News that caught our eye / The week ending April 28, 2023
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.
Macron’s Push to Get China’s Help on Ukraine Is Unraveling / April 23, 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to enlist China’s help to intervene in Russia’s war in Ukraine suffered another blow when the Chinese Ambassador to France said ex-Soviet states don’t have sovereign status as independent nations. Those comments triggered furious reactions, particularly in the former Soviet bloc countries Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (Bloomberg).
China disowns ambassador's remarks questioning Ukrainian independence / April 24, 2023
Chinese ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, the “Wolf Warrior,” recently declared that former Soviet nations did not have international status as independent countries. China’s foreign ministry quickly rejected his remarks on Monday, attempting to conceal Lu’s political viewpoint. Lu holds the nickname due to his “abrasive style” (BBC News).
Netherlands Turns Hawkish on China as EU Splits / April 22, 2023
While French President Macron pushed for stronger relations between the EU and China, and distancing the EU from the US, the Netherlands expressed an equally strong warning that China is the biggest national threat to its economic security. It also joined the US in trade sanctions for microchips against China (Bloomberg).
Italy may pull out of China's Belt and Road initiative / April 22, 2023
Italy’s prime minister, Georgia Meloni, is caught between the world’s superpowers as she has to decide whether to remain in China’s “Belt and Road” pact or to withdraw and favor the US’ global economic and political position. Italy has a strong trade partnership with China, but it also trades with Taiwan (The Japan Times).
China urges jobless graduates to ‘roll up their sleeves’ and try manual work / April 22, 2023
As China’s young adult unemployment numbers hold at or above 16% for a year, the government blamed young people for holding out for their dream jobs, recommending that they try manual labor in the service or farming industries. A record 11.6 million graduates will enter China’s overcrowded young workforce this spring (Financial Times).
The next battlefield with China is the college campus / April 25, 2023
Through its “Confucius Institutes” set up on college campuses, China has been known to spread communist propaganda and steal intellectual property at institutions for higher learning for decades. But for more than a decade, some US universities have actually invested in Chinese entities and accepted Chinese money for their endowment funds (Fox News).
China will require ChatGPT-style bots to fall in line with communist ‘core values’ / April 24, 2023
Along with adhering to communist “core values,” Chinese AI chat systems must also comply with the government’s censorship program and ensure content does not contradict the CCP’s agenda or goals of “national unity.” Western tech leaders have called for a pause to regulate the developing AI sector, but China may use the pause to surge ahead (Fox News).
India's population to surpass China this week – UN / April 25, 2023
India will claim China’s long-held title as the most populous nation in the world by the end of this week, rather than the mid-summer milestone predicted earlier. India will have more than 1.425 billion citizens, and its population is predicted to continue growing even though the birthrate is declining (BBC News).
Fucha: China reveals arrest of Taiwan-based publisher on security grounds / April 26, 2023
China has arrested and detained a Taiwan-based publisher for producing books critical of the CCP. Li Yanhe, who calls himself “Fucha,” was visiting China earlier this month when he disappeared. The Chinese government acknowledged that he had been detained for “endangering national stability” (BBC News).
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy upbeat after talk with China’s Xi / April 26, 2023
President Xi held an hour-long, “productive” phone call with Ukraine's President Zelensky on Wednesday, perhaps starting the process for a diplomatic resolution to the war in Ukraine. Zelensky was positive about the phone call, but critics don’t see a positive outcome for China’s role as a mediator when its allegiance to Russia is so strong (AP News).