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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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Corruption Allegation in Namibia involves 5G deal with Huawei

As the “Five Eyes Alliance” countries are taking countermeasures against China’s telecom giant Huawei, Huawei continues to accelerate its expansion in Africa.

Al Jazeera ran an exclusive report on July 15 that Brunhilde Cornelius, a city councilor in Namibia’s capital city Windhoek, disclosed that, in order for Huawei to obtain an exclusive contract for 5G network construction in the city, a local politician was bribed and asked to give up her opposition to the deal.

Earlier this year, Cornelius publicly opposed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city council and Huawei. According to Al Jazeera, Cornelius filed a charge with the police on June 19. Cornelius, who is also the secretary-general of the opposition Rally for the Democracy and Progress Party (RDP), alleged the bribe was offered by Nicanor Ndjoze, her colleague who is also the RDP’s director of elections. Ndjoze allegedly paid bribes on behalf of his nephew, Reckliff Kandjiriomuini, the head of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) division of the City of Windhoek (COW).

Cornelius said that Ndjoze mentioned a bonus fund of about US$2.4 million, which could be used for potential beneficiaries of the deal that would give Huawei the exclusive right to develop local 5G network construction. She was told that she could receive an amount between US$300,000 and US$360,000 dollars. According to Cornelius, Ndjoze told her on May 12 that she could get the money if she gave up her opposition to the MOU. Allegedly, Ndjoze also told Cornelius that his nephew, Kandjiriomuini, led the transaction with Huawei. Kandjiriomuini hoped that Ndjoze would help persuade his party members to accept bribes and sign the MOU.

Andy Keiser, a former professional staff member of the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee testified before the U.S. Congress in June 2018, exposing that Huawei and ZTE have been subject to corruption investigations, charges, or corruption convictions in as many as 21 countries in the past 12 years. In 2009, Nuctech, a Chinese state-owned IT firm was involved in a bribery and corruption case in Namibia.

Source: Radio Free Asia, July 17, 2020
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/bribe-07172020091246.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

World Outbreak: North Korea Announced an Infection Case

North Korea has reported its “first” coronavirus infection case. A person who escaped to South Korea recently crossed the border on July 19 to return back to North Korea. He was suspected of being infected with the coronavirus in Kaesong city, which is close to the border with South Korea.

On July 24, Kim Jong-un ordered Kaesong to be locked down. He held an emergency politburo meeting on July 25 and announced the implementation of emergency measures for Kaesong.

North Korea had not previously reported any infection cases, though the international community suspects that it hides the truth from the world.

In the past, North Korea had several politburo meetings and adopted several measures regarding the coronavirus, which also makes people wonder if the country has been infected:

  • January 22: Stopped visitors from entering the country. Closed the border with China and stopped international flights and trains.
  • February 28: Extended the winter break for all students and delayed the start of school.
  • February 29: Held a politburo meeting on fighting the coronavirus.
  • April 11: Held a politburo meeting and passed a joint resolution to continue increasing the national emergency pandemic prevention efforts.
  • July 2: Held a politburo meeting on increasing the national emergency pandemic prevention efforts. Kim Jong-un said that recklessly lifting the pandemic prevention measures would lead to an unimaginable and irreversible fatal crisis.

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Beijing to Deploy Korean War TV Dramas to Arouse Nationalism

China’s National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) is a ministry-level executive agency that controls state-owned TV and radio broadcasters, as well as other non-state movie and television studios. On July 17, NRTA held a nationwide video conference with its subsidiary entities to arrange and schedule TV dramas that have the theme of the Sino-Japanese War during WWII and the Korean War. The Chinese government has been calling the former  the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the later the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. It also emphasized TV dramas with the themes of battling the corona virus so as to “tell the touching story of China’s action against the (Wuhan) pneumonia epidemic.”

The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Sino-Japanese War, which was actually fought by the Nationalist government, the predecessor of today’s Taiwan government. It lost the civil war to the Communists in 1949. To Beijing, the Sino-US relations pose the biggest challenge since the establishment of diplomatic relations. The theme of the Korean War has also become the focus of the regime’s propaganda. Claiming to be the winner of the war, for decades, the Chinese Communist Party has been using it to promote anti-American nationalist sentiments .

Source: Central News Agency, July 23, 2020.
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202007230400.aspx

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

RFA: “Xi Jinping Research Center for Diplomatic Thought” Deviates From Deng’s Diplomatic Principal and Promotes “Wolf Warrior” Diplomacy

Xinhua reported that the inauguration ceremony of the Xi Jinping Research Center for Diplomatic Thought was held in Beijing on July 20. Comments from China experts overseas show they believe that the establishment of this center means that China has formally bid farewell to Deng Xiaoping’s diplomatic principle of “hiding our capacities and biding our time.” Instead, it promotes the “wolf warrior” diplomacy that China has pursued in recent years.

The China Institute of International Studies set up the research center under the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It aims “to coordinate national research resources, and to conduct comprehensive, systematic and in-depth research, interpretation, and publicity with regard to Xi Jinping’s diplomatic thoughts. … It focuses on studying the nature, theory, practice, communication, policies, and specific subjects of Xi Jinping Thought on the subject of Diplomacy … enabling and supporting the guiding role of Xi Jinping’s diplomatic thinking on diplomatic practice. … It also makes a positive contribution to opening up a new era of major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated at the ceremony that, in the face of the uncertain international situation, Xi Jinping’s diplomatic thoughts must be used as the fundamental guiding principles to maintain (China’s) strength in chaos, seize opportunities in changes, and continue to make breakthroughs in a new era of major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

It is believed that, since Xi Jinping came to power, the CCP has reversed its course on the party’s ruling ideology on diplomacy.

