Chinascope – Page 193

PLA Deployed Unmanned Ground Vehicles at the China-India Border

In September 2020, military soldiers from China and India clashed and the two countries have continued having standoffs along the border between the two countries. The Indian television station Times Now reported that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has stationed unmanned ground vehicles (UGV’s) along the border, including 88 Sharp Claw vehicles. WION reported that the PLA has stationed 120 to 300 Mule-200 vehicles.

According to National Interest, the Sharp Claw can either be controlled remotely, or move on its own. It can be used either as an unmanned delivery truck or as a weapon, such as a mounted firearm.

Sharp Claw was developed by a PLA defense company NORINCO, for surveillance and limited combat capability. The Mule was developed by Zhong Tian Zhi Kong Technology Holdings, with a firing range of 31 miles and a weight capacity of 440 pounds (it can carry ammunition, supplies, or weapons.)

The PLA has also stationed VP-22 anti-mine, anti-ambush vehicles there.

Source: Epoch Times, December 31, 2021
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/12/31/n13473000.htm

Briefings | | January 13, 2022 | Defense/Military Geo-Strategic Trend

People’s Lives: Tragic Deaths in Xi’an

Since December 23, 2021, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province has been locked down for 20 days due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. Despite the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) fierce Internet monitoring and constantly deleting postings that did not follow the party’s main theme, some people in Xi’an still managed to post videos or texts to report on the tragedies due to the authorities’ inhumanity.

A video reported that a woman who was eight-months pregnant went to a hospital in Xi’an, but the hospital refused to treat her since her COVID test result (though negative) expired four hours earlier.

A netizen wrote,“My auntie sat on the chair, using her hands to support her body with great difficulty (as shown in a video).” “Blood flowed down the chair and her pants and the floor was covered with blood.” She was admitted for hospitalization two hours later. By then, the eight-month-old fetus had died.

Another lady who was six weeks pregnant reported a similar experience on January 5. She saw blood in her discharge and went to the hospital. Several hospitals refused to take her. Her husband called several public hospitals and they all rejected her. He called 120 (China’s emergency phone number which is like 911 in the United States) and received no answer either. She was finally accepted by a hospital six hours later, but it was too late. The hospital aborted the baby due to her heavy bleeding.

In another case, on December 31, 2021, a 39-year-old man suddenly had chest congestion. Since he had not had COVID test within the last 48 hours, 120 (China’s 911) refused to help him. He had no choice but to take the test. Even after he got a negative result, three hospitals still refused to take him. The fourth one took him, but it was too late. He died at the hospital.

Another citizen said that his mother needed to have a hemodialysis treatment three times a week, but people enforcing the lockdown wouldn’t let her go through, despite the fact that she showed her proof. However, if she didn’t take the hemodialysis treatment on time, her life could be in jeopardy. So she had no choice but to climb over the highway to go to the hospital for treatment.

The CCP intensified Internet control. On January 10, the CCP controlled media reported that the Xi’an police had processed 30 fake news cases on the Internet and detained 23 people. The authorities didn’t disclose what information those people posted.

Xi’an people also suffered from a severe lack of food. Many people posted on the Internet that the authorities didn’t deliver food to them after the lockdown. A netizen posted on January 9 that she received only one delivery of vegetables during the 20 days of lockdown, which included 2 potatoes, 2 onions, 1 cabbage, and 2 radishes. She asked, “What are we supposed to eat? Exept for the COVID test, we are not allowed to go out. Should we just die out of hunger at home?”

Her second post said, “Today our door was sealed off (we are not allowed to open it anymore). Last evening, I cooked a quarter pound of steak for my six-year-old son, my 61-year-old mother, and me. I took one bite, mother took two bites, and my son had the rest. I was so heartbroken. Both mother and I cried … In such a prosperous time, it is unbelievable that we can’t buy and eat food due to the pandemic.”

Another netizen posted some pictures, showing that the vegetables that other cities sent to Xi’an were left alone in one spot for four or five days. No authorities came to process them.

Former Armed Police Chief of Xinjiang Named the New Military Commander of Hong Kong

For the first time, Peng Jingtang, who comes from the Armed Police Force and has experience in Xinjiang, replaced the commander of the Chinese military forces in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong media analyzed this as a signal that Beijing believes that, after the implementation of the national security law, it is still necessary to prevent the Hong Kong version of a color revolution.

On January 10, the Hong Kong media Hong Kong 01 cited public information that Peng Jingtang served as a brigade commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Jinan Military Region, and was a director of the military training division of the PLA Jinan Military Region Command, chief of staff of the Armed Police Force in Xinjiang, and deputy chief of staff of the national Armed Police Force

. In July 2018, Peng was promoted to the rank of Major General.

Hong Kong 01 commented that Peng’s appointment indicates that the dust has not settled in Hong Kong with the passage of the National Security Law. For Beijing, it is still necessary to prevent Hong Kong from becoming a base for opposition to the Chinese regime, and to avert a Hong Kong version of the color revolution. The appointment of Peng Jingtang, a veteran counter-terrorism leader, as the commander of the PLA in Hong Kong is both a deterrent and a precautionary measure.

