China news roundup / Nachrichten 2024-12-14/15

3 days ago

MPs threaten to name Chinese ‘spy’ linked to Prince Andrew

"Ministers will come under pressure this week to set a timeline to revive the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), which had been delayed until next year, and to put China on the enhanced category for threats.
Labour MPs are among those who are urging caution in the government’s warmer approach to China after the new revelations about the closeness of the now expelled Chinese businessman to the Duke of York.
The former security minister, Tom Tugendhat, told the Guardian that the enhanced tier of the scheme had been “specifically designed” to tackle the operations of the Chinese organisation apparently connected to the expelled businessman. However, there is still a question mark over whether China will be designated in that category by the Labour government"

--- We'll see. This will probably show how naive (or commie-loving) the new government really is.

"There is currently a court anonymity order protecting the identity of the alleged spy, though that may be lifted."

--- Well:

Alleged Chinese spy tied to Prince Andrew is businessman Yang Tengbo

"RFA can identify the man who served as a business advisor to the Duke of York as Yang Tengbo, a director of the consultancy Hampton Group International, based on details revealed in the immigration judgment against him, as well as evidence gathered from open source intelligence that corroborates information released by the U.K. court."

--- Not that this says much. More interesting:

"Prince Andrew’s office issued a statement Friday evening insisting that he had “ceased all contact” with the alleged Chinese spy following advice from the U.K. government.
“Nothing of a sensitive nature was ever discussed” with Yang, he said, adding that he was “unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.”
Besides Prince Andrew, Yang appears to have had access to the top echelons of British society. A profile of Yang that aired on CCTV, the Chinese state broadcaster, features a shot of his desk, upon which sits a photo of him with former prime minister Theresa May and another with former prime minister David Cameron."

--- All of course totally innocent encounters.

NZ police officers' China trip had all the hallmarks of foreign influence operation

"Police Assistant Commissioner Tāmaki Makaurau Sam Hoyle confirmed in a statement that police took part in "a private trip" to China "encouraging cultural competency" in October.
All participants were on annual leave at the time and paid for travel costs and expenses themselves, he said.
Those who attended reported an "incredibly positive and beneficial experience".
The trip was organised by Auckland police ethnic responsiveness manager Jessica Phuang, "a highly regarded leader in Tāmaki Makaurau", and facilitated by a professional tour company.
All "appropriate notifications and processes were carried out" prior to departure, and that "no provincial governments hosted the group", Hoyle said.
Hoyle told Morning Report the group left all their police issued devices behind in New Zealand and spoke to the international services group in Wellington before their departure because they were well aware of the risks of foreign interference.
"It was a completely private trip... It wasn't a work trip at all," he stressed.
"Police officers taking annual leave and travelling off shore together...is not unheard of."
He could not say if the group had received any gifts but said he would look into it. He noted it was a common part of many Asian cultures to give gifts.
However, there were photos showing the delegation meeting with the deputy director of the Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Tang Changhua, Brady said."

--- 'No provincial governments hosted the group.' Yeah, right. Just a 'Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism'.
& policemen getting gifts... Hmm... What do you call that? Corruption?

"It was "problematic" that senior police were relying on information from police ethnic liaison officers, she said.
"There's other concerning incidents about ethnic liaison police officers themselves participating in United Front activities or with China's proxy organisations in New Zealand.
"Senior police were no doubt told that everything was fine, but they would, because some liaison officers have already been engaging in inappropriate activity."
United Front is a Chinese Communist Party political strategy that uses proxy groups to advance party influence and interests domestically and internationally."

--- So, a trip organised by a United-Front-affiliated 'ethnic liaison officer', booked via a Chinese government-owned 'tourism' agency & a meeting with CCP officials, but all is totally private.

"Police Minister Mark Mitchell said he was proud of the work police did to engage with all groups in the community."

--- Moron.

China Vows to 'Strike Down' Syria's Victorious Uyghur Rebels Threatening Xi

"Members have shared footage in which they address their grievances in Xinjiang to Syrian audiences and threaten to utilize stockpiles of weapons seized from the former Syrian Arab Army against China.
"With the permission of God, his power and strength, the Chinese infidels will soon taste the same torment that the infidels in the Levant tasted," Turkestan Islamic Party Emir Sheikh Abdul Haq al-Turkestani said in a statement circulated by the group last week.
[...] The TIP might opt for targeting Chinese assets abroad or acting like a mercenary group like many Central Asian groups have been doing."

--- I doubt that they will have any significant presence in China. & it will be quite hard to get equipment & men smuggled into China. So, for the time being, they might attack Chinese targets overseas, if they do anything.

"The fall of Assad in Syria marks the second time in around three years that the Turkestan Islamic Party has helped to successfully overthrow a government caught in the throes of civil war. The group also supported the Taliban in its two-decade campaign against the former Afghan government"

--- & you see how friendly Taliban & CCP now are. Hasn't helped the Uighurs at all.

cf.: Uyghur fighters in Syria vow to come for China next

""The future of Syria should be decided by the Syrian people," Chinese Embassy to the United States spokesperson Liu Pengyu told Newsweek.
[...] China has long pursued a policy of friendship and cooperation with Syria, never interfered in Syria's internal affairs, and respected the choice of the Syrian people"