Commander U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral John Aquilino and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, General Andres Centino signed the Maritime Security (Bantay Dagat) Framework May 23, 2022 at USINDOPACOM  headquarters on Camp Smith, Hawaii.  “Bantay Dagat” is a Tagalog term that means “Guardian of the Sea”, illustrating U.S. and Philippine resolve to improve regional maritime domain awareness and confront maritime challenges together.  
 
 
The framework is designed to enable a holistic, intergovernmental approach to maritime security through the interoperability of U.S. and Philippine maritime forces and option to include interagency organizations, and is a testament to the strength of the U.S. – Philippines alliance.

Xinjiang Police Files Show Xi Jinping’s Personal Involvement in Uyghur Persecution

One of the secret documents that the files expose is a speech given in June 2018 by Zhao Kezhi, China’s minister of public security. This document, which is marked “Classified Document, Return After Reading,” offers a naked insight into the thinking and mindset of the CCP, and its rationale for the coercive measures it has taken on the Uyghur people as well as other Turkic minorities.
 
Equally as important, Zhao’s speech pointedly and repeatedly identifies Chinese President Xi Jinping as the origin of the policies being wrought upon Uyghurs in Xinjiang. In a speech which in English is 10 pages long, “General Secretary Xi” appears 14 times, referring always to Xi by his Chinese Communist Party title.
 
Zhao opens by squarely identifying Xi as the primary architect and sponsor of the drive to detain without trial hundreds of thousands of people.
 
The first line of Zhao’s speech says, “This investigation study visit to Xinjiang was approved by General Secretary Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang; fully reflecting the great importance, concern and support of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core for the work in Xinjiang.”

"The purpose of the investigation study visit is to implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s strategy for governing Xinjiang and the important instructions given on January 6, to further advance the fight against terrorism, to summarize and study the good experience and good practices of Xinjiang’s counterterrorism and stability maintenance work, with a focus on doing some investigation study on the management of prisons and the southward development of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps."
 
Note the reference to “management of prisons.” Zhao identifies Xi as the chief strategist of the practices and policies that led to the arbitrary detention of roughly one million people in Xinjiang.

Xi Jinping’s own father was purged and sent to prison in a case of political machination. Xi himself was sent to the countryside for re-education, living in crude circumstances for years. Yet decades later, those experiences do not seem to resonate with China’s leader in ways that would temper his treatment of an ethnic minority of China. Quite the opposite.

@SofiaHCBBG
 
In today's China property news, a Greenland dollar bond sinks 36 cents after a request to delay repayment.
https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/l [...] 700123.pdf

La Chine ferme son espace aérien aux avions russes Boeing et Airbus dont le statut juridique n’est pas clair depuis les sanctions imposées à la Russie en réaction à l’invasion de l’Ukraine, affirme vendredi l’agence de presse russe RBK.

De nombreux avions utilisés par les compagnies aériennes russes appartiennent à des sociétés de leasing occidentales, lesquelles ont mis fin à leur coopération avec la Russie. Moscou a cependant refusé de restituer ces avions et les a réimmatriculés.
 
Pékin aurait ce mois-ci demandé des précisions à propos des avions volant vers la Chine, en l’occurrence des preuves qu’ils ne sont plus immatriculés à l’étranger. Sans ces preuves, les avions ne seront plus autorisés à voler vers ou au-dessus de la Chine, selon RBK.

British MPs call for audit of property and assets held by Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials
Cross-party group of lawmakers ask UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to pursue action as a ‘pathway to introducing targeted sanctions’
Unlike the US, Britain did not issue sanctions against individual Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials over controversial national security law

A group of 110 British lawmakers have called on Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to conduct an audit of assets held in the United Kingdom by Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials linked to human rights violations in the former colony.
In a letter made public on Friday, the cross-party group of members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords urged Truss to examine property and other assets held by Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials in Britain as a “pathway to introducing targeted sanctions”.
“It cannot be right that these Hong Kong officials along with their [mainland] Chinese counterparts who decry ‘Western interference’ and openly attack the right of the UK to stand by its historic, legal and moral commitment to the people of Hong Kong, at the same time continue to hide their wealth in property in the UK,” the lawmakers said in the letter.

SYDNEY, May 28 (Reuters) - China's foreign minister signed a deal with Samoa on Saturday to strengthen diplomatic relations, while Australia's new leader said he had a "comprehensive plan" for the Pacific, as Beijing and Canberra continued rival campaigns to woo the region.
 
China is building on a security pact it recently signed with Solomon Islands, which has alarmed the United States and its allies such as Australia as they fear a stepped-up military presence by Beijing. Australia's new centre-left government has made the Pacific Islands an early diplomatic priority

China punishes local officials for falsifying economic data

China has punished a number of local officials with demotions or dismissal for falsifying economic data, the country's statistics bureau said on Friday, as part of an effort to curb data fraud as the economy falters.
 
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) found data violations in 2020 and 2021 after conducting inspections in several cities - Xingtai in Hebei province, Jiaozuo in Henan province, Bijie and Anshun in Guizhou province, the bureau said in a statement on its website.

Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet after official visit to China

Good evening and thank you all for joining me here today. This press conference has to be virtual, given the COVID-19 restrictions in place. But I hope this means that those of you who may otherwise not have been able to travel here from different parts of China have been able to join.
 
Let me start by thanking the Government of China for its invitation. For the first time in 17 years, a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has been able to travel to China and speak directly with the most senior Government officials in the country, and other interlocutors on key human rights issues, in China and globally. I appreciate the Government’s efforts in making this visit happen, particularly the arrangements for my virtual meeting with President Xi Jinping.
 
I was also able to meet with State Councilor Wang Yi, the Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court, and with senior officials on public security, justice, ethnic affairs and human resources, the State Procuratorate, and the Governor of Guangdong Province. I also met with the All China Women’s Federation. During my two days in Kashgar and Urumqi, I met with a range of officials, including the Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), the Governor and the Vice-Governor in charge of public security, among others. I visited Kashgar prison and the Kashgar Experimental School, a former Vocational Education and Training Centre (VETC), among other places.
 
In addition, I was able to interact with civil society organisations, academics, and community and religious leaders and others inside and outside the country. In advance of my visit, my Office and I met virtually with a number of civil society organisations that are working on issues relating to Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and other parts of China. My visit has also been informed by the work of the UN human rights mechanisms on China over many years, and the preparatory work done by my office and my advance team that arrived in China on 25 April.
 
I should state from the outset what this visit was – and what it wasn’t. This visit was not an investigation – official visits by a High Commissioner are by their nature high-profile and simply not conducive to the kind of detailed, methodical, discreet work of an investigative nature. The visit was an opportunity to hold direct discussions – with China’s most senior leaders – on human rights, to listen to each other, raise concerns, explore and pave the way for more regular, meaningful interactions in the future, with a view to supporting China in fulfilling its obligations under international human rights law.
 
Considering China’s significant role in multilateralism, the visit was an opportunity for me to also discuss several other regional and global issues, where China can use its leverage to bring political solutions.
 
To those who have sent me appeals, asking me to raise issues or cases with the authorities - I have heard you. Your advocacy matters and my visit was an opportunity to raise a number of specific situations and issues of concern with the Government. I will continue to follow up on such issues and instances of concern on a sustained basis.
 
It would be presumptuous of me to try to encapsulate the full complexity of this vast country’s human rights situation in one statement but allow me to highlight the key topics we were able to discuss at length.
 
Poverty alleviation and the eradication of extreme poverty, 10 years ahead of its target date, are tremendous achievements of China. The introduction of universal health care and almost universal unemployment insurance scheme go a long way in ensuring protection of the right to health and broader social and economic rights. China’s efforts in support of the multilateral 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, both at home and internationally, are also valued. We stressed the importance of advancing gender parity and appropriate geographical distribution.
 
Over the years, there have been important legislative and judicial reforms. On gender equality, I welcome revision of the Law on Protecting Women’s Rights and Interests, which should bring about several improvements for protection of women’s rights. I also commend the recent reform of the Civil Code that introduced provisions on sexual harassment as well as the anti-domestic violence law that provides for restraining orders to protect women and children at risk. Of course, as in every country, implementation is key, so it will be important for the authorities to be vigilant in that regard and respond to concerns about how the law is applied in practice. I would like to see more women at all levels of political representation, and have encouraged businesses to create the conditions for more women at the top as well.
 
I welcome China’s stated aim of ensuring quality development, closely linked to strengthening the rule of law and respect for human rights. This is formulated in the Human Rights Action Plan of China and other policy documents. My team had in-depth discussions on how national legislation and practices must reflect international human rights laws and standards, particularly in relation to law enforcement and judicial procedures, and we look forward to continuing to share our expertise with the Government and judiciary.
 
