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Nippon Steel Exits Joint Venture with Baosteel, Signaling Shift in China Strategy

Nippon Steel Corporation, Japan’s largest steelmaker, announced on July 23rd that it would withdraw from its joint venture with Chinese steel giant Baosteel. The decision came as Japanese automakers struggle with sales in China due to the rising popularity of Chinese electric vehicles. Nippon Steel likely foresees difficulty in increasing its own sales volumes. After exiting the joint venture with Baosteel, Nippon Steel’s steel production capacity in China will decrease by 70%, with Nippon resources focused on the US and India going forward.

In 2004, Nippon Steel, Baosteel, and ArcelorMittal established a joint venture to manufacture and sell automotive steel sheets. The 20-year agreement expires in late August of this year, prompting Nippon Steel’s decision to dissolve the partnership.

Nippon Steel’s current annual steel production capacity in China is about 3.6 million tons, with the joint venture with Baosteel accounting for 70% of that figure. Nippon stated that its initial goal of supporting Japanese automakers’ local production through steel supply has been achieved. Meanwhile, the competitive landscape has changed as Chinese steel companies have improved their technical capabilities.

Starting just after the 1978 Japan-China Peace and Friendship Treaty, Nippon Steel has been a contributor to the modernization of China’s steel industry, providing Japanese technology and expertise in China. At the Chinese government’s invitation, Nippon Steel supported the construction of Shanghai’s Baoshan Iron and Steel Plant.

Source: Kyodo News, July 23, 2024
https://china.kyodonews.net/news/2024/07/bde5daef8687.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Bans Guatemalan Coffee and Macadamia Nuts in Retaliation for Pro-Taiwan Stance

In retaliation against Guatemala for the country’s pro-Taiwan stance, Beijing has banned the import of Guatemalan coffee and macadamia nuts. Last year, Guatemala exported $82 million worth of goods to mainland China, with the main products being coffee, nickel, iron, steel, and macadamia nuts.

After China’s ban, Guatemala has been seeking alternate destinations for its export. It has shipped 75 containers of coffee to Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, with Japan receiving most of them. Guatemala currently has eight containers of macadamia nuts stranded at Chinese ports. These containers were already in transit when the ban was issued. Guatemalan exporters are looking for other countries to reship them to.

Source: Epoch Times, July 16, 2024
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/24/7/16/n14291776.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend

Saudi Arabia Places Two Large Orders with Chinese Companies

Well-known Chinese news site Sina (NASDAQ: SINA) recently reported that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign fund Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi energy equipment company Vision Industrie and China’s second largest wind turbine manufacturer Envision Group have reached an agreement to build a wind turbine manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia to promote the Kingdom’s renewable energy production goals. The joint venture will carry out localized production and manufacturing of wind turbines and key components. At the same time, Saudi Arabia is also vigorously developing energy storage facilities to improve the reliability of the power grid. Since Saudi Arabia proposed its “Vision 2030” plan, the country has committed to developing renewable energy to accelerate the green transformation.

Chinese photovoltaic company Sungrow announced that the company signed a contract with Saudi Arabia’s Algihaz for the world’s largest energy storage project, with a capacity of 7.8GWh. The three sites of the project are located in the Najran, Al Madaya and Khamis Mushait areas of Saudi Arabia. Delivery is expected to begin in 2024, and the connection to the grid at full capacity will be in 2025.

Previously, Chinese technology company Huawei also announced its cooperation with Saudi Arabia to build an off-grid battery energy storage system for the Saudi Red Sea New City project. Under the leadership of Huawei, this energy storage project has recently reached 1.3GWh capacity. Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih said last December during his visit to China that, Saudi Arabia invites Chinese companies to participate in the green transformation supply chain. Both in the capital city and throughout the Kingdom, there is a large workload that requires China’s participation.

Source: Sina, July 16, 2024
https://k.sina.com.cn/article_1887344341_707e96d501901hx78.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Chinese Electric Vehicles (EVs) Gain Market Share in the Middle East

Xinhua reported that Chinese EVs are popular in Middle Eastern countries since those countries are focused on developing the green transportation.

According to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China exported 1.2 million new energy vehicles in 2023, an increase of 77.6 percent from 2022. China’s new energy vehicles now account for over 60 percent of the global market. To the Middle East market, China exported 578,100 automobiles in the first ten months of 2023, a year-on-year increase of 32.61 percent; among them, over 110,000 are new energy vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 66.44 percent.

China’s Yutong Bus provided Qatar with 1,002 electric buses for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. These were later integrated into Qatar’s public transportation system. Among the electric buses serving the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, more than half were from Chinese manufacturers such as Yutong, BYD, and King Long. In October 2022, Hongqi electric cars successfully “joined” the Dubai police force, becoming the first electric vehicles in the Dubai police fleet. The Hongqi E-HS9 has now become a favorite among local sheikhs, royal family members, and government officials.

Geely vehicles are sold in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain. BYD has entered the markets of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and Israel, establishing a leading position for its electric vehicle brand in the Middle East. Other Chinese electric vehicle companies such as Great Wall Motors, BAIC, Changan, XPeng, and Skyworth are also expanding into the Middle East market.

In 2023, Chinese EVs accounted for about 61 percent of the EV market in Israel. This share increased to 68.31 percent in the first half of 2024. In countries such as Jordan and Egypt, sales of Chinese brand EVs are also continuously growing.

Source: Xinhua, July 18, 2024
https://app.xinhuanet.com/news/article.html?articleId=9c0096426aa5ed72eba9f6629fae2619

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend

Lianhe Zaobao: Germany Starts Removing Huawei and ZTE 5G Components

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that the German government has imposed a ban on Chinese telecom equipment giants on national security grounds and will remove Huawei and ZTE components from Germany’s 5G network in two phases over the next five years. The German Interior Ministry negotiated an agreement with three domestic telecom providers operating 5G networks to protect Germany’s critical infrastructure from Chinese influence. This is Berlin’s latest move to reduce economic dependence on Beijing, a dependence which some fear could leave Germany vulnerable.

