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Category: East Asia
Storm in a teapot: Climate change hits ancient art of tea-growing
Climate change is having an impact on the ancient art of tea-growing, as a long dry spell has left high-end crops across the region parched and yellow amid dwindling supply, according to agricultural experts and tea connoisseurs. China’s traditional tea-making techniques and customs were included in UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list last year — at a time when the perfect cup of tea is getting harder and harder to find. The 8th century “Classic of Tea” by Lu Yu tells growers: “Make tea by looking at the weather. Make tea by looking at the tea.” Yet extreme weather that swings between drought and floods is creating hardships for the region’s tea-growers, who have a similar appreciation for the different kinds of leaf and the environments in which they’re grown to connoisseurs of fine wines. “Last year we had very dry weather, and so this year’s Longjing [Dragon’s Well] tea crop has been severely reduced,” Chinese tea expert Zhang Qin told Radio Free Asia’s Green Intelligence column. She blamed the lower yields on a lack of water supplied to the tea-growing areas around Xihu in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. “It’s mainly because some of the tea-bushes have seen damage to their roots, and a small number of bushes have died,” Zhang said. Water evaporates Similar woes have beset tea-growing regions of China’s southeastern province of Fujian, according to Tsai Yu-hsin of the 186-year-old Taiwanese tea company Legacy Formosa, who said he had seen the effects with his own eyes. “When there are such high temperatures and drought, all the water in the tea bushes evaporates,” Tsai said. “If there’s a wind, then even more water is lost, so the tea bushes will turn yellow.” “Water is as important to tea-bushes as it is to humans,” Tsai said. “The tighter the water supply, the worse the disaster for the tea gardens.” A woman plucks tea leaves in Moganshan, Zhejiang province. Extreme weather, such as drought or heavy rainfall, is detrimental to the growth of tea trees, causing tea buds to germinate slowly and become smaller Credit: Carlos Barria/Reuters Tsai said he had seen leaves grown for the Wu Yi Rock Tea variety and white tea start to wither and turn yellow on the bush. He said similar problems have been seen in tea-growing areas of Taiwan’s Nantou, across the Taiwan Strait from Fujian. Plunging yields Tea yields in China, the world’s biggest producer of tea, and Taiwan, which serves a smaller but highly discerning tea-drinking public, saw the lowest levels of rainfall in 30 years last year. Overall tea production in China looks set to fall by around 15% this year as a result, according to industry associations, with falls of 40% in the central province of Henan, and of 30% in Fujian. In Taiwan, yields are down in the Chiayi tea-growing region by more than 50%, with other areas seeing falls of 20 to 30%, according to Chiu Chui-fung, a Ministry of Agriculture official who works on improving tea yields. And drought doesn’t just affect the amount of tea that can be harvested — it changes the quality of the tea that is available, he said. Drought-struck bushes will bear leaves with less sugars, polyphenols, amino acids and caffeine, which affects the taste and smell, Chiu said. Health-giving catechins are also reduced by around 50% in times of drought, according to a flavor study by researchers at Montana State University. Tea bushes like temperatures ranging between 18 and 25 Celsius, with annual rainfall of 1800-3000 mm, and a relative humidity of 75-80%, according to Chiu. Students learn how to hand-roll tea at a training workshop at the Tea Research and Extension Station in Nantou, Taiwan. Drought followed by torrential rains have decimated tea crops. Extreme weather exacerbated by climate change has left Taiwan’s tea farmers scrambling to adapt. Credit: Ann Wang/Reuters Rising temperatures While harvesting takes place several times a year, the spring harvest yields the most, he said. There are signs that fewer and fewer regions are now meeting all of those criteria, according to Zhang Qin. “Tea farmers in Yunnan [in the Mekong River basin] are saying that temperatures are getting higher and higher every year in recent years,” she said. And specialized teas like White Silver Needle Orange Pekoe or Oolong Rock Tea are more sensitive to changes in the environment than cheaper teas for daily consumption. “Without enough water, Silver Needle Pekoe won’t be able to open its leaves, and the quantity will decrease,” Tsai said. “Climate change is damaging a lot of tea bushes, and fewer of the most refined and high-quality leaves are being harvested, which means the price will be significantly [higher].” The EU-funded climate monitoring agency “Copernicus Climate Change Service” announced in August that July 2023 was the hottest month on Earth on record. Last month, China’s Climate Change Blue Book for 2023 showed an average temperature increase of 0.16C every 10 years between 1901 and 2022. The Meteorological Administration also reported record-breaking high temperatures at 366 weather stations around the country during 2022. Weather extremes Taiwan has seen similar increases over the past century, too. And record-breaking heavy rains dumped by increasingly frequent and powerful typhoons and rainstorms may not help tea-growers much. Too much rain means the soil is waterlogged, cutting off the supply of oxygen in the soil, and affecting respiration and absorption, Chiu said. The result is slower-growing tea and declining yields and quality. Extreme weather also means more pests that threaten tea crops, including red spider-mites, thrips and other insects. Zhang, who receives samples of tea from growers across the region every year, says there are already noticeable changes in the way the best teas taste. There is a black tea from Yunnan called Golden Silk Dianhong with “slight caramel and floral aroma, with a rich taste,” Zhang said. “It has always been very popular with consumers, but it doesn’t taste the way it once did when I have drunk it in recent years.” Elusive…
Kim-Putin military cooperation may pose potential setback for China
Updated Sept. 15, 2023, 5:35 a.m. ET North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian leader Vladimir Putin inspected a fighter jet production facility in Russia’s Far East on Friday while the United States allies prepare joint countermeasures in response to safeguarding the security in both Asia and Europe. Kim’s high-profile visit this week has pressured the allies to intensify their multilateral security cooperation in the region, a development which experts noted, may see China emerging as the most disadvantaged nation. The North Korean leader went to the Far Eastern Russian city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur early on Friday and inspected the Yuri Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant (KnAAZ), according to Russia’s official news agency Tass. “A red carpet was unfurled for the top-ranking guest,” Tass said. “In accordance with the Russian tradition for special guests, Kim was welcomed with bread and salt.” KnAAZ is at the heart of Russia’s fighter jet production, which produces advanced warplanes such as its fifth generation jets: the Su-35 and Su-57. Kim’s visit to Russia’s core defense facility came after both sides agreed on Wednesday to boost their military cooperation that would significantly aid their battle against the West. The core of the cooperation is most likely to be Russia’s weapons technology transfer in exchange for North Korea’s conventional ammunition. As the speculation continues to rise, North Korea has reportedly begun providing ammunition to Russia in aiding its Ukraine aggression, according to a report from the New Voice of Ukraine, the country’s one of the largest news outlets, on Thursday. Putin has already received “122mm and 152mm artillery shells as well as Grad rockets from North Korea,” the New Voice of Ukraine claimed, quoting the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov. The cementing of such a trade deal puts the U.S. at risk in its attempt to curb Russia’s aggression on Ukraine, potentially prolonging the war, and containing North Korea’s nuclear pursuits to enhance nuclear capabilities. In response, the U.S., South Korea and Japan are reinforcing security cooperation to confront the latest development that could threaten their interests. Top security aides of the three – the U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, South Korea’s National Security Office Director Cho Tae-yong and Japan’s National Security Secretariat Secretary General Akiba Takeo – vowed to further consolidate their ties to jointly counter the possible Moscow-Pyongyang military cooperation. “The three NSAs reaffirmed the importance of trilateral coordination consistent with their commitment to consult,” White House said in a statement Thursday. “They noted that any arms exports from the DPRK to Russia would directly violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions, including resolutions that Russia itself voted to adopt.” The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the North’s formal name. Meanwhile, the U.S. and South Korea held discussions under the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consulting Group (EDSCG) in Seoul on Friday, where vice foreign and defense ministers from both sides discussed practical ways to curb heightened security risk for the allies, including the latest posed by the high-stakes Kim-Putin summit. “The Russia-North Korea military cooperation is a serious violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions,” Chang Ho-jin, South Korea’s first vice minister of its Foreign Ministry, told reporters after the EDSCG discussion. “We have shared our concerns about the recent intensification of North Korea-Russia military cooperation and discussed future responses.” The U.S. and South Korea representatives said the trilateral cooperation including Japan would boost the allies’ capability in deterring North Korea’s nuclear provocations. “Japan would play a major role in stopping the North Korean naval and air threats in/over the East Sea, and Japanese Aegis ships might also assist in shooting down North Korean ballistic and cruise missiles,” said Bruce Bennett, adjunct international/defense researcher at the RAND Corporation and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. “In short, Japan would have a major role in helping to stop any North Korean invasion of the ROK,” he added, referring to South Korea’s formal name. “In the wake of a North Korean invasion of the ROK, the defense of the ROK might actually fail without Japanese assistance. And interestingly, if North Korea starts a major conflict against Japan and not the ROK, the ROK could play a major role in stopping the North Korean aggression,” Bennett pointed out. The EDSCG meeting represent an elevated level of cooperation among democracies, underscored by a heightened call for stronger trilateral collaboration. “To address the common security concerns, the initial step is to solidify and institutionalize the trilateral cooperation framework among South Korea, U.S. and Japan,” Jin Chang-soo, an expert at South Korea’s prestige think tank, Sejong Institute, said. “The most significant strategic disadvantage from this [cooperation] would