China news roundup / Nachrichten 2025-09-19/20

Trump and Xi discuss future of TikTok in US

"Trump wrote on Truth Social that the call was "productive" and he "appreciated" Xi's approval of deal, which would reportedly see TikTok's US business sold to a group of US investors."

--- Well, that approval is not quite as clear as Trump seems to see it.

"China's official state news agency Xinhua left the outcome of their discussion less clear, with Xi quoted as saying that Beijing "welcomes negotiations over TikTok"."

--- Approval of negotiations is not quite the same as approval of a deal. Then again, you can trust neither Trump nor emperor Xi. So, who knows?

"Xinhua reported that China's position on TikTok is "very clear" and that it welcomed firms to "conduct commercial negotiations based on market rules and reach solutions that comply with Chinese laws and regulations and a balance of interests". "We hope that the US will provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies to invest in the United States,""

--- China, on the other hand, does of course not need to provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment.

""ByteDance will work in accordance with applicable laws to ensure TikTok remains available to American users through TikTok US," a ByteDance spokesperson said"

--- The applicable laws obviously being Chinese laws.

""I am concerned the reported licensing deal may involve ongoing reliance by the new TikTok on a ByteDance algorithm that could allow continued CCP control or influence," Michigan Republican representative John Moolenar, chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said in a statement"

--- Let's hope that Congress will have the last word about the deal. & with any luck that last word will be NO.

China is calling a TikTok deal a win. What's in it for them?

"The user experience will remain the same, and with "Chinese characteristics", according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is leading his side's negotiating team. The "Chinese characteristics" may well be the problem though - that is, in fact, a phrase often used by the Chinese Communist Party to differentiate its way of doing things."

--- Or in other words, TikTok will still include Chinese propaganda and sensitivities about topics that China dislikes.

"Put simply: the statute requires full separation from 'foreign adversary' control, and a license would not appear to meet that test"

--- Yep.

Trump declines approval of Taiwan military aid package

"US President Donald Trump declined to approve US$400 million in military aid to Taiwan in recent months while negotiating on trade and a potential summit with Beijing [...] Under former president Joe Biden, Washington approved more than US$2 billion in military aid packages for Taiwan. But Trump "does not support sending weapons without payment, a preference also on display with Ukraine""

--- Goes to show that Trump doesn't care about democracy, allies or even just American interests. Because, if Taiwan falls, a number of American allies and partners are in trouble, and that will hurt American political & economic interests as well.

Cold shoulder: Why Beijing is freezing Nvidia’s access to the Chinese market

"The country’s regulators, however, blocked access to those Nvidia chips after summoning domestic AI chip makers and concluding they had reached performance comparable to the U.S. company’s made-for-China products, according to the FT. However, performance isn’t the only challenge facing China’s AI chips. Analysts contend that capacity is also a major barrier, with the domestic industry still unable to produce enough chips at scale."

--- Looks like it's not only a negotiation tactic, but also overconfidence by the CCP, because industry leaders bragged about their capacities and capabilities. Only problem is, China is a communist country, and therefore the industry leaders probably told the CCP only what it wanted to hear.

China issues warning to Papua New Guinea over defence deal with Australia

"In a statement on Facebook late on Thursday, the Chinese embassy in Papua New Guinea said it respected the country’s “right to conclude a bilateral treaty with other countries on a voluntary basis”. “However,"

--- However... Non-interference with Chinese characteristics.

China’s ‘temple economy’ in the spotlight as scandals rock influential religious leaders

"The opprobrium comes from ordinary people who see riches as being spiritually corrosive, and, increasingly, from the government, which under the leadership of Xi Jinping has cracked down on excess wealth and corruption."

--- Bullshit. Emperor Xi only doesn't like rich people to show off their wealth, particularly if they belong to the CCP or to official organizations. If he really wanted to crack down on excess wealth, emperor Xi could start with his own family.

"With money came political power. Between 1998 and 2018 he served as a delegate to China’s National People’s Congress. Over the years he met Nelson Mandela, Henry Kissinger and Queen Elizabeth II, and took a troupe of martial arts monks to Moscow for a special performance at the invitation of Vladimir Putin. It led one worker near the Shaolin monastery to remark that the political heft of local CCP officials seemed paltry in comparison with Shi."

--- There is your problem. If the CCP's paranoia is awakened, you lost.

"Experts think that Shi’s downfall could have been due to a loss of political support rather than any specific wrongdoing."

--- Yep.

A Chinese international student and activist goes missing during a trip home

"On July 5, Zhang Yadi, 22, who has been studying in France, returned to Changsha, Hunan province, to visit family. On July 30, she disappeared in Shangri-La, Yunnan province. Zhang is an editor for the digital platform Chinese Youth Stand for Tibet (CYST) that emerged after the “white paper protests” in 2022. According to the group, it aims to “share the hidden truth about Tibet among the Chinese-speaking community.” "

--- If you are easily identifiable as a dissident, why would you travel to China? Stupid!

Commons open to espionage after China spying charges dropped, says speaker

China's internet regulator issues warnings to Kuaishou, Weibo over content violations

--- China Uncensored features the usual weekend news variety:

--- PBS: "What's in the U.S.-China deal for an American TikTok spinoff"

Steht der TikTok-Deal?

"Der chinesische Staatschef Xi Jinping habe bei einem Telefonat einem Deal um die Video-App zugestimmt, erklärte Trump am Abend."

--- Trump erzählt viel, wenn der Tag lang ist. Von chinesischer Seite klingt das etwas anders.

"Die chinesische Regierung erklärte in ihrer Stellungnahme nicht, worin die von Trump erwähnte Einigung besteht. Sie erklärte, Xi habe Trump aufgefordert, Handelsbeschränkungen zu vermeiden, um eine Verschlechterung der Handelsbeziehungen zu verhindern. Die USA müssten chinesischen Investoren ein offenes, faires und diskriminierungsfreies Umfeld bieten. Darüber hinaus würde sich Peking "über produktive Handelsverhandlungen im Einklang mit den Marktregeln freuen", die "zu einer Lösung führen würden, die den chinesischen Gesetzen und Vorschriften entspricht""

--- Sieht so aus, als habe man sich nur auf Verhandlungen geeinigt. & dass eine Einigung, die chinesischen Gesetzen und Vorschriften entspricht, den amerikanischen Gesetzen genüge tut, darf bezweifelt werden.