The three domestic German telecom operators are Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefonica Deutschland. According to their agreement with the German government, these telecom operators will remove key components of Huawei and ZTE Technologies from the 5G core network by the end of 2026 and will replace all components of Huawei and ZTE Technologies in the 5G network access and transmission infrastructure by the end of 2029.

The German government has informed Beijing about the agreement and does not expect retaliation for the move. Other European countries including the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have already imposed bans on components from Huawei and ZTE. The United States began to impose restrictions on the use of Huawei equipment as early as 2019. Germany is considered to have lagged behind in implementing EU 5G network security measures.

The Chinese Embassy in Germany criticized Germany’s move on its official website, saying “the so-called cyber security risks are just an excuse.”

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, July 12, 2024
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20240712-4249314

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Information/Technology

Japanese Beauty Brand BAUM Exits China amid Broader Foreign Business Exodus

Japanese cosmetics brand BAUM, owned by Shiseido, announced its withdrawal from the Chinese market. This move is part of a broader trend of multinational companies leaving China in recent years, extending from manufacturing to the beauty industry.

BAUM’s Tmall flagship store will stop accepting new orders from July 10, and its concept store in Shanghai has already closed. Shiseido cited “strategic adjustment” as the reason for this decision.

Experts attribute this trend to various factors, including China’s “dynamic zero-COVID” policy, difficulties faced by foreign businesses, and the inability to repatriate profits easily. The recent controversy over Japan’s nuclear wastewater discharge has also led to a boycott of Japanese beauty products in China.

Despite these challenges, some Chinese officials continue to welcome foreign investment. The Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology stated that China has lifted all restrictions on foreign investment in manufacturing.

However, critics argue that the deteriorating business environment in China is driving foreign companies to relocate to Southeast Asia, India, and even back to their home countries. This exodus includes major corporations like Samsung, Philips, Tesco, Yahoo, Canon, Lotte, and Sony.

The trend reflects broader concerns about China’s economic policies and international relations, potentially impacting its position in global supply chains and its appeal as a market for foreign businesses.

Source: Radio Free Asia, July 8, 2024
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/jingmao/ql2-shiseido-baum-withdraw-china-07082024065833.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Expands “Big External Propaganda” with Local International Communication Centers

Since 2023, China’s “big external propaganda” (大外宣) activities (a series of propaganda campaigns aiming to project China’s voice and image overseas) have been rapidly shifting from the purview of the central government to a responsibility of China’s local governments. As of now, China has established 23 provincial-level international communication centers, in Shenzhen, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Hebei, etc… The latest additions include the “Zhejiang International Communication Center” established on May 31 and the “Tianjin International Communication Center” established in early June this year. According to the official newspaper Tianjin Daily, the Tianjin center “will send more than ten filming teams to multiple countries and regions, using cameras and writing to showcase Tianjin’s core role in building a community with a shared future for humanity, co-constructing the ‘Belt and Road,’ and to serve the main diplomatic strategy of the country.”

An article titled “Efforts to Strengthen the Development of International Communication Capabilities and Systems” on Qiushi Journal in November 2023 pointed out that these international communication centers, “by displaying local characteristics,” has become a “new force” in China’s international communication. The ” Jiangsu International Communication Center” has set up channels in seven languages on overseas mainstream social platforms such as X Platform, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, which are blocked in China. The director of the Hubei Communication Center stated that the Hubei center has formulated a “one place, one strategy” approach: “For example, we focus on football-related content to Brazil and Argentina and food and emotional programs to Southeast Asia and Italy.” The “South Asia and Southeast Asia Regional International Communication Center” in Yunan Province is “the only media institution in (China) targeting South Asia and Southeast Asia.” The center publishes journals in Burmese, Thai, Khmer, and Lao, maintains websites in seven languages: Burmese, Lao, Thai, Khmer, English, Vietnamese, and Chinese, and writes on social media platforms with regional languages.

A public diplomacy scholar in the UK told VOA that China’s central government-level communication institute like China Global Television Network (CGTN) now seem to increasingly focus on political news, leaving non-sensitive and non-conflictual topics to the local international communication centers, letting them focus more on culture, tourism, history, and other areas. Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told VOA that China’s provincial international communication centers are just one of many attempts in Beijing’s “big external propaganda” efforts. “If one doesn’t work, China has many other options.”

Source: VOA, June 19, 2024
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-local-international-communication-center/7661097.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

China Expand EV Presence in Brazil

Chinese car manufacturers are increasing their presence in the Central and South American markets with electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs). From January to April 2024, sales of new Chinese cars reached 48,000 units, eight times the number from the same period last year. Data released by the Brazilian Electric Vehicle Association shows that in 2023, sales of electric vehicles (EVs, PHVs, and hybrid vehicles (HVs)) increased by 91 percent compared to 2022, reaching a record high of 94,000 units. The top five sellers include three Chinese companies – BYD, Chery Automobile, and Great Wall Motors. In April 2024, those three manufacturers accounted for 7 percent of new car sales in Brazil.

In March 2024, BYD announced that it would double its investment from the original plan to 5.5 billion reais in its Brazilian production base. This will be Brazil’s first pure EV factory, expected to start production as early as the end of 2024, gradually reaching full production capacity of 300,000 units per year. BYD also plans to double the number of its sales showrooms in Brazil to 200 by the end of 2024.

Source: Nikkei, May 24, 2024
https://zh.cn.nikkei.com/china/ccompany/55569-2024-05-24-05-00-57.html?start=1

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend