Geo-Strategic Trend - 36. page

Deutsche Welle Chinese Edition recently reported that Pope Francis has backed down on his earlier position, agreeing to formally recognize Beijing’s pick of Shen Bin as the new bishop of Shanghai. Beijing placed She Bin in this position three months ago.

Although the Vatican agreed to recognize Shen Bin, it criticized China’s unilateral decision on personnel as “disregarding the spirit of dialogue and cooperation.” The Bishop position of the Shanghai Diocese had been vacant for ten years since the previous bishop Jin Luxian passed away in 2013. Father Ma Daqin, once seen as a successor to Jin Luxian, was placed under house arrest after he resigned from his positions in the official Chinese Patriotic Association. The Vatican said in April that they only learned about China’s appointment of Shen Bin from media reports.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said that the Pope’s decision to accept Shen Bin as the Shanghai bishop is for the benefit of the Shanghai Diocese and to promote dialogue with the Chinese authorities. Parolin also said China’s move runs counter to the “spirit of cooperation” outlined in the 2018 agreement between the Holy See and the Chinese government on the appointment of bishops.

China and the Vatican have had no formal diplomatic relations since the Communist Party took power and expelled foreign priests in 1951. However, the two sides do have a provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops, originally signed in 2018 and extended for two-year periods in 2020 and 2022. The wording of the agreement has been kept secret.

Source: DW Chinese, July 16, 2023
https://tinyurl.com/mrj3nwv5

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands recently visited Beijing. On July 10 he met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and signed nine agreements, including a law enforcement cooperation agreement, upgrading the relationship between the two countries to one of “comprehensive strategic partnership.” This was Sogavare’s first visit since the two countries reached a security agreement last year. In 2019, the island country established diplomatic ties with China and severed relations with Taiwan.

Last month, Sogavare called for a review of the Solomon Islands’ security treaty with Australia, which used to provide the country with policing assistance.

A joint statement between China and the Solomon Islands urged for caution in handling issues related to nuclear-contaminated water discharge and nuclear submarine cooperation, seemingly criticizing the AUKUS alliance involving Japan, Australia, the UK, and the US.

Sogavare also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on July 10. Xi said that China would support more investments in the Solomon Islands. Last year, the Solomon Islands received US $66 million in funcing from the Export-Import Bank of China, and telecommunications giant Huawei was contracted to build 161 telecommunication towers on the islands.

The two countries reached agreements in various fields, including civil aviation, trade, economy, technology, and sports. China will construct the stadium used for the 2023 Pacific Games scheduled to be held in Solomon Islands’ capital city Honiara this November.

Source: Epoch Times, July 11, 2023
http://cn.epochtimes.com/gb/23/7/11/n14031967.htm

Well-known Chinese news site NetEase (NASDAQ: NTES) recently reported that India, the world’s largest exporter of rice, is considering a ban on all non-Basmati rice — the vast majority of the country’s rice exports. The proposed ban comes as domestic prices rise and the government wants to avoid the risk of higher inflation.

Rice prices in Asia now at 2.5-year high due to El Nino. The Indian government’s move could send already high rice prices soaring further. India’s possible export ban is expected to lower domestic rice prices, but could lead to higher global prices. Rice importers have reacted by starting to aggressively build inventories. Shares of Indian rice mills edged lower on this news.

Rice is the staple food for about half the world’s population, with Asia consuming about 90 percent of the global supply. India accounts for about 40 percent of the global rice trade. India supplies rice to more than 100 countries. Benin, China, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo are India’s largest buyers. According to India’s Food Ministry, rice prices in Delhi have risen about 15 percent this year and the national average price of rice has risen about 8 percent. Vietnam expects rice exports to climb to their highest level in about a decade this year, with big increases to the Philippines, China and Indonesia.

Source: NetEase, July 14, 2023
https://www.163.com/dy/article/I9J9CLEU05198NMR.html

A recent investigation by German news outlet Correctiv has uncovered the case of a young German-Chinese man who was pressured by Chinese authorities to provide information about Chinese-Germans critical of the Chinese government. The man, identified as Alex, was interrogated by police upon his arrival in China and was shown photos of himself participating in anti-government protests in Germany. After hours of questioning, Alex provided fake names of two protesters he knew. Correctiv has verified his account through conversations and evidence such as photos and chat records.

German security agencies are currently investigating the incident. If confirmed, this incident will further strain the already tense relations between Germany and China. Ulrich Lechte, a spokesperson for the Free Democratic Party parliamentary group, and Jürgen Hardt, the deputy chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, have called on the German Foreign Ministry to issue travel warnings for China in response to this incident.

The German Foreign Ministry has stated that German citizens of Chinese descent have consular protection rights, and they are unaware of any Chinese refusal to recognize the German citizenship of ethnic Chinese Germans. The ministry acknowledged previous cases where China did not fully comply with its international obligations when dealing with ethnic Chinese who obtained foreign citizenship.

This incident adds to the list of instances where Chinese authorities have pressured Chinese citizens or ethnic Chinese living abroad. In a previous investigation, it was revealed that the Chinese government exerts strict control over Chinese students studying in Germany, particularly those receiving scholarships from the China Scholarship Council. These students are required to sign agreements promising not to engage in activities detrimental to China’s interests and regularly report to the Chinese embassy. Several Chinese students expressed fears of government surveillance and harsh reactions from the Chinese consulate if they participated in protests in Germany.

The German Foreign Ministry has not indicated whether travel warnings for China will be updated in light of this incident.

Source: Deutsche Welle, July 8, 2023
https://p.dw.com/p/4TcNi

The live-action movie “Barbie” has been banned in Vietnam due to a disagreement over the depiction of the “nine-dash line” map, which China uses to define its territorial claim in the South China Sea. Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries do not recognize this line. In addition, the Vietnamese government ordered Netflix and the local telecommunications company FPT to remove the Chinese TV series “Flight To You” from their platforms as it also featured scenes with the disputed map.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Culture’s Film Bureau claimed that although FPT had blurred the “nine-dash line” map in the TV series, it still contained “inappropriate content” that violated Vietnamese national sovereignty and film laws. The investigation identified specific episodes of the series, stating that they included unacceptable visuals, dialogues, and subtitles related to the disputed map.

The Vietnamese Film Bureau sent a letter to FPT, pointing out that despite blurring the map, the TV series had other unacceptable plot points and scenes that were deemed unsuitable for broadcast in Vietnam. Netflix and FPT were given 24 hours from July 10 to remove the series and submit a written report to the Film Bureau by July 12.

According to a Taiwan Central News Agency report, Netflix and FPT have already taken down the entire series in Vietnam. The series remains available in other regions. The report also mentions previous instances where the “nine-dash line” map caused controversies, such as its appearance on the official website of a South Korean concert in Hanoi and the ban of the Hollywood film “Uncharted” in Vietnam.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled at The Hague in 2016 that China’s claim to the “nine-dash line” lacked a legal basis and is not valid under international law.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), July 11, 2023
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202307110080.aspx