Chinascope – Page 200

Nine Chinese Real Estate Companies Missed Their U.S. Dollar Debt Payments

Sina reported that on October 26, China’s Foreign Investment Department of the Development and Reform Commission, together with the Capital Department of the Foreign Exchange Bureau, held a forum with some key industry players to discuss their foreign debts.

Nine Chinese real estate companies have missed the payments on their U.S. dollar debts, including Oceanwide Holdings (泛海控股), Fantasia (花样年), China Fortune Land Development (华夏幸福), Sunshine 100 China (阳光100中国), The Tianfang Group (天房集团), The Sannong Group (泰禾集团), Sinic Holdings (新力控股), Languang Dev (蓝光发展), and Modern Land (当代置业). The combined unpaid debt is US$ 28.073 billion.

Source: Sina, October 27, 2021
https://finance.sina.com.cn/china/2021-10-27/doc-iktzqtyu3754338.shtml

Briefings | | October 29, 2021 | Economy/Resources

Xi Jinping’s Speech at the PLA Military Equipment Conference

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Military Equipment Conference was held in Beijing on October 25 and 26. At the conference, Xi Jinping gave a key speech.

Xi said, “I hope that comrades implement the Party’s thinking about building a strong army, … and that they build the management system for weapons and equipment modernization in order to make positive contributions to the PLA’s one hundred year anniversary (August 1, 2027).”

Zhang Youxia, the Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) Central Military Commission, said, “We must focus on national security needs, keep an eye on the realistic military struggle, focus on technological self-reliance and self-improvement, and make every effort to speed up the modernization of weapons and equipment, to advance the PLA’s weapons and equipment work to another great level.”

Source: People’s Daily, s Daily, s Daily, October 27, 2021
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2021-10/27/nw.D110000renmrb_20211027_2-01.htm

Briefings | | October 28, 2021 | Defense/Military

Beijing Firms Up its Close Engagement with Afghan Taliban Government

On October 25th and 26th, during his visit to the Qatari capital of Doha, the Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with a delegation of the interim Afghan Taliban government. It was the first high-level engagement since the militant group took power in Kabul two months ago. On Monday (the 25th), Wang Yi met with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the acting deputy prime minister of the Afghan interim government. After their Tianjin meeting, it was their second meeting in three months.

In an article titled, “At this Critical Time, the Taliban Made a Promise to China with Ten Words,” which was in the leading online news media Net Ease, the Chinese media highly touted Wang Yi’s meeting with Baradar. In the news photo showing Wangyi and Baradar greeting each other with an elbow, the caption described, “The news photo is interesting. Wang Yi in a suit and leather shoes stretched out his left elbow, and the Taliban leader Baradar in fluttering robes stretched out his right elbow. Baradar, a bearded man smiled, and Wang Yi, who was wearing a mask, smiled too. …”

The article began with the statement, “On October 25th, we met in Qatar. It was almost 3 months since the last meeting in Tianjin.”

Then it added cheerfully, “Three months ago, the Taliban only occupied half of the country. Baradar led a delegation to visit China. It was also the first public visit to China by the leadership of the Taliban, which attracted worldwide attention.

“Three months later, the Taliban had become the masters of all of Afghanistan and Baradar also served as the acting deputy prime minister of the interim government. He and Wang Yi met again.”

The article then highlighted the meeting with Baradar’s message.
It said, “According to the press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the second meeting, the Taliban made a clear promise.

“Please note this passage from Baradar:

“Baradar emphasized that China is an important neighboring country of Afghanistan and he is grateful for the respect and friendliness shown by China during these difficult times in Afghanistan. Pursuing a policy of friendship with China is Atta’s firm choice (Atta Muhammad Nur, a main political power in Afghanistan) and hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields. Atta attaches great importance to China’s security concerns and will resolutely fulfill its commitments, and will never allow anyone or any force to use Afghanistan’s territory to do things that endanger China.”

The Article repeated Baradar’s message with the following statement:

“The meaning is also very clear:

1. We thank China for its respect and friendship to Afghanistan during the difficult period in Afghanistan.

2. The Afghan Taliban have always pursued friendship with China and hope to strengthen cooperation in various fields.

3. Regarding China’s security concerns, (Baradar promises) that the Taliban will resolutely fulfill their commitments and deliver what they have promised.”

The article was republished by a number of other top online media such as Sina, Sohu, etc.

Source: Net Ease, October 27, 2021
https://www.163.com/dy/article/GNA58UCO052182V3.html
https://news.sina.com.cn/c/2021-10-27/doc-iktzscyy1988315.shtml

Briefings | | October 28, 2021 | Defense/Military Government/Politics

China’s Chairman of National People’s Congress: We Resolutely Reject Western Constitutionalism

On October 23, Li Zhanshu, who is a member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee and Chairman of the National People’s Congress gave a speech at the closing ceremony of the 31^st meeting of the People’s Congress Standing Committee.

Li stressed, “First, we must adhere to the Party’s overall leadership as the highest political principle, resolutely uphold the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized and unified leadership … . Second, we must unswervingly follow the path of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. … We must not give up the fundamental nature of China’s political system and (must) resolutely oppose, resist, and prevent the erosive influence of the ‘constitutionalism,’ multi-party elections, separation of powers, the bicameral system, and the independence of the judiciary that exists in the West …”

Source: People’s Daily, October 24, 2021
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2021/1024/c1024-32262271.html

Briefings | | October 28, 2021 | Government/Politics

Huanqiu: The U.S. Ambassador Is a “Wolf Warrior”

President Joe Biden nominated Nicholas Burns as the U.S. Ambassador to China. At his Senate confirmation hearing on October 20, Burns took a tough line on dealings with China. He called China the United States’ “most dangerous competitor.” Burns said, “The PRC’s genocide in Xinjiang, its abuses in Tibet, its smothering of Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms, and its bullying of Taiwan are unjust and must stop.”

In his article published on both Weibo and Huanqiu, Huanqiu’s Chief-Editor Hu Xijin Commented on Burn’s Senate hearing. He called Burns the U.S. “Wolf Warrior.”

Hu said, “President Biden’s nominee for the new U.S. Ambassador to China, Mr. Burns, delivered a vicious and systematic attack on China at a hearing on Wednesday, acting like a ‘wolf warrior.’ Instead of demonstrating his willingness to promote friendly relations between China and the United States and their peoples, he presented himself as a ‘wolf warrior ambassador’ who humiliated the original meaning of diplomatic envoy and set a terribly bad example for the global diplomatic community. …”

Hu said that the West blamed Beijing for taking a “wolf warrior” approach. “But actually it is the U.S. that pushes the diplomacy into a ‘wolf war.’” Hu then used a Chinese idiom to describe the U.S. as “the thief who cries out to catch a thief (accusing others of being a thief).”

Finally, Hu said, “Okay, Mr. Burns, we are waiting for you in Beijing.”

Source: Huanqiu, October 22, 2021
https://world.huanqiu.com/article/45HEbsjPcYk

Briefings | | October 28, 2021 | US-China Relations

A Huge Explosion in Shenyang

On the morning of October 21, there was a huge explosion on the first floor of a building in Shenyang, a northeastern city in China. Videos posted on the Internet showed a mushroom cloud rose to six stories high. Everything, including the side walls, were all blasted off from the lower floors, with only the steel and concrete remaining. A bus driving by at that moment was pushed 10 meters away. Only the bus frame was left. National Business Daily reported this explosion impacted and ruined a total of 99 buildings.

The Latest official report said 5 people died and 47 were injured. The authorities said it was caused by a gap in a pipeline involved in pipeline work.

People questioned whether the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hid the actual number of injuries and the amount of the damage, given the miserable scenes of the aftermath.

Epoch Times also pointed out that, whether it is a coincidence or there are some reasons, there have been three explosions in China so far this year. All of them happened within the month before a major political event took place. The first one was on February 23. A restaurant in Beijing exploded. It was within one kilometer (0.6 miles) of Zhongnanhai which is where the top officials live. The explosion caused the building to collapse and seven people were injured. It was a month before the National People’s Congress conference in Beijing.

The second one was at Shiyan City, Hubei Province, in June. The CCP reported 25 deaths and 138 injuries. It was right before the CCP’s anniversary on July 1.

The Shenyang explosion is the third of the three explosions. It occurred within 20 days of the CCP’s 19th Congress Sixth Plenary meeting on November 8.

Right after the second explosion, the authorities reported the case of the rape of Wu Yifan (Kris Wu), a famous movie star and singer. For the third explosion, the authorities immediately reported Li Yundi for hiring a prostitute. Li is a pianist and in China, he is as famous as Lang Lang. These entertainment stars’ news became the hot topics that distracted people from focusing on the explosions.

Sources:
1. Epoch Times, October 22, 2021
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/10/22/n13323071.htm
2. National Business Daily, October 24, 2021
https://m.nbd.com.cn/articles/2021-10-24/1958549.html

Briefings | | October 27, 2021 | Social Stability

Lianhe Zaobao: The U.S. Replaced China as India’s Largest Trade Partner

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that the United States has replaced China as India’s largest trade partner, while China currently ranks second. According to data that the Indian Ministry of Commerce released, from January to September this year, the bilateral trade volume between India and the United States surged by 50 percent, reaching US$28 billion. During the same period, India’s trade with China increased by 46 percent, reaching $25.3 billion. While India’s relationship with China has deteriorated, it has rapidly strengthened its relationship with the United States and its allies. At the end of September, Indian Prime Minister Modi attended the first face-to-face summit of the US-Japan-India-Australia Security Dialogue (QUAD) during his visit to Washington. The growth of U.S.-India trade is crucial to maintaining and enhancing the U.S.-India strategic partnership. Apart from being members of the World Trade Organization, the United States and India do not have any bilateral trade agreements.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, October 18, 2021
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/world/story20211018-1204362

Briefings | | October 27, 2021 | Geo-Strategic Trend

HKET: Chinese Companies Speed up Negotiations with U.S. to Secure LNG Supply

Hong Kong Economic Times (HKET), the leading financial daily in Hong Kong, recently reported that, due to energy shortage concerns, China is trying to finalize a supply deal with U.S. exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as soon as possible. Sources revealed that major Chinese energy companies are in in-depth negotiations with U.S. exporters to secure long-term LNG supply. These negotiations may lead to agreements worth tens of billions of dollars, which could indicate a major surge in China’s LNG imports from the United States. It is worth noting that during the fierce US-China trade war in 2019, the natural gas trade was once suspended. These talks began at the beginning of this year, but the pace has accelerated in recent months because of the shortage of fuel for power generation and heating in China. Also, this year the price of natural gas in Asia has more than quadrupled, triggering concerns about power shortages in winter. Sources also indicated that at least five Chinese companies are negotiating with U.S. exporters, including large state-owned companies such as Sinopec, CNOOC, and local government sponsored energy distributors like Zhejiang Energy. The U.S. side mainly includes Cheniere Energy and Venture Global. The Chinese buyers have not responded to inquiries.

Source: HKET, October 15, 2021
https://bit.ly/3m8DeY2

Briefings | | October 27, 2021 | Economy/Resources US-China Relations

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.