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China’s Reaction to Trump’s Election Win

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

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

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

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China Bans State-owned Entities from Virtual Currency Mining

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s top economic policy agency under the State Council, recently issued a press release, which requested local governments to punish virtual currency mining activities and to investigate the mining activities that involve state-owned entities.

In late September, NDRC and other cabinet agencies issued a notice on regulating virtual currency mining.  Virtual currency mining projects were forbidden from participating in the electricity market, and the projects that were already in the electricity market were to withdraw.

In July, China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), issued a “Risk Alert on Preventing Virtual Currency Transactions.” The notice warned that institutions should not provide business venues, commercial exhibitions, marketing, promotion, payment and other services for virtual currency-related activities. Financial institutions were not to provide virtual currency-related services directly or indirectly to customers.

China is a major cryptocurrency mining country. About 70 percent of the world’s bitcoin mining takes place in China. Some of these “miners” had already considered leaving after the authorities showed their determination to eliminate virtual currency mining.

Source: Central News Agency, November 13, 2021
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202111130086.aspx

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Chinese Ambassador Gave Speech to a United Front Work Department-controlled Organization

On Saturday November 13, the annual meeting of the National Association for China’s Peaceful Unification (NACPU) was held in San Francisco. Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang delivered a speech using video conferencing. Qin said that the United States is “manipulating” the Taiwan issue and attempting to “contain China using Taiwan,” a move that seriously endangers peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He urged the United States to adhere to the one-China principle, properly handle the Taiwan issue, and prevent the Taiwan issue from leading to conflict and confrontation between the United States and China.

The NACPU is a U.S.-registered umbrella organization with branches in multiple cities including Washington DC, New York, and Houston. In mainland China, there is a corresponding government-controlled China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification (CCPPR, 中国和平统一促进会), a senior Chinese Communist Party leader is almost always its head. The U.S.-based NACPU and its branches routinely carry out the tasks of mobilizing the local Chinese American community and advancing Beijing’s agenda on the Taiwan issue at the federal, state, and local governments.

In October 2020, the U.S. State Department issued a statement, “The Designation of the National Association for China’s Peaceful Unification (NACPU) is a Foreign Mission of the PRC.” It said, “The United Front Work Department (UFWD) is the Chinese Communist Party’s  (CCP’s) organ that is tasked with co-opting and neutralizing threats to the party’s rule and spreading its influence and its propaganda overseas. The CCP regards this party apparatus as a ‘magic weapon’ to advance Beijing’s policies.”

“… the Department of State designated a UFWD-controlled organization – the National Association for China’s Peaceful Unification (NACPU) – as a foreign mission of the PRC under the U.S. Foreign Missions Act. The goal of this action is to shine a light on this organization and make clear that its messages come from Beijing, as we did when, in August, we designated the Confucius Institute’s U.S. Center (CIUS) as a foreign mission.”

The recent speech by Qin Gang to the NACPU annual meeting is a recent example of Beijing’s message to this organization.

Source: Radio Free Asia, November 14, 2021
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/Xinwen/4-11142021115124.html

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Oriental Daily: White House Opposes Intel’s Plan to Increase Chip Production in China

Popular Hong Kong newspaper Oriental Daily recently reported that sources familiar with the matter revealed that the U.S. Biden administration rejected Intel’s plan to increase chip production in China on the grounds of security concerns. The world’s largest chip maker has proposed to use a factory in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, to produce silicon chips. The discussion was conducted in private. The production line may be launched by the end of next year, helping to ease global supply tensions. At the same time, however, Intel has been seeking federal assistance to strengthen research and production in the United States. Officials in the Biden administration strongly opposed the plan. The government is working hard to solve the chip shortage problem. It is especially working hard to bring the production of important components back to the States. Intel said its focus is on the continued significant expansion of its existing semiconductor manufacturing business. The plan is to invest tens of billions of dollars in new wafer manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Europe. A White House representative declined to comment on specifics but stated that the government is “very much focused” on preventing China from using U.S. technology, to develop first-class capabilities.

Source: Oriental Daily, November 13, 2021
https://www.orientaldaily.com.my/news/international/2021/11/13/449762

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology US-China Relations

Lianhe Zaobao: China’s 003 Aircraft Carrier Expects Earliest Launch Date to Be in February

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released its satellite image analysis, showing that the Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard is completing the installation of the main external and internal components of China’s 003 aircraft carrier. Before the carrier sails into the Yangtze River, it only needs to install some additional items such as radar and weapon systems. CSIS estimated that the 003 aircraft carrier will be launched in about three to six months. Once ready, this will become China’s third aircraft carrier and the second domestically-made carrier. Unlike the first two, experts expressed the belief that the 003 model will use more advanced aircraft ejection technology, similar to the ejection system used by American aircraft carriers. According to Matthew Funaiole, senior researcher of CSIS China Project, the 003 carrier will be the Chinese military’s “first foray into a modern aircraft carrier.” This is a major step forward for China. However, all U.S. aircraft carriers are nuclear-powered. The Chinese 003 carrier is believed to use conventional steam-powered propulsion, which will limit its range.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, November 10, 2021
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20211110-1212155

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

UDN: Hong Kong Refused to Renew another Foreign Reporter’s Visa

United Daily News (UDN), one of the primary Taiwanese news groups, recently reported that, under the new Hong Kong National Security Law, the Hong Kong government refused to renew another foreign reporter’s work visa. The British magazine The Economist issued a statement on November 12, saying that  Hong Kong government refused to renew the work visa of Sue-Lin Wong, a journalist based in Hong Kong. Zanny Minton Beddoes, the editor-in-chief of the magazine, also said, “We regret the decision of the Hong Kong authorities to refuse to renew the visa, and the authorities have not given a reason.” He is proud of Wong’s reports and calls on the Hong Kong government to maintain access to foreign media, which is critical to Hong Kong’s status as an international city. Wong’s reporting focused on social and political news in China and Hong Kong. Before joining The Economist, she was a reporter for the Financial Times and Reuters. The Hong Kong Immigration Department said it does not comment on individual cases. Since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law last year, the Hong Kong government has rejected the work visas of many foreign journalists, including the Irish reporter Aaron McNicholas from the English media The Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP), and Chris Buckley, a reporter from The New York Times. The government did not give the reason for the refusal.

Source: UDN, November 13, 2021
https://udn.com/news/story/7331/5888787

 

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Social Stability

Pandemic: COVID Has Spread to 21 Provinces in China

On November 5, Beijing reported that COVID-19 had spread to 20 provinces. It also identified four high risk areas, which are in Beijing; Shijiazhang City, Hebei Province; Alashan League, Inner Mongolia; and Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, respectively.

On November 11, Jilin Province reported an infection case. It thus became the 21st province in this recent round to have COVID cases .

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is known for hiding the details about the actual spread of COVID in China.

Related postings on Chinascope:

Sources:
1. China News Agency, November 5, 2021
https://www.chinanews.com/gn/2021/11-05/9603192.shtml
2. Epoch Times, November 10, 2021
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/11/10/n13366469.htm

Hot Topics | | |   Social Stability

At a State Think Tank Conference, China’s Real Estate Companies Asked for Help

The Development and Research Center of the State Council is a policy research and consultation institute under the State Council. On November 9, it held a conference with several real estate developers and banks in Shenzhen in order to talk about the real estate situation in China.

At the meeting, a representative of the Kaisa Group (佳兆业集团) asked for help stating that the company is facing great difficulties, including a tight cash flow, a complete loss of investment capability, continuous credit downgrading, and the fact that Chinese banks’ have stopped providing loans.The Kaisa representative expressed that, without external help, the company may cause a chain reactions of work stoppage and unfinished construction.

(Editor’s Note: Several Chinese media, including the communist party controlled Ta Kung Pao in Hong Kong, reported this news, but they later removed their articles.)

Source: Secret China, November 9, 2021
https://www.secretchina.com/news/gb/2021/11/09/989065.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Global Times: Hong Kong’s Anti-China Destabilizing Media Must Be Cleaned Up

China’s state-run media Global Times rejoiced over the resignation on November 1 of Zhong Peiquan as the editor-in-chief of the Hong Kong independent media Stance News (立场新闻). Global Times named Stance News as being an anti-China, Hong Kong-destabilizing media similar to Hong Kong’s “Apple Daily.”

The article said, “Over the years, the online media have often published biased or even fabricated reports on the SAR government and the mainland.” “In April, after the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, Stance News published an interview with the then Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association Xia Boyil. Xia claimed that this was the first time that a Hong Kong court sentenced a ‘Peaceful Unapproved Assembly’ to prison, and declared that, “If citizens cannot vent their grievances through peaceful demonstrations, they may eventually turn to violence,” downplaying the actions of violent mobs. In May, Stance News reprinted an article entitled, ‘Looking at the Future of the Hong Kong Resistance Movement from the Experience of the Irish Resistance,’ which compared Northern Irish militants with the so-called ‘Hong Kong Resistance’  and encouraged the mobs to ‘make a last stand.’”

Global Times indicated that, “Even though Zhong resigned, he can still be investigated by law enforcement agencies for related criminal responsibility.”

It concluded with a comment published in Hong Kong’s Oriental Daily. “The clean-up of Hong Kong’s anti-China forces is just the beginning. Some of the opposition’s public opinion tools and media are still intact. They only managed to be more restrained after the fall of the Apple Daily. The article said that it is not enough to eradicate Apple Daily now. The soil of the media industry must be changed. ‘Some media must separate themselves from their history and be politically sensible.”

Source: Global Times, November 8, 2021
https://china.huanqiu.com/article/45Ul70y5260

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics Opinion