China news roundup / Nachrichten 2024-05-28

China courts EU’s far-right and far-left

"Loyalists to Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader from National Rally who twice failed in presidential bids against Emmanuel Macron, criticized the EU approach to China, saying it’s aligning Europe too closely with the U.S.
[...] The paper also found that the far-left lawmakers repeatedly introduced legislative amendments backing Chinese official rhetoric.
“These amendments have called for promoting dialogue and cooperation with China, criticised the EU for adopting a confrontational policy that allegedly seeks to interfere with and destabilise China, and advocated for respecting the One China principle,”"

--- The horseshoe theory proving its worth.

‘Strategic Ambiguity’ on Taiwan Isn’t Just for Washington

" The Chinese version also centers on unpredictability. It dates back to the country’s Anti-Secession Law ratified about two decades ago. The law lists conditions for the use of force to take over Taiwan. A formal declaration of independence by Taipei is an obvious one.
A much more vague condition, according to the law, involves the determination by Beijing that “possibilities for a peaceful reunification are completely exhausted.”
Beijing never clarifies what such possibilities might look like and what it means by them being “completely exhausted.” And that is intentional.
By being ambiguous over that condition, Beijing wants to keep Taipei, Washington and their allies guessing what its red line is and to prevent outside forces from egging Taipei on to declare formal independence."

--- Meh. Should be fairly clear that China doesn't need to set red lines, because everyone knows that China doesn't follow its own rules, anyway.

Dozens of Taiwanese celebrities endorse Beijing's claim on island

"More than 70 artists and celebrities including journalist Patty Hou, singer and actress Nana Ouyang and TV host and actress Dee Hsu reposted a statement from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on the Weibo social media platform which said that independence for Taiwan, which has never been ruled by Beijing, was "a dead end."
"The unification of Taiwan with China cannot be stopped," said the May 22 statement, local media reported"

--- For the love of money ... ... er ... the motherland.

‘China has always advocated not forgetting history,’ says UN envoy after opposing Bosnian genocide motion

"China voted against a move to mark the Bosnian genocide at the UN last Thursday, saying the resolution’s drafting was “hasty” and controversial.
[...] “China has always advocated not forgetting history, learning from history, and preventing the recurrence of tragedies,” UN envoy Fu Cong said"

--- Unless, of course, the CCP or allies were the guilty parties.

China dismisses as 'preposterous' claims of entry checks for phones

"Assertions that all arrivals in China will face mobile telephone checks from July 1 are false, authorities said on Tuesday, dismissing them as distortions of the truth made by "anti-China forces""

--- Which makes me suspect that it actually will happen.

Hong Kong police arrest six people for 'seditious' Facebook posts

"When asked to clarify whether it's now illegal under the Article 23 security legislation to mention the anniversary or the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, Tang claimed it wasn't, and that only mentions deemed to "incite hatred" of the authorities would be regarded as criminal."

--- Of course, the authorities arbitrarily can decide what is hatred. Speaking of:

"The arrests came after the latest post showed the "Goddess of Democracy" statue — a replica of the one seen on Tiananmen Square in 1989 — referring to its prominent display in 2010 outside the Times Square shopping mall, on several university campuses and at Victoria Park, where the now-banned candlelight vigils for the massacre victims were held for more than three decades."

--- Such hatred!