News that caught our eye / The week ending May 24, 2024
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NOTE: The news reports below are not in chronological order. There is often a time lag in their reaching the US and in gaining our attention. These reports reflect the opinions of a variety of news sources.
Flying taxis to take off in China as Beijing pumps up 'low-altitude economy' / May 18, 2024
Urban scenes out of Star Wars may become reality in China as the Chinese government pushes for the development of the “low-altitude economy,” which will consist of drones, autonomous, flying taxis. and manned aircraft flying below 1000 meters. Other countries may follow suit, but regulator approval is easier in China (ABC News-Australia).
Atin Ito: China's threats to jail WPS trespassers a desperate move / May 18, 2024
Recently, naval ships from the Philippines and China’s coast guard have clashed near the Scarborough Shoal. More recently, civilian boats and fishermen have been harassed by Chinese vessels, and China has now made a declaration that it will detain—for up to 60 days, without a trial--any civilian that trespasses in its claimed territory (GMA News).
RAY McGOVERN: Russia & China — Two Against One / May 17, 2024
As President Xi welcomed Russian President Putin to Beijing last week, one analyst suggests that the Biden administration may still believe that its original attempt to drive a wedge between the two nations is still a viable option. But this most recent meeting in Beijing appears to have sealed the “no-limits” partnership—against Washington (Consortium News).
Putin and Xi no longer have a partnership of equals / May 16, 2024
While Putin and Xi’s no-limits partnership appears to present a balanced relationship between the two leaders, Russia’s sanction-based isolation from the West puts Putin in a subservient role to Xi. Putin needs China to survive, but China is less at risk, yet also needs the West to shore up its own economy (BBC News).
UK defense minister says China working to supply lethal aid to Russia / May 23, 2024
British defense minister Grant Shapps charged China with supplying lethal aid to Russia—now, or in the near future—for its war in Ukraine, although he did not provide direct evidence to support his claim. He did point to the dramatic increase in trade between the two countries and advised Western nations to wake up. The Chinese embassy in London rejected his claims (Reuters).
Biden's Chinese EV tariffs don't address national security concerns / May 17, 2024
President Biden announced a 4-fold increase in the Trump Administration’s tariffs on imported Chinese EVs last week, but even members of the Democrat Party say the increase doesn’t go far enough. Rather, they say all Chinese EVs and smart vehicle tech should be banned because of the ability to monitor so much of US drivers’ lives (CBS News).
China's moves away from US dollar hit new milestone / May 20, 2024
China sold more than $53 billion in US Treasury and agency bonds during the first quarter of 2024, marking a new low in the amount of US bonds that China has. China is investing more in gold, possibly as a hedge against Western sanctions if it invades Taiwan. China sees how sanctions have hurt Russia as it invaded Ukraine (Newsweek).
Chinese lawyers accuse court officials of interfering in trial / May 19, 2024
Chinese lawyers happened to notice that a judge was communicating with his superiors via Weibo and receiving instruction from them regarding an ongoing trial. While China passed a law in 2021 to allow for “key supervision” in four categories of cases, the law does not allow judges to manipulate the outcome of a trial. Evidence suggests this happens occasionally (SCMP).
Why China’s Taiwan-pop generation is drifting away from the island / May 19, 2024
Mainland Chinese citizens born after the 1990’s grew up on Taiwan-produced music and movies which established bonds of familiarity between the two Chinese cultures. However, the pandemic and the widening gap between the two nations’ political philosophies have curtailed most “people-to-people” exchanges and tourism between the two (SCMP).
Taiwanese leader William Lai sends ‘dangerous signals’ with speech / May 20, 2024
Beijing reacted negatively to President William Lai’s inaugural speech in Taiwan this week, charging Lai with promoting a pro-independence platform for Taiwan. Lai promoted the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and urged the mainland to stop intimidating the island (SCMP).
Taiwan's steely leader rewrote the book on how to deal with China / May 18, 2024
Former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen changed Taiwan’s relationship with China by standing up to its aggression and building somewhat tenuous alliances with other nations in the region, and with the US. She says the people of Taiwan see themselves as a nation; now she wishes the rest of the world would see that, too (BBC News).
China launches 'punishment' war games around Taiwan / May 23, 2024
In response to the inauguration of Lai Ching-te as Taiwan’s new president and his “pro-independence” stance in his inaugural speech, China began a two-day military exercise around the island as well as around many smaller islands closer to the mainland that Taiwan also claims. The drills are shorter in duration, but similar to previous exercises, and were expected to occur (Reuters).
China hits Boeing Defense, two others with symbolic sanctions / May 19, 2024
China placed sanctions on three US defense contractors in response to the US’s military support for Taiwan and the inauguration of Taiwan’s new President, Lai Ching-te. The move is mostly symbolic since these companies don’t do much, if any. business in China (Yahoo! News).
China promises 'friendship' as two warships dock in Cambodia / May 19, 2024
Two Chinese warships docked in a Cambodian port recently in anticipation of joint military exercises with the Cambodian navy. Just south of that port, however, is the Ream Naval Base, where China has invested a great deal in infrastructure. That worries the West because China could turn that base into a port for its own warships and supplies (NBC News).
It's tough to pay cash in China: the government fined a KFC for rejecting banknotes / May 23, 2024
Even before the pandemic, Chinese citizens became accustomed to paying for purchases via their phones or QR codes. In 2023, 86% of all purchases were cashless and even “card-less.” But, foreign tourists and the elderly are not accustomed to this method of payment. So the government is cracking down on companies for refusing cash payments (Yahoo! News).
Vatican reaffirms that Catholic Church is no threat to sovereignty / May 21, 2024
The Vatican reached out to China last week to pacify concerns that the Catholic Church is a threat to China’s sovereignty because of the church’s history of foreign, ecclesiastical leadership in China rather than allowing Chinese bishops to govern the Chinese church themselves. “Obedience to the pope does not harm one’s love for his country” (ABC News).