likely be on China.” South Korea, the U.S., and Japan take part in joint naval missile defense exercises in international waters between Korea and Japan, April 17, 2023. (The South Korean Defense Ministry via Reuters) Biggest disadvantage: China China has long opposed the emergence of a multilateral security platform in the region, frequently expressing concerns over the possible establishment of what it called a “mini-Nato” in the Indo-Pacific. However, the latest Kim-Putin summit is likely to just provide the impetus for a more united security front involving the U.S., South Korea, and Japan – and possibly more. “This would be a major concern for China. The level of security cooperation among the U.S., South Korea, and Japan in terms of material capability, surpasses that of China, Russia and North Korea; they simply aren’t on the same playing field,” Jin said. “From China’s perspective, the North Korea-Russia summit intensifies pressure to bolster the trilateral cooperation among the like-minded nations. The military collaboration sought by North Korea and Russia to involve China might also not be in China’s best interests.” The consolidation of the trilateral security cooperation may work against China’s expansionist ambition. The institutionalized coalition could become a barrier to Beijing’s naval operations, including those in the South China Sea, where China has long pursued its territorial claims. Improved intelligence sharing and joint military exercises may also restrict China’s strategic options, potentially jeopardizing its…
Hypocritical? Christening of new North Korean submarine raises eyebrows
With supreme leader Kim Jong Un looking on, the foreign minister smashed a bottle of champagne against the hull of North Korea’s latest nuclear submarine, prompting the crowd of sailors and factory workers to erupt in thunderous cheers and applause. But the reaction to the smashed bottle among the general public was less than smashing. Many North Koreans saw the ceremony, involving Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, as puzzling and even hypocritical in a country that suppresses superstitious activities – which is how the submarine christening appeared to many. “Everyone was surprised to see the female foreign minister come forward and break a liquor bottle by hitting it against the hull,” a resident from the northeastern city of Rason told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons. “The authorities have been cracking down on the simple rituals of fishermen performing ancestral rites and pouring alcohol to ensure the safe navigation of boats, defining them as superstitious practices,” he said. In this North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency released photo on Sept. 8, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claps after Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui smashed a bottle of champagne against the hull of a new submarine during a launching ceremony in North Korea. Credit: KCNA via Reuters North Korean fishermen have traditional ceremonies whenever they take a new boat out to sea or when they repair an old boat, and sometimes they involve elements of superstition that have been passed down over generations. Those rituals, which can involve a pig’s head and copious amounts of alcohol, are, like the submarine christening, meant only to wish for the safety of ships at sea, the resident said. Punishing ‘capitalist’ behavior Though anti-superstition laws have long been on the books they were not strictly enforced all the time, but the recent passing of a new “anti-capitalist” law caused authorities to be less tolerant of superstitious activities. The 2020 Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Act, is aimed at preserving the purity of North Korean socialist ideals by harshly punishing people for watching foreign media, speaking like a “South Korean,” wearing “capitalist” fashion, or even dancing like a “capitalist.” The law does not specifically mention superstitions and the fishermen are emulating their own ancestors rather than “capitalist” fishermen in the South, but authorities have interpreted their activity as “reactionary ideology” brought in from the outside. Fishermen have therefore been secretly holding these ceremonies under cover of night to avoid being punished. In this North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency released photo on Sept. 8, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a launching ceremony for a new tactical nuclear attack submarine in North Korea. Credit: KCNA via Reuters “I couldn’t help but be surprised that a ceremony that the authorities say is a punishable superstitious act was held in front of Kim Jong Un,” the resident said, adding that the small ceremonies fall under Article 256, a different law that forbids fortune telling, divination, and exorcism as superstitious acts. According to that law, punishments can range from “up to a year” in a disciplinary labor facility to “a minimum of three to seven years” depending on how serious the act is. “After seeing the reports of the submarine launch ceremony, fishermen and other residents are saying that the authorities are two-faced, and they should no longer have to do their own ceremonies in secret,” the resident said. It was the first time that a ship christening was reported in state media, a resident of Rason’s surrounding North Hamgyong province told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely. “It is deeply contradictory for the authorities to tell residents not to believe in superstitions and not engage in superstitious behavior, but then to do something similar [themselves.]” he said. “People are mocking the authorities by asking, ‘Do [the authorities] believe in superstitions, too? Is it okay to do superstitious acts in front of Kim Jong Un?’” Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
