China’s economic woes dampen ‘Golden Week’ holiday travel
"Consumers across China have become more frugal as the country struggles with a prolonged real estate slump and rising unemployment. Consumers are likely to cut back on spending until they feel “their income levels are stable and will continue to grow,” Rein said.
Average prices for hotels and flights on travel booking site Trip.com have hovered below levels seen a year ago. Prices for both domestic and outbound flights during the National Day period declined compared to last year"
--- Doesn't really look like a booming economy...
But not to worry: the official numbers will show that everything is going fine, maybe even with some new records.
China Pumped in Over $100 Billion Overseas in Cleantech Since 2023, Research Group Says
""The investments from Chinese private companies are largely driven by the need to circumvent trade barriers," said Xuyang Dong, CEF analyst and co-author of the report.
She said BYD, China's leading electric vehicle manufacturer, is now building a $1 billion plant in Turkey to avoid a proposed EU tariff of nearly 40%, and battery maker CATL is planning factories in Germany, Hungary and elsewhere."
--- The question here is whether these factories will actually build stuff or just assemble parts from China.
Anyway, even if they are proper factories, the companies still profit from subsidies in China (additionally to the subsidies they receive from eg. Hungary or Turkey).
US Tracks Arctic-Bound Russia, China Ships Near Alaska
"This marked the first time the Chinese coast guard ships have entered the Arctic Ocean
[...] The Chinese coast guard claimed that the entry into the Arctic Ocean "has significantly expanded" its operational range, tested its ability to conduct missions in unfamiliar areas, as well as bolstered its participation in international and regional maritime governance.
China has declared itself a "near-Arctic state" even though its territory in East Asia is 900 miles away from the Arctic Circle. In August, Beijing had three icebreakers operating in the Arctic Ocean simultaneously for the first time ever"
--- Only a matter of time until China declares the Arctic a historically Chinese territory, because ... hmm ... there may be some legend about a Chinese explorer encountering sea monsters in an icy sea.
Despite constant hovering by Chinese ships, Malaysia expands South China Sea drilling
"Beijing may step up the pressure, as Malaysia’s state-owned exploration firm, Petronas, goes farther afield within the country’s waters that China also claims
All these activities were conducted as Chinese coast guard ships patrolled around the Luconia Shoals, off the coast of the Malaysian state of Sarawak in Borneo.
[...] The shoals are 100 kilometers (52 nautical miles) off the Malaysian coast and within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where Kuala Lumpur has jurisdiction over natural resources and state company Petronas has been operating for years.
[...] “From January 1 through September 30, AMTI found nine different CCG vessels that spent time patrolling in Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf,”
[...] China accused Malaysia of infringing upon its sovereignty at the Luconia Shoals. It also expressed “serious concern” and “strong dissatisfaction” over Malaysia’s oil and gas exploration projects in the area and asked it to immediately stop those activities."
--- How dare you do oil exploration in your EEZ?! 500 years ago some Chinese ships operated there & therefore it is eternally Chinese.
China denies injuring ‘illegal’ Vietnamese fishing crew
"Vietnam’s state media reported that Chinese personnel boarded a Vietnamese fishing boat off the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on Sunday and beat the crew with iron bars, seriously injuring four of them.
They also smashed the fishing equipment and took away the Vietnamese crew’s catch.
[...] The fishermen described a “terrifying attack” by about 40 Chinese personnel on two steel-hulled Chinese ships.
Crewman Huynh Tien Cong told the Tien Phong newspaper that the attackers beat him and other crew members with meter-long steel bars, breaking his arms and legs."
--- Looks like not only the Philippines is on the receiving end of increased Chinese aggression.
"It said that Chinese authorities took measures to stop the boats and that "on-site operations were professional and restrained, and no injuries were found.""
--- Must be restraint with Chinese characteristics.
Authorities transfer 200 Tibetan monastic students to state schools
Walz said he ‘misspoke’ about being in Hong Kong during Tiananmen protest
--- China Uncensored: "China’s Economy is BEYOND Saving"
--- CNA: "Hong Kong's expat exodus - and the influx of mainland Chinese"
Wer ist die mutmaßliche Spionin?
"In sozialen Netzwerken gibt es ein Foto von Yaqi X., aufgenommen wurde es auf einer Messe in Shanghai. Sie steht im Kreis von Kollegen vor einer Werbetafel, darauf in großen Buchstaben: "In Pole Position For You". So lautet der Slogan einer Logistikfirma, die am Flughafen Leipzig/Halle tätig ist. Für dieses Unternehmen hat sie in den vergangenen Jahren gearbeitet."
--- Hmm, das dürfte dann wohl die Firma gewesen sein, der die Flughäfen in Leipzig & Dresden gehören.
Ausreichend Stimmen für EU-Strafzölle auf E-Autos aus China
"Die EU-Kommission hat Insidern zufolge ausreichend Befürworter unter den EU-Staaten für die von ihr vorgeschlagenen Zölle. Frankreichs Präsident Emmanuel Macron sagte am Mittwoch, er unterstütze die Pläne der EU-Kommission bei Elektroautos. Europa müsse seine Industrie gegen Konkurrenz aus dem Ausland schützen. Wie Reuters von Insidern erfuhr, wollen auch Italien, Polen und Griechenland für die zusätzlichen Abgaben von bis zu 35,3 Prozent stimmen - damit gilt es als gesichert, dass sie ab Ende Oktober in Kraft treten."
--- Gut. Wenn es stimmt. Denn Scholz gefällt das nicht:
"Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz fordert zugleich Verhandlungen mit der chinesischen Regierung. "Natürlich müssen wir unsere Wirtschaft vor unfairen Handelspraktiken schützen. Wir müssen auf einem Level-Playing-Field bestehen", sagte Scholz. Auch langanhaltende Dispute etwa mit China dürften aber nicht dazu führen, dass man sich selbst schädige. "Deswegen müssen die Verhandlungen mit China in Bezug auf Elektrofahrzeuge weitergehen." Zugleich forderte der Kanzler, dass die EU "endlich dort anpackt, wo chinesische Billigimporte unserer Wirtschaft tatsächlich schaden, beispielsweise beim Stahl". China solle zudem in der Welthandelsorganisation WTO auf die Sonderbehandlung verzichten, die es durch die Einstufung als Entwicklungsland immer noch in Anspruch nehme."
--- Idiot. 'China soll ... verzichten.' Glaubt der wirklich, daß Kaiser Xi freiwillig auf bevorzugte Behandlung Chinas verzichten würde?
