Chinascope – Page 197

German Technologies Used in Chinese Warships

ARD Fernsehen, a German TV station, reported that one of its investigative programs, “The Munich Report” and the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag (“World on Sunday”) discovered the role that German technology has been playing on Chinese warships.

German manufacturers have developed and even built a sizable portion of the engines that power the Chinese Navy’s warships. The MTU Friedrichshafen, a manufacturer of internal combustion engines, and MAN, the French subsidiary of Volkswagen, are involved. One can find detailed information about the German engine and turbine manufacturer’s supplies to China in the publicly accessible database of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). MTU is said to have been a regular supplier of China’s most advanced Brigadier III class destroyers until at least 2020. The supply comes through the circuitous route of licensed production in China. MAN and MTU assured the Munich Report and Welt am Sonntag that they have always complied with export control regulations. According to MTU, the business of delivering submarine components to China “completely stopped” after the Song-class submarines were equipped. The company “has never signed a contract with the Chinese Ministry of Defense or armed forces itself.” The engines installed in the Brigantine III-class destroyers, as SIPRI calls them, do not require an export license because they are so-called dual-use goods. That is, the engines can also be used for civilian purposes.

This year, the Chinese Navy is putting more of its Brigantine III-class destroyers into service. The most recent is the destroyer Kaifeng, which was unveiled in July on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

MTU and MAN can claim that their deliveries are permitted. The EU imposed an arms embargo on China after the Tiananmen massacre in 1989, but the embargo’s binding effect is limited. Sebastian Rossner, a Cologne-based lawyer and export expert, told Germany’s ARD public broadcaster, “Because the EU arms embargo on China was not formally decided in accordance with the European treaties, certain exports of ship engines may also be permissible (if intended for the Chinese navy).” He added, “If you want to change this, the EU must either amend the Dual-Use Regulation or formally impose an arms embargo.”

Source: Radio France International, November 7, 2021
https://rfi.my/7tZR

Briefings | | November 10, 2021 | Geo-Strategic Trend

China to Introduce New Security Regulations on Data across its Border

On October 29, the Cyber Administration of China (CAC), China’s Internet regulator, released a draft regulation on the security assessment for data “leaving the country,” aiming to further tighten controls on the cross-border flow of data.

The draft regulation proposes that data operators should conduct a risk assessment before sending data outside the country. The assessment should include the quantity, scope, type and sensitivity of the data, as well as the risk that the outflow of the data may bring to national security, public interests and the legitimate rights and interests of individuals or organizations.

After the Chinese ride-sharing giant Didi Chuxing went public in the U.S. in late June, the CAC launched an immediate probe into the company and suspended its new user registration, citing “safeguards against national data security risks.”

The state media later claimed that the IPO of companies such as Didi in the U.S. would inevitably involve data leaving the country. The Data Security Law passed by China’s National People’s Congress in June prohibited them from providing domestically stored information to foreign law enforcement agencies.

According to the authorities, the draft regulation is based on China’s Cybersecurity Law, its Data Security Law, and its Personal Information Protection Law.

China’s Cybersecurity Law, which came into effect in 2017, already stipulates that critical information infrastructure operators shall store important data within China and shall conduct security assessments if they really need to provide it outside of China. The Data Security Law, which came into effect in September this year, specifies penalty standards for operators who provide important data outside of China in violation of the aforementioned provisions. The Personal Information Protection Law, which came into effect on November 1, stipulates that critical information infrastructure operators and personal information processors that handle personal information up to the amount specified by the state cyber authorities shall store the relevant personal information within China, and if they really need to provide it outside China, they must pass the security assessment conducted by the state cyber authorities.

That means that, several years ago, the Chinese government had already begun to regulate the way information processors stored data. It has also placed a higher threshold on the security assessment of data leaving the country.

The draft regulation stipulates several situations in which data processors should make a declaration of a security assessment to cyber authorities when providing data outside the country. 1) Outgoing data contains important information; 2) Data provided by operators that process personal information on up to one million people; 3) Data that contains personal information on more than 100,000 people or sensitive personal information on more than 10,000 people. The cyber authorities should complete the security assessment within sixty working days.

Source: People’s Daily Online, October 29, 2021
http://finance.people.com.cn/n1/2021/1029/c1004-32268844.html

Briefings | | November 9, 2021 | Information/Technology

China Bans Flightradar24 as Espionage App

The flight tracking service website Flightradar24 uses the signal receiving device “ADS_B” to monitor aircraft and track real-time flight information around the world. Recently the service attracted the attention of the Chinese government, which calls it as a “spy tool.” The application can no longer be downloaded in China.

The Chinese government recently said that ADS_B devices can receive data from military aircraft in addition to real-time data from civil flights, allowing users to send data abroad. According to a report by China Central Television (CCTV), Chinese national security authorities have discovered that, since 2020 several foreign organizations have launched websites and used social media platforms to provide Chinese aviation fans with data receiving devices and other benefits. The purpose was to recruit volunteers to collect relevant data and send it overseas.

