The Freedom House report researched the internet environment throughout the world, covering 89 percent of internet users globally. The report ranked the countries based on the criteria of “obstacles to accessing the Internet,” “restrictions on content,” and “user rights violations.”

The report showed that the country with the highest freedom in the world is Iceland (94 points), followed by Estonia (93 points), Canada (88 points), Costa Rica (85 points), the United Kingdom (79 points), Taiwan (78 points), Germany and Japan (77 points), and then United States, France, Australia and the Republic of Georgia (scoring 76 points each). Freedom House has published reports on internet freedom for 13 consecutive years.

The Chinese government has invested heavily in the AI industry, ensuring that internet-related companies follow the government’s authoritarian rule. After years of efforts, China’s Cyberspace Administration has successfully used algorithms, synthetic media and AI to conduct heavy-duty censorship of China’s Internet environment.

Source: LTN, October 5, 2023
https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/4449090

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Social Stability

China Times: Over 50 Percent of Professionals Plan to Leave Hong Kong

Major Taiwanese newspaper China Times recently reported on a survey by Robert Walters which found that, although the Hong Kong government has introduced a number of measures in recent years to retain and attract talents, more than half of professionals still plan to leave Hong Kong.

Around 15.6 percent of the professionals hope to leave Hong Kong as soon as possible, and 36.7 percent plan to leave in the next 3 to 5 years. Among those planning to leave, 51 percent are between the ages of 27 and 42, and 38 percent are between the ages of 43 and 58.

The survey shows that 96 percent of the professionals who plan to leave have already taken strategic actions to prepare for working abroad. The most common strategy was working for a multinational company, with 60 percent of the respondents adopting this strategy. Meanwhile, some 40 percent of the respondents have already applied for overseas jobs, and 31 percent have started training and studying for overseas careers.

The survey interviewed professionals in different fields such as accounting, engineering and development, financial services, healthcare, human resources, legal and compliance, sales and marketing, supply chain, logistics and procurement, as well as technology and transformation, etc.

Source: China Times, October 2, 2023
https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20231002701097-430801

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Social Stability

BBC Chinese: Indonesia Bans TikTok E-Commerce Services

BBC Chinese recently reported that the Indonesian government last week required TikTok to separate its e-commerce functionality from its video sharing services. The measures took effect on October 4. Authorities said the ban was intended to protect local brick-and-mortar and online retailers.

Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan said E-commerce cannot become social media now; the two need to be separated. He added that if TikTok does not comply with the new regulations within one week, its operating license may be revoked.

In 2021, Indonesia became the first country to pilot e-commerce services for TikTok, and it is also one of the largest markets in the world for the TikTok Shop. TikTok responded in a statement saying its first priority is to comply with local laws and regulations. It will no longer conduct e-commerce transactions in Indonesia.

Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest economy, and the country’s online retail industry has boomed in recent years. Indonesia’s population exceeds 278 million, while TikTok’s users in Indonesia number 125 million. This figure includes 6 million seller accounts as well as millions of content creators who use the TikTok Shop to make money.

The rise of online retailers has hit brick-and-mortar stores hard in Indonesia.

Source: BBC Chinese, October 4, 2023
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/business-67003951

 

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

CCP Media Praises “Community of Common Destiny for Mankind”

{Editor’s note: The “Community of Shared Human Destiny” is a political framework promoted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to advance foreign-policy goals, i.e. increasing the CCP’s power to influence other international players and its ability to dominate in the realms of economics, security, and geopolitics. [2]}

Xinhua reported that China’s State Council Information Office recently released a white paper titled “Working Together to Build a Community of Shared Human Destiny: China’s Proposals and Actions.” The article said that “this year marks the 10th anniversary of China’s proposal” of the concept. The article stated that over the past decade, the idea of a “Community of Shared Human Destiny” has formed into a scientific and theoretical system, and that this concept “is superior to the idea of ‘Universal Values’ promoted by a select few Western countries. It aligns with the trend of the times, advocates for global cooperation, and promotes the development of the international order in a more just and equitable direction.”

Sources:

[1] Xinhua, September 28, 2023
http://www.news.cn/world/2023-09/28/c_1129891341.htm

[2] “Community of Common Destiny”, Wikipedia, retrieved October 7, 2023
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_of_Common_Destiny

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

First International Order for China’s C919 Airplane Comes From a Chinese Company

Chinese media reported that Brunei’s Gallop Air has signed a letter of intent to purchase 30 aircraft. The purchase wil l include fifteen C919 models and fifteen ARJ-21 models from the China Commercial Aircraft Co. This marks the first C919 order and the second ARJ-21 order from an overseas airline. The deal was valued at US$2 billion.

The C919 is China’s first domestically-developed jetliner, seating 158 to 192 passengers and having a range of 4,075 to 5,555 kilometers. The ARJ-21 is a Chinese-produced regional airplane seating 78 passengers.

It turns out that this international order actually originates from a Chinese company.

Chinese media reported that the Gallop Air (骐骥航空), though operated in Brunei, is a private company based in China. The company was established in August 2021, registered with 10 million Yuan capital. Its full name is “Qi Ji Aviation Industry Development (Shaanxi) Co.” (骐骥航空产业发展（陕西）有限公司).

The first international sales of the Chinese ARJ-21 model, sold to Indonesia’s TransNusa, was also backed by China’s state-owned funds.

Source:
1. Lianhe Zaobao, September 25, 2023
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20230925-1436527
2. NetEase, September 26, 2023
https://www.163.com/dy/article/IFJLG81D0552PFYH.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend

Chinese Continue Fishing in Sea of Japan Despite Beijing’s High-Profile Protest of Japan’s Nuclear Wastewater

Beijing has made a big deal of criticizing Japan for discharging treated and diluted wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. China has also announced a comprehensive ban on importing Japanese seafood.

However, Japanese media The Asahi Shimbun reported that Chinese fishing vessels continue to operate near Japanese waters and that there has been no significant drop in the total count of such boats. The report said that on September 19, 162 Chinese fishing vessels were observed operating approximately 1,000 kilometers east of Nemuro City in Hokkaido, Japan. From early August to September 19, there were 146 to 167 Chinese fishing vessels each day, fishing for saury, mackerel, and sardines in the North Pacific waters off Hokkaido, alongside Japanese fishing vessels.

Source: Radio Free Asia, September 26, 2023
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/jp-fish-09262023014559.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend

UDN: Vietnam to Restart Rare Earth Mine, Will be Largest in the World

Vietnam will restart its largest rare earth mine next year according to a recent report by United Daily News (UDN), one of the primary Taiwanese news groups. Two companies participating in the bid told Reuters that this Western-backed mining project will be the largest rare earth mine in the world. According to estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey, Vietnam ranks second in the world in rare earth reserves. A large part of these reserves remain untapped.

U.S. President Biden recently visited Hanoi with the aim of deepening relations between the United States and Vietnam. He signed an agreement enhancing Vietnam’s ability to attract U.S. investors for the purpose of developing rare earth mines.

Analysts and foreign officials say the purpose of the U.S. investing in Vietnam’s rare earth mines is to lighten dependence on China and reduce supply chain risks. Given China’s near-monopoly position as the world’s biggest rare earth metal producer, China has been able to set low prices so as to discourage other countries’ willingness to invest in their own rare earth mining operations. Refining rare earths metals is a very complex process, and China has mastered many related processing technologies.

Source: UDN, September 25, 2023
https://money.udn.com/money/story/5599/7463726

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend