Taiwan; Trump on TikTok; IShowSpeed in China
Scheduling Note: There will be no newsletter March 27th.
I may be in your inboxes Friday if we get the readout of the March Politburo meeting, and it is interesting.
Summary of today’s top items:
1. Reporting Column for Heinous Acts of 'Taiwan Independence' Enforcers and Accomplices Persecuting Taiwan Compatriots - Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, gave a fiery press conference today. He denounced, as usual, the DPP and Taiwan President Lai, and also announced a new “Reporting Column for Heinous Acts of 'Taiwan Independence' Enforcers and Accomplices Persecuting Taiwan Compatriots 台独’打手、帮凶迫害台湾同胞恶劣行径举报专栏”. You can submit reports to jubao@suremail.cn.
2. Reaction to latest US entity listings - The Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said the “U.S. move is intended to suppress and contain entities from other countries and deprive other countries of their rights to development. It will seriously damage the legitimate rights and interests of relevant entities and undermine the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains. This U.S. move is not conducive to creating an atmosphere for both parties to resolve issues through dialogue and cooperation”. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said it is “typical hegemonic behavior, seriously violating international law and norms, damaging corporate rights and undermining global industrial and supply chain security”.
3. He Lifeng and USTR head talk - United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held an “ introductory” video meeting with Vice Premier He Lifeng. Both readouts make it sound pro-forma, but at least there is a channel for discussion, especially as we are just a week away from Trump’s tariff “liberation day”.
4. Trump dangles Tariff cuts for TikTok deal - In a press conference today he said “TikTok is very popular, very successful, very good. And we're gonna have a form of a deal. But if it's not finished, it's not a big deal; we'll just extend it. I have the right to have the deal and to extend it if I want. We have a lot of interest in TikTok. China is going to have to play a role in that, possibly, in the form of an approval maybe, and I think they'll do that. Maybe I'll give them a little reduction in tariffs or something to get it done.”
5. CK Hutchinson-BlackRock ports deal - According to Bloomberg the two sides expect to sign an agreement next week, even as Beijing-controlled Ta Kung Pao launched another broadside against the deal, and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, both central government bodies, again reposted it. It is not at all clear what Beijing or Hong Kong can do to block the deal, but there is still time to find a way.
6. IShowSpeed livestreaming from China - IShowSpeed is a livestreamer with 37 million YouTube followers. He is livestreaming from China this week and he is loving it. The Global Times praised his visit, writing “amid recent "China Travel" fever, more foreign internet influencers are visiting China. Among them, American YouTube sensation Darren "IShowSpeed" is under the spotlight with his ongoing China travel. “What are the odds this IShowSpeed PRC tour is organic and not officially supported in some way? Even if it has no official backing, it is a huge soft power win for the PRC. And if the tour does have official support then the cadres involved deserve promotions.
The PRC embassy in the US is a fan:
Earlier today I published this week’s episode of Sharp China - Welcoming Foreign Enterprises; Ships are the New Chips; He Weidong and More PLA Rumors; Deep-Sea Cable Cutter. From the show notes:
On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with the China Development Forum, including China's messaging to foreign investors, revisiting the Mintz raids as five detained employees are finally released, no updates on a Xi-Trump meeting, and news in the EV space. From there: The US plans to revive shipbuilding capacity, the likely disruption if the US adopts the USTR recommendations to counter Chinese dominance, Michael Froman writes that China has remade the international system, and a few more thoughts on the CK Hutchison deal. At the end: Rumors swirl around He Weidong and others in the PLA, what the noise might signal, and news of a deep-sea cable cutter is accompanied by a reminder that China constructs and protects deep sea cable like no other.
You can listen to it here.