North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile into the waters off its eastern coast on October 14, the latest in a series of recent North Korean launches.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from the Sunan area near the North Korean capital Pyongyang. Reuters said this was at least North Korea’s 41st ballistic missile launch this year.
North Korea stated that its recent string of missile tests, including an intermediate-range ballistic missile that flew over Japan last week, was in response to the joint military exercises by South Korea and the United States.
North Korea’s latest launch in the early hours of Friday also drew Japan’s attention. The Japanese government said the missile is believed to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, about 370 kilometers from the coast.
Source: Epoch Times, October 13, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/10/13/n13844834.htm
Possible Methods for the CCP to Interfere on Taiwan’s Election
Taiwan will hold its election on November 26. Included will be local public service positions, the mayor, county executive, city and county council members, and others.
Su Ziyun, Director of the Defense Strategy and Resources Studies, Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told the Epoch Times that the U.S. has confirmed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has interfered in a number of other countries’ elections. The CCP spent at least several billion dollars to intrude directly or indirectly in other countries’ political operations, using agents such as the Confucius Institute.
Su thinks that the CCP has three methods to interfere in Taiwan’s election this year. One, spread specific information, via their agents in Taiwan, to shift voter’s minds. Two, force Taiwan business people who are doing business in China to state publicly that they support certain candidates. Three, use Taiwan’s local associations, such as agricultural and fishery associations, temple systems, and whatever they can, to impact the support for local candidates.
Source: Epoch Times, October 9, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/10/9/n13841851.htm
CCP Requested Foreign Diplomat’s Missions in Hong Kong to Hand in Building Floor Plans
According to Financial Times, in the past few months, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested foreign diplomat’s missions in Hong Kong to submit their real estate information, including floor plans. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) also wants to collect and review their leases and/or sales contracts.
Diplomats from these foreign countries are concerned that the CCP’s request will jeopardize the security of their buildings and their properties.
Source: Radio France International, October 4, 2022
https://www.rfi.fr/cn/港澳台/20221004-中国据报要求驻港外交使团提供所有房产资料
Several Countries Are Taking Action against China’s Police Stations on Their Land
After a report revealed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has established police service stations and conducted police operations in foreign countries, some of these countries started conducting investigations. In some other countries politicians have put on pressure for action to be taken.
Safeguard Defenders, a human rights organization in Spain, reported in September that the CCP has extended its police operations overseas. It has set up at least 54 police service stations in 30 countries, including the U.S. (New York), France (Paris), Canada (Toronto), Spain (Madrid), and elsewhere. Their main mission is to hunt for those Chinese who stole money and went overseas. “Rather than using legal forms of international cooperation, they have resorted to pressuring targets to return. In fact some 230,000 people have been involved for a little over year.”
These police service stations have physical locations and phone numbers so that people can call and provide information. Beijing claimed that its purpose was to provide ID services or China’s driver’s license renewal to Chinese citizens overseas.
However, some countries where Beijing has conducted these police operations, feel this is a violation of their sovereignty.
Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Ministry officials have expressed concern to the Chinese Embassy and are consulting within the entire government as to how to resolve this issue.
The Ministry of Interior in Spain started its investigation.
In the U.S., Jim Bank (R), Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Michael Waltz (R), Mike Gallagher (R), along with 18 other House Representatives, wrote a letter to Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary of Justice Garland, stating, “There should be no room for the Chinese government to exercise extraterritorial law enforcement unilaterally on U.S. soil.”
On October 4, the Canadian House of Commons committee on relations between Canada and the People’s Republic of China held a hearing on this issue. Weldon Epp, a China lead with Global Affairs Canada, stated at the hearing, “The activity that’s being alleged (about the police service stations) would be entirely illegal, totally inappropriate and would be the subject of very serious representations.”
Sources:
1. Scribd.com
https://www.scribd.com/document/599145539/Banks-Waltz-Gallagher-letter-to-Austin-Blinken-about-CCP-police-arm-in-NYC?secret_password=Rnjt1JQ6WoEg4gW1d91F
2. Epoch Times, October 10, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/10/10/n13842597.htm
3. Epoch Times, October 9, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/10/9/n13841856.htm
4. Epoch Times, October 11, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/10/11/n13843260.htm
China’s State Outlet Re-emphasized Zero-Covid Policy
Despite speculation that, after the 20th Chinese Communist Party’s Congress coming up in a week, the government may relax stringent Covid controls and reopen to the world, a recent article in the state mouthpiece dashed many people’s hopes.
