In recent times, Canada has been starkly reminded of the pervasive threat of foreign interference and transnational repression (TNR), a menace that undermines the sovereignty and safety of its citizens. While the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar has been drummed up Justin Trudeau and the pro-Khalistan elements publicly to point fingers at India, his death seemed more of a gang war, nothing more. However, it is crucial to pivot our attention towards another formidable source of Canadian TNR – China. The revelation from Canada’s domestic spy agency regarding China’s interference in the last two elections underscores the gravity of suspected meddling in Canadian politics. The disclosure, made during an official probe, provides the most concrete evidence yet of China’s involvement in shaping electoral outcomes. A slide presented during the commission hearing contained excerpts from a February 2023 briefing by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), stating unequivocally, “We know that the PRC (Peoples’ Republic of China) clandestinely and deceptively interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 elections.” The briefing highlighted the pragmatic nature of these foreign interference activities, which primarily aimed to bolster candidates perceived as ‘pro-PRC’ or ‘neutral’ on matters of interest to the Chinese government. This confirmation raises significant concerns about the integrity of Canada’s democratic process and calls for robust measures to safeguard against future meddling attempts. The experiences of Canadian MP Michael Chong, who faced a coordinated disinformation campaign from China due to his criticism of the country’s treatment of Uighurs, exemplify Beijing’s audacious attempts to silence dissent abroad. This is not an isolated incident but a reflection of a broader strategy employed by the Chinese government to exert its influence and suppress opposition globally. The plight of the Uighur community in Canada, subjected to harassment, surveillance, and threats from Chinese operatives, underscores the extent of Beijing’s reach. Activists like Mehmet Tohti and Bakhtiar Semseddin have courageously spoken out, despite the risks to themselves and their families, about the tactics employed by the Chinese government to intimidate and silence them. Furthermore, the ordeal of Omar Abdulaziz, targeted by cyber espionage, illustrates the sophistication and intrusiveness of the tools at the disposal of authoritarian regimes like China and Saudi Arabia. The use of Pegasus Spyware in Abdulaziz’s case is a chilling reminder of the lengths to which these governments will go to clamp down on dissent, even beyond their borders. The Canadian government’s response to these threats has been lackluster at best. While there are ongoing inquiries and discussions about strengthening laws to combat foreign interference, the victims of TNR often feel abandoned, lacking adequate support from law enforcement and intelligence services. The case of Yuekang Li, denied a study permit due to fears of espionage, signals a growing awareness but also hints at the complexity and challenge of addressing this issue. Canada’s large and diverse diaspora communities make it a prime target for foreign interference and TNR. The state must recognize the gravity of this threat and take decisive action to protect its residents. This involves not only enhancing legal frameworks and law enforcement capabilities but also providing support and resources to those targeted by such campaigns. The creation of a standalone definition of transnational repression, as advocated by former minister of justice Irwin Cotler, could be a significant step forward. It would clarify the nature of the threat and enable more effective responses. Moreover, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and other agencies need the authority and means to engage more proactively with communities at risk, offering guidance and support. In light of these pressing issues, it is imperative for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the current Canadian administration to adopt a firmer stance against China’s transnational repression tactics. Instead of appeasing Beijing, Canada must take a stand and speak out against the injustices and infringements on freedom perpetrated by the Chinese government. While addressing concerns related to any nation, including the allegations against India, it is crucial that the Canadian government maintains a balanced and principled approach. Pandering to any group, including Khalistani extremists, should not overshadow the broader imperative to challenge and counter the real and present threats emanating from China. The safety and democratic values of Canada and its residents necessitate a clear, strong, and consistent voice against all forms of foreign interference and repression, without any bias or preferential treatment. Source: khalsa Vox

Major U.S. airlines and aviation unions on Thursday urged the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to pause approvals of additional flights between China and the United States, citing ongoing "anti-competitive policies of the Chinese government." In February, the U.S. Department of Transportation said Chinese passenger airlines could boost weekly round-trip U.S. flights to 50 starting on March 31, up from the current 35, about a third of pre-pandemic levels. U.S. carriers were authorized as well to fly 50 flights per week but are currently not using all those flights. Airlines for America, a trade group whose members include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, and unions in a letter to the Transportation and State departments cited the "advantage Chinese airlines receive by continuing to access Russian airspace, while U.S. carriers stopped flying through Russian airspace at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022." The letter, which was first reported by Reuters, was signed by the Air Line Pilots Association, Allied Pilots Association and Association of Flight Attendants. It called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to "pause additional passenger flights between the United States and the People’s Republic of China until U.S. workers and businesses are guaranteed equality of access in the marketplace, free from the existing harmful anti-competitive policies of the Chinese government." Flights between China and the United States — which were a point of contention during the COVID-19 pandemic — have emerged as a rare area of cooperation between the two super powers, but U.S. airlines have expressed concern about the rapid pace of increasing flights. Airlines are worried the Biden administration could boost or even double to 100 the number of weekly flights permitted by Chinese carriers. Separately, U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher, the chair of the House select committee on China, and the panel's top Democrat, Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, urged the Biden administration in a separate letter Wednesday not to approve more flights until China abides "by its existing bilateral agreement, and passenger demand begins to recover." The lawmakers said Chinese carriers "operate air routes at an anticompetitive commercial advantage that must not be allowed to increase without reciprocal parity in the number of U.S. carrier operated routes" to China. It added that "American passengers must not be exposed to unnecessary security risks by traversing Russian airspace." More than 150 weekly round-trip passenger flights were allowed by each side before restrictions were imposed in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but until August 2023, Chinese and U.S. carriers could each fly only 12 a week between the two countries. The number rose on Sept. 1 to 18 weekly round trips and then to 24 per week starting Oct. 29. The U.S. Department of Transportation approved 35 for Chinese carriers in November. Reuters reported last June that newly approved Chinese flights to the United States were not overflying Russia, which would have given them a shorter flight time and fuel advantage over U.S. rivals blocked from Russian airspace.   Source: Japan Times

Canada's domestic spy agency concluded that China interfered in the last two elections, an official probe heard on Monday, the firmest evidence so far of suspected Chinese meddling in Canadian politics. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party won both the elections, held in 2019 and 2021. Under pressure from opposition legislators unhappy about media reports on China's possible role, Trudeau set up a commission into foreign interference. The commission was shown a slide on Monday containing an extract of a February 2023 briefing from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). "We know that the PRC (Peoples' Republic of China) clandestinely and deceptively interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 elections," it said. "In both cases, these FI (foreign interference) activities were pragmatic in nature and focused primarily on supporting those viewed to be either 'pro-PRC' or 'neutral' on issues of interest to the PRC government." The existence of the assessment had previously been reported by Global News. China denies it interferes in Canadian politics. Erin O'Toole, who led the Conservatives during the 2021 campaign, estimated Chinese interference cost his party up to nine seats but added it had not changed the course of the election. A legislator for the left-leaning minority New Democrats told the inquiry that once she started criticizing Beijing's Hong Kong policy, invitations to events held by the politically influential ethnic Chinese community started to dry up. According to the official 2021 census, Canada is home to around 1.7 million people of Chinese descent, just under 5% of the total population. The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the CSIS statement. Last year, Canada said a Conservative legislator with family in Hong Kong had been targeted in an online disinformation operation, and kicked out a senior Chinese diplomat. "State actors are able to conduct foreign interference successfully in Canada because there are few legal or political consequences. FI is therefore low-risk and high-reward," said the CSIS assessment. Intelligence analysts and the Conservatives say Trudeau's government has not done enough to combat Chinese interference. Trudeau is due to testify to the commission on Wednesday. The Conservatives, who generally take a harder line on China than the Liberals, campaigned in 2021 on a platform that condemned Beijing's treatment of its Uyghur minority and vowed to ban Chinese mobile giant Huawei from the 5G network.   Source: Reuters  

