China

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/4157529

James Robinson, along with Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson, has been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Economics for his research on the critical role institutions play in fostering national prosperity. In [this Q&A session]l with EL PAÍS, he explains that his work also seeks to highlight how the legacy of colonialism has impeded economic development in certain regions, particularly in Latin America and Africa.

James Robinson: [...] we make a simple division, focusing on the presence of inclusive institutions or extractive institutions. Inclusive institutions create broad incentives and opportunities for all people equally, while extractive institutions concentrate benefits and incentives in the hands of a few. Many economists say that development comes from entrepreneurship and innovation, but in reality it comes from people’s dreams, creativity and aspirations. To be prosperous, you have to create a series of institutions that can cultivate this talent. However, if you look at countries like Colombia or Nigeria, talent is wasted because people do not have opportunities.

[...]

Institutions can be an obstacle to competitiveness. However, one should consider the impact that European integration had on countries such as Spain, Portugal or the former Soviet countries. These are remarkable success stories. There has been an almost unprecedented transition. It is true that there may be too much regulation or inefficient rules, but broadly speaking the effects of European institutions has been largely positive over the past 50 years.

[...]

[Immigration] is one of the big questions we have to solve. [...] it can be difficult. It is not easy to quickly incorporate the millions of people who cross the Mediterranean [trying to reach Europe]. One of the possible ways is to help them develop in order to improve the terrible situation in their own countries. However, one of the biggest complications is that the policies recommended by Western institutions are not in tune with what is happening in these [developing] countries. At the World Bank, for example, you cannot talk about politics. How do we expect them to solve real problems when you cannot talk about them? Frankly, it doesn’t make sense. If we really want to change the world, we have to have honest conversations. I see that as a long way off.

[...]

The reality is that democratic countries have shown that they are better at managing public services and achieving rapid growth. You can find impressive examples like China among autocratic countries, but you cannot achieve an inclusive economy with an authoritarian regime and a model like the Chinese one.

[...]

I don’t think the Chinese model can continue. If you look at other authoritarian regimes, like Iran or Russia, they are incredibly weak economically and technologically. The economy cannot flourish in an authoritarian regime. Right now, technological dynamism is concentrated in one such country and in the Western world. However, one has to consider that, with Donald Trump, the institutions that have made the United States great are being seriously questioned. This could affect the context, and that is why the European Union and NATO are so important.

[...]

[Populism is linked to the growing disconnect between governments and citizens] and an example of this is Latin America. Democracy promised too much and did not always deliver. People’s lives did not change, and they sought new alternatives. There are various factors why democracy has not achieved transformations, such as clientelism and corruption. [...] Venezuela was governed in a deeply corrupt manner, and Hugo Chávez was clever in taking advantage of it. You also see this with Donald Trump, who has gone far because he realized there was widespread dissatisfaction with traditional politics. The failures of democratic institutions are real, and that is why we have to think about how to make them more empathetic to what people need.

[...]

Artificial intelligence can be wonderful, but like all technologies, it depends on how it is used. If artificial intelligence is used to create replacements for humans, that could be devastating. [...] It is all about how it is used, and that depends on our governments. I think that these decisions should not be left to the tech gurus. They only think about what makes them the most money, even if this is not related to the general well-being of society. In the case of artificial intelligence, it is very important, because it could have a tectonic impact on the world.

The Australian government should take the lead with other governments to continue to publicly criticize grave human rights abuses in China, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today. An Australian-led joint statement at the United Nations General Assembly on October 22, 2024, expressed ongoing concerns about the Chinese government’s serious human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s criticism of the General Assembly statement and of Australia in particular highlights the importance of countries raising these matters in public forums.

“The Chinese government’s human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet have continued unabated in recent years and in some respects have gotten even worse,” said Daniela Gavshon, Australia director at Human Rights Watch. “It’s crucial for Australia to work with other concerned governments to take strong, coordinated action to hold the Chinese government to account.”

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/4105084

Another piece on topic: Liberal Senator James Paterson rejects 'lectures' from Chinese Communist Party on human rights after Beijing's shock claim

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected accusations from Beijing that his country is “plagued by systemic racism and hate crimes” after an Australian diplomat led a group of Western nations in renewing concerns about human rights violations in China.

“When it comes to China, we’ve said we’ll cooperate where we can, we’ll disagree where we must, and we’ll engage in our national interest, and we’ve raised issues of human rights with China,” Albanese told reporters on Thursday as he arrived in the Pacific Island nation of Samoa for a Commonwealth leaders’ summit.

A day earlier, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian had denounced a statement made by 15 nations to the United Nations General Assembly this week — presented by a top Australian envoy — underscoring “ongoing concerns” about “serious human rights violations” in Xinjiang and Tibet.

James Larsen, Australia’s ambassador to the U.N., urged China to “uphold the international human rights obligations that it has voluntarily assumed” by releasing “all individuals arbitrarily detained in both Xinjiang and Tibet, and urgently clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing family members.”

[...]

Singling out Australia for rebuke, Jian said the country was “long plagued by systemic racism and hate crimes” and should resolve its own affairs rather than criticizing China’s.

[...]

The Chinese government launched in 2017 a campaign of assimilation in the northwestern Xinjiang region — home to 11 million Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities — that has included mass detentions, alleged political indoctrination, alleged family separations and alleged forced labor among other methods.

More than 1 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and other ethnic minorities are estimated to have been held in extralegal internment camps. The Chinese government at the time described the camps as ” vocational training centers.”

The U.N. Human Rights Office in 2022 found accusations of rights violations in Xinjiang “credible” and said China may have committed crimes against humanity in the region.

Larson in his statement also cited “credible” reports of China subjecting Tibetans to coercive labor, separation of children from their families, erosion of cultural and religious freedoms, and detention for peaceful political protests.

He urged “unfettered and meaningful access” to Xinjiang and Tibet for independent observers.

[...]

[...]

Amidst increasing pushback on [China’s] widespread and systematic human rights abuse in its prison and detention system that led the European Court of Human Rights to bar extraditions to the country on grounds of the existence of a “general situation of violence”, Chinese authorities are not relenting in their quest to obtain the forced return of individuals in plain violation of the ius cogens principle of non-refoulement.

[...]

[in one case, Chinese] authorities knowingly lied to INTERPOL when filing their international request. As official documents submitted to Thai courts in support of the extradition request demonstrate, the real date of the Chinese arrest warrant does not correspond to the one declared to INTERPOL.

[...]

It begs the question: when will actual consequences be imposed on this repeat offender?

We call on INTERPOL’s General Secretariat to utilize its powers under [established] rules and evaluate China’s use of Red Notices, Diffusions, and other INTERPOL mechanisms after a string of abuse has been uncovered spanning several years.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/4068466

The European Commission -for the first time- officially backs Taiwan in its interpretation of UN Resolution 2758. While the EU still supports the “One China” principle, the bloc opposes "any unilateral actions that change the status quo by force or coercion", said Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights.

Resolution 2758 was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1971, It recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It also expelled the then- representatives of Chiang Kai-shek, the former authoritarian regime, whose central government had retreated to Taiwan.

Beijing, however, increasingly claims that Resolution 2758 supports its stance that “Taiwan is part of the PR,” legitimizing its claim over Taiwan, even though the resolution provides no such legal basis, experts and lawmakers have said.

As a result of Beijing’s interpretation of Resolution 2758, however, Taiwan has not seat at the U.N. nor in other international organizations. Lawmakers around the globe have long been criticizing China’s stance and as well as its recent military manoeuvres in the Taiwan Strait and expressing their solidarity with Taiwan as a regular victim of disinformation campaigns and interference by Beijing.

It is for the first time that a member of the Commission officially expressed this opinion, and explicitly mentioning U.N. Resolution 2758. In his speech, Schmit reiterated the regional bloc's long-held "One China" principle, but also emphasized that the EU and Taiwan are "like-minded" and the European Commission opposes "any unilateral actions that change the status quo by force or coercion."

Referring to China’s recent military activities, Schmit said that “tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait have a direct impact on European security and prosperity,” adding that, therefore, the EU has a direct interest in the preservation of the status-quo in the Strait.

“We should take all opportunities to promote a more positive dynamic in cross-Strait relations, which contributes to peace, not only in the region, but also globally,” Schmit said.

Recent developments of U.N. Resolution 2758

Schmit’s speech is the first time that an EU Commissioner officially rejected China’s interpretation of U.N. Resolution 2758, joining Taiwan and the U.S.

In a resolution adopted in December 2023, European lawmakers also confirmed that the EU’s ‘One China policy’ has not changed, but that any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, is not acceptable.

Back in September this year, the Dutch Parliament also rejected China's interpretation of the resolution in its claims over Taiwan and called for an EU-wide effort to support Taiwan's representation.

In August 2024, the Australian parliament also condemned China's use of UN Resolution 2758 by stating that the resolution"does not establish the People’s Republic of China's sovereignty over Taiwan and does not determine the future status of Taiwan in the UN".

Original article is behind a paywall.

Recently, as Chinese authorities have strengthened overall social control, oppression of academia has reportedly become more severe. Not only are scholars expelled, but there are even cases of disappearance.

According to the FT, Huwei, Communist Party's Shanghai City Party professor, was forced to retire early after criticizing Russia's full-scale invasion most prominently.

[He] sparked a fierce debate within China shortly after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, arguing that China should cut ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as possible. This was contrary to President Xi Jinping's policy of trying to get close to President Putin.

[...]

China is targeting intellectuals living not only at home but also abroad, suppressing traditionally sensitive topics such as politics as well as discussions about China's economy, which has recently been in big trouble, the FT noted.

Some scholars were detained on unknown charges and suddenly disappeared one day, and some were fired from universities or affiliated organizations. In some cases, social media accounts were canceled or other forms of administrative or legal punishment were given.

Specifically, Zhu Hengfeng (朱恒鵬), former vice president of the Economic Research Institute of the Academy of Social Sciences, was detained for posting on WeChat (微 Trust, Chinese version of Kakao Talk). Chinese media recently reported that former Vice President Zhu was recently severely punished for "absurd remarks to the party's center."

The FT also mentioned the case that Dr. Wu Chang (吳强), who worked as a political science lecturer at Tsinghua University, was placed under house arrest during both sessions (the National People's Congress and the National People's Political Consultative Conference) in March this year. Neither the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences nor Tsinghua University responded to the FT's request for comment.

In recent years, Chinese scholars working in Japan are known to be particularly targeted. 范 濤, a political science professor at Japan's Asian University, disappeared last year on his way back to his hometown of Shanghai. Professor 胡 of Kobe Gakuin University, Japan, also went missing during a trip to China last year.

[...]

Renowned Uyghur folklorist Rahile Daute disappeared in 2017, and it was reported in September last year that he was sentenced to life in prison through a secret trial.

"During former President Mao Zedong's rule, China strictly controlled professors' working conditions and children's schools," said Perry Link, a professor at Princeton University.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/4028054

A leading Uyghur activist has accused the Labour government of “falling behind” its allies in failing to stand up to China, after ministers backtracked on plans to push for formal recognition of the country’s treatment of the minority group as genocide.

Speaking after David Lammy’s first visit to China as UK foreign secretary, the human rights activist Rahima Mahmut, who has lived in exile in the UK since 2000, said she had hoped there would be a shift in UK policy once the party came into power, including following the US in declaring a continuing genocide in Xinjiang.

“The Conservative governments all those years [had] big words but very little action,” said Mahmut, who is the UK director of the World Uyghur Congress. She has long campaigned against the crackdown on Uyghurs, which several governments and human rights bodies have described as a genocide.

“But, sadly, after Labour came into power I didn’t even hear big words,” she added. “I am very, very disappointed, the community is very disappointed.”

Since 2017, China has swept an estimated 1 million Uyghurs and other minority groups into internment camps, which it called training centres. Hundreds of thousands are believed to still be incarcerated, and in many cases families have no idea about the fate of relatives who had been detained.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/4027896

Australia, the United States and 13 other countries criticized China at the United Nations on Tuesday over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet, prompting China to denounce them for ignoring the "living hell" in the Gaza Strip.

Clashes over China's treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslims have become a common occurrence at both the United Nations in New York and the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.

A U.N. report released two years ago said China's "arbitrary and discriminatory detention" of Uyghurs and other Muslims in its Xinjiang region may constitute crimes against humanity. It said that "serious human rights violations" had been committed.

"We urge China to uphold the international human-rights obligations that it has voluntarily assumed, and to implement all U.N. recommendations," Australia's U.N. Ambassador James Larsen told the U.N. General Assembly's human rights committee.

"This includes releasing all individuals arbitrarily detained in both Xinjiang and Tibet, and urgently clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing family members," Larsen said.

He spoke on behalf of Australia, the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Britain.

Beijing has long denied all allegations of abuse of Uyghurs. China's U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong on Tuesday accused the group of Western states of resorting "to lies to provoke confrontations."

"The human-rights situation that should gather the most attention at the committee this year is undoubtedly that of Gaza," he said. "Australia and the U.S., among a few others, played down this living hell, while unleashing attacks and smears against the peaceful and tranquil Xinjiang."

[...]

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/4005656

Canada International Trade Minister Mary Ng announced the public consultation on Oct. 16, saying that it aims to strengthen the enforcement of the ban on importing forced labour goods in alignment with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and actions taken by allied countries.

During this public consultation, the government will seek feedback on improving enforcement of the import ban, according to a separate release on Oct. 16. Proposed measures include publishing a list of items at risk of being made with forced labour, based on guidelines from the International Labour Organization (ILO). A “minimum traceability” process was also proposed, requiring importers of these items to provide more information about where their products come from.

[...]

Citing an ILO report on modern slavery, Ottawa noted that an estimated 27.6 million people were subjected to forced labour worldwide in 2021, an increase of 3 million since 2016. Children represented about 12 percent of those affected, totalling 3.3 million.

[...]

Forced Labour in China

The announcement comes amid increased scrutiny of forced labour in China.

[...]

The issue has also been studied in recent years in parliamentary committees in Canada, with human rights activists urging more action by Canadian lawmakers to curb China’s forced labour practices.

“The Subcommittee [on International Human Rights] was advised that Canada should adopt a ’reverse‑onus’ policy for companies importing products from Xinjiang, or other parts of China where forced labour is prominent. Such a policy would require importing companies to demonstrate that forced labour was not used in the manufacturing of their products,” reads a March 2021 report published by the subcommittee.

[...]

“The Government of Canada expects companies to take every step possible to ensure that their supply chains conform to Canadian law. It is the responsibility of the importer to exercise due diligence to ensure forced labour is not directly or indirectly used in the production of the goods it imports,” CBSA spokesperson Luke Reimer said on Sept. 26.

One well-known case involved a shipment from China that was intercepted in Quebec in fall 2021, but it was ultimately allowed entry. Reimer said that this decision came after the importer requested a review of the tariff classification. Upon examining the submitted documents, it was determined that the goods did not meet the criteria for seizure related to forced labour.

Canada has imposed an import ban on goods produced by forced labour since an amendment to the Customs Tariff Act took effect on July 1, 2020. The following year, it also launched an analysis of supply chain risks related to forced labour in China.

In January, a law aimed at fighting forced labour and child labour in supply chains came into force. Previously known as Bill S-211, this law requires the head of every government institution involved in producing, purchasing, or distributing goods in Canada or elsewhere to submit an annual report to the minister of public safety by May 31 each year.

According to China's National Bureau of Statistics on the 21st, the unemployment rate of young people (16-24 years old) reached 18.8% in August. It's the highest it's been this year. This is attributed to the fact that a large number of students who graduated from school in the first half of this year jumped into the job front.

[...]

Chinese authorities temporarily suspended the release of monthly figures after youth unemployment hit an all-time high of 21.3% in June last year. Since then, new standards have been applied and announced from this year excluding enrolled students from the statistical target. Nevertheless, the youth unemployment rate, which was 14.6% in January this year, is steadily rising.

Last month, the story of 24-year-old Lee became a hot topic on Weibo, a Chinese social network service (SNS). After completing a master's degree in physics at the graduate school, it was known that he got a job as a cleaner at a high school in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.

