Mandate Of Heaven

[bojan]

I think you are missing a point:

What does debating if a picture or a dam is crooked does in a practical terms? And the question was not even directed at you initially.

If COVID shitstorm has taught me anything (well, I know that long time ago, but this confirmed it) - If you are not directly affected, wait and see what happens, taking reasonable precautions. Do not listen to 24h media circus, do not emote over issue, there is no point, world does not give a shit about you being upset over something.

So yes, at this point debating about that dam is the level of the "will somebody think of children".

Edited July 8, 2020 by bojan

[Nobu]

 

 

Isn't that dam so enormous that it slightly altered the orbit of the planet?

 

I would not be surprised if it did. The last time a Chinese dam broke, it was by the Nationalist Chinese in 1938, to try and stop the advance of the IJA.

No, it wasn't

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Banqiao_Dam_failure

 

Which is why it's unlikely the 3 Gorges will collapse, but we will see...

Had not heard of that one. The event must have been on the minds of those who designed 3 Gorges, if only to avoid a repeat.

[JasonJ]

I think you are missing a point:

What does debating if a picture or a dam is crooked does in a practical terms? And the question was not even directed at you initially.

If COVID shitstorm has taught me anything (well, I know that long time ago, but this confirmed it) - If you are not directly affected, wait and see what happens, taking reasonable precautions. Do not listen to 24h media circus, do not emote over issue, there is no point, world does not give a shit about you being upset over something.

So yes, at this point debating about that dam is the level of the "will somebody think of children".

I often seem to miss your points.

 

Well, you're in Serbia. So that must be why you post so little since almost everything on TN is not related to Serbia directly, including DZ's trolling. Makes sense now

[bojan]

And again, you see what you want to see.

Discuss whatever you like, just don't emote over it like a 6 years old.

Edited July 8, 2020 by bojan

[JasonJ]

Xi jinping backs Russia's continued development and over the phone, Russia backs PRC's new HK security law.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China will, as always, firmly support Russia's development path that fits its own national conditions and staunchly support Russia in accelerating its development and revitalization.

 

Xi made the remarks during his telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 

Recalling Russia's successful military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War on Red Square, the Chinese president said the parade shows Russian people's firm determination to remember history and safeguard peace together with people worldwide.

 

Russia recently held a referendum and overwhelmingly passed the constitutional amendments. Xi said this fully reflects the Russian people's support for the Russian government and their recognition of the Russian government's governing philosophy.

 

China and Russia, as comprehensive strategic cooperative partners, need close strategic communications and cooperation amid the fast-changing international situation, President Xi pointed out.

 

He added that the Chinese side is willing to continue working with the Russian side in firmly supporting each other, rejecting external sabotage and intervention, safeguarding respective national sovereignty, security and development interests and upholding common interests.

 

China and Russia have been supporting each other at the height of the battle against coronavirus, which has enriched strategic connotation to Sino-Russian relations in the new era, Xi said.

 

Calling for preparedness in mind for and work to cope with a prolonged pandemic, Xi said the two sides should study and adopt flexible and diverse ways to promote cooperation in various fields and speed up the resumption of work and production.

 

Xi also called on the two sides to take the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation as an opportunity to enhance exchanges and cooperation in fields including high technology, vaccine and drug research, and biosafety to push forward bilateral ties to a higher level, assist the development of both countries and better benefit the two peoples.

 

Beijing stands ready to work with Russia to coordinate and cooperate closely within the UN and other multilateral frameworks, safeguard multilateralism, oppose hegemonism and unilateral acts and jointly safeguard international equity and justice, Xi said.

 

The Chinese president believes that the two sides can make greater contributions to improving global governance and promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

 

Putin said during the phone conversation that his country firmly supports China's efforts to safeguard national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

 

He stressed that the Russian side opposes all kinds of provocative actions that violate China's sovereignty, and believes China is fully capable of ensuring long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong.

 

For his part, Putin also said the overwhelming approval of the constitution amendments will help maintain his country's long-term political stability, better safeguard national sovereignty and oppose external interference.

 

Recalling how Russia and China reached out to help each other since the epidemic outbreak, and the recent participation of the Guard of Honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Russia's Victory Day parade, the Russian president said they demonstrate that China and Russia both cherish their own sovereignty and security and will always firmly support each other.

