Chinascope – Page 209

Beijing Plans to Lead the World in Human Rights Work

Although the world recognizes that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a poor record on human rights, the CCP does not view it that way. In its “National Human Rights Action Plan (2021 to 2025)” published on September 9, the CCP states that it plans to be active in helping the world manage human rights.

The plan listed the following as some of its goals for creating and implementing its action plan: “To participate actively in global human rights governance; to deepen (China’s) involvement in the work of the United Nations human rights mechanisms; to promote the construction of a fairer, more equitable, reasonable, and inclusive global human rights governance system; and jointly to build a community with a shared future for mankind.”

Source: People’s Daily, September 9, 2021
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2021/0909/c1001-32222401.html

Briefings | | September 23, 2021 | Government/Politics

China’s Central Bank Governor: Large Fintech Firms May Lead to Market Monopoly

Yi Gang, the Governor of China’s central bank, recently pointed out that the “winner-take-all” attribute of large fintech firms could lead to market monopoly. Yi noted that there are more than 4,000 small and medium-sized banks in China. He expressed concern about the banks increased reliance on large technology companies.

As China recently took a heavy-handed approach toward fintech giants such as Alibaba and Tencent, the website of the People’s Bank of China released Yi’s speech on September 14th at a Sino-German video conference on financial technology .

Yi noted that China’s rapid development in fintech has also highlighted a number of problems. These include the payment institutions entering into the financial sector and offering a variety of financial products such as insurance and microfinance. They thereby add to the chances of cross-product and cross-market contagion of financial risks.

Yi said Chinese regulatory authorities will bring all financial activities under financial supervision and make sure that financial businesses must be licensed. China also requires that payment methods be divorced from other financial products. In addition, Yi vowed to strengthen anti-monopoly efforts and promote large Internet companies to protect consumers’ choice of payment methods.

Yi also noted that the development of fintech will have an impact on the traditional banking industry. “Small and medium-sized banks are facing greater challenges. With limited resources of their own, small and medium-sized banks can only rely on the technology and platforms provided by large IT companies for customer maintenance, credit analysis and risk control.”

Source: People’s Bank of China, September 18, 2021
http://www.pbc.gov.cn/goutongjiaoliu/113456/113469/4345544/index.html

Briefings | | September 23, 2021 | Economy/Resources

HK01: Xi Jinping Said, “The Days When the Hong Kong Real Estate Tycoons Influenced Hong Kong Policy Are Gone

HK01 reported on September 21 that, in 2018, Xi Jinping made a clear statement in an internal meeting of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) Hong Kong and Macau Coordination Group. He Stated, “The days of the Hong Kong business community influencing the Central Government’s policies on Hong Kong are gone.” A source familiar with the situation said that the “Hong Kong business community” actually refers to the real estate developers there.

The article also reported that the richest real estate tycoon invited key officers from the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong for a family banquet. The tycoon had all important members of his family attend the banquet. He explained (to one of the key officers) that his family’s comments during the anti-Extradition Law movement were not “sympathetic to the gangsters or the violence.” {Editor’s comment: This is likely referring to Li Ka-shing, who is Hong Kong’s richest man and also published a neutral-toned page in the newspaper regarding the Hong Kong protest. Some people felt his message was pro-Hong Kong protesters.}

The article mentioned that Reuters recently reported that Beijing requested Hong Kong real estate developers to solve the housing shortage problem. It stated, “The rules of the game have changed” and Beijing will no longer tolerate “monopoly.”

For a while, the CCP has not been happy with Hong Kong’s real estate tycoons. During the anti-Extradition Law protest, these tycoons remained silent. It was not until a mainland newspaper criticized them for not lining up with the central government that they start making statements to support the government’s actions to “stop violence.” In September 2019, the People’s Daily also blamed the Hong Kong protest on the real estate developers for making the housing prices unaffordable.

In July this year, Xia Baolong, the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council (central government), stated that he expects the housing problem in Hong Kong will be greatly improved.

