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China is pushing the Philippines `to the wall' with aggression in the South China Sea, Manila says
(apnews.com)
A Philippine security official said Tuesday that China is “pushing us to the wall” with growing aggression in the disputed South China Sea and warned that “all options are on the table” for Manila’s response, including new international lawsuits.
A large Chinese coast guard ship patrolled hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal in recent days and then sailed toward the northwestern coast of the Philippines on Tuesday, coming as close as 77 nautical miles (143 kilometers), Philippine officials said in a news conference.
[...]
“You’re pushing us to the wall,” Malaya said of China. “We do not and will not dignify these scare tactics by backing down. We do not waver or cower in the face of intimidation. On the contrary, it strengthens our resolve because we know we are in the right.”
[...]
Two Philippine coast guard ships, backed by a small surveillance aircraft, repeatedly ordered the 165-meter (541-foot) Chinese coast guard ship to withdraw from the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, a 200-nautical mile (370-kilometer) stretch of water, Philippine coast guard Commodore Jay Tarriela said.
“What we’re doing there is, hour-by-hour and day-to-day, (we’re) challenging the illegal presence of the Chinese coast guard for the international community to know that we’re not going to allow China to normalize the illegal deployment,” Tarriela said.
[...]
The Philippines has aggressively defended its territorial interests in the South China Sea, a key global trading route. That has brought Philippine forces into frequent confrontations with China’s coast guard, navy and suspected militia boats and sparked fears that a bigger armed conflict could draw in the United States, the Philippines’ longtime treaty ally and China’s regional rival.
The lopsided conflict has forced the Philippines to seek security arrangements with other Asian and Western countries, including Japan, with which it signed a key agreement last July which would allow their forces to hold joint combat training. The pact, which must be ratified by lawmakers of both countries before it takes effect, was the first such agreement to be forged by Japan in Asia.
[...]
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7
China’s use of AI, biometrics pose significant, persistent threats to Western security, US report says
(www.biometricupdate.com)
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/18015161
Here is the report (pdf)
Advancements in AI and biometrics by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) pose significant risks to global security, particularly to the United States and Western nations, according to an unclassified report from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).
The nearly 200-page DOD report to Congress, Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China, details how the PRC’s strategic integration of AI and biometric technologies into national security, military modernization, and global influence operations threatens U.S. and Western security.
The report warns that “PRC leaders … power to shape world events continues to grow, presenting ‘new strategic opportunities’ to create an environment favorable for PRC interests and national rejuvenation.” The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) defines “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” as a state in which the PRC is “prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful.”
National rejuvenation, however, DOD emphases, “requires the PRC to ‘take an active part in leading the reform of the global governance system’ since many rules and norms were established, in the PRC’s view, during a time of PRC weakness and without the PRC’s consultation and input.”
[...]
The PRC views AI as being pivotal to its future warfare capabilities and global influence. According to DOD, “The PRC aims to overtake the West in AI R&D by 2025 to become the world leader in AI by 2030. The PRC has designated AI as a priority, national-level S&T development area and assesses that advances in AI and autonomy are central to ‘intelligentized warfare,’ the PRC’s concept of future warfare.”
This strategy includes leveraging AI to enhance cyber operations, such as reconnaissance, deepfake generation, misinformation campaigns, and state-sponsored hacking to acquire a waterfront of sensitive information, including personal data that it can use to blackmail and coerce targeted individuals. DOD says, “the PRC presents a significant, persistent cyber-enabled espionage and attack threat.” Conversely, DOD says the CCP Party Congress has “stressed the CCP’s need to prevent digital penetration, sabotage, subversion, and separatism activities from external actors.”
[...]
Under its Military-Civil Fusion initiative, the PRC seeks to integrate civilian and military innovation ecosystems to develop cutting-edge AI-enabled military capabilities. DOD says, “Beijing views the integration of military and civilian institutions as central for developing AI-enabled military capabilities and has established military-civilian R&D centers and procured commercially developed AI … to ensure PLA access to cutting-edge AI technologies.”
[...]
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Marvel game, developed with the Chinese firm NetEase, ‘bans’ the words ‘free Taiwan’ and ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’
(www.thetimes.com)
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/18015158
Chinese game 'Marvel' has been accused of censorship after players of its new video game were unable to chat about topics that are banned in China.
Marvel Rivals is a new release featuring battles between heroic characters such as Captain America and Iron Man and the villains Loki and Venom. The plot revolves around Doctor Doom and his future counterpart Doom 2099.
The game was developed by Marvel in conjunction with the Chinese developer NetEase and released in December. However, players have been blocked from typing in words such as “Tiananmen Square” and “Wuhan virus” in the chat function. They are met with the warning: “text contains inappropriate content”.
Marvel Rivals game artwork featuring Iron Man, Spider-Man, and other characters.
Other restricted phrases include “free Taiwan”, “free Hong Kong”, “free Tibet”, “Taiwan is a country”, “Taiwan No 1” and even “1989”, the year of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Chatting about Mao Zedong or the Dalai Lama is also banned.
Winnie-the-Pooh, a name associated with President Xi, is blocked. Xi was compared to the character after appearing in a photograph with Barack Obama in 2017.
Popular gamers have posted videos of themselves trying to type in the words. Asmongold, the YouTuber, is allowed to type in the words “Taiwan sucks” and “Taiwan is bad” only to be blocked when trying “free Taiwan”. At the end of the video he added sarcastically: “Marvel Rivals is a very interesting game that has no censorship at all and lets people think whatever they want and that’s just the way it is guys.”
[...]
China has a long history of censoring the content of video games and films for the domestic market. The Second World War strategy game Hearts of Iron was banned for depicting Tibet, Manchuria and Xinjiang as independent nations. Command & Conquer: Generals, a game depicting a hypothetical Third World War, was said to “smear the image of China and the Chinese army”.
Marvel has also been accused of altering films so they would be accepted in the Chinese market. In the 2016 film Doctor Strange the main character is trained by a Celtic woman played by Tilda Swinton rather than a Tibetan monk who appeared in the original comics. A screenwriter claimed it was to appease the Chinese authorities and Marvel later admitted the move was a mistake.
