Matt Turpin's China Articles - April 30, 2023
Friends,
After 14 months of Putin’s war on Ukraine, Xi Jinping finally called President Zelensky… but apparently never mention Russia. Sounds like an awkward conversation.
Also, the PRC’s rubber-stamp parliament approved a major overhaul of the nation’s espionage law. In essence, the National People’s Congress ratified the ‘securitization of everything’ that Xi Jinping called for repeatedly during the 20th Party Congress in October.
The new law broadens the scope of what can be considered ‘state secrets’ to essentially anything PRC authorities might decide after the fact is related to national security. It also reinforces the obligations on logistics and telecommunications companies to “provide technical support.” Elisabeth Braw provides a great overview and I expect we will see multiple law firms over the coming weeks provide even more insight.
There is one thing that I think we can be nearly certain about with this legislation: whatever exchanges and collaboration remained between the PRC and the outside world will be even further constrained.
One last thing…
Happy Birthday Willie Nelson! He turned the big 9-0 on Friday.
In his honor, I recommend listening to this version of his classic, Bloody Mary Morning. It was recorded in October 1974 for the pilot episode of Austin City Limits. 900 episodes later and the show is still going strong as America’s longest running music series.
Enjoy a Bloody Mary this morning to celebrate!
Thanks for reading!
Matt
MUST READ
1. AUDIO – Schell on The Long Arc of US-China and Long Reach of Leninism
Jordan Schneider and Orville Schell, China Talk, April 14, 2023
A fantastic interview with insightful comments by a incredible China scholar. Orville Schell provides his interpretation of the dynamics unfolding in Beijing and what motivates the PRC leader.
2. Chinese Authorities Question Bain Staff in Shanghai
Dan Strumpf, Wall Street Journal, April 27, 2023
Authorities visited the Shanghai offices of Bain & Co. and questioned staff, the management-consulting firm said, becoming the latest foreign firm to be targeted in China where authorities have been increasing pressure on selected American and other Western businesses.
The Boston-based company said Wednesday U.S. time that it was cooperating with authorities and declined to comment further. Shanghai police didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the reason for the visit, previously reported by the Financial Times, which also said police took away computers and phones.
The episode underscores the increasingly risky environment for businesses operating in the world’s second-largest economy amid worsening ties between Beijing and Washington. It also comes as China brings a potentially wider array of business activities under an expanded anti-espionage law that was updated this week.
3. Leaked Tape Reveals How Spy Camera Firm Used Ex-U.S. Official to Cover Up Uyghur Abuses
Georgia Gee, The Intercept, April 21, 2023
A newly emerged tape from Hivikson’s cameras offers new evidence into the situation of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The population in the region is subjected to incessant surveillance, which perpetuates the system of repression that has already imprisoned thousands of Uyghur Muslims.
4. China doesn’t want peace in Ukraine, Czech president warns
Lili Bayer and Ketrin Jochecová, Politico, April 25, 2023
In an interview with Politico, Peter Pavel offers his insights on Chinese involvement in war in Ukraine. He calls for suspicion in assessing China’s readiness to broke peace making deals, arguing that China wants only to benefit no other state but itself.
5. Josep Borrell, chef de la diplomatie européenne : « Un regard froid sur la Chine » [Josep Borrell, head of European diplomacy: "A cold look at China"] – ORIGINAL IN FRENCH
Josep Borrell, Le Journal du Dimanche, April 22, 2023
After spending the whole week in the European Parliament to talk about China, I will bring together European foreign ministers on Monday to discuss the same subject. Because if China does not directly threaten our security, it constitutes a multidimensional challenge for Europe given its systemic weight in the world which has nothing to do with that of Russia. How will China use its power and how can we deal with it? These are the two questions before us.
6. China’s Project 912 Used Social Media to Target Dissidents
William Turton and Sarah Zheng, Bloomberg, April 25, 2023
The Chinese police have been caught creating fake social media accounts to target critics and dissidents. This is a part of a broader trend of increased surveillance and censorship in China, with the government cracking down on any form of dissent or criticism. The revelation has sparked concern among activists and human rights groups about the erosion of free speech and privacy in China.
Authoritarianism
7. China approves wide-ranging expansion of counter-espionage law
Laurie Chen, Reuters, April 27, 2023
Chinese lawmakers passed a wide-ranging update to Beijing's anti-espionage legislation on Wednesday, banning the transfer of any information related to national security and broadening the definition of spying.
China's top legislative body passed the revised Counter-Espionage Law - its first update since 2014 - following three days of deliberations, and it will take effect from July 1, state media reported.
President Xi Jinping has made national security a key focus of his administration since taking office in 2012 and analysts say these revisions are evidence of that stricter regime as suspicion of the United States and its allies grows.
All "documents, data, materials, and items related to national security and interests" are under the same protection as state secrets following the revisions, according to the full text of the revised law published by Xinhua late Wednesday.
The law does not define what falls under China's national security or interests.
8. U.N. expert warns Hong Kong security law compromising judiciary
Pak Yiu, Nikkei Asia, April 25, 2023
9. As Xi Befriends World Leaders, He Hardens His Stance on the U.S.
David Pierson, New York Times, April 20, 2023
Analysis of Xi Jinping’s relations with foreign leaders. As he seeks to maintain friendly relations with leaders from all over the world, he tries to isolate the United States, sinking Sino-American relations to the lowest point in decades.
10. Hong Kong faces teacher flight as China pushes 'patriotism'
Kensaku Ihara, Nikkei Asia, April 21, 2023
11. Former Hong Kong union leader withdraws rally application after ‘being taken away’
Lilian Cheng, South China Morning Post, April 26, 2023
12. Hong Kong’s libraries told to quickly root out books ‘contrary’ to national security
Harvey Kong, South China Morning Post, April 26, 2023
13. Why Xi Is Rebranding Chinese Cultural History
James Palmer, Foreign Policy, April 19, 2023
14. China’s Space Dream Is a Legal Nightmare
Benjamin Silverstein, Foreign Policy, April 21, 2023
15. China wants to give its AI systems ‘socialist values’ and bans them from criticising country’s leaders
Vishwam Sankaran, Independent, April 26, 2023
16. Chinese official expected at King Charles’ coronation was key player in Hong Kong crackdown
Eleni Courea, Politico, April 26, 2023
17. Europe’s disunity over China deepens
Jamil Anderlini, Politico, April 24, 2023
18. ‘It’s already the epilogue’: censorship, cost-cutting hit China’s media industry
Ji Siqi and Yuanyue Dang, South China Morning Post, April 24, 2023
19. After the ‘Two Sessions’: China in 2023 and beyond
Charles Parton, Council on Geostrategy, April 20, 2023
Environmental Harms
20. Electric Vehicle Boom May Force China to Burn More Dirty Coal
Bloomberg, April 20, 2023
21. Troubled Waters: The Geopolitics of Deep-Sea Mining
Arman Sindhu, Geopolitical Monitor, April 18, 2023
Foreign Interference and Coercion
22. An open letter to the Right Honorable David Johnston, Independent Special Rapporteur, Government of Canada
Pancouver, April 21, 2023
23. The Autocrat Sliding into Your DMs
Ariane Gottlieb, American Purpose, April 19, 2023
24. 'The Plan to Destroy Taiwan'
Chris Horton, The Wire China, March 26, 2023
One of the largest media groups in Taiwan is full of anti-American propaganda. CTI News argued that the US plans to destroy Taiwan. This rhetoric is a platform to voice out the pro-China sentiments.
25. Beijing targets Taiwan's publishing industry
Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, Axios, April 25, 2023
26. Chinese-Australians feel more at home
Jennifer Hsu, Interpreter, April 19, 2023
27. Mayorkas reviews threat landscape, launches initiatives on China and AI threats
Charlie Mitchell, Inside Cybersecurity, April 21, 2023
28. Baltics blast China diplomat for questioning sovereignty of ex-Soviet states
Antonia Zimmermann, Politico, April 23, 2023
Chinese ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, questioned the independent status of some former Soviet countries, namely Baltic states. Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia are demanding an explanation from the Chinese government following the remark.
29. Europe Is Disastrously Split on China
Thorsten Benner, Foreign Policy, April 12, 2023
30. Curing Taiwan’s disinformation disease
Dennis LC Weng, Asia Times, April 26, 2023
31. UK expected to stop funding Chinese state-linked Mandarin teaching schools
Patrick Wintour, The Guardian, April 24, 2023
32. Is Taiwan about to lose Paraguay, its last ally in South America?
Xinlu Liang, South China Morning Post, April 23, 2023
33. Rapper Pras Michel Took $100 Million to Do Jho Low’s Bidding, US Says
David Voreacos, Bloomberg, April 20, 2023
34. Rapper Michel Convicted of Illegally Aiding 1MDB’s Jho Low
David Voreacos, Bloomberg, April 26, 2023
Pras Michel, a Grammy-winning rapper turned political influencer, was convicted of conspiring to wage a back-channel lobbying campaign to end US probes of Malaysian tycoon Jho Low and get American authorities to extradite a dissident Chinese billionaire.
