Chinascope – Page 516

The Philippines Invited Chinese Companies into Its Mobile Communications Market

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that Harry Roque, the spokesperson for the Philippine President, confirmed at a press conference that Chinese mobile communications companies were officially invited to enter the Philippines domestic market. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte personally extended the invitation when he met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang not long ago. This is a special rights authorization to establish a third mobile communications company in the Philippines. The authorization not only includes cellular operation rights but also allows Internet connection services. It is still unclear which Chinese communications company will be the one entering this new market. The Presidential Office expects the Chinese application to be submitted in 45 days. Not long ago, the Philippines granted a U.S. Facebook company rights to take on the Trans-Pacific Cable project.

Source: Sina, November 20, 2017
http://finance.sina.com/bg/economy/sinacn/20171120/19391676717.html

Briefings | | November 27, 2017 | Geo-Strategic Trend

Microsoft Skype Removed from China’s App Stores

Well-known Chinese news site Sohu recently reported that both the Apple iOS version and the Google Android version of Microsoft’s Skype app have been removed from China’s app stores. Apple’s spokesperson explained that Skype does not meet China’s local VoIP (Voice-over-IP) laws, so Apple removed the app per the Chinese government’s requirement. The Google Play Android app store does not operate in China. However, multiple Chinese run Android app stores removed Skype as well. A Microsoft spokesperson commented that the removal is temporary and Microsoft is trying to restore the app and its service as soon as possible. At this point there is no known schedule for when Skype will be made available again in China.

Source: Sohu, November 22, 2017
http://www.sohu.com/a/205778180_114760

Briefings | | November 27, 2017 | Information/Technology

East Day: China’s Central Television Confirmed China’s Aircraft Carrier Plan

Shanghai based news network East Day recently reported that the authoritative Chinese Central Television (CCTV) broadcast a new TV documentary program that revealed the actual number of aircraft carriers China has in its plan. The total count on its road map is six. The first two ski-jump takeoff mid-sized models have been constructed. The next two will be conventional power large size models with catapult take-off capabilities. However, the catapult mechanism is still being considered. It is very likely that it will use an electromagnetic catapult. The last two carriers will be nuclear powered large size models reaching a level above the U.S. Nimitz class with partial Ford class capabilities. In the long-term road map, by around the year 2049, China will build another four world-class carriers thus giving the Chinese Navy up to 10 aircraft carriers. The TV documentary also mentioned that China has tested the electromagnetic catapult technology thousands of times and it has achieved the deployment quality for launching different types of aircraft. The Navy has also placed a large number of orders for the J-20 carrier fighter jets. The J-31 V2 version has been undergoing intense flight tests. The status of the nuclear power system for carriers is still unclear, although China has the mature technology to power nuclear submarines.

Source: East Day, November 20, 2017
http://mini.eastday.com/a/171120213326284.html

Briefings | | November 27, 2017 | Defense/Military

Stock Price of RYB Education Plunged; Could Face Class Action Lawsuit

VOA published an article following the reports of alleged child abuse at RYB Education, Inc. After the parent’s claims of abuse, the stock price of RYB Education, Inc. plunged 38 percent to US$16.46 on the New York Stock Exchange on Black Friday. This is below its IPO price of US$18.50. Board members of RYB Education have also declared they will buy back US$50 million of its stock in the next 12 months. RYB Education is an early child kindergartner education center. Reports were made that, after a number of parents noticed that their children had received injections with needles, were forced to ingest unknown pills or were stripped naked, news first broke out on social media. The official media, including CCTV and Xinhua then reported the news. The police department has, currently, launched an investigation into the case. During an interview with VOA, one early child educator who chose to remain anonymous said that the parents of RYB kindergartners were very afraid after they saw that a large number of posted videos on social media had been deleted. They believed that, as more and more videos were deleted, it was more likely that the officials wanted to take control of the situation. The parents were concerned that, since the police had not drawn any conclusions on the case, the parents might never get back the videos they turned over to the police. The end result could just be the arrest of a few scapegoats to close the case. Some parents were even considering filing a class action lawsuit in the U.S. because they thought that the Wall Street legal firm that represents the IPO of this company should also take legal responsibility.

