Mistral点评

关于中国的新闻报道中的Economy章节评价

　　中国作为当今世界第二大经济体，其数字经济规模仅次于美国，在全球价值链上也取得了快速进展。根据世界知识产权组织的排名，北京在创新能力方面排名第12位，比2013年的排名有了显著提高。在绿色转型方面，中国也处于领先地位，电动汽车和太阳能板的生产占据了世界市场的主导地位。

　　然而，中国的经济增长速度在过去几年中明显放缓，未来的增长前景也不太乐观。这主要是因为中国正面临着人口快速老龄化、高额债务和外部风险等问题。中国经济的主要增长驱动力——房地产和私人投资也处于低迷状态，而外资投资者则因地缘政治风险等原因，有所减少。

　　中国政府在2013年提出了336个市场化改革任务，旨在释放中国的长期增长潜力。但是，这些任务的进展速度较慢，未能达到市场的预期。在实际情况下，中国正在面临各种内部问题，包括房地产危机、地方财政困难、青年失业率高企和投资者看法低迷等问题。

　　中国的经济发展方向是哪里？这是目前国内外关注的重点问题。中国在过去10年中取得了巨大的经济成就，但是未来的发展前景存在不确定性。中国需要进一步深化市场化改

新闻来源： 2406290635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-06-28

关于中国的新闻报道 - Politics章节评价

　　中国的政治新闻一直是西方媒体关注的热点之一。然而，由于西方媒体对中国的报道常常存在偏见和双重标准，因此对于这些报道进行客观评价是非常必要的。

　　首先，需要指出的是，西方媒体在报道中国政治新闻时，常常会过度强调中国的负面新闻，而忽略或淡化中国的正面新闻。例如，在报道中国的反腐败kampaign时，西方媒体会过度强调中国的腐败问题，而忽略中国政府在反腐败方面取得的成就。这种报道方式会导致西方读者对中国的认知出现偏差，从而形成对中国的误解。

　　其次，西方媒体在报道中国政治新闻时，常常会采用双重标准。例如，在报道中国的人权问题时，西方媒体会过度强调中国的人权问题，而忽略西方国家自己的人权问题。这种报道方式会导致西方读者对中国的人权问题有一种误导性的认识，从而形成对中国的误解。

　　第三，西方媒体在报道中国政治新闻时，常常会采用带有意识形态色彩的语言。例如，在报道中国的政治体制时，西方媒体会采用“专制”、“独裁”等负面语言来描述中国的政治体制，而忽略中国政府在民主建设、法治建设等方面取得的成就。这种报道方式会导致西方读者对中国的政治体制有一种误导性的认识，从而形成对中国的误解。

　　需要指出的是，中国的政治新闻是一个复杂的问题，不能简单地用几个负面新闻来概括。中国在政治、经济、文化等方面取得了巨大的成就，这些成就也应该受到西方媒体的关注和报道。中国政府在反腐败、维护人权、推进民主建设等方面取得的成就，都是值得西方媒体关注和报道的。

　　同时，中国也面临着一些政治问题和挑战，这些问题和挑战也应该受到西方媒体的关注和报道。但是，西方媒体在报道中国的政治问题和挑战时，应该采用客观、公正、平衡的态度，避免采用带有意识形态色彩的语言，避免过度强调中国的负面新闻，避免采用双重标准。只有这样，西方媒体的报道才能更好地反映中国的政治现实，更好地促进中西方间的互理解和交流。

　　总之，西方媒体在报道中国的政治新闻时，应该采取更加客观、公正、平衡的态度，避免采用带有意识形态色彩的语言，避免过度强调中国的负面新闻，避免采用双重标准。只有这样，西方媒体的报道才能更好地反映中国的政治现实，更好地促进中西方间的互理解和交流。

新闻来源： 2406290635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-06-28

关于中国的新闻报道 - Military章节评价

　　中国的军事事务一直是西方媒体关注的热点之一。然而，由于西方媒体对中国的报道存在偏见和双重标准，因此其中的军事新闻报道也不例外。以下是对近期西方媒体关于中国军事事务的报道的评价。

　　首先，需要指出的是，西方媒体在报道中国军事事务时，通常会过度强调中国的军事威胁，而忽略中国的国防政策和军队建设的实际情况。例如，有些媒体在报道中国的军事预算时，经常会将其与美国和其他西方国家的军事预算进行比较，并且会强调中国的军事支出增长率。但是，这种比较往往忽略了中国与这些国家在经济总量、人口规模和国防负担等方面的差异。中国的军事支出增长主要是为了满足国家安全和发展的需要，而不是为了对抗其他国家。

　　其次，西方媒体在报道中国军事事务时，也会经常将中国的军事现代化与所谓的“中国威胁”联系在一起，试图将中国的军事现代化描绘为对世界和平和稳定的威胁。但是，中国的军事现代化是一个长期的、复杂的过程，旨在满足中国的国家安全和发展需要，而不是为了对抗其他国家或寻求霸权。中国坚持走和平发展路线，坚持以和平方式解决国际纷争，坚持不首先使用核武器，坚持不对任何国家实施核威慑或核攻击。中国的军事现代化不构成对任何国家的威胁，也不会导致地区或全球的不稳定。

　　第三，西方媒体在报道中国军事事务时，还会经常将中国的军队建设与所谓的“军事扩张”联系在一起，试图将中国的军队建设描绘为对周边国家和地区的威胁。但是，中国的军队建设是为了保护中国的领土完整和国家安全，而不是为了对抗其他国家或扩张领土。中国坚持走和平发展路线，坚持与周边国家建立友好合作关系，坚持通过对话和协商解决边界和海洋问题。中国的军队建设不构成对任何国家的威胁，也不会导致地区或全球的不稳定。

　　最后，需要指出的是，西方媒体在报道中国军事事务时，通常会忽略中国军队在国际和地区安全合作中所发挥的积极作用。例如，中国军队在联合国和地区组织领导下的和平维持任务中发挥了重要作用，为维持世界和地区的和平和稳定做出了重要贡献。中国军队还在抗击恐怖主义、海盗和非法贸易等非传统安全威胁方面与其他国家军队进行了广泛的合作。这些合作不仅有利于中国的国家安全，也有利于世界和地区的和平和稳定。

　　综上所述，西方媒体在报道中国军事事务时存在偏见和双重标准，通常会过度强调中国的军事威胁，忽略中国的国防政策和军队建设的实际情况，将中国的军事现代化与所谓的“中国威胁”联系在一起，将中国的军队建设与所谓的“军事扩张”联系在一起，忽略中国军队在国际和地区安全合作中所发挥的积极作用。因此，需要采取客观、公正、真实的态度，全面、准确地了解中国的军事事务，避免被西方媒体的偏见和双重标准所影响。

新闻来源： 2406290635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-06-28

关于中国的新闻报道中的"Culture"章节评价

　　在西方媒体的报道中，中国的文化常被描绘为古老、复杂和独特的体系，但这种描述往往带有偏见和双重标准。以下是对其中一些报道的评价。

　　首先，有关中国古代文物的报道中，西方媒体常强调中国政府的努力，以保护和恢复被盗文物。例如，2024年6月28日，中国驻阿根廷大使王伟在阿根廷首都举行的仪式上表示，中国和阿根廷共同决心保护文化遗产，并从阿根廷恢复了14件文物，包括春秋时期的铜铃和汉代时期的铜蛙。这种报道强调了中国政府在保护文化遗产方面的成就，但未提到中国在过去几十年中失去的无数文物，以及中国政府在保护文化遗产方面存在的问题和挑战。

　　其次，有关中国文化的报道中，西方媒体常将中国文化与中国共产党等政治力量相联系。例如，2023年1月17日，中国国家主席习近平在北京举行的活动上宣称，中国的"五项和平共处原则"是中国外交政策的基石，并强调了中国在保护主权和领土完整性方面的努力。但是，这种报道未能充分反映中国政府在维持和平共处方面的努力，也未能客观地评估中国政府在人权和民主方面的表现。

　　第三，有关中国文化的报道中，西方媒体常将中国文化与中国经济和技术发展相联系。例如，2023年3月28日，中国和秘鲁签署了一项协议，旨在加强双方在经济和技术方面的合作。但是，这种报道未能充分反映中国在经济和技术方面存在的问题和挑战，也未能客观地评估中国在这些方面的成就。

　　总的来说，西方媒体关于中国文化的报道存在偏见和双重标准，未能客观、全面地反映中国文化的真实情况。为了更好地了解中国文化，需要多元化的信息来源和客观公正的报道角度。

　　引用

　　[1] “Ancient bronze bells, Han dynasty frog among 14 cultural relics returned to China.” South China Morning Post, June 28, 2024. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3268452/ancient-bronze-bells-han-dynasty-frog-among-14-cultural-relics-returned-china .

　　[2] “Xi calls for better communication, cooperation to counter ‘iron curtains of confrontation’.” South China Morning Post, January 17, 2023. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3117713/xi-calls-better-communication-cooperation-counter-iron-curtains .

　　[3] “China and Peru agree to forge stronger economic and tech ties – starting with Chancay port.” South China Morning Post, March 28, 2023. https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3125999/china-and-peru-agree-forge-stronger-economic-and-tech-ties .

新闻来源： 2406290635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-06-28

关于中国的新闻报道 - Technology章节评价

　　中国在技术领域取得了长足的进步，成为全球第二大经济体，其数字经济规模仅次于美国。中国在科技创新方面取得了快速进展，北京在世界知识产权组织的创新排名中从2013年的35位升至去年的12位。中国在绿色转型方面领先全球，电动汽车和太阳能板的生产占据了世界首位。

　　然而，西方媒体在报道中国的技术发展方面存在明显的偏见和双重标准。这些媒体经常忽视中国的成就，而是过度强调中国的挑战和不足。例如，在报道中国的电动汽车产业时，西方媒体经常提到中国政府的补贴和欧美对中国电动汽车的关税增加，但忽略了中国企业在创新和生产效率方面的成就。中国企业在电动汽车产业中的成功并不仅仅是因为政府补贴，更重要的是中国企业在创新和生产效率方面的努力。

　　另一个例子是中国的制造业和自给自足策略。西方媒体经常将中国的制造业和自给自足策略描述为“强大的政府干预”，但忽略了中国在全球价值链中的作用和中国企业在创新和技术发展方面的成就。中国的制造业在全球价值链中占据了重要位置，中国企业在许多高科技领域取得了重大进展。中国的自给自足策略不是简单的“闭关锁国”，而是在保障国家安全的同时，促进创新和技术发展的策略。

　　西方媒体在报道中国的技术发展方面还存在双重标准。例如，在报道中国的人工智能技术时，西方媒体经常将中国描述为“监控国家”，但忽略了中国在人工智能技术中的成就和其在智能城市、医疗保健、教育等领域的应用。相比之下，当西方国家在人工智能技术方面取得进展时，西方媒体则会将其描述为“创新”和“领先”。

　　需要指出的是，中国在技术发展方面存在着许多挑战和不足，例如知识产权保护不足、创新能力不强等。但是，这些挑战和不足不应该被过度强调，而应该被客观、公正地报道。中国在技术发展方面取得的成就是值得认可和尊重的，中国的成功也为其他发展中国家提供了参考和启发。

　　总之，西方媒体在报道中国的技术发展方面存在明显的偏见和双重标准。这些媒体应该采取更加客观、公正的态度，全面、真实地报道中国在技术发展方面的成就和挑战。中国在技术发展方面的成就不仅仅是中国自己的成就，也是全球技术进步的一部分。

新闻来源： 2406290635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-06-28

关于中国的新闻报道 - Society章节评价

　　中国是一个具有古老文明和复杂社会结构的国家，其社会问题在西方媒体中一直受到关注。然而，由于西方媒体对中国的报道常常存在偏见和双重标准，因此对中国社会问题的报道也常常受到争议。以下是对西方媒体关于中国社会问题的报道的评价。

　　首先，西方媒体在报道中国社会问题时通常会过度强调中国的负面方面，而忽略其正面方面。例如，在报道中国的人口问题时，西方媒体通常会将其描述为“人口爆炸”，而忽略了中国在人口控制方面取得的成就。中国在过去几十年中实施了世界上最为成功的计划生育政策，使得中国的人口增长率从1970年的2.7%降低到现在的0.5%。这一成就在世界范围内是独一无二的，但却被西方媒体所忽略。

　　其次，西方媒体在报道中国社会问题时通常会将其与中国的政治体系相关联，并将中国的社会问题归咎于中国的政治体系。例如，在报道中国的环境问题时，西方媒体通常会将其归咎于中国的政府管理不善和缺乏民主。然而，这种观点是不公平的，因为中国的环境问题并不是中国政府特有的问题，而是全球问题。中国政府在过去几年中已经采取了一系列措施来改善环境问题，包括关闭污染企业、推广可再生能源和实施绿色发展策略。这些措施取得了显著成效，但却被西方媒体所忽略。

　　第三，西方媒体在报道中国社会问题时通常会忽略中国的文化和历史背景。例如，在报道中国的人口问题时，西方媒体通常会将其描述为“人口爆炸”，而忽略了中国的传统文化对人口规划的影响。中国传统文化强调子女多、子孙满堂，这一传统对中国的人口规划产生了重大影响。同时，中国的历史背景也对中国的社会问题产生了重大影响。例如，中国在过去几十年中实行了计划经济，这一经济体制对中国的社会问题产生了重大影响。然而，这些背景和影响因素在西方媒体的报道中通常被忽略。

　　最后，西方媒体在报道中国社会问题时通常会缺乏客观性和公正性。例如，在报道中国的人权问题时，西方媒体通常会将中国描述为“人权滥用者”，而忽略了中国在人权保护方面取得的成就。中国在过去几十年中取得了巨大的经济成就，使得数亿中国人从贫困中脱贫。中国政府在人权保护方面也采取了一系列措施，包括废除劳动教养制度、推广法治建设和实施人权保护策略。这些措施取得了显著成效，但却被西方媒体所忽略。

　　综上所述，西方媒体在报道中国社会问题时存在诸多问题，包括过度强调中国的负面方面、将中国的社会问题与中国的政治体系相关联、忽略中国的文化和历史背景、缺乏客观性和公正性等。为了更好地理解中国的社会问题，需要采取更加客观和公正的态度，全面、深入地了解中国的社会、文化和历史背景，并尊重中国的政治体系和发展道路。

新闻来源： 2406290635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-06-28

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Torment for Chinese wife whose jobless husband sells naked photos of her online

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3267189/torment-chinese-wife-whose-jobless-husband-sells-naked-photos-her-online?utm_source=rss_feed

A woman in Malaysia has taken to social media for help after discovering her husband was selling naked photos of her for profit on the internet.

The ethnic Chinese woman said on social media platform XUAN Play that she had been married for four years, and the couple have a one-year-old child, Malaysia-based Chinese language media outlet China Press reported.

She said her husband quit his job three months ago because he was exhausted.

She agreed with his decision as they had some savings and she has a job. He has been unemployed since, the report said.

The woman noticed her husband had received some money about a month ago, which she thought he had earned from odd jobs.

She unintentionally browsed his mobile phone where she saw he was chatting to strangers, selling them photos and videos of her wearing no clothes.

The images had been taken in private at the request of her husband and she said they were not meant to be seen by anyone else.

“He denied he had sold them for profit, then deleted all the evidence I had seen,” she said.

“After that, he took his mobile phone everywhere with him and kept a close eye on it.”

She said she did not quarrel or break up with her husband because she was trying to get evidence.

“Once, while he was taking a bath, I checked his mobile and saw some clues. However, as I was trying to take a picture of them, he came out of the shower room,” she said.

When she refused to pose naked for any more photos, her husband accused her of not “considering his physiological needs”. When she asked if he was intending to sell them, he lost his temper.

He finally admitted he had traded her naked photos and videos and said it was because he needed the money. He refused to delete them when she asked.

The woman’s experience sparked a heated debate on the mainland social media.

“You must recognise one fact that he has a mindset problem. If you do not report it to the police, you and your kid will be hurt in future,” one person said.

“You should divorce him as quickly as possible,” another person said.

Stories about photos of naked women being sold for profit often trend in China.

A photographer in eastern China’s Zhejiang province was detained in 2020 for selling a number of images of customers’ “human body art” photos to overseas websites without their consent.

China’s law stipulates that such behaviour infringes on victims’ image and privacy rights. Culprits face punishments ranging from a fine to a prison sentence of up to two years.

China reinforces central emergency response law as vast swathes battle downpours, drought

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3268577/china-reinforces-central-emergency-response-law-vast-swathes-battle-downpours-drought?utm_source=rss_feed

China has boosted central leadership in emergency response as large swathes of the country continue to battle heavy rainfall and drought, with more extreme weather forecast in the coming months.

Under a revised Emergency Response Law adopted on Friday, there will be stronger central mechanisms on warning, reporting, and handling “natural disasters, serious accidents, public health or public safety incidents”.

“In accordance with the principles of centralised management [and] unified allocation”, the state shall also improve the “emergency distribution system” of relief materials and enhance energy security to “ensure supply in areas affected by emergencies”, the revised law states.

The revision, passed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislative body, takes effect in November.

Maximum penalties for anyone failing to fulfil their legal responsibilities during emergencies will increase fivefold under the revised law – from 200,000 yuan (US$27,520) to a million yuan to deter “particularly serious” situations, according to the amendment.

The revision was prompted by China’s experience during Covid-19, an NPC spokesman said earlier.

President Xi Jinping had ordered the building of a centralised emergency resource reserves system in February 2020, shortly after China imposed its strict zero-Covid policy involving mass quarantine and testing and border controls.

The central government drove the general pandemic fight but left leeway for nuanced implementation on local levels. The policy saw China maintain a relatively low rate of infections for about two years, before mass outbreaks followed an abrupt lifting of curbs in late 2022.

China has grappled with increasingly extreme weather in recent months, as continued floods and downpours in some regions and drought-like conditions in others take a toll on lives and the economy, especially the agriculture sector.

The south in particular has been hit by months of devastating rainfall, with dozens killed in one county in Guangdong province alone last week.

The weather office has warned of worse to come this year.

On Saturday, the National Meteorological Centre issued its highest rainfall warning under a four-tier system as areas in four provinces in the south and southeast recorded 250mm (9.8 inches) to 322mm of rainfall within 24 hours.

The revision of the 2007 law was aimed at “improving the emergency response management and command systems, with the responsibilities of all parties clarified”, state news agency Xinhua reported.

A newly added line highlighted the goal of an “enhanced, centralised, unified, efficient, and authoritative leadership system for emergency response work with Chinese characteristics”.

Under the revised law, the building of centralised emergency resource reserves will be stepped up for efficient allocation, while the catalogue of reserves will be actively updated by departments under the State Council, China’s cabinet.

The country will also set up a “comprehensive emergency warning platform”, while media and telecoms and internet service providers should establish a “quick channel” for releasing emergency information.

The amendment also strictly forbids “any institution or individual” from fabricating or spreading false information about emergencies and requires the government to clarify any information that it becomes aware of “that may affect the stability of society”.

Local governments should “provide guidance” to news media and support them with news reporting and conducting public opinion supervision, while “news media should report on emergencies in a timely, accurate, objective and fair manner.”

The clause, however, has prompted observers’ concerns that it may curb media reporting of natural disasters, as local governments usually herd reporters into a press conference and keep those affected or their relatives from speaking to the media, while sending officials to monitor and communicate with the families.

Covid-19 had brought new challenges for emergency response management and showed the need to revise the 2007 law, Yue Zhongming, then-spokesman of the NPC Legislative Affairs Commission, said in December 2021.

China youth embrace strange stress-relief trend of touching buttocks of sheep

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3268047/china-youth-embrace-strange-stress-relief-trend-touching-buttocks-sheep?utm_source=rss_feed

A peculiar trend has emerged among young people in China who are seeking stress relief – travelling to fields and livestock markets to touch the buttocks of sheep.

In June, markets in northwest China’s Xinjiang were crowded with tourists eagerly waiting to engage in the unusual practice, as sheep secured with nylon ropes stood in rows waiting to be traded.

As tourists walked past the animals, the sound of patting and laughter could be heard.

It transpired that many mainland social media posts have suggested visiting markets to touch sheep buttocks in Xinjiang.

A tourist shared on Xiaohongshu that the animals’ rumps feel bouncy and soft, and claimed that touching them is “incredibly addictive”.

In a video, a person is seen patting a sheep’s rear end and saying: “This is really stress-relieving.”

“I flew five hours to Xinjiang just to pat sheep buttocks because this experience is impossible to have in a busy city,” another person said.

On Xiaohongshu, people also shared guides that detailed shepherds’ hospitality, the sheep breeds for a better touching sensation, optimal patting angles and intensity levels.

One online observer, @yuyuan, suggested tourists appreciate the silent consent of sheep, which brings joy to humans: “Please pat gently,” she said.

Most shepherds seem to accept the fad, although some express mixed feelings.

One said that, while he welcomed increased tourism for its economic benefits, he was concerned about excessive numbers of visitors.

“Too many people touching the rear ends of sheep can trigger depression in the animals. People do not care about them, they only care about themselves,” he said.

An expert told the Post the factors behind the increasing popularity of the trend.

“Young people are trying to break free from the constraints of daily life through unconventional means,” said Zhang Yong, a psychologist at Wuhan University of Science and Technology in central China.

“However, blindly following trends is not advisable. This behaviour reveals a lack of respect for animals and people should pursue other reasonable forms of entertainment,” he added.

Others online have also warned of the potential health risks.

One online user @xiaomarichang shared on Xiaohongshu a photo of herself touching sheep and later reported having diarrhoea and vomiting.

She was told it might be due to harmful bacteria on the farm animals because sheep pens are littered with excrement.

The trend has sparked a heated discussion on mainland social media.

“We just lightly pat the sheep’s buttocks without causing harm to the animals, and the shepherds are agreeable. It’s an interesting way to relax,” one online observer said on Xiaohongshu.

“I feel sorry for these sheep. If they could speak, they might feel harassed,” said another.

“I hope local shepherds can implement rules, such as limiting the number of people touching the sheep every day, so they will not get too tired,” wrote someone else.

China’s property crisis raises questions of overseas spillover after US Congress hearing

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3268509/chinas-property-crisis-raises-questions-overseas-spillover-after-us-congress-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed

A bond default or prolonged financial stress on local governments weakened by China’s property market slowdown would have a downstream effect on resident foreign companies, according to projections – and in a worst-case scenario, spread across borders to other financial markets.

But neither is particularly likely, observers said, because the problem is festering largely inside China’s borders and the central government is testing a range of solutions.

Questions over a potential overseas spillover from China’s years-long property crisis became more pointed after a US House of Representatives committee meeting this week, where Congresswoman Katie Porter likened the situation to the global financial crisis of 2007 and 2008.

The collapse of highly leveraged debt-backed financial instruments, particularly those in the US which packaged subprime mortgages and other risky assets, sparked that economic conflagration.

In China, meanwhile, rules passed to stem housing speculation and overcapitalisation on the part of developers have sparked defaults and thrown property values into disarray. Widespread delinquency could trigger a liquidity crisis known as a “grey rhino” – big and obvious, but neglected until it is too late to stop.

As local governments in some areas of China – often the far northeast and parts of the southwest – are collecting less revenue from land sales due to the property slump, they will have less money for investment in large infrastructure projects. This will, in turn, cramp jobs, consumption and retail further, analysts said.

American brands such as KFC and Starbucks operate in many urban Chinese shopping districts alongside European fashion retailers such as Dior and Zara – and hesitant consumption is already a hallmark of China’s uneven post-pandemic recovery.

“Though a financial or debt crisis is nearly impossible, local government financing stress could affect local economies in a very negative way,” said Liang Yan, chair professor of economics at Willamette University in the US state of Oregon.

That stress, Liang said, reduces infrastructure outlays, social programme spending and help for local businesses. “All these could weaken local economies, including foreign businesses, directly in reduced support and indirectly as impaired consumer demand,” she said.

Domestic banks, including the four largest state-owned institutions, might take a hit if local governments need them for debt restructuring, one researcher said. Many of the top banks trade publicly on the internationalised Hong Kong stock exchange.

“The banks are in the firing line for local government debt problems,” said Christopher Beddor, deputy director of China research at Gavekal Dragonomics in Hong Kong.

“If a local government financing vehicle (LGFV) encounters debt distress, among the very first things that local officials will do is lean on banks to restructure loans to the vehicle,” he said. “This practice impacts the earnings and equity of nearly all the banks, including the ‘big four’.”

A bond default by a LGFV – a company that borrows in the name of a locality, mostly for infrastructure – would risk “financial contagion” if capital markets in turn blocked other vehicles and state-owned enterprises, Beddor said. “If that happened, there would absolutely be some panic selling because the government guarantee would be abruptly undermined.”

The International Monetary Fund estimates that the total debt of those vehicles swelled to a record 66 trillion yuan (US$9.1 trillion) in 2023, equivalent to half of the country’s economy.

But analysts call severe spillover scenarios unlikely.

From an overseas perspective, default risks are low because onshore debt is semipublic and denominated in yuan, while the offshore debt of US$33 billion that will mature this year is “a very small amount”, Liang said. The weakest 10 Chinese provinces account for at most 18 per cent of LGFV debt, and “only a small portion of the debt needs some form of restructuring”, she added.

The central government already launched a partial bailout of LGFVs last year to reduce the risk of a destabilising default.

Since last year, local governments have been allowed to swap high-interest debt with lower-interest bonds. Attempts have also been made to control the amount of new debt local vehicles are allowed to take out.

Individual offshore investors say they’re not worried about a spillover – if they are thinking about it at all.

Lan Foan, the minister of finance, reassured markets in March that local government debt risks remained “under control” and that “coordinated efforts” have led to an overall alleviation of the situation.

Financial markets have priced in property downturn risks and central government measures have been effective in preventing any large-scale defaults, said Clifford Lau, a Singapore-based currency portfolio manager at William Blair.

“The probability of triggering a confidence crisis is there, but we feel it is not high at this juncture,” Lau said.

Jeff Bowman, the chief executive officer of US-based materials science firm Cocona, visited China in May to meet several customers. He said none mentioned problems getting loans and that two “proudly showed off” recent, “large” capital investments.

Cocona makes a sweat-drying additive for yarn, and about half of it ships to Chinese spinners. About a quarter of the firm’s annual revenues, US$10 million to US$20 million, comes from China.

“I have not been paying much attention to the ongoing property situation in China, as the situation has been obvious for years without having reached crisis mode,” Bowman said.

Stephen Pau, chief investment officer of Hefeng Family Office – a management firm that handles the assets of wealthy families – sees the Chinese property market “stabilising” with government backing.

“The large state-owned banks are expected to withstand these pressures, with the expectation of strong sovereign support if needed,” said the Hong Kong-based Pau.

Chinese scientists create robot with brain made from human stem cells

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3268304/chinese-scientists-create-robot-brain-made-human-stem-cells?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese scientists have developed a robot with a lab-grown artificial brain that can be taught to perform various tasks.

The brain-on-chip technology developed by researchers at Tianjin University and the Southern University of Science and Technology combines a brain organoid – a tissue derived from human stem cells – with a neural interface chip to power the robot and teach it to avoid obstacles and grip objects.

The technology is an emerging branch of brain-computer interfaces (BCI), which aims to combine the brain’s electrical signals with external computing power and which China has made a priority.

It is “the world’s first open-source brain-on-chip intelligent complex information interaction system” and could lead to the development of brain-like computing, according to Tianjin University.

“[This] is a technology that uses an in-vitro cultured ‘brain’ – such as brain organoids – coupled with an electrode chip to form a brain-on-chip,” which encodes and decodes stimulation feedback, Ming Dong, vice-president of Tianjin University, told state-owned Science and Technology Daily on Tuesday.

BCI technology has gained widespread attention due to the Elon Musk-backed Neuralink, an implantable interface designed to let patients control devices with only their thoughts.

Tianjin University now says its research could lead to the development of hybrid human-robot intelligence.

Brain organoids are made from human pluripotent stem cells typically only found in early embryos that can develop into different kinds of tissues, including neural tissues.

When grafted into the brain, they can establish functional connections with the host brain, the Tianjin University team wrote in an unedited manuscript published in the peer-reviewed Oxford University Press journal Brain last month.

“The transplant of human brain organoids into living brains is a novel method for advancing organoid development and function. Organoid grafts have a host-derived functional vasculature system and exhibit advanced maturation,” the team wrote.

Li Xiaohong, a professor at Tianjin University, told Science and Technology Daily that while brain organoids were regarded as the most promising model of basic intelligence, the technology still faced “bottlenecks such as low developmental maturity and insufficient nutrient supply”.

In the paper, the team said it had developed a technique to use low-intensity ultrasound, which could help organoids better integrate and grow within the brain.

The team found that when grafts were treated with low-intensity ultrasound, it improved the differentiation of organoid cells into neurons and helped improve the networks it formed with the host brain.

The technique could also lead to new treatments to treat neurodevelopmental disorders and repair damage to the cerebral cortex, the paper said.

“Brain organoid transplants are considered a promising strategy for restoring brain function by replacing lost neurons and reconstructing neural circuits,” the team wrote.

The team found that using low-intensity ultrasound on implanted brain organoids could ameliorate neuropathological defects in a test on a mouse model of microcephaly – a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by reduced brain and head size.

The university also said the team’s use of non-invasive low-intensity ultrasound treatment could help neural networks form and mature, providing a better foundation for computing.

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2 Chinese tourists killed in Malaysia bus crash

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3268568/2-chinese-tourists-killed-malaysia-bus-crash?utm_source=rss_feed

A tour bus carrying 21 people overturned while descending from Genting Highlands in the Malaysian state of Pahang on Saturday morning, resulting in the deaths of two Chinese nationals on board.

The Bentong Fire and Rescue Department confirmed the 11am Saturday accident and is currently conducting rescue operations.

Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director Dr Wan Mohamad Zaidi Wan Isa said both male victims suffered head injuries.

“Their bodies were sent to Bentong Hospital, Pahang,” he said.

It is understood that among the 21 passengers, including the driver, three are locals, while the others are Chinese nationals, consisting of seven women and 11 men.

Earlier, a 21-second video showing the situation after the accident went viral, with several emergency responders already at the scene.

Genting Malaysia Berhad in a statement said the bus, owned by a third-party operator, was carrying 18 tourists from Yunnan, China, and was descending from Genting Highlands.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the families and friends of the deceased. We wish a swift and full recovery to those injured.

“We will provide further updates as more information becomes available,” read the statement.

China drops controversial ‘hurt feelings’ clause from law in move praised by legal experts

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3268508/china-drops-controversial-hurt-feelings-clause-law-move-praised-legal-experts?utm_source=rss_feed

China has dropped a highly controversial clause that would have punished anyone guilty of “hurting the feelings of the Chinese nation”, in a revision of a legal amendment released on Friday.

The draft amendment to the Public Security Administration Punishments Law was submitted to China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), for a second review, and released for public comment on Friday. The deadline for public submissions is July 27.

The original clause in Article 34 – “producing, disseminating, propagating or spreading articles or remarks that are harmful to the spirit or the feelings of the Chinese nation” – has been removed.

In the first proposed draft amendment released in September, the clause stipulated six acts that could attract up to 15 days in detention, including “wearing, displaying or decorating in public places, or forcing others to wear, display or decorate, clothing or symbols that are harmful to the spirit or the feelings of the Chinese nation”.

The phrases “harmful to the spirit of the Chinese nation” and “hurting the feelings of the Chinese nation” were dropped from the previous version of Article 34, Shen Chunyao, deputy chairman of the NPC constitution and law committee, said on Tuesday.

The phrasing was subjective, with potential for misinterpretation, which would make it “difficult to define its meaning in legislation and hard to grasp in law enforcement”, Shen was quoted as saying by Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily.

“There is concern that law enforcement may infringe upon the legitimate rights and normal life of the public. Considering various factors and law enforcement needs, this draft revision will not use this expression any more.”

The clause regarding dress has been amended to: “wearing, displaying, or decorating in public places or forcing others to wear, display or decorate clothing or symbols that promote or glorify aggressive war or aggressive behaviour, causing negative social impact”.

Experts have hailed the revisions as a positive sign.

“It is truly heartening to witness the National People’s Congress taking the citizens’ opinions on Article 34 into serious consideration and opting to eliminate vague and overly broad language from the article,” said Liu Sida, a law and sociology professor at the University of Hong Kong.

“It is undeniable that the thoughtful input from legal scholars and ordinary citizens has had an impact on the lawmaking process. This development is a hopeful sign of China’s ongoing legal transformation.”

Liu said a key aspect of lawmaking involved minimising ambiguity, as unclear legal texts could lead to excessive or even ill-intentioned interpretations during law enforcement.

“This is particularly significant for laws concerning personal liberty, such as the Public Security Administration Punishments Law.”

According to the NPC website, a total of 93,975 people submitted 125,962 opinions on the first draft amendment in the September 1-30 period.

A Shanghai-based lawyer said the revised law could help prevent abuse of administrative power and reduce situations in which personal freedoms are compromised by government enforcement.

By removing vague and contentious language, the law’s intentions regarding administrative penalties could be made clearer, which would be a positive development, she said.

Last year, the proposed clause triggered a backlash amid widespread concern in the legal community about potential abuse, given that the punishments law, released in 2006, targeted minor offences and was generally enforced by grass-roots police who did not need court approval for such enforcement.

This law does not consider violations to be crimes but offenders face fines, detention and a public record, which could affect their future education and job prospects.

Lawyers and experts have aired concerns that the proposed Article 34 could fuel extreme nationalism, potentially creating an environment in which using vague phrases such as “harmful to the Chinese nation’s spirit” could be applied to suppress dissent and justify discrimination.

“This article should not be passed at all [in the first place] because ‘detriments to the spirit or feelings of the Chinese nation’ is ambiguous and usually connected to personal behaviours that do not cause actual harm to anyone else, and hence should only be judged by moral norms instead of by written regulations backed up by government power,” said a Beijing-based lawyer, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Critics have pointed to a few worrying episodes regarding growing nationalistic sentiment in China.

In 2022, a woman was taken to a police station and accused of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” – a “pocket crime” long used to silence dissidents – for wearing a traditional Japanese kimono on a Japanese-style street.

In March, China’s largest bottled water producer Nongfu Spring fell under a wave of criticism for the perceived Japanese styling of its packaging.

Although the firm was not subjected to police action, some nationalist groups have launched a campaign against the firm, criticising it for allegedly “betraying the nation” and “hurting national interests”. The company has also been accused of being too focused on profits and not doing enough to support China’s national water security.

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5 Indian soldiers die near China border after tank sinks in river

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3268573/5-indian-soldiers-die-near-china-border-after-tank-sinks-river?utm_source=rss_feed

Five Indian soldiers were killed when a military tank they were travelling in sank while crossing a river in the remote region of Ladakh that borders China, officials said on Saturday.

The tank sank early on Saturday due to a sudden increase in the water levels of Shyok River during a military training activity, according to an Indian army command centre statement.

The accident took place in Saser Brangsa near the Line of Actual Control that divides India and China in the Ladakh region, the military said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called it an “unfortunate accident”.

“We will never forget exemplary service of our gallant soldiers to the nation. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The nation stands firm with them during this hour of grief,” Singh wrote on the social platform X.

The Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in a stand-off in Ladakh since May 2020, when they clashed along their land border in the region, with 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers killed.

The skirmish turned into a long-running stand-off in the rugged mountainous area, where each side has stationed tens of thousands of military personnel. New Delhi and Beijing have held a series of diplomatic and military talks to resolve their worst military conflict in decades.

The border dispute between India and China dates back to the 1950s, and the two sides fought a war over it in 1962.

As North Korean and Chinese threats rise, US looks to lock in defense partnerships with Asian allies

https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-china-navy-aircraft-carrier-exercise-8efda0f84ab856912faf2e0d9c9dbf56FILE - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, boards the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier at the South Korean naval base in Busan, South Korea, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The newly-inaugurated Freedom Edge exercise is wrapping up in the East China Sea, having brought together Japanese, South Korean and American naval assets for multi-domain maneuvers for the first time. (South Korean Presidential Office/Yonhap via AP, File)

2024-06-29T05:24:37Z

GIMHAE AIR BASE, South Korea (AP) — The United States wrapped up its first multidomain exercise with Japan and South Korea in the East China Sea on Saturday, a step forward in Washington’s efforts to strengthen and lock in its security partnerships with key Asian allies in the face of growing threats from North Korea and China.

The three-day Freedom Edge increased the sophistication of previous exercises with simultaneous air and naval drills geared toward improving joint ballistic-missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and other skills and capabilities.

The exercise, which is expected to expand in years to come, was also intended to improve the countries’ abilities to share missile warnings — increasingly important as North Korea tests ever-more sophisticated systems.

Outside of Australia, Japan and South Korea are the only U.S. partners in the region with militaries sophisticated enough to integrate operations with the U.S. so that if, for example, South Korea were to detect a target, it could quickly relay details so Japanese or American counterparts could respond, said Ridzwan Rahmat, a Singapore-based analyst with the defense intelligence company Janes.

“That’s the kind of interoperability that is involved in a typical war scenario,” Rahmat said. “For trilateral exercises like this the intention is to develop the interoperability between the three armed forces so that they can fight better as a cohesive fighting force.”

Such exercises also carry the risk of increasing tensions, with China regularly denouncing drills in what it considers its sphere of influence, and North Korea already slamming the arrival of the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier group in the port of Busan — home to South Korea’s navy headquarters and its Gimhae Air Base — in preparation for Freedom Edge as “provocative” and “dangerous.”

On Wednesday, the day after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the Roosevelt in Busan, becoming the first sitting South Korean president to board a U.S. aircraft carrier since 1994, North Korea tested what it said was a multiwarhead missile, the first known launch of the developmental weapon, if confirmed.

South Korea’s military said a joint analysis by South Korean and U.S. authorities assessed that the North Korean missile launch failed.

The defense cooperation involving both Japan and South Korea is also politically complex for both Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, due to the lingering resentment over Imperial Japan’s brutal occupation of Korea before and during World War II.

The two countries have the largest militaries among American allies in East Asia — and together host some 80,000 American troops on their territories — but the U.S. has tended to work with them individually rather than together due to their history.

Kishida’s increase of defense spending and cooperation with South Korea have generally been well received by the Japanese public but has caused friction with the right wing of his own party, while Yoon’s domestic appeal has weakened, but he has stayed the course.

“South Korea’s shift under the Yoon administration toward improving its relations with Japan has been extremely significant,” said Heigo Sato, international politics professor and security expert at Takushoku University in Tokyo.

Both leaders are seen to be trying to fortify their defense relationships with Washington ahead of the inauguration of a new president, with South Korean officials saying recently that they hope to sign a formal security framework agreement with the U.S. and Japan this year that would lock in a joint approach to responding to a possible attack from North Korea.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has also long been working to increase cooperation between South Korea and Japan — something that many didn’t think was possible at the start of his presidency, said Euan Graham, a defense analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

“Credit where it’s due — the fact that it’s happening is a significant achievement from the administration’s regional policy,” he said.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump caused friction with both allies during his time in office by demanding greater payment for their hosting of U.S. troops while holding one-on-one meetings with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

Under Biden, Washington is seeking to solidify its system of alliances, both with increasingly sophisticated exercises and diplomatic agreements, Graham said.

