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By PHELIM KINE
with STUART LAU
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Hi, China Watchers. Today we examine Beijing's reaction to Monday's knife attack on three U.S. citizens, unpack the hazards of straight talk on Hong Kong's economic woes and profile a book on the Taiwanese immigrant experience.
Let's get to it. — Phelim.
Beijing really doesn't want to talk about that stabbing of three Americans
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Beijing wants us all to move on from the non-fatal stabbing of three U.S. citizens in the northeastern Chinese city of Jilin on Monday. But it may not be so easy. The victims —three Americans and a fourth non-U.S. citizen —were teachers from Iowa's Cornell College which partners with Jilin's Beihua University.
Censors at work. Official censors scrubbed the Chinese internet of graphic images of the attack and restricted online commentary. State media reporting provided few details of the attack, the suspected assailant or his possible motivations.
Beijing spin zone. The Chinese Foreign Ministry focused on minimizing diplomatic fallout. "This isolated incident will not affect the normal people-to-people exchanges between China and the U.S.," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Tuesday. Chinese embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu repeated those talking points to China Watcher on Wednesday. Lin made no mention of the attack on Wednesday. There is no mention of the incident on the X social media feeds of Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng, embassy spokesperson Liu or the Chinese embassy.
Beware the blowback. But Beijing's downplaying of the incident could backfire by boosting perceptions that China is unsafe for Americans.
Diplomatic outrage. U.S. ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said he was "angered and deeply troubled" by the attack in an X post on Tuesday. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said he was "deeply concerned" in an X post that same day. More troubling for Beijing — a call for "transparency and cooperation" by Chinese authorities "to prevent incidents like this from occurring in the future" from Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), ranking member of the House Select Committee on China.
Cover-up culture. That's a tall order for China's authoritarian rulers. But failure to do so could be costly. "This will get weaponized by people in the U.S. … who will say 'look, we told you so, this is not a safe place to go, and they are targeting American teachers,'" said Neysun Mahboubi, director of the Penn Project on the Future of U.S.-China Relations at the University of Pennsylvania.
China hawks pounce. That's already happening. "China has sadly become a dangerous place for American students and educators," Isaac Stone Fish, CEO of Strategy Risks, a consultancy firm that advises on the corporate hazards of the Chinese market, said in an X post Tuesday. Other views were more extreme. "#XiJinping is teaching the #Chinese people to hate #Americans. There will almost certainly be more incidents like this," said right-wing commentator Gordon Chang in an X post Tuesday.
Exchanges at risk. That rhetoric is bad news for efforts to revive U.S.-China "people-to-people exchange" touted by Ambassador Burns. "Parents might be discouraged from sending their kids to China and universities may choose to freeze or not renew educational programs," said Yanzhong Huang, a fellow focused on global health at the Council on Foreign Relations and an expert on U.S.-China relations.
Warning from Capitol Hill. The attack may also hamper already uphill efforts by some U.S. universities to convince the State Department to downgrade its Level 3 "Reconsider Travel" advisory for China.
"Between invasive 'national security' and 'espionage' laws and the arbitrary whims of the Chinese Communist Party, it can be dangerous for Americans to study or do business in China," said John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), chair of the House Select Committee on China. "The State Department cautions against travel to China, and I would urge all Americans to heed that advice."
TRANSLATING WASHINGTON
— CAMPBELL: BEIJING WANTS GROWTH, NOT WAR: Beijing's efforts to revive its faltering economy are distracting it from picking fights with the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said at a Stimson Center event Wednesday. Despite the drumbeat of aggressive incursions by China Coast Guard units into Philippine waters of the South China Sea, Beijing's "primary focus is on its economy and seeking to reassure investors and others that they have a plan for the way ahead," Campbell said. That's making the Chinese government averse to "undue areas of friction and tension that can escalate in ways that are unpredictable and dangerous," Campbell said.
— CHINA'S RUSSIA SUPPORT ON G7 AGENDA: President Joe Biden will tackle Beijing's alignment with Russia's war on Ukraine at the three-day meeting of the G7 in Apulia, Italy, which opens Thursday. "We will address the PRC support for the Russian defense industrial base and we will confront China’s non-market policies that are leading to harmful global spillovers," White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Tuesday. Chinese authorities pushed back on the Ukraine allegations. Chinese embassy spokesperson Liu called China's trade with Russia "above board" and said Beijing doesn't supply weapons to Russia and "strictly controls the export of dual-use articles."
— SEAFOOD, FOOTWEAR FIRMS REAP DHS SANCTIONS: The Department of Homeland Security added three Chinese producers of footwear, aluminum and seafood to its Xinjiang forced labor entity list on Tuesday. Dongguan Oasis Shoes Co., Ltd., Shandong Meijia Group Co. and Xinjiang Shenhuo Coal and Electricity Co., Ltd. joined DHS's Uygur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List as part of administration efforts to "keep goods made with forced labor out of U.S. supply chain," DHS Under Secretary for Policy Robert Silvers said in a statement.
China-focused lawmakers approve. The listings "send a clear message … that the import of seafood and other goods connected to forced labor in China won't be tolerated," said Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), co-chairs of the Congressional Executive Commission on China, in a statement on X on Tuesday. Beijing pushed back. DHS "again spread false stories on Xinjiang and illegally sanctioned Chinese companies in the name of human rights," the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Lin said Wednesday.
TRANSLATING EUROPE
EU DECLARES TARIFFS ON CHINESE EVs: The trade relationship between the EU and China hit a new low on Wednesday, with the European Commission hitting Chinese electric vehicles with much higher duties than expected. On top of the existing 10 percent that the EU charges on any foreign-made vehicle, the EU will charge an extra 38.1 percent on SAIC — a key partner for German auto giant Volkswagen — with the high rate attributed to its uncooperative approach during the investigation; market leader BYD has been slapped with a 17.4 percent duty, and Geely with 20 percent. For now, EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis extended an olive branch, vowing to "discuss the findings" and come up with "an effective solution" before the duties kick in on July 4. POLITICO's Koen Verhelst, Antonia Zimmerman and Jürgen Klöckner have the details.
China previously warned the EU it could launch anti-subsidy probes in the EU's agrifood and dairy products as a retaliation for higher EV duties. But the Chinese Commerce Ministry did not make any immediate announcements, saying only that Beijing would "resolutely take all necessary measures," while calling on Brussels to "correct its mistakes." The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU, meanwhile, criticized the European Commission for conducting a "witch hunt."
EU SLAMMED FOR WINDOW-DRESSING HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE WITH BEIJING: International human rights bodies are calling on the European Union not to engage China through its annual human rights dialogue, scheduled for Friday. "While the EU raises concerns during these dialogues, it knows that the Chinese government will not acknowledge abuses," a joint letter by five groups said on Wednesday. An EU diplomat defended the mechanism, saying the EU intends to raise important issues with China, such as persecuted Uyhur and Tibetan minorities, individual cases, Hong Kong and human rights lawyers.
HOT FROM THE CHINA WATCHERSPHERE
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— HONG KONG CANCELS EXILED ACTIVISTS' PASSPORTS: Hong Kong authorities are continuing their harassment of self-exiled pro-democracy activists. The Hong Kong government announced Wednesday that it was barring six such activists — including Nathan Law, Christopher Mung and Finn Lau —from business activities in the territory and canceling their passports. Those individuals "blatantly engage in activities that endanger national security," the government said in a statement. Beijing backed the move. The six activists' "nefarious behavior gravely undermines national security and Hong Kong's fundamental interests," Lin at the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
— REPORT: BEIJING IS EXPORTING AUTOCRACY: The Chinese government is pairing its economic cooperation with developing countries with a pitch for Beijing-style authoritarian governance as a model for long term success, said a report released Thursday by the Atlantic Council. Liu at the Chinese embassy pushed back, dismissing the report as "full of Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice."
