India approves highway construction along Chinese border; Iranian president’s China trip is going well; Calls for sanctions over human rights abuses in Xinjiang
Plus, China says the trade freeze with Australia is over.
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As the dust settles on the rivalry between China and the U.S., news from the middle powers has been relatively quiet. As expected, China and Iran are moving closer to each other in this new world. But worry not. The Russia-China-Iran “Axis” is still yet to take shape. We see a politician or rather ex-politician in Australia calling for sanctions on those who are deemed responsible for the atrocities in Xinjiang while India pours billions into its highway infrastructure to bolster defences against China. On the business side, there is a slow road to the thawing of Australia-China trade relations, and we also hear about the theft of technology by the Dutch chip giant, ASML. Additionally, we continue to keep a close eye on Germany's progress in its China decoupling efforts.
I also decided to bring back the Twitter content spotted on the social media platform, so make sure to scroll to the bottom and see what have included.
Happy Thursday
Politics
Border dispute; sanctions; protestors
Australia
The former Australian prime minister to urge sanctions against Chinese officials for human rights abuses against Uighur minorities.
In a speech to be delivered in Tokyo to the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China(IPAC) on Friday morning, Scott Morrison will call on the Australian federal government to consider the Magnitsky-style laws used to sanction Russian officials over the invasion of Ukraine, according to an extract of the speech obtained by media.
Morrison will say the benign view of China “has led the west to appease China’s ambitions, including the conversion of island atolls into military installations in the South China Sea…”
A story by The Australian gives us more information about what the former politician is planning to say. According to the paper, Morrison will link human rights violations in China with security in the Indo-Pacific, claiming human rights issues could never be properly addressed if Chinese hegemony was allowed to take root in the region.
He will warn against getting too friendly with Beijing after diplomatic talks resume and urge Australia to demand an end to trade sanctions instead of being grateful to China for lifting them.
As we noted when we first started the newsletter in October (god, it feels like an eternity), in the Canadian parliament, the same sanction talks against Chinese officials also appeared.
Spotted: A couple of pro-CCP college students were seen vandalizing and physically assaulting Chinese pro-democracy protests in Sydney. Activists have taken to Twitter to urge the university to provide protection for the protesters.
India
India will construct its first all-weather highway for troop and hardware transportation to the disputed Himalayan boundary with China.
The Indian cabinet greenlit the project on Wednesday. The 4.1-kilometre-long tunnel project will connect the India-China border with the rest of the country. Once completed, it will be accessible year-round.
The country will also add 9,000 additional soldiers to bolster defences at its border as tensions continue. Specifically, it will raise seven new battalions of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in the next few years, according to Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur. He said the new battalions, which are set to be established by 2025/26, will cover 47 new border outposts and 12 staging camps of the ITBP.
In recent years, Indian and Chinese troops have engaged in hand-to-hand clashes along the border. These incidents marked the end of a largely peaceful period since the 1962 war between the two nuclear-armed nations.
Iran
President Ebrahim Raisi‘s visit to China is going well
The two leaders have appeared to be very productive. since Raisi arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, attending the signing of 20 cooperation agreements including trade and tourism and making a joint announcement urging Afghanistan to end restrictions on woman’s work and education.
Xi also offered his rhetorical support to Iran, which faces heavy sanctions and pressure from the U.S. over its nuclear program and accepted an invitation from Raisi to visit Iran. Xi last visited Iran in 2016 as part of a tour of the Middle East.
I particularly enjoyed this Twitter thread by Bill Figueroa, which debunks lots of misunderstandings about the current and future Sino-Iranian relationship.
Business
Huawei; ASML; Chip; Coal
Germany
German lawmakers are calling on businesses to reduce reliance on Chinese telecom networks.
This shift comes after a recent report that revealed German telecom operators have procured significant amounts of 5G equipment from Chinese vendors, including Huawei and ZTE.
Despite years of hesitation to impose restrictions on these tech giants, it seems that Germany's China policy is getting tougher under Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition government.
In November, the China hawk Economy Minister Robert Habeck said that the country was seeking to reduce its dependence on China, citing telecommunications and chip manufacturing as primary concerns. Habeck also announced a decision that prevented Chinese investors from acquiring a German chip plant that same month.
However, one shouldn’t expect the decoupling to happen overnight. After all, China has remained Germany's top trading partner for the seventh consecutive year. In 2022, the value of goods exchanged between the two countries increased by 20% despite the pandemic.
Australia
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao says the trade freeze with Australia is over.
Trade Minister Don Farrell was quoted in a Bloomberg article saying Australian and Chinese officials will soon meet to discuss trade. Farrel, who is set to travel to Beijing to meet with Wang in person, also said he is optimistic about progress in the sale of timber, wine, and dairy to Chinese consumers.
However, according to a Reuters report, the resumption of coal imports from Australia to China is not going smoothly. The BBC Maryland, which carried Australian coal destined for China, was diverted to Vietnam on Thursday after waiting for five days without unloading at the eastern Chinese port of Changshu.
The vessel was one of the first to reach China from Australia after Beijing partially lifted its unofficial ban on Australian coal imports, which had been in place for the past two years due to strained relations between the two countries.
Ireland
Dutch chip maker ASML accuses an ex-employee in China of stealing data.
The company disclosed the incident in its annual report but has been relatively tight-lipped about the details. According to anonymous sources quoted by Bloomberg, the breach occurred in a repository that contains information on lithography systems critical to producing advanced chips.
The theft may have violated export control regulations, and the company has reported the incident to authorities and is implementing remedial measures.
Although the stealing of proprietary technology was not deemed material by the Dutch chip maker, it highlights the company's significance in the global semiconductor supply chain.
Since we noted back in November, the Netherlands has had a change of heart and reportedly joined the United States in its chip ban on China. This is important to the US semiconductor strategy as ASML has what is essentially a monopoly on the type of machine needed to make the most advanced chips.
The word “China” was mentioned 38 times in the full annual report. The company outlined the threats posed by growing global trade and export controls but said it does not expect new restrictions on exports to China to affect 2023 earnings.
People’s Daily
Middle powers featured in the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party
Wednesday
South Africa, Syria
多国采取行动保护候鸟迁徙（国际视点）| Opinion: Countries take action to protect migratory birds
“最新发布的《世界鸟类状况》报告显示，受到栖息地萎缩、气候变化等因素影响，全球几乎一半的鸟类物种数量在减少，1/8的鸟类面临灭绝威胁。近年来，国际社会积极采取行动，通过建立自然保护区、提高公众保护意识、加强多边合作等措施，努力改善候鸟迁徙沿途环境，帮助候鸟安全迁徙。”
“The "State of the World's Birds" report indicates that almost half of all bird species are declining due to habitat shrinkage and climate change, with one-eighth facing the threat of extinction. To mitigate these issues, the global community has taken action to protect migratory bird habitats, including the establishment of nature reserves, awareness-raising initiatives, and strengthened multilateral cooperation. These measures aim to support safe bird migration and habitat conservation.”
在南非，学校课程设置、郊游项目中都会涵盖鸟类识别和保护的内容。每年鸟类繁殖季，南非的鸟类保护组织在各种媒体上加强科普宣传，提高公众爱鸟意识。
In South Africa, bird identification and protection are part of school curriculums. During the bird breeding season, bird protection organizations use various media to promote science education and raise public awareness about bird conservation.
中方敦促 有关国家取消非法单边制裁还儿童以生存希望｜China urges countries lift illegal unilateral sanctions to improve children's chances of survival
中国常驻联合国代表张军13日在安理会儿童与武装冲突公开会上发言说，中方敦促有关国家立即无条件全部取消非法单边制裁，还儿童以生存希望。
张军指出，单边制裁严重破坏有关国家经济基础和发展能力，剥夺许多儿童最基本的发展权和生存权。在叙利亚遭遇强烈地震灾害后，非法的单边制裁导致叙利亚严重缺乏重型设备和搜救工具，废墟下多少孩子可能因救援不及时或救援能力不足而失去宝贵生命。中方再次敦促有关国家立即无条件全部取消非法单边制裁，不要做天灾的共犯，不要剥夺儿童的生存希望，不要做虚伪的政治表演。
During a speech at the UN Security Council's open meeting on children and armed conflict, China's permanent representative Zhang Jun called for the immediate and unconditional lifting of illegal unilateral sanctions by relevant countries.
Zhang Jun criticized unilateral sanctions for damaging economies and depriving children of basic rights. In Syria, illegal sanctions caused a shortage of search-and-rescue equipment during a recent earthquake, putting many children's lives at risk. China urges countries to lift illegal sanctions immediately and avoid hypocritical political performances that harm children's survival.
Thursday
Singapore; Chile
全球旅游业加速复苏（国际视点）中国游客为行业复苏注入动能 | Opinion: Chinese tourists boost global tourism recovery
业内人士指出，旅游业复苏有助于提振全球经济信心...世界旅游及旅行理事会总裁兼首席执行官朱莉娅·辛普森表示，中国游客为全球旅游业复苏注入动能，未来全球旅游业将迎来高速增长。
Industry insiders have pointed out that the recovery of the tourism industry will help to boost confidence in the global economy… Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council, noted that Chinese tourists have injected momentum into the recovery of the global tourism industry, and she anticipates that the industry will experience rapid growth in the future.
长期以来，中国都是新加坡的主要游客来源地。疫情前的2019年，到访新加坡的中国游客超360万人次。相关统计显示，今年春节期间，中国游客在新加坡银联商户交易量同比增长近3倍。新加坡旅游局表示，随着航班数量增加和中国恢复出境旅游，新加坡旅游业将加速复苏。
China has long been a major source of tourists for Singapore. Pre-pandemic, 3.6 million Chinese tourists visited Singapore in 2019. During this year's Spring Festival, Chinese tourists' transaction volume at UnionPay merchants in Singapore nearly tripled YoY. Singapore's tourism industry is expected to recover as China resumes outbound tourism and flight numbers increase.
智利全力抗击森林火灾 | Chile goes all out to combat forest fires
智利总统博里奇日前赴现场了解火情及救援情况，称将尽最大努力与火灾作斗争。他表示，智利政府正动员所有资源投入灭火工作，并呼吁民众停止焚烧垃圾和农业废弃物。
Chilean President Boric recently visited the site to assess the fire and rescue situation and pledged to do everything possible to combat the blaze. He stated that the government is mobilizing all available resources and urged citizens to refrain from burning garbage and agricultural waste.
Finally, for your amusement.
Spotted: A Chinese student studying in Canada posted a trending short video wearing a gas mask because he was afraid of the poisonous gas from burning vinyl chloride in Ohio would blow over to Toronto where he’s based.
For more context:
