On May 30, 2022, a forum was sponsored by the Chongyang Institute of Financial Studies at Renmin University in China. Chen Wenling, Chief Economist at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), a Chinese government think tank, gave a talk, according to the China based website guancha.cn.

Chen said, “China should be prepared for the U.S. strategic containment and suppression of China, and make sure that the supply chains are under control.  . . .  We need to sort out the advantages that will sufficiently scare our opponents and cause them irreversible losses and pressures. As a countermeasure, we need to stall and slow as much as possible our opponents’ moves to cut off the supply chain, the chain of scientific and technological cooperation, and the chain of innovation.”

“If the U.S. and the West impose destructive sanctions on China as they did on Russia, we must take back Taiwan. In terms of carrying out industrial chain and supply chain restructuring, we must get hold of TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) and other companies that originally belonged to China. They are accelerating the transfer to the United States to establish six plants over there. We absolutely cannot let their goal of transfer be achieved.” TSMC is the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturing and design company. It is the world’s most valuable semiconductor company, the world’s largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry, and one of Taiwan’s largest companies.

“We need to support Russia openly, reasonably and by every possible means. For example, the recent Sino-Russian joint air exercises and so on. We can do more in trade, so that China and Russia can dovetail the ‘Belt & Road’ with the Eurasian Economic Union proposed by Putin to form a strategic depth in China, a Silk Road economic belt, and an energy security belt as a major security barrier.”

“It is necessary to step up cooperation with Europe. Europe is deeply affected by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and the euro will be hit hard economically in the future. In addition, Europe will see a food crisis, an energy crisis and a refugee crisis. In the time of crisis in Europe, China can offer a helping hand and increase cooperation between China and Europe, so that the two plates of Asia and Europe can return to their historical status as political and economic centers.”

Source: Guancha.cn, June 6, 2022
https://www.guancha.cn/chenwenling/2022_06_06_643134_s.shtml

Global Times recently reported that, according to the latest statistics from India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the United States has surpassed China to become India’s largest trading partner in the 2021-22 fiscal year.The bilateral trade volume reached US$119.42 billion. In the previous fiscal year, India’s exports to the U.S. increased to about $76.11 billion from about $51.62 billion  while imports rose to about $43.31 billion from about $29 billion. The Vice-Chairman of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations said India is becoming a trusted global trading partner. Global companies are reducing their single dependence on China and settling in India to diversify their businesses. India has joined the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a move that will further strengthen economic ties between the two countries. Indian media reported that the U.S. is one of the few countries with whom India has a trade surplus of $32.8 billion in the 2021-22 fiscal year. In the meantime, the trade volume between India and China is also rising steadily. There is no “decoupling of trade with China” as previously hyped by the Indian media. India still has a large trade deficit with China, which is much higher than it was in the previous three years. India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that India’s imports from China are showing a declining trend.

Source: Global Times, May 30, 2022
https://world.huanqiu.com/article/48DLLzsUgba

Primary Malaysian Chinese language newspaper Oriental Daily recently reported that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to attend the NATO summit scheduled for late June in Spain. This move will make him the first Japanese leader to attend this Western alliance meeting. Whether Kishida will actually attend the June 29-30 meeting in Madrid depends on the domestic political situation. The timing may conflict with the political campaign season for the July 10 Senate election. Kishida’s participation in the NATO summit is expected to strengthen the coordination with the United States and European countries to deal with Russia’s war in Ukraine and possible emergencies in the Taiwan Strait. Kishida plans to travel to Spain on June 26 after attending the three-day G7 summit in Germany. Australia, New Zealand and South Korea were also invited to the NATO summit as Asia-Pacific partners. The involvement of Japan and other non-NATO countries will send a strong message of solidarity to the international community in the Ukraine crisis. However, some Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers believe that Kishida, who already has a relatively high approval rating, should concentrate on campaigning before the Senate election.

Source: Oriental Daily, June 4, 2022
https://www.orientaldaily.com.my/index.php/news/international/2022/06/04/490801

Nikkei Chinese Edition recently reported that the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and TV Tokyo conducted a joint public opinion survey from May 27 to 29. According to the survey, the approval rating for Fumio Kishida’s cabinet has reached 66 percent, the highest since taking office in October 2021. The result of the last survey in April was 64 percent. The disapproval rating for the cabinet was 23 percent. Regarding the summit between Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden, 61 percent gave it a favorable rating. Regarding the Kishida government’s response to the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, 69 percent gave their approval. Some analysts expressed the belief that Japan’s Covid situation is gradually easing. Improved diplomatic and security measures have resulted in a higher approval rating. Regarding the policies that the voters want the government to prioritize, the number one was “recovering the economy” (40 percent). In terms of reasons for disapproval, ranked at the top were “the Liberal Democratic Party centered cabinet” and “lack of leadership” (both were at 35 percent).

Source: Nikkei Chinese, May 30, 2022
https://cn.nikkei.com/politicsaeconomy/politicsasociety/48706-2022-05-30-09-39-02.html

China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, visited the Pacific Islands from May 26 to June 4. However, Beijing failed to convince the island countries to sign key cooperation treaties at the Second China-Pacific Islands Foreign Minister Meetings on May 30.

Reuters reported that China drafted two treaties for the meeting. One was the “China-Pacific Islands Countries Common Development Vision.” The second was a five-year development plan. China said it will provide millions of dollars in aid to the ten island countries and establish a free trade agreement (FTA) to let them enter China’s market of 1.4 billion people. In return, China will have a big influence over these countries. China will train police for these ten countries, set up forensic labs, participate in local network security work and intelligent customs, develop political connections, conduct sensitive marine mapping, and obtain more local natural resources.

On May 20, Micronesia’s President Panuelo sent a letter to state heads of 21 countries in the Pacific. He said that his cabinet asked him to carefully consider Beijing’s suggestion and considered that China’s FTA recommendation was dishonest. President Panuelo warned in his letter that China’s recommendation will in essence tie the economy and the society of the island countries to Beijing.

The foreign ministers of these islands countries didn’t sign China’s two documents on May 30.

In the past, China has been working on the Pacific Islands:

1. In 2002, China convinced Nauru to cut its diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
2. China set up an economic office in the Pacific Islands to secure economic and trade relations, as well as its fishing business with these countries.
3. China, through the military medical system, gradually provided equipment and built medical facilities in the name of military medical humanitarian aid in the three countries that have defense departments: Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and the Kingdom of Tonga.
4. China has built a large number of tourist hotels in the Federated States of Micronesia and Fiji.
5. China has gradually taken control the mines in these countries.
6. In April this year, China signed a secret treaty with the Solomon Islands which allowed China to have police exchanges and a possible naval base on the Solomon Islands.

Sources:
1. BBC, June 1, 2022
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-61651994
2. Epoch Times, June 4, 2022
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/22/6/4/n13752471.htm