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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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Global Times: China’s Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Plan Officially Confirmed

Global Times recently reported that the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) just released its strategic development roadmap. The roadmap describes the plans to accelerate the process of developing a nuclear aircraft carrier, as well as new models for nuclear submarines and quiet submarines. The strategic roadmap is to align with the Chinese Navy’s “Deep Blue” strategy that aims to transform the Navy to deploy to far seas by the year 2025. This is the first official confirmation of the existence of the plan for building nuclear aircraft carriers. CSIC also mentioned that the nuclear design still requires much research and development work. It appears the nuclear technology, along with Electromagnetic catapult design, may be deployed on the second or the third China-made carrier down the road. The vision of the Chinese nuclear aircraft carrier is to support large Navy fleets for missions far from bases and for a long period of time. This is more and more of a requirement to protect China’s international interests.

Source: Global Times, February 28, 2018
http://mil.huanqiu.com/world/2018-02/11629820.html

Briefings | | |   Defense/Military

Li Shufu Became the Largest Shareholder of Daimler

Well-known Chinese news site Sina recently reported that, based on official government documents dated February 23, Li Shufu, founder and chairman of China’s Geely Automobile, acquired 9.69 percent (around US$9 billion) of German automaker Daimler AG, thus becoming its largest shareholder. Daimler is one of the world’s top ten automakers, the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, and the world’s second largest truck manufacturer. It is also famous for its Mercedes-Benz product line. Geely Automobile is China’s largest privately-owned automaker. Li Shufu, currently also the owner of Volvo, described his strategic vision as forming an alliance with Daimler to become the “final two or three” automakers that will dominate the global market in the future. Daimler did not disclose whether Li will be on the Board of the company or not. However, Brigitte Zypries, Minister for Economics and Energy in the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, commented on February 26, that the German government will look carefully into this deal and will seek an explanation from Daimler. She expressed the concern that it is troublesome to see Daimler have a competitor sit in its Board of Supervisors.

Sources:
(1) Sina, February 24, 2016
http://auto.sina.com.cn/news/hy/2018-02-24/detail-ifyrvspi1285407.shtml
(2) Reuters Chinese, February 26, 2016
https://cn.reuters.com/article/germany-geely-daimler-stock-0226-idCNKCS1GA1LQ?il=0

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

China’s Domestically Manufactured Mainline Aircraft C919 Acquired More Orders

China’s financial news network, A Finance, recently reported that China’s state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) just landed a new contract to sell 30 C919 aircraft. This new deal enabled COMAC’s C919 sales record to reach 815. COMAC is the company formed to realize China’s strategic goal of domestically designing and manufacturing mainline large-capacity commercial passenger aircraft. C919 directly competes with the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320. COMAC currently has contracts from 28 buyers globally, most of whom are Chinese organizations. The C919 project was part of a national effort to develop domestic high-end manufacturing equipment and products to compete eventually in the global high-end industrial market.

Source: A Finance, February 26, 2018
http://www.afinance.cn/new/cjxw/201802/2019852.html

Briefings | | |   Economy/Resources

Russian Energy Expert: Power of Siberia Natural Gas Pipeline Project Was a Costly Mistake

According to an article that Radio Free Asia published, Mikhail Krutikhin, a Russian expert with 25 years of experience in the energy field, recently stated that the Power of Siberia, the natural gas pipeline under construction in Eastern Siberia, represents the complete failure of Putin’s Asia policy. Krutikhin’s comments indicated that, as Beijing is abandoning Russia as a supplier of natural gas and has turned to the U.S. for natural gas imports, the official project launch date in May of 2019, would be postponed. Even if it weren’t postponed, the total volume would be less than the original projection. Power of Siberia, which is worth US$4 billion is a natural gas project for which an agreement was signed in May 2014. Due to Beijing’s lack of trust, Putin didn’t build a pipeline that directly connected to the pipeline from China but rather built a pipeline for China that was part of the pipeline that expands around the Russia-China border connecting to Vladivostok. Unlike what was officially communicated, the current project has two pipelines. One of them has a source of natural gas which is almost depleted and the other one does not even have a customer. The timing, however, is ironic in that, just when the Siberia natural gas pipeline project was about to be completed, the U.S. succeeded in its shale oil technology and China turned to the U.S. for its natural gas, which increased its domestic natural gas supply. The article stated that, meanwhile, oil prices have continued to be weak, which means that Russia may not be able to recover its investment on this project.