[...]
80
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/18005398
The value of China's imports and exports with Russia reached 1.74 trillion yuan ($237 billion) in 2024, a record high, Chinese customs data showed.
[...]
China-Russia yuan-denominated trade value grew 2.9% in 2024 from 2023, according to the data by China's General Administration of Customs. The growth was significantly slower than the 32.7% gain in 2023.
Bilateral trade was disrupted by payment hurdles last year after the United States intensified sanctions on banks dealing with Russia, Reuters previously reported.
[...]
In dollar terms, China-Russia two-way trade value reached $244.8 billion, compared with $240.1 billion in 2023, Chinese customs data showed.
In an exchange of New Year greetings with Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Dec. 31 that China and Russia have always moved forward "hand in hand" on the right path.
[However, a video was circulating on Chinese social media, promoting China conquering parts of Siberia up.]
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cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/18001576
[...]
"If there are 31 days in a month, I will work 31 days," one [Shein] worker said.
Most said they only have one day off a month.
The BBC spent several days here: we visited 10 factories, spoke to four owners and more than 20 workers. We also spent time at labour markets and textile suppliers.
We found that the beating heart of this empire is a workforce sitting behind sewing machines for around 75 hours a week in contravention of Chinese labour laws.
These hours are not unusual in Guangzhou, an industrial hub for rural workers in search of a higher income; or in China, which has long been the world's unrivalled factory.
But they add to a growing list of questions about Shein, once a little-known Chinese-founded company that has become a global behemoth in just over five years.
Still privately-owned, it was valued at about £54bn ($66bn) in a fundraising round in 2023. It is now eyeing a potential listing on the London Stock Exchange.
Its meteoric rise, however, has been dogged with controversy about its treatment of workers and allegations of forced labour.
Last year it admitted to finding children working in its factories in China.
[...]
"We usually work, 10, 11 or 12 hours a day," says a 49-year-old woman from Jiangxi unwilling to give her name. "On Sundays we work around three hours less."
[...]
"We earn so little. The cost of living is now so high," she says, adding that she hopes to make enough to send back to her two children who are living with their grandparents.
[...]
Standard working hours appear to be from 08:00 to well past 22:00, the BBC found.
This is consistent with a report from the Swiss advocacy group Public Eye, which was based on interviews with 13 textile workers at factories producing clothes for Shein.
They found that a number of staff were working excessive overtime. It noted the basic wage without overtime was 2,400 yuan (£265; $327) - below the 6,512 yuan the Asia Floor Wage Alliance says is needed for a "living wage". But the workers we spoke to managed to earn anywhere between 4,000 and 10,000 yuan a month.
"These hours are not unusual, but it's clear that it's illegal and it violates basic human rights," said David Hachfield from the group. "It's an extreme form of exploitation and this needs to be visible."
[...]
The machines dictate the rhythm of the day.
They pause for lunch and dinner when the workers, metal plates and chopsticks in hand, file into the canteen to buy food. If there is no more space to sit, they stand in the street.
"I've been working in these factories for more than 40 years," said one woman who spent just 20 minutes eating her meal. This was just another day for her.
[...]
One of the biggest challenges Shein faces is accusations that it sources cotton from China's Xinjiang region.
Once touted as among the world's best fabric, Xinjiang's cotton has fallen out of favour after allegations that it is produced using forced labour by people from the Muslim Uyghur minority - a charge that Beijing has consistently denied.
The only way to get around this criticism is to be more transparent, Prof Sheng [Lu, scholar for Fashion and Apparel Studies at the University of Delaware in the U.S.] says.
"Unless you fully release your factory list, unless you make your supply chain more transparent to the public, then I think it's going to be very challenging for Shein."
[...]
"Shein has its pros and cons," one factory owner told us. "The good thing is the order is eventually big, but profit is low and it's fixed."
Shein, given its size and influence, is a hard bargainer. So factory owners have to cut costs elsewhere, often resulting in lower staff wages.
[...]
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Chinese spy prosecutions in Taiwan tripled in four years: Taipei found evidence the CCP seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military, foreign organizations in the event of an invasion
(www.taipeitimes.com)
Chinese spy prosecutions in Taiwan tripled in four years: Taipei found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion
The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday.
In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies.
Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information from Taiwan’s government, the report said.
[...]
The CCP infiltrates Taiwan through engagement with local gangs, illegal private money lenders, shell companies, religious groups and nonprofit organizations, the report said.
The CCP seeks operatives in Taiwan by building network connections, using financial incentives, coercing people with debt, and infiltrating military, government and civil society organizations, it said, adding that China also tries to interfere with elections in Taiwan.
The NSB said it has found evidence that gangs recruited by the CCP were asked to raise Chinese flags and engage in armed insurrection in the event of an attempted invasion by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
The insurrection plans called for trained snipers in Taiwan to attack members of the military and foreign organizations, the report said.
It also called for military personnel to fly helicopters to China to surrender during an invasion and to hand over Taiwan’s defense plans to the CCP ahead of such an invasion, it said.
[...]
Prosecutions and conviction rates of spies have increased, and last year, investigators cracked a spy ring involving 23 people and sentenced one spy to 20 years of imprisonment, the report said.
The detection of espionage has been helped in the past few years by clues provided by military officers and soldiers, and the public, which showed that public awareness of security issues has greatly increased, it added.
83
2
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/18000632
Sunac China shares and bonds plunged on Friday after a liquidation petition was filed against the developer, reigniting investor concerns about the debt crisis in the property sector despite Beijing's revival measures.
The petition, filed by a unit of state-owned asset manager China Cinda Asset Management, also deepened worries over Sunac's business recovery and repayment ability despite an offshore debt restructuring it completed in 2023.
A hearing is scheduled for March 19, the Hong Kong judiciary's website showed late on Thursday.
Many mainland developers, including China Evergrande and Country Garden, have faced or are currently facing liquidation cases in Hong Kong since the property sector was hit by a liquidity crunch in 2021.
