I think this only says about how comfortable their middle classes have become. If the family is still struggling financially, kids will have to work. Here we called them lazy.
The West Isn't Buying Into China's Year of Diplomacy By David Brennan On 7/27/23 https://www.newsweek.com/china-not-contributing-global-security-poll-west-1815786 Western nations increasingly see China as an interventionist power that is not improving global security, according to recent polling, as Beijing struggles to square its desired peacemaker image with the political realities of its expanding global influence. The Pew Research Center conducted a 30,000-person survey across 24 nations between February and May and found that people living in European, North American and Indo-Pacific democracies are particularly wary of China's influence. The sentiment was less strong, though still present, among African and South American respondents. A median of 71 percent of the 30,000 people polled felt that China does not contribute either much or at all to international peace and stability, versus 23 percent who felt China does. Americans (80 percent), Dutch (86 percent), British (80 percent), Germans (80 percent), and French (75 percent) were among those who felt most strongly that Beijing is a negative influence on global affairs. Democratic Indo-Pacific nations emphatically agreed, with 87 percent of South Koreans, 85 percent of Australians, and 85 percent of Japanese feeling the same. Chinese President Xi Jinping at a press conference in Shaanxi, on May 19, 2023. A new poll indicates that the West does not believe that China is contributing to global security. FLORENCE LO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images The list of nations—the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Brazil, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland and South Africa, and Australia—is dominated by Western liberal democracies, with inherent ideological tensions likely somewhat explaining the negative views of Chinese foreign influence. But only in Indonesia, Kenya and Nigeria did a majority of respondents say Beijing contributes either a fair amount or a great deal to international peace and stability. China—already considered by many an economic and technological superpower—is still shaping its military and diplomatic clout abroad. Major decades-long investment in the former is openly intended to eventually challenge American hegemony, but on the diplomatic battlefield, Beijing is following a less publicly combative path. Among the salient diplomatic issues that have helped shape global opinions of China this year are one striking success and one ongoing failure. The former was the landmark Iran-Saudi Arabia normalization deal signed in April, in which China unexpectedly brokered a détente few thought likely given the deep and historic animosity between the Middle East's power players. But China's unconvincing neutrality regarding Russia's war on Ukraine has somewhat eroded global trust in Beijing, particularly among the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific nations rallying to Kyiv's cause. China's de facto backing for Russia has undermined its continued calls for peace and the anemic peace plan it proposed in March. North vs. South Larger issues involving China—among them the fate of Taiwan, the situation in the South China Sea, lingering frustrations about the pandemic, the brewing showdown with the U.S., human rights, and concerns about political interference—have "completely dwarfed" Beijing's diplomatic efforts, Andrew Small, a senior transatlantic fellow at the German Marshall Fund, told Newsweek. "Publics have evidently not seen either the Saudi-Iranian deal as particularly significant or the Chinese efforts on Ukraine as particularly credible," Small said. Small noted Beijing will not necessarily be too concerned with continued Western skepticism. "In one sense, the argument for what China has been trying to do on Ukraine and in some of these other efforts was positioning in the 'Global South,'" he said. "The view on their side had been that no one in Europe is going to take this seriously, but they are able to position themselves through this in the Global South as an actor that approaches these issues in a neutral way." Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and China's President Xi Jinping deliver a joint statement in Moscow, on March 21, 2023. China's de facto support of Russia's war on Ukraine has angered Western nations. MIKHAIL TERESHCHENKO/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images But the poll's findings also suggest that Beijing's self-framing might not be playing out as it hoped. A median of 57 percent of those surveyed said they felt China interferes in other countries affairs either a fair amount or a great deal. The sentiment was most notable in Europe, where a majority of national respondents excluding Hungarians agreed, as well as in North America. A majority of all those in Indo-Pacific nations apart from Indonesia saw Beijing as interventionist. Even in the four of the six African and South American nations surveyed a majority said China intervened at least somewhat in other countries' affairs. Fifty percent of South Africans and 46 percent of Argentinians also agreed. "It's such a mantra in Chinese foreign policy, so foundational in the way that they frame things that this is not what they do, and it is the antithesis of the Western approach," Small said. Against this backdrop, Small added, it is "striking" to see so many nations feeling that China is indeed intervening abroad. The data suggests, he said, that the perception of Chinese anti-interventionism is being "shredded." Recent months have seen a renewed China-U.S. effort to thaw chilly bilateral relations. In June, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. And earlier this week, Blinken told CNN the U.S. wants to "put some stability into the relationship." But the long-term disputes show no signs of easing. While visiting Tonga this week, Blinken hit out at what he called China's "increasingly problematic behavior" in the Indo-Pacific. In Europe too, major nations are increasingly concerned about Chinese espionage and influence, even if leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are still courting investment. Worsening Euro-Atlantic ties with Beijing, Small said, might accelerate a brewing confrontation. "To a certain extent, this will validate an analysis on the Chinese side that starts to write off the West," he said, and instead focus on a "winnable" public opinion battle in the developing world.
