| ECFA Newsletter |
| www.europeanchinafriendshipassociation.nl Nieuwsbrief nummer 8 15-10-2019 |
Preface
It’s China’s birthday party. That is why ECFA is celebrating this party in China with our members. China has been in existenc e for 70 years and has rapidly developed from a poor agricultural state into a modern world power that will also become the world leader within a few years. In the 19th century England was the world ruler , in the 20th century the United States of America (USA) andinthe21stcenturyitbecameChina.Belowisaphotoofsomegroupmembers whocheckedinattheairportonSeptember the 28th for the trip to China. You will also find a link with which you can view the entire military parade that was held on that day.Acountrythatcandevelopsoquicklyalsobetrays thegoodmentalityofitsinhabitants:hardworkforpeopleandhomeland. Many countries can learn a lot from this development.
With this link you can enjoy the military parade DURING OCTOBER the 1st. https://youtu.be/R-Ts252oBG4 ENJOY!
Our Chairman
Roy Ho Ten Soeng
Roy Ho Ten Soeng in Brussel
Our chairman has spent the last five years in many areas giving the ECFA a prominent place. He is now transferring the baton to Frank Man, the new Chairman. According to the Rules of Procedure, he then becomes honorary president of the ECFA. From the 1stofOctoberhewillalsobeworkingeighthoursaweek attheEUasasupporteroftheMEP ToineManders.Hereheisalready in the EU meeting room where all 751 members from all countries meet. Until a good secretary is found, he will help Frank Man to build the ECFA secretariat. Mr. Frank Man will appoint his own new members .
China ‘won’t give an inch’
after Donald Trump threatens more tariffs for failing to make sufficient concessions to US
ChinasaidonthelastweekofSeptember thatitwouldnot “give an inch” by offering trade concessions to the United States and promised to retaliate if Donald Trump went ahead with his threat to impose more tariffs. Both the foreign and commerce ministries said the US would have to “bear all the consequences”and demanded more sincerity from Washington if negotiations were to continue following the president’s latest announcement, which caught many in Beijing off guard.
Trump announced on Thursday in a series of tweets that he would impose “a small, additional” levy of 10 per cent on US$300 billion worth of Chinese imports starting on September 1st because the latest round of talks had not yielded sufficient concessions from Beijing. He also complained that China had so far failed to act on a pledge to stop sales of Fentanyl, a drug blamed for thousands of deaths, to the US.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said Trump’s announcement had violated the agreement reached between the two nations following a summit between Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in late June, when the US promised not to impose further tariffs.
A statement released by the Ministry of Commerce said Chinawouldinevitablyimposecountermeasurestoprotect its core interests. ‘’The US has to bear all the consequences,’’ the statement said. “China believes there will be no winners of this trade war and does not want to fight. But we are not afraid to fight and will fight if necessary”.
Trump’s announcement followed Wednesday’s conclusion of the first face-to-face talks between the two sides since May.After the meeting, Chinasaiditwouldpurchasemore US agricultural products – based on its own domestic needs – while the US said it wanted further negotiations to worktowards “an enforceable trade deal”.
China also said it would have more intensive discussions with the US, and another face-to-face meeting was scheduled in September. Officials did not give details on the possible countermeasures China would take, but observers said China would be less willing to buy US agricultural products, and could restrict exports of rare earths – a key material used in the manufacturing of hi -tech products such as smartphones .
Itmayalsospeeduptheproductionofitslistof“unreliable entities” – companies deemed to pose a threat to China’sinterests–ameasurethatcouldtargetUSfirmsandhamper their operations in China.
Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University, said Trump’s “brutal” announcement meant the Shanghai talks had failed. The move will also “leave little room” for China to meet Trump’s requests and overshadow future rounds of talks, he added. The latest developments also reduce the likelihood of China revisiting pledges it had made earlier this before talks collapsed in May, when the US accused China of trying to revise the agreement. A research note by ING said that the unreliable entity list may prevent some US companies from doing businesses with Chinese companies and that Beijing might restrictrareearth exports to slowdown US production.
Everbright Sun Hung Kai said in another research note that China had already sought to diversify the sourcing of its imports, such as buying more wheat and soybeans from Russia.
“The stance held by the US president is unlikely to be well – received, given that China has repeatedly spoken against what it sees as action in poor faith,” it said.“Though there is wiggle room for China to prevent these tariffs by meeting Trump’s demands before the implementation date, there appears to be littleopportunity to stave off the new call for further tariffs”. Lu Xiang, a fellow on US issues with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it was Trump’s styleto playtoughandraisethestakes.
He expected China to be ready to unveil countermeasures, mainly in non-tariff areas, but also said the trade talks were also likely to continue. ‘’On the US agricultural products, there is no turning back for Trump. His fierce reaction showed he is anxious to find a solution to sell American farm goods to China. But China won’t do it unconditionally,”saidLu.
