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Xinhua: Chinese Government Plans for “Tight Days” Ahead

Xinhua recently published a commentary after the National Financial Work Conference, observing that the Chinese government is preparing to tighten its control over spending. The Conference outcome was a guideline for all levels of the government to do careful planning next year, ensuring that money is spent only on things that are required. In the year 2019, China delivered a major tax cut package that boosted the market while eating into government income. It is expected that the next year will continue to have the same challenges China has today, if not more. All government branches are asked to get ready for tough days ahead and all the work should focus on expanding income sources and reducing the budget. The government should set an example for the whole country on looking at all phases of operations to cut costs. The Conference sent the message that the Chinese leadership is asking the entire government system to “get serious” about the coming tight days, by cancelling unnecessary projects and strictly controlling new initiatives. “Scientific money management” should become the new norm and should form the foundation of a sustainable society.

Source: Xinhua, December 27, 2019
http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2019-12/27/c_1125397290.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Government/Politics

Epoch Times: Ten CCP “Wolf-Style” Diplomatic Events That Backfired in 2019

Epoch Times listed ten diplomatic events in 2019 in which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) tried to coerce the world but got slapped in the face in return.

  1. The NBA Incident: After the Houston Rockets Manager Daryl Morey’s words, “Fight For Freedom, Stand With Hong Kong” were posted on Twitter, Beijing blocked NBA and Rockets games in China. However, the U.S. media and politicians overwhelmingly criticized the CCP for trying to control Americans’ freedom of speech. The CCP quietly toned down its voice and restarted broadcasting certain NBA games.
  2. South Park: The South Park cartoon TV program is known for its dark humor. The 2nd episode of its 23rd season was called “Band in China” (meaning “banned in China”). It touched many CCP taboos including camps in Xinjiang, organ harvesting, quitting the CCP, self-censored media, and Hong Kong protests. Beijing banned this episode. South Park then issued a fake, sarcastic apology, “Like the N.B.A., we welcome the Chinese censors into our homes and into our hearts. We too love money more than freedom and democracy. Xi doesn’t look just like Winnie the Pooh at all.”
  3. Hong Kong Protests: The CCP blamed U.S. diplomat Julie Eadeh for supporting Hong Kong protesters and exposed information about her husband and children in the newspaper in August. The U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus called the CCP a “thuggish regime.” The CCP also tried to prevent the U.S. from passing the “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act,” but the U.S. Congress passed it with overwhelming support and President Trump signed it into law.
  4. Joshua Wong at the Italian Congress: The Italian Congress invited Joshua Wong, a student activist and Secretary-General of the pro-democracy party Demosistō, to give a speech at an online conference. The China’s Embassy in Italy claimed on Twitter that inviting him to the Italian politicians’ conference was an irresponsible act. Italian politicians and media uniformly criticized the CCP for interfering in their affairs.
  5. Huawei at Faroe Islands: In November, Feng Tie, China’s Ambassador to Denmark, threatened Bárður Nielsen, the Primary Minister of the Faroe Islands. He said that if they would not sign up Huawei with a 5G contract, they would have no chance of getting a free trade agreement from China. Many politicians from Denmark criticized the CCP and expressed that they would protect Denmark and its autonomous territory, the Faroe Islands.
  6. Prague’s Sister City: On October 7, the Czech Republic’s capital city of Prague decided to end its sister city relationship with Beijing because China requested it to acknowledge the “one China principle,” acknowledging only the Communist regime but not Taiwan. Beijing retaliated in several ways. It cancelled the Czech’s performance troupes’ tours. The Czech Republic criticized Beijing for interfering in its affairs.
  7. Huawei in Canada: On January 17, 2019, Lu Shaye, then China’s Ambassador to Canada, stated at a news conference that there would be “consequences” if the Canadian government prohibited Huawei from providing 5G network equipment to Canada. Ralph Goodale, the Canadian Minister of Public Safety responded that Canada would not yield to Beijing on national security issues.
  8. The “Potter King” Incident: Taiwan Internet Celebrity “Potter King” hosted a show with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and posted it on YouTube. Papitube, a media company in China, which signed “Potter King” for China’s market demanded that he remove the posting from YouTube since he called her “President.” “Potter King” answered that if he can’t call his President the “President” (because if the CCP’s rule), he’d rather not to make money from China. He said, “From the beginning, I have never kneeled down (to the CCP).”
  9. The Kong Linlin Incident: On September 30, China Central Television reporter Kong Linlin slapped a U.K. Conservative Party member at the party’s annual conference in Birmingham. After the incident, Beijing called Kong the victim who was “personally attacked.” On November 29, the Birmingham Court ruled that it was Kong who was guilty.
  10. The Michael Gui Award: Michael Gui is a Swedish citizen who lived in Hong Kong and published books opposing CCP leaders. Beijing arrested him 2015. In early November this year, the Swedish PEN announced it was awarding him the Tucholsky prize. Gui Congyou, China’s Ambassador, requested of Amanda Lind, the Swedish Culture and Democracy Minister, not attend the award ceremony, threatening that Beijing would take “counter measures” against Sweden and prohibit her from entering China. Mrs. Lind still attended the event. Stefan Lofven, the Swedish Prime Minister stated, “We are not going to give in to this type of threat. Never! We have freedom of expression in Sweden and that’s how it is, period.”