Federal jurors on Wednesday convicted Michel, 50, of other crimes, including conspiring to illegally funnel Low’s money into the campaign of President Barack Obama in 2012. Michel gambled by testifying in his own defense during the monthlong trial in Washington federal court, denying wrongdoing.
Human Rights and Religious Persecution
35. Taiwanese activist faces ‘secession’ charges in mainland China
Amber Wang and Lawrence Chung, South China Morning Post, April 25, 2023
36. Fears grow for Taiwan book publisher believed held in China
Helen Davidson and Chi Hui Lin, The Guardian, April 24, 2023
Industrial Policies and Economic Espionage
37. Xi’s Tech Self-Reliance Push Leaves Europeans Wary of China R&D
Bloomberg, April 21, 2023
38. Ex-Harvard Chemist Gets No Jail Time for Hiding China Work
Hadriana Lowenfron and Janelle Lawrence, Bloomberg, April 26, 2023
Former Harvard University chemist Charles Lieber was ordered to serve six months of home confinement — avoiding jail time — for lying to US authorities about his role in a Chinese government program to recruit scientists and develop research.
US District Judge Rya Zobel sentenced Lieber Wednesday in Boston, where the onetime chair of Harvard’s Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department was convicted by a jury in December 2021. Lieber, 64, is a leader in the field of nanoscience and has since retired after three decades at the school.
COMMENT – Lieber’s cancer diagnosis likely influenced the judge’s decision to set aside federal sentencing guidelines.
39. China Province Steps Up Effort to Seek State Help on Debt Woes
Bloomberg, April 24, 2023
40. Canada's Ontario Teachers' fund closes China equity investment team
Summer Zhen and Xie Yu, Reuters, April 25, 2023
41. China clamours to join CPTPP trade bloc as external pressures mount
Frank Tang, South China Morning Post, April 24, 2023
42. Biden Aims to Unveil China Investment Curbs With G-7 Backing
Jenny Leonard, Bloomberg, April 20, 2023
43. Rare Earth Reshore
Luke Patey, The Wire China, April 23, 2023
44. Pro-Patent Panel Tells Senate IP Subcommittee It’s Time for a Better IP Strategy
Eileen McDermott, IPWatchdog, April 18, 2023
“Frankly, we assumed too much…. We assumed that when a country begins to own IP it would protect IP for everybody. We applied general perceptions of the rest of world to China and found it did not quite work the way we anticipated.” – Mark Cohen at Senate IP Subcommittee Hearing
“The IP Commission, the Section 301 Investigation, and dozens of criminal prosecutions by the U.S. Justice Department over multiple Administrations, expose a truth that many have been reluctant to acknowledge: the United States is the victim of a comprehensive and intentional campaign by the People’s Republic of China involving criminal acts, espionage, market manipulation, and government policies which result in grave economic and national security harms.” – Matt Turpin at Senate IP Subcommittee Hearing
45. Germany rethinks China’s Hamburg port deal as further doubts raised
Gabriel Rinaldi and Peter Wilke, Politico, April 19, 2023
Cyber & Information Technology
46. TikTok Could Get a Lifeline from Big Tech as a US Ban Looms
Anna Edgerton and Emily Birnbaum, Bloomberg, April 19, 2023
47. Hagerty Leads Colleagues in Urging Biden Administration to Sanction Huawei Cloud and Other PRC Cloud Computing Services
Office of Senator Bill Hagerty, April 25, 2023
48. Biden should sanction Huawei Cloud, other Chinese firms -senators
David Shepardson, Reuters, April 25, 2023
49. Microsoft is giving hackers weather-themed names like storm, typhoon, and blizzard
Tom Warren, The Verge, April 19, 2023
Microsoft has started naming hackers after the weather in a new naming taxonomy update. Hackers will now be named after events like storms, typhoons, and blizzards, as part of eight groups that Microsoft is using to track cyber attacks. That means the Lapsus$ hacking group that has targeted companies like Nvidia, Samsung, and Microsoft will now be referred to as Strawberry Tempest (no, it’s not a $15 cocktail).