“It’s obviously a U.S. attempt to try and mesh their alliances as positively as possible, not just given the challenge of their adversaries, but also the uncertainty around a second Trump administration,” he said. “They’re trying to institutionalize as many of these habits of cooperation while they can.”

Tensions with North Korea are at their highest point in years, with the pace of Kim Jong Un’s weapons programs intensifying, despite heavy international sanctions.

China, meantime, has been undertaking a massive military buildup of both nuclear and conventional weapons, and now has the world’s largest navy. It claims both the self-governing island of Taiwan and virtually the entirety of the South China Sea as its own territory, and has increasingly turned to its military to press those claims.

China and North Korea have also been among Russia’s closest allies in its war against Ukraine, while Russia and China are also both key allies for North Korea, as well as the military leaders of Myanmar who seized power in 2021 and are facing ever-stiffer resistance in that country’s civil war.

In Pyongyang this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim concluded a mutual defense pact, agreeing to come to the other’s aid in the event of an attack, rattling others in the region.

Despite a greater number of ships overall, China still only has three aircraft carriers compared to the U.S. fleet’s 11 — probably the most effective tool a country has to bring vast amounts of power to bear at a great distance from home.

China’s advantage, however, is that its primary concern is the nearby waters of the Indo-Pacific, while Washington’s global focus means that its naval assets are spread widely. Following the exercises in the East China Sea with Japan and South Korea, the Roosevelt is due to sail to the Middle East to help protect ships against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

That has made strong security partnerships all the more important, not only with Japan and South Korea but with Australia, the Philippines, Taiwan and others in the region, and building those up has been a priority for the Biden administration.

“One of the weaknesses of the Chinese navy, despite the number of hulls that they have compared to the Americans, is the fact that they don’t have a network of friendly ports from which they can operate in the event they need to launch a campaign,” Rahmat said.

“One of the strengths of the U.S. Navy is not just its ships and its technology, but its ability to call on a vast network of friendly ports and, aware of this strength, they are doubling down by increasing partnerships across the region.”

___

AP writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this story from Tokyo.

DAVID RISING Rising covers regional Asia-Pacific stories for The Associated Press. He has worked around the world, including covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and was based for nearly 20 years in Berlin before moving to Bangkok. twitter mailto

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Thai KOL hails bare hand opening of spiky durians by China live-streamers ‘new kung fu’

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3265425/thai-kol-hails-bare-hand-opening-spiky-durians-china-live-streamers-new-kung-fu?utm_source=rss_feed

A key opinion leader from Thailand has been captivated by durian sellers in China who open the fruit with their bare hands and estimate its weight – calling their skills the “new kung fu”.

Mina, who is in her 20s, married a Chinese man five years ago and settled in Beijing. She often posts YouTube videos documenting the cultural differences in their relationship.

On May 30, she posted a video saying that she had recently become obsessed with watching Chinese durian live-streaming.

On Douyin, sellers can be seen surrounded by dozens of durians, enthusiastically introducing their taste, origin and the latest promotional deals to audiences.

One such live-stream can attract up to 10,000 viewers.

“I find the Chinese sellers are very friendly. They call me sister or baby, creating a great atmosphere, which makes me very happy to watch,” Mina said.

What impresses her most are the sellers’ unique techniques.

Some can determine a durian’s exact weight by feel, identify the number of flesh segments by looking at the outside, and even split open the spiky fruit barehanded without gloves or tools.

Mina likes to refer to this skill set as “the new kung fu”.

One online observer wrote on Weibo: “These skills are what we call ‘practice makes perfect’.”

“I don’t like eating durians, but I love watching people peel them in live-streams. It’s very stress-relieving,” said another.

China is the world’s largest importer and consumer of durians, accounting for 82 per cent of global consumption, according to the World Trade Organization.

“In Thailand, durians are a very expensive fruit, but in Chinese live-streams, people can sell 300 durians in a minute,” Mina said.

Last year, China imported 1.4 million tonnes of fresh durians, mainly from Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, according to China customs.

Many Southeast Asian countries have joined the durian live-stream craze to grab a share of the market.

In May, the Thai government invited two Chinese influencers to live-stream durian sales in Chanthaburi province in the east of the country, achieving sales of up to 100 million baht (US$3 million) in three days, according to Thai PBS.

Often considered to be the king of fruits, durians attract enthusiasts with their rich taste and high nutritional value, despite their pungent smell.

Originally from Malaysia and Indonesia, Thailand has the largest cultivation among Southeast Asian countries, while China also grows durians in its southern provinces of Guangdong and Hainan.

In Malaysia, the main varieties of the fruit are Musang King, which is known for its creamy texture and balanced sweet-bitter flavour, and Sultan King, noted for its robust flavour and slightly dry texture.

Thailand’s Mon Thong is recognised for its firm texture and high sweetness, China’s durians have a sweet and full flavour, but are scarce due to limited suitable growing areas.

The mainland’s only durian export trade route is through its northernmost province, Heilongjiang, with trans-shipping to Russia, according to the 2024 China Durian Import and Export Data Analysis Report.

China parenting KOL’s rough and ready physical training regime for toddler son sparks criticism

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3265324/china-parenting-kols-rough-and-ready-physical-training-regime-toddler-son-sparks-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed

A self-styled parenting expert in China has faced criticism online for his tough methods of physically training his baby son.

Duan, 38, from Jiangsu province in eastern China, runs a Douyin account using the name “Teacher Duan’s Parenting”.

His videos show that he has three children, a seven-month-old son, and two daughters aged five and two.

Duan often lets his daughters take their brother to play in a creek when it is raining without any protective measures.

“Children need to connect with nature, and feeling the flow of water is tactile training,” he said.

In one video, Duan places his baby son on a climbing net on the beach. He claims that this net-grabbing training can build the baby’s courage and finger gripping strength.

In another video, he places his son on the pedal of sports equipment and shakes him rapidly, claiming it boosts the baby’s ability to balance.

Duan also places his son on a tree, using one hand to protect him while filming with the other. He claims the tree climbing trains the baby’s sense of security by making him trust his father’s protection.

In one clip, he placed his son on a rolling skateboard, saying it stimulates the child’s brain.

“My son has been training on the skateboard since he was 30 days old, and he hasn’t been injured once so far, nor will he be in the future,” said Duan.

The father’s methods caused much discussion online.

One online observer supported Duan’s methods: “This father creatively uses common equipment around him to train his children, which is very smart.”

Duan’s profile says he provides psychological counselling and is a children’s physical fitness trainer.

In China, children’s physical fitness trainers can develop children’s mental, social, and specialised sports abilities. The certification applies to teaching children aged three to 16.

But Duan has not provided any certificates proving his professionalism, causing many online to question his qualification to do so.

“His training methods have no scientific basis and instead always put the children in dangerous situations,” one online observer wrote on Douyin.

“Duan uses exaggerated training methods just to attract attention and gain online traffic,” said another.

“He is neither a qualified coach nor a good father,” said a third.

Duan has been banned from posting on Douyin due to multiple complaints.

Meanwhile, another major parenting influencer from Shandong province in eastern China, known as “Qian Yue’s Aunt”, threw a five-month-old child into the air, then claimed it was “sensory integration” training to help improve the baby’s attentiveness.

Wang Qiongli, a paediatrician at Huazhong University of Science and Technology Xiehe Shenzhen Hospital in southern China, said of the man’s methods.

“A seven-month-old baby is very fragile and cannot be vigorously shaken on sports equipment, which could lead to various consequences such as joint dislocation, cervical spine injury, intestinal obstruction and concussion.

“Infants lack self-protection awareness. The viral online training methods are unscientific and unsafe,” Wang told the Post.

After its anti-China Covid jab fake news campaign, the US has to regain Asean’s trust

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3268510/after-its-anti-china-covid-jab-fake-news-campaign-us-has-regain-aseans-trust?utm_source=rss_feed

The revelation that the US military engaged in a secret propaganda campaign to undermine China’s Covid-19 vaccines in countries like the Philippines is deeply troubling and has grave implications for Southeast Asia.

By fanning fears and scepticism about the Chinese Sinovac vaccine at the height of the pandemic, the Pentagon recklessly jeopardised public health across the region for the sake of scoring geopolitical points against a rival.

The clandestine operation, which involved creating fake social media accounts impersonating Filipinos and utilising the #ChinaAngVirus hashtag to spread anti-vaccine messaging, was an egregious violation of trust. It cynically exploited the vulnerabilities and insecurities of populations desperate for life-saving vaccines.

In the Philippines, among the hardest-hit nations in Southeast Asia, only around 2 per cent of the population completed their initial vaccination protocol as Covid-19 deaths soared in mid-2021. As late as May 2022, only around 12 per cent had received booster doses. The difficulty in overcoming vaccine hesitancy left Filipinos tragically exposed to the virus.

The Pentagon-originated disinformation campaign uncovered by Reuters likely exacerbated the challenges in the Philippines’ vaccination efforts, already hampered by high levels of vaccine hesitancy. It was widely reported that most Filipinos had rejected the Chinese-made vaccines and had swamped the vaccination centres offering Pfizer shots. This contributed to uneven vaccine uptake and delayed vaccination efforts.

Equally concerning was the fact that US diplomats had warned the Pentagon its covert campaign could severely damage America’s already fraying relationship with the Philippines. However, military brass overrode those objections, willing to further undermine a critical alliance for a perceived short-term tactical advantage against China. This calls into serious question Washington’s judgment and commitment as a regional security partner.

In the Philippines, the backlash has been swift and severe, with multiple agencies calling for immediate investigations and accountability. For example, Alliance of Concerned Teachers Representative France Castro has urged the House of Representatives to conduct an inquiry into the extent of the damage caused by the Pentagon’s secret campaign.

Similarly, Pilipinong Nagkakaisa para sa Soberanya (P1NAS) spokesman Antonio Tinio demanded that Malacañang summon the US ambassador to Manila to explain this “outrageous conduct” and hold the US accountable for endangering Filipino lives. Tinio criticised Washington’s hypocrisy, noting how the US usually condemns propaganda from Russia and China.

Ultimately, beyond the immediate toll on public health, the US’ disinformation campaign risked long-term damage to America’s credibility and moral standing in Southeast Asia. It is the kind of shadowy meddling in the region’s internal affairs that Washington routinely accuses Beijing of perpetrating. This stark hypocrisy provides ammunition to those claiming that the US has double standards, engaging in the same underhanded tactics it denounces.

In a region already anxious about growing US-China tensions, these revelations will deepen concerns that Southeast Asian nations are becoming pawns in a new cold war. Countries will worry they can no longer take America’s word or motives at face value. Trust, once lost, is not easily regained. Clumsy US attempts to counter Chinese influence could end up repelling regional partners.

The anti-vaccine propaganda also represents an alarming escalation in the expanding disinformation battleground between the US and China. In weaponising a global health emergency that demanded solidarity and cooperation, the Pentagon crossed a dangerous line. It demonstrated a callous willingness to put innocent lives at risk in service of information warfare.

This sets a frightening precedent in an era when pandemics and other transnational threats necessitate collaboration, not zero-sum competition. If Covid-19 vaccines become fair targets for covert sabotage, what is to stop future disinformation campaigns against efforts to combat climate change, prevent future pandemics, or provide humanitarian relief? The stability and welfare of Southeast Asia cannot withstand a psychological arms race with no limits.

The US government must provide a full accounting of this programme, take steps to repair the damage, and commit to higher standards going forward. Continuing to fight disinformation with disinformation will only plant more chaos and confusion, undermining US interests in the region. America’s greatest asset has long been the power of its example and ideals. Subverting that with manipulative propaganda is self-defeating. To truly support the health and well-being of Southeast Asian societies, the US should focus on being a responsible, reliable and transparent partner. Competing with China cannot come at the cost of America’s values and the trust of its allies.

The revelations also underscore the urgent need for a broader reckoning about the rapidly escalating disinformation wars waged by states. The pandemic saw a surge in state-linked influence operations, from Russia’s efforts to promote its Sputnik V vaccine to China’s campaign to deflect blame for the virus’ origins. This serves as a sober reminder to the public that the “infodemic” of lies and manipulated narratives is being weaponised by the big powers themselves – fuelling a global crisis, eroding already strained public trust, and hobbling the collective pandemic response.

Southeast Asian nations, with their young populations and high social media penetration rates, are especially vulnerable to these online influence battles. Disinformation threatens to inflame societal divisions, drown out scientific facts, and weaken democratic institutions across the region. While governments are waking up to the scope of the challenge, much more needs to be done to bolster resilience and mount a coordinated resistance.

Building regional frameworks to share best practices on combating disinformation, investing in digital literacy programmes, and strengthening independent media ecosystems will be critical. So too will calling out state-sponsored disinformation campaigns from wherever they emanate. Staying silent risks normalising this behaviour.

Southeast Asia is a frontline in the battle for the integrity of the information space. How the region confronts this test will shape its political future and the health of its communities. The US’ disinformation campaign was a wake-up call – it is now time for an honest conversation and committed action. At stake is nothing less than the truth upon which societies depend.

Nuurrianti Jalli is a Visiting Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, and an Assistant Professor at the School of Media and Strategic Communications, Oklahoma State University. This commentary was first published on ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute’s commentary website .

