US-China Relations - 39. page

Deutsche Welle Chinese Edition recently reported that the Hua Chunying, the spokeswoman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provided a surprising answer when a foreign reporter asked her at a press conference to comment on the fact that the Chinese Ministry’s number of Twitter and Facebook accounts increased by three and two times, respectively. Hua claimed in her response that many western media reporters and diplomats heavily use Chinese social media apps like Weibo and WeChat. Then she questioned the foreign reporter who asked for her comments earlier, “Foreigners can use Chinese social media, why can’t Chinese people use Twitter and Facebook?” This “official” answer and the video went viral across Chinese online communities. Massive numbers of Chinese netizens joined the “discussion” with comments like “I was wondering about that too!” “Great question!” “Now I finally understand it’s the West that blocked our access.” “Hua asked the question we Chinese did not dare to ask.” “So we are not Chinese people …” Some explained that “Hua meant to say Chinese reporters and diplomats should be able to use Twitter and Facebook just like foreign reporters and diplomats can use WeChat.” China’s Great Firewall blocks all foreign social media. Nearly all Chinese netizen have no access to Twitter and Facebook, except for privileged figures like Hua herself.

Source: DW Chinese, February 20, 2021
https://bit.ly/2NKNzLa

Chen Ping, a retired Professor from Fudan University is a well-known “anti U.S. professor” in China. Chen received his PhD in Physics from the University of Texas in Austin. He is famous for his speech made during a forum at Tsinghua University last year. Chen said that people earning a monthly salary of 2,000 yuan (US$310) in China would be much happier than those who make US$3,000 a month in Los Angeles. However, during the recent winter storm power outage in Texas, people found out that Chen has been living in the U.S. for a while. Many Chinese netizens felt they had been misled and called him a hypocrite.

Cheng posted a picture of himself in a residential area in Austin Texas in Weibo. He complained about U.S. government policy and also accepted an interview with a Chinese media. Chen told Guancha.cn, he is prepared for water and electricity shortages and telecommunication disruption. He said that people won’t survive if there is no power and the Texas government has abandoned its homeless people. He said “The US military boasted that it would fight a nuclear war with China and Russia, but the U.S. can’t even make it through a winter storm that crippled the power grid and traffic in nearly half of the coastal lines of the U.S.”

Chinese netizens made the following comments on Chen’s Weibo posting: “Teacher Chen, did you buy the wrong airline ticket? Why did you go to Texas?”  “Making anti-U.S. comments is his job but living in the U.S. is his life.” Sure enough, patriotism is for business only; the dude is faking patriotism just to fool us.
Source:
1. Wenxuecity, February 17, 2021
https://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2021/02/17/10326150.html
2. NTDTV, February 17, 2021
https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/02/17/a103056461.html

According to the Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs announcement Friday, February 19, 2021, “A federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment charging Chen Song,” who described herself as a neurologist coming to the United States to conduct research at Stanford University related to brain disease, with visa fraud, obstruction of justice, destruction of documents, and false statements in connection with a scheme to conceal and lie about her status as a member of the People’s Republic of China’s military forces while in the United States.

“We allege that while Chen Song worked as a researcher at Stanford University, she was secretly a member of China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army,” said U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson for the Northern District of California. “When Song feared discovery, she destroyed documents in a failed attempt to conceal her true identity. This prosecution will help to protect elite institutions like Stanford from illicit foreign influences.”

Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division stated, “Members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army cannot lie on their visa applications and come to the United States to study without expecting the FBI and our partners to catch them.” “Time and again, the Chinese government prioritizes stealing U.S. research and taking advantage of our universities over obeying international norms.”

If convicted, she faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the visa fraud count; up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each of the obstruction and alteration charges; and up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the false statements charge. In addition, the court may order additional terms of supervised release.

Source: Department of Justice, February 19, 2021.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/federal-charges-against-stanford-university-researcher-expanded

Yang Jiechi, Member of CCP Political Bureau and Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State had a phone call on the 6th. This was the first conversation between high-ranking officials of the two countries since Biden took office. However, the reports that each country released were different.

1) In the statement from the U.S. State Department, Blinken “stressed that the United States will continue to stand up for human rights and democratic values, including in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong,” and “will hold China accountable for threats to the stability of the Taiwan Strait.” But none of these were mentioned in the news article that Xinhua reported. Instead, it reported that Yang reiterated that Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet and other matters are China’s internal affairs and no external forces are allowed to interfere.

2) In the U.S. State Department statement, Blinken “reaffirmed that the United States will work together with its allies and partners in defense of our shared values and interests to hold the PRC accountable for its efforts to threaten stability in the Indo-Pacific region, including across the Taiwan Strait, and its undermining of the rules-based international system.” Xinhua’s report said that Yang emphasized that the Taiwan issue is the most important and sensitive core issue in China-US relations. He reiterated the “One China Principle” and the three Sino-US joint communiqués. The Xinhua report also said that Blinken repeated that the U.S. will continue to pursue the “One China Policy” and follow the US-China Three Communiqués.

3) In the U.S. State Department statement, Blinken pressed China to join the international community in condemning the military coup in Burma. Xinhua reported that Yang Jiechi reiterated China’s position on the current situation in Myanmar and stressed that “the international community should create a positive external environment for the proper settlement of the Myanmar issue.” China recently blocked the UN Security Council statement condemning the military coup in Myanmar.

Source:
1. Central News Agency, February 7, 2021
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202102070110.aspx
2. Department of State, February 5, 2021
https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinkens-call-with-prc-director-yang/
3. Xinhua, February 6, 2021
http://www.xinhuanet.com/2021-02/06/c_1127072350.htm

Starting one week after Biden took office, he and several of his officials repeatedly expressed support for allies in the Indo-Pacific region. This has been interpreted as the Biden administration warning against China’s aggressive stance. On January 28, Wu Qian, director of the Information Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense of China, said during his regular press conference, that, if the United States wants to contain China, it is a “Mission Impossible.”

Wu said that the China and U.S. relationship encountered extreme hardships during the Trump administration. The militaries of both countries faced many risks and challenges. Facts have proven that it is an impossible task for the U.S. to contain China. In the end, the U.S. will only shoot itself in the foot. To Contain China is a Mission Impossible!

On the first weekend after taking office, Biden spoke with the leaders of many European countries, expressing the U.S. interest in working together on China. Many of his senior officials also reaffirmed their support for East Asian countries. In telephone calls with the foreign ministers of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, and Italy, the newly appointed Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged to stand with them in the face of China. State Council Spokesperson Ned Price also criticized the Chinese military’s activities near Taiwan and said that, “the U.S. commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region.”

Sources:
1. Sina, January 28, 2021
https://news.sina.com.cn/c/2021-01-28/doc-ikftpnny2530128.shtml
2. Radio Free Asia, January 28, 2021
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/junshiwaijiao/cm-01282021101704.html