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has held bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang during his visit to Beijing. They discussed their close ties and plans to boost Eurasian security. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that Beijing would "strengthen strategic cooperation" with Moscow during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.  In comments reported by the RIA Novosti news agency, Wang said Beijing and Moscow would "provide each other with strong support." The meeting took place during a two-day visit by Lavrov to China. The two powers improved their diplomatic ties since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, declaring a "no limits" partnership. The West is "implementing unlawful sanctions towards a number of states, Russia is among them of course. This policy is starting to be actively applied toward [China] as well," Lavrov said, referencing efforts by the US to restrict China's access to key US-made technologies. Plan to launch Eurasian security 'dialogue' Russia and China agreed to strengthen security cooperation across Eurasia to counter US and Western influence. Lavrov said such a move had been put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that the two countries had agreed to "start a dialogue with the involvement of our other like-minded people on this issue." "For a long time, there was a Euro-Atlantic security structure in the form of NATO, of course, as well as the OSCE, but it is striking itself out from the list of relevant structures within which it is possible to conduct meaningful negotiations and agree on something based on a balance of interests," Lavrov said. Moscow and Beijing are planning on launching a "dialogue" on Eurasian security issues, but no further details were given. Wang said NATO should not extend its activities in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Russian news agencies. The two countries should "oppose hegemonism and power politics, oppose the monopoly of international affairs by a few countries," he added. What the West has said about China-Russia ties China has faced increased pressure from Western nations to leverage its influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. The US has warned Beijing against providing indirect aid to Russia.  In Brussels last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that "China continues to provide materials to support Russia's defence industrial base." During a visit to China on Monday, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned of "significant consequences" for any Chinese companies supporting Russia's war in Ukraine. Washington would not rule out tariffs on clean energy imports from China to protect its industry, she said. What the foreign ministers said about Putin and Xi Lavrov and Wang both stressed their support for each other's leaders, with the Chinese foreign minister praising "the strong leadership of President Putin." "China will support Russia's stable development under the leadership of Putin," he added. Lavrov pointed out that "Xi Jinping... was among the first ones to send congratulations to the president-elect Putin" after his reelection win last month, "And we are overall grateful to our Chinese friends for this support." The Russian minister had his turn at lavishing Chinese leader Xi Jinping when the two met later on Tuesday. "We would like to express our highest appreciation and admiration for the successes you have achieved over the years and, above all, over the past decade under your leadership," Lavrov told Xi, according to Reuters.  

A village official and senior monastery administrator are still detained, sources say. Chinese authorities have released hundreds of monks and other Tibetans arrested in February for peacefully protesting the construction of a dam in a Tibetan-populated area of Sichuan province, but are still holding two accused of being ringleaders, two sources inside Tibet said.  Tenzin Sangpo, senior administrator of Wonto Monastery, and a village official named Tenzin, were arrested on Feb. 23 on suspicion of leading protests last month against the Gangtuo Dam project in Dege county, or Derge in Tibetan, in the province’s Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The dam is expected to submerge six monasteries, including Wonto, and force the resettlement of at least two major communities along the Drichu River, or Jinsha River in Chinese.  All told, more than 1,000 Tibetan monks and residents of Dege county were arrested for protesting. Several of those arrested, including Sangpo and Tenzin, were transferred from where they were previously detained to the larger Dege County Detention Center. Sangpo and Tenzin have been handed over to the government Procuratorate Office, responsible for investigating and prosecuting serious criminal cases, said the sources who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals by authorities. Since then, authorities have provided no details about their whereabouts or the charges against them, the sources said.  “The local Tibetan people are worried that the government will accuse them of having instigated the February protests and being responsible for sharing information with the outside world,” said the first source, referring to Sangpo and Tenzin. Another monk, who has assumed the responsibility of monastery administrator in place of Sangpo, was also briefly detained by authorities, the sources said.  Beaten and given little food or water One monk who was arrested, detained and released said authorities kept those arrested in crowded cells meant to hold fewer than eight people. They also fed the detainees poor quality tsampa – ground-up, roasted barley flour that is a Himalayan staple – fit for horses, mules or other animals. “Some days, we were not given any water to drink,” he said. “On other days, when there was water, we were given very little.” Authorities also slapped the monks and made them run around the prison grounds as punishment for their crimes or beat them if they refused to run, the monk said. “One monk was beaten so badly that he could not even speak,” he said. “He is now under medical treatment.”   Tibetans who had been arrested were pressured to incriminate each other, causing psychological trauma, said the sources. Since the protests and arrests in February, authorities have been closely monitoring villages and monasteries on both sides of the Drichu River, and no outsiders have been allowed to enter the township, sources said.  They have set up five checkpoints between Wonto village and Dege county, with dozens of police at each, they said.  Villages residents and monks from Wonto Monastery are not free to travel unless they have a permit to visit the county, the sources added.  Before the protests, there were more than 50 younger monks at Wonto Monastery, but they were sent to the county government school after the protests. Future of dam project uncertain Chinese officials and media reports have given mixed and contradictory information about the future of the dam project. The Gangtuo Dam is part of a plan that China’s National Development and Reform Commission announced in 2012 to build a massive 13-tier hydropower complex on the Drichu. The total planned capacity of the 13 hydropower stations is 13,920 megawatts.  Some have said that its future is uncertain, with preliminary checks being conducted to determine whether it is possible to complete it, sources said. Their findings will be presented to the State Council, the national cabinet of China, for a final decision. But others made clear that the Gangtuo Dam project would continue, with a visiting county official telling the leaders of the project coordination team to adhere to their work orders and make arrangements for “the next step of work,” according to a local Chinese government announcement.      Source: rfa

Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal announced on Tuesday that diplomatic efforts have been initiated with China to convert a loan for Pokhara International Airport to a grant as it failed to garner income, instead piled up more debt. This came after opposition lawmaker Chanda Chaudhary raised questions about the increasing loss and piling debt, Nepal Prime Minister said that talks are underway to convert the loan into a grant. "In order to operate the flights to and from the Pokhara International Airport, a committee has already been formed to study government-private sector cooperation. On the basis of the report prepared by the committee, necessary preparations would be made for the operation of the airport. The loan acquired for the construction of Pokhara International Airport, diplomatic talks are underway to convert it into a grant. Necessary coordination would be made for all the necessary financial management," PM Dahal said. The Pokhara International Airport, opened on January 1, 2023, hasn't seen any frequent international flights except for chartered Chinese flights, which appear on rare occasions. On March 21, 2016, Nepal and China reached a loan agreement stipulating a total loan amount of 1.37 billion Chinese yuan, out of which 355.9 million Chinese yuan were constituted as interest-free- loans. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the aviation regulating body of the Himalayan nation, is responsible for paying the loan amount by the year 2036. Earlier, Nepal PM Dahal, upon returning to Kathmandu last year after his visit to China, announced that Chinese flights would come to Pokhara, helping to cover the loss. While no such flights have commenced, on Tuesday, the Prime Minister, referring to the visit, claimed, "During my recent visit to China (September 22,, 2023), a theoretical agreement was reached about commencing connecting flights from various cities of China to Pokhara, and I believe that international flights would land at Pokhara International Airport and help recover the loss."Days before the inauguration of the airport last year, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal claimed in a tweet that the airport was a part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which was rejected by the Nepal Government. But soon after the handover, the Pokhara airport exemplified the perils that came with importing China's infrastructure-at-any-cost development model, disproportionately benefiting Chinese firms at the expense of the borrowing nation. China CAMC Engineering, the construction division of state-owned conglomerate Sinomach, played a pivotal role in the Pokhara airport project. It imported building materials and machinery from China, and the airport itself was brimming with Chinese-made security and industrial technology. Despite China's claims about the project's quality, an investigation by The New York Times revealed an unsettling narrative. Multiple individuals involved in the project and a thorough examination of thousands of documents indicated that China CAMC Engineering had consistently dictated terms to maximise profits and protect its interests. Simultaneously, it systematically dismantled Nepali oversight. As a consequence, Nepal found itself entangled in significant debt to Chinese creditors without the expected influx of passengers to repay the loans. The Finance Ministry of the Himalayan nation had signed a memorandum of understanding supporting CAMC's proposal in 2011, even before an official bidding process had started. The Chinese loan agreement exclusively allowed Chinese firms to bid for the project. CAMC initially submitted a bid for USD 305 million, nearly double Nepal's cost estimatefor the airport. This drew criticism from Nepali politicians, who accused the process of being rigged and the price inflated. Following the outcry, CAMC lowered its bid to USD 216 million, reducing the cost by approximately 30 per cent. In 2016, China and Nepal formalised a 20-year agreement for the project, with a quarter of the funding provided as an interest-free loan. Nepal intended to borrow the remainder from China's Export-Import Bank at a 2 per cent interest rate. As construction progressed, glaring issues came to light. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal was responsible for overseeing the Chinese contractor, but the lack of experienced personnel, combined with the inadequate allocation of funds for consultants, hampered the project. Initially earmarked at USD 2.8 million, the budget for hiring consultants to ensure CAMC's compliance with international construction standards was eventually reduced to a mere USD 10,000, diverting funds elsewhere. This lack of oversight allowed CAMC to initiate work before consultants were in place and perform construction work that did not meet international standards. Key components, such as soil density tests for the runway's foundation, were omitted, jeopardising the runway's future stability. Other oversights included the airport's drainage system design, ignoring historical rainfall data and sloping topography, increasing the risk of flooding. The quality of Chinese-made building materials and the identity of vendors were inadequately documented, contravening the terms of CAMC's contract with Nepal, as reported by The New York Times. While consulting efforts were expected to oversee CAMC's work, the Chinese company managed to sidestep consultants and interact directly with Nepali officials, who had limited construction experience. Any efforts to seek additional information or documentation were often fruitless. China's Export-Import Bank had commissioned China IPPR International Engineering, aconsulting firm, to ensure the quality, safety, and schedule of the project and to confirm Nepal's satisfaction with CAMC's work. However, the situation grew murkier in 2019 when CAMC acquired IPPR, turning it from a sister company into a direct subsidiary. IPPR's fees came from Nepal as part of its loan from the Chinese bank. Chinese engineers working on the project claimed that they were instructed not to scrutinise CAMC's work closely, with a focus on delivering an airport. Furthermore, allegations surfaced that documents related to the qualifications of IPPR'sworkers in Pokhara had been falsified. In some cases, even employee credentials were manipulated. Such practices revealed a disconcerting disregard for transparency and accountability. As Pokhara airport struggled to attract international flights, especially from Indian airlines, Nepal's aspirations for the airport were put in jeopardy. Buddha Air, Nepal's largest airline, had requested permits for flights to India but awaited approval from the Indian government. A feasibility study commissioned by CAMC had projected passenger numbers that would enable the airport to repay its loans from profits, but as of now, no international flights have commenced. Nepali officials have reportedly requested that China convert the loan into a grant due to the airport's financial challenges, a matter discussed during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's visit to Beijing in late September. The joint statement issued by China and Nepal during the visit acknowledged the completion and operation of the Pokhara airport but made no mention of plans to waive the loan. The construction of Nepal's Pokhara airport, primarily funded and executed by Chinesecompanies, has raised concerns about the quality of work, the manipulation of oversight, and the burden of debt on Nepal. Additionally, the airport's association with China's Belt and Road Initiative has ignited diplomatic tensions with India, making it challenging for the airport to attract international flights. The Pokhara airport serves as a stark example of the pitfalls associated with importing China's infrastructure development model, highlighting concerns about financial sustainability and transparency, all while fueling geopolitical rivalries in the region.  Source: Beijing Bulletin

