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Taiwan President Lai Ching-te Announces “National Security Action Plan to Safeguard the Democratic Taiwan”

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The Red Coup – China’s Hostile Takeover of Free-World Education

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Chinese-Language Reports on the CCP’s September 3 Military Parade

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Chinese Think Tanker: Unraveling the Philippines–U.S. Coordinated “South China Sea Discourse Trap”

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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

Beijing Disrupts Taiwan’s Ads in Peru During APEC Meeting

This year’s APEC Summit is being held in Peru. Taiwan also sent a delegation to participate. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs placed advertisements in Peru to promote Taiwan, but they were disrupted by the Beijing or pro-Beijing forces.

Peru’s local media reported that, on November 14, the display of an advertisement for Taiwan on a building in Lima was suddenly interrupted due to a power outage, causing the billboard to shut down. The timing of this “power outage” coincided precisely when the Chinese delegation passed by. Eighty three percent of the local power company’s shares are owned by Chinese capital.

In another building, unidentified individuals, claiming to be members of the Chinese delegation, attempted to break in. They said they had permission from the advertising company to shut down the rooftop billboard displaying Taiwan’s advertisement, but their attempt was unsuccessful.

Similar incidents were reported at the airport in Peru. According to a Taiwanese national security official, Taiwan’s advertisement at Lima Airport was initially displayed but was forced to be removed after just one week due to pressure from Beijing.

Source: NTDTV, November 15, 2024
https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2024/11/15/a103929786.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Xinhua: Iranian and Russian Bank Payment Systems Now Officially Connected

Xinhua recently reported that the bank payment systems of Iran and Russia were officially connected on November 11th, and that “the two countries have taken an important step towards strengthening the trend of ‘de-dollarization.'”

Reportedly, there will be a three-phase rollout of Iranian-Russian banking relations. In the first phase, Iranians will be able to use Iranian bank cards in Russia and withdraw rubles from Russian ATMs. In the second phase, Russian citizens in Iran will be able to use Russian bank cards to withdraw Iran’s currency (the rial) at Iranian ATMs. In the third phase, Iranians will be able to use their bank cards to make purchases in Russian stores.

Mohammad Reza Farzin, governor of the Central Bank of Iran, said that this banking cooperation is “an important step for the two countries to reduce their dependence on the U.S. dollar and promote bilateral economic cooperation.” Last year, the two countries reached an agreement not to use U.S. dollars in bilateral commercial activities but rather to conduct direct transactions in their own currencies.

Source: Xinhua, November 13, 2024
http://www.news.cn/world/20241113/e2afcbb8c3e745b28bba7ca6eff85b9a/c.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

RFA Chinese: U.S. Congress Proposes Bill to Terminate China’s PNTR Status

Radio Free Asia (RFA) Chinese Edition recently reported that John Moolenaar, chairman of the U.S. Congress’s special committee on China, just proposed the Restoring Trade Fairness Act, recommending that the United States revoke the Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) for all imported goods from China. Earlier this year, Senators Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley also introduced a similar bill in the Senate.

The same proposal includes the ending of China’s “De Minimis” treatment for low-value goods from covered countries and requires small-value parcels from China to clear U.S. customs.

In addition, the bill proposes the use of tariff revenue to compensate American farmers and manufacturers who may be harmed by Chinese retaliation.

A few days prior to Moolenaar’s introduction of the new act, the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented that, according to an agreement reached between China and the United States on China’s accession to the WTO, the United States announced in 2001 that it would grant China PNTR status. He said, “Some U.S. politicians are trying to reverse history and bring China-U.S. economic and trade relations back to the Cold War period.”

Sources:
(1) RFA Chinese, November 14, 2024
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/us-china-trade-war-tariff-rubio-11142024150146.html?encoding=simplified
(2) East Money, November 11, 2024
https://finance.eastmoney.com/a/202411113235931318.html
(3) The Select Committee on the CCP (house.gov), Nov 14, 2024
https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/media/bills/restoring-trade-fairness-act

Briefings | | |   US-China Relations

Lianhe Zaobao: Xi Jinping Pushes Globalization at APEC

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that Chinese leader Xi Jinping delivered a written speech at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Leaders Summit held in Lima, Peru, proposing a “Chinese Solution” to deal with the impact of the coming Trump administration.

Facing the potential deglobalization that may result from protectionist U.S. policies under President-elect Donald Trump, Xi extolled globalization and criticized policies such as tariffs, which he said would “hinder economic cooperation” and “divide the world,” “turning back the clock on history.” Xi stated that the APEC forum has contributed to promoting globalization, encouraging economic growth and improving people’s well-being over the years. He expressed hopes that the Asia-Pacific region would continue to be “the locomotive for the promotion of economic globalization.”

Analysts suggest that Xi Jinping’s speech reflects China’s obvious concerns over imminent changes in the structure of the global economy following Trump’s inauguration, scheduled for January of 2025. Xi’s proposed “Chinese Solution” represents a return to the trend of globalization seen during the several decades prior to the COVID pandemic.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, November 16, 2024
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20241116-5355930

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

Central Military Commission Launches Plan to Recruit Elite University Graduates as Military Officers

People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), recently reported that the Political Work Department of the CCP’s Central Military Commission has launched a recruitment initiative to “directly enlist outstanding university graduates” as military (and police) officers. The selection of graduates primarily targets those who studied science and engineering disciplines at “first-class” universities. For specialties urgently needed in military construction, a limited number of graduates from “non-first-class” universities and disciplines “may also be selected, provided they were admitted in the first batch of students during the undergraduate admissions process.” The goal for the planned initiative is to recruit over 800 military (police) officers in the latter half of this year.

Source: People’s Daily, November 4, 2024
http://military.people.com.cn/n1/2024/1104/c1011-40353639.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

PLA Exercise Reveals Logistics Management Problems

The international column “Looking at the Changing Winds (又看风云起)” on Chinese platform Tencent.com published an article stating that, in May of this year, several brigades under People’s Liberation Army (PLA) 72nd Group Army conducted exercises simulating real battlefield conditions. During the exercise, an infantry fighting vehicle from one brigade experienced a sudden track break after completing live-fire training while en route to retreat, rendering it immobile and blocking the path for following vehicles. Although the brigade had prepared some repair tools, they were insufficient to fix the vehicle’s track, ultimately causing a significant delay in the unit’s assessment timeline.

Another brigade encountered a similar incident. To ensure a clear route for night maneuvers, the brigade deployed soldiers with illuminated batons to guide the unit’s movement. However, one baton unexpectedly ran out of power, causing the convoy to lose guidance. One armored vehicle even became stuck in a narrow passage, obstructing the overall retreat plan.

The author noted that, while these two incidents may seem like “minor mishaps in the exercise,” they highlight “significant room for improvement” in the PLA’s logistics management, equipment maintenance, and emergency response.

Source: Aboluo, November 4, 2024
https://www.aboluowang.com/2024/1104/2124849.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

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