News that caught our eye / The week ending May 3, 2024
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NOTE: The news reports below are not in chronological order. There is often a time lag in their reaching the US and in gaining our attention. These reports reflect the opinions of a variety of news sources.
5 cars from the Beijing auto show that reflect China’s vision for the future / April 26, 2024
China’s Auto Show for 2024 is running through May 4th with over 110 new models in the spotlight. Telecom companies like Xaiomi and Huawei have entered the market, linking phones and the internet to cars. One model by the Zeekr company turns into a small room when parked (AP News).
Elon Musk visits China as Tesla seeks self-driving technology rollout / April 28, 2024
Elon Musk made an unannounced visit to China on Sunday and spoke with Premier Li Qiang about the rollout of Full Self Driving (FSD) software. Tesla had introduced FSD in China already in 2020 but has yet to make it available in China (Reuters).
China expert talks about the dark side of the Chinese auto industry / April 28, 2024
China expert Gordon Chang warned that the Chinese auto industry is flooding the global market with 10 million more vehicles than it can sell in China and that the vehicles can be used to collect personal data on its users. He also stated some of the parts of EV vehicles are made by forced or slave labor. Consequently, the US should focus on American auto production (Fox Business).
China’s Chang’e-6 blasts off on mission for rocks from the far side of the moon / May 3, 2024
On Friday morning, China launched the Chang’e-6, a spacecraft headed to the far side of the moon to collect rock samples to bring back to Earth for study. The voyage will take 53 days as the spacecraft will split into four different modules, each with a role to play for the mission (SCMP).
Why China axed the Strategic Support Force and reshuffled the military / April 26, 2024
In mid-April President Xi restructured a portion of the PLA, replacing the Strategic Support Force with a new entity called the Information Support Force. It is suspected that the change will streamline the military, give Xi more political control, and better oversight of the PLA (Defense News).
A tornado in southern China kills 5, damages factories in Guangzhou suburb / April 27, 2024
A tornado struck the Baiyun district of Guangzhou on Saturday afternoon, killing 5, injuring dozens and damaging more than 125 buildings. Guangzhou is close to Hong Kong. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently visited Guangzhou during her trip to China (AP News).
At least 24 dead, dozens injured, after road collapses in southern China / May 1, 2024
A nearly 60-foot stretch of a highway in Guangdong province caved in early Wednesday morning just after 2:00 am, killing at least 24 and injuring dozens more. The region has recently been deluged with rain and flooding (Al Jazeera).
China's young, feeling the squeeze of cost of living, are “lying flat” / April 26, 2024
With high unemployment, a challenging job market, and stressful lifestyles in China’s big cities, many of China’s young adults are opting to move to smaller cities where the pace is slower and housing is significantly less expensive. “Lying flat” is opting out of the competitive “rat race” for a period of time until the economy improves (ABC News).
Shanghai: Traditional Culture, Human Sin / May 2, 2024
A Chinese pastor describes the changes that occurred in him as he came to know Jesus and grew in faith, especially how he viewed himself culturally. Traditional Chinese culture promotes humanism, a positive perspective of human goodness, so identifying oneself as a sinner is very difficult for a person to do in Chinese culture. Understanding the gospel, then, too, is a challenge, but it is what each person needs (China Partnership).
China seeks to ‘influence and interfere’ upcoming US presidential elections / April 27, 2024
Despite President Xi’s assurance that China is not and will not interfere in the upcoming US presidential election, Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused China of being involved in the very same thing, based on evidence that Blinken claimed he had. Blinken had completed his second visit to China, spending 3 days there (Mint).
Blinken warns China over support for Russia’s war efforts / April 26, 2024
Along with a myriad of other topics, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned President Xi the US would respond if China is found supporting Russia with “dual-use” products and financial support through its banking system. Blinken did not reveal exactly what the US would do if such evidence were found, but more sanctions would be likely (VOA).
Ukraine war briefing: US hits China with sanctions over war supplies to Russia / May 1, 2024
On Wednesday, the US announced that it hit nearly 300 companies in China, Russia, and other nations with sanctions for their role in supplying Russia with support for its war against Ukraine. This follows US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s warning to China that it would do so if it found evidence of such support for Russia. It is hoped that the sanctions will disrupt Russia’s ability to carry out its war against Ukraine (The Guardian).
Taiwan reports Chinese military activity after Blinken leaves Beijing / April 26, 2024
A dozen military aircraft crossed the unofficial demarcation line between China and Taiwan only a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with Chinese officials and President Xi Jinping. Stability in the Taiwan Strait was one of Blinken’s talking points during his visit (Reuters).
Philippines alleges China damaged vessel in South China Sea disputed shoal / April 30, 2024
The Philippines says that Chinese coast guard ships shot water cannons at some Philippine ships on patrol in the Scarborough Shoal, damaging one of them. The event is the latest in the skirmishes between the two countries. China took control of the Shoal in 2012, but since then, an international tribunal declared China’s claim illegal (Al Jazeera).
China trying to develop world ‘built on censorship and surveillance’ / May 2, 2024
In 2015, China launched its “Digital Silk Road,” promoting its tech and internet industries to create partnerships with other countries, much like its Belt and Road Initiative. But surveillance was part of the package, both for China’s CCP and for those governments who joined the project. Article 19, a human rights watchdog group, charges that the Digital Silk Road is rewriting the rules of a free and open internet to one of censorship and surveillance (Al Jazeera).