 

Noting that bilateral ties are at their highest point in history, Putin said Russia is prioritizing its diplomatic relation with China.

 

Moscow is willing to work with China to continue to promote pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in various fields, strengthen strategic communication and coordination under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the UN and safeguard global strategic stability and security, he added.

 

Putin also passed on his sympathy to those suffering from the rainstorms and flooding in southern China.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-07-08/Chinese-President-Xi-holds-phone-talk-with-Russian-President-Putin-RXEjYfLoBO/share_amp.html

[JasonJ]

And again, you see what you want to see.

Discuss whatever you like, just don't emote over it like a 6 years old.

Yes mom.

[JasonJ]

Wuhan flood.

WUHAN, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, on Monday upgraded its emergency response for flood control from Grade III to Grade II, the second-highest of the four-tier system.

 

Torrential rain has been pounding the city over the past two days, with the maximum rainfall exceeding 250 mm from early Sunday to early Monday, leaving many road sections waterlogged and the water level exceeding the warning line in some places.

 

Heavy downpours are forecast to persist in the coming days. In view of the current situation, the city's flood control and drought relief headquarters announced early Monday to raise emergency response levels for flooding and drainage to the second highest.

 

Heavy downpours have been ravaging a large part of China, affecting millions of people and causing vast economic losses. Several provincial-level regions, including Hubei, Anhui and Hunan, on Sunday raised the flooding response levels as heavy rains are expected to continue and water levels in local rivers and lakes keep rising. Enditem

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-07/06/c_139191991.htm

[Josh]

And since none posting about it lives anywhere nearby, why is that an issue for all of you anyway?

 

There would be a lot of downstream economic effects of that damn breaching.

 

But I think it is just a bad photo combined with internet rumors.

[JasonJ]

And since none posting about it lives anywhere nearby, why is that an issue for all of you anyway?

 

...

Well I live in Osaka.

 

And if a dam fails you will be affected exactly how?

 

...

Oh sure but even if I'm on the opposite end of the geopolitical side from the PRC side, I don't want to see the dam break which would cause enoumous hardship to basic level living and enoumous death.

 

I don't think anyone sane wants to see a dam break, but everyone getting their panties in the knot over it is utterly pointless. It will break or it will not, and it is up the Chinese to deal with it. Your/mine/anyone else's opinion is just that, opinion w/o any weight in practice.

So why get all upset over it?

 

Actually no I disagree. It would be a massive humanitarian problem...

 

"Would someone think of the children"

I think you are missing a point:

What does debating if a picture or a dam is crooked does in a practical terms? And the question was not even directed at you initially.

If COVID shitstorm has taught me anything (well, I know that long time ago, but this confirmed it) - If you are not directly affected, wait and see what happens, taking reasonable precautions. Do not listen to 24h media circus, do not emote over issue, there is no point, world does not give a shit about you being upset over something.

So yes, at this point debating about that dam is the level of the "will somebody think of children".

And again, you see what you want to see.

Discuss whatever you like, just don't emote over it like a 6 years old.

6 posts by 6 year old kid talking like tough kid.

 

Opps that was very emote of me, troll number 2.

[JasonJ]

 

And since none posting about it lives anywhere nearby, why is that an issue for all of you anyway?

 

There would be a lot of downstream economic effects of that damn breaching.

 

But I think it is just a bad photo combined with internet rumors.

As that possibility was noted before the 2 trolls came in.

http://www.tank-net.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=42830&page=5&do=findComment&comment=1487595

[JasonJ]

An article about the dam operator saying it still has yet reach full capacity.

WUHAN, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Three Gorges Dam on China's Yangtze River has not hit its maximum flood-intercepting capacity as the river's first flood of the year passed through the dam last Saturday, its operator said.

 

The dam still has leeway to deal with even greater flooding in the country's largest river, the Three Gorges Cascade Dispatch and Communication Center said.

 

"The current flood situation in the Yangtze River's main course is not particularly severe, so the reservoir's flood storage capacity has yet to be fully utilized," said Bao Zhengfeng, director assistant of the center.

 

The river's first flood this year arrived at the Three Gorges dam on July 2 with a peak flow rate of 53,000 cubic meters per second, raising the reservoir's water level to 149 meters after the passage of the flood. Bao said, however, the reservoir can handle a water level as high as 175 meters.

 

The China Three Gorges Corporation said the dam was expected to absorb up to 18,000 cubic meters of water per second during this round of flooding, to take the edge off the deluge.