Source: VOA Chinese, November 24, 2017
https://www.voachinese.com/a/red-yellow-bluw-kindergarten-beijing-stock-20171124/4136190.html

Briefings | | November 27, 2017 | Social Stability

Party Branch Office to Be Formed in Joint Venture Universities

According to an article that theinitium.com, a news website from Hong Kong, published, Financial Times from England reported that China’s Ministry of Education has requested that a party branch office be formed in the joint-venture universities in China and that the party secretary must be the Vice President of the University, a member of the board, and have decision making power on hiring and on the budget. The Ministry of the Central Organization was said to have drafted the proposal. It will be in effect following the 19th National Congress. Since 2003, over 2,000 educational joint venture cooperation projects have been established. According to the existing law in China, a joint-venture university is considered an independent legal entity where the owner in China has 51 percent of the stock while a foreign investor holds 49 percent of the stock.

Source: theinitium.com, November 20, 2017
https://theinitium.com/article/20171120-evening-brief/

Briefings | | November 27, 2017 | Government/Politics

Duowei News: Why Kim Jong-un Refused to Meet Xi’s Delegate

According to an analytical article that Duowei News published, the delegate who Xi Jinping sent to North Korea returned back to Beijing on November 20. There are four possible reasons for Kim Jong-un not meeting with Xi’s delegate.

1) Japanese Nikkei reported that, according to an anonymous source, the first reason that Kim Jong-un took a stance against meeting the delegate was because the level of the delegate was too low; the second was because China cooperates with the U.S. and the United Nations to exercise economic sanctions against North Korea.

2) Another analysis suggested that Kim Jong-un was extremely upset that Xi’s delegate visited Vietnam and Laos first before coming to North Korea. In the past, the Chinese delegate would always visit North Korea before visiting other countries. Kim Jong-un was also unable to accept the fact that Xi Jinping extended warm hospitality toward Trump during his visit while Kim only received a letter from Xi. As of that time, the leaders of these two countries had never officially met.

3) The media from China and North Korea had different coverage about the visit. North Korean media reported that Xi’s delegate offered a gift to Kim Jong-un but Kim Jong-un did not accept it. Also, the delegate had a dinner banquet with high ranking officials from North Korea during the visit. China’s official media did not report any of this.

4) An article that China’s mouthpiece, Huanqiu, published on November 18 suggested that people shouldn’t have high expectations for this visit. According to the article, “The delegate is not a magician. … He simply helped by knocking on the door so it would open, but it could close at any time.”

Source: Duowei News, November 21, 2017
http://news.dwnews.com/global/big5/news/2017-11-21/60024970.html

Briefings | | November 27, 2017 | Geo-Strategic Trend

BBC Chinese: China’s “Internet Czar” Lu Wei under Investigation

BBC Chinese recently reported that the Central Discipline Inspection Commission of the Communist Party detained Lu Wei, the former Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party and Director of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs. Lu was detained for a corruption investigation. He was widely known as the Chinese “Internet Czar” and was in charge of China’s online censorship management. He initiated many critical actions to tighten up control of the Internet, such as blocking commercial websites from news editing rights, promoting self-regulation among well-known online public figures, bringing criminal charges against people who re-posted content that the government had banned, and strengthening the blockage of international websites such as Google, Twitter, and Wikipedia. Publicly Lu even refused to admit “bringing down” these international sites in China. However, while celebrating the fall of Lu, Chinese netizens remain widely concerned about China’s online censorship. Many said that this positive event may not fundamentally change China’s long-lasting censorship policies.

Source: BBC Chinese, November 22, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-42077473

Briefings | | November 22, 2017 | Information/Technology

Wu Guoguang: Xi Jinping’s Reversal of the Course, Will China’s Transition be Peaceful or Marked with Bloodshed?

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

Xinhua Commentaries: “Exposing the Three Major Political Deficits of the U.S.”

The CCP’s Performing Arts Troupes in the U.S.