[...]

In fact, many young Chinese people are flocking to gig workers (short-time workers). The number of delivery drivers registered on Meituan, a large delivery platform, jumped from 3.98 million in 2019 to 7.45 million last year. The growth of the delivery market slowed due to the end of the "COVID-19 lockdown" policy, but the number of delivery drivers increased.

[...]

Against this backdrop, the Chinese government has recently decided to strengthen its crackdown on slang and newly coined words on the Internet. Some analysts say that they intend to censor terms that criticize the Chinese Communist Party and the government.

The fields of history and archaeology, while fundamentally objective in their pursuit of knowledge about the past, are frequently co-opted to serve nationalistic narratives that legitimise coercive territorial claims. This is evident in China's strategic use of archaeology to assert ancient ownership over regions like Xinjiang and Tibet, which are currently seeking greater autonomy.

]...]

A recent instance of this archaeological manipulation is the discovery of an ancient Buddhist stupa near Kashgar, an oasis city in Xinjiang, which the government has promoted as evidence of the region's historical ties to China.

[...]

Excavation of this site commenced in 2019, leading to the recovery of two earthen pillars, fragments of a Buddha statue, stone tools, and copper coins. The structure's conical shape has earned it the local Uyghur designation 'Mo'er', which translates to 'chimney'.

Estimated to have been constructed approximately 1,700 years ago, the stupa and its accompanying temple are being appropriated by Chinese authorities to claim the region's unique historical narrative.

[...]

According to Chinese historians, the 'Mo'er' was commissioned by Wu Zetian, a 7th-century Empress of the Tang dynasty known for her promotion of Buddhism. Furthermore, Chinese officials and state media assert that artifacts discovered at this site resemble those found in predominantly Han areas of eastern China.

They also contend that portions of the temple exhibit 'Han-Buddhist' architectural styles and that it was visited by the 7th-century monk Xuanzang from central China, who is credited with disseminating Buddhism throughout the Chinese empire.

[...]

Chinese human rights abuses in Xinjiang have garnered significant international scrutiny in recent years.

[...]

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has also engaged in a broader narrative campaign, disseminating myths to justify its claims over Xinjiang.

This has included the destruction of mosques, renaming Uyghur villages, and distorting archaeological findings and historical narratives to erase the distinct identity of the Uyghur people.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3973139

Archived link

In a comprehensive statement delivered during the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the European Union (EU) reiterated its concerns about the continuous dire human rights situation in several countries around the globe, including regions under Chinese influence, namely Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong.

Especially for Xinjiang, the EU condemns political re-education camps, mass arbitrary detentions, widespread surveillance, tracking and control measures, systemic and severe restrictions on the exercise of fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion or belief, as well as the non-transparent use of the death penalty, the use of forced labour and labour transfer schemes, torture, forced abortion and sterilization, birth control and family separation policies, and sexual and gender-based violence, a statement reads.

The human rights situation in Tibet continues to be dire. Indicators of this include obligatory boarding schooling and DNA sampling, as reported by civil society organisations. The EU will closely monitor the preservation of the fundamental freedoms, cultural heritage and identity of Tibetans and calls on China to ensure full bilingual education both in Tibetan and Chinese at all levels of the schooling system. Cases of closure of schools teaching in Tibetan language are a worrying development. The EU also encourages China to allow more visits from the international community, UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders and civil society organisations to Tibet. Human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, other media workers, academics, writers and intellectuals among others continue to be exposed to harassment, intimidation and surveillance, including at transnational level.

The EU criticizes the sentencing and enforced disappearance including via Residential Surveillance in a Designated Location (RSDL) that could amount to torture and ill-treatment. The EU urges China to introduce a moratorium on the death penalty, adopt rigorous procedures for reviewing capital sentences and reporting death penalty cases. China must also respect the principle of non-refoulement and refrain from extraterritorial activities (including coercion) that are not in line with international law.

The EU also says that in Hong Kong, the repressive use of the China-imposed National Security Law continues to undermine human rights and fundamental freedoms. The broad and vague definition of certain provisions in the new national security legislation adopted in March 2024 and the first arrests under the new legislation add to these concerns. The legislation exacerbates the erosion of fundamental freedoms and political pluralism in the Special Administrative Region. Of particular concern is its extraterritorial application, including the decision to issue arrest warrants for 13 individuals living outside Hong Kong. The sweeping changes in the electoral system have eroded democratic principles and political pluralism.

The EU is following with great concern the national security trials of politicians, media practitioners and pro-democracy advocates, including Jimmy Lai and Chow Hang-tung, and is very concerned about the guilty verdict against them.

The EU urges the Chinese government and the Hong Kong authorities to restore full respect for the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, and democratic principles, and to preserve Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, in compliance with Hong Kong’s Basic Law and China’s domestic and international obligations.

As first reported by the Free Beacon, following a July investigation into possible transnational repression at an anti-CCP protest on Harvard University's campus, Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) uncovered shocking documents that show Harvard placed anti-CCP protestors on disciplinary probation while taking no action to address the illegal behavior of the pro-CCP agitator who assaulted the protestors.

"[...] Harvard is punishing brave students who spoke out against the CCP’s human rights abuses while not only letting the student who assaulted them off scot-free but also handing him an apology. The American higher education system needs to wake up to the Chinese Communist Party’s influence on our nation’s campuses and protect students who speak out against the CCP, not punish them for standing up to bullies," said Chairman Moolenaar.

