China news roundup / Nachrichten 2024-10-21

about 1 month ago

India and China agree to de-escalate border tensions

"“An agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas, leading to disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020,” Mr Misri said.
Mr Misri, however, did not give any details about the disengagement process and whether it would cover all points of conflict along the disputed border."

--- No details? Now, that sounds good.
& if China holds to that agreement as it did to the de-escalation deal with the Philippines recently, we can expect another clash in the coming days.

China ‘shocked’ after consulate in Myanmar’s Mandalay attacked with explosive device

"“China expresses its deep shock at the attack and sternly condemns it,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said of the incident that occurred Friday.
“China has made stern representations to the Myanmar side,” Lin said."

--- Interesting. This is more strongly worded than the reactions to terrorist attacks in Pakistan, when Chinese citizens were actually killed. Seems like the Burmese government is not in the iron-clad friendship class.

China cuts benchmark lending rates by 25 basis points

"While the loan prime rate cuts were expected, it does confirm that monetary stimulus is at least “occurring on a significant basis in China,” said Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy and chief economist at AMP. However, he noted that the cut alone is insufficient to lift the country’s economy, reiterating growing calls for more fiscal stimulus."

--- Significant? I wouldn't call 0.25 percentage points significant. Particularly, if it doesn't have any significant effect on the actual problem.

Overcrowding reported at China detention centers amid economic downturn

"In another video published in August, Wang Rui, a lawyer in Sichuan, says he found 20 people detained in a 12-person room.
[...] The lawyer said he recently visited an insurance agent who was detained in Hebei province on allegations of “corruption.” Describing the conditions, the lawyer said, "There are 28 people living in a detention room of more than 10 square meters, and a dozen square meters can only accommodate about 7-9 people.""

--- 3m by 3.5m. 28 people. I couldn't stand 1 other person together with me in that room for a prolonged time, but 27? All using the same toilet & most of them unwashed?

"a lawyer in Shandong province, says actions that were previously tolerated are now being targeted for arrest.
These include illegal transactions, trade disputes, pornography, gambling, fishing and collecting protected wild herbs, reported lawyer Sun Lianwei on her social media accounts."

--- Fishing? That seemed to be legal virtually everywhere, when I was still living in China. You could see people fishing at every lake or river.

"“With China’s economic stagnation, and detention centers need to survive, local governments may be detaining more people [to] raise revenues and cracking down in these crimes that used to be overlooked,” Lee said.
In China, inmates can pay to upgrade their meals and buy daily necessities. More inmates lead to more sales, increasing the revenue for the detention center and local government."

--- For what I know, you actually have to buy daily necessities, you don't get anything for free.

US to curb AI investment in China soon

"The final rules, which target outbound investment to China in AI, semiconductors and microelectronics and quantum computing, are under review at the Office of Management and Budget, the posting showed, which in the past has meant they will likely be released within the next week or so."

--- About time. Might be partially obsolete already.

Shanghai police plan crackdown on Halloween cosplayers this year

"“All cosplaying is prohibited, and no Halloween make-up will be permitted,” a police notice issued internally to neighborhood committees across Huangpu district said. “Use verbal persuasion at first, but compulsory measures must be used in the event of non-cooperation.”
[...] buildings in the district are also banned from displaying any form of Halloween decoration, including bats, pumpkins, ghosts, coffins and skeletons, while “horror or violence-related elements” will not be allowed.
[...] Halloween-related terms and English are both banned from promotional material, both online and offline, it said, calling on local businesses to submit plans for their Halloween decorations in advance to avoid trouble from the authorities."

--- It shows, that the CCP is allied to the Taliban.
In the same vein:

Forbidden City: Beijing site bars designer Rick Owens and ‘dark and strange’ friends

"Four foreign fashion designers have been denied entry to Beijing's Forbidden City for wearing "dark and strange" clothes.
[...] The four - Rick Owens and Michele Lamy, as well as Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran, the co-founders of the brand Fecal Matter - were criticised in official media for showing no respect for China's history and culture."

--- Funny, though, since it is the CCP which destroyed much of China's traditional culture.

US, Canadian navy ships sail through Taiwan Strait week after China war games

Chinese protesters' megaphones ruffle feathers in Washington

Palau gears up for election amid Chinese threats, US military buildup

--- China Uncensored: "As China's Economy Crumbles, Crime Surges"

--- ABC News (AUS): Why are workers from China under attack in parts of Pakistan?

--- China Uncensored: China's Ambitions Are Crumbling

--- France 24: Vatican confirms renewal of contested accord with China

Himalaja: Indien meldet Fortschritte im Grenzstreit mit China

"Nach der bisher letzten größeren Auseinandersetzung im Juni 2020, bei der nach Angaben der indischen Armee 20 indische Soldaten starben, einigten die Länder sich auf die vorläufige Grenze in Ladakh."

--- Die LAC (line of actual control) gibt es schon lange, & die war & ist strittig. Daran wird auch die neue Vereinbarung nichts ändern.

China senkt erneut den Leitzins

"Chinas Zentralbank (PBoC) unterstützt die schwächelnde Wirtschaft mit einer weiteren Leitzinssenkung. Sie hat den einjährigen Leitzins (LPR) am Montag um einen Viertelpunkt auf 3,10 Prozent und das fünfjährige Pendant im selben Umfang auf 3,60 Prozent gesenkt. Der einjährige LPR beeinflusst die meisten neuen und bestehenden Kredite in der Volksrepublik, während der fünfjährige vor allem bei der Preisgestaltung von Hypotheken eine wichtige Rolle spielt."

--- & wieder wird am falschen Ende angesetzt. Das Kreditangebot ist nicht das Problem.