On May 3, Taiwan Broadband Communications, a major cable TV provider, cut the transmission of the FTV news channel following its failure to reach agreement over increases in content authorization fees. The decision affects around 750,000 households including 250,000 in southern Taoyuan. In the statement that FTV news issued, it alleged that Terry Gou, owner of Taiwan Broadband Communications, has vast interests in its investments in the mainland and could be under pressure to make the “proper” decision. In an interview with Epoch Times about this topic, Su Ziyun, CEO of the Tamkang University Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) commented that there is no sound evidence to prove that this speculation is correct but he did acknowledge that China has deeply infiltrated Taiwan’s media. According to Su, the approach that the mainland uses can be summarized as involving a three step strategy. The first step is to make an equity investment in a media in order to acquire it. The second is to make use of marketing channels to gain control of or cut off any other media that they have not been able to acquire or that are unfriendly to China. The third is to invest in a media’s content and to influence the selection of the programming. Su said that the third one is the most concerning because the mainland can select the information that benefits it the most and, in addition, that it can filter out any programs that are unfriendly to China.

Source: Epoch Times, May 8, 2018
http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/18/5/8/n10372305.htm

People’s Daily reported that the China Federation of Internet Societies (CFIS), a national confederation of internet social network organizations, was formed on Wednesday May 9. The group consists of 300 Internet organizations and enterprises, including 23 national organizations and 277 local ones. The management team includes Jack Ma, founder of the Alibaba Group and Huateng Ma, founder of Ten Cent. According to the article, the mission of the Federation is to “work under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and government to promote social network development utilizing numerous social resources.” The president of the Federation vowed that the Federation will “adhere to the correct political direction; advocate for the social network organizations to play a functional role, be a defender for their interests, promote party organizational development work within the organizations; oversee the operation of the organizations and promote the healthy and orderly development of social network organizations with the assurance of following the rule of law.”

Source: People’s Daily, May 10, 2018
http://media.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0510/c40606-29975868.html

On April 26, while visiting the Wuhan Fiber Home Technologies Group, Xi Jinping said, “The optical communications industry is very important. To build a nation that is an Internet power, we need to accelerate the pace and quickly occupy some commanding heights.”

“In the past, by tightening our belts and gritting our teeth, we built ‘two bombs and one satellite!’” Xi said, (referring to a Mao-era weapons development program), “This was because we made the best use of the socialist system — we concentrated our efforts to get great things done. The next step is to do the same with science and technology. We must abandon fantasy and rely on ourselves.”

On the morning of the April 26, Xi Jinping went to the Wuhan Xinxin Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Co., Ltd. to look at the integrated circuit production line. Xi said, “in order to realize the ‘bicentennial goal (by 2050),’ we must overcome difficulties on our own so as to have some major core technologies. We have unprecedented opportunities and are facing unprecedented challenges.”

Source: Xinhua, April 26, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/2018-04/26/c_1122749077.htm