“Once again, Harvard has proven to be completely corrupted by adversarial foreign influence. Harvard is kowtowing to Communist China [...] I look forward to working with Chairman Moolenaar and Chairwoman Foxx to hold Harvard accountable and to end Communist China’s infiltration of American universities,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.

"I wish I could say I was surprised, but this is par for the course for Harvard – the only consistent part of the university’s disciplinary standards is that they’re always applied selectively to the benefit of favored groups," said Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx.

On April 20, 2024, Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng delivered a speech at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. During Ambassador Xie’s speech, Cosette Wu, a Harvard undergraduate student, protested the Chinese government’s human rights abuses by shouting slogans. Subsequently, the pro-CCP agitator dragged her out of the event against her will. As seen on video recorded at the event, Harvard officials watched this attack and did nothing to assist the victim.

Additionally, Tsering Yangchen, another Harvard student protester removed from the event after Wu, later told Voice of America that the same graduate student approached her and asked for the names of protestors. That individual then followed her, causing her to feel afraid on campus.

[...]

Documents also revealed that Harvard placed Ms. Wu and Ms. Yangchen on disciplinary probation from Harvard for their protest, but took no action against the graduate student for his assault of the protestors. In fact, Harvard apologized to the graduate student for his involvement in the incident.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3885525

Taiwan is expected to have access to low earth orbit satellite internet service by the end of the month, a step the government says is crucial in case a Chinese attack cripples the island’s communications.

The forthcoming service is via a contract between Taiwan’s main telecoms company, Chunghwa, and a UK-European company, Eutelsat OneWeb, signed last year, and marks a new milestone in Taiwan’s efforts to address technological vulnerabilities, particularly its internet access, after attempts to get access to Elon Musk’s Starlink service collapsed.

Chunghwa co-president Alex Chien said 24-hour coverage was expected by the end of the month, with commercial access as soon as sufficient bandwidth was reached.

Taiwan is under the threat of attack or invasion by China, which claims historical sovereignty over Taiwan and has vowed to annex it, by military force if necessary. In the meantime it is under a near constant barrage of cyber-attacks, and has had some of its 15 undersea cables connecting it and its outer islands to the world cut multiple times, usually by accidental anchor snags from passing ships.

China's National Health Commission (NHC) is surveying 30,000 people to understand factors influencing their attitudes towards childbearing and the "fear surrounding having children", as authorities struggle to boost a flagging birthrate.

The survey will include people from 150 counties in China and 1,500 different communities, the state-backed Global Times said late on Thursday, citing the China Population and Development Research Center, which falls under the NHC [The Global Times framed its story under the headline 'National population survey launched to help optimize fertility support'.]

Beijing is trying to encourage young couples to have children after China posted a second consecutive year of population decline in 2023.

The survey aims to analyse "reluctance and fear surrounding having children" and ultimately provide fertility support and incentive measures, the newspaper said.

The last time a countrywide family and fertility survey was carried out was in 2021. It comes after China's National Bureau of Statistics said it will conduct a nationwide sample survey from Oct. 10-Nov. 30 to monitor population changes.

Population development has often been linked to a strong and rejuvenated China in state media.

Chinese health officials said in September they would focus more efforts on advocating marriage and childbirth at "appropriate ages" and called for shared parenting responsibilities to guide young people towards "positive perspectives on marriage, childbirth and family".

[Edit typo.]

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3877004

Russia has had to cope with an almost systematic increase in sanctions in scope and scale in order to conduct its invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions aim to hobble Russia’s capacity to procure and produce the necessary products to resupply its military. However, while sanctions have significantly affected Russia’s economy and war effort, Russia has shown adaptability in circumventing these restrictions through various initiatives and engaging with strategic partners, most importantly, the People’s Republic of China and its business entities.

[...]

A study by the KSE Institute utilizing Harmonized System (HS) codes [...] analyses forty-five common high-priority items (i.e., battlefield goods) and 485 HS codes for critical components [...] Between January and October 2023, Russian imports of battlefield goods totalled $8.77 billion, while critical components amounted to $22.23 billion. Within the 2023 KSE Institute compiled dataset, China has exercised a pivotal role in Russia’s efforts to import battlefield goods and critical components for its military and defence industry. This is observed from the immediate aftermath of Western sanctions being imposed to August-December 2022 when imports of battlefield goods and critical components increased by 84% and 42% respectively.

[...]

China was instrumental in all stages of the Russian defence industry’s external supply chain between January and October 2023. For instance, where businesses are headquartered, China accounts for 41% of battlefield goods and 41.2% of critical components. Interestingly, the total non-coalition sanctions accounted for 48%, and of these, China represented 46.7%, making China the most dominant power outside the coalition-sanction countries and the most dominant single entity.

China’s role increases substantially during manufacturing, representing 63.1% of battlefield goods and 58.7% of critical components produced for Russia.

[...]

Data shows that Chinese and Hong Kongese companies’ data combined led the sales of the goods and components in question to Russia, accounting for 68.9% of battlefield goods and 57% of critical components. Finally, China also plays a pivotal role in goods and components shipped directly to Russia, with China representing 53.2% of battlefield goods and 53.8% of critical components, respectively. Again, China is followed by Hong Kong at 22.7% and 12.9, with a combined 75.9% and 66.7%.

[...]

