China news roundup / Nachrichten 2025-04-11
China strikes back with 125% tariffs on U.S. goods as trade war intensifies
"“Even if the U.S. continues to impose higher tariffs, it will no longer make economic sense and will become a joke in the history of world economy,” the ministry said in a statement, according to a CNBC translation."
--- No longer? So, the CCP admits that they made economic sense before?
"“With tariff rates at the current level, there is no longer a market for U.S. goods imported into China,” the statement noted, adding that “if the U.S. government continues to increase tariffs on China, Beijing will ignore.”"
--- Which means that both governments now have said that there will be no additional tariffs. Can we then finally stop panicking & just wait & see what the effects will be?
Life in Shanghai, China’s commercial capital, goes on but anti-US sentiment is hardening
"The most telling propaganda has been the resurfacing of a video clip of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong from 1953. “As to how long this war will last, we are not the ones who can decide,” Mao says. “No matter how long this war is going to last, we will never yield,”"
--- Yawn.
"Trump’s announcement of punitive tariffs on countries across south-east Asia had risked closing off the routes that Chinese companies have been using since his first term in office to circumvent his levies.
Since 2017, thanks to tariffs on Chinese goods, the share of China’s exports bound for the US has dropped from about 20% to less than 15%. But much of that trade has simply been re-routed through third countries, as Chinese firms set up shop in places with cheaper labour costs and easier access to the US market.
[...] Hobbling those countries’ ability to export to the US would inflict more true economic pain on Chinese companies than bilateral tariffs ever could. So in Shanghai, China’s commercial capital, a return to a narrowly US-China trade war, while still unwelcome, is some comfort."
--- That comfort might be short-lived:
Facing Trump tariffs, Vietnam eyes crackdown on some China trade
"In hope of avoiding punishing U.S. tariffs, Vietnam is prepared to crack down on Chinese goods being shipped to the United States via its territory and will tighten controls on sensitive exports to China"
--- Ouch! (if it actually happens)
China has told Hong Kong's last major opposition party to disband, members say
"Five senior members of Hong Kong's Democratic Party, the city's biggest and last remaining major opposition party, say that Chinese officials or middlemen have warned the party to disband or face serious consequences, including possible arrests."
--- Democracy with mafia ... er ... Chinese characteristics.
"The Hong Kong government said in a statement that decisions by individual groups "to disband or suspend operation are completely unrelated to the freedom or rights enshrined in Hong Kong law"."
Facebook’s Zuckerberg oversaw censorship tool for China: whistleblower
"Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former global policy director at Facebook, told the U.S. Senate on Wednesday that Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg personally designed and implemented a content review tool for Facebook that was used in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The tool, according to her, would automatically submit a Facebook post for review by a “chief editor” whenever it received over 10,000 views.
This tool was operational in both self-ruling Taiwan and China-controlled Hong Kong"
--- It's one thing to suck up to emperor Xi & 'follow the rules' inside China, but applying Chinese censorship abroad?
Man accused of spying on Uyghurs in Sweden was exiled group’s spokesman
Taiwan charges Chinese captain with damaging undersea cables
--- China Uncensored features the usual weekend news variety:
--- DW News: "China raises US tariffs from 84% to 125%"
China erhöht Zölle auf US-Importe auf 125 Prozent
"China zeigt sich genauso unnachgiebig wie die USA und erhöht die Zölle auf US-Waren ab Samstag von 84 auf 125 Prozent, wie die Zollkommission des chinesischen Staatsrates mitteilte.
Sie teilte mit, wenn Washington auch in Zukunft Zölle auf chinesische Waren erhebe, die in die USA exportiert werden, werde China dies ignorieren. Die Zölle hätten ein Niveau erreicht, bei dem für US-Waren, die nach China exportiert würden, keine Marktakzeptanz mehr bestehe."
--- Was darauf hinausliefe, daß Zölle nicht weiter erhöht werden, da die USA ja ähnliches verkündeten. Jetzt werden wir dann wohl endlich sehen, welche Auswirkungen das Ganze hat.
EU und Peking erwägen Mindestpreis für Elektroautos aus der Volksrepublik
"Laut »Handelsblatt« sollen Chinas führende E-Auto-Hersteller verstärkt in Europa investieren und Technologietransfers leisten. Im Gegenzug würde die EU anstelle der Ausgleichszölle einen Mindestpreis einführen. Der Vorteil für China sei dabei, dass die chinesischen Autobauer die Differenz zwischen ihrem ursprünglichen Dumpingpreis und dem vereinbarten Mindestpreis selbst behalten würden und keine Zölle zahlten."
--- Wäre ziemlich dämlich, wenn die EU sich darauf einließe. Chinesische Autos würden zwar etwas teurer, aber die Gewinne der Autobauer würden steigen.
