US-China Relations - 35. page

On June 11, 2021, Yang Jiechi, China’s top diplomat, had a telephone call with U.S. Secretary of State Blinken.

An AP report, published on June 12, summarized that the phone call was another “sharply worded exchange” between Yang and Blinken. The call revealed a wide clash on a number of contentious issues, including freedom in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

However, the news article Xinhua published presented a one-sided report to its Chinese readers. Below is the summary of the Xinhua article.

The mainstream of Sino-US relations should be dialogue and cooperation. Cooperation should be mutually beneficial to both sides and resolve each other’s concerns in a balanced manner. China urges the U.S. to work with China to bring Sino-US relations back on track.

As to Taiwan, China urges the US to abide by the one-China principle, keep its promises, handle Taiwan-related issues in a prudent and proper manner, and take concrete actions to maintain the overall situation of China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

There is one international system and one type of multilateralism.  They are based on the purposes and principles of the United Nation’s Charter. It is not up to a few countries to advocate their version of the system and order. Respect for sovereignty is a prerequisite for human rights. The U.S. should fix its own serious domestic human rights violations and not use any so-called human rights issues as an excuse to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

China actively participates in and supports the international effort to combat COVID 19 and firmly opposes any despicable acts that use the epidemic as an excuse to slander China and to shift blame. Some people in the United States have fabricated and peddled absurd stories claiming there was a Wuhan lab leak, which China is gravely concerned about. China urges the United States to respect facts and science, refrain from politicizing the tracing of COVID-19’s origin and concentrate on international anti-pandemic cooperation.

China will soon celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese people have made great achievements under the strong leadership of the Communist Party. They will unite more closely, work harder and unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. They will continue to build a more prosperous China and achieve the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Sources:
1. Xinhua, June 11, 2021
http://www.xinhuanet.com/2021-06/11/c_1127556040.htm
2. US News, June 12, 2021
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-06-12/china-us-diplomats-clash-over-human-rights-pandemic-origin
3. Department of State, June 11, 2021
https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinkens-call-with-politburo-member-yang/

On May 28, a reporter asked a question at a regular press conference at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “U.S. President Joe Biden claimed that a report may be released detailing the findings of the U.S. intelligence community on the origins of the coronavirus outbreak. U.S. intelligence agencies have also begun to comment on the traceability of the virus, saying they will continue to study all the evidence and collect and analyze new information. What is China’s comment on this?”

(Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson) Zhao Lijian replied, “Virus tracing is a serious scientific issue, but the U.S. is trying to let its so-called intelligence personnel lead to the conclusion, which only shows that the U.S. side does not care about the truth and does not want to engage in scientific research, but is only bent on playing politics and blaming other countries.”

“It is clear to the world that the U.S. side has recently once again maliciously rehashed the ‘laboratory leak’ and claimed to conduct an ‘investigation’ on this issue with impure motives and sinister intentions. I would like to remind them of two points. First, it is highly unlikely that the Chinese laboratory incident caused the virus, and this conclusion is clearly documented in the study report of the joint China-WHO mission. Second, the United States is the country with the largest and most numerous biological laboratories in the world. The news of the leak at the Fort Detrick biological camp has long been exposed in the media. According to public information, Fort Detrick is inextricably linked to the ‘Unit 731’ of the Japanese army invading China, and the head of the heinous ‘Unit 731’, Shiro Ishii, was a biological weapons advisor to Fort Detrick.”

“I would like to ask the U.S. side when it will provide details on the unexplained respiratory illness in northern Virginia in July 2019 and the massive ‘e-cigarette disease’ in Wisconsin? Is there the will and courage for WHO experts to come to the United States to investigate?”

U.S. President Biden recently ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to re-investigate the source of the coronavirus and urged China to participate in the global investigation. A bill was introduced in the U.S. Congress to require the intelligence community to release information about the investigation into the ties between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the coronavirus.

The mainland Chinese media once reported that according to the declassified information from the U.S. National Archives, after World War II, the U.S. military secretly contacted Shiro Ishii, Masaji Kitano and other personnel, and conducted investigations of Unit 731 of the Japanese army, and compiled a series of reports on Japan’s Unit 731 germ warfare investigations. The U.S. and Japan were also reported to have traded information on germ warfare research results, and the U.S. was able to use Japanese biochemical weapons research information, so as to develop the Fort Detrick Biological Laboratories, which is the only P4 biological processing laboratory in the U.S. Army.

Source: Chinese Foreign Ministry, May 28, 2021
https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/wjdt_674879/fyrbt_674889/t1879392.shtml
China Times, May 28, 2021
https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/realtimenews/20210528005464-260409

Starting on May 24, a “Notice on Disallowing Tesla Vehicles from the Provincial Administrative Center” was circulated online. The notice reads, “Due to a lack of parking spaces and other reasons, starting from May 31, 2021, Tesla vehicles will be disallowed from entering the provincial administrative center. Please notify the staff members in all units.” The “Security Office of the Zhejiang Provincial Administrative Center” signed the notice, which was dated May 21, 2021.

Netizens tended to believe that it was likely an authentic notice, although it has not been confirmed. Two months ago, the Chinese military had already banned Tesla cars from parking in military facilities or dormitory areas.

Wang Aizhong, a political dissident living in Guangzhou, told Radio Free Asia, “Over the years, there has been a sharply rising tide of government-guided nationalist sentiment in China. This includes the boycott of Tesla. Now some government bodies are imposing restrictions on Tesla. This is beyond Tesla’s original expectation when it came to China to set up a factory.”

Staff from at least two government agencies in Beijing and Shanghai received verbal instructions from officials in charge that they should not park Tesla cars in the office areas, Reuters reported on Friday May 21, “As of now, it is unclear whether the ban involves all government agencies or is simply a measure taken by individual officials.”

Recent news of Tesla’s intention to set up factories in Europe suggests that it plans no expansion in China. Media have reported that Tesla is now considering building factories in other parts of the world, including Russia and Germany.

Mr. Jiang, a scholar in Zhejiang, told RFA that the government hopes to obtain Tesla’s advanced technology by introducing the production line. “Learn the technology, copy the technology and then kick them out. Will a company like Tesla repeat the mistakes of its predecessor? Let’s wait and see.”

During the Shanghai Auto Show in April, a woman lodged a protest at the Tesla booth. The official media hyped up the incident and blasted Tesla as “bullying the customer.”

Source: Radio Free Asia, May 25, 2021
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/jingmao/ql2-05252021064552.html

Radio Free Asia, through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) system, dug out the financials for the North American bureau of Xinhua, the official news agency of the People’s Republic of China. Xinhua spent more than US$10 million in the 14 months between March 18, 2020 and May 4, 2021. All of the funds came from Beijing. Employee salaries were over $5.3 million. In addition, the agency rented eight properties in the U.S. and spent more than $3.3 million on rent.Also, more than $500,000 was spent on administrative costs, including attorney fees.

Documents show that from March of last year to April of this year, the Xinhua News Agency paid a total of $8.64 million to its North American branches, including its New York headquarters and branches in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Houston, and Chicago.

In February 2020, the U.S. Department of State designated the Xinhua News Agency as a “foreign mission.” According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) is designed to ensure that the U.S. public is informed of the source of media contents. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice asked Xinhua News Agency to register as a “foreign agent” under FARA. Last March, the U.S. authorities announced a staffing cap for Chinese media outlets including Xinhua News Agency and China Global Television Network (CGTN), reducing the total number of Chinese employees in the U.S. from 160 to 100.

Source: Radio Free Asia, May 10, 2021
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/us-xinhua-05102021153237.html

Major Taiwanese news network China Times recently reported that the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (AmCham HK) just released a report showing that 42 percent of its members are considering or planning to leave Hong Kong. Most of the member surveyed pointed out that the issue was concerns about the Hong Kong’s National Security Law. Around 43 percent of those who are considering or intending or to leave are staying in Asia. The most likely destinations are Tokyo, Taipei, Singapore and Thailand. Some members are worried about their children’s education after passage of the National Security Law. The survey sample included 325 member companies of AmCham HK, which covers about a quarter of all its members. Most of the members who decided to stay cited a “good quality of living” (77 percent). AmCham HK suggested in an announcement that the Hong Kong government should pay more attention to foreign talent’ concerns to prevent a reduction in Hong Kong’s competitiveness.

Source: China Times, May 12, 2021
https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/realtimenews/20210512002963-260409?chdtv

Global Times recently reported, based on stories told by some Chinese applicants for U.S. visas, that their visa applications were rejected. The U.S. visa officials said that the reason for the rejection was an order from the Secretary of State, who suspended the issuance of a visa to the spouse and children of active-duty employees of the Chinese Ministry of Public Safety, the Ministry of National Security and the Immigration Bureau. This is a very good example that shows how the U.S. intentionally undermines normal personnel exchanges between China and the United States due to political reasons. This is not the way to develop a healthy relationship between the two countries. The spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed a few other similar cases and commented at a press conference that, with the same logic, maybe China should not issue a visa to U.S. intelligence personnel and their families as well. The United States should correct its wrong-doing.

Source: Global Times, May 13, 2021
https://world.huanqiu.com/article/436ea7rDqEd