US Alarmed Over China's Malware Threat to its Power Networks, Military Biden admin warns of China's malware threat in US power networks, risking military disruption amid tensions over Taiwan. Cybersecurity efforts intensify Published By: Rohit AFP Last Updated : July 30, 2023 Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) https://www.news18.com/world/us-ala...t-to-its-power-networks-military-8459167.html FILE - Attendees walk past an electronic display showing recent cyberattacks in China at the China Internet Security Conference in Beijing, on Sept. 12, 2017. (AP File Photo) The Biden administration believes China has implanted malware in key US power and communications networks in a “ticking time bomb" that could disrupt the military in event of a conflict, The New York Times reported Saturday. The Times, quoting US military, intelligence and security officials, said the malware potentially gave China’s People’s Liberation Army the ability to disrupt US military operations if Beijing were to move against Taiwan at some point. The systems affected, the Times said, could allow China not only to cut off water, power and communications to US military bases, but also to homes and businesses across the United States. The report comes two months after Microsoft warned that state-sponsored Chinese hackers had infiltrated critical US infrastructure networks. Microsoft singled out Guam, a US Pacific territory with a vital military outpost, as one target but said malicious activity had also been detected elsewhere in the United States. It said the stealthy attack, carried out since mid-2021, was likely aimed at hampering the United States in the event of a regional conflict. Authorities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Britain warned at the same time that Chinese hacking was likely taking place globally, affecting an extensive range of infrastructure. Discovery of the malware, the Times said, sparked a series of meetings in the White House Situation Room involving top military, intelligence and national security officials in an effort to track down and eradicate the code. The newspaper quoted one congressional official as saying the malware operation amounted to “a ticking time bomb." The White House issued a statement Friday that made no mention of China or military bases. “The Biden administration is working relentlessly to defend the United States from any disruptions to our critical infrastructure, including by coordinating interagency efforts to protect water systems, pipelines, rail and aviation systems, among others," said Adam Hodge, acting spokesman for the National Security Council. He added that President Joe Biden “has also mandated rigorous cybersecurity practices for the first time." Reports of the malware operation come at a particularly strained point in US-China relations, with China aggressively asserting its claim that Taiwan is Chinese territory and the US seeking to ban sales of sophisticated semiconductors to Beijing. (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - AFP)
Australian barley tariffs to be scrapped by China after long-running trade dispute By national rural reporter Kath Sullivan and political reporter Georgia Roberts Posted 18 hours ago https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2023-08-04/barley-tariffs-scrapped-by-china/102689748 China has dropped its 80 per cent tariffs on Australian barley, after a long-running and high-profile trade war between the two nations. Key points: China has agreed to drop 80 per cent tariffs on Australian barley The tariffs were part of a long-running and high-profile trade war between the two nations The anti-dumping tariff was 73.6 per cent, while the anti-subsidy tariff was 6.9 per cent The tariffs were introduced in May 2020 after Beijing accused Australia of selling the grain below the cost of production and subsidising farmers. The tariffs set off a trade war between the two nations and were widely considered to be a form of retaliation for Australia’s call for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. Australia referred China to the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the tariffs in December 2020 but suspended the appeal earlier this year when Beijing agreed to review the tariffs. At the height of the trade in 2018, Australia's barley exports to China were valued around $1 billion, which drew to a standstill once the tariffs were applied. A statement from China's Ministry of Commerce on Friday said it had: "ruled that, in view of the changes in the market situation of barley in China, it is no longer necessary to continue to impose anti-dumping duties and countervailing duties on the imported barley originating in Australia." The tariffs were made up of a 73.6 per cent anti-dumping tariff and a 6.9 per cent anti-subsidy tariff, the scrapping effective from August 5. A statement from the Australian government said the removal of the duties meant Australia would discontinue the WTO appeal. "This outcome demonstrates the importance of the WTO dispute mechanism in defending the interests of Australia's world-class producers and farmers," it said. In a similar move, in 2021 Australia referred China to the WTO over its decision to apply hefty tariffs on Australia's red wine. A resolution on that case is anticipated later this year, but the statement suggested that action too could be discontinued. "We have been clear that we expect a similar process to be followed to remove the duties on Australian wine," the federal government said. "In the meantime, we are continuing to pursue our wine dispute at the WTO and remain confident in a positive outcome." The tariffs had affected Australian grain growers. (ABC Rural: Jo Prendergast) A number of Australian abattoirs remain suspended from trading with China, while Beijing's customs requirements continue to prevent rock lobster exports — coal and timber exports were also affected by the deep freeze but recently resumed. National Farmers Federation chief executive, Tony Mahar said that the scrapping of the tariffs was welcome news for some 23,000 Australian grain producers. "These tariffs significantly impacted the barley trade between Australia and China which previously accounted for approximately 60–70 per cent of barley exports," he said. "The Australian farming sector was always of the view there was no justification for these duties and that it was in both countries' best interest for all trade impediments to be removed." The right outcome, says Wong Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said that the removal of the tariffs was the result of work from both government and industry describing it as a "great success for our nation and barley producers". "This is the right outcome, the right outcome for Australian producers and Chinese consumers," Ms Wong said. She thanked officials from her department and those in the industry for their patience while the matter was being resolved, also acknowledging the WTO. "We wouldn't have been able to get this result without the WTO." Trade Minister Don Farrell said the Australian barley industry had suffered a large financial loss since the introduction of the Chinese tariffs in 2020, estimating it to be around $1 billion dollars annually. Penny Wong sees the removal of the tariffs as a "great success". (ABC News: Pedro Ribeiro) "Our barley growers and our exporters will now be able to re-enter tariff-free to the Chinese market," he told a press conference in Adelaide on Friday. Senator Farrell said that he had consistently said that the Albanese government would "prefer to resolve all of our disputes with China through discussion and dialogue rather than disputation". He added that the "template" used with the help of WTO to solve this trade issue that would also be used to assist in the ongoing dispute over wine tariffs. When asked if China's decision would pave the way for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to visit the country, Senator Wong said she hoped the two countries could "continue on the positive path we are on". 'The Chinese are back' Barley growers had scrambled to find new markets after the tariffs were imposed in 2020. Andrew Weidemann says the tariffs were "politically driven".(Supplied: Andrew Weidemann) Andrew Weidemann, a Victorian grain grower and spokesperson for Grain Producers Australia, said the announcement was an "uplift for the Australian barley grower", describing the tariffs as "politically driven". Mr Weidemann also refuted China's claim that Australian farmers were being subsidised by the Australian government, an accusation China had originally brought the tariffs over. He said the WTO process was one grain producers didn't support, preferring the government to negotiate an outcome: "which has now been realised finally". "On the back of the last four really good grain seasons for Australia, we've seen somewhere near a $2.5 billion loss," he said. "The barley industry right around the country will be rejoicing tonight that the Chinese are back and back ready to buy plenty of barley."
In China, 'Barbie' moves women to tears, 'triggers' men to walk out Greta Gerwig's blockbuster film resonates as gender issue gains traction https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Me...moves-women-to-tears-triggers-men-to-walk-out Margot Robbie stars in "Barbie," which has reached over $29 million at the box office in China. © Reuters YIFAN YU and MARRIAN ZHOU, Nikkei staff writers August 4, 2023 PALO ALTO, U.S./NEW YORK -- For women in China, the Hollywood blockbuster "Barbie" has provided a rare viewing experience that can reveal what their boyfriends really think about gender equality. Director Greta Gerwig's reinvention of the iconic American doll for the big screen opened to a generally receptive audience in China last month. While the film's feminist take on the Barbie universe appears to resonate with many women, there have been sightings of men storming out of theaters in fury. "Men triggered by Barbie" has become a trending topic on Chinese social media, where women share their experiences witnessing fleeing men and their own take on how the issue of patriarchy was handled in the film. In particular, a "normal guy" test posted by a user named Little Squirrel has gone viral on lifestyle social media app Xiaohongshu. The post renders an unsparing judgment on men based on their reactions to the movie. "If a guy hates 'Barbie', bashes 'Barbie', walks out of the theater criticizing the female director, this guy is definitely a misogynist and he was triggered by the film," wrote Little Squirrel. "If a guy is willing to watch 'Barbie,' understand 50% of the jokes, leaves the theater thinking this is an interesting film, then he is an emotionally stable normal guy with a reasonable value system," the post continued. "If a guy loves 'Barbie,' wears pink Barbie clothes to watch the film, wears Barbie sunglasses and Barbie hat, then he must be a Ken." Director Greta Gerwig's reinvention of the iconic American doll for the big screen opened to a generally receptive audience in China last month. © Getty Images A speech on women's general hardship delivered by America Ferrera, who plays a Mattel employee and mother named Gloria, struck a chord with many women. "It is literally impossible to be a woman," Gloria tells Margot Robbie's Barbie after Ken takes over Barbie Land, speaking about the double standards women face in society. "You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don't think you're good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we're always doing it wrong." "When I