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Wu Guoguang: Xi Jinping’s Reversal of the Course, Will China’s Transition be Peaceful or Marked with Bloodshed?

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Cheng Xiaonong: U.S.-China Strategic Relations Have Crystallized

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Xinhua Commentaries: “Exposing the Three Major Political Deficits of the U.S.”

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The CCP’s Performing Arts Troupes in the U.S.

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U.S. Imposed New Technology Export Controls

Well-known Chinese news site Sohu (NASDAQ: SOHU) reported not long ago that, in advanced technology fields such as semiconductors, the United States has recently been intervening frequently in normal market competition. Biden just signed the $280 billion chip bill to restrict semiconductor giants from investing in China. Now the U.S. Department of Commerce announced new export control measures. The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued an announcement stating that four “emerging and foundational technologies” were included in new export controls due to national security concerns. The four technologies are: fourth-generation semiconductor materials gallium oxide and diamond that can withstand high temperature and high voltage; ECAD software specially designed for 3nm and below chips; pressure gain combustion technology that can be used in rockets and hypersonic systems. Although BIS did not directly mention China, yet China is now one of the countries that the United States has listed under national security controls. As long as technology items are listed in the import and export control catalogue, the U.S. government will likely impose restrictions on China. This will actually lead to further decoupling between China and the US in the semiconductor field. In its announcement, BIS claimed that the inclusion of four technologies supporting the production of advanced semiconductors and gas turbine engines under export controls was the result of an agreement among the 42 participating countries of the Wassenaar Agreement at the December 2021 plenary meeting. Considering that China is increasing its investment in semiconductors, in order to maintain its own advantages, the United States is trying to hinder the development speed of China’s semiconductor industry.

Source: Sohu, August 13, 2022
https://www.sohu.com/a/576560607_115479

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology US-China Relations

Global Times Commentary Calls Pelosi’s Taiwan Trip a “Sneaky Visit” with “Four Conspiracies” of the United States to Split and Contain China

China’s State media Global Times published a commentary article on U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. The article said, “Pelosi’s sneaky visit to Taiwan is a grand show of the US’s anti-China strategy and a big exposure of its geopolitical ambitions. From the beginning to the end, Pelosi has not talked about the exchanges between the legislatures, but the conspiracy to split the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in all aspects, contain China in all aspects, shape the ‘Indo-Pacific’ in all aspects, and promote the new Cold War in all aspects.”

The article listed 4 such conspiracies of the United States:

1. Turn Taiwan into a colony of American ideology;
2. Turn Taiwan into an unsinkable aircraft carrier for the Asia-Pacific alliance;
3. Turning Taiwan into a Military Frontier for the Indo-Pacific Strategy;
4. Turn Taiwan into a chip killer for China’s tech blockade.

Source: Global Times, August 10, 2022
https://opinion.huanqiu.com/article/49BKoXTuWGc

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Philippine Fishermen Found Wreckage of China’s “Long March 5-B” Rocket

Taiwan news media New Talk reported that the Philippine Coast Guard released photos on August 2, alleging that Philippine fishermen salvaged a 3-meter long, 2-meter wide rocket with debris weighing 100 kilograms off the coast of Mindoro Island at the northern end of the Sulu Sea. Judging from the appearance and text on the wreckage, it may be China’s “Long March 5-B” carrier rocket launched on July 24.

The rocket debris displayed by the Philippine Coast Guard clearly shows the pattern of the Chinese five-star flag. Philippine media reported that there are also Chinese characters on it. The Philippine Space Agency told the media that debris from a Chinese rocket crashed into the waters off the western part of the Philippines. There was no report of damage caused by the debris. That such a large and heavy piece of wreckage did not cause casualties or damage is perhaps just luck.

Source: New Talk, August 3, 2022
https://newtalk.tw/news/view/2022-08-03/795663

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China’s Government Spending Deficit in the First Six Months of 2022 Was 5 Trillion Yuan

China’s Ministry of Finance published the amounts of the government’s spending and income for the first six months of the year. The income for the national government budget was 10.52 trillion yuan (US $1.56 trillion) and the spending was 12.89 trillion yuan (US $1.91 trillion). The income from the national governmental funds was 2.80 trillion yuan (US $420 billion) and the spending was 5.48 trillion yuan (US $810 billion). In total, the government spending deficit was 5 trillion yuan (US $740 billion) for the first six months of the year.

Source: China’s Ministry of Finance website, July 14, 2022
http://gks.mof.gov.cn/tongjishuju/202207/t20220714_3827010.htm

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

The CCP Connection to Lord Wei of Shoreditch of the U.K.

Lord Wei of Shoreditch, Nathanael Ming-Yan Wei is a member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom. A son of a Hong Kong immigrant, he was born and grew up in the U.K.

Foreigninterference.org reported that Lord Wei had continuous contact with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) United Front Work Department and its controlled entities between 2011 and 2016. For example, Li Xuelin (Lady Xuelin Bates), Chairwoman of the Zhejiang UK Association, had a good connection with Lord Wei and served as his advisor on China issues. Li married British Minister of State for International Development Lord Michael Bates. Li had served the Vice President of the Promotion of China Re-Unification Society in the U.K., which is under the CCP’s United Front Work Department. Li led Lord Wei to attend many activities at the Chinese Embassy or organized by the CCP’s United Front Work. Li also arranged his trip to China and meetings with Chinese officials during the visit.

Due to the controversy, Lord Wei resigned from the Chairman post of the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers.

Source: Epoch Times, August 10, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/8/10/n13799344.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

China Published a New White Paper on Taiwan

On August 10, Beijing published its latest White Paper on Taiwan. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the State Council Information Office published the document titled, “The Taiwan Question and China’s Reunification in the New Era.”

The paper announced that, “Taiwan has never been a state; its status as part of China is unalterable.”

“The realization of complete national reunification is driven by the history and culture of the Chinese nation and determined by the momentum towards and circumstances surrounding our national rejuvenation. Never before have we been so close to, confident in, and capable of achieving the goal of national rejuvenation. The same is true when it comes to our goal of complete national reunification.”

It criticized Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party authorities for creating tension and external forces for “hav(ing) encouraged and instigated provocative actions by the separatist forces.”

“(W)e will not renounce the use of force,” the document stated, “and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures. This is to guard against external interference and all separatist activities… The use of force would be the last resort taken under compelling circumstances.”

China published the Taiwan White Paper in both 1993 and 2000. Both earlier versions mentioned that, “(Beijing) will not dispatch soldiers or administrative staff to Taiwan” after the “re-unification.” The 2000 White Paper also stated, “As long as Taiwan recognizes there is only one China and does not seek independence, everything is negotiable.” These sentences were not seen in the new White Paper.

The Taiwan government disputed Beijing’s claim. The Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council said this White Paper was, “full of wishful-thinking, lies and reckless disregard of the truth.” “Only the 23 million people of Taiwan have the right to decide the future of Taiwan, and they will never accept the results set by an authoritarian regime.”

Sources:
1. China’s State Council Website, August 10, 2022
https://english.www.gov.cn/archive/whitepaper/202208/10/content_WS62f34f46c6d02e533532f0ac.html
2. Al Jazeera, August 10, 2022
https://chinese.aljazeera.net/news/political/2022/8/10/中国重申武统台湾立场

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

HK LegCo Member Terminates Daughter-in-law’s Relationship with Pro-democracy Activist

Elmer Yuen Gong-yi, a pro-democracy activist for Hong Kong, as well as Victor Ho Leung-mau and Baggio Leung Chung-hang and others, recently launched a committee to establish a “Hong Kong Parliament” in exile. The Hong Kong government slammed their activity as contravening the National Security Law.

Yuen is the father-in-law of Eunice Yung Hoi-yan, a Hong Kong barrister and pro-Beijing politician. As a member of the New People’s Party and the Civil Force, Yung became member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong for New Territories East in 2016 and for the Election Committee in 2021. Yung issued a public statement on Friday August 5th, announcing that she has officially terminated her relationship with him as his daughter-in-law. She added that her husband is aware of it and understood her decision. Yung’s husband is Derek Mi-Chang Yuen, a Hong Kong-based strategist, scholar, and columnist.

Liu Mengxiong is a former member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference who swam illegally and fled to Hong Kong from mainland China in 1973. Liu said that what Yung Hoi-yan did brings back the era under Mao Zedong, when many husbands and wives had to divorce because of ‘political struggles,’ and what she did is against basic human nature.

In her statement, Yung said, “I am a Chinese with the blood of the great motherland. Under the premise of the righteousness of the country, based on the fact that, according to the National Security Office, Mr. Elmer Yuen is suspected of violating the National Security Law to subvert state power. I am now announcing that I have officially terminated my relationship with Yuen as my father-in-law.”

The Hong Kong Security Bureau said that Yuen and others are suspected of violating the “subversion of state power” under the National Security Law and will be pursued in accordance with Article 37 of the law. When the Security Bureau ordered the arrest of Yuen and others, Yung Hoi-yan announced that the “Hong Kong Parliament” was a planned, reckless and malicious organization to subvert the functions of the Hong Kong government. Yung expressed her full support of the police to crack down on all illegal activities in accordance with the National Security Law.

Source: Radio Free Asia, August 5, 2022
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/htm/hk-criticise-08052022064338.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

German Newspaper: Reduce Dependence on China

an analysis by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a German newspaper, said, “Japan and the United States are becoming more closely linked than ever before.” “By October at the latest, Germany could also receive a diplomatic blow from Beijing, as the Committee on Human Rights of Bundestag (the German federal parliament) is planning a trip to several Asian countries. The crisis is also a good opportunity to reflect on Germany and Europe’s future relations with China. Instead of closing any existing channels of dialogue, Europe should persevere in defending its interests. However, we must also be clear that we can no longer rely on China in all cases. We should refocus and reduce too much dependence. There is still time to avoid making the same mistakes in relations with China as in relations with Russia.”

Source: Radio France International, August 7, 2022
https://rfi.my/8dqn

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend