China industrial profits surge 15% to start year, but oil price shock threatens outlook
"Industrial profits jumped 15.2% from a year earlier in the January-February period, National Bureau of Statistics data showed Friday"
--- Dubious, since deflation of factory prices seems to continue.
China willing to actively expand EU imports, says commerce minister
"China is willing to "actively" expand European Union imports"
"China also hopes the EU will view its development "rationally and objectively", properly address frictions and differences, and jointly promote the development of bilateral economic and trade relations, Wang said."
--- Translation: Kowtow, or else!
Beijing’s surprise intervention on Meta’s Manus rattles tech founders, VCs eyeing ‘China shedding’
"The Chinese government started reviewing whether Manus’ sale had violated laws governing technology exports and outbound investment, and barred co-founders Xiao Hong and Ji Yichao from leaving China for Singapore, according to a Financial Times report earlier this week.
Founded in China, Manus relocated its headquarters and core teams to Singapore last year, allowing it to access deeper capital pools from foreign investors, including the San Francisco-based venture capital firm Benchmark.
[...] The Manus deal also served as a wake-up call for tech investors betting that offshore structures can protect promising Chinese startups from Beijing’s reach."
--- Just having your headquarters in another country does not get you out of reach of the Chinese government. As long as some of your employees are still in China the CCP is still in control.
MEPs told to leave phone at home for China trip
"A Parliament spokesperson said that “all necessary preventive and reactive measures are in place to ensure the security and safety of MEPs and [European Parliament] staff during official missions." Both lawmakers and officials have been given “briefings, training and assistance regarding security,”"
--- Which is absolutely necessary when dealing with China. Some European politicians don't want to understand that, though.
Chinese ships halt attempt to exit Strait of Hormuz despite Iran safe passage assurances
"The CSCL Indian Ocean and CSCL Arctic Ocean, both Hong Kong flagged, have been stuck in the Gulf since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb 28.
They attempted to pass through the strait at 0350 GMT on March 27 but then turned back, analysis from the Kpler data platform showed.
While this was the first crossing attempted by a major shipping group since the start of the war, March 27’s incident showed “safe passage could not be guaranteed”
[...] The two vessels both broadcast messages on their AIS ship-tracking systems stating they had Chinese owners and crews, data on the LSEG platform showed on March 27."
--- That Iranian-Chinese friendship is going well it seems.
China stations jets-turned-drones at bases near Taiwan Strait, report says
"These jets-turned-drones would fly into targets in the opening phase of an assault on Taiwan, Dahm, a former U.S. naval intelligence officer, told Reuters. They would be used more like cruise missiles than autonomous or remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
“They will attack Taiwan, U.S. or allied targets in large numbers, effectively overwhelming air defenses,”"
--- Which is something the US has to be prepared for. And as we can see in the Iran attack, the US is obviously not.
Iranian drones have some remarkable successes against US targets, it seems.
Man who allegedly planted bomb at US airbase at large after fleeing to China
China opens investigations into US trade practices in response to Trump tariff moves
Trump confirms May meeting with Xi Jinping as Iran war forces postponement
--- China Uncensored featured the usual weekend news variety again:
--- China Uncensored: "Tucker Carlson’s China Take Is…Worse Than You Think"
--- DW News: How China uses fishing boats for military power
--- Bloomberg: How China Plays the Long Game Against Trump
„Zahlreiche Informationen nach China gelangt“: Peking spionierte über Linkedin NATO- und EU-Mitarbeiter aus
"Chinesische Geheimdienste haben nach Angaben aus Sicherheitskreisen über gefälschte Profile im Online-Karrierenetzwerk Linkedin versucht, sensible Informationen über die EU und die Nato herauszufinden. Bei der vom chinesischen Ministerium für Staatssicherheit organisierten Aktion seien gezielt Mitarbeiter von Nato und EU-Institutionen angesprochen worden, verlautete am Freitag aus europäischen Sicherheitskreisen. So seien „zahlreiche wichtige Informationen und Erkenntnisse nach China gelangt“, erklärte die belgische Justizministerin Annelies Verlinden."
--- Nun wirklich nicht neu. Das machen die chinesen seit Jahren. Wie kommt es, dass Offizielle immer noch drauf reinfallen?
