Chinascope – Page 333

Leadership: Is Xi Jinping in Trouble in the CCP Internal Fight?

There has been some unconfirmed information that Xi might have lost out to some extent in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) infighting.

Liberty Times, a Taiwan media, reported that Kyle Bass, a well-known U.S. hedge fund manager and a current member of the Committee on the Present Danger: China, posted on his Twitter account on April 11:

“Secretary xi is in trouble within China. According to my sources within, the party elite want xi gone. The Guangdong elite (Uncle Deng’s family) are beginning to rattle the cages of change against the supposed “emperor for life”.”

New Highland Vision, a media based in New York, published on its Twitter account:

“Since last Friday (April 9), special protection has been provided to the families of the main princelings and the former CCP Politburo members. X (Xi) is in a bad state. The current situation is: Hu (Jintao) proposed a compromise plan, not removing X, but let Li (Keqiang) and Wang (Qishan) be in charge, and let X take a backseat to rest and study. Most of the retired leaders, including Jiang (Zemin), Zeng (Qinghong), and Wen (Jiabao) expressed their approval. At present, the two sides are coordinating. X has no way out and there has also been strange move of the military, too. Note: Please do not ask for the source; for reference only.”

{CS Editor’s Comments: In the past few months, there have been signs of the CCP’s infighting:

Zhou Xianwang, the Wuhan Mayor, said in multiple places that he “was not authorized” to take action to contain the coronavirus in the early days, while Xi Jinping claimed that he had been in charge of the virus containment work (See Chinascope’s postings: Leadership: Wuhan Mayor Not “Authorized” to Release Epidemic Information to the Public Before and Leadership: Wuhan Municipal Website Defended Its Mayor) and he was appraised by the Head of the National Health Commission (See Chinascope’s posting: Leadership: A Political Controversy: Head of National Health Commission Praised Wuhan Mayor).
Ren Zhiqiang, a princeling and a real estate tycoon, called Xi Jinping a “clown” in his article “A Clown Who Stripped Naked and Insisted on Continuing to Be an Emperor” (See Chinascope posting: Leadership: Ren Zhiqiang’s Article: “A Clown Who Stripped Naked and Insisted on Continuing to Be an Emperor”).
Chen Ping, a princeling and the founder of Sun TV who lives in Hong Kong, re-posted an article calling for an “Emergency Enlarged Meeting of the CCP’s Politburo” to discuss whether Xi is suitable for the leadership position (See Chinascope’s posting: Leadership: The Widespread of a WeChat Posting Calling for Politburo Meeting to Remove Xi Jinping).}

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Hot Topics | | April 14, 2020 | Social Stability

CNA: China Auto Industry Faces Parts and Order Shortages

Affected by COVID 19, the Chinese auto industry is facing parts and order shortages. Despite the fact that the Chinese government recently introduced a stimulus plan for electric vehicles and used cars, it is believed that the fate of the Chinese auto industry is dependent on the recovery of the supply chain outside of China. The Central News Agency reported that, due to uncertain future orders, once they are caught up making the existing safety stock orders, many auto manufacturing plants may have to shut down. To reduce their costs, some factories have started to give workers three days off a week from their work shift. Meanwhile the auto market demand is weak as well. Auto sales revenue in the last week of March was down 24 percent compared to the same period in 2019. Airtex in Tianjing is predicting a 30 percent order reduction once the U.S. can get out of its COVID 19 lockdown. As most countries in Europe and the US are dealing with COVID 19, auto makers in China, especially electric auto manufacturers who rely on imports of key components and parts, will face a parts shortage. It is expected that the risk to the auto industry will come in the second half the year.

Source: Central News Agency, April 11, 2020
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202004110162.aspx

Briefings | | April 13, 2020 | Economy/Resources

Epoch Times: Mainland Deployed Liaoning Carrier to Taiwan Strait Region

On April 10, China sent an H-6 jet bomber, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft and a J-11 jet fighter into the Southwest ocean region of Taiwan and conducted training. On April 11, the China Liaoning Carrier also reached the eastern ocean region outside of Taiwan together with four battleships and one replenishment oiler. On both days, the US RC-135U reconnaissance aircraft was spotted in Bashi Channel south of Taiwan along with the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer passing through the Taiwan Strait in international waters. This marks the 6th time this year that the mainland aircraft came close to Taiwan.

Source: Epoch Times, April 12, 2020
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/20/4/12/n12024504.htm

Briefings | | April 13, 2020 | Geo-Strategic Trend

WHO: China Sent Its Internet Army to Help Tedros with His Attack on Taiwan

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus criticized Taiwan for discriminating against him. The Taiwan government rejected the blame. Then Beijing had its people, pretending to be Taiwanese, post apologies on the Internet to create a fake display of “Taiwanese people apologizing to Tedros.”

On April 8, Tedros said at a press conference, “Please do not politicize this virus. If you want to be exploited and if you want to have many more body bags, then you do it. If you don’t want many more body bags, then you refrain from politicizing it.”

He then said that he has been under racist attacks for months and that Taiwan’s foreign ministry was responsible for the threats and racist abuse. “This attack came from Taiwan. They even started criticizing me in the middle of all those insults and slurs. I say it today because it’s enough.”

Taiwan, though just across the Taiwan Strait form mainland China, has produced an amazing coronavirus containment result with only 380 cases and five deaths so far.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan was opposed to discrimination. “For years, we have been excluded from international organizations and we know better than anyone else what it feels like to be discriminated against and isolated. If Director-General Tedros could withstand pressure from China and come to Taiwan to see Taiwan’s efforts to fight Covid-19 for himself, he would be able to see that the Taiwanese people are the true victims of unfair treatment.”

Taiwan foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said the Tedros’ comments were “irresponsible” and the accusations “imaginary.” The ministry said it was seeking an apology for “slander.”

Then many postings supposedly from the Taiwanese people apologizing to Tedros showed up on the Internet. The apology postings usually said, “I’m a Taiwanese. I am extremely ashamed of the Taiwanese people’s racial discrimination and malicious attack on Tedros. I am willing to apologize to Tedros and all black groups on behalf of the Taiwanese and beg for his forgiveness.”

The Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice in Taiwan reported that it was people from mainland China who created those articles. It stated that mainland China’s Free Xuzhou Twitter account first created those postings. It made the posting into a template and called for other users to “pretend to be Taiwan citizens,” to fill in the template and then to post them. They also attached a screenshot of Taiwanese’ IDs to make it look real.

Diplomacy: Nigeria and African Union Protested China’s Targeting of Nigerian Citizens

There have been reports that the coronavirus infection had recently broken out in the neighborhood of Sanyuanli, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. The local government had been screening and quarantining people living in that neighborhood, including many African people living there.

An online video showed that the Nigeria Consul-General Anozie Maduabuchi Cyril confronted the Chinese enforcement team who had confiscated the passports of three Nigerians living in that area, though they did not show any sign of having the coronavirus infection.

A visibly angry Cyril accused the Chinese officials of seizing the passports of those Nigerian citizens and quarantining Nigerians, who had not traveled out the area for years. Cyril contended that the documents were the property of the Nigerian Government and China had no right to seize them.

Addressing one senior Chinese official in the video, Cyril said, “If you want your policy to work, shut down Guangzhou and let everyone including the Chinese remain indoors for 14 days. If you do that, the issue of discrimination will not be there. But if you are only picking on Africans, that is the highest humiliation anyone can get … Nigerians are not criminals, so why are you harassing them? We will continue to protect them.”

Cyril said even though the coronavirus pandemic coming out of China has closed business and everything in Nigeria, they didn’t target Chinese living there. “In Nigeria, we have a lot of Chinese, I don’t think you have ever received any information that the Government of Nigeria go to their various houses and pick them for quarantine, so why are Africans and indeed Nigerians being targeted in China?”

The Nigeria government and the African Union protested China for discriminating against the Nigerians.

The Nigerian Foreign Minister called in the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria to protest. The Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament of Nigeria also applied pressure when he chided the Ambassador in a separate meeting.

The African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat tweeted that his office had summoned the Chinese envoy to the AU over the case.

“My Office invited the Chinese Ambassador to the AU, Mr. Liu Yuxi, to express our extreme concern at allegations of maltreatment of Africans in Guangzhou plus called for immediate remedial measures in line with our excellent relations. The African group in Beijing is also engaging with the govt.”

Accountability: The CCP’s Handling of the Coronavirus Followed Its Unrestricted Warfare Strategy

Robert Spalding, a retired Brigadier General and a national security strategy expert in the U.S., published a research paper on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) handling the spread of the coronavirus. It follows its new way of war detailed in the book called, Unrestricted Warfare, written by two Peoples Liberation Army Colonels. It details a strategy on how to defeat the militarily superior United States.

Spaulding commented that the CCP has taken advantage of and weaponized globalization. It has spent decades utilizing globalization to slowly take control of the world’s trading system, dominate key industries and markets, build a global media and internet presence, and deploy subjects and diplomats around the world. Therefore, when the time came, these elements could easily be brought together for three intentional actions – to deflect blame, cause panic, and take advantage.

Deflect blame. The CCP controls Chinese language media everywhere. Chinese language social media uses the often-utilized practice of crying racism and stoking nationalism to instill fear and revenge in those inside and outside the country. The citizens under lock-down are blocked from sharing their boots-on-the-ground point of view as social media is further restricted and censored. Abroad, a full media and diplomatic blitzkrieg can be levied to ensure the virus is not named according to its origin and to start a campaign to claim that it came from another country. Finally, flush with horded supplies the CCP can feign being good Samaritans as they earn profits by price gouging the world on personal protective equipment (PPE). Ultimately, deflecting blame props up the CCP’s message about the superiority of their Communist system.
Cause panic. Fear is one of the strongest human motivators. Since the CCP controls the supply chain, they can activate internal and external actors to lock down the supply of medical equipment, fueling fear. This is accomplished by denying the export of certain items like masks, threatening to ban the export of others like pharmaceuticals, and buying up any foreign domestic stock using their networks abroad. The Western media also contributed to it. Fear is strengthened by hyper-inflated models that are blasted 24/7. Panic buying, hoarding, and the political blame game follow, adding to the cycle.
Take advantage. This is the true goal of weaponized globalization. The CCP knew about the virus beforehand and could therefore control the outflow of information and people. Any Wall Street veteran knows a pandemic will cause a panic in the market. Thus, the CCP was well-positioned to liquidate positions, probably quietly before anyone was even paying attention. Their next educated guess would have been that the US and others would enact a vast stimulus bill, which would flow into China by virtue of the fact they held all the supply chains – more profits pour in. Meanwhile, flush with cash, they can shore up US and other companies with that cash further solidifying control.

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

CNA: China Auto Industry Faces Parts and Order Shortages

Epoch Times: Mainland Deployed Liaoning Carrier to Taiwan Strait Region

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