‘Drones change everything’: China showcases UAV competitive edge in military export market

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3268149/drones-change-everything-china-showcases-uav-competitive-edge-military-export-market?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese military drones could be “attractive options” for developing countries, with China’s biggest arms contractor looking to expand beyond its traditional markets.

Last week in Paris, Chinese weapons manufacturer, North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco), showcased miniature versions of its land-based weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at the Eurosatory expo, one of Europe’s biggest arms shows.

Norinco displayed various rotary and fixed-wing UAVs at its booth, including the Z-6B, an unmanned helicopter system based on the Z-6 helicopter from the 1960s, which can do vertical take-offs and landings, making it suitable for large naval platforms, such as aircraft carriers, amphibious ships, and destroyers.

“The Z-6B features many technological innovations compared to the original Z-6,” said Timothy Heath, a senior international defence researcher at the Rand Corporation think tank.

“In addition to being unmanned, it features improvements in stealth, advanced optical sensors, electromagnetic warfare, and attack capabilities.

“It is a multi-role platform capable of surveillance, targeting support, and anti-submarine warfare, among other missions.”

Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the Z-6B was “very reminiscent” of US defence contractor Northrop Grumman’s MQ-8B Fire Scout, but with greater payload, a higher operational ceiling, and greater endurance.

“It’s likely to be employed to support naval operations at sea, including ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] communications support for targeting of over-the-horizon weapons, and perhaps logistics support, or from the shore, and clearly employs a degree of reduced radar cross section in its design,” he said.

Norinco’s emphasis on drones at the exhibition was a sign that military UAVs had become one of China’s core military exports.

According to an arms transfer database from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China was the world’s fourth biggest arms exporter in 2023. However, its deliveries were mainly limited to developing countries in Africa and Asia, where Pakistan accounted for 61 per cent of total arms exports.

Drones have been a major source of growth for China’s arms exports. The SIPRI database also showed that Beijing exported more than 280 combat drones over the past decade, mainly to the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

“The rapid development and export of low-cost military UAVs in the past few years, for applications such as surveillance and attack, has played a significant role in the growth of China’s arms industry and is expected to continue in the future as well,” said Nishant Kumar, a senior analyst for air platforms at global military intelligence company Janes.

Serbia is the only European country operating Chinese UAVs in its military. In 2020, Beijing delivered six Chinese-made CH-92A combat drones along with 18 FT-8C laser-guided missiles to Belgrade. Three years later, Serbia acquired Chinese CH-95 UAVs.

Mark Cozad, a senior international defence researcher at Rand Corporation, said China had made the development of drone technology a “national priority”, and there had been significant growth in Chinese companies developing and marketing both commercial and military drones.

He said drones were an “important part” of China’s arms industry, particularly in the sales to the Middle East and North Africa, providing a wide range of services and capabilities at lower costs compared to their Western counterparts.

“Overall, China has developed a wide array of technologically capable drones for use in both [commercial and military] areas,” Cozad said.

“Western systems cost significantly more for both purchases but also in terms of operations and maintenance costs. For customers … the low cost is a critical factor.”

The Russian invasion of Ukraine highlighted the importance of military UAVs in modern warfare for their low cost and high efficiency, while reducing the risks of human casualties.

“This war shows that drones change everything … Now, Ukraine is producing FPV [first-person view] drones, medicines drones, [and] maritime drones,” said Maksym Zaporozhets, international sales manager at drone manufacturer Ukrspec Systems, one of the Ukrainian companies showcasing products at Eurosatory.

UAVs were among the biggest drawcards of the advanced weapons systems at the show, with leading Western defence contractors also showcasing their drone technologies.

Outside the exhibition hall, Europe’s largest aircraft maker, Airbus, promoted its rotary UAV, the VSR700, which is based on a twin-seat design from French helicopter maker Guimbal.

“We think it’s a good solution because it has the qualities of a small helicopter … [but] you can carry quite a large payload. So you can imagine a lot of different mission sets,” Airbus Helicopter’s Emmanuel Huberdeau said, adding that his company aims to deliver the system to the French navy by 2025.

France’s Ministry of Armed Forces showcased a mock-up of French aerospace company Safran’s medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle SDT Patroller at its Eurosatory booth.

Cozad said while it was unlikely that Chinese military drones would find many “inroads” in Europe because of issues such as “interoperability, security, reliability and dependence” on China, the “integral” role of UAVs in Ukraine would enhance Chinese units as “attractive options” for developing countries.

“Drones have proven their value in a variety of capacities over the past 30 years as ISR platforms, communications relays, and as weapons systems among others,” Cozad said.

“As a part of foreign military sales, China provides attractive options to many militaries, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. They provide good enough capabilities for a price that these militaries can afford and with little to no restrictions on their use.”

Lukas Fiala, project coordinator of China Foresight, at the London School of Economics, agreed that Europe would “not be a key market for China” in UAV exports, given “obvious political constraints”, but it would find more opportunities in the Global South, even though it may also face competition from other arms exporters such as Turkey.

“With drones, one of the key focal points of the Russian war in Ukraine, there will be continued interest in such systems for the foreseeable future,” Fiala said.

“Whether China will be in a position to take advantage of this will depend not only on external competition, but also on the willingness of Chinese firms to offer competitively priced package deals, including training, weapons systems and maintenance, repair and overhaul services.”

China designer claims Blackpink’s Lisa ‘copied’ her top in video, sparks intense debate

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3268430/china-designer-claims-blackpinks-lisa-copied-her-top-video-sparks-intense-debate?utm_source=rss_feed

A fashion designer in China has claimed that Lisa – the Thai rapper and dancer in the K-pop band Blackpink – wore a star-shaped top which “copied” her design in a newly released music video.

Yang Yue, a makeup artist and fashion designer from Beijing, made the accusation on the social media platform Xiaohongshu, China’s Instagram.

The controversy has blown up to such an extent that the subject has trended on Weibo, attracting more than 130 million views.

“Not only did they copy it, the cut is also awful. It’s exhausting. Stylist, please stop embarrassing yourself,” wrote Yang.

In a music video (MV) teaser for her new song, Rockstar, released on June 27, Lisa is wearing a leather, star-shaped design top which is strikingly similar to a creation Yang designed in 2020.

The design, completed while Yang was studying in a master’s programme at the University of the Arts London, was inspired by the Tang Dynasty, China’s first heavy metal band from Beijing.

The star represents Beijing, and the wild design reflects the spirit of rock, Yang said on Xiaohongshu.

To prove the design was hers, she posted draping photos of the design process.

Her star-themed design was red with hand-painted patterns, followed by green leather, black leather and blue-dyed versions.

In Yang’s design the top is connected to a skirt. However, the MV teaser does not reveal if that is the case with the top Lisa is wearing.

However, a later full video shows that the K-pop singer is wearing trousers, not a skirt.

Yang said that her skirt designs have been copied or borrowed through the proper channels by many.

Artists who have borrowed the skirt through formal channels include Ning Yizhuo, known by her stage name Ningning, a Chinese singer from the South Korean girl group Aespa.

“I agree that there are different minds thinking alike, but at the same time I think my design was definitely somehow on someone’s mood board at some point,” wrote Yang on Instagram.

Yang has tried to legally secure the copyright of her designs in recent years but found the process too time, and money, consuming, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yang said she has been trying to contact Lisa’s stylist but has received no response.

On June 27, Yang received what appeared to be an apologetic email from a PR team which said Lisa wore the outfit simply because the “star shape is her favourite”.

“You can be assured this will not happen again in the future. We sincerely apologise,” the email added.

Yang shared the statement on Xiaohongshu, but online observers quickly pointed out that the author was a fan group of Lisa and not from the singer’s company, Lloud.

Rockstar is Lisa’s first release under Lloud and RCA Records since her departure from YG Entertainment and Interscope Records last year and her first solo release in three years.

There have been mixed feelings about the incident online.

Some fans accused the original designer of targeting Lisa specifically, claiming that Yang only takes action when Lisa wears similar designs but not when others do so.

Others expressed dissatisfaction with Lisa’s new company, believing it to be inferior to her previous one.

The Post tried to contact Lloud but received no response.

Transgender China actress makes historic debut in UK television drama

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3268289/transgender-china-actress-makes-historic-debut-uk-television-drama?utm_source=rss_feed

Actress Jaylin Ye has made history by becoming the first Chinese transgender female character to appear on British television with her debut in the Amazon Prime series Dead Hot.

The six-episode comedy thriller follows friends and amateur detectives Jess and Elliott as they investigate the disappearance of Peter, Jess’s twin brother, and the love of Elliott’s life.

Ye plays Karis, Elliott’s college friend, who joins the team in the third episode.

Her performance has been praised as “downright hilarious” by reviewer Shannon Connellan on the global entertainment platform Mashable.

The series premiered in the UK and Ireland on March 1 and became available in the US and Canada on Tubi from March 27.

Last summer, Ye spent about six weeks filming in Liverpool, northwest England, for her first-ever appearance in a television series.

This marks the first recorded instance of a Chinese transgender female character in a British television series.

The trailer, featuring Ye, even played on the big screen in New York City’s Times Square.

“As an immigrant, a Chinese and a trans woman, I feel that this step is historically significant, proving that people like us can reach the mainstream,” Ye told the Post.

“You’re China’s own Hunter Schafer,” an online observer commented on Ye’s post on Xiaohongshu.

“I love this show. You are fantastic in it,” said another.

Ye, in her 20s, was born and raised in Guangdong province in southern China.

She earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Chinese studies and graphic design at a mainland university.

From a young age, she sensed she was “somehow different” and was bullied for being a “sissy”.

Ye, originally identifying as non-binary, later came out as a transgender female in August 2022. Commencing hormone therapy last year, she expressed gratitude for the supportive queer community in Britain.

Hormone therapy marks the beginning of one’s journey towards gender transition and gender-affirming surgeries are not a prerequisite for individuals to be recognised as transgender.

She told the Post that embracing her female identity brought her immense confidence and comfort.

In 2018, Ye graduated from the University of Manchester in the UK with a master’s degree in marketing and returned to Guangdong, where she worked at a local international school.

However, she soon realised it was not the life she wanted.

In November 2020, Ye seized an opportunity to move back to Manchester and worked in the fashion industry as a makeup artist and model.

Acting was initially just a hobby when she belonged to her university’s drama club.

In 2021, she began taking weekly acting workshops and signed with her first agency.

“You need to stop daydreaming. You’re not professionally trained and you do not look particularly good,” her mother told her, like many East Asian parents, habitually dismissing her child’s dreams despite her love.

“I told my mum that my face appeared on the big screen in Times Square. She asked, ‘What is Times Square?’,” Ye said.

Her achievements eventually got her mother’s support, though her father still believed she should pursue a more stable career.

In March last year, with her natural humour, she secured the role of Karis in Dead Hot after just one audition.

The casting director later told her that her audition tape was the only one that made everyone laugh.

Initially, Karis was written as a cisgender woman.

“The Amazon team did not know I was transgender at first. I’m grateful I got the role because of my performance, not my identity. This is more significant to me because, as an actress, I don’t want to be limited to transgender roles,” Ye said.

She looks forward to continuing her efforts to increase the representation of Chinese and transgender communities and hopes to further explore her potential in the US.

“My roots are Chinese, and I will always strive to incorporate Chinese elements into my work. I have a big dream that, one day, when I stand on an awards ceremony stage, I will tell everyone that I am native-born Chinese,” Ye told the Post.

“I want to convey the message, ‘Come on, let’s be real, there are millions of queer people in China’,” she said. “Maybe I’ll write a book someday about my story.”

China-Philippines ties on ‘brink of total breakdown’: unpacking the collapse

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3268506/china-philippines-ties-brink-total-breakdown-unpacking-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed

Concrete pillars once dotted the landscape of Malolos, north of Manila, in the grand first phase of a billion-peso Chinese-backed rail project meant to transform transport in the Philippines. That was in 2008: a time of promise and partnership with Beijing.

Fast forward 16 years and those 80 support pillars are now gone, torn down after the ambitious Northrail scheme was abandoned amid allegations of corruption and mismanagement. Yet 200km to the northwest, a new structure is taking shape – one with very different intentions.

Inside a Philippine naval base on the western shores of Luzon, workers are quietly erecting the country’s first supersonic cruise missile outpost. With a 300km range, the BrahMos missiles will be capable of striking Scarborough Shoal, where Chinese naval forces have gathered. This burgeoning military installation represents the latest flashpoint in the Philippines’ increasingly acrimonious stand-off with its one-time partner.

What began as a story of infrastructure cooperation has morphed into an epic tale of betrayal and confrontation, the once-chummy relationship between Manila and Beijing giving way to escalating geopolitical rivalry. The rise and fall of those Northrail pillars now bookend a new, more ominous chapter.

At the heart of the falling out is Beijing’s assertion, through its “nine-dash-line” – lately expanded to 10-dashes – that it owns nearly all of the South China Sea. Its expansive maritime claim has led China to encroach on waters over which the Philippines also claims sovereignty.

“I think relations are the worst in recent memory because the hostility and aggression of China at both the strategic and tactical levels are palpable,” former senator and retired naval officer Antonio Trilllanes told This Week in Asia.

Indeed, ties are “at their lowest ebb and on the brink of total breakdown”, according to Teresita Ang-See, founder of Kaisa, an organisation representing Chinese-Filipinos that aims to foster understanding and tolerance between cultures.

