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

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

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BBC Chinese: Indonesia Bans TikTok E-Commerce Services

BBC Chinese recently reported that the Indonesian government last week required TikTok to separate its e-commerce functionality from its video sharing services. The measures took effect on October 4. Authorities said the ban was intended to protect local brick-and-mortar and online retailers.

Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan said E-commerce cannot become social media now; the two need to be separated. He added that if TikTok does not comply with the new regulations within one week, its operating license may be revoked.

In 2021, Indonesia became the first country to pilot e-commerce services for TikTok, and it is also one of the largest markets in the world for the TikTok Shop. TikTok responded in a statement saying its first priority is to comply with local laws and regulations. It will no longer conduct e-commerce transactions in Indonesia.

Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest economy, and the country’s online retail industry has boomed in recent years. Indonesia’s population exceeds 278 million, while TikTok’s users in Indonesia number 125 million. This figure includes 6 million seller accounts as well as millions of content creators who use the TikTok Shop to make money.

The rise of online retailers has hit brick-and-mortar stores hard in Indonesia.

Source: BBC Chinese, October 4, 2023
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/business-67003951

 

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

CCP Media Praises “Community of Common Destiny for Mankind”

{Editor’s note: The “Community of Shared Human Destiny” is a political framework promoted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to advance foreign-policy goals, i.e. increasing the CCP’s power to influence other international players and its ability to dominate in the realms of economics, security, and geopolitics. [2]}

Xinhua reported that China’s State Council Information Office recently released a white paper titled “Working Together to Build a Community of Shared Human Destiny: China’s Proposals and Actions.” The article said that “this year marks the 10th anniversary of China’s proposal” of the concept. The article stated that over the past decade, the idea of a “Community of Shared Human Destiny” has formed into a scientific and theoretical system, and that this concept “is superior to the idea of ‘Universal Values’ promoted by a select few Western countries. It aligns with the trend of the times, advocates for global cooperation, and promotes the development of the international order in a more just and equitable direction.”

Sources:

[1] Xinhua, September 28, 2023
http://www.news.cn/world/2023-09/28/c_1129891341.htm

[2] “Community of Common Destiny”, Wikipedia, retrieved October 7, 2023
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_of_Common_Destiny

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Yunan University Military Training Performance: Students Act Out Police Suppression of Workers’ Protest

A recent video circulating online shows scenes from a military training performance at Chuxiong Normal University in Yunnan Province. In the video, students acted out how police might suppress workers who have not been paid and who are protesting for their salaries.

In the video, some students dressed as the “unpaid workers,” holding white pieces of paper displaying signs that read “Pay Our Debts.” Some workers at the fore wore black masks and rushed toward the “police,” also played by students. The police dressed in camouflage uniforms, using tear gas and other methods to disperse the workers. They then surrounded and violently restrained the workers, arresting and taking them away one by one.

The video has sparked widespread discussions among internet users. People commented that the CCP “does not treat people as people,” regarding even workers’ demands for unpaid wages as illegal. A report by the Epoch Times provided a footnote saying that China’s economy is worsening, so authorities may anticipate more incidents and clashes around workers’ unpaid salaries.

Source: Epoch Times, October 4, 2023
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/23/10/4/n14087686.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Social Stability

Telegram to Collaborate with Tencent

In September, the instant messaging app Telegram and its partner, the TON Foundation, announced a collaboration with Chinese company Tencent (owner of the popular Chinese social media app WeChat). It will transform Telegram into a “super app ecosystem” similar to WeChat. Telegram boasts 800 million active users, including many from China who use it to circumvent the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) Internet censorship. Industry experts caution that this partnership may pose risks to user privacy and financial information. A commentator stated that Telegram, previously a platform independent of the CCP’s authority, is now controlled by Tencent, indicating that the CCP is working to eliminate the information platform as a threat to its rule.

During Hong Kong’s anti-extradition protest, many protesters used the Telegram app to discuss strategy and communicate information about gatherings.