Specific Chinese exports of dual-use components and materials related to Russia’s defence industry and equipment that is being utilized by Russia’s military, including construction equipment, comprises:

• Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines
• Semiconductors
• Microelectronics and Electronic Components
• Ball Bearings
• Nitrocellulose
• Drones and Electronic Warfare systems
• Body armour and Helmets

[...]

China’s continued support for Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine poses significant risks and challenges that far outweigh any short-term benefits. By aiding Russia, China jeopardizes its international reputation as a responsible global power, becoming a complicit actor in the conflict, violating international law and the core principles of sovereignty.

Moreover, Chinese entities supporting Russia and the Chinese government’s lackadaisical response to Western complaints will eventually lead to secondary sanctions, deepening economic strains and retaliation from Western nations.

[...]

Archived link

The sudden order to remove the symbol of the cross from the roof and entrance of a village church in China’s Anhui province cited unspecified “safety” hazards.

The notice, issued in March, was a shock to the church in Yongqing, eastern China, which had reportedly passed official safety inspections for the cross on the roof five years ago. The second cross had stood at the door of the church for over 40 years without any security concerns.

[...]

Nicola Smith Asia Correspondent. Jenny Pan Related Topics

Xi Jinping, China, Christianity, Religion 

05 October 2024 2:00pm BST 98

Worshippers in a Roman Catholic church in China Worshippers in a Roman Catholic church in China Sally and Richard Greenhill/Alamy Stock Photo

The sudden order to remove the symbol of the cross from the roof and entrance of a village church in China’s Anhui province cited unspecified “safety” hazards.

The notice, issued in March, was a shock to the church in Yongqing, eastern China, which had reportedly passed official safety inspections for the cross on the roof five years ago. The second cross had stood at the door of the church for over 40 years without any security concerns.

ChinaAid, a US-based group that advocates for religious freedom in China, alleged the order had been made by the villagers’ committee with no legal basis, suggesting it may have originated with higher-level authorities who wanted to avoid international criticism. Party slogans and censorship

It was one of multiple examples of oppression cited in a report last week by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an agency that reviews violations of religious freedoms overseas and makes policy recommendations to the President and Congress.

In their effort to “exert total control” over religion and to “sinicise” Catholic and Protestant Christianity, the authorities have “ordered the removal of crosses from churches [and] replaced images of Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary with pictures of President Xi Jinping,” the report said.

The Chinese government has also required “the display of CCP [Chinese Communist Party] slogans at the entrances of churches, censored religious texts, imposed CCP-approved religious materials, and instructed clergy to preach CCP ideology,” the USCIRF report said.

Its investigation pointed to a report from 2019 of a Catholic church in the eastern province of Jiangxi that was forced to replace a painting of the Virgin Mary with her child with one of President Xi.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3823927

"The dehumanization of Palestinians and the collective punishment they endure from Israel's war in Gaza have shattered the very fabric of their society, much like what China has inflicted upon my people," writes exiled Uyghur human rights lawyer Rayhan Asat.

The Palestinian mother watching a bulldozer tear through her house reminds me of every Uyghur mother whose home was invaded by Chinese forces. The rubble of schools and mosques destroyed in Gaza takes me back to my homeland, where the oldest shrines have been leveled, and our teachers handed life sentences. The surveillance system China tested against the Uyghurs has been exported to the streets of occupied Hebron. As Israeli settlers flood the West Bank with the full support of Israel's government, I'm reminded of the millions of Han people that China brought into my homeland, where they receive special privileges in an apartheid system the world has ignored for decades.

[...]

Israeli atrocities in Gaza, and the intentional blocking of humanitarian aid that has led to starvation and the spread of polio in the besieged territory, have sparked global outrage, especially among young people. However, this same level of outrage has not been directed toward China's systematic efforts to slowly eradicate the Uyghur people in its prison camps. Some argue that the differing reactions are due to America's direct support for Israel's war in Gaza, but victims do not suffer less because of the identity of their perpetrator. If human rights are truly universal, then what happens in Gaza and Xinjiang should equally outrage us all.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3816102

The European Council president met Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the margins of a Southeast Asian summit in Laos as Beijing and the European Union impose tit-for-tat penalties on each other's imports in a row about subsidies and protectionism.

Michel said in an interview with AFP that after his "frank and candid" talks with Li, he hoped a deal could be struck in the coming days or weeks -- but he warned that getting there would be tough.

[...]

"We count on China to adapt its behaviour and to understand that we have to rebalance the economic relationships for more fairness, for fair competition, for a more level playing field."

[...]

A furious Beijing has responded with new tariffs on EU-made brandy, alarming French producers, while Brussels is also investigating Chinese subsidies for solar panels and wind turbines.

China is also tangled in a bitter, wide-ranging trade dispute with the United States, with Washington announcing sharp tariff hikes targeting $18 billion of Chinese goods including electric vehicles, EV batteries and solar cells.

Beijing reacted angrily to Michel's remarks Friday, condemning what it called the EU's "lose-lose" approach to the dispute.

[...]

With the global economy rattled by conflict in Ukraine and fresh turmoil in the Middle East, Michel said it was better for all to avoid a trade war.

But he insisted the EU would no longer be "naive" about massive government subsidies, though he offered some hope the two sides would find a way out of the row.

[...]

Chinese authorities have forcibly detained four Tibetan students, aged 15 to 18, for refusing to attend a state-run boarding school following the closure of the Buddhist primary school at Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery in Dzoge County, according to a report by Radio Free Asia. The students have been subjected to “political education” as part of the government’s efforts to enforce attendance at state-run institutions.

The Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery School was shut down on October 1, coinciding with China’s National Day celebrations. On October 2, authorities forced more than 200 students, aged 15 to 18, to attend state-run schools in Dzoge County as part of China’s compulsory education policy, marking the complete closure of the monastery school. Starting in July, over 300 younger students, aged 6 to 14, had already been forcibly transferred to various state-run schools in the county.

[...]

The forcibly enrolled young monks are being educated primarily through Chinese textbooks. However, they are also receiving separate political education sessions focused on Chinese politics and ‘Xi Jinping’s Thought,’ according to an anonymous source inside Tibet.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3784578

**Tibetans and Tibet supporters in the French capital are continuing their protests against the Musée Guimet, despite the museum’s recent decision not to rename exhibitor spaces as “Tibet” rather than “Himalayan world. While the Musée du quai Branly apologised and promised, on September 25, to restore the name “Tibet” with the romanised version of a Chinese term, “Xizang” on its artefacts. **

For weeks, members of the Tibetan diaspora, human rights activists, and Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), a chapter-based network of youth activists, have gathered outside the Musée Guimet, demanding the recognition of Tibet as a distinct cultural and historical entity. Protesters chanted slogans such as “Tibet Exists. Name It.” and “Shame on Guimet,” calling on the museum to honor Tibetan heritage by renaming the exhibition halls to reflect Tibet’s true identity.

[...]

Despite the peaceful demonstrations, museum officials have rejected the appeal, stating that the name change was part of a broader global framework and that Tibet continues to be mentioned within the museum’s exhibits.

“Many researchers and experts in the field have also expressed their disagreement with this renaming and the invisibilisation of Tibet that it entails,” said Tenzin Yangchen, President of SFT France, speaking on behalf of the Tibetan community. “Their opposition underlines the importance of maintaining historical and cultural integrity in our academic and museum institutions. That is why we cannot remain silent.”

Yangchen also emphasised that the issue at the Guimet Museum is just one example of the increasing Chinese influence in France. “For decades, the Tibetan people have suffered under the oppression of the Chinese government. We cannot remain silent in the face of this injustice that now extends to our own cultural institutions.” She added that the protests would continue for as long as necessary until the Guimet Museum acknowledges Tibet as a nation with its own identity, culture, and artistic heritage. The activists are also stepping up efforts to engage with local politicians and government officials to press for change.

[...]

The controversy gained public attention when Le Monde raised concerns that the Musée du Quai Branly had replaced “Tibet” with “Xizang Autonomous Region,” and the Musée Guimet had renamed its exhibition spaces focused on Tibet as the “Himalayan world.” Scholars argue that these changes align with Chinese state propaganda, which aims to rewrite and distort Tibetan history and culture, ultimately legitimising China’s illegal occupation of Tibet.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3784522

In March 2024, the Hong Kong government introduced a new security law, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. Also known as ‘Article 23 legislation’, it exacerbates the impact of the 2020 National Security Law by introducing a number of new crimes and longer sentences for existing crimes. Practically speaking, the two pieces of legislation are complementary legal tools for cracking down on dissent since the 2019 pro-democracy protest movement.

[...]

EU governments should advocate for the rules-based international order and the upholding of international law; principles which are enshrined in the Treaty of Lisbon, EU institutions, and across domestic policies and legislation. While it is not perfect, the EU stands for fundamental rights and freedoms, which it seeks to promote at home and abroad. Furthermore, speaking out about human rights violations in Hong Kong and China is a clear way of reiterating those values in the face of Beijing’s quest to reshape international human rights norms and language. This is particularly important when Beijing’s actions have an impact within the EU itself.

Intimidation and division among Hong Kongers in the EU

In July and December 2023, the Hong Kong government issued arrest warrants and HKD 1 million (USD 128,100) bounties, under the 2020 National Security Law, for 13 activists based in the UK, US, and Australia. All these individuals reside outside Hong Kong and China and several hold foreign citizenship. Most recently, in June 2024, the Hong Kong government cancelled the passports of six activists based in the UK. Article 96 of the new Safeguarding National Security Ordinance allows for the cancellation of “absconders” passports, enacted in this instance. Exemplified by the government’s latest round of threats against activists abroad, these measures constitute an innovative new type of transnational repression against Hong Kong citizens.

[...]

Novel threats from the Hong Kong government are already causing real consequences for Hong Kongers in the EU — activists and more ‘ordinary’ citizens alike — and they are creating new challenges for advocacy from both the civil society and diplomatic channels.

[...]

The arrest warrants, bounties, and now passport cancellations, show that Hong Kong (and China) is entering uncharted territory in its transnational repression and violations of international law. The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) has also been used in similar ways.

[...]

Although none of these repressive measures have been employed against European citizens or residents so far, they send a signal to Hong Kongers based in the EU that these actions can be used against them too. More broadly, they signal that the Hong Kong government (and Beijing) can take extraterritorial action with little consequences. This is a test to measure the international response: if they can do this with little accountability, they know that they can commit further harassment, and other forms of human rights violations, abroad. This is noted by other undemocratic countries, who may be inspired by this impunity and consider forms of extraterritorial human rights violations they can commit themselves. Thus, a strong pre-emptive response is vital to deter extraterritorial human rights violations against people in the EU.

[...]

Strategically, EU member states should adopt a more consistent and unified approach towards China, particularly its violations of international human rights law and the rules-based international order.

[...]

