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
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
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
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
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
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
Tycoon Donates $100 million for Taiwan’s Defense
After the departure of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Chinese government started live-fire military exercises against Taiwan. Robert Tsao, founder and honorary chairman of United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), a major Taiwanese semiconductor company, announced on August 5 that he will donate $100 million to assist Taiwan in its national defense.
On the second day after the Chinese military fired off 11 missiles, Tsao held a press conference to criticize the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for its reckless behavior. “Today I am announcing a donation of NT$3 billion (about US$100 million) to help strengthen our national defense. I hope to awaken the people of Taiwan not to be greedy for money or afraid of death, and to rise up and fight to defend freedom, democracy and human rights.”
“Some people in Taiwan have an ostrich mentality, thinking that if they bury their heads in the sand and don’t mess with them, the other side won’t make a move. Others are capitulationists, who think, “Since I can’t win anyway, I might as well surrender and survive.” Tsao added, “The worst are those in favor of reunification, thinking they can realize the xenophobic so-called China dream,”
As for those people in Taiwan who are still unwilling to “resist China and defend Taiwan,” Robert Tsao said that these people, perhaps because of ignorance, timidity, cowardice, or being bought, are unwilling to see or admit that the Chinese Communist Party is essentially a group of gangsters. “The People’s Republic of China is a triad organization masquerading as a national state. A normal civilized country promotes the rule of law, democracy, and freedom, but a fakery state like the Chinese regime worships totalitarianism, deception, hatred, and violence.”
UMC established an 8-inch wafer fab in Suzhou, China, through its subsidiary back in 2001. Tsao lamented, “If we could have done it all over again, I wish we hadn’t gone to China to help set up the fab.”
Tsao proposed that the $100 million be used to fund individuals and groups to promote national defense education and boost public morale. The money will fund research and publications to counter the CCP’s cognitive warfare against Taiwan, handle activities related to the CCP’s deterrence and infiltration of Taiwan, develop or trace sources, counter the dissemination of controversial messages by hostile forces outside Taiwan; and develop countermeasures against the CCP’s cyberattack and hacking activities against Taiwan.
Source: Radio Free Asia, August 5, 2022
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/gangtai/hcm2-08052022052903.html
CNA: Taiwan Society Remained Calm Despite the CCP’s Military Threats
Primary Taiwanese news agency Central News Agency (CNA) recently reported that, Beijing announced military exercises around Taiwan from August 4 to 7 in response to the House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit from the U.S. Foreign media stationed in Taiwan observed that the Taiwanese society was calm as usual and could not feel the tense atmosphere. On the afternoon of the 4th of August, the Chinese Communist Party launched 11 Dongfeng series ballistic missiles in fractional waves towards the waters surrounding the northern, southern and eastern parts of Taiwan. The Japanese Defense Ministry presumed that four of the missiles flew over Taiwan based on five of the missiles falling into the waters of Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense pointed out that it was necessary to grasp the launch dynamics immediately, activate relevant defense systems and strengthen combat readiness. A report from the Associated Press from Keelung pointed out that, despite the large-scale military exercises by the Communist army, the atmosphere in Taiwan society remained calm. A BBC reporter said that most of the people he interviewed did not believe that the Communist army was going to attack Taiwan this time. Another fisherman said, “They are just a group of bandits. These Communists only talk big and can’t do anything. We have been listening to their threats for 70 years.”
Source: CNA, August 5, 2022
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/202208050124.aspx