But petitions have rarely been filed by state-owned companies and China Cinda's was made despite Beijing's pledges to stabilise the struggling property sector and the stock market. Calls to the petitioner, China Cinda (HK) Asset Management, went unanswered on Friday.
[...]
"I'm not surprised by the petition," said Alvin Cheung, associate director of Prudential Brokerage Ltd in Hong Kong. "Chinese developers are not making much money, while they have to keep repaying a lot of debt."
Sunac, which reported total borrowings of 277.4 billion yuan ($37.83 billion) as of the end of June in its interim financial results, is also working to restructure $2.1 billion of yuan-denominated bonds.
Chinese property stocks were down on Friday, with Cheung pointing to growing concerns about further defaults.
[...]
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7
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/18000580
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/18000579
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/18000578
Ed Miliband is facing demands to introduce new measures to stop Britain using solar panels made by the Uighurs, an oppressed Muslim minority in western China, as part of his race towards net zero.
A cross-party group of peers has called for the energy secretary to introduce safeguards that prevent UK renewable energy companies from importing Chinese components made by slave labour.
It comes as the House of Lords debates Labour’s flagship legislation to establish Great British Energy, a publicly-owned company that will help deliver the government’s green transition.
Senior parliamentarians are concerned about the supply chains of renewable energy companies, many of which rely on products from China. In particular, there are questions around solar panels, which often contain polysilicon. Nearly half of the world’s solar-grade polysilicon is produced in the Xinjiang region of China where more than 2.6 million people, mostly from the Uighur ethnic group, have been subjected to forced labour in detention camps.
Academics, politicians and human rights groups have long warned that forced labour is rife there, including in the sourcing of polysilicon, with 11 companies in the region identified as being engaged in forced labour transfers.
[...]
To prevent UK energy supply chains being tainted by forced labour, a group of peers has now tabled an amendment to the bill, which, if approved, would prevent any public funds being given to companies involved with GB Energy where there is “credible evidence of modern slavery in the supply chain”.
[...]
Luke de Pulford, the executive director of Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said: “Labour has gone from an admirably strong position on the persecution of Uighurs to energy policies which facilitate it. It’s an absolute 180 in policy terms. Now the chancellor is in Beijing meeting with China’s génocidaires.
“Whatever the economic imperative, the consciences of politicians across both Houses should not permit the rush to net zero to be achieved on the back of Uighur slavery.”
[...]
85
3
Cross posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17993128
In the heart of bustling Bangkok, a grim drama is unfolding—a story that has gripped not just Thailand but has echoed around the world due to its dire human rights implications. A group of 43 Uyghur men is trapped in a limbo that has lasted for over a decade. These men, hailing from China’s Xinjiang region, have long been stranded in a place few would willingly choose to stay: the Suan Phlu immigration detention center. Their story is a complex tapestry woven with threads of desperation, international politics, and human rights concerns, and it urgently demands our attention.
For more than ten years, these individuals have been stuck in Thailand after fleeing what activists describe as severe repression in China. Their goal? To reach Turkey, which historically has been a sanctuary for Uyghur refugees. Sadly, fate and bureaucratic entanglements have kept them detained in Thailand in conditions that are harsh to say the least. According to the detainees’ pleas, documented in a letter to the Thai government and obtained by the Associated Press, they now face the terrifying prospect of deportation back to China. Such a move, they warn, could spell out a grim destiny involving imprisonment, persecution, and even death.
[...]
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In a troubling display of coercion, China has invoked its 1984 Military Service Law to force Tibetan youth into military service amid recruitment crisis
(www.republicworld.com)
In yet another blatant display of coercion, China has invoked its rarely enforced 1984 Military Service Law in the Tibetan county of Ruthog, Ngari Prefecture. This move, ostensibly aimed at bolstering the ranks of the struggling People’s Liberation Army (PLA), exposes Beijing’s growing desperation to mask its internal military dysfunction. Ruthog, strategically located near the India-China border, has become the latest pawn in China’s aggressive and exploitative campaign to conscript Tibetan youths, under the pretext of national service.
Despite its ostentatious displays of military might, the PLA is grappling with an increasingly evident crisis. China’s reliance on voluntary enlistment has crumbled under the weight of strict recruitment standards, gruelling service conditions, and widespread discontent. Reports indicate a mass exodus of soldiers opting for early retirement, particularly from harsh deployments in Tibet and Xinjiang.
Instead of addressing the root causes of dissatisfaction within its military ranks, Beijing has chosen the path of least resistance—targeting minority populations like Tibetans. The PLA’s inability to attract willing recruits from its Han-majority population speaks volumes about the morale and disillusionment within the force.
[...]
For Tibetans, this is not an “opportunity” but a grim reality. Decades of political and cultural repression under Beijing have eroded any trust in the Chinese government. Enlisting in the PLA is not a matter of pride for Tibetans; it’s a survival tactic under duress.
[...]
Beijing’s rhetoric about economic development is as hollow as its promises to Tibetans. These projects serve one purpose: to create a militarized buffer zone against India. The PLA’s outreach to Tibetan youths—through propagandist events and lectures—further underscores its intent to weaponize the region’s population in its geopolitical ambitions.
[...]
Beijing’s actions in Ruthog are a stark reminder that its vision of national security comes at the expense of its most vulnerable communities. The militarization of Tibet, coupled with the forced conscription of its youth, is yet another chapter in China’s long history of exploiting its minorities for political and military gain.
[...]
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China’s Broken Dreams: Debt, Joblessness, And Policy Missteps Shake The Global Economy
(tippinsights.com)
Cross posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17980096
China’s Broken Dreams: Debt, Joblessness, And Policy Missteps Shake The Global Economy
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Economy: China's growth was fueled by its manufacturing sector. Cheap labor, abundant raw materials, and lax pollution controls earned it the title of ‘the world's factory’. But, overcapacity and over-production have flooded domestic and international markets with cheap goods with few takers. It has led to falling prices and decreased profits.
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Indusrty: China's growth was fueled by its manufacturing sector. Cheap labor, abundant raw materials, and lax pollution controls earned it the title of ‘the world's factory’. But, overcapacity and over-production have flooded domestic and international markets with cheap goods with few takers. It has led to falling prices and decreased profits.
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Real estate: Oversupply extends to sectors beyond manufacturing. About 70% of the wealth and savings of millions of Chinese households are tied up in property. Homeownership is a status symbol and is perceived as financial security. However, many real estate developers, large and small, have filed for bankruptcy in the past few years. The meltdown has wiped out the investments of thousands of Chinese citizens and put local governments under tremendous financial strain.
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Local government debt: The massive debt carried by the local governments is a ticking time bomb. In China, local government bodies are in charge of implementing Beijing's policies. To meet the national targets, local governments set up companies called local government financial vehicles (LGFVs) and borrow from Chinese banks to fund infrastructure, real estate, and other projects. The borrowings of such entities have skyrocketed over the decades, and many are now unable to service their debts. According to some estimates, local government debt is in the region of $7 trillion to $11 trillion.
The citizens are growing resentful of the establishment. The country witnessed rare public protests against the prolonged lockdowns. Unemployment and discontent among the youth are creating a generation of Chinese disillusioned with the Party and the authoritarian regime.
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UK: Chancellor must use China trip to challenge Beijing over 'brutal suppression' of human rights, demand release of British citizen Jimmy Lai, rights group says
(www.amnesty.org.uk)
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17965033
Ahead of Rachel Reeves’ expected visit to China, which comes in the wake of arrest warrants being issued for Hong Kong pro-democracy activists living in the UK, Amnesty International has urged the Chancellor to challenge the Chinese authorities over their brutal suppression of human rights and to ensure that human rights are central to any deals or agreements made during the trip.
[...]
“The Chancellor must challenge Beijing’s brutal suppression of human rights, including its persecution of Chinese and Hong Kong activists in the UK,", said Polly Truscott, Amnesty International’s UK Foreign Policy Adviser.
“Behind closed doors and in public, Ms Reeves needs to challenge the Chinese government over its systematic, industrial-scale repression of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet - including forced labour - and its widespread imprisonment of peaceful activists."
Amnesty also urges Ms Reeves to "demand the immediate release of British national and prisoner of conscience Jimmy Lai, human rights lawyer Chow Hang-tung and the 45 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists recently convicted of ‘conspiring to subvert state power’ in the city’s largest national security trial.”
[...]
The Chinese authorities routinely target peaceful critics via pervasive online censorship, arbitrary arrest, detention and torture. Human rights defenders, pro-democracy activists and religious leaders and practitioners have been among those subjected to systematic persecution. The widespread repression of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet has continued despite significant international criticism.
[...]
On 24 December, Hong Kong police announced a third round of HK$1million (about £105,000) bounties for information that would lead to the arrest of six democracy advocates based overseas whom they accuse of national security crimes. To date, 19 Hong Kong overseas activists have been targeted, most of whom live in the UK.
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The thermometer read over 30 degrees Celsius (around 90 Fahrenheit) in the early hours of December 23, when Brazilian authorities turned up at the construction site of car giant BYD's new factory in Camacari, in the northern state of Bahia.
MPT investigators told DW that they rescued 163 Chinese workers from "slavery-like" working conditions at the site.
In the dormitories of the Jinjiang Group, the company hired by BYD to carry out the work, there were no mattresses on the beds, and the few toilets served hundreds of workers in extremely unhygienic conditions. The workers also had food stored without refrigeration.
The Brazilian Labor Prosecutor's Office (MTP) also accused the companies of withholding the workers' passports and keeping 60% of their wages; the remaining 40% would be paid in Chinese currency.
After authorities claimed that the workers were victims of international human trafficking, the site was shut down. The factory had been due to open in 2025.
[...]
Experts [said] hat the case pits the importance of Chinese investment against upholding local standards.
"This action was all the more significant because it took place in a company that enjoys strong political support, both in the federal government and in Bahia, due to the importance of its investments in Brazil for President Lula's reindustrialization projects," said Mauricio Santoro, a political scientist and professor of international relations at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. China's overseas production in focus
On Tuesday, MPT investigators met with representatives of BYD and the companies involved in the construction.
All of the rescued workers have already received their termination payments and returned to China. A report on the inspection of the site will be completed next week, and compensation for the workers will be discussed at a subsequent meeting.
[...]
Using Chinese workers to build the BYD plant is similar to how Chinese multinationals operate in Africa and other Latin American countries, said Paulo Feldmann, an economist and professor at the FIA Business School in Sao Paulo.
The practice brings little benefit to the countries that receive the investment, he [said].
"For Brazil, it would have been better if these workers had been local, because of the income they would have generated for themselves and their families, the positive impact on their communities and the professional training they would have acquired. It would also be easier to monitor their working conditions," he said.
[...]
In the aftermath of the scandal, BYD and its contractor, Jinjiang Group, have denied the allegations. They called them part of a smear campaign against Chinese brands, a narrative supported by many Chinese nationalists.
[...]
But not everyone in China has accepted the idea of blaming "foreign forces."
Some Weibo users wrote that working conditions at BYD factory in Brazil were similar to those of construction workers in China. This sparked online discussions about how many workers in China could be living in conditions that are slavery-like by international standards.
The Chinese labor market is notorious for its so-called "996" work culture, which involves working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week, in violation of labor laws. This phenomenon is particularly prevalent in the technology sector.
"I stand with Brazil. Chinese workers are being ruthlessly exploited," one comment stated under a Weibo post paralleling the working conditions at BYD's Brazilian factory with those at local construction sites.
"I feel that domestic factories often don't treat people as humans, but rather as machines," another comment said.
[...]
90
3
China’s mass exodus: number of asylum seekers surpasses one million under Xi Jinping, rights group says
(safeguarddefenders.com)
Over the past two years, a growing number of dramatic attempts to escape the People’s Republic of China have been covered by global news media. Some of the individuals in question successfully managed to find refuge and asylum, while others were – and unfortunately continue to be – sent back to China by Governments friendly or subservient to the CCP [Chineses Communist Party].
