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TV YLE Reveals CCP Spy Work in Finland

Finland’s public broadcaster YLE aired an investigative documentary titled “Spy/Journalist” on November 20, 2024. The documentary has drawn significant attention in Finland, revealing how the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) intelligence network operates in Nordic countries.

One case covered was that of Guangjun Zhao. Zhao arrived in Finland at the end of 2011 and worked there from 2011 to 2015 as a correspondent for Guangming Daily. Operating under cover as a journalist, Zhao was in fact an intelligence officer for China’s Ministry of State Security. In a related Swedish legal case from 2018, a Swedish spy working for the CCP was convicted of surveilling Stockholm’s Tibetan community. This spy made several trips to Finland between 2013 and 2015 to meet with Zhao and received payments from Zhao.

Another case involved Estonian lawyer and businesswoman Gerli Mutso. Mutso was initially recruited by a Chinese businessman who resided in Finland and held Finnish citizenship. The Chinese businessman acted as a bridge connecting Mutso with Chinese intelligence agencies. Mutso provided the Chinese military with intelligence services and with updates on the tunnel project between Finland and Estonia’s capital, Tallinn. She used a Gmail account shared with Chinese clients (CCP intelligence agents), communicating with them via saved email drafts (a method widely adopted by Chinese and Russian intelligence agencies).

Mutso also introduced these Chinese agents to Estonian oceanographer Tarmo Kõuts, who had access to classified files from Estonia and NATO’s research center in Italy. Mutso and Kõuts met with Chinese clients in locations such as Hong Kong and Bangkok to exchange intelligence. Kõuts admitted to his crimes and served a three-year prison sentence. Mutso was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison.

Source: Epoch Times, December 23, 2024
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/24/12/23/n14396551.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend

120 Chinese Organizations in U.S. Sign Document Protesting Taiwanese President’s “Transit” Through U.S.

In early December 2024, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te stopped over in Hawaii and Guam during a trip to visit to the three Pacific islands of Tuvalu, and Palau, and Marshall Islands, which have diplomatic relationships with Taiwan. On December 3, the the New York edition of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) World Journal news outlet published a full-page statement titled “Strong Protest Against Lai Ching-te’s ‘Transit’ Through the U.S. – A Serious Statement.” Around 120 Chinese-based organizations from the eastern United States co-signed the statement.

Radio Free Asia (RFA) published an article to analyze these 120 organizations.

  1. These over 120 organizations are likely to be the ones with the most “combative” orientation under the CCP’s United Front Work Department. For these organizations to take such action fits in with the CCP United Front’s “struggle against the enemy” framework. Under this framework, the CCP’s United Front Work Department “leads” or “manages” groups that are less obviously pro-CCP, embedding them in the “enemy camp,” or connecting them to local underworld organizations.
  2. Many of these 120 organizations are relatively new, established within the last 20 years. Many have experienced splits in membership or have changed position from originally being anti-CCP to eventually becoming pro-CCP, yielding tot he CCP’s influence.
  3. These pro-CCP groups form the “mass base” for the CCP across the U.S. They can be mobilized at any time to support the CCP. The CCP United Front’s standard for these organizations is that they should be “able to be summoned, able to fight, and able to win.”
  4. According to RFA, the work of these organizations is a crucial part of the CCP’s United Front work abroad and a vital channel for its infiltration into foreign societies. Soon after establishing the People’s Republic of China in mainland China, the CCP began acting on its “termite policy,” attempting to spread CCP members or pro-CCP individuals worldwide. This strategy involves “learning from the spirit of termites to take over the world.”

Source: Radio Free Asia, December 12, 2024
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/commentaries/ching/china-united-front-red-infiltration-12122024111821.html

Briefings | | |   @CS US-China Relations

Chinese Professor on Taiwan Reunification: “Just Beat Them Up, and That’s Enough”

Recently, Fudan University Professor Shen Yi and Taiwanese youth Wang Bingzhong participated in a television interview. When the host asked how “reunification” [of Taiwan with Mainland China] would unfold, Professor Shen Yi said “We shouldn’t think too much about the people of Taiwan. Why? Because we don’t understand them.” He explained that this “lack of understanding” doesn’t mean we don’t know what they watch or talk about, but rather that our thinking is different from theirs. “We don’t share the same mindset as them in their environment. The mainland cannot understand Taiwan. The mainland has only been a semi-colony, whereas Taiwan has been a colony. A semi-colony cannot understand the mindset of colonized people.”

He continued, “What is the characteristic of a colony? You just beat them up, and that’s enough. You don’t need to think too much. Why do I say that? Because as long as they don’t want to die, they will figure it out themselves. They are very good at adapting, because those who are not good at adapting have all been eliminated. After generations of elimination, what remains are those who are good at adapting.”

Shen Yi’s statement, “We shouldn’t think too much about the people of Taiwan. Just beat them up, and they will figure it out,” immediately sparked outrage on the Island of Taiwan.

Source: Net Ease, December 17, 2024
https://www.163.com/dy/article/JJKCICL005563RIP.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Beijing Official Reinterprets “Hong Kong People Governing Hong Kong” and Hong Kong Basic Law

Deng Xiaoping came up with the concept of “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong” when China took Hong Kong back from Great Britain in 1997. The term refers to the fact that Hong Kong’s executive and legislative branches are composed of Hong Kong residents rather than officials from Mainland China. The central government (Beijing) would not directly interfere in Hong Kong’s daily affairs.

On November 24, Zhang Yong, Deputy Director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, offered a reinterpretation during a National Constitution Day lecture. Zhang stated: “It does not mean that Hong Kong, with its territory of over 1,000 square kilometers, can only be governed by Hong Kong people themselves. That is not the case – it is partially true but not entirely. Of course, the central government must also govern Hong Kong. Without the central government’s involvement, where would the Basic Law come from? Deng Xiaoping also said that not everyone is qualified to govern Hong Kong – it must be patriots who govern Hong Kong.”

Zhang further explained that the National People’s Congress, as the highest authority in the country, is responsible for determining the establishment and systems of Hong Kong. It has the authority to exercise any rights it deems necessary, or “open-ended rights.”

Political commentators note that Macau’s new executive election (appointment by Beijing) has switched to “Beijing officials governing Macau,” suggesting that in the future, “Beijing officials governing Hong Kong” might come, too.

At the same event, Wang Yushan, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong Basic Law Committee of the NPC Standing Committee, stated that the past claim that the Hong Kong Basic Law, but not China’s Constitution, governs Hong Kong is incorrect. He emphasized that the Basic Law’s legal authority is established by China’s Constitution. Political commentators view this as Beijing’s effort to override the Basic Law by China’s Constitution. China’s Constitution states that it adheres to the socialist path.

Source: Radio Free Asia, November 24, 2024
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/htm/hk-autonomy-control-11242024103514.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics

People’s Daily: Rising Global Influence of Chinese Pop Culture, From Online Literature to Gaming and Beauty Trends

People’s Daily reported that the growing popularity of Chinese pop culture into the global market has strengthened China’s cultural soft power.

The 2023 China Online Literature Blue Book released by the China Writers Association reveals that the overseas market for online Chinese literature exceeded 4 billion yuan in 2023, with nearly 200 million active users globally. Among them, 80% belong to Generation Z, and the audience spans most countries and regions worldwide.

Voice of America noted a new trend in China’s “short drama exports.” The report highlighted that Chinese mini-program short dramas emerged in 2021, and by 2022, they began exploring overseas markets. Between August 2022 and June 2024, over 100 short drama apps were active in international markets, accumulating 148 million downloads and generating $252 million in in-app purchase revenue.

At the end of August, the release of the Chinese game “Black Myth: Wukong” drew significant attention from foreign media, including The Economist and Bloomberg. The game sparked widespread discussion on its launch day, topping sales charts on multiple platforms such as Steam and WeGame across several countries. It also climbed to the top of Steam’s global bestseller list on the second day of its pre-sale.

An article on Pakistan’s Friday Times website also highlighted the popularity of Chinese cultural exports across Asia, particularly in Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia. Chinese TV dramas are frequently streamed and downloaded, Mandarin pop music continues to attract fans across the region, and Chinese fashion brands are gaining recognition. Cosmetics companies like Perfect Diary and Florasis, known for their use of natural and traditional Chinese ingredients, are becoming increasingly prominent in the global beauty industry.