Source: Radio Free Asia, September 29, 2023
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/Xinwen/4-09292023113707.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics Information/Technology

First International Order for China’s C919 Airplane Comes From a Chinese Company

Chinese media reported that Brunei’s Gallop Air has signed a letter of intent to purchase 30 aircraft. The purchase wil l include fifteen C919 models and fifteen ARJ-21 models from the China Commercial Aircraft Co. This marks the first C919 order and the second ARJ-21 order from an overseas airline. The deal was valued at US$2 billion.

The C919 is China’s first domestically-developed jetliner, seating 158 to 192 passengers and having a range of 4,075 to 5,555 kilometers. The ARJ-21 is a Chinese-produced regional airplane seating 78 passengers.

It turns out that this international order actually originates from a Chinese company.

Chinese media reported that the Gallop Air (骐骥航空), though operated in Brunei, is a private company based in China. The company was established in August 2021, registered with 10 million Yuan capital. Its full name is “Qi Ji Aviation Industry Development (Shaanxi) Co.” (骐骥航空产业发展（陕西）有限公司).

The first international sales of the Chinese ARJ-21 model, sold to Indonesia’s TransNusa, was also backed by China’s state-owned funds.

Source:
1. Lianhe Zaobao, September 25, 2023
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20230925-1436527
2. NetEase, September 26, 2023
https://www.163.com/dy/article/IFJLG81D0552PFYH.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend

State Security Ministry Reveals Recruitment Techniques Used by Foreign Spy Organizations

Beijing continues its anti-spy propaganda campaign targeting the Chinese people. On its WeChat account, the Chinese Ministry of State Security discussed five internet-based techniques that it says are used by foreign intelligence agencies to appeal to Chinese people, attempting to recruit them as potential spies or luring them to provide secret information. People’s Daily republished the article. The five points are:

  • Online personal loans
  • Online dating
  • Online jobs (potentially part-time)
  • Online research and paper authoring
  • Online hobby groups

Source: People’s Daily, September 25, 2023
https://wap.peopleapp.com/article/7211990/7055012

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Chinese Continue Fishing in Sea of Japan Despite Beijing’s High-Profile Protest of Japan’s Nuclear Wastewater

Beijing has made a big deal of criticizing Japan for discharging treated and diluted wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. China has also announced a comprehensive ban on importing Japanese seafood.

However, Japanese media The Asahi Shimbun reported that Chinese fishing vessels continue to operate near Japanese waters and that there has been no significant drop in the total count of such boats. The report said that on September 19, 162 Chinese fishing vessels were observed operating approximately 1,000 kilometers east of Nemuro City in Hokkaido, Japan. From early August to September 19, there were 146 to 167 Chinese fishing vessels each day, fishing for saury, mackerel, and sardines in the North Pacific waters off Hokkaido, alongside Japanese fishing vessels.

Source: Radio Free Asia, September 26, 2023
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/jp-fish-09262023014559.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend

UDN: Vietnam to Restart Rare Earth Mine, Will be Largest in the World

Vietnam will restart its largest rare earth mine next year according to a recent report by United Daily News (UDN), one of the primary Taiwanese news groups. Two companies participating in the bid told Reuters that this Western-backed mining project will be the largest rare earth mine in the world. According to estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey, Vietnam ranks second in the world in rare earth reserves. A large part of these reserves remain untapped.

U.S. President Biden recently visited Hanoi with the aim of deepening relations between the United States and Vietnam. He signed an agreement enhancing Vietnam’s ability to attract U.S. investors for the purpose of developing rare earth mines.

Analysts and foreign officials say the purpose of the U.S. investing in Vietnam’s rare earth mines is to lighten dependence on China and reduce supply chain risks. Given China’s near-monopoly position as the world’s biggest rare earth metal producer, China has been able to set low prices so as to discourage other countries’ willingness to invest in their own rare earth mining operations. Refining rare earths metals is a very complex process, and China has mastered many related processing technologies.

Source: UDN, September 25, 2023
https://money.udn.com/money/story/5599/7463726

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend