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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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Communist Parties of China and Nepal Hold Joint Seminar

People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), reported on June 19, that the CCP and the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) organized an opening session of the video seminar series on the governance of the party and the country. Song Tao, head of the CCP’s Department of External Relations, and Wu Yingjie, head of CCP Committee of Tibet, participated and gave speeches. Speakers also included Pushpa Kamal Dahal, aka Prachanda, head of the CPN and the former Prime Minister of Nepal, Ishwar Pokhrel, a current Secretariat member of the CPN and Nepal’s Minister of Defense. Other attendees included over 100 people from the CPN central committee, heads of the Nepal government agencies and the CPN committees of seven Nepal provinces.

Song Tao said that China and Nepal are “good neighbors, friends, and partners for generations.” Last year, CCP head Xi Jinping visited Nepal and reached an “important consensus” on strengthening exchanges of political experiences between the two parties. The joint seminar was supposed to implement the “important consensus,” to deepen mutual trust, and to promote high-quality cooperation in the areas of the “Belt and Road” project.

In return, Prachanda and Pokhrel “spoke highly of the great achievements of the CCP for leading the Chinese people in epidemic prevention and control, as well as economic and social development.”

Source: People’s Daily, June 20, 2020
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2020-06/20/nw.D110000renmrb_20200620_4-02.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

HKSAR Strengthens Nationalism Education: Schools Must Raise the National Flag and Play the National Anthem

The Education Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) recently issued guidelines to primary and secondary schools that require raising China’s national flag and letting it flow and playing the national anthem on three holidays: New Year’s Day, the HKSAR’s Establishment Day on July 1, and Chinese National Day on October 1.

A Hong Kong radio station reported that the education bureau also announced that it will implement “national anthem” education in the music classes from the first grade of elementary school to the third grade of junior high school.

In particular, the education bureau also pointed out that if students exhibit “abnormal behavior” while singing the national anthem, the school should handle it through counseling and if the situation is serious and involves illegal behavior that cannot be handled by the school, it may consider seeking police assistance.

Source: Central News Agency, June 18, 2020
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202006180398.aspx

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China Mandates Real-name Registration for Online Literature

China’s online literature has grown rapidly in recent years. According to the “2019 Online Literature Development Report” that the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) released in February, the number of online literature users has reached 455 million. Fifty percent of users are online readers; the number of online authors has reached 17.55 million.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported on June 15 that China’s National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) issued a “Notice on Further Strengthening the Administration of Online Literature Publishing.” The Notice demands “rectifying the order of the online literature industry, strengthening the management of online literature publishing, and leading the online publishing units with a correct publication orientation.”

The Notice requires that online literature publishing units establish and improve content review and the approval mechanism. It strictly regulates the posting and publishing behavior and enforces the “real name registration for online literature creators.” Online publication platforms are told to be explicit in exhibiting posting rules and service agreements.

Source: Central News Agency, June 16, 2020
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202006160103.aspx

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Infection Count: WHO Called Beijing Infection a Major Event

The World Health Organization (WHO) is used to be supportive and to provide a cover-up for Beijing in its handling of the coronavirus. Recently, it showed a different position from Beijing.

The WHO held a press conference in Geneva on June 16. It mentioned that Beijing has newly confirmed over 100 infection cases and the WHO said it was a major event. A Chinese media asked, since today France and Germany have an open border between the two countries, either country has several hundred new infection cases every day. Some states in the U.S. also have many infection cases. Why, when China has over 100 cases, does it get so much high attention?

Michael J Ryan, Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Program at WHO, replied that each country has its own situation. Since Beijing hadn’t gotten new cases for 50 days, in this context, it is a major event. There are many countries that still have many cases. Besides closely monitoring the situation, the WHO wishes China would share the genome information.

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Hot Topics | | |   Social Stability

Diplomacy: Chinese Consulates Work on “Mask Diplomacy” in the U.S.

NBC reported that China has carried out a “mask diplomacy” strategy around the world, burnishing its reputation through the use of massive donations of protective equipment and ventilators. In the U.S., all five Chinese Consulates, including the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., have worked on such donations in exchange for the recipients’ showing appreciation to Beijing.

Critics say that, while the communities receiving the donations genuinely need them, they come with strings attached in the form of propaganda value for China’s government. Chinese state-run media outlets cover these events to showcase China’s generosity toward the struggling communities.

Two senior U.S. officials said the U.S. government has long been concerned about the political activities of the Chinese consulates in that they target local communities and their leaders with propaganda.

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Source: NBC, June 15, 2020
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/chinese-consulates-deploying-mask-diplomacy-u-s-communities-n1231031

Hot Topics | | |   Social Stability

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)

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Hot Topics | | |   Social Stability

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 | | |   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 | | |   Government/Politics