John Gong, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said Trump’s latest move could be a “negotiating tactic” to press China into buying US agricultural products.
Commentary: Why Pence’s China smearing won’t work
BRUSSELS, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) — The fear-mongering rhetoric about China made by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence during his recentEuropeantour isafutileattempt todriveawedge between ChinaandEurope.
In a trip that took him to Poland, Ireland, Iceland and Britain, Mike Pence, the Vice President chief of staff, went to great lengths to smear China on al most each and every occasion, touching upon issues concerning China’s telecommunication giant Huawei,tradeaswellastheBeltandRoadInitiative(BRI).Butunfortunately,Pence’s allegationsaretooabsurdtowithstand anyserious factcheck.
On Huawei, the U.S. government has launched fierce offensive against the private company by fabricating claims of the company posing a security risk. However, Washington has so far failed to offer any credible evidence to prove its accusations .
AsHuaweiisdeeplyembedded intheglobalsupplychain,theChinesecompanyhasbeenwidelyregardedasatime-proven, reliable and safe business partner. It won’t be easy for Washington to persuade even its own allies to ban Huawei over groundless charges.
On trade, Washington itself is a threat to the international trade system. Since it took office more than two years ago, the current U.S. administration has taken on many of its major trading partners around the world, claiming that they have been taking advantage of the United States in global free trade.
Moreover, Washington’s trade hawks have launched a tariff war on a global scale, including levying punitive duties on aluminumandsteel imports from the European Union.
As these trade disputes linger, the world economy is suffering as well. Some key European powers have collectively called on Washingtonto backoff, includingits tradepolicyagainstBeijing.
Therefore, Pence’sboastof”astrongstandonfreeandfairandreciprocaltrade”isuntenableandwilldefinitelyfallondeaf ears.
As for the BRI, more than 150 countries and international organizations so far have signed BRI deals with China, including some European countries likeGreece, Hungary and Italy.
Pence’s China smearingcampaignwill notwork. Instead,Washingtonshouldreflecton its own policies anddeeds,including turning a blind eye to climate change and walking away from the Iranian nuclear deal, moves that have alienated its partners worldwide.
Editor:Huaxia Source: Xinhua
China–European Union relations
What we should know about it; general and historic information
Relations between the European Union (EU) and China or Sino–European relations were established in 1975. According to the European External Action Service, the EU and China rela tions aim for cooperation in the areas of “peace, prosperity, sustainable development and people-to-people exchanges. ’’The EU is China’s largest trading partner, and China is the EU’s second largest trade partner after the United States, while the EU has put an arms embargo and numerous anti-dumping measures in place.
In the jointly adopted EU-China 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation of 2013, the EU reaffirmed its respect for China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while China reaffirmed its support to EU integration. An annual EU-China Summit is being held each year to discuss political and economic relations as well as global and regional issues.
History
After the end of the Cold War, relations with Europe were not as high a priority for China as its relations with the US, Japa n and other Asianpowers.However interestincloserrelationsstartedtoriseaseconomiccontactsincreasedandinterestina multipolar system grew. Although initially imposing an arms embargo on China after Tiananmen (see arms embargo section below), European leaders eased off China’s isolation. China’s growing economy became the focus for many European visitors and in turn Chinesebusinessmen began to make frequent trips to Europe. Europe’s interest in China led to the EU becoming unusually active with China during the 1990s with high-level exchanges. EU-Chinese trade increased faster than the Chinese economy itself, tripling in ten years from USD14.3 billion in 1985 to USD45.6 billion in 1994.
However politicalandsecurityco-operationwashamperedwithChinaseeinglittlechanceofheadwaythere. Europewas leadingthedesireforNorthAtlanticTreaty OrganizationexpansionandinterventioninKosovo,whichChinaopposedasitsaw them as extending US influence. However, by 2001 China moderated its anti -US stance in the hopes that Europe would cancel its arms embargo but pressure from the US led to the embargo remaining in place. Due to this, China saw the EU as being too weak, divided and dependent on the US to be a significant power. Even in the economic sphere, China was angered at protectionist measures against its exports to Europe and the EU’s opposition to giving China the status of market economy in order to join the World Trade Organization.
However, economiccooperationcontinued,withtheEU’s “New AsiaStrategy”,thefirstAsia–EuropeMeeting in1996,the 1998 EU-China summit and frequent policy documents desiring clos er partnerships with China. Although the 1997 Asian financial crisis dampened investors’ enthusiasm, China weathered the crisis well and continued to be a major focus of EU trade. Chinese leaders were anxious to return the European interest and made high l evel visits throughout the 1990s, visits that were accompanied by major EU sales to China. Trade in 1993 saw a 63% increase from the previous year. China became Europe’s fourth largest trading partner at this time. Even following the financial crisis in 19 97, EU-Chinese trade increased by 15% in 1998.