The commitment in the Human Rights Action Plan of China to enforce more rigorous procedures for reviewing capital sentences and implement a more stringent mechanism for reporting and reviewing death penalty cases is also welcome. It is important to issue data on the death penalty, and I do hope China will join the growing international momentum towards abolition of the death penalty.
 
In my discussions with senior officials, the themes of development, peace and security arose in every meeting. Of course, for development, peace and security to be sustainable, it needs to be inclusive and rooted in protection of human rights.
 
I share the concerns of a number of UN human rights mechanisms about laws and policies to counter terrorism and radicalism and their application.
 
Violent acts of extremism have a terrible, serious impact on the lives of victims, including those tasked to protect the community. But it is critical that counter-terrorism responses do not result in human rights violations. The application of relevant laws and policies, and any mandatory measures imposed on individuals, need to be subject to independent judicial oversight, with greater transparency of judicial proceedings. All victims must be able to seek redress.
 
In the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, I have raised questions and concerns about the application of counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation measures and their broad application – particularly their impact on the rights of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities. While I am unable to assess the full scale of the VETCs, I raised with the Government the lack of independent judicial oversight of the operation of the program, the reliance by law enforcement officials on 15 indicators to determine tendencies towards violent extremism, allegations of the use of force and ill treatment in institutions, and reports of unduly severe restrictions on legitimate religious practices. During my visit, the Government assured me that the VETC system has been dismantled. I encouraged the Government to undertake a review of all counter terrorism and deradicalization policies to ensure they fully comply with international human rights standards, and in particular that they are not applied in an arbitrary and discriminatory way.
 
Before coming to China, I heard from some Uyghur families now living abroad who have lost contact with their loved ones. In my discussions with the authorities, I appealed to them to take measures to provide information to families as a matter of priority.
 
I also share the concerns of UN human rights mechanisms about legitimate activities by lawyers, human rights defenders and others being penalized under the national security framework. UN human rights bodies have found the system of Residential Surveillance constitutes arbitrary detention and have called for its repeal.
 
My interactions with NGOs in China were also enriching. There is important work being done to advance gender equality, the rights of LGBTI people, of people with disabilities and older people, among others.
 
China has a tradition of grassroots engagement, and I cannot overstate how important this is. Broadening the space for meaningful participation and advocacy by civil society is crucial to strengthen participation and the freedom of expression.
 
On the Tibet Autonomous Region, it is important the linguistic, religious and cultural identity of Tibetans be protected, and that Tibetan people are allowed to participate fully and freely in decisions about their religious life and for dialogue to take place. I discussed education policies in the Tibet Autonomous Region and stressed the importance of children learning in their own language and culture in the setting of their families or communities.
 
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has long been respected as a centre for human rights and independent media in the region. It is important that the Government there do all it can to nurture – and not stifle – the tremendous potential for civil society and academics in Hong Kong to contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights in the HKSAR and beyond. The arrests of lawyers, activists, journalists and others under the National Security Law are deeply worrying. Hong Kong is due to be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Committee in July, as a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
 
I have called on China to also ratify the Covenant, which it signed in 1998.
 
China’s recent ratification of of the two International Labour Organization Conventions (29 and 105) on forced labour, once deposited, will be a welcome and an important starting point for protecting fundamental principles and rights at work. Beyond ratification, it will now be important to build a broad-based system, encompassing not only on labour inspection and enforcement, but prevention and due diligence. Civil society actors – including business, trade unions, NGOs and the media – also have an important role to monitor compliance and highlight gaps. I encouraged China to engage constructively with ILO.
 
I was also able to engage with representatives of China’s business community, and am encouraged to see Chinese companies and sectors embracing human rights standards for their operations and supply chains.
 
Given the many intersecting global crises facing the world today, including climate change, threats to peace and security and instability in the global economic system, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has a very important role to play as a key contributor in multilateral and regional fora.
 
We agreed to establish regular engagement between the UN Human Rights Office and the Government of China, including through an annual senior strategic meeting for discussion of issues of respective interest at national, regional, or global levels.
 
We also agreed to establish a working group to facilitate substantive exchanges and cooperation between my Office and the Government through meetings in Beijing and in Geneva, as well as virtual meetings. This working group will organize a series of follow-up discussions about specific thematic areas, including but not limited to development, poverty alleviation and human rights, rights of minorities, business and human rights, counter-terrorism and human rights, digital space and human rights, judicial and legal protection and human rights, as well as other issues raised by either side.
 
