The China Thread

[Sheilbh]

Well at least Mono is happy those rioters are getting what's coming to them.

Yeah - so for Mono's take there's the Chief Secretary for Administration (which I understand is the number 2 role in HK), John Lee's statement:

Anybody who attempts to make use of media work as a tool to pursue their political purpose or other interests and contravenes the law, particularly offences that endanger national security, they are the evil elements that damage press freedom. Professional media workers should recognise that these are the bad apples who are abusing their position simply by wearing a false coat of media worker and then, using that position, abuse news as a tool, to pursue their own purposes. They will pollute press freedom. They are the people who damage press freedom. Professional media workers should recognise this, say no to these people and stand far from them.

Which sounds like a pretty unveiled threat.

[Josquius]

I hope this is badly translated as he sure repeats the same dumb line a lot.

[mongers]

I hope this is badly translated as he sure repeats the same dumb line a lot.

I think that's intrinsic to a totalitarian regime - repeat the same lie often enough etc.

[viper37]

From a purely UK perspective it's also essential we expand the criteria for the BNO visa route so as many people as possible can leave if they wish.

one of the board members is also a Canadian citizen, she could have come back when she wanted, but stayed and fought.  Giving visas and citizenship don't matter much if the activists decide to stay.  Besides, with covid, it's a hell of a time for mass repatriation.  China sure knows when to act.

[Berkut]

Well at least Mono is happy those rioters are getting what's coming to them.

Yeah - so for Mono's take there's the Chief Secretary for Administration (which I understand is the number 2 role in HK), John Lee's statement:

Anybody who attempts to make use of media work as a tool to pursue their political purpose or other interests and contravenes the law, particularly offences that endanger national security, they are the evil elements that damage press freedom. Professional media workers should recognise that these are the bad apples who are abusing their position simply by wearing a false coat of media worker and then, using that position, abuse news as a tool, to pursue their own purposes. They will pollute press freedom. They are the people who damage press freedom. Professional media workers should recognise this, say no to these people and stand far from them.

Which sounds like a pretty unveiled threat.

Just another patriot taking a stand against the biased mainstream media.

[Syt]

https://kotaku.com/14-000-chinese-game-companies-have-gone-out-of-business-1848299632

14,000 Chinese Game Companies Have Gone Out Of Business Due To Regulation Freeze

Regulators in China have not released a list of approved new titles since July 2021

China's freeze on video game licenses continues. South China Morning Post notes that the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) has not released a list of newly approved titles since July 2021. Because of this, state-run newspaper Securities Daily reports, approximately 14,000 small game studios and video game connection companies, including those involved in merchandising or publishing, have gone under.

Typically, the NPPA approves around 80 to 100 games a month, so the lack of an approved list has ground part of the industry to a halt. China is such a massive market, and the hiatus has caused uncertainty that has led to layoffs at game companies, and conglomerates with game divisions. However, it sounds like the smaller outfits have been hit the hardest.

In comparison, companies like tech giant Tencent have continued to expand internationally as a way to balance the regulatory situation at home. SCMP points out that Tencent also plans to open a new studio in Singapore under the TiMi Studio Group, which is responsible for Tencent's mega-hit Honor of Kings. TiMi also has international studios in Montreal, Seattle, and Los Angeles.

No reason has been given for the hiatus, and the NPPA hasn't stated when approvals will restart. Prior to this latest freeze, the longest period that new game licenses were not released was a nine-month window in 2018.

SCMP points out that the approval freeze happened a few months after March 2021, when President Xi Jinping mentioned his concerns about gaming's psychological impact on young people. Later in August, state-run media referred to video games as "spiritual opium" and "electronic drugs." Then, on September 1, restrictions limiting the online gaming of the nation's youth went into effect. While these restrictions were not law (and were soon circumvented), the combined impact of all this, the lack of new game approvals, and general uncertainty, is impacting the industry—and not in a good way.

