Skip to content

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

Read More ...

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

Read More ...

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

Read More ...

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

Read More ...

China Uses Israel-Hamas War in Anti-US Propaganda

China’s state newspaper Global Times has used the war in Middle East to criticize the United States.

One editorial states, “It should be noted that the Palestinian-Israeli issue is a complex collection of problems, and that the interference of external forces is one of the main reasons for the delay in resolving the issue and even for the intensification of hatred. The United States-led Western countries have long been ‘pulling the strings’ on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, and it is obvious that the United States has been behind a number of wars in the Middle East throughout history. After the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the decisions of the United States and other Western countries to hastily take sides has not helped to solve the problem; rather, it is likely to add fuel to the fire.”

Another editorial argued, “It must be said that the prolonged marginalization of the Palestinian issue by the United States and the West is cruel. It is even more hypocritical for the elites of the United States and the West to ignore the actual humanitarian catastrophe [in Palestine] and to discuss the abstract concept of human rights. We have noticed that many in the US and the West have publicly expressed opinions, trying to create pressure to ‘choose sides’, keeping track of those countries that ‘have not condemned Hamas.’ In a phone call with the Saudi foreign minister, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken even unapologetically ‘instructed’ the Saudis to ‘unequivocally condemn’ the attack. Truth be told, Washington is in no position to educate anyone on this issue.”

Source: Global Times, October 8, 2023
https://opinion.huanqiu.com/article/4ErWijmRxmd
Global Times, October 9, 2023
https://opinion.huanqiu.com/article/4EsMjhCtt0J

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

LTN: China Ranks Last in 2023 Internet Freedom Survey

Non-profit organization Freedom House recently released its 2023 report “Freedom on the Net.” Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) cited the report, saying that, among the 70 countries considered in the report, China’s Internet freedom has ranked at the very bottom for the past nine consecutive years.

China scored only 9 points out of 100, and it rated as “not free”. Taiwan scored 78 points, ranking first in the Asia-Pacific region, and was rated as “free.” The Freedom House report researched the internet environment throughout the world, covering 89 percent of internet users globally. The report ranked the countries based on the criteria of “obstacles to accessing the Internet,” “restrictions on content,” and “user rights violations.”

The report showed that the country with the highest freedom in the world is Iceland (94 points), followed by Estonia (93 points), Canada (88 points), Costa Rica (85 points), the United Kingdom (79 points), Taiwan (78 points), Germany and Japan (77 points), and then United States, France, Australia and the Republic of Georgia (scoring 76 points each). Freedom House has published reports on internet freedom for 13 consecutive years.

The Chinese government has invested heavily in the AI industry, ensuring that internet-related companies follow the government’s authoritarian rule. After years of efforts, China’s Cyberspace Administration has successfully used algorithms, synthetic media and AI to conduct heavy-duty censorship of China’s Internet environment.

Source: LTN, October 5, 2023
https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/4449090

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Social Stability

China Times: Over 50 Percent of Professionals Plan to Leave Hong Kong

Major Taiwanese newspaper China Times recently reported on a survey by Robert Walters which found that, although the Hong Kong government has introduced a number of measures in recent years to retain and attract talents, more than half of professionals still plan to leave Hong Kong.

Around 15.6 percent of the professionals hope to leave Hong Kong as soon as possible, and 36.7 percent plan to leave in the next 3 to 5 years. Among those planning to leave, 51 percent are between the ages of 27 and 42, and 38 percent are between the ages of 43 and 58.

The survey shows that 96 percent of the professionals who plan to leave have already taken strategic actions to prepare for working abroad. The most common strategy was working for a multinational company, with 60 percent of the respondents adopting this strategy. Meanwhile, some 40 percent of the respondents have already applied for overseas jobs, and 31 percent have started training and studying for overseas careers.

The survey interviewed professionals in different fields such as accounting, engineering and development, financial services, healthcare, human resources, legal and compliance, sales and marketing, supply chain, logistics and procurement, as well as technology and transformation, etc.

Source: China Times, October 2, 2023
https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20231002701097-430801

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Social Stability

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