Chinascope – Page 311

Infection Count: Beijing Raised Its Public Health Emergency Response Level to II

Beijing has become the new Coronavirus pandemic center in China. The following are some recent developments in Beijing:

1, 2, 3: Between June 11 and June 15, Beijing reported 106 confirmed infection cases. There was 1 case on June 11, 6 cases on June 12, 36 cases on June 13, 36 cases on June 14, and 27 cases on June 15. (Beijing Municipal Health Commission website)

{Editor’s note: Since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is known for hiding infection information, the actual number could be higher than the figure the government released.}

4: Nine districts in Beijing have reported infection cases. Three provinces also reported infection cases as a result of transmissions from Beijing patients, including Hebei (3 cases), Liaoning (2 cases), and Sichuan (1 case).

On June 16, the Beijing government announced it would raise its public health emergency response level from level III to level II. (China News Agency)

5: A medical staff member working in an emergency room in a Beijing hospital revealed to Radio Free Asia, that hospitals in Beijing have received information from the authorities that a massive outbreak is likely to occur in one to two weeks. A medical service provider said that the population of people who might have been exposed to the virus is large: In the past two weeks, over 100,000 people had been to Xinfadi, which was said to be the origin of this round of infections; these people are considered t have had close contact with the infected patients. Furthermore, there are an additional several hundred thousand people who had contact with the first group of 100,000 people. (Radio Free Asia)

6: Fengtai District, Beijing declared a rumor as a message: Tens of thousands of people from Xinfadi were transported to Tangshan City, Hebei Province for quarantine. The authorities gave the correct information: Since June 14, nearly ten thousand people working in Xinfadi have been transported to several districts in Beijing for “centralized observation” (a euphemism for quarantine). (QQ)

7: After raising its public health emergency response level to level II, Beijing has prohibited people connected to Xinfadi or who live in the vicinity of the areas with high infection risks from leaving the city. All schools, from kindergartens all the way to universities will stop school starting June 17. (Beijing News)

EU Considers Tightening Up Foreign Investment Rules

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that the European Union is considering further tightening up foreign investment policies. It is aiming at the Chinese government’s subsidies to Chinese companies’ international acquisitions. The EU is preparing investigations into the conduct of the Chinese investors. This new plan is supplemental to the EU’s foreign investment review mechanism passed in April. Another important driver behind this new action is to address the wary when some EU companies become the target of acquisitions in the current coronavirus environment. The European Commission has informed the member countries about this intent to establish a new legal tool, designed to ensure a fair competitive environment. The EU April Foreign Investment Review Policy already allowed member country governments to step in to foreign acquisitions on strategic assets. The new rule will focus on subsidies.

Source: Sina, June 6, 2020
https://bit.ly/3e0vLUw

Briefings | | June 16, 2020 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Beijing Made Clear its Right to Intervene in National Security Cases in Hong Kong

In Shenzhen, on Monday June 15th, The Chinese Association of Hong Kong & Macao Studies (CAHKMS), a government think tank under the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, held a forum on the Hong Kong Basic Law. Deng Zhonghua, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Office, mentioned in his speech that both the central government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government need to establish agencies to maintain national security, and that the central government will supervise and guide relevant work in Hong Kong. Deng emphasized that most of the law enforcement and judicial work should be completed by the HKSAR government, but the central government will retain jurisdiction over some cases.

Deng added, “The central government has jurisdiction over crimes against national security in the HKSAR. It must have an effective control and produce effective deterrence. It cannot be merely shouting some slogans or putting on some show. The central government should also, under extremely special circumstances, retain the power to exercise jurisdiction over crimes in the region that seriously endanger national security. Of course, very few cases will come under the jurisdiction of the central government, which will not take over the responsibilities of the relevant authorities in the HKSAR; nor will it affect the independent judicial power and final adjudication power enjoyed by the HKSAR under the Basic Law.”

Billy Li, a Hong Kong barrister and Convener of the Progressive Lawyers Group, a pro-democracy civil group formed by legal professionals, commented that, “If the (central government) enforces the law in Hong Kong, I think it is a violation of the Hong Kong Basic Law. Judicial, administrative and legislative rights are all part of Hong Kong’s autonomy, as codified by the Basic Law. Once (the central government) enforces the law in Hong Kong, even if it (the central government) adjudicates these cases, it is violating the autonomous rights of Hong Kong.”

Johannes Chan, Chair Professor of Law and former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong Kong, also pointed out that if the national security organs can supervise and guide the work of Hong Kong agencies, this will almost completely destroy the “two systems.” It is equivalent to the “nationalization” of Hong Kong’s autonomy and will change the Basic Law beyond recognition. Chan expressed concern about Deng Zhonghua’s remarks, that if the mainland’s national security organs exercise jurisdiction in Hong Kong, it would mean the one-stop process of arrest, investigation, trial, sentencing, and even the procedure of imprisonment.

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council member Dennis Kwok expressed strong opposition to the possibility of transferring national security cases to the mainland for trial. Kwok asked, “Why can some cases suddenly be handled without going through the jurisdiction of the Hong Kong courts? Article 19 of the Basic Law makes it clear that the HKSAR has jurisdiction over all cases (in Hong Kong). That is to say, all cases related to Hong Kong must be tried in the Hong Kong courts. This further proves that the ‘National Security Law’ is unconstitutional and illegal.”

Source: Radio Free Asia, June 15, 2020
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/htm/hk-security-06152020082647.html

Briefings | | June 16, 2020 | Government/Politics

A Xi’an Company Banned the Use of the Apple iPhone

Well-known Chinese news site Tencent News recently reported that a company in the City of Xi’an just issued a company-wide ban on the use of the Apple iPhone. Any company employee found using an Apple iPhone will be fined six months’ worth of merit pay, which will be directly deducted from payroll. In the meantime, if an employee buys a Huawei cellphone, the company will award RMB 100 (around US$14). The company also pays any employee RMB 1000 (around US$140) for a domestically made car purchase. The story went viral online among Chinese netizens. It triggered a heavy debate on what is the right take on American products. However, not long ago, Apple iPhone 11 sales ranked among the top two across several major Chinese online retailers. It shows that Apple iPhones are widely recognized among Chinese consumers. Among the online discussions of the event, the population appears to be very divided. Many suggested their own companies had similar policies but they may not be published. Some suggested the iPhone buyers should be fired directly. However, a large number of people thought the fine was too extreme, and some even suggested that the fined iPhone buyers sue the company. Technical netizens also pointed out that Huawei products also use American technology.

Source: Tencent News, June 8, 2020
https://wxn.qq.com/cmsid/20200608A01CVW00

Briefings | | June 16, 2020 | Information/Technology US-China Relations

Medical Supplies: A Fake Medical Products Company Serves Over 1300 Chinese Medical Equipment Suppliers

During the coronavirus pandemic, over 1,300 Chinese medical equipment companies have used the same agency company, which seems to be a fake company in the U.S.

The agency company, CCTC Service Inc., said to be registered in Delaware, uses the address of a three-bedroom house in Wilmington, Delaware. However, neither the renters nor the landlord of the house said they had heard of CCTC or any Chinese company. The Delaware database of companies did not contain this company’s name.

In June, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against a Chinese company King Year Printing and Packaging Co. Ltd., for selling about 500,000 problematic face masks to the U.S. with counterfeit certification and for submitting false registration information to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). CCTC is the agency company for King Year. The Department of Justice’s filing said that CCTC didn’t return its email inquiry and that it had reason to believe that CCTC is a fabricated company.

CCTC is owned by a company called “Shenzhen CCT Testing Technology Co., Ltd.” It is headquartered in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, China. The company charges each Chinese medical equipment supplier 5,000 yuan (US $705) to represent them to register face mask products with the FDA.

Shenzhen CCT Testing Technology registered a new agency company called CCTC Services United, Inc. with the State of Colorado on May 13. However, Shenzhen CCT Testing Technology started using the new agency company for business in March, two months before registering it. There is also an issue with the new company. Its address is a post office box, which the FDA does not allow.

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