The ADS_B device, which Flightradar24 offers to its members, is used to monitor and collect flight data within a radius of more than 300 kilometers by placing it window side. With an Internet connection, the data can be transmitted outside the country.

Chinese authorities have studied the possibility of setting up about 300 ADS_Bs in China to monitor aircraft signals in the country’s airspace. The collected information would cover both civilian and military aircraft. Beijing city’s National Security Bureau said this poses a direct threat to military aircraft. Revealing their whereabouts could lead directly to failure with “incalculable consequences.” The authorities reportedly have launched investigations, picked up hundreds of illegal devices, and temporarily confiscated the equipment of aviation fans.

Flightradar24 was founded in Sweden in 2006 to provide real-time flight details, including basic flight information, the path of the flight, the altitude and the airspeed. In the past, media outlets would use the service to search for information about plane crashes.

Source: Radio Free Asia, November 5, 2021
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/Xinwen/wul1105c-11052021053208.html

Briefings | | November 9, 2021 | Defense/Military

China Times: 37 Countries Discontinued Generalized System of Preferences for China

Major Taiwanese news network China Times recently reported that, 37 different countries including Switzerland, the European Union, and Japan have stopped granting the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) to Chinese goods. After they did so, the General Administration of Customs of China issued an announcement to stop issuing GSP certificates of origin (Form A) for the export of goods to the aforementioned 37 countries. The only countries that still retain China’s GSP treatment are Norway, New Zealand and Australia. For goods exported to these three countries, companies can still apply for a GSP certificate. The Generalized System of Preferences is a universal, non-discriminatory, and non-reciprocal preferential tariff system in which developed countries (beneficial countries) grant exports from developing countries (beneficiary countries). It is based on the most-favored-nation tariffs and further provides tariff reductions, exemptions, or even full tax exemptions in order to help the economic development of developing countries.

Source: China Times, November 2, 2021
https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/newspapers/20211102000132-260203?chdtv

Briefings | | November 9, 2021 | Geo-Strategic Trend

DW Chinese: Yahoo Completely Withdraws from China

Deutsche Welle Chinese Edition recently reported that Yahoo issued a statement indicating, from November 1, 2021, users will no longer be able to use Yahoo’s products and services from Mainland China because of the “increasingly challenging business and legal environment.” The announcement also said, “Yahoo is still committed to safeguarding the rights of our users and a free and open Internet. We thank users for their support.” Yahoo’s products and services in other parts of the world will not be affected. In addition, Engadget, a technology media company under Yahoo, also announced that it will shut down its content in simplified Chinese from November 1. Yahoo is the second major U.S. technology company to withdraw from Mainland China in recent weeks. Last month, Microsoft’s LinkedIn announced its closure of business in China, and LinkedIn was the last major US social media in China. In 2015, Yahoo had already closed its R&D center in Beijing.

Source: DW Chinese, November 2, 2021
https://bit.ly/3mQkahB

Briefings | | November 9, 2021 | Information/Technology US-China Relations

Commercial Times: China Requires Coal Companies to Increase Mining

Taiwanese newspaper Commercial Times recently reported that, in response to the tight power supply situation, the Chinese government has asked coal companies to increase their mining production. China’s coal production this year is expected to increase by 220 million tons, exceeding the annual mining output of all of Western Europe and hitting the global carbon reduction target. This happened while the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) debuted in Glasgow, Scotland. Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping did not attend COP26. Currently, China is the world’s largest carbon emitter. A few weeks ago, due to the shortage of the coal supply, China experienced widespread power cuts, which paralyzed many industrial cities. Now a “Supply Guarantee” has become a national slogan across Chinese media and among government announcements. Before the current official government requirements to accelerate coal production, China’s coal mining and consumption had already exceeded the rest of the world’s coal production combined. This will cause a huge loss to the global efforts to respond to climate change.

Source: Commercial Times, October 31, 2021
https://ctee.com.tw/news/china/540592.html

Briefings | | November 9, 2021 | Economy/Resources

Beijing Issued a “Food Conservation Action Program”

On October 31, the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued a “Food Conservation Action Program.”

It has the following sections:

Overall requirements
Improve the conservation and loss reduction in the agricultural production chain
Improve the loss reduction in food storage
Improve the loss reduction in food transportation
Improve the conservation and loss reduction in food processing
Resolutely curb the waste in food and drink consumption
Push for innovation on food conservation and loss reduction
Strengthen the propaganda and education on food conservation and loss reduction
Strengthen the food safeguarding measures

Source: China’s Government Site, November 1, 2021
http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2021-11/01/content_5648085.htm

Briefings | | November 4, 2021 | Economy/Resources

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

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

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