News that caught our eye / The week ending May 19, 2023
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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.
China & Russia increasing military collaboration, says Japan’s foreign minister / May 13, 2023
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi declared that Russia’s war in Ukraine is inseparable from the escalation of political tensions in the Indo-Pacific since Russia and China are political and economic partners and the source of these escalations in both arenas. He warned similar destabilizing conflicts could occur if other nations don’t step up (AP News).
Liz Truss in Taiwan calls for ‘economic Nato’ to challenge China / May 17, 2023
The former Prime Minister of England had strong words against China’s “bully tactics” to intimidate nations from supporting Taiwan’s democracy and freedom. Truss called for democratic nations to back up their verbal support for Taiwan with concrete measures to defend the island. China said her words were harmful for the UK (The Guardian).
G7 struggles with response to China ‘economic coercion’ threat / May 17, 2023
As the G7 meet in Hiroshima this week, there isn’t a unanimous approach to countering China’s economic coercion. While the US has some leverage in dealing with China (it’s 3rd biggest trade partner), Japan and the EU find themselves more bound to China. China accuses the US of its own coercion through sanctions (Al Jazeera).
China’s recovery lifts U.S. companies’ sales as consumers pull back spending / May 14, 2023
As China continues to bounce back from its zero-Covid lockdown, US companies are seeing a resurgence in profits from Chinese sales, although they have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels in most areas. At the same time, US sales are lukewarm as US consumers deal with inflation (CNBC).
China sentences 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison for spying / May 15, 2023
John Shing-Wan Leung, an American citizen living in Hong Kong, was convicted of espionage and sentenced to life in prison, but the reasons for his conviction have not been revealed. Such a harsh punishment is rare for foreign citizens. Leung worked in cultural and expat programs between the US and China (BBC News).
New US report alleges religious freedom violations in China, Iran, India / May 15, 2023
The US State Department released its annual review of religious freedom throughout the world, stating that governments that typically target religious minorities have increased their harassment tactics. Secretary Antony Blinken provided details about China and Iran’s persecution of Uyghurs and minorities in Iran, but also included India, which is new on the list (ABC News).
China launches projects to build 'new-era' marriage, childbearing culture / May 14, 2023
With China’s population shrinking and aging, the government is now offering incentives and social engineering to create a “friendly child-bearing environment” in major cities to encourage women to marry and have more children. Women, however, prefer to work and worry about the cost of childcare and its effects on their careers (Reuters).
China erupts in anger over Japan’s latest move / May 15, 2023
Japan is locked in a struggle with three geo-political threats due to territorial disputes with China and Russia, as well as North Korea’s nuclear ambitions in the region. Japan increased its defense funding and established a military presence in a disputed area. Consequently, China reacted with outrage, threats, and historical claims about Japanese militarism (news.com.au)
China’s Xi hosts Central Asia summit as Russian influence wanes / May 18, 2023
China is hosting a Central Asian conference with 5 former Soviet bloc nations, suggesting China’s growing influence is pushing Russia out of the picture. While China and Russia have strong political ties, China’s 1st quarter import/export volume with these countries increased by more than 35% year over year (Al Jazeera).