Source: Radio Free Asia, February 28, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/junshiwaijiao/lxy-02282018130955.html

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend

RFA: Xinhua Got in Trouble for How It Handled “Term Limit Elimination” Reports

RFA reported that, based on a news report from Hong Kong’s Sing Tao Daily, Xinhua published an urgent news announcement on February 25 about the “Central Committee’s recommendation to eliminate term limits.” At first it was in English. The Chinese version was published one hour later. The way Xinhua handled this news were reported to be a “political mistake” because it caused media hype and speculation in the Western media, as well as discussions in overseas social media. People were fired because of it. A China News Agency source claimed that they were directed “not to report the verbal directions they had been given; they must ensure ‘stability’ and ‘not allow foreign countries to use them as discussion topics.'”

Source: Radio Free Asia, February 28, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/Xinwen/XQL-02282018025328.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

Sina.com: The Village Mafia Comes Packaged in a New Outfit

Recently, the central administration issued a notice to launch a crackdown on the local corrupt mafia officials. A posting on Sina.com, provided examples of how local mafia officials monopolize public resources such as the reservoir, the forests, slaughter houses, the farm markets, and the local village transportation route. The article reported that these local mafia officials use their power, violence, and money to advance their own agendas. They are just like the characters in “The Godfather.” They are well mannered, wearing brand name outfits, and operating behind the scenes.

The following are two examples included in the article. A village Mafioso was a well-known bully in 1990 and a drug user who had previously been imprisoned. He went to a southern China region and came back as an entrepreneur. He established close ties with a few of the village officials and gained favorable treatment on the sale of some farm land. No one in the village was brave enough to stand up to him. Another example is a village committee director who had been imprisoned a number of times. He managed to open a few arcades. In 2012, he was “elected” to the position of village committee director, with the help of his “brothers.” He drives a Ferrari and lets other local officials be his business partners and invest in his projects. He is bully, a businessman, and a village official, all in one. The article reported that the locals fear the local mafia force more than they fear the officials because these mafia officials are violent and have power, money, and political connections.

Source: Sina.com, February 28, 2018
http://mil.news.sina.com.cn/2018-02-28/doc-ifyrztfz5199470.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

China Promotes Confucius Institutes to Serve Its Diplomacy in Major Countries

On the afternoon of January 23, Xi Jinping, leader of the leading group for deepening the overall reform of the central government, presided over the second meeting of the leading group and delivered an important speech. The meeting passed a number of “resolutions,” or “documents.” One of them was, “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Reform and Development of Confucius Institutes.”

The resolution pointed out that the promotion of the reform and development of Confucius Institutes should center on the building of a powerful socialist country with Chinese characteristics, serving China’s major powers diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, deepening the reform and innovation, improving the institutional mechanisms, optimizing the distribution structure, strengthening the building efforts, and improving the quality of education, so as to let the (Confucius Institutes) become an important force of communication between China and foreign countries.

Source:  People’s Daily, January 23, 2018
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0123/c1024-29782294.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics US-China Relations

Duowei: China’s State Media Comments on U.S. Sanctions Proposal against North Korea

Duowei reported that, after the U.S. Treasury Department recently announced its program to institute, “the largest sanctions against the DPRK in history,” the Chinese government media (Xinhua) published an article commenting that the sanctions that the United States imposed are inappropriate and that the United States has the aim of safeguarding Washington’s dominance over the Korean Peninsula issue. However, the unilateral strengthening of sanctions will only make the situation more complicated and cause negative effects.

This is the (Xinhua) issue: The article, entitled “The Heaviest Sanctions in History, which the United States Imposed, Are Not Appropriate,” points out that since the start of this year, North Korea and South Korea have taken the opportunity of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to resume a dialogue, to seek cooperation; as a result the situation has seen a rare easing. However, the “long-arm” sanctions that the United States has imposed, have shown the U.S.’s always arrogant attitude and have also shown how the United States is playing an inharmonious and destructive role. The article mentions that it is incontrovertible that Washington’s intensification of sanctions on the ebb of the peninsula tensions will have a negative effect on the situation on the peninsula. Strengthening sanctions is inconsistent with the UN Security Council’s resolution to promote the fundamental spirit of peace talks and cannot close the differences between the two countries as a prerequisite for dialogue and appeal. The commentary pointed out: Not only does North Korea not accept the aggressive posture of the United States, but it also will not solve any substantive issue.

Source: Duowei, February 24, 2018
http://news.dwnews.com/china/news/2018-02-24/60042188.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics US-China Relations