[mongers]

https://kotaku.com/14-000-chinese-game-companies-have-gone-out-of-business-1848299632

14,000 Chinese Game Companies Have Gone Out Of Business Due To Regulation Freeze

Regulators in China have not released a list of approved new titles since July 2021

China's freeze on video game licenses continues. South China Morning Post notes that the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) has not released a list of newly approved titles since July 2021. Because of this, state-run newspaper Securities Daily reports, approximately 14,000 small game studios and video game connection companies, including those involved in merchandising or publishing, have gone under.

Typically, the NPPA approves around 80 to 100 games a month, so the lack of an approved list has ground part of the industry to a halt. China is such a massive market, and the hiatus has caused uncertainty that has led to layoffs at game companies, and conglomerates with game divisions. However, it sounds like the smaller outfits have been hit the hardest.

In comparison, companies like tech giant Tencent have continued to expand internationally as a way to balance the regulatory situation at home. SCMP points out that Tencent also plans to open a new studio in Singapore under the TiMi Studio Group, which is responsible for Tencent's mega-hit Honor of Kings. TiMi also has international studios in Montreal, Seattle, and Los Angeles.

No reason has been given for the hiatus, and the NPPA hasn't stated when approvals will restart. Prior to this latest freeze, the longest period that new game licenses were not released was a nine-month window in 2018.

SCMP points out that the approval freeze happened a few months after March 2021, when President Xi Jinping mentioned his concerns about gaming's psychological impact on young people. Later in August, state-run media referred to video games as "spiritual opium" and "electronic drugs." Then, on September 1, restrictions limiting the online gaming of the nation's youth went into effect. While these restrictions were not law (and were soon circumvented), the combined impact of all this, the lack of new game approvals, and general uncertainty, is impacting the industry—and not in a good way.

Though Xi's still playing his favourite game, 'How to wreck a functioning semi-market economy in 10 simple patriotic moves'.

[Tamas]

It is so weird to see the same scenario play out in countries where a complexes-ridden cruel man establishes very centralised control, time and time again. Human existence is not nearly as free-willed an unique as it is made out to be.

[Berkut]

It is so weird to see the same scenario play out in countries where a complexes-ridden cruel man establishes very centralised control, time and time again. Human existence is not nearly as free-willed an unique as it is made out to be.

But this time it is different!

[Eddie Teach]

So SCMP is trying to blame climate change on... streaming k-pop.   

[Savonarola]

From Guardian News:

James Pond: Chinese state news agency releases spoof mocking MI6 focus on Beijing

Britain's spy chief has thanked China's state news agency for 'free publicity' after it posted a James Bond spoof that mocked the western intelligence community's growing focus on threats posed by Beijing. The rare response by the head of MI6, Richard Moore, on Thursday comes as China and Britain clash over Beijing's treatment of its Uyghur minority and creeping authoritarianism in the former British colony of Hong Kong.

Oh those wacky Chinese; the laugh track really makes the jokes sparkle.   

[DGuller]

Is publicity something that spy agencies are looking for?

[Sheilbh]

It's been a learning process given that it was only in the 80s that the the government acknowledged that MI6 existed

[Josquius]

American accents have changed.

[Sheilbh]

Huge Sunday Times story that HSBC has continued to buy shares in subsidiaries of  Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps which has been sanctioned by the US. They also issued some very pro-government statements during the Hong Kong protests and I wonder if there's an element of the Chhinese state making companies pick sides/dip their hands.

It's also a big story in the UK because there's UK "based" banks that basically make most of their money in Asia, like Standard Chartered. But HSBC are very much an Asian bank, but also one of the largest retail banks in the UK. All told they have 15 million customers here. It's ring-fnced as an entirely separate and separable entity (separate IT systems etc) because of UK banking regulations following the crash to ring-fence retail from investment banks totally. I'm starting to wonder if it's time to require that they do separate.

Separately HSBC have been fined a few billion in recent years by the US for money laundering that included Cuba, Iran, Libya and drug cartels. They've also just been fined a far smaller amount (same as always with the UK: great rules, pathetic enforcement) for systemic failures in money laundering. Plus the standard LIBOR fixing and tax evasion scandals that hit most large banks (and I think all banks on the LIBOR panel).