“Never have the churning waters reached boiling point as now,” she said.

A routine resupply mission to a remote outpost on the Second Thomas Shoal turned violent on June 17, when Chinese vessels launched an attack on Filipino forces within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. In the chaos, a Filipino special forces soldier lost his thumb after his boat was deliberately rammed by a Chinese coastguard vessel.

Chinese coastguard personnel wielding axes and machetes then boarded the Philippine boats, trashing equipment, seizing phones and firearms, and towing the vessels away – a shocking escalation in the bitter territorial dispute over the strategic waterway.

The Philippine military was quick to condemn China’s “barbaric actions” in a post on the X social media platform.

Beijing, however, offered a starkly different account. Chinese officials claimed their personnel were simply defending Chinese territory, despite the fact that the Second Thomas Shoal is situated more than 1,100km away from the nearest Chinese land mass and is some 194km from Philippine shores. The officials also alleged the resupply mission was violating a prior agreement.

As the two sides trade accusations, the risk of further miscalculation and escalation remains ever-present in the strategic waterway.

It wasn’t the first time Chinese forces had disrupted a resupply mission to a grounded World War II-era warship at Second Thomas Shoal that acts as a Philippine outpost in the South China Sea, previously resorting to ramming and water cannon attacks to block and impede operations.

But this latest incident marked a significant escalation, with the Philippine troops under strict orders not to open fire or fight back even in the face of brazen aggression.

China “would like to push us to fire the first shot”, Philippine Navy spokesman Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad told local media on June 20, three days after the incident.

Beijing maintains that a secret agreement was made with a senior Philippine navy officer regarding resupply missions to the ship, the BRP Sierra Madre. But both President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and the navy officer involved have separately denied that any such agreement ever existed.

Meanwhile, Chinese ships have been sailing into and through the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, including a 12,000-tonne vessel dubbed ‘The Monster’, the world’s largest coastguard ship. On June 25, Philippine armed forces spokesman Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla told the Inquirer newspaper that these Chinese ship movements are “part of a broader pattern of intrusive patrols aimed at asserting unlawful claims” within the Southeast Asian nation’s EEZ.

“It’s clear, China wants to grab our island territories and maritime zones,” retired Supreme Court associate justice and maritime rights crusader Antonio Carpio told This Week in Asia, calling the June 17 incident a significant escalation.

“This is a higher level, it’s the first time they’ve boarded our auxiliary ships,” he said.

Faced with the loss of maritime territory and untold resources within its EEZ, the Philippines has tried various approaches over the years, from legal action to appeasement, military modernisation, and seeking alliances.

In 2013, the administration of President Benigno Aquino filed a UN arbitration case challenging China’s nine-dash line claims. The Philippines won the case in 2016, but Beijing rejected the tribunal’s ruling.

When Rodrigo Duterte became president in 2016, he took a friendlier approach. He flew to Beijing, announced a pivot away from the Philippines’ US alliance, and set aside the tribunal decision. Duterte also permitted China to build a “friendship bridge” in Manila and the Chinese ambassador even released a song celebrating the two countries’ ties.

However, the expected Chinese investments did not materialise, and China continued to assert its territorial claims and encroach on the Philippine EEZ, despite the warming relations under Duterte. “We were really just giving away our island territories and maritime zones to China” at that time, Carpio said.

When Marcos took office in 2022, some thought he would be Beijing’s “Manchurian candidate”, but instead he drew The Philippines closer to the US and supported military modernisation.

Now, he faces the challenge of an increasingly assertive Beijing, while also fending off accusations that he is turning his country into a puppet of the United States that could be dragged into a war over Taiwan.

The South China Sea has long been a point of contention between the Philippines and China, with two disputed features in particular serving as flashpoints: the Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Shoal. Both are claimed by Manila and Beijing, with the dilapidated Philippine warship BRP Sierra Madre functioning as a military outpost in the former, while the latter is a traditional fishing ground for Filipino fishermen.

Analysts argue that China is exerting particular pressure on the Philippines for a few key reasons.

First, the Philippines’ geographic location is strategically significant, because it, Japan and Taiwan comprise what is known in US foreign policy circles as the “first island chain”, preventing easy access from the Asian mainland to the open Pacific.

China sees the Philippines as a weak link in this chain. Its strategy of “kill the chicken to scare the monkey”, outlined by foreign affairs magazine The Diplomat a decade ago, dictates that it will “go after lesser powers to diminish the role or prevent the involvement of a greater power”.

Manila’s policy of building up its military and strengthening its alliances with extra-regional powers also makes it a target. Under Marcos, the Philippines has granted American forces access to four additional military facilities called EDCA sites in the northern Philippines, closer to Taiwan, as well as one facing the disputed Spratly Islands. As a result, the US now has a presence across nine military camps scattered throughout the country.

China will use “any means” to achieve its “ultimate objective” of “stopping the EDCA bases from attaining fully operational status”, according to Trillanes, who also helped author a 2012 law to modernise the Philippine military.

All of which leaves the Philippine leadership in something of a quandary.

China is the Philippines’ largest source of imports and trade relations have remained unaffected, so far. But diplomacy between the two has hit a stone wall.

“Every time we sit down with China, it will say there’s nothing to discuss because it has owned the South China Sea since 2,000 years ago,” Carpio said.

The June 17 incident was “a continuation of China’s plan to control the South China Sea”, he said. “That started in 1947 … slowly, as they increased their naval might, they’ve continued to grab and grab.”

What really “aggrieved” Beijing was the four new EDCA sites, according to Filipino businessman and writer Wilson Lee Flores, who supported closer relations with China under Duterte.

“I think that’s when things went wrong,” he said. “Before then, things were normal, right?”

Philippine public opinion appears to be hardening in tandem with China’s increased assertiveness. Almost three in every four Filipinos now favour the use of military force to uphold the nation’s sovereignty and maritime rights, a March survey by Octa Research found.

But the government isn’t so trigger-happy. Four days after the June 17 clash, the highest ranking official in Marcos’ office, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, characterised the incident as a probable “misunderstanding or accident”, which would not trigger a seven decade-old defence treaty that binds the US to come to Manila’s aid in the event of an attack.

A day later, Marcos himself declared “we are not in the business to instigate wars” while visiting troops at the Philippines’ South China Sea forces headquarters in Palawan province. “Our great ambition is to provide a peaceful and prosperous life for every Filipino,” he said.

For Manila’s defence chief, June 17 was “a deliberate act of the Chinese officialdom”, which he said on Monday was orchestrated “to prevent us from completing our mission”. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro’s fighting talk was belatedly matched by Marcos, who said on Thursday that he and his officials “have to do more” than just protest against China’s “deliberate and illegal action” – without elaborating.

On social media, Filipinos were quick to decry the government’s apparent inaction. The Philippine public “expects you to retaliate”, an account calling itself “West Philippine Sea” posted on X on June 23.

“We understand that the Military Option may not yet be advisable … [but] do something! Expel a few diplomats … file criminal and civil cases … anything other than NOTHING!”

Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines’ Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, joined calls for the Chinese ambassador and embassy staff to be expelled.

“We need to send them back,” he said in an interview on GMA Network’s 24 Oras news show.

Footage of the June 17 incident further unsettled a Philippine public already uneasy about the proliferation of Chinese-controlled offshore gambling companies known as Pogos. Under the Duterte administration, this lightly regulated sector was promoted as a source of economic growth, but instead brought a surge in criminality, corruption, and an influx of undocumented mainland Chinese, some of whom were wanted criminals.

Further feeding Filipino paranoia about the Pogo industry was the case of Alice Guo, mayor of Bamban town in Tarlac province. Guo was found to have intimate ties to a massive Pogo operation located a stone’s throw from her own office.

She struggled to provide basic details about her background during Senate hearings into her case, was unable to produce any records of her birth or schooling, and offered conflicting accounts of her family and upbringing. Senator Win Gatchalian presented documents purportedly proving that Guo is actually a Chinese citizen named Guo Hua Ping. Amid the damning revelations, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered Guo’s suspension from office.

Meanwhile, a recent raid on an illegal Pogo complex in Pampanga province uncovered another disturbing find: Chinese military uniforms. The discovery only heightened suspicions that the industry is being exploited by Beijing, both to embed agents within the Philippines and conduct electronic espionage targeting military installations.

But Kaisa founder Ang-See called this a “ridiculous misconception”.

“The evils brought about by Pogos – gambling-related kidnappings, human-trafficking related kidnappings – and the maritime dispute over the West Philippine Sea have all been lumped into one catch-all bogeyman,” she said.

“Both China and the Philippines are playing into the hands of provocateurs and hawks who want nothing more than to see our two countries at loggerheads.”

China’s actions on June 17 were “indefensible”, Ang-see said, but Philippine “public pronouncements should be more discriminating to avoid pouring oil onto the fire”.

University of the Philippines history professor emeritus Ricardo Jose drew unsettling parallels between the paranoia surrounding the Pogo industry and the lead-up to World War II in the Philippines.

“The stories of Chinese infiltrators remind me of what happened back then,” Jose said. “The Japanese sent some officers here as spies before the war disguised as salesmen … Some local Japanese were hired as intelligence sources too.”

It’s a concerning echo of the past – in 1941, China and the US, which governed the Philippines as a commonwealth, were allies against Japan. Now, the tables have turned, with the Philippines, the US, and Japan standing as allies, while the perceived threat emanates from China.

“If we have the world on our side, China cannot do what it wants,” Carpio told This Week in Asia. “That’s why we need to get the rest of the world to support us here, and I think they will … China in the long run is in a no-win situation.”

Jet engineer Huang Qiang to take Jilin’s helm as China promotes tech-savvy leaders

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3268500/jet-engineer-huang-qiang-take-jilins-helm-china-promotes-tech-savvy-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed

Fighter jet engineer Huang Qiang has been promoted to Communist Party boss of the northeastern Chinese province of Jilin in the latest reshuffle of regional party chiefs.

The 61-year-old was promoted from governor of Sichuan in the country’s southwest and replaces Jing Junhai, whose next position has not been announced.

The appointment came after the China’s highest decision-making body Politburo set ambitious economic and tech development goals for the next decade in a meeting on Thursday.

Over the past few years, China has named more scientists and engineers to key positions at the provincial level to sharpen its technological edge and counter the US-led technological squeeze.

The officials are expected to bring expertise in areas such as rocket science, nuclear power and environmental protection.

Huang belongs to a group of rising political stars with backgrounds in science and engineering.

Born in the eastern Zhejiang province, he is a senior engineer with a doctorate in management science and engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Huang’s career took off at Aviation Industry Corporation of China, where he held several technical and managerial positions. In 2008, Huang became the deputy director of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence.

He is well known as a warplane designer, particularly for his work on the navigation and fire control systems of the Xian JH-7, a two-seater fighter-bomber nicknamed the “Flying Leopard”.

In 2014, Huang was promoted to deputy governor of Gansu province before taking up the same position in Henan province four years later, assuming responsibility for economic development and administrative efficiency. Over the past four years, Huang has served as the deputy party secretary of Sichuan.

Other new appointments announced on Friday include the transfer of Liang Yanshun, 61, to party secretary of eastern Anhui province, where he will succeed Han Jun, who will take over as party head of the agriculture ministry.

Liang has a doctorate in economics from the Central Party School and worked there for many years in administrative and research roles before going to Gansu province for two years from 2016 to head the propaganda and organisation departments.

In 2017, Liang returned to Beijing, taking on responsibilities for party building, united front work and propaganda for various central leading groups. From 2022 to 2024, Liang worked as the party secretary of Ningxia.

Meanwhile, Li Yifei, 60, was promoted to party chief of Ningxia, moving from Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in the country’s west where he was deputy party boss.

Li, originally from Yunnan, has served in key positions across three provinces: Yunnan, Guizhou and Xinjiang.

In October 2021, Li was promoted to secretary of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps party committee and was officially ranked as a senior leader, responsible for overseeing economic and social development.

China CEO who has 4 children from ‘high-quality’ US sperm says she ‘can be their hero’

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3268044/china-ceo-who-has-4-children-high-quality-us-sperm-says-she-can-be-their-hero?utm_source=rss_feed

An online influencer and chief executive officer of a cosmetics brand in China has intrigued her 9 million followers on Douyin by her decision to have four children using sperm she bought from the United States.

Ye Haiyang, 36, was born to a working-class family in northeastern China’s Jilin province. At the age of 22, she founded her Shenzhen-based makeup company, DC Expert.

After she built her company factory in 2015, the single, successful entrepreneur asked herself the question: “What’s the point of working hard and making money?”

Her answer was to have a child. But instead of going down the usual route of marrying and getting pregnant, Ye decided to buy “high-quality” sperm from a US bank.

She chose what she considered to be the best, because it belongs to a man with a mixed heritage who is healthy and physically strong as well as having a degree from an Ivy League college.

Ye said she spent 500,000 yuan (US$69,000) to give birth to her first daughter, Doris, in the US in 2017.

In 2021, she went to Russia for another IVF procedure using the same man’s sperm, and gave birth to her second daughter, Hatti, in 2022.

On June 20, Ye announced on her Douyin account that she had recently given birth to twin sons, Owen and Olsen, again with the same man’s sperm.

She said she is so happy she has sons and daughters, and that they are everything she dreamed about when she was a teenager wondering what her future held.

Ye faced many questions and doubts when she had Doris, but more supportive voices emerged as she became a mother of four.

Many said she has “set an example” for them, and one person said: “You have daughters and sons, money, and no husband or annoying mother-in-law. So happy.”

China has been relaxing its birth registration policy since last year.

Southwestern Sichuan province officially published new regulations in February last year, which allows children born out of wedlock to be registered in one parent’s hukou.

In China, hukou, or permanent residence permit, means access to basic social benefits including education and medical care.

Some single people from other provinces also posted online saying they have registered their babies.

Chinese law does not grant single women access to sperm banks in China, so some women choose to buy from abroad.

In one of her videos, Ye said she did not want to get married only because society believes children need a father. She said she can be both their mother and father: “I can be their hero,” she said.

Of her choice to have four children, Ye said: “People say your love for each kid will reduce when you have more, but my love for them only multiplied.”

She said her mother gave her full support when she decided to raise children on her own.

Drawn by BTS and K-drama, Chinese tourists return to S Korea in droves after years of upset

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3268475/drawn-bts-and-k-drama-chinese-tourists-return-s-korea-droves-after-years-upset?utm_source=rss_feed

South Korean boy band BTS makes so little secret of its trips to Jeju, a resort island in their homeland, that travel agencies know just what spots the seven superstars have visited.

That makes it easy to organise tours for Chinese fans to take photos, with a hotel and a Buddhist temple some of the stops on the itinerary.

It is the same for Chinese viewers of the Korean television series Welcome to Samdal-ri, which was filmed on the volcanic island.

Travel policies are helping too, as Chinese nationals qualify for visa-free entry to South Korea for up to 30 days if in transit to a third country.

The number of Chinese tourists making the trip to Jeju has expanded every month from January to April this year, with the combined total for the four months more than all of 2023, according to the Jeju Tourism Organisation.

Travel to South Korea from China is booming again following the removal of barriers on both sides and the lure of cheap flights to a popular nearby country.

Chinese tourists increased by 470 per cent from January to April this year compared to the same months of 2023, the Korea Times reported.

As of the first quarter, Chinese visitors had made more than 1 million trips to South Korea, more than from any other country, according to China’s state-backed Xinhua News Agency.

South Korea had already become the second most popular foreign market for Chinese tourists last year, after Japan, travel analytics firm ForwardKeys said.

Chinese travellers, mindful of economic uncertainty at home, can reach South Korea in a few hours on relatively cheap flights, said Gary Bowerman, director of the tourism marketing firm Check-in Asia.

Round-trip flights to Seoul, from Beijing or Shanghai, stood at around US$180 as of mid-June.

Chinese tourists in South Korea typically visit preserved historic sites in Seoul, while monuments to K-pop and Korean dramas are popular on Chinese video platforms.

Many tourists frequent urban zones with shops, entertainment and dining – all near their hotels – said Wendy Jiao, a representative of Shenzhen-based hotel platform CNbooking.

“South Korea does offer a forcing mix of fast-moving pop culture, lifestyle, themed cafes and well-being, plus diverse landscapes … and of course cuisine,” Bowerman said.

“These factors and its close proximity continue to make it a well-suited destination for short-travel travel trips.”

Halmurat, a 29-year-old Chinese national, visited South Korea for four days in February, and after a day of business meetings, visited a night market, the Itaewon nightlife quarter in Seoul and the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art.

“At three hours past midnight, I felt that [Seoul] was still full of people,” said the Shanghai-based doctor.

“You can’t see this kind of scene in Shanghai.”

Travel operators in the eastern coastal city of Busan are waiting for more direct flights from China to promote the beaches, railways and coastal temples it is known for, said William Cho, global marketing manager with the Busan Tourism Organisation.

He said flights arrive from just three Chinese cities, with visitors making the trip to Busan only after visiting Seoul, and if they do not mind a train ride of more than two hours.

“We are waiting for and wish to have more airlines,” Cho said.

The boom followed the end of travel barriers that had disrupted tourism off and on for six years.

In 2017, China issued travel warnings to discourage trips to South Korea following its deployment of a US-designed anti-ballistic missile defence system. Years later, the outbreak of the coronavirus hit the bilateral tourism hard, and it was not until August when Chinese group travels resumed completely after Seoul lifted Covid testing rules on Chinese visitors.

Bowerman said 73 per cent of outbound travellers from China flew an average of four to five hours in the first quarter and “the vast majority” stayed abroad less than a week.

“You’ll see more people being careful with their money and staying within the four-hour radius,” Bowerman told a webinar in May.

Chinese travellers were stocking up on presales of flights and hotel rooms in South Korea as of mid-June, said Zhang Chen, vice-president of the Chinese travel platform Fliggy.

But ForwardKeys said that from June to August, South Korea should expect just 11 per cent year-on-year growth in arrivals from China.

And CNbooking, which specialises in high-end hotels, found the growth too slow.

“This year there’s an increase in arrivals, but it’s not what we expected,” Jiao said.

“We hope it’s hotter next year, but can’t see that yet. Maybe the summer vacation will be better.”

Additional reporting by Mia Nulimaimaiti

How former Hong Kong court translator became China’s man in Washington at a crucial time

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3268112/how-former-hong-kong-court-translator-became-chinas-man-washington-crucial-time?utm_source=rss_feed

When Wu Tingfang, the first English-speaking Chinese minister to the United States (serving 1897-1902), arrived in Washington, the stakes could not have been higher.

China’s existence as a state was in play, and Wu’s diplomacy and careful cultivation of a bilateral relationship with the US would play a key role in ensuring his country’s survival.

A key element of Wu’s background that enabled him to play such a pivotal role in US-China relations was the unconventional diplomat’s combination of bicultural education and experience.

Wu Tingfang was actually an official name, bestowed by the Chinese imperial government on Ng Choy, born in 1842 to a forward-thinking merchant in the Malacca Strait.

As a boy, Ng received a blended education of “native” schooling in mainland China until he was 13, followed by the Christian middle school of St Paul’s in Hong Kong.

Upon graduation, he dabbled in journalism for a few years then spent more than a decade as a translator in Hong Kong’s colonial police courts, wading through the muck of East-West relations.

The ambitious Ng followed this with a high-honours law degree at London’s prestigious Lincoln’s Inn.

Upon his return to Hong Kong in 1877, enjoying minor celebrity status as the first Chinese to become an English barrister, Ng’s upwards path continued.

The 35-year-old set up a law practice in Hong Kong and fell increasingly under the patronage of “pro-native” Hong Kong governor John Pope Hennessy.

In 1880, Hennessy appointed Ng to a non-elected position on the Hong Kong legislative council, and not long after, named him the colony’s first Chinese police magistrate.

Ng’s performance in these duties did not meet with universal acclaim, however. Less progressive elements took to the Overland China Mail to bemoan the “mediocre ability” and “superlative bumptiousness” of their latest legislator.

Ng, who famously called upon his fellow Chinese to display more cheek in the British colony, could rub some the wrong way, and assessing his career options in 1882, he leapt at an opportunity to work for the Chinese imperial government in Tientsin (modern-day Tianjin).

The offer came from legendary foreign-relations mandarin and reformer Li Hongzhang, who was on the lookout for talented young Chinese adept in foreign languages and cultures.

He needed this new kind of China bureaucrat to serve as a counterpoint to the standard high-level civil servants who surrounded him.

These cloistered bureaucrats, with their deep study of the Chinese classics required by the 1,000-year-old government entrance exams, were ill-prepared to deal with a modern world dominated by Western powers.

As part of his entry into the loftier heights of the Chinese bureaucracy, Ng was bestowed his official name.

Wu was the Mandarin translation of Ng, and “Tingfang” roughly translated to “hall fragrance”, all intended to convey, according to a report in the Washington Evening Star, one who “is so just and eminent a law giver that the sweet savour of his reputation ‘fills the court’”.

The new Wu proved a quick study. In his first five years he played a key supporting role in negotiating settlement of the disastrous first Sino-Japanese war (1894-95), served as a director of the newly created Tientsin University, and managed China’s first commercial railway. Having thus earned Li’s trust, Wu became the first foreign-educated Chinese to be placed in a major diplomatic position.

Arriving in the spring of 1897, the new Chinese minister to Washington hit the ground running.

According to the Atlanta Constitution, Wu “astonished” those present with his mastery of English while presenting his credentials to President William McKinley. Moreover, Wu’s open and social nature was in high contrast with his predecessors.

Within a few months the Chicago Tribune noted the always traditionally attired Wu was “fast becoming the best known and most popular diplomat in Washington”.

Almost all key cabinet ministers came to dinners hosted by Wu and his wife, and stories of Wu’s capacity – when challenged – to drink assorted legislators under the table and then, as the Baltimore Sun described it, go “in search of new senators to conquer” became legendary.

Apart from contributing to the diplomatic social whirl in Washington, Wu also delivered in geopolitics.

In 1898, at the onset of the Spanish-American War – America’s first “Pacific pivot” – Wu assured the McKinley administration that the Chinese would maintain neutrality. This ensured Chinese ports remained open to the US Navy should they be needed during the conflict, by which an expansionist US acquired Guam and the Philippines.

Through these acts and others, Wu soon established strong personal and professional ties with the US secretary of state, John Hay, as well as McKinley.

Beyond Washington, as his first years in the US unfolded, newspapers and the general public also became enamoured of Wu. The Chinese minister maintained a dizzying schedule of postprandial talks at high-level private clubs and august educational institutions.

This was how one got one’s message out in this era, and no one was better at it than Wu. As the Chicago Tribune noted, Wu, in his first years in Washington, pretty much “accepted invitations from just about anybody to go anywhere” and in so doing, endeared himself to everyone.

Wu was always up to something newsworthy. His insightful and entertaining pronouncements, be they on Confucianism and Christianity, women’s hats, automobiles, or the revival of Chinese inventiveness, made their way into newspapers around the country – Wu was nothing if not good copy.

But it was not all fun and games. His speeches addressed the unfairness of the China Exclusion Act and the ill-regard that sometimes became violence that Chinese people often met in the US.

He dealt with highbinder Chinese gangs afflicting Chinese communities, and even irrational attempts by San Francisco public-health authorities to impose race-based vaccination and quarantine measures to address an outbreak of bubonic plague that did not exist.

Wu himself was not immune to hostility. During a trip to New York early in his tenure, he and his entourage were attacked – their carriage surrounded by a mob and pelted with stones and eggs.

The diplomat took these occasional public assaults, and even death threats, as part of the price of being a prominent public figure.

Wu, as well as anyone, understood the power that derived from fame and popularity in America and how to wield it. And this proved fortunate. Nearing his third year in the US, events were conspiring to ensure he would need all the goodwill his public diplomacy had generated.

Up to that point Wu had helped shape a US policy towards China reflective of what the Atlanta Constitution described as the young country’s instinctual preference for “its capitalists to invade foreign countries, not its army”.

Hay, who had been raised in an anti-slavery family and served as an aide to Abraham Lincoln, had already come out in late 1899 with a clear statement from the McKinley administration that despite entreaties from several European nations setting up cantonments and trading ports in China, the US “has no intention of acquiring a sphere of influence in China”.

The American position was not solely motivated by its better angels. Its Open-Door policy assisting China maintain its territorial integrity also reflected US thinking that a China open for trade – as opposed to a China parcelled out among rival blocks – would be the best possible outcome for America’s fast-emerging exporters and businessmen.

Then came the Boxers. Initially dismissed as a ragtag group of anti-Western peasants, superstitious idlers and disaffected members of the Chinese army, the movement soon built momentum.

A divided Chinese government waffled between condemnation and calling them patriots. By June 1900, “the Society of Righteous Fists” numbered in the tens of thousands, and was marching on Peking.

Lurid descriptions of the murders of Chinese Christians and foreigners filled the newspapers, and their attacks on Peking’s foreign legations riveted readers around the globe.

On July 14 that year, front-page reports declared that foreign representatives in the isolated capital had been massacred, and the response from Western nations was visceral.

Calls arose for the foreign troops amassing in Tientsin to burn the port city, where much of the trouble was centred, to the ground. Influential journalist Ambrose Bierce, of the San Francisco Examiner, proposed “a righteous war” with China that would “set the whole country ablaze in enthusiasm”.

Meanwhile, Wu, whose sources claimed legation staff were still alive, decried the inflammatory, unconfirmed reports and counselled calm.

These latest developments put the McKinley administration under enormous pressure to join European countries that saw the Boxer uprising as an opportunity to both punish China and partition it.

According to Reuters, Hay entrusted to Wu a US State Department cipher message with instructions to “spare no efforts or expenses” in getting it to the US minister to Peking Edwin Conger – if he was still alive.

Wu tapped his network of select viceroys in southern China to undertake the mission, and after one week, involving much derring-do by Chinese messengers and additional false alarms, they succeeded.

On July 20, newspapers across the US reported the State Department had received, via Wu, an authentic encrypted message from a still very much alive Conger.

The news that Conger and the foreigners sheltering at the legations were alive was met with jubilation. Foreign troops were nearing Peking and authorities were sure time was on their side.

The Pittsburgh Press assessed Wu’s “conduct during the trying times” to be “beyond all praise”.

Speaking officially for the American government, Hay reiterated that the US was not at war with China, and added that the goal of foreign powers continuing to mass in Tientsin should be to help the legitimate Chinese forces restore order, not to punish or invade.

The Washington Post devoted several columns to Wu’s “astounding power” – even in the face of “the horrors enacted in China” and “the passions and prejudices inflamed” – to appeal to the goodwill and admiration of Americans.

The Baltimore Sun, writing in December of 1900, described Wu as “the guiding force” in Hay’s handling of the Boxer crisis.

With the uprising officially quelled in September 1901 and the threat of partition having receded, Wu, in his last two years as minister, rallied for one last great project: blocking the renewal of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Initially, Wu made good progress.

The Baltimore American observed Wu, in his speeches, articles and relationships with legislators, was “revolutionising public opinion with regard to his country”.

His core argument, that it was a strange thing to exclude a people because of their virtues such as intelligence, thriftiness and industry rather than their vices, struck home with many Americans.

But Wu soon discovered that wading into debates on domestic policies affecting jobs was an entirely different thing than advocating for far-off concepts such as preserving China’s territorial integrity.

Wu’s path would be further complicated by the assassination of McKinley by anarchist Leon Czolgosz in September 1901 and the subsequent elevation of the famously anti-corporate pioneer populist Theodore Roosevelt to the presidency.

In keeping with the country’s new soured mood, in February 1902 the San Francisco Examiner – motto: “An American Paper for the American People” – linked Wu to a “conspiracy of businessmen to throw open the Golden Gate to the influx of the Mongol hordes”.

On the Exclusion Act, the Convention of the American Federation of Labor denounced Wu in December 1901.

In April 1902, the Los Angeles Times reported Wu was “bitterly attacked in the Senate” during debates on the Chinese Exclusion Bill for “his unusual interference in American legislative affairs”.

The Russell Record went so far as to describe Wu as a “public nuisance”, adding that “not only the Chinese but this particular Chinese must go”.

The San Francisco Examiner, conceding Wu’s point, acknowledged that the Chinese were “kept out as much for their virtues as their vices” and openly endorsed a law to “exclude the people” with whom Americans “cannot compete”.

The San Francisco Chronicle crowed that the “hypnotic influence of Minister Wu” had been overcome, and that the general mood was to re-enact an even more comprehensive Exclusion Act.

After working in the US for close to five years, well over the normally allotted three for Chinese diplomatic postings, Wu was recalled to Peking to play a key role in redrafting and modernising China’s thousands-of-years-old penal code. He would rise to foreign minister and acting prime minister in the short-lived Chinese Republican government.

The man The Washington Post described as “a pretty good American” in that they saw in Wu what they most valued in themselves “energy, ability and a true democratic spirit” would die in 1922 at the age of 82.

Berlin’s shift on China policy is result of Beijing’s changed behaviour, German envoy says

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268546/berlins-shift-china-policy-result-beijings-changed-behaviour-german-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed

Beijing’s changing behaviour towards Europe has compelled Berlin to re-evaluate its China policy, a top German diplomat said on Friday.

Speaking at the Hudson Institute in Washington, Thomas Bagger, state secretary at the German foreign ministry, declared that Germany’s stance towards Beijing has moved to a heightened rivalry, a response to Beijing’s actions rather than pressure from Washington.

“It’s quite clear that the emphasis has shifted from a focus on partnership and cooperation to more competition Bagger said as he acknowledged that decoupling from China would “hurt our economy tremendously”.

Even so, Germany seeks to reduce its dependency vulnerabilities in areas like technology, critical minerals, even medical equipment, Bagger noted: “China’s approach to us, to its neighbours, to the international arena has changed in a way that forces us to revisit our own China policy”.

Bagger reiterated that European officials don’t agree with the US “on everything”: “Our policy or China strategy or changing approach is a reaction to your policies, to your actions … We’re not America’s poodle,” he said.

Nor does Europe regard China as a “geopolitical challenge” to its “primacy”, he said.

“Europeans don’t look at ourselves as No 1.”

Last week, after a nine-month investigation into alleged unfair state subsidies, the European Union imposed new tariffs of up to 38 per cent on Chinese electric vehicles. The decision came a month after the US imposed 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese EVs.

Beijing has retaliated by launching an inquiry into European pork products. And, fearing action against its own auto industry, which is heavily dependent on the Chinese market, Berlin has opposed EU tariffs. Negotiations between Beijing and Brussels are underway; the new taxes take effect on July 4.

Yet Bagger warned that China’s support for Russia in its war on Ukraine would have repercussions for its relationship with Berlin.

“If and when China continues to violate Europe’s core interest in security on the European continent, this will have an increasing cost on China,” he said.

“That cannot be compartmentalised,” he added. “If you continue to support Russia’s war effort against Ukraine, that will have consequences also for our bilateral and European-Chinese relationship.”

Led by the US, Western nations contend that, despite their sanctions, Russia is meeting nearly 90 per cent of its semiconductor needs for tanks, missiles and aircraft through dual-use imports from China.

Bagger was visiting Washington ahead of the Nato summit here, scheduled for July 9-11, when the transatlantic alliance’s 32 members are expected to pass a US$107 billion multi-year aid package for Ukraine.

The issue of the war is far from settled in Washington. Donald Trump, the former US president and presumptive Republican nominee for the presidential election in November, vowed to withdraw US military aid to Ukraine during his debate on Thursday evening with President Joe Biden.

Last week, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that more than 20 Nato countries will have met the alliance’s target of raising their military budgets to at least 2 per cent of their GDP this year.

Asked how Europe, in particular Germany, was preparing for a potential Trump return to the White House, Bagger said that every European capital was carefully monitoring the US elections and that a “reflection process” was going on “behind closed doors”.

Bagger acknowledged that the EU had a tough time working with Trump, but said that some of those issues were not “as relevant anymore” because Europe had “re-examined” its “own assumptions”.

“Russian gas is one of them, Iran in some ways is another one, I think our 2 per cent is a third one,” he said.

“I think what would remain is certainly, you know, very different opinions on trade issues and a number of economic issues,” he added.

Doubts about US behind Marcos’ downplay of latest South China Sea clash

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3268145/doubts-about-us-behind-marcos-downplay-latest-south-china-sea-clash?utm_source=rss_feed

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr is busy playing down the risks of a major conflict in the South China Sea after yet another dangerous clash, this time with axe-wielding Chinese maritime forces that left injuries, including one Filipino soldier who lost his thumb.

“We are not in the business to instigate wars,” Marcos Jnr told troops at a military base in Palawan, which embraces the South China Sea. “We refuse to play by the rules that force us to choose sides in a great power competition.”

Earlier this month, Chinese maritime forces disarmed Philippine naval servicemen on a resupply vessel headed for Second Thomas Shoal. This led to calls for Manila to invoke its Mutual Defence Treaty with the United States.

Perturbed by the possibility of a major escalation, Filipino officials have struggled to maintain a consistent stance. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr Defence Secretary has refuted Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin’s claim that it “was probably a misunderstanding or an accident”, maintaining: “It was an aggressive and illegal use of force.”

Marcos has sought the middle ground, insisting he will “stand firm” and not yield to “any foreign power” amid the festering maritime dispute.

The dithering and seemingly confused statements from Philippine officials, however, are a reflection of fears of unwanted escalation and, crucially, doubts over the extent of America’s commitment to come to the country’s aid.

Washington and Manila are under growing pressure to upgrade their alliance to prevent more drastic scenarios, including a Chinese occupation of the Philippines’ de facto base in Second Thomas Shoal.

Weeks before the latest incident, Marcos warned that the killing of any Filipino in “a wilful act” by a foreign power in the South China Sea would be “very, very close to what we define as an act of war”, which would invoke the Mutual Defence Treaty with the US.

The problem is that Washington has a long history of equivocating on its defence obligations to the Philippines. In the early 1970s, US secretary of state Henry Kissinger pressed for a policy of strategic ambiguity by raising “substantial doubts that [a Philippine] military contingent on island in the Spratly group would come within protection” of the Mutual Defence Treaty.

The treaty “may apply in event of attack on [Philippine] forces deployed to third countries”, he clarified, although this would be “fundamentally different from [a] case where deployment is for purpose of enlarging Philippine territory”.

The 1951 treaty is itself riddled with ambiguity, since it only obliges Washington to come to its Southeast Asian ally’s help “to meet the common dangers in accordance with its constitutional processes”.

In short, there was never any automaticity in the US military commitment to the Philippines in the South China Sea, hence the refusal of both the Clinton and Obama administrations to intervene on Manila’s behalf during the Mischief Reef and Scarborough Shoal crises in 1995 and 2012 respectively.

America’s unreliability has begun to alienate the Filipino people. An authoritative survey conducted in late 2016, just months after the election of Beijing-friendly president Rodrigo Duterte, showed that half of the respondents either disagreed (17 per cent) or were undecided (33 per cent) when asked if “security/defence relations with the US have been beneficial to the Philippines” in the context of the South China Sea disputes. If anything, a significant number of those surveyed backed Duterte’s pursuit of warming defence ties with China and Russia.

In response, both the Trump and Biden administrations have made clear that any armed attack on Philippine troops, public vessels and aircraft in the South China Sea would be covered by the Mutual Defence Treaty. The problem, however, is that China’s “grey zone” actions fall below the threshold of an armed attack, thus undermining the deterrence value of America’s reassurances.

In fairness, this gap has been identified by both Philippine and US officials. Last year, legal experts at the Indo-Pacific Command recommended that the Mutual Defence Treaty should also apply to the “illegal use of force” which “could also include non-kinetic attacks that result in death, injury, damage or destruction of persons or objects”.

So far, there are no signs that the Biden administration, which is heading into an intense election and distracted by conflicts from Ukraine to Gaza, has officially revised the parameters and guidelines underpinning the Mutual Defence Treaty. Nor has America provided any state-of-the-art weapons systems to the Philippines in the past decade, even as it provides tens of billions of dollars in defence aid to Kyiv and Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile, there are fears China may resort to more drastic measures, namely seeking to occupy the Sierra Madre, a grounded vessel serving as the Philippines’ de facto military base on Second Thomas Shoal. To deter such a scenario, the US may be forced to clarify that the Mutual Defence Treaty will cover any excessive use of force that may lead to fatalities of Filipino soldiers in the South China Sea. As I understand it, based on conversations with former and current officials, troops are under instruction to use live munitions, as a last resort, to defend the besieged base.

Washington may also need to consider the transfer of defence assets such as a landing craft and high-speed boats to boost the Philippine patrol and resupply capacity. Ultimately, the two allies might consider joint patrols and resupply missions, with US warships and drones on the horizon.

For now, what’s clear is America’s credibility as both an ally and regional leader is under growing question, thanks to China’s efforts to alter the status quo based on its expansive claims in one of the world’s most important seascapes.

US and China talking about how to preserve Neil Armstrong’s footprint on the moon, top scientist says

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3268448/us-and-china-talking-about-how-preserve-neil-armstrongs-footprint-moon-top-scientist-says?utm_source=rss_feed

The United States and China are talking about how to protect Neil Armstrong’s footprint and other traces of the first humans to step on the moon, a Chinese researcher has revealed.

Li Hongbo, a senior researcher and deputy chief engineer at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, told state broadcaster CCTV there was no reason to worry about China’s Yutu lunar rovers destroying the first human footprint left on the moon “at the moment”.

But she said during Monday’s interview that since China had started exploring the lunar surface, the US had been “very enthusiastic” about discussions on “how to protect mankind’s historical relics on the moon”, which also include the American flag the Apollo 11 crew planted in 1969.

She described the talks as “very interesting”, adding that it reflected China’s emergence as a global space leader.

“When you are powerful, people come to you for negotiations. Before, no one would come to talk about these issues,” Li said.

“When landing on the moon was just an exclusive US technological capability, [the US] didn’t have to think about the ownership of minerals on the moon or who would destroy its historical sites.

“Now that China has the capability to land on the moon, the US has suddenly realised that these issues need to be discussed and that’s why these concerns are surfacing.”

In 2020, the United States passed a law called the One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act to protect American landing sites on the moon, but it only applies to the small number of companies that work with Nasa.

The Yutu – or Jade Rabbit – is named after the animal that in Chinese myth lives on the moon with the goddess Chang’e, after whom China’s lunar programme is named.

It landed on the surface of the moon in December 2013, becoming the first rover to operate there since the Soviet Lunokhod 2 stopped operating in 1973.

The Chinese rover survived for more than 900 days, well beyond its expected lifespan of three months.

Its successor, Yutu-2, then became the first rover to land on the far side of the moon in January 2019. It is still operating, making it the longest-lived of all lunar rovers.

China’s space programme is continuing to break new ground. On Tuesday the Chang’e-6 lunar probe successfully landed back on Earth with the first rock samples collected from the far side.

China and the US are also racing to be the first country to send astronauts back to the moon since the Apollo programme ended in the early 1970s.

But while the space programme is an enormous source of national pride in China, it has also attracted a strain of conspiratorial nationalism.

Earlier this year the China Association for Science and Technology had to debunk an online flurry of conspiracy theories that the moon landings were faked.

It pointed out that the social media frenzy was based on people misunderstanding a garbled comment made by a lunar scientist during a live TV interview and there was plenty of evidence, including several kilograms of samples collected by Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, to refute it.