THREE MINUTES WITH…
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Stephen Roach, U.S. economist and former chair of Morgan Stanley Asia, has infuriated Hong Kong's government by criticizing Beijing's rollback of the city's autonomy and projecting a bleak economic outlook that challenges official projections of robust growth. Last week his assertion in a speech at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong that the territory's outlook won't improve "without a rebound in the mainland Chinese economy" prompted fresh rebukes. The government issued a statement accusing him of views "not backed by data and facts" and the territory's former security secretary, Regina Ip, piled on in an op-ed in the Hong Kong Free Press accusing Roach of "shallowness and short-termism." China Watcher talked to Roach about the hazards of straight talk about Hong Kong's economy
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
What's with the Hong Kong government's sensitivities to your views?
You would have thought I was screaming "fire" in a crowded theater — the government just went nuts. When people raise critical points, those who have vested interests in the areas that are being analyzed just resort to these ad hominem personal attacks that ignore the issues that are being raised and focus instead on the people who are raising the issues. [The attacks] did not address the issues that I raised at all, and just criticized me as a worthless retired banker who has no understanding of what Hong Kong is like from the inside. There's huge polarization in Hong Kong. You’re either with Beijing or you’re against it. And there’s really no middle ground.
Tell me about Hong Kong's future.As China goes, so goes Hong Kong. The linkage between the two economies is unbelievably tight. The outlook for China is tough right now and could well be even tougher in the years ahead in terms of economic growth. Hong Kong is definitely going to be weighed down by that. And Hong Kong is trapped in the crossfire of the U.S.-China conflict and as that continues to deepen [so will] the pressures on Hong Kong. I think Hong Kong gets marginalized as just another Chinese city. The Hong Kong of my past — I won’t say it doesn’t exist anymore, but it’s a really shallow remnant of what used to be.
Do you worry that Hong Kong authorities will bar you from entry in reprisal for your outspokenness?
On my next trip I will have to think twice about getting some guarantees that I will not have any problem at Immigration. Some have pointed out to me that there are already those who are calling for me to not be allowed back in, so we’ll have to wait and see.
HEADLINES
Financial Times: Philippines says China poses 'existential' threat in South China Sea
The Bulwark: The curious case of the Epoch Times
Asia Times: The U.S. needs more China hands
ChinaFile: The committee that ended the age of engagement?
HEADS UP
— JAPAN, U.S. TALK "EXTENDED DETERRENCE" : Japanese and U.S. officials will discuss Indo-Pacific security issues in the two-day Japan-U.S. Extended Deterrence Dialogue starting Thursday. Agenda items include "nuclear and missile defense policy [and] arms control and risk reduction," Japan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
ONE BOOK, THREE QUESTIONS
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Frontcover: JD Beltran |
The Book: The Translator's Daughter: A Memoir
The Author: Grace Loh Prasad is a Taiwanese American writer based in the Bay Area
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
As an "accidental immigrant" to the U.S., how concerned are you that possible conflict across the Taiwan Strait may create another generation of Taiwan exiles?
Fear of China is overstated in international media. In Taiwan's recent presidential election, the economy was by far the most pressing issue to voters, with cross-Strait relations a distant second. China wants us to believe that they're the most important factor but if you ask a Taiwanese person, they'll say it's just background noise – they're used to it and they're not going anywhere.
What are the most profound losses that you and other "accidental immigrants" from Taiwan faced in the U.S.?
My inability to speak Taiwanese Hokkien. Language is a conduit to all of our experiences – it affects everything; it is a loss that encompasses other losses. While many Taiwanese Americans can identify with this, what sets me apart is that I'm also a third culture kid who lived in another country — Hong Kong — for a decade, which separated me not just from Taiwan but from the Taiwanese American community as well, where I could have at least maintained some connection with my heritage.
What does the concept of "home" mean in this era of accelerating mass displacement of those fleeing political repression, conflict and impacts of the climate crisis?
We should recognize that people have many homes, and we should not only tolerate but welcome people who have migrated, whatever their reasons, because leaving one home for another is not easy. Home is much more than just a physical place; it's also an idea, a state of mind.
Got a book to recommend? Tell me about it at pkine@politico.com.Thanks to: Heidi Vogt, Koen Verhelst, Antonia Zimmerman, Jürgen Klöckner and digital producers Emma Cordover and Dato Parulava. Do you have tips? Chinese-language stories we might have missed? Would you like to contribute to China Watcher or comment on this week’s items? Email us at pkine@politico.com slau@politico.com
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