The report added that Tibetans face restrictions not only on their right to freedom of assembly, but also on expressing opinions or criticism against the “repressive and unjust government policies, both online and offline” “Even as China ended its draconian zero-Covid policy measures in 2023, Tibetans continue to face escalating crackdowns on freedom of expression, religion and belief,” the Dharamshala-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said in a report. The annual report released on Wednesday stated that despite numerous calls from the international community to halt its forced assimilation policy, Chinese authorities imposed Chinese-medium education in Tibetan schools and amended local regulations in Tibetan areas to promote Mandarin Chinese. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) is a registered non-profit human rights organisation based in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. The annual report was prepared by TCHRD’s trilingual research team, working in Tibetan, Chinese and English. The team compiled and analysed information from a wide variety of sources on the human rights situation in Tibet in 2023. The report added that Tibetans face restrictions not only on their right to freedom of assembly, but also on expressing opinions or criticism against the “repressive and unjust government policies, both online and offline”. Under the guise of maintaining social stability, Chinese authorities exercise direct supervision and censorship over all online platforms. “The right to freedom of religion and belief faced further restrictions as Chinese authorities introduced more repressive regulations to exercise total control over the establishment, management and activities of the religious activity sites. Despite the relaxation of zero-Covid restrictions, it made no difference to Tibetan Buddhists, who continued to face restrictions in undertaking religious pilgrimages,” the report further. According to the report, Tibetan detainees continue to face a litany of human rights violations. Those arbitrarily, preventatively or forcefully detained underwent unjust sentencing and torture, resulting in custodial deaths. Incommunicado detention in undisclosed locations without due process also remained a regular practice, leading to lasting health issues and premature deaths among political prisoners upon release. Tenzin Dawa, executive director of TCHRD, said, “In 2023, China was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council, the United Nation’s premier rights body responsible for protecting and promoting human rights globally. This re-election demonstrates how authoritarian states like China manipulate, obstruct and exploit the international human rights system by waging systematic campaigns to weaken and eviscerate the UN’s ability to enforce global compliance with international human rights standards.” “The injustices and human rights violations in Tibet underscore the urgent need to address the human rights abuses in Tibet perpetrated by Chinese authorities. The Chinese government must release all Tibetans detained for merely exercising their human rights and political freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other areas of public life,” she said.   Source: Hindustan Times

Land is getting hard to find in a sprawling industrial park in southern India where workers are scrambling to build modern new warehouses and factories for companies betting on the country's economic boom or diversifying their supply chains beyond China. "It is one of the most wanted places in India for European and American companies," said S Raghuraman, an official of the Greenbase industrial park, near plants run by Apple supplier Foxconn and truckmaker Daimler, Reuters reports. Inquiries for leasing space in the park, run by Blackstone and real estate tycoon Niranjan Hiranandani, have gone through the roof, he added. "We are in talks with at least three clients looking to shift their base from China." To meet the burgeoning demand, Greenbase aims to invest $800 million to quadruple its industrial park space to 20 million sq ft (1.9 million sq m), a target it revealed for the first time. That is just the latest sign of a rush for leased warehouse space that peaked in the last quarter of 2023 at its highest in two years, says real estate firm Colliers, as India's economic growth of more than 8% outstrips advanced nations. Businesses in India have traditionally relied on dingy, stuffy low-rise sheds known as godowns for their storage needs, but these are unsuited to the needs of foreign industrial giants whose investment Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to lure. So developers such as Greenbase are scouting for land nationwide, grappling with thorny acquisition issues, as they line up millions of dollars in new investment. Prime targets are firms looking to expand manufacturing facilities beyond China as tension with the United States and other countries takes off some of its shine.Companies in the booming e-commerce and manufacturing industries also see India as a hub for exports while looking to boost sales to industries and domestic consumers amid a population of 1.4 billion.

China has made it clear Mar 15 that geographical names in ethnic minority or foreign languages should reflect the country’s sovereign and extraterritorial claims when translated into Chinese characters. These would include names of islands in the South China Sea, places in India’s Arunachal Pradesh state, and the name of the occupied territory of Tibet. For this purpose, the Ministry of Civil Affairs published on Mar 15, implementation measures addressing the management of geographical names, which detailed the requirements for translation of place names in ethnic minority or foreign languages into Chinese characters, reported China’s official globaltimes.cn Mar 16. China recently made it clear that the Chinese name “Xizang” should be used in place of “Tibet” or “Tibet Autonomous Region” to refer to “Xizang Autonomous Region”, which is roughly only the western half of Tibet proper. It thereby made it clear that “Tibet” proper, which includes the Qinghai province and other territories merged with its Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces as well, no longer exists and should not be used in official documents as a placename. Set to take effect from May 1, 2024, the implementation measures have stipulated in Article 13 that “place name in foreign language that may harm China’s territorial claims and sovereignty rights shall not be directly quoted or translated without authorization.” The report cited the implementation measures as saying translation of place names in foreign languages or minority languages should comply with standards formulated by related organs of the State Council, which is China’s cabinet. The standard translations are or will be made public through notices, the national database for geographical names and official publications on geographical names. The report noted that the State Council had issued a revised regulation on place names in Apr 2022, which was applicable to naming, renaming, usage, cultural protection and other management on geographical names within Chinese territories. In this connection, Zhi Zhenfeng, a research fellow with the Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has said that as China still has disputes over some territories with certain neighbouring countries, the use of geographical names of places in disputes directly relates to sovereign rights. Using the incorrect translation or non-standard translation could cause confusion and encroach China’s territorial integrity, he has sought to stress. The report cited Chinese analysts as mentioning the example of maritime disputes in the South China Sea with countries like the Philippines. When referring to islands and reefs concerned, the use of standard translation is a firm declaration of sovereignty and transliteration of foreign names means concession of legal rights, they were cited as saying. The report also noted that the Ministry of Civil Affairs had standardized the names of 11 places in Zangnan (the southern part of Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region) in Chinese characters, Tibetan and pinyin in Apr 2023. Using standard place names helps raise awareness of Chinese territory, it cited Chinese “experts” as saying. The report said the Apr 2023 issuance was the third list of standardized geographical names in “Zangnan” published by the ministry. It added that the first list of the standardized names of six places in “Zangnan” was released in 2017, while the second list of 15 places was issued in 2021. Source: Tibetan Review

Distressed sales made up more than a fifth of Chinese commercial real estate deals in 2023, underscoring the severity of the property crisis in Asia's largest economy. Overall sales of offices, factories, stores, hotels, apartments, senior housing and other commercial properties in China totaled $38.6 billion last year, down from $60.3 billion as recently as 2021, according to MSCI Real Assets. Distressed sales, those involving properties put into receivership, accounted for more than 20% of commercial real estate deals in 2023, the highest proportion since MSCI began tracking such data in 2019. Distressed deals accounted for 11% of transactions in 2022 and 9% in 2019. Benjamin Chow, head of real estate research in Asia for MSCI, said the 20% figure "is quite a significant proportion," noting that some non-distressed deals were made by stressed developers in need of liquidity. Nearly 50% of the distressed deals in 2023 were in the industrial sector. Distressed deals also have made up a high proportion of Chinese commercial real estate sales this year. Of 9.8 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) in total transactions, 3 billion yuan came from distressed sales in the first two months, according to MSCI. Most of the sales were smaller deals of $50 million and under. Some investors have been encouraged by the growing percentage of distressed deals, reckoning that such activity could be a sign the commercial real estate market is beginning to bottom out. Developers who generate cash through disposals could improve their capital structure and their creditworthiness, boosting the confidence of fixed-income investors, said Jenny Zeng, chief investment officer for Asia fixed income at Allianz Global Investors. Government-backed entities and insurers were active buyers of Chinese commercial real estate last year. In the first quarter of 2023, a science park in Tianjin owned by defaulted developer Wanhe Technology was sold for 2.8 billion yuan to Tianjin Hongda Technology Innovation Industry Development, a government-owned entity. The biggest distressed commercial property deal by value last year was the sale of the Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel for 1.6 billion yuan to Jinfeng Group, a cement producer based in Jiangsu province, adjacent to Shanghai.