Source: People’s Daily, November 4, 2024
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrbhwb/html/2024-11/04/content_26088834.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

China’s October Exports to Russia Hit Record Levels

According to China’s customs data, China’s exports to Russia in the month of October grew by approximately 27 percent year-on-year, marking the fastest growth in nearly 11 months. In September, China’s exports to Russia also increased by 15.7 percent year-on-year. The trade volume between China and Russia reached $202.11 billion in the first ten months of this year.

In 2019, China-Russia’s total trade was $110 billion. The two countries set a goal then to double their trade volume. In 2021, China-Russia trade totaled $147 billion. The Russia-Ukraine war sped up the trade between China and Russia. Their trade volume surged to $190.27 billion in 2022, a growth of about 30 percent, and $240.1 billion in 2023, an increase of 26.3 percent. The two countries achieved their doubling goal ahead of schedule.

Sources:
1. Huanqiu, November 7, 2024
https://m.huanqiu.com/article/4KAIYOmFmrB
2. VOA, October 15, 2024
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-s-exports-to-russia-grow-in-september-at-fastest-pace-20241015/7822803.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Economy/Resources Geo-Strategic Trend

CCP’s Localization of the Quran Sparks Concerns Over Religious and Cultural Control

On October 29 the China Islamic Association held a symposium on the publication of Selected Annotations of the Quran. Chen Ruifeng, Vice Minister of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, chaired the meeting and delivered a speech.

Chen conveyed the central government’s policy promoting the “localization” of the Quran. He said that the new Chinese version of Selected Annotations of the Quran represents a significant step towards the “Sinicization” of Islam. The localization initiative aims to “integrate Islam more closely into Chinese social culture.”

At the meeting it was decided that, for the sake of “standardizing religious training,” the book would be designated as a textbook at Islamic colleges in China. Plans were drawn up for “innovative research” into the teachings of the Quran within the academic community “to align with modern societal needs and to promote the healthy development of Islam in China.”

A staff member of the China Islamic Association noted that, in the past, the government lacked sufficient authority to create the Chinese version of Quran. “Now, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, the government believes the time is ripe. Although the currently circulated full translation is a transitional version, a more standardized version will soon be released. For older versions, the government has adopted a strategy of natural elimination by gradually replacing them through controlled distribution.”

Critics believes that what the Chinese government did is not merely translation adjustments but rather reflects deeper political motives. The CCP’s ultimate goal is to remove Islam’s core doctrines and reshape them to align with Communist Party ideology. This effort is aimed at eroding the cultural independence of Muslim communities in China, facilitating so-called “ethnic integration,” and eliminating any potential threats to the Party’s rule through means of cultural assimilation.

Source: VOA, November 14, 2024
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-religion-koran-20241113/7862945.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics

China Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson: US’ Malicious Intent Well Understood Globally

According to Chinese state media outlet Xinhua News Agency, on November 11 a reporter at the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s regular press conference asked: “According to reports, on November 8th, the U.S. State Department issued a statement supporting the Philippines’ enactment of the ‘Maritime Zones Law,’ stating that this law aligns Philippine domestic law with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling. The U.S. values the Philippines’ leadership in upholding international law, particularly in the South China Sea, and urges countries to align their maritime claims with international maritime law as reflected in UNCLOS. What is China’s response to this?”

Lin Jian, the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s spokesperson, responded that “the U.S., motivated by its geopolitical interests, has continuously instigated and encouraged the Philippines to provoke disputes and infringe on China’s rights in the South China Sea for many years,” and that “the U.S. has the malicious intent of sowing discord – a motive well understood by the world.”

“The U.S. repeatedly demands that other countries abide by UNCLOS, yet it refuses to join the convention itself. This is a classic example of hypocritical ‘double standards,’” Lin said. He added that the South China Sea arbitration case itself violates UNCLOS and is nothing more than a political farce; its so-called ruling is illegal and invalid.

Source: Xinhua, November 11, 2024
http://www.news.cn/world/20241111/971595e582a14647a174547196b585aa/c.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend US-China Relations