Close call as Chinese ships again harass Philippine ships in Manila’s EEZ
The Chinese ships began to swarm around the BRP Cabra soon after 7 a.m. on Friday, sailing uncomfortably close to and hemming in the Philippine Coast Guard ship as it escorted civilian boats toward Ayungin Shoal. A China Coast Guard ship, with bow number CCG 21616, was the first to arrive on scene some 10 nautical miles (18.5 km) from the shoal located in South China Sea waters within the Philippines exclusive economic zone. A BenarNews correspondent and other reporters, who were given special permission to travel aboard the Cabra and another coast guard ship for the resupply mission, witnessed the tense moments at sea. Similar scenes where Chinese ships acted aggressively had played out lately during previous Philippine missions to deliver supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusty old navy ship that serves as Manila’s military outpost at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. “Philippine vessel, you are approaching the waters of China. To avoid miscalculation and misunderstanding, please inform your intention,” the China Coast Guard ship radioed to the BRP Cabra at around 6:30 a.m. The Cabra radioed back, saying it was “conducting lawful routine maritime patrol within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in accordance with international and Philippine laws.” “Request to stay clear from our passage in accordance with collision regulations,” the radio operator said from the Cabra’s bridge. About 30 minutes later, at least three other CCG ships and vessels from China’s maritime militia fleet joined the fray. The Chinese ships then executed maneuvers to try to impede the civilian boats’ passage that Philippine Coast Guard officials described as dangerously close. A CCG vessel, with bow number 21551, repeatedly tried to cut the Cabra’s path to separate it from one of the supply boats. After failing to overtake the Cabra from the right side, CCG 21551 then sped up to overtake it from the left side. As the Chinese ship executed this maneuver, it sailed toward the Cabra and then abruptly stopped only three to five meters (9.8 to 16.4 feet) from the Philippine ship, PCG officials said. During the standoff, at least a dozen more radio exchanges as well as challenges and counter-challenges ensued between the Philippine and Chinese ships. “Your behavior has infringed upon [the] authority, security, and interest of China. I warn you, please leave the area immediately. Any consequences will be borne by you,” a voice from CCG 5305, the largest of the China Coast Guard ships present, warned the Cabra’s crew. After being separated from their PCG escort ships, as the Chinese ships had intended, the Filipino civilian boats managed to sail on, reach the Sierra Madre, pick up Philippine Navy personnel and deliver food and other supplies. The coast guard rated the latest mission a success, despite the tense encounter with the Chinese vessels. “The routine RoRe [rotational and resupply] mission was again subjected to dangerous maneuvers, jeopardizing the crew members’ safety aboard the PCG vessels and Philippine supply boats,” Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesman on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), said in a statement to media. This photo taken by a drone shows the Philippine Coast Guard Ship BRP Cabra surrounded by Chinese coast guard and maritime militia ships in South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) waters near Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, Sept. 8, 2023. Credit: Handout/Philippine Coast Guard During Friday’s incident, the PCG said it had recorded 10 instances of dangerous maneuvers carried out by four CCG ships and four Chinese maritime militia ships toward the BRP Cabra and another Philippine Coast Guard ship, the BRP Sindangan. Two Chinese warships from the People’s Liberation Army Navy were also spotted monitoring the area. At one point, CCG 5305 blew its horn three times while crossing the bow of BRP Sindangan at a distance of approximately 50 to 60 yards. The BRP Cabra, for its part, was corralled by five Chinese ships: three maritime militia vessels and a CCG ship in front, and another CCG ship behind. Overnight journey The crews of the Cabra and Sindangan, 44-meter-long (144.3-feet-long) coast guard multi-purpose response vessels, and the journalists aboard them had left the Philippine island of Palawan at around 9 a.m. on Thursday. The coast guard ships were deployed to escort two small supply boats, the Unaizah May 1 and Unaizah May 2, which the Philippine Navy had commissioned for its routine rotational and resupply mission. The wooden boats were transporting food, supplies, and a new batch of sailors headed to the Sierra Madre, a decrepit World War II-era ship. In 1999, the Philippines deliberately ran it aground in Ayungin Shoal, which lies in the contested Spratly Islands, in response to China’s occupation of nearby Mischief Reef. The two Unaizah May boats and the PCG vessels met up near Sabina Shoal late Thursday night, with the two smaller ships sailing between the coast guard ships. “That was the instruction to us, protect the Unaizah May boats,” Emmanuel Dangate, the commander of the Cabra, told the reporters aboard his ship. Emmanuel Dangate, commanding officer of the BRP Cabra, looks out from the ship’s bridge as Chinese vessels try to cut its path and maneuver close to it in waters near Ayungin Shoal, Sept. 8, 2023. Credit: Camille Elemia/BenarNews View from the bridge During Friday’s standoff, the atmosphere on the bridge of the Cabra was quiet and sober as the Chinese ships closed in on the PCG ship. Some of the crew were even smiling and joking around. Dangate, the Cabra’s skipper, remained calm as he gazed ahead from the bridge and gave orders to his crew. “During this kind of mission, it ignites our patriotism and dedication,” the commanding officer told the select group of reporters, who had been allowed to travel to get a rare first-hand view of one of the Philippine resupply missions. From time to time, he would look through his binoculars and ask brief questions to his team. “Does that ship have an AIS [automatic identification system]?” he asked, pointing to a distant vessel…
