China news roundup / Nachrichten 2025-07-06/07

Leaders of Russia and China snub Brics summit in sign group’s value may be waning

"Brics, often described as the developing world’s alternative to the G7 group of nations, has undergone a recent rapid expansion, but in the process has diluted its coherence as a body offering an ideological alternative to the western capitalism represented by the G7."

--- Was it ever "an ideological alternative to the western capitalism"? That might be just wishful thinking of some Guardian journalists. After all, India was a member from the start & there you have a similar system as in the West.

"Nevertheless, Xi’s decision to stay away is puzzling, given the US’s retreat from its global leadership role has provided a golden opportunity for China to pick up the mantle"

--- Well, there are rumours that emperor Xi is losing his grip on power. I doubt it, but an internal power struggle could be a reason for him not to attend. Then again, he might just have noticed that it's actually pretty hard to keep BRICS under Chinese control & doesn't want to be embarrassed.

The West Can’t Survive the Sanctions It Needs to Deter China

"What was meant to project strength has instead revealed systemic vulnerability: goods still move through loopholes, enforcement lags, and even allied governments backpedal when domestic costs begin to rise. China, in watching all this unfold, is learning exactly where the West’s thresholds lie, and what the United States and its partners are willing to tolerate in practice. The New York Times found that more than 130 companies in mainland China and Hong Kong “are advertising immediate sales of restricted computer chips to Russia.” None of the companies found making such advertisements is under sanctions, illustrating the weakness of the existing sanctions regime."

--- Because many governments still are afraid to anger China & because they don't want to bear the pain on their own economies. That's why sanctions nowadays are merely:

"tools of symbolic outrage rather than instruments of strategic prevention"

--- Deterrence is dead.

"If deterrence depends on the credibility of economic retaliation, China sees little reason to believe it’s something the West can deliver in time, or sustain once it does"

--- Yep.

China retaliates against EU with a ban on European medical devices

"China said Sunday that European medical device companies will be barred from selling to the Chinese government as a countermeasure for the European Union’s restrictions on the sale of similar products from China."

--- Yawn. Considering that the EU's decision was a reaction to longstanding similar restrictions in China, there is no major difference to what was going on there before.

Beijing disinformation targeted French Rafale jets to boost sales of China-made planes

"Findings from a French intelligence service seen by The Associated Press say defence attachés in China's foreign embassies led a charge to undermine Rafale sales, seeking to persuade countries that have already ordered the French-made fighter – notably Indonesia – not to buy more and to encourage other potential buyers to choose Chinese-made planes. [...] They say the campaign included viral posts on social media, manipulated imagery showing supposed Rafale debris, AI-generated content and video-game depictions to simulate supposed combat. More than 1,000 social media accounts newly created as the India-Pakistan clashes erupted also spread a narrative of Chinese technological superiority"

--- A concerted campaign all over the world, not only through diplomatic channels, but also in social & other media. & that's how China works.

A video game on 'gold diggers' is fuelling a sexism debate in China

"Xu Yikun, an artist who tried the game and found it deeply offensive, rejects that rationale. She accuses them of "a classic business model that thrives on generating content that sparks debate and divisions". Critics like her say the very term "gold digger" reeks of misogyny. "It's a label that's used, all too often, on women,""

--- Because, all too often, particularly in China, it's women who are the gold diggers. There may be a few male gold diggers in China, but in general, it is seen as embarrassing for men if their girlfriend or wife earns more than they do.

Japan to export used destroyers to Philippines to deter China

China sidesteps question on TikTok after Trump says close to deal

--- China Uncensored: "Our darkest episode ever"

--- China Uncensored: "The Chinese Dream is dead"

China schränkt Einfuhr von EU-Medizinprodukten ein

"China schließt Unternehmen aus der EU künftig von großen Ausschreibungen für Medizintechnik aus. Die Sanktionen sind Pekings Antwort auf ähnliche EU-Beschränkungen, die seit zwei Wochen gelten."

--- Pfff... Da die EU-Restriktionen nur eine Reaktion auf schon länger bestehende chinesische Einschränkungen waren, ändert sich also gar nichts.

Wie eine Party ohne den besten Freund

"Zwar repräsentieren die BRICS-Staaten mehr als die Hälfte der Weltbevölkerung. Doch auch Alexander Gabuev, Direktor des Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center mit Sitz in Berlin, sieht das BRICS-Bündnis derzeit deutlich geschwächt."

--- BRICS war nie sonderlich stark. Nur scheint Chinas Einfluss etwas zu schwinden & Kaiser Xi möchte nicht gern kritisiert werden. Ein anderer Grund könnte natürlich sein, daß Kaiser Xi gerade Probleme in der KPCh hat, aber dabei handelt es sich wohl nur um Gerüchte.