watched the monologue in the theater, my eyes bawled," said a user named Ann Hathaway. Many netizens gave a nod to the comment with "me too." A screenshot showing the entire monologue is being widely shared online. According to Maoyan, the Chinese leading movie ticketer, "Barbie" was the fifth-most popular film in China as of Aug. 3, with total box office revenue reaching nearly 213 million yuan ($29 million) in the 15 days since the movie premiered in the country. "I will say the marketing executive of Warner Bros. has done a fabulous job both domestically and internationally, but especially those working in China, they've targeted the right Chinese audience," said Sophie Changhui Shi, a Los Angeles-based independent producer and acquisition executive at EST Studios. According to Shi, the marketing effort for "Barbie" in China specifically targets educated, working professional women in their 20s and 30s, who are highly aware of gender inequality and are receptive to feminist messages. The gender equality issue has gained traction in China in recent years. A scroll on apps like Xiaohongshu yields many videos and posts calling for equal opportunity and advocating for independent lifestyle choices for women, such as remaining unmarried and childless. "The timing works great for 'Barbie,'" said Shi. "In a way that Chinese audiences find this very relatable as the Chinese female audience have already been educating themselves about misogyny and feminism and gender issues in the past few years." "Most of the viewers are women, everyone laughs together and cries together in the theater, women feel connected to each other," Liang Xiaowen, a Chinese feminist organizer based in New York, said. "It shows that a lot of young Chinese women hold progressive values and they crave feminism and want it to be mainstream." "Because it is so difficult to achieve societywide understanding of gender inequality and backlashes are often severe, it makes this film even more precious than its commercial value," Liang added. But there are naysayers. Some criticize the movie in social posts for "aggravating gender conflicts" and promoting "Western propaganda." "If some supernatural power makes women multiple times stronger than men, then I'd be happy to accept that it is women's time, but the reality is, women are naturally weaker than men," read one comment. The film's "easter egg is that every screening has 'triggered men' to the theater," wrote Xiaohongshu user Asphodel. "I always thought this was a joke, until I went to watch 'Barbie' with my friend today and it really happened. It's too funny." While there are other films addressing gender issues being released in China, Barbie's straightforward storytelling style seems to make it a more efficient conveyor of messages. "The director doesn't give you an opportunity to shy away from this. She put it right in front of you, whoever is in the cinema has to listen to this," said Shi, referring to the character Gloria's monologue in the movie. Despite the 'Barbie' controversy, its box office success may be a signal that the China market is ready for more female-centered productions. "I look forward to more films about female awareness to be made in China and I think there are definitely Chinese filmmakers that are working on those things," said Shi.
After that, China and Russian are going to build a moon base, sure they will leapfrog NASA anytime soon.
Philippines says China blocked, water-cannoned boat in S. China Sea Reuters August 6, 2023 https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-...d-water-cannoned-boat-s-china-sea-2023-08-06/ National flags are placed outside a room where Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and China's Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng address reporters after their meeting in Beijing, China, January 23, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo Summary Philippines hits China's 'excessive and offensive' actions China: Philippine ships trespassed, carried illegal materials US says it stands with ally Philippine vs China's actions MANILA, Aug 6 (Reuters) - The Philippines on Sunday accused China's coast guard of blocking and water-cannoning a Philippine military supply boat in the South China Sea, condemning the "excessive and offensive actions" against its vessels. China's coast guard countered that it had implemented necessary controls in accordance with the law to deter Philippine ships, which it accused of trespassing and carrying illegal building materials. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, an assertion rejected internationally, while Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines have various claims to certain areas. Beijing often irks its neighbours with maritime actions they call aggressive and with longer-term activities like building islands on reefs and equipping them with missiles and runways. A Chinese coast guard vessel on Saturday blocked and water-cannoned the chartered Philippine boat on a routine troop rotation and resupply mission, "in wanton disregard of the safety of the people on board and in violation of international law", the Armed Forces of the Philippines said. It said in a statement the incident occurred near the Second Thomas Shoal, which Manila calls Ayungin Shoal, a submerged reef where a handful of its troops live on a rusty World War Two-era U.S. ship that was intentionally grounded in 1999. The Chinese coast guard's "dangerous manoeuvres" prevented a second boat from unloading the supplies and completing the mission, it said. "We call on the China Coast Guard and the Central Military Commission to act with prudence and be responsible in their actions to prevent miscalculations and accidents that will endanger peoples' lives," the armed forces said. China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu responded that China has "indisputable" sovereignty over the Spratly Islands and their adjacent waters, including the Second Thomas Shoal. "We urge the Philippine side to immediately stop its infringing activities in this waters," Gan posted on the coast guard's WeChat social media account. The Philippine Coast Guard said the Chinese actions violated laws including two international conventions and a ruling from a global tribunal. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague concluded in 2016 that Beijing's expansive claim to the South China Sea was groundless. China maintains it does not accept any claim or action based on the ruling. The Philippine Coast Guard "calls on the China Coast Guard to restrain its forces, respect the sovereign rights of the Philippines in its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, refrain from hampering freedom of navigation, and take appropriate actions against the individuals involved in this unlawful incident", said a spokesman, Commodore Jay Tarriela. After the incident, the U.S. State Department said China's "repeated threats to the status quo in the South China Sea (were) directly threatening regional peace and stability" and that Washington stands with its Philippine allies in the face of such "dangerous actions". "The United States reaffirms an armed attack on Philippine public vessels, aircraft, and armed forces - including those of its Coast Guard in the South China Sea - would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S. Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty," it said in a statement. Reporting by Enrico Dela Cruz; Additional reporting by Ryan Woo in Beijing; Editing by William Mallard
China has a case of 'economic long COVID' - and won't use the only cure for growth, expert says https://www.businessinsider.com/chi...w-growth-long-covid-rebound-xi-jinping-2023-8 China is suffering from "economic long COVID," Adam Posen wrote in Foreign Affairs. Its sluggish post-COVID rebound may be a long-term trend, said the Peterson Institute's president. Like other authoritarian regimes, China's economic development is following a predictable pattern, he noted. China's economy can rightly be compared to COVID cases where symptoms keep lingering and leave the infected weak for the long term, an expert wrote in Foreign Affairs. And financial markets have yet to fully grasp how bad the situation is, according to Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. "Call it a case of 'economic long COVID,'" he wrote, adding that China "has not regained its vitality and remains sluggish even now that the acute phase — three years of exceedingly strict and costly zero-COVID lockdown measures — has ended." After Beijing reversed China's zero-COVID restrictions at the end of 2022, markets expected a blowout recovery. There was a glimpse of that in the first quarter, but subsequent growth in manufacturing, consumption, exports, and investments dropped off drastically. Meanwhile, debt turmoil continues to drag down local governments and the country's massive real-estate sector. Still, growth forecasts for the country remain relatively optimistic, despite coming down from earlier highs. Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, for example, have trimmed less than a point from 2023 forecasts. The International Monetary Fund sees 4.5% growth in 2024, outdone by a 5.1% outlook from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. To Posen, however, China is in a much more serious, long-term malaise. It's not due to the pandemic, but comes from Beijing's expanding grip on the economy. "Economic development in authoritarian regimes tends to follow a predictable pattern: a period of growth as the regime allows politically compliant businesses to thrive, fed by public largess," he said. "But once the regime has secured support, it begins to intervene in the economy in increasingly arbitrary ways. Eventually, in the face of uncertainty and fear, households and small businesses start to prefer cash savings to illiquid investment; as a result, growth persistently declines." In China's case, President Xi Jinping's extreme response to COVID made the public "immune" to major intervention, producing a less dynamic economy, Posen said. Whereas China's Communist Party was more hands off in previous decades, growing control over the private sector peaked in the zero-COVID era. And the abrupt end to that policy won't revive growth, as it demonstrated the economy remains "at the mercy of the party and its whims," he added. To "self-insure" amid such uncertainty, people hoard cash and spend less on assets that aren't easily convertible to cash, such as cars, business equipment, and real estate. "The condition is systemic, and the only reliable cure—credibly assuring ordinary Chinese people and companies that there are limits on the government's intrusion into economic life—cannot be delivered," Posen said. And any of Beijing's stimulus measures will not produce the intended results as consumers remain wary of further disruptions. "Low appetite for illiquid investment and low responsiveness to supportive macroeconomic policies: that, in a nutshell, is economic long COVID," he wrote. It's already happening: though China's central bank has cut interest rates and stimulus efforts have been pledged in the most recent Politburo meeting, there's been little improvement in economic activity. Despite the West's growing tensions with Beijing, China's economic woes aren't necessarily good news for its rivals either, Posen said. "When another global recession hits, China's growth will not help revive demand abroad as it did last time. Western officials should adjust their expectations downward, but they should not celebrate too much," he wrote.