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Lianhe Zaobao: Corruption Perceptions Index Ranked Singapore Highest in Asia

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper, Lianhe Zaobao, recently reported that Transparency International just released its 2017 report called the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). Singapore obtained a score of 84 (out of 100) showing it to be number six in the global ranking and number one in Asia. New Zealand ranked the highest in the world with a score of 89, followed by Denmark with 88. In Asia, Hong Kong had the global rank of 13 (with a score of 77); Japan ranked 20th (with a score of 73); Taiwan ranked 29th (with a score of 63), and South Korea ranked 51st (with a score of 54). China had a global rank of 77 (with a score of 41). The United States ranked 16th (having moved up from last year’s 18) and Russia dropped to the rank of 135. Among the 180 countries and regions, around two thirds had scores below 50. North Korea had a score of 17. Somalia sat at the bottom with a score of nine.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, February 22, 2018
http://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/world/story20180222-837109

China’s One Belt One Road Project Faces Resistance

The BBC reported that China’s One Belt One Road Project is facing resistance from countries around the world. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, February 17, that “China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative amounts to a struggle between democracy and a dictatorship, so the West should come up with an alternative.” In his speech, Gabriel said that, “China is using ‘One Belt, One Road’ to influence the world and create a value system different from that in the West and is pushing back the conflict between democracy and dictatorship to the fore again.” France’s Prime Minister Philippe endorsed Gabriel’s statement. Also in his visit to China, French President Macron verbally supported the “One Belt One Road” project with the condition that it can’t become a new hegemony path for China where the countries on the path become subordinate to China. When the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May, visited China, she refused to sign any written statement to support the “One Belt One Road” project, saying that she welcomes the new opportunities that the project brings, but it should also come with transparency and compliance with international standards. Meanwhile on February 19, an Australian media reported that the U.S., Australia, Japan, and India are discussing a replacement plan for China’s One Belt One Road project to counter Beijing’s international influence. It also mentioned that the prime minister of Australia will discuss the replacement plan with President Trump when he visits the U.S. later this week.

Source: BBC, February 19, 2018
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/world-43120078

Xi Jinping’s Close Aide Issued Warning to Jiang Faction; Xi Makes Little Progress in Anti-Corruption Effort

According to a commentary article that huaglad.com published, Ding Xuexiang, director of the General Office and close aide to Xi Jinping, recently spoke at a meeting that departments under the party central committee attended. Ding indicated that almost all of the officials who were investigated after the 18th National Congress had “political issues.” Some of them even had the intention to, “Usurp the party and seize power.” The article stated that the comments Ding made served as a warning signal to the Jiang faction. According to the statistics, over the past five years, over 440 provincial level officials were the subject of investigations, including six officials who had the highest rank: Bo Xilai, Sun Zhengcai, Zhou Yongkang, Ling Jihua, Xu Caihou, and Guo Boxiong. The media reported that the Jiang faction, which both Jiang Zemin and Zeng Qinghong backed, had planned to have Bo Xilai promoted to the Politburo Standing Committee and oust Xi Jinping from his post. After the fall of Bo Xilai and prior to the 19th National Congress, Sun Zhengcai, Bo’s successor from Chongqing was also taken down. The article reported that the “big tigers” that Xi took down during the anti-corruption effort were mostly members of the Jiang faction.

The article also pointed out that Xi’s anti-corruption effort has had little impact because China is under a one-party autocracy. China is ranked 77th out of 180 countries and regions according to the 2017 Clean Government index, while a survey conducted in China found that 73 percent of the people surveyed believe that, even though Xi has conducted the anti-corruption effort over the past few years, the corruption has been getting worse in China. The article reported that corruption has penetrated all levels of the party structure and has become part of the party culture, which will eventually drag down economic growth. Xi is facing a tremendous challenge in dealing with his corrupt party and the problems can’t be fixed simply with an administrative order or an anti-corruption campaign.