The new taxonomy will include five key groups: nation-state actors, financially motivated actors, private sector offensive actors (PSOAs), influence operations, and groups still in development. If a new cybersecurity threat is new or from an unknown source, then Microsoft will assign it a temporary “Storm” designation and a four-digit number. This replaces the previous “DEV” moniker Microsoft used to use.
COMMENT – China = Typhoon; Russia = Blizzard
50. US bans intensify chip-making equipment competition
June Park, Asia Times, April 26, 2023
51. Seagate to pay $300 million penalty for shipping Huawei 7 million hard drives
Karen Freifeld, Reuters, April 20, 2023
52. U.S. urges Seoul not to fill China gaps if Beijing bans Micron chips
Nikkei Asia, April 24, 2023
53. Artificial Intelligence in Nuclear Operations: Challenges, Opportunities, And Impacts
Mary Chesnut, Tim Ditte, Anya Fink, Larry Lewis, and Tim McDonnell, CNA, April 17, 2023
54. PRC Writings on Strategic Deterrence Technological Disruption and the Search for Strategic Stability
Alison A. Kaufman and Brian Waidelich, CNA, February 17, 2023
55. BIS Imposes $300 Million Penalty Against Seagate Technology LLC Related to Shipments to Huawei
U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security, April 19, 2023
56. Huawei wysłał „przedsądowe wezwania do milczenia” do Rady ds. cyfryzacji – twierdzi minister [Huawei has sent "pre-trial silence notices" to the Digital Council, the minister claims]
Krzysztof Pasławski, CRN, March 28, 2023 – ORIGINAL IN POLISH
The company demands "immediate removal and an end to the dissemination of false information."
Huawei reacted sharply to the actions of the Prime Minister's Digital Council, which is to prepare recommendations regarding the removal of TikTok from the phones of people from the central authorities and faster banning of a "high-risk supplier" from the country's infrastructure (this regulation is aimed at Huawei).
“Huawei decided to remind what the Streisand effect is by sending pre-trial calls to the members of the Digitization Council to remain silent before voting on the Council's position,” Janusz Cieszyński, government representative for cybersecurity, said on Twitter, publishing a letter from the company. The Streisand effect is that trying to block a piece of information makes it spread even more.
Well, according to the Chinese company, "the information presented in the [council's] position is unfounded and misleading, which violates the good name (reputation) of Huawei."
The company calls for the "immediate removal and stop dissemination of false information" about Huawei, which was included in the board's statement. It indicates, among others to phrases such as "Chinese tech companies, including the TikTok app, can support the Chinese authorities and their intelligence services in collecting huge amounts of data."
The call also concerns "disturbing information about the expansion of Chinese technology companies in Poland." Here, in turn, he indicates information about the purchase of Huawei devices by Cellnex, "and thus basing the data of Polish taxpayers on the Huawei matrix (...), which raises the risk that China will receive access to all significant commercial operations of Polish entrepreneurs."
Huawei also expects the information regarding the Secure Equipment Act to be removed and stopped disseminating that "the United States has taken a number of legislative actions that have led to the restriction and then banning of the sale of Chinese Huawei devices (...) in the US also in the private sector."
"The current content of the statement contains unauthorized claims that expose the company to a loss of reputation among contractors, which will result in serious and irreparable damage to Huawei," the company states. It calls for the cessation of violations, otherwise it does not preclude legal action.
COMMENT – Huawei threatens members of the Polish Prime Minister’s Digital Council with lawsuits unless they stop considering information that is unflattering about Huawei.
57. TSMC lands advanced chip orders shifted from China
Monica Chen and Jessie Shen, Digitimes Asia, April 25, 2023
Military and Security Threats
58. The New Nuclear Age
Andrew F. Krepinevich Jr., Foreign Affairs, April 19, 2022
59. VIDEO – How Chinese firms trade with the Russian military despite Western sanctions
DW News, YouTube, February 10, 2023
Trade data shows that China is aiding Russia’s war in Ukraine, despite a raft of Western sanctions. China’s state-owned defense companies have shipped navigation gear and parts to fighter jets and other military technology equipment to Russian defense companies.
