News that caught our eye / The week ending September 6, 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.
Curated by James Getka.
China's halt of foreign adoptions leaves questions about pending cases / September 5, 2024
China has stopped the adoption processes of “all cases” for intercountry adoptions of Chinese children, leaving expectant parents wondering if there is any hope for their adoption plans to come to fruition. Only blood-relative adoptions are allowed, according to Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry. China’s birthrate and its overall population have dropped for the last two years (ABC News).
‘Spamouflage’ network mimics Americans online to sway US political debate / September 3, 2024
As the US presidential election approaches, election interference by foreign adversaries is once again becoming a concern. “Spamouflage,” a suspected Chinese “disinformation group,” has been accused of creating fake online users and influencers, not necessarily to promote one candidate over another, but to create distrust in the election and the US as a country. Other countries, like Russia and Iran, are also suspected to be involved (AP News).
China-Africa Summit 2024: What’s in it for Beijing, Xi Jinping, and Africa? / September 4, 2024
The tri-annual China-Africa Summit called the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) met this week, with over 53 African heads of state and other officials attending the lavish conference. China has been investing in Africa for nearly 20 years and is the continent’s largest investor (Al Jazeera).
China’s Xi promises one million jobs for Africa / September 5, 2024
Speaking at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation this week, President Xi Jinping promised to bring at least one million jobs on the African continent through China’s numerous partnerships with African countries to build infrastructure, factories, hospitals, schools and more, all to modernize the continent and strengthen China’s ties with the Global South. Xi stated China will bring the equivalent of 51 billion dollars in aid and development to Africa (Al Jazeera).
Taiwan Turns Tables on China with Russian Territories Jibe / September 2, 2024
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, in response to China’s claim over Taiwan, suggested that China should also reclaim territory—large parts of Manchuria—given to Russia in the 1800s if it is so serious about reclaiming “lost” lands. China had a loose claim to Taiwan in the 1800s under the Qing dynasty. Lai claims China only wants Taiwan because China wants to exert its power and hegemony (Newsweek).
New York governor's ex-aide charged as Chinese agent / September 4, 2024
Linda Sun, and her husband, Christopher Hu, were arrested on Tuesday and charged with acting as agents of the Chinese government. Ms. Sun had worked for the State of New York for more than 10 years, first in the Cuomo Administration and more recently, in the Hochul administration, but only for about 15 months (BBC News).
'Chinese spy mayor' wanted by Philippines arrested / September 3, 2024
Alice Guo, the recent mayor of the small Philippine town of Bamban, was found in Indonesia and arrested for sheltering organized crime and human trafficking under online gambling casinos in Bamban. She is also suspected of serving as a Chinese spy or agent. Ms. Guo fled the country in July and denies the allegations (BBC News).
US Responds After Chinese Ship Rams US Ally in South China Sea / September 2, 2024
The United States condemned the Chinese Coast Guard and the Chinese government for the ship’s ramming into a Philippine Coast Guard vessel that was maneuvering near the Spratley Shoal in the South China Sea. This is the second time Chinese Coast Guard ships have threatened Philippine ships in this area since the two countries had a short reprieve from hostilities earlier this summer (Newsweek).
China Reacts After Russia Says It Intends to Change Nuclear War Policy / September 2, 2024
In response to Ukraine’s incursion into Russian territory in its war with Russia, President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia is rethinking its nuclear doctrine, suggesting that Russia may employ nuclear weapons either against Ukraine, or its allies that are supporting its war effort. China warned that a nuclear war cannot be fought nor won (Newsweek).
China hits Canada with anti-dumping probe on canola imports, Ottawa concerned / September 4, 2024
Following the direction of the US and the EU, Canada enacted 100% tariffs on Chinese EV imports, including Tesla. China condemned Canada’s actions and said it will start an anti-dumping investigation into Canada’s canola oil and some chemical exports to China. Almost all of China’s canola oil imports come from Canada (Reuters).
China warns Japan of retaliation over potential new chip curbs, Bloomberg reports / September 2, 2024
A trade war between China and Japan is escalating as China has warned Japan that it may cut off raw material exports to Japan if Japan places more sanctions on chipmaking equipment to China. Japan began restricting exports of certain semiconductor equipment in July, following the United States’ lead to limit China’s access to Western technology (Reuters).
China says ship passage through Japan territorial waters "legitimate" / September 2, 2024
Japan lodged a protest against China on Monday after a Chinese naval vessel sailed into Japanese waters near Kagoshima Prefecture over the weekend. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, explained that the ship was in an area of “international navigation.” This is the tenth occurrence of Chinese ships entering Japanese territorial waters since 2021. In August, a Chinese spy plane entered Japanese airspace, also (Kyodo News).
China's manufacturing output swung back to modest growth in August / September 1, 2024
A private survey indicates that factory activity improved modestly in August among smaller Chinese manufacturers as export orders increased while domestic demand continued to be weak (CNBC).