China news roundup / Nachrichten 2025-04-25/26

8 months ago

--- Back from the hellhole. Luckily, I'm not interesting enough for the CCP to care. But, anyway, don't go to China if you rely on working internet, unless you are sure you can jump the Great Firewall. In my case, neither VPN nor eSim worked.

Conflicting US-China talks statements add to global trade confusion

"Trump told TIME magazine that talks were taking place and that Chinese President Xi Jinping had called him, an assertion he repeated to reporters as he was leaving the White House on Friday morning for Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.
"China and the U.S. are NOT having any consultation or negotiation on #tariffs," China shot back in a foreign ministry statement posted by the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. "The U.S. should stop creating confusion.""

--- Yawn. Trump & CCP are both liars, so who to trust? In this case, we have some evidence of Chinese officials actually visiting US ministries. So ...

"While clarity on whether deals are actually being struck to avoid the imposition of even steeper tariffs in early July, there were signs of some de-escalation. China exempted some U.S. imports from its steep tariffs"

--- De-escalation, yeah, right. It's just that China noticed that it really, really needed certain products.

China rolls back tariffs on some US goods

"Chinese authorities have implemented tariff exemptions for eight types of U.S. semiconductors, excluding memory chips
[...] China, the world’s largest plastics producer, has factories that rely on U.S.-sourced ethane, while Chinese hospitals depend on advanced medical equipment such as MRI scanners made by American companies.
Additionally, authorities are reportedly exploring tariff exemptions for aircraft leasing arrangements to reduce financial burdens on Chinese airlines that lease rather than own their aircraft. "

--- So much de-escalation...

Cargo Shipments From China to the U.S. Dwindle

"Importers that work with Chinese manufacturers that also have factories in other parts of Asia are pivoting: “They’re saying, ‘Today we are stopping China production, tomorrow we are starting Cambodia,’”"

--- Some Chinese companies may ride out the tariffs, but that still hurts the Chinese economy. But, then again, it is just marginally increasing the pain that the economy already is under, anyway.

"Some retailers and manufacturers are able to pause orders because they rushed in large volumes of cargoes at the start of the year to get ahead of any potential tariffs.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach—the busiest container-port complex in the country—handled the equivalent of nearly 2.5 million import containers in the first three months of the year, an increase of 14% over the same time last year."

--- & there is that.

Xi announces plan for Chinese economy to counter impact of US trade war

"Friday’s meeting of the politburo was convened to discuss China’s economy, which since the pandemic has faced difficulties fuelled by a housing sector crisis, youth unemployment and Donald Trump’s tariffs on all Chinese imports to the US."

--- That meeting convenes every year around this time to discuss the economy, for what I know.

"We must strengthen bottom-line thinking, fully prepare emergency plans and do a solid job in economic work"

--- Sounds like a solid, thought out & concrete plan...

"Friday’s politburo readout proposed a series of interventions to bolster the domestic economy and protect people and businesses from the impact of Trump’s tariffs, including increasing unemployment insurance payouts. It promised to increase low and middle incomes, develop the service industry and boost consumption.
“We should take multiple measures to help enterprises in difficulties,” it said. “We should strengthen financing support. We should accelerate the integration of domestic and foreign trade.”
It stressed the need for more proactive macroeconomic policies, faster development of a new real estate model and increased housing stock, and “stepping up” city renewal programmes and urban renovation."

--- Promises, promises...

Why are European luxury brands caught in China-US trade war crossfire?

"People working in the fashion industry in Paris are wondering how they managed to get caught in the crossfire of the China-US trade war."

--- Because for the CCP, the West is the enemy, not just the USA. Some people in Europe don't want to understand that.

"At one of Italian luxury brand Valentino's Paris boutiques, a sales assistant said: "Customers of luxury goods know they are not buying luxury bags just for the leather, you are also paying for the design and the reputation of the brand."""

--- Yep. Idiotic as it is.

China set to lift sanctions on MEPs in EU 'charm offensive'

"A European Parliament spokesperson told DW on Friday that discussions with Chinese authorities on lifting sanctions on lawmakers were "continuing and in their final stages."
"It has always been the European Parliament's intention to have sanctions lifted and resume relations with China,""

--- The EU still has relations with China. If they want to 'normalise' relations, though, that would be moronic.

"The European Union has no plans to mark the occasion with its own sanctions relief.
A spokesperson for the European Commission told DW on Friday that the restrictions the EU slapped on several Chinese officials and organizations in 2021 were "consistent" with its "long-standing concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang.""

--- That sounds more reasonable.

China: We have no interest in interfering with Philippine elections

"“China follows the principle of non-interference in other countries’ domestic affairs. We have no interest in interfering in Philippine elections,”"

--- China Uncensored features the usual weekend news variety:

--- China Uncensored: "Xi Jinping's Days Are Numbered"

--- DW News: "How Xi Jinping uses the trade war with the US to strengthen his position"

Deutschland abhängig von seltenen Erden aus China

"Deutschland ist bei der Versorgung mit seltenen Erden stark auf Importe aus China angewiesen. Wie das Statistische Bundesamt mitteilte, kamen im vergangenen Jahr 65,5 Prozent aller Importe aus dem Land, insgesamt rund 3.400 Tonnen."

--- In Deutschland will man einfach nicht lernen.

Wirtschaftskrimi im Hunsrück: Investoren aus China im Fokus der Justiz

"Nach einer SWR-Recherche hat fast ein Viertel der mehr als 200 Firmen, die bis zum Jahr 2017 im Oak Garden gemeldet waren, ihren Betrieb inzwischen eingestellt. Einige chinesische Investoren hinterließen hohe Schulden.
[...] Dazu zählen Krankenkassen und das Finanzamt. Denn die chinesischen Unternehmen hätten teils keine Sozialbeiträge für ihre Angestellte oder Steuern bezahlt. Nach SWR-Informationen geht es insgesamt um mehr als 100.000 Euro.
[...] Die chinesischen Investoren haben aber nicht nur Unternehmen am Oak Garden gegründet, sondern auch Wohnungen und Büroräume in den Mehrfamilienhäusern im Oak Garden gekauft. Nach SWR-Recherche haben sie auch hier offenbar teils alles stehen und liegen lassen und sich nicht mehr um ihre Immobilien gekümmert."

--- Willkommen in China!