G20 ends on high note for Indian host
The G20 wound up on Sunday with leaders visiting a memorial statue to Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, a day after adding 55 new member states via the African Union and coming up with a compromise communique soft on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the African Union to join the G20 as a permanent member on Saturday in his opening remarks, calling on members to end a “global trust deficit.” “It is time for all of us to move together,” Modi said. Despite widespread anticipation that this year’s summit would be a damp squib, it appeared to have featured some significant pushback on China’s apparent unwillingness to play ball with the developed world. Modi announced on Saturday that negotiators had resolved deep differences over the wording on the war in Ukraine, but the phrasing – not invasion by Russia but “war in Ukraine” – was clearly a bone to Russia and China, whose leaders did not attend. China and Russia were opposed to any joint statement that censures Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden skipped the final session of the summit, heading to Vietnam, where a Whitehouse official said the two nations would elevate their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, putting it on a par with Beijing and Moscow’s engagement with Hanoi. U.S. President Joe Biden leaves for Vietnam after attending the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, India, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023. Credit: AP Modi pronounced the summit a success. “On the back of the hard work of all the teams, we have received consensus on the G20 Leaders Summit Declaration. I announce the adoption of this declaration,” Modi told the G20 leaders in New Delhi. “#G20India has been the MOST ambitious in the history of #G20 presidencies. With 112 outcomes and presidency documents, we have more than tripled the substantive work from previous presidencies,” said India’s G20 Sherpa representative Amitabh Kant on social media. Commentators said that it was significant that India appeared to be ready to take a more assertive role in global politics. Modi ended the summit by passing on the ceremonial gavel to Brazil’s president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose country takes over the bloc’s presidency. Welcome Africa The announcement of permanent inclusion of the 55-nation African Union (AU) is likely to be a blow for Chinese president Xi Jinping, who did not attend the summit for unknown reasons, and recently heralded the new membership of six countries in the BRICS grouping as “historic.” The AU’s young population of 1.3 billion is expected to double by 2050, when it will account for a quarter of the global population. It’s strategically important to both China, Africa’s largest trading partner and one of its largest lenders, and Russia, its leading arms provider. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, shares a light moment with African Union Chairman Azali Assoumani upon his arrival at Bharat Mandapam convention center for the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. Credit: Pool via Reuters Meanwhile, in what will likely be seen as a challenge to Xi’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), U.S. President Joe Biden, Modi and allies announced a rail and shipping corridor connecting India with the Middle East and ultimately Europe. The project will include the United States, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the European Union and other countries in the G20. Commentators speculate it will enable greater trade and be an ambitious counter to China’s massive BRI, through which it has sought to invest and lend its way to making its economy better connected with the world. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands next to U.S. President Joe Biden on the first day of the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, Sept. 9, 2023. Credit: AP/POOL The moves on Saturday, which were roundly seen as pushback against China, came against a background of speculation as to why China’s Xi was not present and calls for Beijing to explain itself. “It’s incumbent upon the Chinese government to explain” why its leader “would or would not participate,” Jon Finer, the U.S. deputy national security adviser, told reporters in Delhi. He said there was speculation that China is “giving up on G20” in favor of groupings like BRICS, where it is dominant. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who attended the summit as a representative of Xi, called on the European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for greater unity and cooperation between the two sides to counter global uncertainties, according to a statement on Sunday from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Li urged the EU to provide a non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies, as the bloc becomes warier of the risks of engaging China, seeing it as a “systemic rival” since 2019. Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan.
Vietnam wants it all in balancing its ties with the US and China
President Joe Biden is heading to Vietnam for a visit that will upgrade bilateral relations to a “strategic comprehensive partnership,” a symbolic step that opens the door to wider cooperation between former Cold War foes who are now grappling with an assertive, powerful China. The elevated status is a symbolic gesture that recognizes the developed state of U.S.-Vietnam ties, almost 30 years after they normalized diplomatic relations and a half century since the end of the Vietnam War. But it doesn’t reflect a fundamental change in Vietnamese policy. Indeed, it should be seen as a manifestation of what Hanoi calls its omnidirectional and independent foreign policy. The overall growth of the relationship will remain hemmed in by the fact that the communist leaders who run Vietnam share the same world view as those who control China. In a partnership hierarchy created by the Vietnamese government, at the very top are neighbors Laos and Cambodia. However, what was once Vietnam’s secure western flank is now a source of concern with China’s surge in influence through investment, lending, development projects, and corruption. Comprehensive strategic partnerships had been reserved for Vietnam’s friends since the days of the revolution: Russia, China, and India. In 2023, in recognition of their burgeoning economic relationship, Vietnam elevated South Korea to that pantheon, recently followed by Singapore and Australia, and soon Indonesia. Liu Jianchao [shown], the head of the Communist Party of China’s International Liaison Department, recently met with General Secretary of Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong. Credit: Andy Wong/AP file photo For the U.S., the leapfrog from Vietnam’s comprehensive partner to a comprehensive strategic partner is important for three reasons. First, for top leaders in Hanoi, symbolism does matter. That a former foe is now on a par with revolutionary era friends is a win. Second, this upgrade will not please China, even though Hanoi has worked assiduously to try to convince Beijing that it is maintaining its independent foreign policy. It is inconceivable that Hanoi has not briefed Beijing on this, and Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has made party-to-party ties stronger than ever. He would not have approved the relationship upgrade if he felt insecure by Beijing’s reaction. Five days before Biden’s expected arrival this weekend, Liu Jianchao, the head of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Liaison Department met with Trong, who no doubt gave him further assurances. While Washington may want to rankle Beijing, which has overplayed its hand in the region with its aggressive South China Sea behavior and hawkish “Wolf Warrior” diplomacy, its real goal is to see Vietnam be strong enough to assert its vaunted autonomous foreign policy. Hanoi will no doubt be sending a politburo-level delegation to assure Beijing that the upgrade is not a lurch towards the United States or in any way anti-Chinese, but a manifestation of Vietnam’s independent and omni-directional foreign policy. Third, at the bureaucratic level, it’s hoped that the upgrade gives political top cover for the line ministries to increase their cooperation with U.S. counterparts across a range of issues, from countering narcotics and human trafficking to security cooperation. The upgrade does not automatically lead to more market access, more trade and investment, more port visits and other military engagements, but it won’t hurt their prospects either. In short, this upgrade is long overdue, and reflects the fact that the U.S. has far deeper ties than many other states ranked above it. An economic imperative The upgrade comes as Vietnam’s economy is slowing dramatically. Despite 8.5% growth in 2022, GDP only grew by 3.72% in the first six months of 2023, half the target. The Asian Development Bank and IMF have lowered their annual forecasts to 5.8% and 4.7%, respectively. While Vietnam has benefitted from corporate supply chain diversification out of China, that trend has also made the economy over-dependent on exports, which have fallen for five consecutive months, the longest slump in 14 years. In July, exports fell 3.5%. Industrial production contracted 1.8% in the first half of 2023, causing a 13% year-on-year increase in industrial layoffs. While Vietnam enjoys a large trade surplus with the U.S. – $44.3 billion in the first seven months of 2023 – that is down 24% year-on-year. Vietnam runs enormous trade deficits with China, as its manufactured goods are highly dependent on imported Chinese components. Without its exports to the U.S., Vietnam would run chronic trade deficits. As a direct foreign investor, the U.S. lags behind South Korea, Singapore, China, and Japan. In early 2023, Boeing announced a production facility, while Apple shifted an iPad production line out of China to Vietnam. But there’s plenty of room for growth. We should also not lose sight of portfolio investment from the U.S., where one fund alone has invested $1.5 billion in six projects. An employee works at Heesung Electronics Vietnam factory in Hai Phong, Vietnam, Aug. 29, 2023. Vietnam’s economy is slowing, with GDP growth of only 3.72% in the first six months of 2023. Credit: Nhac Nguyen/AFP Corporate Vietnam is trying to make a splash in the U.S.. Electric vehicle maker VinFast broke ground on a $4 billion plant in North Carolina, and has seen wild stock valuations after its recent listing on NASDAQ. VinFast sees the United States as the key to its growth, if not viability, despite a rocky first nine months that saw few sales and a recall. The tech firm VNG, Vietnam’s first “unicorn,” has filed paperwork for its listing on NASDAQ. If Vietnam is to escape the middle-income trap, it’s through trade and investment ties with the U.S., not China. To that end, executives from a swath of U.S. semiconductor and other tech industry will be joining Biden’s trip. What remains missing in U.S. policy towards the Asia-Pacific is an economic architecture. Since the withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership in January 2017, the United States has abdicated its leadership. States are going along with the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) , but only to keep Washington…
African Union joins G20 as compromise statement agreed
Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the African Union to join the G20 as a permanent member on Saturday in his opening remarks, calling on members to end a “global trust deficit.” “It is time for all of us to move together,” Modi said. Modi announced later in the day during the summit that negotiators had resolved deep differences over the wording on the war in Ukraine. “On the back of the hard work of all the teams, we have received consensus on the G20 Leaders Summit Declaration. I announce the adoption of this declaration,” Modi told the G20 leaders in New Delhi. China and Russia are known to be opposed to any joint statement that censures Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite widespread anticipation that this year’s summit would be a damp squib – perhaps resulting in no communique at all – the G20 appeared to be pushing back on China’s apparent lack of willingness to play ball with the developed world. The announcement of permanent inclusion of the 55-nation African Union (AU) is likely to be a blow for Chinese president Xi Jinping, who is not attending the summit for unknown reasons, and recently heralded the new membership of six countries in the BRICS grouping as “historic.” The AU’s young population of 1.3 billion is expected to double by 2050, when it will account for a quarter of the global population. It’s strategically important to both China, Africa’s largest trading partner and one of its largest lenders, and Russia, its leading arms provider. U.S. President Joe Biden listens to the opening remarks of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the first session of the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. Credit: Evan Vucci/Pool via Reuters Meanwhile, in what will likely be seen as a challenge to Xi’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), U.S. President Joe Biden, Modi and allies were reported to have plans to announce a rail and shipping corridor connecting India with the Middle East and ultimately Europe. The project would include the United States, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the European Union and other countries in the G20, the Associated Press reported Jon Finer, Biden’s principal deputy national security adviser, as saying. Biden, Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were to announce the project as part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment, with commentary speculating that it would enable greater trade and be an ambitious counter to China’s massive BRI, through which it has sought to invest and lend its way to making its economy better connected with the world. The moves on Saturday, which were roundly seen as pushback against China, came against a background of speculation as to why China’s Xi was not present and calls for Beijing to explain itself. “It’s incumbent upon the Chinese government to explain” why its leader “would or would not participate,” Jon Finer, the U.S. deputy national security adviser, told reporters in Delhi. He said there was speculation that China is “giving up on G20” in favor of groupings like BRICS, where it is dominant. Edited by Elaine Chan and Mike Firn.
And then there were three
Taiwan’s richest man, Terry Gou, has joined the island’s presidential race, setting up a January 2024 contest pitting three opposition hopefuls against the ruling party candidate. Gou, the founder of electronics giant Foxconn, jumped into a race in which the China-friendly opposition “blue camp” vote was already fractured between Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang and Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party. Analysts say Gou’s move will only serve to further bolster the fortunes of Lai Ching-te of the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party, which rejects Beijing’s claims over and threats to self-governing Taiwan.
