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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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STCN: Hong Kong Exports Fell for Six Straight Months

China Security Times (SecuTimes or STCN) recently reported that, due to economic slowdown and weak market demand, Hong Kong’s foreign trade continues to shrink. On July 25, the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Government released the external merchandise trade statistics for June: Hong Kong’s overall exports in June fell by 11.4 percent year-over-year.

This is the sixth consecutive month this year that Hong Kong’s exports have declined. In the first half of the year, exports fell by 15.5% year-over-year, resulting in a reported tangible trade deficit of RMB 231.6 billion yuan (around US$32.4 billion). A spokesman for the Hong Kong government said that, in light of weak external demand, the exports in June fell further year-over-year. Exports to mainland China, the United States and the European Union all decreased, while exports to most other major Asian markets saw record declines as well.

Looking ahead, the influence of slowing global economic growth means Hong Kong’s export performance will continue to face significant pressure in the short term. Hong Kong’s exports to all major Asian regions showed negative growth. The Asian regions to which exports fell most sharply include Japan (down 24 percent), Singapore (down 23.5 percent), Taiwan (down 19.2 percent), and Mainland China (down 19.2 percent), and India (down 17.3 percent).

Hong Kong’s major export products, especially electrical machinery, instruments, appliances and parts, office machines, automatic data processing instruments, as well as communication, recording and audio equipment and instruments, were dominated by declines. In addition to the affect of the global economy, the economic performance of the Mainland has also negatively impacted Hong Kong’s foreign trade.

Source: STCN, July 26, 2023
https://www.stcn.com/article/detail/930849.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend

Lianhe Zaobao: Negative Perceptions of China in Many Countries Remain High

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that, according to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center, the 24 countries surveyed generally have negative views on China’s foreign policy and few countries believe China will do the right thing in international affairs.

Around 57 percent surveyed believe that China interferes in the affairs of other countries to a large or considerable extent. Nearly 70 percent of the respondents in the United States, Canada, Australia, Spain, Japan and South Korea believe that China interferes in the affairs of other countries. Among the 24 countries, the median negative perception of China is 67 percent; among them, 13 countries have a negative perception reaching historic highs, ranging from 34 to 87 percent.

The negative perception of China in developed countries has always been higher than that in middle-income countries. However, this year the negative opinion of major middle-income countries has also increased. Among middle-income countries, the negative opinion of China held in Argentina, Brazil and India reached record high levels ranging from 34 to 67 percent. Among high-income countries, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Australia have also reached record high negative opinions on China, ranging from 51 to 87 percent.

The survey asked Americans to list the countries that pose the greatest threat to the United States, and only three countries made the list, China (50 percent), Russia (17 percent) and North Korea (2 percent). The survey also showed that, in the United States, Canada, and most Western European and Asia-Pacific countries, about half of the people said they have no confidence in the Chinese government at all. In Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, however, the majority of respondents have confidence in the Chinese government.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, July 28, 2023
https://www.kzaobao.com/shiju/20230728/143706.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

BBC Chinese: Hong Kong to Exempt National Security Related TV Programs from Being Unbiased

BBC Chinese recently reported that the Hong Kong Communications Authority recently proposed amendments to Hong Hong’s media bias law. The core purpose of the proposed amendment is to remove the requirement that Hong Kong media be unbiased when broadcasting on the topic of Hong Kong’s national security laws and national education.

Currently, Hong Kong’s radio and television programs are required to comply with an “equity requirement” emphasizing “appropriate balance.” This means that when the program reports different opinions, the reporting must fair and impartial; it should try to reflect all major and important points of view in order to strike a balance; it should not conceal facts in a biased manner, or mislead the audience by downplaying or overemphasizing facts. This requirement for “equity” may violate the Hong Kong District National Security Law, motivating the proposed amendment.

The media affected by the proposed amendment include Hong Kong’s three “free TV licensees” (TVB, Hong Kong TV Entertainment (ViuTV), and Fantastic TV (HOY TV)) as well as two “sound broadcasting licensees” (Hong Kong Commercial Radio and Metro Radio). The authorities made clear that the “unbiased” requirement does not apply to programs related to national security, and the exemption can facilitate the “risk free” operation of licensees that are required to air programs that “correctly interpret the Hong Kong National Security Law” for minimum 30 minute per week.

The government proposals have aroused widespread social controversy in Hong Kong, with many residents voicing concerns that media reporting on national security would no longer be required to be unbiased. The press worried that the move would set a bad precedent and further narrow the space for free speech in Hong Kong. Some scholars criticized the authorities’ actions as violating the professionalism of the media, saying that the proposed legislation reflects how Hong Kong is getting closer to Mainland China’s broadcasting concept of “the media is the mouthpiece of the party and the state”.

Source: BBC Chinese, July 24, 2023
https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-66266470

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Recent Opaque CCP Operations

Communist regimes have acquired a reputation for their black-box operations, where they carefully hide certain internal affairs from the outside world, including from people living under the regime. Several such mysterious operations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have recently attracted attention.

The hottest recent topic is the whereabouts of Qin Gang, former Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs. Qin disappeared about a month ago. Beijing gave an unconvincing explanation that Qin had been away for “health reasons.” Eventually, Beijing announced that Qin has been removed from his post as Minister of Foreign Affairs and that Wang Yi has been appointed as a replacement. Wang was the head of the CCP’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission, which overseas the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The CCP still has not given any details about what happened to Qin Gang.

