China’s factory activity expands for the first time since April, official survey shows
"China’s official purchasing managers’ index for October came in at 50.1, in expansionary territory for the first time since April, according to National Bureau of Statistics data released Thursday.
The data beat expectations for 49.9, according to a Reuters poll. September’s reading was 49.8. The last time the PMI was above the 50-point line that determines contraction from activity was in April, with a reading of 50.4.
[...] The sub-index for production came in at 52 for October, while that of new orders was 50. Raw materials inventory ticked up to 48.2, still in contraction territory, along with employment at 48.4, which was mildly better than the prior month.
The statistics bureau’s PMI for non-manufacturing activity rose to 50.2 in October. That was up from 50 in September but below August’s 50.3 print.
The employment portion of the non-manufacturing PMI climbed by 1.1 percentage points to 45.8."
--- So, even acc. to official numbers, the economy is still at best stagnating. & yet, at the end of the year we will hear how China achieved a GDP growth of around 5%.
Pakistan says China's remarks on safety of its citizens 'perplexing'
"Baloch was responding to a rare public warning from the Chinese ambassador to the country, Jiang Zaidong, who urged Islamabad to take action against militants responsible for several deadly attacks on Chinese workers.
Jiang labeled the violence “unacceptable” and cautioned that it poses “a constraint” on Beijing’s investments under its Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI.
[...] It is unprecedented for Pakistan to respond publicly to China’s criticism, and it is extremely rare for the Chinese ambassador to admonish Islamabad for alleged security lapses against Chinese engineers and workers."
--- Oops! Are there cracks in that 'iron-clad friendship' showing?
The Europe-China Resilience Audit: Insights for advancing European resilience
"In recent years, China-related risks have become more apparent and acute for Europe. Beijing’s actions have at times undermined Europe’s security, China’s state-guided economic system can jeopardize Europe’s competitiveness with implications for its green transition, and Beijing’s actions sometimes interfere with democratic processes.
Besides supporting Moscow amid its invasion of Ukraine, Beijing has urged the reshaping of Europe’s security architecture, made more use of extraterritorial and coercive measures, cyberattacks, espionage, and influence operations targeting European actors. It has even sanctioned European lawmakers and institutions.
[...] For Europe, there is no time to lose. Beijing has long been insulating itself from external vulnerabilities, pushing for technological self-sufficiency and more ideological isolation while refining its ability to use unilateral and oftentimes opaque, extrajudicial coercive measures internationally."
--- No time to lose. Yep.
Chinese online retailer Temu faces EU probe into rogue traders, illegal goods
"Temu said it "takes its obligations under the DSA seriously, continuously investing to strengthen our compliance system and safeguard consumer interests on our platform."
"We will cooperate fully with regulators to support our shared goal of a safe, trusted marketplace for consumers,""
"The commission's investigation will look into whether Temu's systems are doing enough to crack down on "rogue traders" selling "noncompliant goods" amid concerns that they are able to swiftly reappear after being suspended. The commission didn't single out specific illegal products that were being sold on the platform."
--- Temu doesn't care. Well, it cares, if it costs money. Therefore, the EU needs proper enforcement & high penalties.
China’s ‘mind-boggling’ space capabilities worry US, says Space Force chief
"Saltzman said attention has often focused on Russia and its development of a kind of space nuclear weapon as the "closest alligator to the boat" when it comes to European security, but the bigger challenge is posed by China."
--- Largely ignored by Europe, although that seems to be slowly changing.
China sanctions US drone maker Skydio in ongoing trade war
"China has sanctioned Skydio, America’s largest drone maker, for providing unmanned aerial vehicles to Taiwan’s national fire service."
--- Helping Taiwan to fight fires?! That's so evil!
"Although the company manufactures its drones in the US and sources many of the components that go inside of them from outside of China, Skydio had been wholly dependent on a single Chinese provider for batteries before October 11, when the country’s government imposed the embargo"
--- Do not rely on supplies from China! Very simple solution.
"Skydio’s relationship with Taiwan may have only been a pretext for the sanctions. “We suspect Skydio was targeted by Beijing because it is likely seen as a competitor to DJI,” a US official told the Financial Times. “If there is a silver lining, we can use this episode to accelerate our work to diversify drone supply chains away from … China.”"
--- That's how China does business. Learn!
Hong Kong ‘running local political influence campaign’ on US soil
Authorities confine young monks in ‘prison-like’ conditions in government-run schools
--- Spectator: "Xi Jinping and the closing of China - is the country in decline?"
EU-Kommission eröffnet Verfahren gegen Temu
"Temu erklärte sich derweil zur Zusammenarbeit mit den europäischen Behörden bereit. Ziel des Unternehmens sei ein "sicherer, vertrauenswürdiger Marktplatz für Verbraucher""
--- Ziel Temus ist die Gewinnmaximierung. Wenn Fälschungen & Betrug dazu beitragen, dann ist das OK. Nur wenn die Strafen hoch genug sind & auch durchgesetzt werden, wird Temu etwas ändern.
Seidenstrasse, nein danke: Brasilien stösst China vor den Kopf
"Celso Amorim, aussenpolitischer Berater von Präsident Luiz Inácio Lula, erklärte, Brasilien werde derzeit kein Abkommen im Rahmen der Neuen Seidenstrasse mit China unterzeichnen. «Wir schliessen keinen Vertrag wie eine Versicherungspolice ab», sagte Amorim der Tageszeitung «O Globo». Brasilien sei aber weiterhin an einem Austausch mit China interessiert, der über den Handel hinausgehe. Es sei Teil der brasilianischen Vision, nicht von einem einzigen Lieferanten oder Partner abhängig zu sein."
--- Autsch. Daß ausgerechnet Lula sich als unabhängig erweist, tut Kaiser Xi richtig weh.
"Dass sich Brasilien nun dem Umarmungsversuch Chinas widersetzt, hat drei Gründe: Zum einen erwartete Brasilien von einem Abkommen ein deutliches Entgegenkommen Chinas, das über den bereits intensiven Handel und die chinesischen Investitionen hinausgehen würde. Brasilien möchte einen Technologietransfer und verlässliche Investitionszusagen, die China bisher weder angeboten hat noch garantieren will. China kündigt immer wieder gigantische Investitionsprojekte für Brücken, Häfen oder Eisenbahnverbindungen an, die dann regelmässig im Sande verlaufen.
Weiter hält China seinen Markt für brasilianische Technologieprodukte wie Embraer-Flugzeuge geschlossen. Bei der Partnerschaft gehe es nicht nur um den Kauf und Verkauf von Waren, sondern auch um Investitionen in China von in Brasilien hergestellten Produkten, kritisierte Amorim die chinesische Marktabschottung nun erstmals deutlich."
--- Sogar Lulas weit linke Regierung erkennt besser als Scholz, wie China funktioniert.
Deutschland ist besonders verletztlich
"Durch die völlige Importabhängigkeit bei Lithium als Rohstoff besteht ein beträchtliches Klumpenrisiko. Deutschland erhält mehr als 70 Prozent der Lithiumcarbonat-Importe aus nur zwei Ländern: Chile und China. Angesichts der nun schon lange anhaltenden Diskussion um Abhängigkeiten und „De-Risking“ von China ist der Trend der Importe überraschend. Zum einen hat der Anteil Chinas in den vergangenen zehn Jahren stark auf Kosten von Chile zugenommen. Zum anderen ist der chinesische Anteil an den deutschen Lithiumcarbonat-Importen sehr viel höher als der chinesische Anteil an der Weltexporten."
--- Weil man in Deutschland anscheinend nur noch redet, anstatt zu handeln.