60. How business-friendly Hong Kong became a hub of Russian chip trade
Cissy Zhou and Kenji Kawase, Nikkei Asia, April 21, 2023
61. Send warships to Taiwan Strait, Borrell urges EU governments
Stuart Lau, Politico, April 23, 2023
EU member countries should deploy warships to patrol the Taiwan Strait in order to deter Beijing’s military aggression, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
In an article published in Le Journal du Dimanche on Saturday, Borrell took a swipe at French President Emmanuel Macron’s sense of detachment on Taiwan as reflected in an interview with POLITICO earlier this month. Borrell argued in the French publication that “Europe must in fact be very present on this issue [of Taiwan], which concerns us economically, commercially and technologically.”
Borrell continued: “That is why I call on European navies to patrol the Taiwan Strait to signify Europe’s commitment to freedom of navigation in this absolutely crucial area. At the same time, we must be vigilant against provocations and overbidding.”
62. U.S. echoes Yoon's remarks on need to preserve peace in Taiwan Strait
Byun Duk-kun, Yonhap News Agency, April 21, 2023
63. China lagging US in crucial laser weapon race
Gabriel Honrada, Asia Times, April 26, 2023
64. Australia plans major overhaul of defenses as China rises
Rod McGuirk, Associated Press, April 24, 2023
65. US war game on Taiwan shows need for 'decisive action' to boost arms
Michael Martina, Reuters, April 20, 2023
66. China uses AI to aim its big guns against Taiwan
Gabriel Honrada, Asia Times, April 20, 2023
67. Australia prepares more assertive military stance to deter conflict
Kirsty Needham, Reuters, April 21, 2023
68. Ukraine war puts global military spending at all-time high
Nikkei Asia, April 24, 2023
69. Strident or restrained: China deciding how to confront the U.S. over Taiwan
Jennifer Jett and Janis Mackey Frayer, NBC, April 10, 2023
70. China Is Studying Russia’s Economic Playbook for Conflict
Eugene Chausovsky, Foreign Policy, April 14, 2023
71. U.S. is concerned about rivals’ space threats, leaked documents show
Christian Davenport, Washington Post, April 25, 2023
72. US Space Command Wants Red Phones with China, Russia
Audrey Decker, Defense One, April 21, 2023
73. The PLA Rocket Force’s Conventional Missile
Lawrence “Sid” Trevethan, U.S. Naval Institute, April, 2023
One Belt, One Road Strategy
74. China is cementing its position as an Arctic superpower through Russia
Faustine Ngila, Quartz, April 20, 2023
75. Not the Indo-Pacific: a Melanesian view on strategic competition
Patrick Kaiku, Interpreter Lowy Institute, April 18, 2023
Opinion Pieces
76. The US- European tech partnership should be renewed and deepened
Eva Maydell and Ylli Bajrakati, EURACTIV, April 20, 2023
77. Covid’s origins and a disturbing Nature study
Alice C Hughes, Spectator, April 22, 2023
78. America Has Dictated Its Economic Peace Terms to China
Adam Tooze, Foreign Policy, April 24, 2023
79. Lula’s sycophancy toward Russia and China is explicable, but it could backfire
Monica de Bolle, PIIE, April 20, 2023
80. China Hasn’t Invented a New Type of Capitalism; It’s Following A Proven One
David Moschella, ITIF, April 24, 2023
81. Taiwan: Far from lost in translation, Macron said exactly what he meant
David Vallance, Interpreter, Lowy Institute, April 13, 2023
82. In Defense of the Fence Sitters What the West Gets Wrong About Hedging
Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, April 18, 2023
83. What China’s graduates really think about their job prospects
Economist, April 20, 2023
84. Europe has to be much clearer when it comes to China
Martin Sandbu, Financial Times, April 23, 2023
85. Six priorities for “de-risking” EU relations with China
Mikko Huotari and Grzegorz Stec, MERICS, April 21, 2023
86. Why America Still Needs Europe
Michael J. Mazarr, Foreign Affairs, April 17, 2023
87. China Extricates Itself from the Surrounding American Wall
Oded Eran, INSS, April 24, 2023
88. The Chinese economy after the ‘Two Sessions’
George Magnus, Council on Geostrategy, April 19, 2023
89. A BRICS Currency Could Shake the Dollar’s Dominance
Joseph W. Sullivan, Foreign Policy, April 24, 2023
90. The Myth of Multipolarity
Stephen G. Brooks and William C. Wohlforth, Foreign Affairs, April 18, 2023