 

The massive dam is in Yichang, central China's Hubei Province. Before every flood season, its reservoir releases water to ensure enough storage capacity. When the deluge comes, the dam will impound water to whittle down the flood, thus protecting downstream cities and villages.

 

Bao refuted claims that the dam's discharge of floodwater caused flooding in downstream cities, saying some cities experienced waterlogging after intense downpours overpowered their drainage systems, not as a result of the flood in the Yangtze.

 

Since June, continuous downpours have lashed large parts of southern China, raising the water levels in many rivers to exceed warning levels.

 

The Three Gorges project is a multi-functional water control system, consisting of a 2,309-meter-long and 185-meter-high dam, a five-tier ship lock, and 34 hydropower turbo-generators.

 

"The Three Gorges Dam has played a big role in flood control since it began operation. In 2010 and 2012, we weathered the deluge of over 70,000 cubic meters per second, and ensured the safety of the downstream basin," Bao said. Enditem

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-07/08/c_139197087.htm

[Nobu]

 

And since none posting about it lives anywhere nearby, why is that an issue for all of you anyway?

 

There would be a lot of downstream economic effects of that damn breaching.

 

But I think it is just a bad photo combined with internet rumors.

 

 

There would not be much economy left downstream if that dam broke.

 

It would make one heck of a strategic target in wartime.

[glenn239]

If the dam was in trouble the Chinese engineers would have the sluice gates at maximum dump rate and all possible diversion paths upstream would be in use.

[bojan]

...

6 posts by 6 year old kid talking like tough kid.

 

Opps that was very emote of me, troll number 2.

 

Didn't you actually quit TN?

[JasonJ]

An interesting article from Thailand's perspective about recently grown relations with China.

Gone are the days when policymakers could sit back and relax to watch Sino-Thai relations moving ahead in autopilot mode. These days, Thailand and China have to intensify mutual engagement and consultation at all levels to ensure there is no room for misunderstandings that could lead to diplomatic wrangles.

 

Last week, both countries commemorated the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. Messages from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai to Premier Li Keqiang and State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi made it clear that relations are rock-solid as they continued to say zhong-tai yi jia qin, meaning "Thailand and China are family".

 

However, while this family is getting stronger by the day, ties within it are getting more complex and sophisticated. They have to overcome common new challenges -- visible or invisible -- as they move towards a post-Covid-19 world and new expectations.

 

Over the past six months during the pandemic, the two countries set a new path for closer cooperation in public healthcare and raised the importance of health on their bilateral agenda. Both sides reiterated their determination to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and vowed to continue efforts to rejuvenate the economy and boost sustainable development in the region. Both Gen Prayut and Mr Li also pledged to further elevate the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Partnership to "new heights and frontiers".

 

Indeed -- apart from the oft-quoted reference about the 3,000-fold increase in bilateral trade since 1975 -- in the past decade, significant new developments in the Sino-Thai cooperation are highly visible, both in security and strategic matters, as well as in people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

 

Six years ago, Thailand adopted a new national security strategy and decided to diversify its sources of arms procurements, instead of depending solely on the United States. Purchases of Chinese submarines and other weapons systems reflect the shifting attitude of the Thai military on the global security environment. While most US allies have rejected Huawei's 5G technology due to security concerns and pressure from Washington, Thailand has embraced it. Furthermore, specialised exercises with China have also increased markedly, indicating mutual benefit and growing trust. Security cooperation has also increased with other East Asian countries including Japan, South Korea, as well as Asean.

 

Another phenomenon has been the ever-growing people-to-people and cultural exchanges, including through the media sector. Thailand has 16 Confucius Institutes -- the most in Asean. In 2013, Chinese visitors began to travel southward to mainland Southeast Asia. Last year, a total of 11 million Chinese tourists -- an average of 30,137 per day -- visited Thailand, representing the highest level of people-interaction of any Asian nation with China.

 

This has led to a new trend -- as the number of Chinese wanting to stay in Thailand increases, pockets of new Chinese communities have sprung up in major cities. These pockets are home to young, enthusiastic and entrepreneurial Chinese youths who see Thailand as a land of opportunities.

 

Education cooperation has also been strengthened. Thailand is a popular destination for Chinese students. Back in 1980, there were only three Chinese students enrolled in Bangkok, according to Professor Fu Zhengyou from Chulalongkorn University's Confucius Institute. Now, the figures have jumped to over 30,000 students throughout the country, while nearly one million Thais are currently studying putonghua, or standard Mandarin.

 

Because of Thailand's dwindling younger population, many universities in Thailand are struggling in the face of shrinking enrolments. Over the years, they have invited foreigners to invest in order to prevent bankruptcies. At present, investors from China have saved several universities and higher educational institutes in Bangkok and other provinces.

 

Another upward trend is the expansion of Chinese media in Thailand. These days Thai audiences can learn more about China and its international profile directly. According to the Department of Public Relations, there are 33 registered correspondents from eight Chinese media agencies in Thailand, including Xinhua News Agency, which offers a Thai-language news service, and People's Daily. Japan still has the highest numbers of correspondents here, totalling 175 from 21 agencies.

 

Recently, this zhong-tai family has come under strong pressure that would test the bond of their friendship. The intensifying US-China trade war that has now permeated all imaginable fields and the Covid-19 pandemic have further widened the Sino-US schism. Under these circumstances, it is extremely difficult for allies and friends of the two superpowers to position themselves in a balanced way.

 

Since President Donald Trump came to power, the US has been pressuring its friends to be more visible in supporting Washington's positions in all matters. Essentially, without saying the word, what the Trump administration is implying that it is the time for US allies to choose a side and pay back what the US has done for them. At this point, the US is widely perceived as a declining power, which has withdrawn from international commitments.

 

Within the Indo-Pacific, the five US allies -- Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand -- are under a lot of stress as they are all facing the same dilemma. On one hand, they depend on the US security umbrella, but on the other hand they also have extremely strong economic ties with China. Indeed, with the exception of Thailand, the four allies have all succumbed one way or another to Washington's wishes.

 

As is well-known, both Australia and Japan have been quite accommodating to the US demands. They are seen as the US' most trusted security partners, often taking up the front seats in Indo-Pacific forums to support US security policy and liberal democratic values.

 

With previous American administrations, Canberra was able to maintain foreign policy independence while doing economic transactions with China. But with Mr Trump's, that would be difficult to execute -- so when push come to shove, Canberra has to pick a side. So does Japan, which has to do the US' bidding on the ground, criticising China on democracy and human rights issues. Its stakes are even higher as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has a close personal rapport with Mr Trump, giving an extra layer of pressure. President Xi Jinping's planned visit to Japan has been delayed due to the Covid-19 outbreak but Tokyo's latest move has jeopardised prospects for a future visit.

 

South Korea wants to keep an equal distance between the US and China. President Moon Jae-in has used his personal rapport with Kim Jong-un to improve inter-Korean ties, much to the chagrin of the US. Seoul wants to ensure that Pyongyang will not abandon the ongoing peace process and dialogue. But Seoul's diplomatic overtures depend very much on Washington's acquiescence.

 

All things considered, this family has still a lot of in-house cleaning to do in the coming years. As we move towards the 50-year mark, there is an urgent need to bridge the gap between the young and older generation about Sino-Thai friendship. Otherwise, external influencers in all forms could break into the family's house and ransack its pillar. Foreign Minister Don stated succinctly that for stronger and harmonious Sino-Thai ties, they must be guided by "three Ms" -- mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual benefit.

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1947028/engagement-key-to-sino-thai-ties

[Nobu]

If the dam was in trouble the Chinese engineers would have the sluice gates at maximum dump rate and all possible diversion paths upstream would be in use.

 

No signs of either in the press coverage, which seems to be based on Taiwanese outlets.

[DB]

The only satellite data that I would trust to show relevant deformation of a dam would be synthetic aperture radar being used for interferometry. It has been used to monitor sub-centimeter deformations in land applications, typically used for monitoring volcanoes but conceivably useful here.

[Murph]

I do recall reading the dam was having issues with silt build up, which is a very technical issue that dam builders/designers have to address.

[BansheeOne]

Ah, the Taiwanese parliament. It has always been a place of lively debate. 

Quote

FRI NOV 27, 2020 / 6:09 AM EST

Fists and pig guts fly in Taiwan parliament debate on U.S. pork

(Reuters) - Legislators from Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party threw pig guts and exchanged punches with other lawmakers in parliament on Friday as they tried to stop the premier taking questions, in a bitter dispute over easing U.S. pork imports.

President Tsai Ing-wen announced in August that the government would, from Jan. 1, allow imports of U.S. pork containing ractopamine, an additive that enhances leanness but is banned in the European Union and China, as well as U.S. beef more than 30 months old.

While welcomed in Washington, and removing a roadblock to a long sought after U.S. free trade deal for Taiwan, the KMT has strongly opposed the decision, tapping into public concern about food safety after several high-profile scandals in recent years.

Since the latest session of parliament began in mid-September the KMT has protested against the pork decision by blocking Premier Su Tseng-chang from delivering regular reports and taking questions by occupying the podium where he speaks.

Fed up with the paralysis, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) decided they were going to ensure Su could speak on Friday, and formed a protective barrier around him as he made his way in, as KMT lawmakers blew whistles, held banners and sounded air horns.

As Su began speaking, KMT lawmakers threw buckets of pig guts his way, and some exchanged blows, with a short but vicious encounter between a group of KMT legislators and Chen Po-wei from the small Taiwan Statebuilding Party.

[...] 

Taiwan is a rambunctious democracy and fighting is not uncommon in parliament.

https://de.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-politics/fists-and-pig-guts-fly-in-taiwan-parliament-debate-on-u-s-pork-idUSKBN2870G5

[JasonJ]

Taiwan is more of having lingering China historical legacy rather than being a part of the mandate. Taiwan was not part of the long history of heavenly mandates for Chinese dynasties. Shouldn't be in this mandate thread.

 

[sunday]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9282617/British-private-institutions-bought-Chinese-firms.html

 

Quote

Hundreds of independent schools left in dire financial straits by the coronavirus pandemic are being targeted by Chinese investors, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Experts anticipate a ‘feeding frenzy’ as firms, including some run by high-ranking members of the ruling Chinese Communist party, seek to expand their influence over Britain’s education system. Seventeen schools are already owned by Chinese companies, but that number is set to rocket.

Amid rising concern about Beijing’s tentacles reaching into British classrooms, an investigation by this newspaper can reveal:

• Nine of the 17 schools under Chinese control are owned by firms whose founders or bosses are among China’s most senior Communist Party members; 
• Princess Diana’s preparatory school is owned by a Chinese group that openly trades on her name; 
• Schools are using educational tools for teaching children a ‘whitewashed’ view of China; 
• One firm admitted its acquisition of British schools is aimed at supporting China’s controversial Belt And Road strategy, which aims to expand Beijing’s global influence.

 

[JasonJ]

So slow.

Quote

 

Twelve major Japanese companies have established a policy of ceasing business deals with Chinese companies found to benefit from the forced labor of the Muslim Uyghur minority in China's far-western Xinjiang region, a Kyodo News investigation showed Sunday.

Pressure has been mounting on Japanese firms to take action over such human rights abuses in the supply chain after the United States and Britain imposed import restrictions on cotton and other products originating from the autonomous region.

The Japanese government, which has been criticized for being slow to impose similar sanctions, has been passive in addressing the issue due to fears of provoking China.

In a report last year, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute identified over 80 global companies "directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers outside Xinjiang through abusive labor transfer programs." Kyodo News recently asked 14 Japanese companies mentioned by the think tank how they plan to respond.

With the exception of Panasonic Corp., which declined to comment, all companies either denied directly doing business with companies suspected of benefiting from forced labor or said they could not verify the claims against their suppliers.

In terms of future policy, 12 companies responded that they would cease or consider ceasing business with business partners found to be using forced labor.

Toshiba Corp., which has a license contract with a firm suspected of using forced labor, said it could not confirm the claims but has decided to terminate business with them by the end of the year.

The 12 also include Fast Retailing Co., operator of the Uniqlo casual clothing brand, Sony Corp. and Hitachi Ltd.

As many foreign companies rely on self-reporting of the human rights situation by the firms themselves, they are faced with the challenge of grasping the situation beyond direct business partners.

Ryohin Keikaku Co., the Muji-brand goods store chain operator, was among three Japanese companies found to have dealings with Chinese firms, or parent companies of those firms, currently under embargo by the U.S. government.

"All our cotton and yarn has been internationally certified organic by a third party," it said.

The retailer had been selling various products with "Xinjiang cotton" as part of the product's name on its official website, but they were removed following the Kyodo News investigation.

 

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/02/b25bf2a754e7-12-japan-firms-will-kill-business-deals-involving-uyghur-forced-labor.html

[JasonJ]

The list of 82 companies from the mentioned 2020 report.

---start quote---

...

This research report draws on open-source Chinese-language documents, satellite imagery analysis, academic research and on-the-ground media reporting. It analyses the politics and policies behind the new phase of the Chinese government’s ongoing repression of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. It provides evidence of the exploitation of Uyghur labour and the involvement of foreign and Chinese companies, possibly unknowingly, in human rights abuses.

 

In all, ASPI’s research has identified 82 foreign and Chinese companies potentially directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers outside Xinjiang through abusive labour transfer programs as recently as 2019: Abercrombie & Fitch, Acer, Adidas, Alstom, Amazon, Apple, ASUS, BAIC Motor, Bestway, BMW, Bombardier, Bosch, BYD, Calvin Klein, Candy, Carter’s, Cerruti 1881, Changan Automobile, Cisco, CRRC, Dell, Electrolux, Fila, Founder Group, GAC Group (automobiles), Gap,Geely Auto, General Motors, Google, Goertek, H&M, Haier, Hart Schaffner Marx, Hisense, Hitachi,HP, HTC, Huawei, iFlyTek, Jack & Jones, Jaguar, Japan Display Inc., L.L.Bean, Lacoste, Land Rover,Lenovo, LG, Li-Ning, Mayor, Meizu, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Mitsumi, Nike,Nintendo, Nokia, Oculus, Oppo, Panasonic, Polo Ralph Lauren, Puma, SAIC Motor, Samsung,SGMW, Sharp, Siemens, Skechers, Sony, TDK, Tommy Hilfiger, Toshiba, Tsinghua Tongfang,Uniqlo, Victoria’s Secret, Vivo, Volkswagen, Xiaomi, Zara, Zegna, ZTE. Some brands are linked with multiple factories.

 

The data is based on published supplier lists, media reports, and the factories’ claimed suppliers. ASPI reached out to these 82 brands to confirm their relevant supplier details. Where companies 
responded before publication, we have included their relevant clarifications in this report. If any company responses are made available after publication of the report, we will address these online. ASPI notes that a small number of brands advised they have instructed their vendors to terminate their relationships with these suppliers in 2020. Others, including Adidas, Bosch and Panasonic, said they had no direct contractual relationships with the suppliers implicated in the labour schemes, but no brands were able to rule out a link further down their supply chain.

...

---end quote---

https://www.aspi.org.au/report/uyghurs-sale

[JasonJ]

Pineapples.

Quote

Chinese mainland's latest import ban on pineapples from Taiwan will hit the island's pineapple industry hard, which highly depends on the mainland market, said industry insiders from both sides of the Taiwan Straits reached by the Global Times on Friday.

Starting March 1, mainland customs will suspend pineapple importation from Taiwan after having frequently detected quarantine pests on the tropical fruit coming from Taiwan since 2020, reported a notice published on the website of the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Friday.

The import suspension, as a normal biosafety precaution measure, is scientific and reasonable, in line with the relevant laws and standards of the mainland, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Friday.

Pineapple exporters in Taiwan told the Global Times that they'd noticed the ban, which will bring them "foreseeable losses."

"It [the ban] definitely has affected us," said a fruit exporter based in Meinong district in Kaohsiung. "We're going to hold meetings to discuss how to deal with it," she told the Global Times on Friday.

Declining to give an exact proportion, the exporter said the mainland market makes up "a very large part" of her pineapple exports.

The mainland has long been Taiwan's most vital pineapple export destination. Taiwan exported 41,661 tons of fresh pineapples to the mainland in 2020, accounting for 91 percent of the island's total pineapple exports that year, according to statistics from the Council of Agriculture.

The mainland's import suspension creates nearly TWD 1.5 billion ($53.9 million) of loss to Taiwan, estimated Taiwan media on Friday.

It nonetheless does little hurt to the mainland's pineapple market, where Taiwan-exported pineapples only account for a negligible part, industry insiders told the Global Times.

Data showed that the mainland produced 1.72 million tons of pineapples in 2019, 33 times more than the 51,112 tons that it imported from Taiwan that year.

A pineapple wholesaler in South China's Hainan Province, one of the mainland's major pineapple-growing regions, said that most mainland wholesalers, including him, have shifted from importing pineapples from Taiwan to purchasing the fruit from local growers in the past two or three years.