An article titled “Enhancing Confidence and Patience in the Current Epidemic Prevention and Control Policy,” appeared in People’s Daily on October 10. It claimed that “China’s current epidemic prevention and control policy fits the national conditions, and is scientific and effective.”
The article then went on to say that as long as victory is not achieved, one cannot speak lightly of success. The multiple different sub-strains of the new Omicron mutant currently found in China are not less transmissible and pathogenic than the previously prevalent Omicron strain, The latest strain still poses a great threat to the elderly and to patients with underlying diseases. The article urged, “It is for this reason that we must remain vigilant about the spread of the epidemic and increase our confidence and patience in our epidemic prevention and control policies.”
While most countries around the world have announced the end of the Corona virus epidemic and have returned to a normal economic and social life, Chinese authorities still adhere to a strict zero-Covid policy. The article that was published emphasized, “We have the conditions and ability dynamically to achieve a zero number of Covid cases.”
Source: Deutsche Welle, October 10, 2022
https://p.dw.com/p/4Hztn
China’s Central Bank to Establish a “Credit File” on Every Economic Entity
On October 10, the Credit Bureau of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the country’s central bank, published an article entitled, “Building a Credit System that Covers the Whole Society.” The article claimed that China would establish a “credit file” on every economic entity.
The article pointed out that, as of the end of August 2022, the PBOC’s personal credit system had access to or information on 4,081 financial institutions and logged information on 1.15 billion natural persons. At the same time, the enterprise credit system had access to 3,811 financial institutions and included information on 98 million enterprises. The PBOC is also set to promote cross-field and cross-platform sharing of personal and corporate credit information.
China’s credit system has been criticized as being a mechanism for social control. According to the Chinese official media, the system will score a person or an entity based using four major areas: personal business activities, social behavior, administrative affairs and judicial records. Individuals who make sensitive comments on social media, for example, may have points deducted and may even be blacklisted.
Source: Radio Free Asia, October 11, 2022
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/Xinwen/3-10112022101217.html
Chinese Consumers Slashed Spending on National Day Holiday
Well-known Taiwanese news site Anue recently reported that Mainland consumers slashed spending on travel and movies during the National Day holiday week as government Covid control measures led to fewer people going out. Data from the China National Railway Group shows that from September 28 to October 8, the number of railway passengers nationwide was estimated to be 68.5 million, mainly for family visits, short-distance travel and tourism. This represents a sharp drop of about 38 percent compared with the same period last year. According to statistics of Maoyan Entertainment, the Mainland movie box office has also fallen sharply, with sales reaching only 1.4 billion yuan (around US$197 million) as of October 7. This number is less than one-third of last year’s National Day holiday box office. It is also not comparable to the nearly RMB 4 billion (around US$562) in 2020. Weak spending data is a big bear for a pickup in Chinese consumption amid heightened risks to economic growth. The housing slump has yet to ease, global demand for Chinese goods has cooled, and the Chinese currency has depreciated. Still, economists say the chances of Beijing loosening its Zero-Covid policy in a short period of time remains low. Goldman Sachs expects that the government’s Covid control measures are expected to continue until the end of the second quarter of next year. Many economists have lowered their growth estimates on the Chinese economy.
Source: Anue, October 7, 2022
https://news.cnyes.com/news/id/4972972
U.S. Department of Defense Blacklisted DJI and BGI for Investment
Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that, according to the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) official website, the DOD is determined to identify and counter China’s “Military-Civilian Integration” strategy. This strategy is based on Chinese companies, universities and research programs that appear to be civilian institutions. Advanced technologies and expertise owned and developed by these agencies will in the meantime support the Chinese military’s modernization goals. Contributors to the Military-Civilian Integration strategy operate directly or indirectly within the United States. The U.S. Department of Defense will continue to update this blacklist. The list announced last June included Huawei and Hikvision. The new list just released has a total of 13 companies, including DJI and BGI. Basically, those blacklisted by the U.S. Department of Defense are China’s leading high-tech companies or colleges with strong influence. According to public information, DJI is headquartered in Shenzhen, China. As of October 2020, DJI had a market share of over 80 percent in the global civilian and commercial drone market, ranking first among all commercial drone companies. BGI was established in 1999 and also headquartered in Shenzhen, China. The company provides research services and comprehensive solutions for precision medical testing for medical institutions, scientific research institutions, and social health organizations through genetic testing, mass spectrometry testing, and bioinformatics analysis.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao, October 7, 2022
https://www.kzaobao.com/cngov/2022-10/07125587.html