Often missing from these stories is the wider picture: each of these individuals – often human rights defenders – is but one in a rapid escalation of individuals desperate to leave China since Xi Jinping came to power.
Data released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) show a clear trend: between 2012 and mid-2024, over one million Chinese have sought asylum abroad.
The number is even more staggering considering the increasing exit controls (including exit bans) placed on determinate categories of Chinese citizens by Chinese authorities. The continuing upward trend also serves as a stark reminder that China’s domestic human rights abuse is not the mere “internal affair” as it so often likes to claim.
Highlights:
[...]
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The number of asylum seekers in 2024 is up 169% compared with the Pre-Covid period (2019: 104,259)
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The number of asylum seekers in 2024 is up 1426% compared with the year Xi Jinping rose to power (2012: 12,362)
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In 2024, the number of Chinese asylum seekers since Xi Jinping took power in 2012 broke the one million mark (2012-2024: 1,158,739).
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To put things into perspective: in 2022 alone, the number of Chinese asylum-seekers abroad was the same as during the entire 10-year Hu Jintao era.
[...]
Data for 2021: the United States remained by far the most popular choice, with 88,722 persons seeking asylum there. The only other place that has been consistently popular is Australia, with 15,774 Chinese asylum-seekers last year.
Canada, Brazil, South Korea, and the UK also saw thousands of Chinese asylum-seekers.
Europe was far less popular, with Spain taking in 900, compared to Germany’s 379 and France’s 248. Other European countries, as well as most Asian and African countries, received almost no requests in 2021.
[...]
91
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Japan links Chinese hacker MirrorFace to more than 200 cyberattacks targeting national security and tech data
(apnews.com)
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17947977
Japan on Wednesday linked more than 200 cyberattacks over the past five years targeting the country’s national security and high technology data to a Chinese hacking group, MirrorFace, detailing their tactics and calling on government agencies and businesses to reinforce preventive measures.
The National Police Agency said its analysis on the targets, methods and infrastructure of the cyberattacks by MirrorFace from 2019 to 2024 concluded they were systematic attacks linked to China with an aim of stealing data on Japanese national security and advanced technology.
The targets of the Chinese government-led cyberattacks included Japan’s Foreign and Defense ministries, the country’s space agency and individuals including politicians, journalists, private companies and think tanks related to advanced technology, the NPA said.
[...]
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Gao Shanwen, chief economist at state-owned SDIC Securities, had suggested that China’s real economic growth {measured by the Gross Domestic Product, GDP] in recent years may have been closer to 2% annually, not 5% as claimed by authorities. Now, he has been banned from public speaking indefinitely.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has reportedly ordered an investigation into a prominent economist who questioned the credibility of Beijing’s official GDP figures and criticised the government’s economic policies.
Gao Shanwen, chief economist at state-owned SDIC Securities, has been banned from public speaking for an indefinite period, Washington Post reported citing individuals familiar with the matter.
[...]
The move came after Gao’s remarks at a Washington forum last month, where he suggested that China’s real economic growth in recent years may have been closer to 2 per cent annually, well below the 5 per cent claimed by authorities. Gao also expressed scepticism about the government’s ability to effectively implement measures to stimulate growth.
“We do not know the true number of China’s real growth figure,” Gao had said during the December 12 event co-hosted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics and a Chinese think tank. He speculated that the actual growth rate might be significantly lower than official data suggested.
Xi is said to have been angered by Gao’s remarks, ordering that he be disciplined. Although Gao has retained his job, his public engagements have been curtailed. A planned lecture at China’s Nankai University was abruptly cancelled in January, reportedly due to “scheduling conflicts.”
[...]
This crackdown on Gao comes as Beijing seeks to manage growing concerns over its economic trajectory. China’s economy faces mounting challenges, including a real estate crisis that has eroded household wealth by an estimated $18 trillion, rising debt nearing 300 per cent of GDP, and industrial overcapacity. Analysts have raised concerns about the risk of a deflationary spiral.
[...]
Beijing has intensified efforts to suppress negative commentary about the economy, with senior officials urging tighter control over economic messaging. In a recent meeting, Cai Qi, Xi’s chief of staff, called for greater “expectation management” to counteract pessimism.
[...]
More recently, discrepancies between official data and other economic indicators, such as wage growth and exports, have fuelled scepticism among economists.
[...]
Such a slowdown would challenge Xi’s goal of doubling the nation’s economic output by 2035.
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China has been cultivating a network of Western influencers across various platforms to shape global narratives on issues critical to its foreign policy. These influencers come from diverse countries and backgrounds and are lured using a complex and often subtle system of incentives that can be difficult to untangle. Jan Michálek, a Czech TikToker with over a million followers, found himself entangled in this network – a situation he may not have foreseen.
China’s Influencer Army
After returning from an all-expenses-paid trip to Beijing, Michálek found himself accused of spreading Chinese propaganda. The influencer community was quick to criticize him, releasing videos and interviews with titles such as “Czech Influencer Sold Himself to China” or “Honzi Michálek – The Best Chinese Propagandist.” While the case of Jan Michálek may stem from naivety, the phenomenon of Western influencers profiting from spreading Chinese misinformation and disinformation is not new.
[...]
In addition to promoting its narratives abroad, Beijing also leverages Western influencers to reinforce domestic messaging. The perspectives of foreigners, often perceived as both more neutral and “exotic,” can attract Chinese audiences, lending credibility to different narratives about both foreign and domestic policy. This approach mirrors Beijing’s strategy of recruiting influencers from ethnic minority communities to depict regions like Xinjiang and Tibet in a light favorable to the regime.
[...]
Red Carpet Treatment
These mechanisms were apparently unknown to Michálek when he was first contacted by a Czechia-based agency (the influencer did not provide its name) two years ago. The agency offered him a collaboration with a Chinese vlogger who had allegedly studied and lived in Czechia, to help him build a following there. The vlogger produced content featuring traditional Chinese recipes, tea-making, and explorations of Chinese nature. Michálek claims he asked the agency if the vlogger was linked to any suspicious activities and was firmly assured that he was not. Reassured by these responses and the seemingly harmless content, Michálek concluded the collaboration posed no issues.
This is not an isolated case of an influencer being approached by a private agency or company based outside China. For instance, in 2023, Shein – a fast-fashion company founded in China and now based in Singapore, which faces allegations of forced labor and other human rights abuses – invited a group of social media influencers on a paid trip to Guangzhou. This resulted in videos produced by the influencers showcasing clean factories and content workers.
Going back to Michálek, the same agency approached him again about six months ago with an offer of a trip to Beijing, with the Chinese side offering to cover his flights and other expenses and even take him to a destination of his choice. Michálek accepted and chose Guangzhou, where he was accompanied (and filmed) by a Czech-speaking crew from China Radio International (CRI). Not only did Michálek insist that he asked locals “critical questions” and highlighted things he found unusual, but he also claimed he did not feel as though he was promoting anything, which is why he believes CRI never published the footage. It was only after a phone call with an acquaintance that he became concerned about a possibility of the footage being used for propaganda purposes.
All of this follows a familiar Chinese playbook. Individuals who have some influence over domestic discourse – such as politicians, academics, journalists, and increasingly social media influencers – are often approached with seemingly innocent opportunities to discuss shared interests. They may then be invited to visit China, with all expenses covered by the Chinese side. During these visits, they are accompanied by individuals and companies affiliated with the party-state, such as the CRI crew in Michálek’s case, who make sure to attend to their needs while fostering the impression that they are honored guests. These trips are often followed by offers of paid collaborations, which may appear low stakes at first but can ultimately result in unintended consequences, including fostering favorable attitudes toward Chinese narratives among relevant audiences.
[...]
Although influencers like Michálek may face criticism for being paid by Beijing to promote its propaganda, China’s approach to cultivating influencers is often more subtle and difficult to untangle, combining restrictions, nudges, and rewards. The rewards go beyond paid trips to include seminars, contests, campaigns, and other perks. The content influencers post may appear to be their own, yet it is often co-created in specialized influencer studios with the help of so-called “multi-channel networks” (MCNs), which are organizations dedicated to spreading CCP propaganda while helping influencers monetize their content on platforms like YouTube.
[...]
In stark contrast to the favorable treatment of CCP-friendly influencers, Western journalists investigating regions like Xinjiang face harassment, surveillance, and restricted access, while the Chinese public is encouraged to view them as agents of foreign influence.
[...]
[Edit typo.]
94
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17939276
“China’s economy has rebounded and is on an upward trajectory, with its GDP for the year expected to pass the 130 trillion yuan mark,” Xi Jinping said in his 2025 New Year message.
On December 26, China revised upward its gross domestic product figure for 2023 by 3.4 trillion yuan, a 2.7% adjustment. That puts the size of the Chinese economy that year at 129.4 trillion yuan or $17.73 trillion. Xi’s target for the size of the economy, therefore, is easy to reach.
There is, as usual, great optimism displayed by Beijing leaders about the size of the Chinese economy. Few of the official numbers make sense, however, as reported figures are hard to reconcile with, among other things, large cash outflows from the country.
For instance, China experienced the largest outflow from its financial markets in November, as Chinese banks wired $45.7 billion offshore. The amount, announced by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, includes repatriation of foreign investment in China and Chinese residents’ purchases of offshore securities.
[...] The Wall Street Journal in late October reported that, based on its calculations, “as much as $254 billion might have left China illicitly in the four quarters through the end of June.”
[...]
There is [...] long-standing pessimism about the Chinese economy. Everyone seems worried about, for instance, a debt crisis. There is, of course, much to fear, in part because no one really knows how much indebtedness China is carrying. Everyone can sense that the total-country-debt-to-GDP ratio is dangerously high, however. After taking into account the so-called “hidden debt” and adjusting for inflated GDP reports, the ratio could be, according to my estimate, 350%. A higher estimate—say, 400%—is also possible.
[...]
So far, the Communist Party—both during Hu Jintao’s and Xi Jinping’s rule—has not exhibited the political will necessary to enforce painful solutions. Its continual failure to resolve the debt situation has meant the government has had no option but to resort to short-term and superficial measures, such as more debt-fueled stimulus.
[...]
Evasion of currency controls [which is what Beijing is practicing] is getting harder, but it is occurring nonetheless as people do not believe what Xi and his officials say about the economy. “Weakness in the yuan and local stocks, as well as the nation’s wide interest-rate gap with the U.S., are raising the risk of a vicious cycle of capital outflows,” Bloomberg notes. The plunge in property prices—property accounts for about 70% of the wealth of the Chinese middle class—a sputtering economy, and a deep concern over Xi Jinping’s neo-Maoist policies all contribute to gloom.
“It’s a grim situation for Chinese people,” says Anne Stevenson-Yang, author of Wild Ride: A Short History of the Opening and Closing of the Chinese Economy. The pessimism is encapsulated in the phrase “Doom Loop” economy. Many now say China has a “garbage economy.”
[...]
"A financial or political crisis still is possible if China’s huge debt overwhelms the banking system or if unemployment reaches such high levels that protests erupt nationally causing a major change in government policy," [another expert adds].
[...]
China has the means to solve its problems, but Xi Jinping is determined to pursue 1950s-type solutions that only aggravate the situation. Money, therefore, will continue to flow out.
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UK lawmakers slam Chinese fast-fashion company Shein for refusing to answer questions on its cotton supply
(apnews.com)
A lawyer for Shein summoned to a British parliamentary hearing evaded questions Tuesday on whether the fast-fashion giant sells products containing cotton from China, angering lawmakers seeking answers on the retailer’s labor practices and allegations of forced labor in its supply chains.
Executives from Shein and its rival Temu were grilled on their labor rights compliance and how they source their products at Parliament’s business and trade committee Tuesday. The hearing came amid reports that Shein, which was founded in China but is now based in Singapore, is preparing for a 50 billion-pound ($62 billion) listing on the London Stock Exchange in the first quarter of this year.
Both global retailers are growing in popularity worldwide for selling mostly Chinese-made clothes and products at bargain prices. But they have drawn criticism over allegations that their supply chains may be tainted by forced labor, including from China’s far-west Xinjiang province, where rights groups say serious human rights abuses were committed by Beijing against members of the ethnic Uyghur group and other Muslim minorities.
Yinan Zhu, general counsel at Shein in London, declined to answer repeated questions at the hearing on whether cotton from Xinjiang or elsewhere in China is present in the products it sells.
[...]
96
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17936071
Russian UMPK kits, which turn regular bombs into guided glide bombs, use components imported by bypassing sanctions. Although the trail initially seemed to lead to Taiwan, further investigations revealed that companies from China were collaborating with the Russians.
An investigation conducted by the InformNapalm group led to documents related to servo drives from the Taiwanese company TRC. Following their publication in the media, experts on sanctions and the Taiwanese public became involved in the matter. Vadym Labas explained in an extensive Facebook post that further facts had been uncovered, casting a completely new light on the whole issue.
Chinese companies are cooperating with Russia
The Taiwanese company TRC turns out to be a victim in this situation. In reality, the manufacturer of servo drives intended for the Russians was the Chinese factory KST Digital Technology Limited.
An investigation conducted by the InformNapalm group led to documents related to servo drives from the Taiwanese company TRC. Following their publication in the media, experts on sanctions and the Taiwanese public became involved in the matter. Vadym Labas explained in an extensive Facebook post that further facts had been uncovered, casting a completely new light on the whole issue. Chinese companies are cooperating with Russia
The Taiwanese company TRC turns out to be a victim in this situation. In reality, the manufacturer of servo drives intended for the Russians was the Chinese factory KST Digital Technology Limited.
A special scheme for transferring equipment to Russia was developed, where the crucial stages involved selling the produced servo drives to the fictitious Chinese company Kaiffeng Zhendaqian Technology (KZT), which then passed them to another fictitious company from China (UNIHUI INTERNATIONAL LIMITED). Here, illegal rebranding occurred to "impersonate" Taiwanese TRC.
Chinese servo drives in Russian bombs and drones
Vadym Labas noted that such a scheme is also used in other transactions that Russia seeks to conceal.
The latest investigation also covers the Chinese factory KST Digital Technology Limited, which supplies Russia with components needed to produce Shahed kamikaze drones. These were initially ordered from Iran but have been produced in Russia for several months now. In 2024, at least 10,000 Shahed drones might be produced in Putin's country. The drones, measuring about 11 feet in length, can carry loads of up to 88 pounds and accelerate to approximately 115 mph.
[...]
97
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17929147
The number of foreclosed homes in China rose in 2024 from the previous year, a private-sector survey showed on Tuesday, heightening concerns about mortgage delinquencies amid a property slump and uneven economic growth.
The number of repossessed homes up for auction stood at 370,000 in 2024, up from 364,000 in 2023, the report from China Index Academy, an independent real estate research firm, said.
[...]
Total foreclosures, including commercial, residential and industrial properties, land, garages and parking spaces, totalled 768,000 units, a slight 0.9% decrease from 2023, the survey showed.
The majority of foreclosed homes were found in tier-three and tier-four cities, with a total of 63,871, according to the company. There were 45,997 foreclosed homes in tier-two cities and 6,994 in tier-one cities.
The number of foreclosures has been gradually rising since 2020 and continued to rise in 2024, the firm said in a separate report last year.
Since 2021, a severe property crisis triggered by a government-led initiative to curb indebted developers has eroded consumer wealth and household spending.
[...]
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China: Yuan hits 16-month low against the US dollar as concerns mount about economy, benchmark stock index fell in biggest drop in more than two years
(www.reuters.com)
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17928914
China's stock exchanges and central bank rushed to defend a tumbling yuan and falling stock markets on Monday, trying to soothe investors concerned about Donald Trump's return to the White House and Beijing's ability to revive the economy.
With two weeks before Trump begins a second U.S. presidency, his threats of big tariffs on Chinese imports have rattled the yuan, driven mainland bond yields down and got stocks off to a rough start to 2025.
China's stock exchanges asked large mutual funds to restrict their selling of stocks at the beginning of the year, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, underscoring the jittery mood in the market.
At least four large mutual funds received calls from the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges on Dec. 31 and Jan. 2 and 3, asking them to ensure they bought more stocks than they sold each day, the sources said.
The Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges recently met with foreign institutions, both bourses said on Sunday, assuring investors they would continue to open up China's capital markets.
The People's Bank of China could issue more yuan bills in Hong Kong in January, state-owned news outlet Yicai reported on Monday, in a sign authorities want to absorb currency to dampen speculation. Financial News, a central bank publication, said the PBOC has the tools and the experience to react to yuan depreciation.
[...]
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cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17927626
The US has added several Chinese technology companies, including gaming and social media giant Tencent and battery maker CATL, to a list of businesses it says work with China's military.
The list serves as a warning to American companies and organisations about the risks of doing business with Chinese entities.
While inclusion does not mean an immediate ban, it can add pressure on the US Treasury Department to sanction the firms.
Tencent and CATL have denied involvement with the Chinese military, while Beijing said the decision amounted to "unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies".
The Department of Defense's (DOD) list of Chinese military companies, which is formally known as the Section 1260H list, is updated annually and now includes 134 firms.
It is part of Washington's approach to counteracting what it sees as Beijing's efforts to increase its military power by using technology from Chinese firms, universities and research programmes.
]...]
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The global outrage machine skips the Uyghurs: China grandstands about Gaza while repressing a Muslim community within its own borders, but hardly anyone seems to notice
(www.theatlantic.com)
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17926173
China has exploited the crisis in Gaza to present itself as a defender of the Palestinians and a champion of the oppressed. That posture appears to be benefiting China in its geopolitical competition with the United States—even though Beijing is guilty of human-rights abuses against a Muslim community within its own territory. The Uyghurs of China suffer mass detention, population suppression, and cultural assimilation under a brutal authoritarian regime. Yet few protests on university campuses demand their freedom, nor do major diplomatic efforts seek to alleviate their misery.
How does China get away with it? The widespread indifference to the Uyghurs’ predicament exposes double standards, not only among today’s prevailing political ideologies, but also within the international politics of human rights. And it flags the danger that China presents to the very principle of universal values.
The issue is not a matter of which group—Palestinians or Uyghurs—is more worthy of the world’s concern. Both suffer, and their suffering is awful. The Palestinian cause is important and deserves the attention it receives. Yet the Uyghurs could use some outrage too. Isolated in remote Xinjiang, their historical homeland in China’s far west, the Uyghurs have no hope of defending themselves against Beijing’s repression without support from the international community.
[...]
Even Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, took Beijing’s position on Xinjiang during a visit to China in 2023. In a joint statement he issued with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, Abbas asserted that Beijing’s policies toward Muslims in Xinjiang have “nothing to do with human rights and are aimed at excising extremism and opposing terrorism and separatism.”
[...]
“The suffering of Palestinians reverberates with a familiar pain,” Rayhan Asat, a Uyghur human-rights lawyer, recently wrote on the website of Dawn, an organization dedicated to human rights in the Middle East. “The dehumanization of the Palestinian people and the collective punishment they endure from Israel’s war have shattered the very fabric of their society, much like what China has inflicted upon my [Uyghur] people.” The Georgetown scholars Nader Hashemi and James Millward, in a recent essay on the same site, weave a parallel narrative of colonization, repression, (sometimes violent) resistance, and more repression. That world leaders deny the true brutality of one group’s repression or the other—depending on their geopolitical perspective—“reveals the hole at the heart of the supposedly rules-based international order,” they wrote.
[...]
Xinjiang was conquered in the mid-18th century by the Qing dynasty (around the same time the British were marching on India) and then claimed by the current People’s Republic of China after its formation in 1949. Now the Communist Party insists that Xinjiang is an integral part of China. Beijing has imposed its political system and Chinese language and culture on the Uyghurs, who are a Central Asian people and speak a language related to Turkish. The community of less than 12 million is also under pressure from an influx of migrants (you could call them “settlers”) from the dominant Han Chinese ethnic group. Official census data from 2020 show that the Han population in Xinjiang expanded by 25 percent over the preceding decade, while the number of Uyghurs grew by only 16 percent.
[...]
[China's] Xi Jinping] has greatly intensified repression of the Uyghurs in recent years in an effort to tighten his control of the region. A million or more Uyghurs were arbitrarily detained in “reeducation camps” and then imprisoned or pressed into a system of forced labor. The Israelis keep the Palestinians something of a people apart; Xi seeks to assimilate the Uyghurs into a broader “Chinese” identity by suppressing their language, history, and religious life. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute described the strategy as a “systematic and intentional campaign to rewrite the cultural heritage” of the community. Perhaps the most chilling element of Beijing’s program is a concerted effort to curtail the growth of the Uyghur population through forced sterilization and other means. The pressure has contributed to a sharp reduction in the number of Uyghur births. The goal of these policies, as one Chinese official put it, is to “break their lineage, break their roots.”
[...]
The Chinese government denies that it commits these human-rights abuses in Xinjiang and insists that it is merely rooting out terrorism. A concerted propaganda campaign on state-owned media platforms presents Xinjiang as a model of peaceful economic development. Meanwhile, Beijing has erected a police state that has effectively sealed off the region from international scrutiny. With journalists, activists, and officials from international agencies unable to freely investigate or monitor conditions, the stream of stories and images that might fuel anger is limited, and the Uyghurs’ plight is kept largely out of sight. Beijing’s “slow, horrifying obliteration of cultures and peoples,” Hannah Theaker, a historian of Xinjiang at the University of Plymouth, explained to me, “does not produce images of destruction that are likely to seize attention in a crowded news environment.” By contrast, she said, “the horror of Gaza is unfolding in real time to the international public eye.”
[...]
Still, the evidence of Chinese abuses is substantial, and the reasons for ignoring it run deep into ideologies about the injustices of a postcolonial world, at least among some elements of the political left. Israel, from this viewpoint, is an outgrowth of European colonialism; it represses and displaces a local people, with the backing of the United States, which is seen as the successor to the empires of the West. China doesn’t fit neatly into this narrative. As a socialist state (or so many believe) also victimized by Western imperialism, China is perceived by elements of the left as less malign than Israel, however terrible its human-rights abuses might be.
[...]
The Uyghur cause is also hampered by the hard realities of Chinese global wealth and power. Unlike Israel, which is largely diplomatically isolated beyond a handful of major supporters, China is a growing force in international diplomacy. Many world leaders’ silence about Xinjiang has, in effect, been purchased. These governments know that China could cut off the gravy train of aid, investment, and financing if they publicly criticized Beijing’s mistreatment of the Uyghurs. Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, admitted as much in a 2021 interview. Asked why he criticizes the West’s attitude toward Muslims but not China’s abuse of the Uyghurs, he responded, “Whatever issues we have with the Chinese, we speak to them behind closed doors. China has been one of the greatest friends to us in our most difficult times. When we were really struggling, our economy was struggling, China came to our rescue.”
[...]
China has aimed to capitalize on the turmoil in Gaza in order to win international support in its geopolitical competition with the United States, especially in the global South. Beijing’s diplomats have vociferously supported the Palestinians throughout the Gaza conflict and carefully avoided criticism of Hamas and its October 7 atrocities against Israeli civilians, in sharp contrast to Washington’s backing of Israel, which is widely unpopular around the world. The strategy has succeeded in bolstering China’s image. A survey of public views in the Middle East by Arab Barometer found that China’s standing in the region has risen since the Gaza crisis began, while the U.S. is seen less favorably.
[...]
The fact that China’s leaders even attempt to champion the Palestinians while treating Muslims in their own country as enemies of the state is an indication of how steep the Uyghurs’ climb will be to win international support and sympathy. For now, advocates for the Uyghurs will find it hard to overcome this combination of ideological certainties and raw Chinese political and economic power. The Uyghurs will remain outsiders to the global outrage machine, and some injustices will be considered less unjust than others.