The China Thread

[Tamas]

 

[Tonitrus]

I tend to think China has seen that subtle pressure on foreign corporations (including, and especially, in the West) to support the "one-China" policy, even those corporations only do so themselves in a subtle fashion, is working.  Even if they only do it to maintain profits and market access.  And the PRC is likely being more and more emboldened by that.

[Sheilbh]

I tend to think China has seen that subtle pressure on foreign corporations (including, and especially, in the West) to support the "one-China" policy, even those corporations only do so themselves in a subtle fashion, is working.  Even if they only do it to maintain profits and market access.  And the PRC is likely being more and more emboldened by that.

Yeah. Not just that issue - I think a lot about Arsenal's support for BLM and its statement that "as a football club, Arsenal has always adhered to the principle of not involving itself in politics" after Ozil's statement on Xinjiang.

[FunkMonk]

There was a similar situation regarding the NBA last year. The general manager of the Houston Rockets tweeted support for Hong Kong protestors and the NBA quickly muzzled him.

[The Larch]

There was a similar situation regarding the NBA last year. The general manager of the Houston Rockets tweeted support for Hong Kong protestors and the NBA quickly muzzled him.

IIRC it was slightly different. It was his team, the Rockets, the one that chastised him, not the league, which tried to support him without inciting further Chinese anger, in a tough balancing act which I guess left everyone unhappy.

[Sheilbh]

Re threat-making extraordinary piece on Huawei in the Times:

The Chinese telecoms firm wants to strike a deal with Boris Johnson to delay its removal from the mobile phone network until after the next election in 2025, in the hope that a future government might reverse the decision. In return, Huawei will pledge to maintain its equipment, which is also used in the 2G, 3G and 4G networks.

BT and Vodafone have said that stripping out Huawei equipment before 2025 could lead to a loss of phone coverage.

Sources close to the company say Huawei will not make an explicit threat to cease maintenance. It will streess "the costs of maintaining those networks" and make the point that "without Huawei there will be blackouts."

I mean briefing a paper about it seems like a fairly explicit non-explicit threat

[Crazy_Ivan80]

the faster we stop buying chinese the better

[DGuller]

Yeah, I think some people forgot national security issues in the name of free market.  Some industries need to be protected, even if you have to tolerate some inefficiencies because of that.  It's not a free market anyway if coercion is involved, and it seems like economic interdependence is used for coercive purposes.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Yeah, I think some people forgot national security issues in the name of free market.  Some industries need to be protected, even if you have to tolerate some inefficiencies because of that.  It's not a free market anyway if coercion is involved, and it seems like economic interdependence is used for coercive purposes.

a classic case of the capitalist selling the rope with which he'll be hanged

[Syt]

Supposed footage of Uighurs being deported: https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/hriowi/drone_footage_of_uighurs_being_taken_away/

[Maladict]

I'm sure Mono can explain to us why this is perfectly fine and we should trust the authorities to do the right thing.

[Tamas]

Supposed footage of Uighurs being deported: https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/hriowi/drone_footage_of_uighurs_being_taken_away/

These poor people have the double disadvantage of being a Muslim minority oppressed by a nominally communist regime, so neither the left nor the right can be bothered to protest on their behalf.

[Monoriu]

I'm sure Mono can explain to us why this is perfectly fine and we should trust the authorities to do the right thing.

Huh?  This didn't happen in Hong Kong, so why should I say anything?

[Sheilbh]

I agree that making it personal is out of the ordinary for this field, but the dynamic is nothing new.

Speaking of which Chinese state TV had someone calling for the "public and painful humiliation" of the UK over the Huawei decision. Which I don't think typically occurs during trade talks

[Maladict]

I'm sure Mono can explain to us why this is perfectly fine and we should trust the authorities to do the right thing.

Huh?  This didn't happen in Hong Kong, so why should I say anything?

That's what I thought