Furthermore, China and Hong Kong need to be held accountable and face real consequences for their human rights violations and violations of international law. This could include targeted sanctions against key government officials and entities, trade restrictions on items that support the Hong Kong government’s oppression, and legal challenges at international courts.

[Edit typo.]

Archived link

[...]

While censorship on economic issues is hardly new, the level of repression has taken a darker turn of late, sending chills through anyone in the country who analyzes the economy as part of their profession.

The most extreme example is the reported disappearance of Zhu Hengpeng, one of China’s most prominent and well-connected economists. Zhu is a director at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), a leading think tank that reports directly to the cabinet.

[...]

He is believed to have been forcibly disappeared in April after he made disparaging remarks about the economy in a private chat group on the Chinese social media platform WeChat. The specifics of what Zhu said are unclear, but some reports indicate that he had “improperly discussed central policies” and made a reference to the “mortality” of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping.

[...]

While economic information is perceived as being less politically sensitive than discussions about democracy or human rights in China, [...] research shows that over the past decade, the CCP has repeatedly ratcheted up restrictions whenever the economy appears to be in trouble. This year, the crackdown has increasingly focused on content that addresses income inequality, youth employment, and poverty – in other words, deep-rooted problems that affect large swaths of the population and could undermine a key pillar of the CCP’s political legitimacy.

[...]

Chinese citizens are also prohibited from expressing their feelings about the economy. In February, WeChat removed a popular article that reported on survey findings from the Guangzhou-based Canton Public Opinion Research Center, which revealed a prevailing sense of pessimism about the country’s economic well-being. Around the same time, the CCP’s flagship mouthpiece People’s Daily published an article titled “The Whole Country Is Filled with Optimism,” attempting to project positivity online. Netizens immediately flooded the social media platform Weibo with posts ridiculing the article. Within hours, the hashtag being used to discuss the piece was removed from public view.

[...] information on the economy is a daily concern for almost everyone in China. Tight censorship on this topic can breed mass distrust in approved sources and compel more netizens to circumvent the CCP’s draconian internet censorship, despite the possibility of punishment, in search of more objective news and analysis on China’s economic situation. In other words, censorship on the economy could ultimately backfire on censorship in general, exposing the regime to an even greater crisis of legitimacy.

For years, posts related to events during World War Two have proliferated on the Chinese internet, with the Japanese invasion during the war remaining a sensitive topic for nationalists on both sides. In China, Japan’s wartime atrocities have long been a sore point as Beijing maintains that Tokyo has never fully apologised.

The online posts are part of a wider phenomenon, which encompasses both xenophobia and attacks on Chinese nationals for being unpatriotic. One argument by analysts is that this digital nationalism has gone mostly unchecked by the Chinese government, with online patriotism fanning flames of anti-foreigner sentiment as well as accusations against Chinese figures.

Some are asking if this has gone too far. [...]They see echoes of the violent, state-sponsored campaign against so-called enemies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that traumatised the country in the 1960 and 1970s. Hundreds of thousands died in purges often led by youth militias known as the Red Guards. Families and neighbours turned on each other.

In a recent essay, author and university professor Zhang Sheng noted that “in the past people summoned the Red Guards, now people summon the ‘little pinks’” – a popular nickname for the virtual army of online nationalists.

[...]

It is not just foreigners facing the ire of cyber-nationalists. In recent months, Chinese public figures and companies have also been castigated for being insufficiently patriotic.

Beverage giant Nongfu Spring is considered a Chinese business success story, with its mineral water bottles a ubiquitous sight across the country’s convenience stores and restaurant tables. But in March, nationalists accused the company of using Japanese elements in its product design. One of its logos was said to resemble a Shinto temple, while the iconic mineral water bottle’s red cap was deemed to be a reference to the Japanese flag.

It resulted in a brief but intense online campaign: some called for a boycott, while videos of people angrily stamping on Nongfu Spring bottles and chucking their drinks down the toilet were all over social media.

Similarly, the author and Nobel Literature Prize laureate Mo Yan was accused of “beautifying” Japanese soldiers and being unpatriotic in his works by a nationalist blogger, who controversially sued the writer for insulting China.

[...]

Even state media has accused online nationalists of “making patriotism a business”. One commentary by CCP mouthpiece People’s Daily said those who “stir up public opinion and add fuel to the flames in order to… gain traffic and make personal gains, should be severely punished”.

But the ruling party has had a hand in stoking the fire, some say.

A US web-hosting company has been issued a notice by Hong Kong police asking it to take down the website of Flow HK, a media outlet co-founded by pro-democracy activists who have left the city, on national security grounds.

Automattic, the company behind web content management system WordPress, told HKFP on October 7 2024 that it had received a take-down demand from Hong Kong authorities relating to the website of Flow HK. The company said it had not complied with the order and had notified the site owner.

In an emailed reply to HKFP, Sunny Cheung — one of the co-founders of Flow HK — said Hong Kong police had said the outlet was suspected of violating a national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020 and a separate security law enacted in March, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, known locally as Article 23.

Cheung said police suspected Flow HK of committing offences including secession, subversion, and collusion under the Beijing-imposed security law, as well as sedition under Article 23.

[...]

Flow HK was founded in early 2021. According to its mission written in Chinese on the website, the publication aims to connect the Hong Kong diaspora and “pass on the torch of resistance.”

Other editorial members include wanted activist Ray Wong, an ex-leader of political group Hong Kong Indigenous who was granted political asylum in Germany in 2018, as well as digital rights activist Glacier Kwong, who also lives in Germany.

[Edit typo.]