Francewas leadingtheEU’s desireforclosertiesinorder to establishamultipolarworldandwasthefirst,alongwithRussia,to establish strategic partnerships with China. Relations between the European Union and China have experienced a cool down after China canceled the EU-China yearly summit in November 2008. This was apparently caused due to French President Sarkozy’s plans to meet with the Dalai Lama.
The EU-China 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation, adopted in 2013, calls for cooperation in the areas of “peace, prosperity, sustainabledevelopmentandpeople-to-people exchanges.”In2016,theEUadoptedthe “JointCommunicationonelements for a new EU strategy on China” as its strategy on China. On the 16th of October 2018, the European Union Naval Force and the
Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy held for the first time ever a joint military exercise. The exercise took place at a Ch inese militarybaseinDjiboutiandwascompletedsuccessfully.RearAdmiralAlfonsoPerez DeNanclaressaidthatpreparationsfor future exercises withthe ChineseNavy are currentlytaking place.
There were trades in goods and services. Machinery and vehicles dominate both exports and imports. The top five exports of Chinaarecomputers, broadcastingequipment,telephones, officemachinepartsandintegrated circuits.China’stopfiveimports are crude petroleum, integrated circuits, iron ore, gold and cars The trade in services play an important role in all modern economics.Aresilienttertiaryservicesector,aswellasanincreasedavailabilityofservices,mayboosteconomicgrowth and enhance industrial performance. In an increasingly localized world, services such as finance, insurance, transport, logistics and communications deliver key intermediate inputs and thereby provide crucial support to the rest of the economy .
Review of Ten Songs of Change
Performance at CC Amstel on August the 14th , written by Dr. King Hoen Tan
Inspired by Yi Jing
Lulu Wang: Text and presentation in Mandarin and Dutch Maya Fridman: Cello and songs
Marionvon Tilzer:Pianoandcomposition
Inthe programMarionvonTilzerexplainedthatthebookofchangestheYiJingwasthebasisforTenSongsofChangea combination of text and music for cello , piano and vocals. The first texts of this 5000 year old book were developed by the nomads. The book ‘’The Book of changes’’ was formed by 64 hexagrams, each of which was composed of eight trigrams. Every trigram was symbolic for the eight basic energies of nature. She explained that the music was based on so -called trigrams, each ofthesetrigramshappenedto playaroleinher personallifeanddirectlyinfluencedhercomposition.
Lulu Wang used 1000 year old poems from the Tang and Song dynasty. Lulu Wang wrote that she took Yi Jing, to explain the poems. When shewould leavethe earth shewould takewith her European musicandChinesecalligraphy.Thecombinationof EuropeanmusicinstrumentsandChineseculturalheritage,hererepresented byTangpoetryandYiChing,wasamazing.
The spectator was overwhelmed by the compelling presentation. From the dark three women approach ed the stage, in long dresses andbarefoot. The crispsoundofLulu Wangcitingthe poems inMandarinandexplainingthetekst inDutch was compelling.Thecombinationwiththe celloandpianomusicwithvocalswasfantastic,thesongsandmusichadasadundertone, but it made you hoping it would continue.
For me it was a fairy taleand the prove that European musical instruments and Chinesepoetry and wisdom could be a match fixed in heaven. It was a pity that in ended after 60 minutes but maybe this was the strength of this show. I could strongly recommend it.
It was the prove that East and West can meet.
Trip to Beijing
on January the 13th
The Great Wall near Badalin
This is unbelievable ! A trip to China for two people for just €1850, on the 13th of January. We will stay in the Super House International Hotel, a four-star hotel, with breakfast included. There is an excursion every day and a meeting with our friend Zhang JIN XION.
What is included in the price?
Day one: Departure from Amsterdam
Day two: Drum tower, visit to a teahouse and the antique-street Liulichang.
Day three: The Great Wall of China, Ming graves and the Holy Path, lunch included
Dayfour:TheSummer palaceandtheOlympicPark,lunchincluded Dayfive:TheForbiddenCity,Squareofheavenlypeace(TianAnMen) andtheHeavenlyTemple(TianTan) Day six:Lama temple andthe Silkstreet (XIUSHUI MARKET and HONGQIAO market).
Dag seven: Return to Amsterdam and end of the cheap ECFA trip.
Additional costs on spot: Eventually an evening program for example: The Red Theatre
KUNG FU (€10)
Tip for the tour guide and driver
SignupbeforethefirstofDecember viaecfa2015@gmail.comwithacopyofyourpassport,(email)addressandphonenumber
www.europeanchinafriendshipassociation.com
The ECFA Celebrating China’s 70th Birthday
TheECFA CelebratedChina’s70yearsofexistenceinRotterdam (up).ThepartyalsoincludedtheChineseambassadorHongXu (down, left). Mister Toine Manders and Gail Lin also attended the party (down,right).