Source: huaglad.com, February 25, 2018
https://www.huaglad.com/zh-tw/topimagenews/20180225/318585.html

Taiwan ASUS Withdraws Cloud Service Business from China

According to an article that Radio France Internationale published, Taiwan ASUS Tech Computer, Inc. recently announced that it will give up its iCloud service market in China due to a change in China’s Internet security law. The article stated that ASUS decided to give up the Chinese market when it faced two options: cooperate with China’s inspection regulations requiring moving the data center to China or withdraw from China’s market. Unlike ASUS, Apple gave in to the Chinese authorities and agreed to allow a Chinese company to manage its iCloud service in China. Asus announced that it will discontinue its cloud service as of May 1 and asked its customers to open a new account in a different country or region. Following the announcement, ASUS decided to reduce its data service centers from four to three with the remaining centers located in Taiwan, Luxembourg, and the U.S. According to the article, China accounts for a 10 percent share of the total customers for ASUS and closing down its China operation will not have a major impact on its overall business.

Source: Radio France Internationale, February 25, 2018
http://cn.rfi.fr/港澳台/20180218-台湾华硕不愿屈服低头将云端服务撤出大陆A

Global Times: Huawei Bought Fake Review Posts on Best Buy

Global Times recently reported that top Chinese smart phone manufacturer Huawei admitted to the U.S. media Android Authority that an earlier report on Huawei buying fake user reviews was true. The incident started with the U.S., when some media sites found a large number of buyers’ reviews on the Best Buy website praising the latest Huawei smart phone model, which, at the time, had not even been released. It turned out that Huawei went through a promotion campaign using a Facebook group offering “trial opportunities” under the condition that participants post five-star reviews on the Best Buy site. Huawei explained this was a “misunderstanding” that the promotion intent was to ask fans to post positive comments on Facebook. However, the Huawei social media manager “incorrectly” asked for reviews on Best Buy’s site. A total of 108 5-star Best Buy reviews were posted even before the product release time and only a few people had actually tested the phone. Since then, Best Buy has deleted 105 reviews.

Source: Global Times, February 14, 2018
http://tech.huanqiu.com/diginews/2018-02/11608021.html

CNA: Florida University Discontinued Contract with Confucius Institute

Primary Taiwanese news agency CNA (The Central News Agency) recently reported that the University of West Florida just released a statement that it would discontinue its contract with China’s Confucius Institute in May when the contract expires. The spokesperson for the university said the school made the decision last fall. The decision was based on a formal review that the university had done. The review process did not receive sufficient positive feedback from the student body. The university has informed its Chinese partners of the decision. Dr. Joseph Nye, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, former Chairman of the National Intelligence Council, and former Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, who initially introduced the concept of “Soft Power,” recently expressed his belief that the Confucius Institute interfered with academic freedom. Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out in a conference not long ago in January that the Confucius Institute should, “serve the purpose of strengthening national power with the socialist culture and serve the mission of establishing a powerful diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.”

Source: CNA, February 7, 2018
http://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201802070407-1.aspx

China Is Set to Start Trading Crude Oil Futures in Shanghai

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that the China Securities Regulatory Commission just announced the schedule for China’s crude oil futures trading. The Shanghai Futures Exchange will open the trading on March 26. The Exchange will allow locking in crude oil futures in local currency – the Chinese currency RMB. In 2017, China became the world’s largest oil importer. The Chinese authorities have been working on setting up the oil futures exchange since 2012. Currently world oil futures are traded under two base standards, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) at the New York Mercantile Exchange and Brent at London’s Intercontinental Exchange Europe (ICE). Today, most of the global oil trading is settled in U.S. Dollars. The RMB settlement currency of the Shanghai Crude (coded INE) may eventually introduce the acceptance of RMB as the global settlement currency for oil, which could ultimately lead to more pricing power over oil.

Source: Sina, February 9, 2018
http://finance.sina.com.cn/money/forex/forexinfo/2018-02-09/doc-ifyrkzqr0729751.shtml

Chinese Companies Dominate Top 2018 German Awards for Plagiarism

Radio Free Asia reported on Aktion Plagiarius, a German organization, that publishes the Plagiarius Award list each year to recognize those companies that produce counterfeit products that are “deceptively similar to the original product and that show absolutely no creative or constructive personal contribution.” It just published its 42nd Plagiarius Award list in which Chinese companies dominated the top three spots. A company from Zhejiang Province won the top prize for plagiarizing a kitchen cutting device “Nicer Dicer Plus,” that a German company had actually made. The other two companies also plagiarized products that a German company made. The second prize winner plagiarized an inflatable water Park “Wibit Sports Park XL” and the third prize winner plagiarized PUKY Racer.

Source: Radio Free Asia, February 12, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/counterfeit-02122018061421.html