Source: Epoch Times, December 20, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/12/20/n11735005.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics US-China Relations

The Mysterious Person Helping the CCP’s Elite Families Transport Money Overseas

Epoch Times reported that a person has been instrumental in helping some top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials and their families move their money out of China. He remains low-key, rarely interacting with Chinese and hiding behind those transactions, so very few people know about him.

His real name is not clear. The name he uses in his circle is Michael P. Xu (his Chinese name might be 许鹏). He is a third generation of a Red Officials: His grandfather was a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) general who had fought wars for the CCP to take over the mainland. His father is a current PLA general. The government sent him to study at a U.S. high school and he might have changed his name at that time. He later worked at a senior position at Akerman LLP’s investment banking sector on mergers and acquisitions.

He is well connected to the family of current the CCP’s Politburo Standing Committee member Z. His relation with Z’s family dates back to when Z was holding a local government position. He has also helped other elite officials’ families to purchase U.S. companies via the Chinese companies that they control. Those families include the one of Dai Xianglong (戴相龙), former Governor of the People’s Bank of China; Shang Fulin (尚福林), former President of the China Securities Regulatory Commission and former President of the China Banking Regulatory Commission; Zeng Qinghong (曾庆红), former Politburo Standing Committee member and Jiang Zemin’s right hand man.

He has a good reputation in his circle and has a strong influence both in the U.S. and in tax haven islands. He is close to a Jewish group, especially the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). He frequently comes to the elite California Club, a by-invitation members-only private social club.

He provided strategic consultation for the China Metallurgical Group Corporation (中冶集团), China Merchants Bank (中国招商银行), and a global level company based in Guangdong, on their Northern American business strategies. He also did lobbying work on U.S. politics and regulations.

When Che Feng, son-in-law of Dai Xianglong, tried to buy Digital Domain (the producer of Titanic and Transformers), he had a problem with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court’s rule which required him, in a short time window, to put in money that was already in the U.S.0. Michael Xu moved several tens of millions of dollar in the U.S. and British Virgin Island to make the deal go through.

CCP’s Politburo Standing Committee member Z’s family started transferring their assets from China to Hong Kong and overseas while Z held local government position. One of Z’s assistants is Michael Xu’s relative. Many of Z’s family’s affairs were handled by Z’s son-in-law and Michael Xu through single contact.

Source: Epoch Times, December 14, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/12/14/n11722684.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Government/Politics

Xi Jinping Promoted Nearly 100 Generals

In four days in December, Beijing promoted 96 generals.

On December 12, 2019, Xi Jinping promoted seven Chinese military officers to the rank of General.

On December 10, the army promoted 52 officers, including six to Lieutenant General and 46 to Major General.

On December 9, the armed police promoted 37 officers, including one to Lieutenant General and 36 to Major General.

Usually Beijing promotes generals around August 1st, the anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Liberation Army. Observers think that Xi did this large scale off-cycle promotion to impose stronger control over the military, as he is facing the U.S. trade war, Hong Kong Protests, a falling economy, and political rivalry inside the Communist Party.

Source: Epoch Times, December 12, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/12/12/n11719114.htm

 

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military Government/Politics

China’s Experts: It’s Imperative to Enact Article 23 of the Basic Law

Recently, the Communist Regime in China has been talking about enacting Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law. At the annual Global Times (Huanqiu) meeting, two Hong Kong affairs experts in China stated that it is imperative to enact Article 23.

Wang Zhenmin, former Director of the Legal Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), stated, “The common understanding after Hong Kong’s extradition bill is that the national security issue must be included in the agenda; Hong Kong law has already defined five acts endangering national security, and therefore, Article 23 is not ‘empty.’” He also stated that here is a force in Hong Kong that does not want to acknowledge that Hong Kong has already permanently returned to China and intentionally smears China.

Qiang Shigong, a Law Professor at Beijing University, who also attended the meeting, warned against turning the Hong Kong issue into a “Taiwan-style problem.” He claimed that the Hong Kong issue might not be about the conflicts between Capitalism and Socialism, but rather whether Hong Kong should be united with mainland China.

Note: Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law stated that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region “shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People’s Government,or theft of state secrets, to prohibit foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting political activities in the Region, and to prohibit political organizations or bodies in the Region from establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies.” The Hong Kong government’s attempt to implement the article with a National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill in 2003 caused a great controversy and 500,000 people protested on the streets. Since then, the bill of implementing the article has not been reintroduced.

Source: China News Agency, December 21, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201912210108.aspx

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Taiwan Legislator: Ten Ways the CCP Is Interfering in Taiwan’s Elections

The Presidential Election of the Republic of China (ROC) will be held in Taiwan on January 11, 2020. Recently a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator, Li Junyi, drew attention to the severity of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) interference in the Taiwan’s election. He thinks that Taiwan needs an “Anti-Infiltration Law” to prevent the CCP from using Taiwan’s democratic system to defeat its democracy.

He listed ten ways in which the CCP is interfering:

1. Hacker Attacks – the CCP attacks the government and other websites so it can access and steal information.

2. Establishing Organizations and Communication Tools – CCP spy Zhou Hongxu was suspected of using Wang Bingzhou, a key member of the New Party (a political party in Taiwan), to create Fire News media in order to spread the CCP’s United Front message.

3. Information Control – the CCP controlled social media calls Hong Kong protesters “violent activists.” They are now applying the same method of control in Taiwan.

4. Fake News – the University of Gothenburg, Sweden found that Taiwan has received the largest number of foreign fake news attacks.

5. Buying Social Sites – A group of fans who supported Han Guoyu (the Kuomintang’s Presidential candidate whom the CCP likes and is spending money to support) recently changed its position to support Tsai Ing-wen (the ROC President seeking re-election, as the DPP candidate). The fans group said that a rich businessman from mainland China promised them money (if they supported Han), but after the CCP’s spy Wang Liqiang defected to Australia, that businessman disappeared.

6. Using Civil Organizations – President Zhou Qingjun and member Zhang Xiuye of the Patriot Alliance Association (a pro-CCP organization in the ROC) have been sued for receiving the CCP’s money for Zhang to bid for Taipei’s Council member position.

7. Using an Interfering Party – The Chinese Unification Promotion Party (a Party in the ROC that has been criticized for its connection to the CCP and to gangsters) recently held a ceremony for the CCP’s 70th anniversary of taking over the mainland from the ROC. This party openly advocates that Taiwan re-unites with the CCP.

8. Drawing in Retired Generals – Retired General Wu Sz-huai went to mainland China and saluted the CCP’s flag. Retired General Luo Wen-shan received a political donation from the CCP’s contacts.