Myanmar’s United Wa State Army deports alleged Chinese scammers
Myanmar’s rebel United Wa State Army has captured more than 1,000 people it said were working for online fraud gangs and handed them over to Chinese police at Shan state’s border with China, a Wa Liaison Office representative told Radio Free Asia on Friday. The officer, Nyi Rang, said – with the assistance of the Chinese police – the ethnic army carried out two days of raids on Wednesday and Thursday and deported those arrested immediately. He said they were all Chinese nationals. The United Wa State Army controls Shan state’s Special Administrative Region, known as Wa state. It has an estimated 30,000 soldiers and maintains close ties with China. RFA Burmese called junta Deputy Information Officer Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun to confirm the reports but nobody answered. RFA also sent an email to the Chinese Embassy in Yangon but had not received a reply as of Friday evening local time. China’s Ministry of Public Security said Myanmar transferred 1,207 suspects including 41 fugitives to China, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Scammers are known to operate in the Special Administrative Region, luring Burmese and foreign nationals with offers of fake jobs, then forcing them to use Facebook and Telegram accounts to defraud people with fake cryptocurrency deals and other scams, as well as laundering money. A resident of Mong Pauk town, 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with China, said he witnessed the arrested being taken away. “I saw that the arrested were taken in six military trucks yesterday. And more than 100 were caught today,” said the local who didn’t want to be named for fear of reprisals. “They all are fraudsters. The arrested Chinese citizens are being sent [to China] at the border gates in Panghsang [Pangkam].” Some people posted photos and videos on Facebook and TikTok showing hundreds of police leading away groups of men and some women and taking them to the border. RFA has not verified the images. One Mong Pauk resident who works in labor affairs urged people to try to get their children back from the scam centers. “Right now, families need to contact their children who have been sold to money laundering gangs as soon as possible,” the person said. “I also want to encourage parents to call their children if they know where they have been sold.” Residents said fraud gangs are operating in United Wa State Army controlled areas of the region, including Pangkam and Mong Pauk towns, along with Laukkaing and Chinshwehaw in northern Shan state, as well as Shwe Kokko in Kayin state. On Aug. 26, the Chinese Embassy in Yangon said Myanmar police had handed over 24 Chinese nationals, including the leader of an online fraud gang. Hundreds of thousands of people in Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar are being threatened and tortured by criminal gangs and forced into online scams, according to a U.N. report released on August 29. It said that over 120,000 people in Myanmar and 100,000 people in Cambodia are being forced to commit financial fraud online. These gangs are active in the border areas of countries with political and military conflicts, the U.N. said. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan.
Tens of thousands gather in Seoul to protest Fukushima discharge
Tens of thousands of Koreans gathered in front of Seoul’s City Hall over the weekend to protest Japan’s release of radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. Japan started the gradual release of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean on Aug. 24, despite regional and local concerns, with plans to eventually pump more than a million metric tons of it into the sea. Saturday’s demonstration drew support from more than 80 civic organizations and four political parties, including the main opposition Democratic Party. Spreading across four vehicle lanes, demonstrators voiced their concerns with chants and displayed banners with slogans including, “Immediately stop the Fukushima water release” and “Denounce the Yoon Suk Yeol leadership.” They also asked for a ban on imports of all Japanese aquatic products, urging Korea’s leaders to file a lawsuit against the Japanese government with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. One of the protesters told Radio Free Asia that she was against the release and the Korean government for not putting pressure on Japan. “I am participating in this protest because I do not trust the Japanese government. I do not believe when they say it won’t have an impact,” Jeong Kim, a 23-year-old Seoul resident, said. “The Korean government should have pressured Japan to let independent scientists verify Tokyo’s claims,” she said. A fisherman said his job would be disrupted due to the release. “Many families like mine, who depend on the ocean for our livelihoods, would face serious consequences,” said Seoung Min, from the southeastern coast. Survey shows widespread concern One of the organizers told RFA she estimated the turnout was more than 50,000 people. After the leaders addressed the main event, various groups marched in different directions around the city, disrupting traffic in many areas. The rally went on for more than four hours. The protest comes just one day after Gallup Korea released a public survey that found three-quarters of Koreans were either “very worried” or “somewhat worried” that the Fukushima discharge would pollute Korea’s oceans and marine products. More than 60% said they were reluctant to consume seafood products. The survey of more than 1,000 Koreans was taken from Aug. 29 to 31 nationwide. Three protesters carry images of US, Japan, and South Korean leaders during a rally against Japan’s release of treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea in Seoul, Sept. 2, 2023. Credit: Subel Rai Bhandari for RFA Even though Tokyo – and many outside experts – have said the nuclear wastewater is not harmful, many South Koreans and Chinese have been vocal about the potential impact on people’s health and the environment. China has banned imports of Japanese seafood. TEPCO, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the power plant, which was damaged in a massive tsunami triggered by an earthquake on March 11, 2011, has said that the controlled discharge of the treated wastewater adheres to a meticulous nuclear purification process. The treatment leaves all but one primary radioactive isotope – tritium, which is impossible to separate from water, and so will be diluted to bring it below regulatory standards before the release. Many experts have called for more independent verification of the release plan, alleging that the decision to release the water was reached through a process that lacked full transparency and did not sufficiently include consultations with stakeholders from Japan and other countries. The U.N.’s atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been monitoring the release. Last month, it gave Tokyo the green light to start, saying the planned discharge meets relevant international safety standards and would have a “negligible” radiological impact on people and the environment. Over 1.3 million cubic meters of wastewater – enough to fill more than 500 Olympic-size swimming pools – currently contained in numerous water storage tanks at the facility is set to be released, which could take up to 40 years to complete. Edited by Mike Firn and Malcolm Foster.
