Geo-Strategic Trend - 53. page

Though China’s coal demand is decreasing and domestic supply is increasing, since May Russia, has been  offering a big discount on coal. Therefore, Beijing has increased its purchase of Russian coal significantly.

China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported that, in the period of January to May, China’s domestic coal production has increased by 10 percent over the same period last year. It has risen to 1.81 billion tons. At the same time, Russia’s coal delivery to China in May increased by 20 percent, to 5.5 million tons; and from June 1 to June 28, the delivery increased by 55 percent, to 6.2 million tons.

Source: Epoch Times, June 30, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/6/30/n13770387.htm

Well-known Chinese news site Tencent News recently reported that Ukraine’s Eighth Court of Administrative Appeals completed the hearing of the administrative case on the banning of the Communist Party of Ukraine. The Court issued its final ruling to completely ban the activities of the Communist Party of Ukraine. Property, funds and all other assets of the party and its regional, municipal, district organizations, grassroots organizations and other structural entities will be handed over to the state. Earlier, Ukrainian President Zelensky signed a law to ban pro-Russian political parties in Ukraine. As early as April 9, 2015, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (the “Supreme Council”) passed a bill. The flag, the national anthem, the monument and the image of the leader of the Soviet Union, and the phrase “Great Patriotic War” were all banned in Ukraine. The names and activities of communist leaders and other associated entities are not allowed in trademarks. After this bill was passed, the Ukrainian government immediately instructed the relevant departments to sue the Ukrainian Communist Party in court.

Source: Tencent News, July 6, 2022
https://page.om.qq.com/page/O-BR0_LnmidFWq4c3_0vlGPA0

Global Times recently reported that the South Korean Ministry of Defense said six fifth-generation F-35A fighter jets from Elson Air Force Base in Alaska have been deployed to South Korea and are scheduled to conduct joint exercises with the South Korean Air Force. According to the report, this is the first time in five years that the U.S. Air Force F-35A stealth fighter has been deployed to the Korean peninsula . The South Korean Ministry of Defense claimed that the joint exercise was aimed at demonstrating the strong deterrence and joint defense posture of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, while improving the interoperability between the South Korean and the U.S. air forces. In December 2017, the U.S. military first publicly deployed F-35As to South Korea. In addition to the F-35A, the U.S. military also invested in the F-22 “Raptor” stealth fighter and B-1B strategic bomber at that time, and launched the “Vigilant ACE” Korea-US joint air exercise.

Source: Global Times, July 5, 2022
https://world.huanqiu.com/article/48hYWNSqhOi

Xinhua recently reported that a Turkish presidential spokesman reiterated not long ago that Turkey will not follow the West to sanction Russia, and Turkey needs to consider its own economic interests. Turkey has publicly informed Western countries about its position, but, from time to time, it is still under pressure from Western countries to sanction Russia. Turkey emphasized that the Turkish position is “very firm” that they “will not do that.” Since Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine on February 24, the United States and the European Union have imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia. However, as Russia is the EU’s main supplier of natural gas and crude oil, the backlash caused by the sanctions has made the EU even more embarrassed. Turkey’s disagreement with Europe revolves not only over whether to sanction Russia, but also over whether to support Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO. On March 29, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators started a new round of negotiations at the Presidential Palace in the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkish President Erdogan met with representatives of both sides before the start of the peace talks and expressed his willingness to facilitate the Russian-Ukrainian Presidential Meeting in Turkey.

Source: Xinhua, June 27, 2022
http://www.news.cn/world/2022-06/27/c_1211661204.htm

Australian news network SBS recently reported in its Chinese Edition that a 2022 Lowy Institute Poll showed growing concern over Russian and Chinese foreign policies and the possibility of a potential war on Taiwan. Few saw the Covid-19 pandemic as a threat in 2022. Three-quarters of respondents said China was “very” or “somewhat” likely to be a military threat to Australia over the next 20 years, a 30-percentage point increase from 2018. Only 12 percent of respondents said they trust China, down 40 percent from 2018. A majority of Australians (65 percent) saw China’s foreign policy as a “significant threat” over the next decade – up 29 percent from 2017. Only 11 percent said they had “great” or “somewhat” positive confidence that Xi would make the right decisions on world affairs. This figure is half of what it was in 2020 (22 percent) and 32 percent from 2018 (43 percent). For the first time in the survey results, a majority of Australians (51 percent) said they would support Australia sending troops if China invaded Taiwan and the US decided to intervene. Data also showed 88 percent of Australians were “very” or “somewhat” concerned that China could open a military base in the Pacific island nations.

Source: SBS Chinese, June 30, 2022
https://bit.ly/3R4SVgh

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that a recent poll of 19 countries by the Pew Research Center, an American think tank, showed that an average of 68 percent of respondents hold a negative view of China. Many countries are at or near record highs. Among them, the ratios of Japan, Australia, Sweden, the United States and South Korea are all over 80 percent, 87 percent, 86 percent, 83 percent, 82 percent and 80 percent, respectively. Laura Silver, a senior fellow at the Pew, said that two things stood out about this year’s polling results. First is that the proportion of people with a negative view of China continues to be at or near an all-time high. In most of the places Pew surveyed, and in the three survey reports published in the past, few places have become more positive about China. Second is that, in many European countries, the proportion of people who have negative opinions on China is relatively low – this goes hand in hand with negative perceptions of China. Also, 79 percent of the respondents believe that China’s human rights policy is a serious problem, of which 47 percent believe that it is very serious. Around 72 percent are worried about China’s military power. At the same time, 66 percent and 59 percent are concerned about China’s economic competition and China’s involvement in their own politics, respectively.

Sources: Lianhe Zaobao, June 30, 2022
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20220630-1288105
Pew Research Center

Negative Views of China Tied to Critical Views of Its Policies on Human Rights