Wu Guohua (吴国华), Deputy Commander of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force, died on July 4, but the government never announced his death. A short notice about Wu’s death was posted on the Internet on July 27, but it was quickly removed and can no longer be seen. Rumor has it that Wu committed suicide. There were also rumors that several top officials of the Rocket Force, including its Commander Li Yuchao (李玉超)  and a few others, were under investigation for corruption and leaking secrets.

Wang Shaojun (王少军), former Director of the CCP’s Central Security Bureau, was officially announced dead on July 24, three months after his death. No details were given about how he died. The Central Security Bureau is responsible for providing security protection for top CCP officials (CCP Politburo member-level or above).

Source: Radio France International, July 27, 2023
https://www.rfi.fr/cn/中国/20230727-秘不发丧-从火箭军副司令吴国华神秘死亡说起

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics

Internet Article: Sad to See Shanghai Economy Fall to This Level

A Chinese netizen posted an article describing store closures in the key areas of Shanghai. The article provides an angle on the run-down economy of Shanghai as well as throughout broader China.

The author gave examples of three sites, representing small, mid-sized, and large retail stores.

  • Shanghai Train Station: There used to be many small stores selling stationery, mobile phone covers, clothes, etc., along its underground tunnel. These stores are now closed.
  • Hongqiao Train Station: There used to be many mid-sized stores, but most of them are now closed. The train station was hot and the author wondered if the authority couldn’t even afford air conditioning there.
  • Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street: This is a premium shopping district in Shanghai with many large retail stores. Zhidi Square Plaza, a landmark retail plaza, was closed, with some stores at upper level of the plaza still open.

Sources:
1. Central News Agency (Taiwan), July 24, 2023
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202307240273.aspx
2. Have8.tv (copy of the original posting)
https://news.have8.tv/3244441.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

China Acknowledges That It Inflated 2022 Letin Auto Revenue

{Editor’s Note: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is known for reporting fake (inflated) Gross Domestic Production (GDP) numbers, to make itself look better. A recent case evidenced that practice.}

Letin Auto, also known as Levdeo, is an electric vehicle manufacturer in China. Its founder Li Guoxin posted an article under the company’s official account on January 14, accusing the county party chief Wang Xiao for forcing Letin to report an extra non-existing 4.7 billion Yuan (US$660 million) in revenue so that the county could have a better GDP number.

The government conducted an investigation and announced the result: Letin reported GDP 7.095 billion Yuan of revenue in 2022, but its actual revenue was only 2.552 billion Yuan, which means that 4.543 billion Yuan of revenue was fabricated. Following the investigation, the punishment was light. Nine people were said to be involved and were each given a warning within the party. There was no criminal or administrative punishment. The county party chief was also cleared from being guilty.

Letin filed for bankruptcy in May 2023.

Source: Net Ease, July 27, 2023
https://m.163.com/dy/article/IALU4IGA05560VPM.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Economy/Resources

China Holds New Media Forum on “Telling the Chinese Story”

On July 12, 2023, China held the International Communication Forum for New Media in Changsha. The forum focused on the theme of “Telling the Chinese Story and Shaping China’s Image.” Prominent media figures, experts, scholars, and representatives of overseas brands attended the conference.

Du Zhanyuan, Director of the China Foreign Language Publishing and Distribution Administration, made the following suggestions at the forum: One, emphasize the importance of showcasing China’s modernization journey and effectively narrating the stories of China’s development. Two, establish comprehensive and authoritative foreign-language online platforms, covering websites, mobile platforms, and overseas social media networks. Three, adopt new technologies such as mobile, social, and visual communication, cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence.

The General Editor of Xinhua Net, Qian Tong, highlighted the increasing participation of Chinese media and companies doing business overseas in international communication, saying that more voices contribute to a more splendid chorus of global communication.

Deputy Chief Editor of China Daily, Wang Hao, suggested strengthening the application of technology to make China’s image more visible and tangible, and using the mouths of media celebrities of other countries to make China’s image more lovely and trustworthy.

Xu Rong, Deputy General of Hunan Broadcasting and Television Group, shared about the Group’s success in distributing a significant number of films and TV series overseas, including the popular series “The Rational Life,” which gained international recognition on Netflix. Xu also shared that the Group organized performances domestically and overseas, using popular art forms to open doors to mainstream overseas markets.

Source: Guangming Daily, July 13, 2023
https://topics.gmw.cn/2023-07/13/content_36694283.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend Information/Technology

Chinese Media More Effective on Facebook Than on Twitter

According to a research report titled “Global Mainstream Media Network Communication Power Research (2023)” released by Fudan University on July 21, Chinese media’s overall communication effectiveness on Facebook surpasses that on Twitter.

The survey, completed by Fudan University’s Global Communication and All-Media Research Institute, included 222 mainstream media from 33 countries, analyzing content published by these media on their certified accounts on Twitter and Facebook last year.

The study designed a set of influence evaluation indicators to analyze media’s communication effectiveness in terms of exposure, interactions, dissemination, and recognition.

The report shows that Chinese media’s overall communication effectiveness on Facebook is higher than on Twitter. China Global Television Network (CGTN), People’s Daily, China Daily, Global Times, and Xinhua News Agency are among the top ranks of the 222 media, with CGTN ranked within the top 10 on the comprehensive list.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), July 22, 2023
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202307220121.aspx

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology