China news roundup / Nachrichten 2020-07-24
English news:
Chinese fugitive taken into custody as US claims Houston consulate was a part of espionage network
"consulate officials "were directly involved in communications with researchers and guided them on what information to collect.""
--- Well, if Houston was at the centre of scientific espionage in the US, it makes sense to close it, although other consulates or the embassy will take over. It certainly disrupts the functioning of the network.
"the sum total of the Houston consulates activities went well over the line of what we're willing to accept
[...] It has been an increase in malign activity, intelligence activity over time. And at some point, you say enough is enough"
--- & coincidentally just at this point in time? Dubious, although the reasons for closing it are probably valid.
US consulate: China orders US consulate closure in tit-for-tat move
"a tit-for-tat escalation between the two countries"
--- Not much of an escalation, if it is tit-for-tat.
"currently having more than 200 staff - 150 hired locally"
--- Adding to Chinese unemployment. Tststs...
Pompeo blasts Beijing as deadline nears for China to shutter Houston consulate
"in an interview with Politico Thursday, Consul General Cai Wei suggested the diplomatic outpost may defy that order"
--- Or did he? He's probably just referring to the demand by China to keep the consulate open. Since the US will refuse, it won't stay open. Would be very easy for the US to block access to it, so it wouldn't make sense to 'keep it open'.
"He called President Xi Jinping a "true believer in a bankrupt totalitarian ideology.""
--- No, no, no! Emperor Xi is the demigod people believe in. He himself doesn't need to believe anything.
Pompeo's speech can be watched here.
As US and China force consulates to close, the risk of missteps and spiraling tensions rises
"Losing its consulate in Chengdu, she said, "would limit Washington's avenues for communications with Beijing"
--- Yeah, right. You would think, the embassy in Beijing itself would be the best avenue of communications with Beijing.
"Many analysts who spoke to CNN in the wake of the consulate closures warned of spiraling tensions"
--- "Many analysts ..." the CNN chose for their particular stance, it seems. Just another of those CNN appeasement articles, largely blaming Trump for the situation.
European committee chairs jointly condemn China over Hong Kong
"The joint statement by the committee chairs – from countries including Germany, the UK, Belgium, Latvia, Norway and the European parliament itself – shows a network of parliamentarians is being constructed to shift European governments towards a harder stance"
--- Not very successful, it seems: EU proposes cutting off Hong Kong’s access to goods used in surveillance and ‘internal repression’.
Except for an export stop of weapons & crowd control stuff, they only ask for "review & discussion".
China offers $1 billion loan to Latin America and the Caribbean for access to its Covid-19 vaccine
"a public benefit of universal access, and that his country will designate a loan of $1 billion to support access"
--- Universal access with Chinese characteristics, just as expected. "We will provide a vaccine we develop to all who need it," they said & meant "but only if you pay enough".
So, they provide loans for a vaccine, but only if that vaccine comes from China. &, of course, the loans will only add to Chinese ability to pressure Latin American governments.
Chinese critic who called Xi Jinping a 'clown' ousted from Communist party
"Ren had been ousted from the CCP because he was in “severe violation of discipline and law”.
It accused Ren of “losing faith”"
--- Of course a heretic cannot stay in emperor Xi's cult. For his blasphemous insults he will have to pay dearly.
China ups testing after cluster in big port city
"The port city of Dalian in Liaoning province has reported three cases in recent days after going nearly four months without any."
--- Obviously not because they don't count asymptomatic case. Obviously imported food is to blame.
Video News:
--- China Uncensored features the normal weekend variety:
--- DW News: "China orders US consulate in Chengdu to close"
--- WION: "Gravitas: China-Pakistan 'secret deal' to build bioweapons"
Deutsche Nachrichten:
EU verständigt sich auf Reaktion gegen China
"eine weitere Beschränkung von Exporten vorsieht, die zur Niederschlagung von Protesten oder zur Überwachung von Kommunikation genutzt werden können"
--- Bravo, großartig, sensationell! Welch eine Maßnahme! Die KPCh muß sich jetzt aber echt warm anziehen.
"Die Einigung aller EU-Mitgliedsstaaten auf den Text der Ratsschlussforderungen ist ein sehr positiver Schritt und zeigt Solidarität mit den Menschen in Hongkong"
--- Witzfiguren. Eine Einigung auf den kleinsten, gemeinsamen Nenner (sprich: das, was die Chinavasallen in der EU gerade noch schlucken können) zeigt höchstens, daß die EU als politische Kraft absolut nutzlos ist. Sollte sich wieder in EWG umbenennen.
Ein neuer Großkonflikt hat begonnen
"Ausgangspunkt des Konflikts war der von der US-Regierung angezettelte Wirtschafts- und Handelskrieg"
--- Quark. Das ist eher ein Nebenkriegsschauplatz. Nur weil der Trumpel darin den Hauptfokus sah, wurde das so hochgespielt.
"Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel sowie ihr Wirtschaftsminister Peter Altmaier und ihr Außenminister Heiko Maas gelten unter internationalen Experten inzwischen als lupenreine China-Kuschler."
--- Tja, kann leider nicht widersprechen.
Chinas wohl dosierte Vergeltung
"Es verzichtet damit auf eine Eskalation im Konsulatsstreit – aber auch auf ein Zeichen der Entspannung."
--- Immerhin merkt mal jemand, daß es nicht wirklich eine Eskalation ist.
vgl.: Trump erwägt, weitere chinesische Konsulate zu schließen
"Der Streit treibt die chinesische Öffentlichkeit seit Tagen um. 17 Millionen Zuschauer verfolgten am Freitagmorgen die Live-Berichterstattung des Staatsfernsehens vor der amerikanischen Vertretung in Chengdu."
--- Hmm, 17 Mio. sind etwas über 1,2% der chinesischen Bevölkerung. Nicht unbedingt ein Straßenfeger.
Pompeo brüskiert China - erneut
"Wir können die fundamentalen politischen und ideologischen Unterschiede zwischen unseren Ländern nicht länger ignorieren"
--- Dafür hat Kaiser Xi nachdrücklich gesorgt.