Source: Hong Kong 01, January 11, 2022
https://www.hk01.com/深度報道/722361/反恐幹將接掌駐港解放軍-傳遞三大信號

Briefings | | January 12, 2022 | Defense/Military

70 Percent of Tsinghua Graduates Look for Jobs in the State Sector

Mainland Chinese newspaper The Paper reported that there were 7,441 graduates from the country’s prestigious Tsinghua University class of 2021, a slight increase of more than 400 over the class of 2020. 3,669 of them signed a “tripartite employment agreement.” The tripartite employment agreement refers to the agreement signed by graduates, employers and schools to guarantee the rights and obligations of the student. Among those, 15.8 percent secured their first jobs in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and in government organizations, 30.3 percent found jobs in institutions such as universities and research units, and 23.8 percent in state-owned enterprises. In short, a total of nearly 70 percent entered the state related sector.

In comparison, in year 2019 and 2020 respectively 61.2 percent and 64.9 percent of Tsinghua graduates found their jobs in the state sector. The proportion in 2021 is not only higher, but also growing at an accelerated pace.

As a matter of fact, the high percentage of graduates from China’s top universities looking for government related jobs is no small number. For example, 50.05 percent of graduates from Shanghai Jiaotong University entered CCP and government organs, institutions, state-owned enterprises and the military, while the percentage from Xiamen University graduates was nearly 60 percent.

As the economy slows down, new graduates prefer the state sector, so they have stable jobs. This is a manifestation of people’s assessment on their prospects for the near future. According to China’s Ministry of Education, there will be 9.09 million college graduates in 2021, a year-over-year increase of 350,000, and another 10.76 million college graduates in 2022, an increase of 1.67 million. Tackling unemployment is a major challenge for the Chinese government.

Source: The Paper, January 3, 2022
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_16131271

Briefings | | January 12, 2022 | Economy/Resources

China Launches New Rounds of Infrastructure Projects in 2022

As China’s economy is plagued by sagging demand, the uncertainty of supplies and lower expectations, the government once again has

resorted to massive infrastructure projects to stimulate growth. After only 10 days into 2022, China has already started over 5,000 major infrastructure projects, with a total investment of more than 3 trillion yuan (US$ 0.47 trillion).

At an Economic Work Conference in December 2021, the central government proposed to “deploy infrastructure investments ahead of the time,” implying an increase in infrastructure investments in 2022. At the time, the Ministry of Finance issued an added quota of 1.46 trillion yuan (US$ 0.23 trillion) for the special debts in 2022.

At the beginning of the year, several provinces disclosed plans to issue local government bonds in the first quarter, on the scale of about 800 billion yuan (US$125 billion), including over 550 billion yuan (US$86.3 billion) in new special bonds. Other financing tools are also being promoted, including real estate investment trusts (REITs) in the infrastructure sector, the green government-social capital cooperation (or Public-Private Partnership PPP) projects.

The Securities Times, a mainland based financial news outlet, reported that as of January 10, at least 11 provinces have held project start-up activities, involving more than 5,000 major projects with a total scale of investment of more than 3 trillion yuan (US$0.47 trillion). This compares to the level of 1.2 trillion yuan (US$0.19 trillion) from January of 2021. The key areas of investment include 5G network, industrial Internet, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and big data center.

Source: Securities Times, January 11, 2022
https://www.stcn.com/stock/djjd/202201/t20220111_4058632.html

Briefings | | January 12, 2022 | Economy/Resources

CNA: Taiwan Sets up Fund to Invest in Lithuanian Industries

Primary Taiwanese news agency Central News Agency (CNA) recently reported that the Taiwanese Representative to Lithuania said that the Taiwan National Development and Reform Commission will set up a US$200 million “Taiwan Central and Eastern European Investment Fund” to invest in Lithuanian industries. The initial plan will give priority to the technology sector and the relevant details will be discussed with the Ministry of Economic Innovation of Lithuania. Initial investments will focus on industries that will strategically benefit both parties and will start to operate in a few months. The Taiwanese central bank will support the new fund. After last year, when Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a representative office in the country under the name “Taiwan,” it has been facing pressure from China to reverse its decision. However, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that he had not been consulted on the naming issue. The spokesperson for Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis confirmed that the Government of Lithuania looks forward to developing business, scientific, technological and cultural relations with Taiwan, and that the people of Lithuania and Taiwan are close because of shared values and an open society based on the foundation of innovation.

Source: CNA, January 5, 2022
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202201055013.aspx

Briefings | | January 12, 2022 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Lianhe Zaobao: North Korea Announced it Will not Participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that the North Korean Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Sports sent a letter to the Chinese Olympic Committee, the Beijing Winter Olympics, the Paralympics Organizing Committee, and the General Administration of Sports of China. The letter said that, due to the conspiracy activities of hostile forces as well as the global epidemic of infectious diseases, North Korea could not participate in the coming Winter Olympics Games. The North Korean Ambassador to China conveyed the letter when he met with the responsible officials of the General Administration of Sports of China. North Korean also pointed out in the letter that the United States and its followers are trying to hinder the smooth holding of the Beijing Winter Olympics. North Korea sent the letter to the General Administration of Sports of China on the day when they tested a hypersonic missile. In theory, North Korean athletes can still participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics as individuals, but based on North Korea’s travel ban, their athletes won’t be able to go abroad to participate in the competition.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, January 7, 2022
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20220107-1230472

Briefings | | January 11, 2022 | Geo-Strategic Trend

China’s Reaction to Trump’s Election Win

Xinhua Commentary Series: Spotlight on the U.S. Presidential Election

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

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