Sources:
1. Xinhua, July 20, 2020
http://www.xinhuanet.com/2020-07/20/c_1126262860.htm
2. Radio Free Asia, July 21, 2020
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhengzhi/gf1-07212020071317.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Infection Count: Xinjiang’s Capital City Urumqi Locked Down

On July 17, 2020, the Chinese authorities locked down Urumqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, due to the coronavirus infection.

The Xinjiang Health Commission reported a confirmed case in the city on July 15 and another five on July 16. There were also 11 asymptomatic carriers on those two days. However, since the Chinese Communist Party is known for hiding data, the actual infection count in Urumqi is unclear.

The authorities stopped all public transportation, locked down neighborhood communities, closed restaurants, and required visitors to provide coronavirus test reports (which should be negative) when staying in hotels. Taxi services were also stopped and a lot of flights were cancelled.

It seems that the Urumqi authorities reported its coronavirus cases after Zhejiang Province tested a traveler from Urumqi on July 15 and found he tested positive.

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Top Apple Supplier Foxconn to Invest $1 Billion in India

Well-known Chinese news site Sina (NASDAQ: SINA) recently reported that, per a strong request from Apple, its top supplier Foxconn is about to invest US$1 billion in Southern India to expand it manufacturing capacity. With the trouble of trade disputes between China and the United States, as well as the coronavirus impact, this is part of Apple’s quiet plan of moving its manufacturing center out of China. According sources familiar with the plan, Foxconn will establish a new factory in Sriperumbudur – 50 kilometers from Chennai. The factory will mainly be used to assemble the iPhone XR. The investment plan will create around 6,000 new jobs. Some of the other iPhone models currently made in China will move to this new factory as well. Currently Foxconn already has some capabilities in India  to assemble low-end iPhones. Foxconn refused to comment on any news regarding its customers and their products. Apple did not respond to this report either.

Source: Sina, July 12, 2020
https://finance.sina.com.cn/stock/s/2020-07-12/doc-iivhvpwx4949394.shtml

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Information/Technology

Lianhe Zaobao: Deutsche Bank Asian CEO Office Moved to Singapore

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that Deutsche Bank just announced its new Asian-Pacific CEO Alexander von zur Muehlen will move the office of his new regional headquarters to Singapore. He is replacing  Werner Steinmueller, who is retiring and still has his office in Hong Kong. Another member of the leadership team of the Bank, Kamran Khan, will also move to Singapore. Singapore has long been the competitor of Hong Kong to be the central hub of the Asian-Pacific financial market. Nearly all major banks like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and Citigroup have their Asian Chiefs in Hong Kong. However, in the past couple of years, Hong Kong’s political stability has been under serious question and is now at the center of the storm between China and the U.S. Currently Singapore also has Credit Suisse as well as UBS who have their Asian-Pacific chiefs there. Singapore has played a significant role in Deutsche Bank’s Asian-Pacific strategy for many years.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, July 16, 2020
http://www.uzaobao.com/bolg/20200716/74896.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Hiding Information: US Researcher Found That, in December 2019, the CCP Knew about Person-to-Person Transmission

A U.S. researcher found that, as early as the end of December 2019, hospitals in Wuhan had clear evidence of person-to-person transmission of the novel coronavirus.

Associate Professor Mai (Mike) He, MD, PhD, Pathology & Immunology Section Head of the School of Medicine, Washington University, did the research based on patient cases in Wuhan in December 2019 and January 2020.

On December 27, 2019, Xinhua Hospital in Wuhan received a family case where both parents were infected. They tested the son on December 28 and found he had also been infected.

On December 29, the Wuhan Central Hospital received an infected mother and son, which was another example of family person-to-person transmission.

On January 1, 2020, the Wuhan Central Hospital received an infected doctor working at the clinic near the South China Seafood Market. It was believed that this doctor had been infected by his patients.

On December 27, Vision Medicals, a gene research and testing company based in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, created the near-complete genome for the coronavirus . They called Wuhan hospitals and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on December 27 and 28 to report their findings. On December 29 and 30, due to the severity of the virus, the lab manager also went to Wuhan to provide a face-to-face report to the Wuhan hospitals and the CDC .

On December 30, the gene test of the virus at the CapitalBio Medical Lab in Beijing showed it was similar to SARS, which further confirmed the person-to-person transmission.

The National CDC sent an emergency group to Wuhan on December 31. They closed the seafood market on January 1, but, on their January 3 report, they claimed there had been no person-to-person transmission and no medical staff had been infected.

The National Health Commission also issued a notice on January 3, prohibiting anyone from releasing information to the outside and also prohibiting institutes from conducting virus tests without the Health Commission’s authorization.

It was not until January 20 that the National Health Commission announced person-to-person transmission. On January 23, the day that Wuhan announced a lock-down, the Chinese authorities reported 444 infection cases. According to Dr. He’s model, 240,000 people in Wuhan had been infected by then, with 30,000 infection cases on January 23.

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