This will allow for structured engagement of my Office with China on a number of human rights issues. This is especially important as my Office does not have a country presence. The working group will also provide a space for us to bring to attention of the Government a number of specific matters of concern.
 
The Government has also stated that it will invite senior officials from the Office to visit China in the future.
 
I spoke to everyone I met in China – regional and national officials, civil society, academics, diplomats and others – with candour, with a sincere desire to make progress on the promotion and protection of human rights for all. I hope we can build on this open and frank approach to carry forward these exchanges in a meaningful and impactful way.

Taiwan offered hope after they fled Hong Kong. Now, they’re leaving again.
People from Hong Kong see their long-term residency applications rejected by Taiwan over ties to China — the place they escaped

Observers say the government has made a political calculation that the silent majority of Taiwanese do not want to see large inflows from Hong Kong. For some, it is an uncomfortable reminder of the arrival of about 2 million refugees fleeing China after the Nationalist government’s defeat by the Chinese Communist Party in 1949, which irrevocably changed the makeup of Taiwanese society.
 
“I feel like the main aim of the policy now is to not let Hong Kongers in. Pretending that they are helping is enough,” said one former official who worked on assistance efforts for Hong Kongers, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Upgraded trade talks with EU on semiconductors signal an advance in Taiwan’s standing

But perhaps more important was the symbolism: this was the first ministerial-level trade talks between Taipei and Brussels, co-chaired by the EU’s director general of trade, Sabine Weyand, and Taiwan’s minister of economic affairs, Mei-Hua Wang.

It came after months of EU deliberations on how and when to upgrade its annual dialogue with Taipei, but also just a day after the United States launched an economic and trade initiative of its own with Taiwan. Both moves demonstrate the self-governing island’s growing economic and geopolitical importance to the West.

Thursday’s talks did not yield many tangible announcements, but Brussels secured Taipei’s support for its European Chips Act, a €42 billion (US$48 billion) blueprint to manufacture one-fifth of the world’s microchips by 2030.

The Chinese Government has been running war drills on its far north-eastern border, raising expert concerns the superpower could be considering a push into Russian territory with Moscow focused on its invasion of Ukraine.
 
The Klaxon has obtained images and details of China’s airforce and army conducting secretive exercises in the Russian border areas along the Ussuri River, near Russia’s sparsely populated Khabarovsk and Ussuriysk regions, in February and March this year.
 
They involve Chinese Airforce fighter jets and bombers running drills, including live-fire exercises, out of its north-eastern Harbin Air Base, and China’s 78th Group Army running tank and armoured vehicle tactical drills.
 
They activities are considered unusual because the only border China shares in the region is with Russia.
 
China publicly backed Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
 
“Beijing secretly began its airforce and armoured unit drills from February, near Russian borders, in the name of routine exercises,” said one senior intelligence source.
 
“China shares its entire north-eastern border with Russia, yet it still feels the need to conduct such drills, specially where its fighter jets and bombers practice taking out ground targets which can only be in Russian territory.”

'Top Gun: Maverick' brings back the Taiwan flag after controversy

"Top Gun: Maverick" is now showing Taiwan's official flag after an outcry, putting its release in mainland China in jeopardy.
 
The box office mega-hit — which is by far Tom Cruise's biggest-ever commercial debut — now features his character sporting the flag on his iconic bomber jacket, including in the version shown in Taiwan.
Initially, the film's trailer in 2019 had shown otherwise. During the preview, the patches on Cruise's jacket, which originally bore flags that represent Taiwan and Japan, appeared to have been swapped out and replaced with two ambiguous symbols in the same color scheme.

Now, the film's update is likely to anger some fans and officials in mainland China.
"There's a high probability Beijing will ban the release and monetization of 'Top Gun' in China," said Chris Fenton, former president of DMG Entertainment and author of the book "Feeding the Dragon: Inside the Trillion-Dollar Dilemma Facing Hollywood, the NBA, and American Business."
"There's also a probability the Chinese government will blackball the studio, filmmakers, and actors from the market for an extended period of time," Fenton added. "We've witnessed similar punishments in the past."

"That's a likely calculation that led to the decision [for producers to include Taiwan's flag]," said Fenton. "The global goodwill generated by reinstating the flags easily outweighs any potential revenues from China."
The move delighted fans in Taiwan: Social media users there cheered the decision online this week, with some calling it a "pleasant surprise."