The two kinds of pineapples taste the same, as the mainland growers use Taiwan seeds, said the wholesaler surnamed Liao. "But my cost decreased by nearly a half after replacing Taiwan's pineapples with the mainland's," Liao told the Global Times on Friday.

Taiwan, therefore, has a deep, unidirectional dependence on the mainland's economy, and "this situation won't easily change in the future," Tang Yonghong, deputy director of Taiwan Research Center at Xiamen University, told the Global Times.

The mainland remained Taiwan's largest export market in 2020, accounting for 43.8 percent of the region's total exports that year, the highest level in the past decade. The proportion was followed by the US' 14.7 percent, Taiwan media reported.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202102/1216679.shtml

 

Quote

 

The Chinese mainland's temporary ban on pineapple imports from Taiwan island is a trivial adjustment due to the detection of pests with the aim to cut off the risk of plant-caused epidemics. But in the island, this has become an earth-shattering event. Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen called on people to eat more pineapples to help farmers. Media reports in Taiwan are filled with hype over the case. Tsai's authorities are trying their best to politicize the matter, propagandizing that the mainland is suppressing them with pineapples. They also connect the case with Beijing imposing tariffs on Australian wine while launching a "Freedom Pineapple" campaign, modeled on the "Freedom Wine" movement of Australia. 

The Taiwan authorities and the pan-Green media outlets in the island insist on making a political interpretation. This is because they know they have done too many bad things to jeopardize cross-Straits ties and are feeling uneasy now. They know the mainland will punish their behavior, and believe the pineapple ban proves their presentiment and anxiety. As if they have been shivering in the dark, any sound could explode their fear, making them scream.

Either way, the DPP authority has no room to rebuke on this issue. The DPP authority has banned the import of hairy crabs from the Chinese mainland and mangosteens from Thailand. Is this all playing political cards?

The island's market is relatively small. In fact, the DPP authority is more willing to politicalize trade activities. It is known to all that in a political operation, they imported pork and beef containing ractopamine from the US despite huge public opinion pressure against the move. In terms of cross-Straits trade, the DPP authority has repeatedly played the so-called "national security" card, echoing the US crackdown on the mainland. In the past two years they have banned Huawei, drones produced in the Chinese mainland, the online shopping app Taobao, video platform iQIYI, masks and testing reagents from the Chinese mainland, and even banned vaccines when no vaccines were available in the island. They also clamored to correspond to the US-led supply chain that excludes the Chinese mainland.

Tsai and her colleagues have lost their minds. Over 40 percent of products produced in the island go to the Chinese mainland and its annual trade surplus with the mainland is over $100 billion. Even in some Chinese mainland rim areas, their trade dependence on the mainland is one of the highest. Under such circumstances, the DPP authority does not think about how to stabilize cross-Straits trade, but clamors to implement the "new southbound strategy," and expects the US and Japan to further open their markets to them, while all the US thinks about is how to collect more "protection fees" from the island. Tsai and her ilk are leading Taiwan astray.

More importantly, if the island can feel the considerable impact just from a pineapple trade suspension, how could the DPP authority undermine cross-Straits relations and destroy the political foundation of normal cross-Straits exchanges? For the past few years, Tsai and the DPP have tried to create hostility between the two sides as if Taiwan's economic ties with the Chinese mainland do not matter at all, and everything can be replaced or balanced with the political and military backing of the US.

In the world today, any country or region will prioritize economic security in defending strategic security. As the pursuit of a better daily life comes first for ordinary people, fulfilling this demand is the basis for any political party to gain support. Authorities on the island of Taiwan have apparently lost themselves in seeking secession. They give little heed to the economic bonds with the mainland as if the mainland were really insignificant to the island. 

From our point of view, the DPP authorities have severely failed the political goodwill of the mainland. When people on the island universally benefit from such goodwill, Tsai and her co-workers have challenged the mainland's patience and red line by making malicious use of this goodwill and turning it into material for them to commit misconduct. 

The DPP authorities should be put on notice. They could trigger a domino effect-like overturn of the situation in the Straits. Such a small economy like the island can have a surplus of over one hundred billion dollar against the Chinese mainland because of the mainland's preferential policies for Taiwan, which are based on the mainland's long-term adherence to peaceful reunification. 

The DPP authorities should not push the mainland in the direction of complete disappointment and force it to adjust its preferential policies toward Taiwan's economy. At that time, the ban on pineapples from Taiwan will not even qualify as a card to play. Whatever card it will be, it will bring a long nightmare to the DPP authorities. 

It is hoped that the island authorities can be realistic and stop biting off more than they can chew. The ban on pineapples is not worthy of political hype, and the DPP authorities should mind their words and actions before they invite unbearable disasters to the island.

 

 

 

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202102/1216814.shtml

Quote

 

TAIPEI (Kyodo) -- As Taiwan launches a new campaign to promote its pineapples after China suspended imports of the self-ruled island's fruit in an apparent attempt to squeeze its economy, Japan has ordered a record number of Taiwanese pineapples.

"Japan is among the most dynamic markets for Taiwanese fruits," said Wu Ming-ming, chairman of the Agricultural Bank of Taiwan, which has added pineapples to a website set up to preorder Taiwanese agricultural products.

According to Wu, exports of Taiwanese pineapples to Japan have been steadily increasing over the years.

Taiwan was Japan's fifth-largest supplier of pineapples in 2018 with the export amounting to 682 tons. It jumped to No. 2 last year, providing 2,144 tons with a value of 337.89 million yen, Wu said.

After China's ban that went into effect March 1, agriculture minister Chen Chi-chung said Japan preordered over 10,000 tons of Taiwan-grown pineapples, a new high for pineapple exports to the country.

According to Chen, Taiwan produces about 420,000 tons of pineapples annually. It exported some 45,000 tons last year and some 95 percent of them went to China.

To offset the loss, the Taiwan government decided to spend NT$1 billion ($36 million) to offset the impact, such as strengthening the promotion of pineapples at home and abroad.

Japan has become a welcome market.

Wu Ching-lu, honorary chairman of the Taiwan Vegetables and Fruits Exporters Association, said Japan imports about 15 percent of the pineapples it consumes, or about 157,000 tons, with the Philippines taking up the lion's share at about 152,000 tons.

If Taiwan can secure 20 percent of Japan's pineapple market, Wu said, it would completely compensate for the lost business from China.

Shunsuke Shirakawa, chairman of the Japan Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry's youth league, told Kyodo News there is much room to develop the Japanese market and marketing strategy is key.

"The Chinese ban may provide Taiwan with a great opportunity to turn the tide," he said.

Shirakawa said many Japanese are baffled by China's sudden ban and have begun buying or urging other people to buy Taiwanese pineapples as a gesture to thank Taiwan for its generosity in the wake of the massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan's northeastern coast on March 11, 2011.

Then they discover how delicious Taiwan-grown pineapples are, he remarked, adding, "So thanks to China, Taiwanese pineapples are getting more noticed in Japan."

Responding to the Taiwan government's call on locals to consume more homegrown pineapples, Takao Nozaki, a Japanese restauranteur in Tainan, southern Taiwan who runs a chain of nine ramen shops, has purchased 3,110 pineapples to give away for free.

Every March 11 for the last nine years, Nozaki has been implementing a "buy one, get one free" deal for his Taiwanese customers only to thank Taiwan for its generosity it showed the Japanese people after Japan's quake and tsunami disaster.

Now he is giving out free pineapples with each bowl of ramen.

Last month, China said it will suspend pineapple imports from Taiwan over concerns about harmful agricultural pests.

Taiwan, however, views the move as a political retaliation in response to the independence-leaning government's refusal to toe Beijing's line, similar to the way Australia was punished last year with heavy taxes on its lucrative wine exports.

The government then launched a campaign to offset the impact by promoting the subtropical island's pineapples at home and abroad.

Just as Foreign Minister Joseph Wu encouraged Taiwanese to buy Australian "freedom wine," consumers at home and abroad are now being urged to buy Taiwan's "freedom pineapples."

Conveying solidarity, the de facto Japanese, U.S., Canadian, embassies in Taiwan recently posted photographs of their top diplomats in Taipei with the fruit, praising its quality.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato was even asked at a recent press conference about Japan becoming an export destination for Taiwanese pineapples.

He replied that Taiwan is an "extremely important partner" of Japan, which "looks forward to deepening economic relations." But he opted to "withhold commenting on individual products."

 

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210315/p2g/00m/0bu/027000c

[BansheeOne]

Better call Saul.

No, the other one.