HK01 is a newspaper close to Xi Jinping’s group.

Source: HK01, September 21, 2021
https://www.hk01.com/政情/679198/01消息-習近平內部會議明言-地產商-左右治港-已一去不復返

Briefings | | September 23, 2021 | Economy/Resources Government/Politics

China Stepped up Control of Web Contents

China has been strengthening its overall supervision of cyberspace. On September 15, the Cyber Administration of China (CAC), the country’s top cyber regulator, released the “Opinions on Further Clarifying the Responsibilities of the Online Platform Operators in terms of Information Content.”

The CAC pointed out that the main purpose of releasing the “Opinions” was to focus on different indications of web chaos, and “to ensure that the online platform always adheres to the correct political direction, public opinion guidance and value orientation.”

The “Opinions” gives ten key tasks, including setting up online community rules, the preparation of lists and directories of illegal and unhealthy conduct, the establishment of user credit records and evaluation systems, and the maintenance of records on users’ violations.

The “Opinions” requires the online platforms to improve the content approval mechanism, implement the chief-editor’s responsible system, further expand the scope of manual audits, and establish a dynamic updating mechanism for the database of illegal activities.

Source: Cyber Administration of China, September 15, 2021
http://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-09/15/c_1633296790051342.htm

Briefings | | September 22, 2021 | Information/Technology

Global Times: British Ambassador to China Should No Longer Visit the Great Hall of the People

Global Times recently published a commentary on the fact that the Speakers of both the Upper and Lower Houses of the British Parliament announced a prohibition against the Chinese Ambassador to the UK, Zheng Zeguang. Zheng has been prohibited from entering the British Parliament Building. This was at the request of several congressmen who China has sanctioned. Forbidding envoys of other countries from entering the parliament is an extremely rare move. It shows brutality, impulsiveness, and rule-breaking. If this restriction is enforced and continues, then China should take reciprocal retaliation against the British mission in China, and, in the future, the British ambassador to China should not be allowed to enter the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. In fact, there are no major conflicts between China and Britain. Even the conflicts surrounding Hong Kong have just been magnified. China and Britain are so far apart. China can neither threaten Britain’s security nor have a real power competition against the UK. The ideological differences are actually the easiest to shelve between countries. Britain is the “certain pawn” of the United States’ strategy to contain China.

Source: Global Times, September 15, 2021
https://opinion.huanqiu.com/article/44mRTKh7rTN

Briefings | | September 22, 2021 | Geo-Strategic Trend

45 NGOs Signed Open Letter Demanding Release of Zhang Zhan Who Is Jailed for Reporting on COVID Outbreak

On September 17, 45 non-governmental organizations, including Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International, sent a joint letter to Xi Jinping, demanding the release of Zhang Zhan. Zhang was jailed for reporting on the COVID outbreak and has been on a hunger strike since May 2020.

Zhang reported the outbreak when it was in its early stage in Wuhan. After Wuhan was locked down on January 23, 2020, Zhang went to Wuhan and reported on how the hospital was packed with infected people and piles of bodies were in the crematorium. On December 28, 2020, after a three-hour trial, Zhang was sentenced to four-years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Zhang’s family said she has lost a significant amount of weigh. She was hospitalized in early August. Despite her rapid decline in health, Zhang was sent back to prison. Reporters Without Borders said Zhang has been mistreated while in custody and her family had been barred from visiting.

China ranks 177th out of 180 countries and regions in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. The group says China has imprisoned the largest number of journalists in the world. At least 122 journalists are currently in prison.

The organizations that co-signed the open letter also include the Taiwan Journalists Association, the China Aid Association, Change China, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom House, as well as many others.

Source: Voice of America, September 17, 2021
https://www.voachinese.com/a/ngo-coalition-urges-china-to-release-covid-19-reporter-on-hunger-strike-20210917/6232546.html

Briefings | | September 21, 2021 | Government/Politics

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.