Taiwan has a new Vice President: Former Premier William Lai, known for his pro-independence posture. China won’t be happy, but China is rarely happy these days.
The Chinese made two loud omissions in their rhetoric this week. When talking about reunification with Taiwan, they left out the word “peaceful”. The press noticed. A Taiwan official said it meant the same thing. But, everyone knew better because China also left out regard for Hong Kong’s Basic Law, something else that always got mentioned in the past.
Apparently, Beijing thinks peace and honoring treaties are too petty to be bothered with.
But, certain terms are in need of clarity. Xi Jinping isn’t merely trying to “reunify with Taiwan”; his actions are closest to that of a corporate hostile takeover—not just of Taiwan, but the entire world.
In Australia, Drew Pavlou faces expulsion from Queensland University for organizing student protests in support of Hong Kong opposition to recent law proposals, especially extradition to China and the recent “security” proposal. Follow the money. Australia’s government is looking into China’s influence. Many other governments are too.
According to the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, US Congress is required to review whether Hong Kong is autonomous enough to have its visas treated separately from the rest of China. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is already late in his report. He waited until China held its own congress meetings. What happened at those meetings didn’t help the case for Hong Kong’s autonomy.
Trade & Tech
Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou could be set free next week by extradition ruling // SCMP
U.S. regulators open door to possible tightening of Huawei chip curb // Yahoo News
Huawei Loses Millions Of Users As Serious New Threat From China Gets Real // Forbes
China
Part Deux… blaming Russia…
Coronavirus: 2nd Wave Hits China // YouTube @ China Uncensored
Wuhan lab admits to having three live strains of bat coronavirus on site // DNyuz
China has new US$1.4 trillion plan to seize the world’s tech crown from the US // SCMP
China’s Xi Jinping to give opening speech at WHA // Taiwan News
Taiwan
Taiwan united in condemning HK law // Taipei Times
China drops word ‘peaceful’ in latest push for Taiwan ‘reunification’ // Yahoo News
What Taiwan Told the WHO at the Start of the Virus Outbreak // TIME
Taiwan says it is ‘disappointed and angry’ being excluded from WHO meeting // CNBC
Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s Independence May Not Survive the Pandemic // NY Magazine
Outrage in HK over security law // Taipei Times
What you need to know about the national security law for Hong Kong // SCMP
Korean Peninsula
North Korea state TV curiously scrubs Kim Jong Un emblem // NY Post
India
Military Faceoff
F-35 stealth fighter jet crashes at Eglin Air Force Base // Fox News