9. Connecting with the Media – The CCP invited Taiwan media executives to visit the mainland and to promote the “One Country, Two Systems” concept, which is the CCP’s offer to re-unite Taiwan under its control.

10. Illegal Money Exchanges – Taiwan authorities have found 80 billion New Taiwan Dollars (US $2.64 billion) that came to Taiwan through underground channels.

Source: Epoch Times, December 4, 2019
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/12/4/n11700590.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

China Mobile Inspector Revealed How He Monitored the Internet

A former China Mobile worker disclosed the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) monitoring over its citizens’ phone conversations and text messages to Bitter Winter, a publication focused on the CCP’s human rights abuses.

The former inspector of China Mobile Online, who remained anonymous, said that China Mobile monitors its customers’ conversations and text messages using the excuse that it is managing “inappropriate messages.” Covering all territories in mainland China, its system can automatically detect messages related to politics and religion, including those messages against the CCP or those that make fun of the top leaders. All the detected messages must go through a manual inspection.

The former inspector worked with at least 500 colleagues on this duty and their work was intense.

“If you accidentally let a ‘sensitive message’ pass, your monthly salary will be reduced and your annual bonus will be impacted, too. I usually had to process over 10,000 messages each month. In a year’s time it was inevitable to make a mistake or two.”

“Almighty God,” “Falun Gong,” and other religious words are “sensitive words.” Any mention of “Party,” “Quitting the Party,” and “Quitting the Communist Youth League” in messages or discussions is also tightly monitored.

“Any information that is negative about the CCP is put in the politics category,” he explained, “For example, the information about the CCP conducting live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners is directly ‘dealt with’ (meaning deleted), to prevent it from being circulated.”

“If sensitive words were detected in conversations, Multimedia Messaging Services, test messages, or WeChat postings, the system will automatically block it. It will lock the user’s account and prohibit the user from making phone calls or sending messages. The user has to bring his ID card to China Mobile’s retail office and write a guarantee statement to promise not to send sensitive messages any more in order to get his account unlocked.”

Locking a user account or phone is still a small warning. The authorities will impose much harsher punishment for “severe cases.” A resident in Fujian Province was stopped at China’s border. The border guards destroyed his passport and prevented him from going abroad. They said that he had sent messages in the WeChat group to criticize a CCP leader, which was “insulting national leaders and disrupting the public order.”

“The monitoring standard has been updated frequently in the past few years. As it progresses, it gets stricter and stricter, with fewer and fewer loopholes.”

Source: Bitter Winter, December 4, 2019

監聽全國用戶通訊、刪對黨不利留言　前審查員揭中共控制手段

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Apple Daily: Maoming Protesters Won Their Fight against the CCP

Apple Daily reported that citizens in Maoming City, Guangdong Province forced the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader to yield to their demand in four days.

The Huazhou City government, which is under the management of Maoming City, Guangdong Province, triggered the event when the Huazhou government started a land purchase program in Wenlou Town in Huazhou, claiming to build an ecological park. However, it didn’t disclose its real purpose, which was to build a funeral house and a crematorium there.

After its secret agenda was exposed, the residents of Wenlou Town held a fierce protest. Protesters planned to go to the government office on November 28, but a large group of riot police blocked the road. Clashes exploded between the police and protesters. The protesters cut trees to make road blocks to prevent the addition of police reinforcement. They then surrounded the riot police, threw bricks at them, and overturned a police car. Many residents held sticks and even forced the police to retreat to a hill.

The police kept firing tear gas and water cannons. Many protesters were injured, including old people and children.

The standoff inside the city last two days, during which the authorities arrested 200 people. The standoff outside the city continued, with many people holding banners and shouting slogans.

The government softened its position on December 1. Li Weihua, the CCP Party Secretary of Wenlou Town, promised the protesters that the ecological park and funeral house will never be built in Wenlow. In the afternoon, the arrested citizens came back in two buses, though some were said to be on bail awaiting trial.

Source: Apple Daily, December 1, 2019
https://tw.appledaily.com/new/realtime/20191201/1671268/

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics