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China Targeted in State Department Annual Report on Religious Freedom

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A Congress-mandated report on the state of religious freedom around the world released by the State Department had some good news and some bad news.

The really bad news concerns the ability of the Chinese people to worship how they choose.

Multiple media and NGOs estimated that since April 2017, the government detained at least 800,000 and up to possibly more than 2 million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and members of other Muslim groups, mostly Chinese citizens, in specially built or converted detention facilities in Xinjiang and subjected them to forced disappearance, torture, physical abuse, and prolonged detention without trial because of their religion and ethnicity. There were reports of deaths among detainees. Authorities maintained extensive and invasive security and surveillance, particularly in Xinjiang, in part to gain information regarding individuals’ religious adherence and practices. The government continued to cite concerns over the “three evils” of “ethnic separatism, religious extremism, and violent terrorism” as grounds to enact and enforce restrictions on religious practices of Muslims in Xinjiang. Authorities in Xinjiang punished schoolchildren, university students, and their family members for praying. They barred youths from participating in religious activities, including fasting during Ramadan. The government sought the forcible repatriation of Uighur Muslims from foreign countries and detained some of those who returned.

It gets worse — much worse:

The government began enforcing revised regulations in February that govern the activities of religious groups and their members. Religious leaders and groups stated these regulations increased restrictions on their ability to practice their religions, including a new requirement for religious group members to seek approval to travel abroad and a prohibition on “accepting domination by external forces.” Christian church leaders stated the government increased monitoring even before the new regulations came into effect, causing many churches to cease their normal activities. Authorities continued to arrest Christians and enforce more limitations on their activities, including requiring Christian churches to install surveillance cameras to enable daily police monitoring, and compelling members of house churches and other Christians to sign documents renouncing their Christian faith and church membership. An ongoing campaign of church closings continued during the year, and authorities removed crosses and other Christian symbols from churches, with Henan Province a particular focus area of such activity. In September the Holy See reached a provisional agreement with the government that reportedly would resolve a decades-long dispute concerning the authority to appoint bishops.

(Read more from “China Targeted in State Department Annual Report on Religious Freedom” HERE)

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China Hosts Taliban Delegation to Enlarge Role in Afghanistan

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A Taliban delegation recently traveled to Beijing to discuss U.S.-backed peace efforts as well as “mutual” counterterrorism concerns in Afghanistan, the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday.

Indian media reported that New Delhi’s rival Beijing hosted the delegation — led by the Taliban’s political deputy chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar — in a bid to expand its role in Afghanistan, which is expected to house projects from Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Asked about the Taliban’s visit on Thursday, Lu Kang, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters that the two sides exchanged views “on Afghanistan’s peace and reconciliation process, counter-terrorism and other issues of mutual interest.” . . .

The Trump administration has intensified peace-seeking efforts over the last year, making the political reconciliation between Afghanistan and Kabul the primary goal of its strategy to end the nearly 18-year-old war. Nevertheless, the Taliban’s refusal to allow Kabul to participate in the ongoing negotiations has surfaced as the primary hurdle to the talks.

Taliban narco-jihadis, who are fighting to establish a sharia-compliant Islamic emirate in Afghanistan, consider themselves the only legitimate government of Afghanistan, dismissing Kabul as an American “puppet.” (Read more from “China Hosts Taliban Delegation to Enlarge Role in Afghanistan” HERE)

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China Accuses Pompeo of Violating International Law

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On the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed China in a statement honoring the “heroic protest movement of the Chinese people.”

“The hundreds of thousands of protesters who gathered in Beijing and in other cities around China suffered grievously in pursuit of a better future for their country,” Pompeo wrote. “The number of dead is still unknown. We express our deep sorrow to the families still grieving their lost loved ones, including the courageous Tiananmen Mothers, who have never stopped seeking accountability, despite great personal risk. The events of thirty years ago still stir our conscience, and the conscience of freedom-loving people around the world.” . . .

The secretary’s statement also called upon the Chinese government “to make a full, public accounting of those killed or missing” during the Tiananmen Square protests “to give comfort to the many victims of this dark chapter of history.” . . .

In response, the Chinese embassy in Washington claimed the statement violated international law and was made out of “prejudice and arrogance.”

“Under the pretext of human rights, the statement grossly intervenes in China’s internal affairs, attacks its system, and smears its domestic and foreign policies,” the Chinese embassy said in its own statement. “This is an affront to the Chinese people and a serious violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations. The Chinese side expresses its strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to it.”​ (Read more from “China Accuses Pompeo of Violating International Law” HERE)

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This Ad Shows Just How Much Chinese Consumers Trust Facial Recognition Technology

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In a scene reminiscent of a Hollywood blockbuster’s trailer, a Chinese policeman dons a pair of futuristic facial recognition–equipped sunglasses. He scans each member of the crowd at Shanghai’s People’s Square subway station. Before long, he pinpoints a crook—whose disguise may have fooled humans, but not technology—and starts chasing him down.

The video is an advertisement for state-owned telecom giant China Mobile’s new 5G network. The voiceover in Mandarin at the end of the clip doesn’t endorse facial recognition outright, but it does boast that 5G is speedy enough to make “smart cities possible.”

People around the world are grappling with facial recognition. Earlier this month, it was officially banned in San Francisco. Congress recently held a hearing about the pitfalls of the technology. Meanwhile, a backlash broke out in the U.K. last week after a Welsh man complained that the authorities breached his privacy with facial recognition, prompting police to defend what they call a valuable crime-prevention tool.

All that pales in comparison with China’s usage of the technology. Critics have accused the Chinese government of using such technology in its suppression of the Uighur minority, with experts digging up copious amounts of evidence to back up those claims. There are also concerns that facial recognition will be abused nationwide. Cameras equipped with the technology have sprung up alongside most major Chinese city streets, and even in some public bathrooms.

Alarming as such widespread state surveillance might seem to many Westerners, much of the Chinese population has welcomed its increasing ubiquity. As author Jianan Qian wrote in a New York Times op-ed, “Many people in China seem to be happy about the physical security promised by the surveillance network. Our mind-set, long ago, was wired to see safety and freedom as an either-or choice.” (Read more from “This Ad Shows Just How Much Chinese Consumers Trust Facial Recognition Technology” HERE)

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Chinese State Media: Crackdown on Smuggling Is ‘First Step in China-US Rare-Earth War’

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By Breitbart. The trade war is quickly becoming a rare earth war–at least in the rhetoric of Chinese state media.

The often belligerently nationalist Global Times, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, called on China to cut-back on rare-earth licenses and “tighten management’ of foreign-invested companies as first steps to “weapons the minerals.” . . .

From the Global Times:

The crackdown on rare-earth smuggling makes it possible for China to weaponize the minerals in an escalation of the trade war. Now China needs to tighten management of rare-earth enterprises, especially foreign-invested companies, to make smuggling absolutely impossible.

Rare-earth minerals are important strategic resources but China had never thought of using the minerals as leverage to hit the US. The trade war is prompting China to rethink its rare-earth strategy and make quick adjustments. Once merely an economic sector, rare earths have become a counter weapon for China to hit back at the US. There is a lot of work to be done, and cracking down on smuggling is only the first step in weaponizing the sector.

(Read more from “Chinese State Media: Crackdown on Smuggling Is ‘First Step in China-US Rare-Earth War'” HERE)

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‘Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You’: A Phrase from China Signals the Trade War Could Get Even Worse

By CNBC. The biggest Chinese newspaper explicitly warned the U.S. on Wednesday that China would cut off rare earth minerals as a countermeasure in the escalated trade battle, using a history-laden expression the publication has used ahead of full-on wars.

“We advise the U.S. side not to underestimate the Chinese side’s ability to safeguard its development rights and interests. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!” the People’s Daily said in a commentary titled “United States, don’t underestimate China’s ability to strike back.” The publication is the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China.

The phrase “Don’t say we didn’t warn you” has been used before by the People’s Daily in 1962 before China’s border war with India and ahead of the 1979 China-Vietnam War. (Read more from “‘Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You’: A Phrase from China Signals the Trade War Could Get Even Worse” HERE)

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Is This Why Justin Amash Is Pushing for Trump’s Impeachment?

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By Townhall. . . .Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) had a tantrum because former White House Counsel Don McGahn decided to wipe his rear end with the subpoena that was issued to him. It’s part of the Trump White House’s legal strategy of slapping away these worthless subpoenas because we all know these aren’t oversight investigations. They’re impeachment hearings. They’re aimed at trying to get the president over anything, something.

Storm noted that there’s been a liberal shift in the programming at Fox New on the weekends, which could be a sign that we’re in the post-Roger Ailes era. Rupert Murdoch’s sons are running the show—and they’re not conservatives. He’ll walk you through it folks, but let’s just say that Chris Wallace should find guests who aren’t liberals or former Obama officials. This is Fox News after all. . .

And alas, we come to Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI), one of the few libertarians in Congress, who recently declared that Trump could be impeached, which is rich given that police state tactics were used against the president and some of his staff during the 2016 election. Also, there could be a China connection. Yep, trade is causing tension between the U.S. and China and it would seem that the Michigan congressman has some investments that could get squeezed. Sofia Carbone at Human Events has the story:

In 2010 the Michigan Live website detailed how Amash and his family were ostensibly profiting from the creation of tools in China which were then sold by the Amash family business in Michigan.

The impeachment impresario’s 2017 Financial Disclosure Report details the congressman reported between $100,001 and $1,000,000 in income from a company called Michigan Industrial Tools, which in turn is owned by Dynamic Source International, based in China. Dynamic Source International manufactures products overseas and sells them in the United States via Michigan Industrial Tools (MIT).

(Read more from “Is This Why Justin Amash Is Pushing for Trump’s Impeachment?” HERE)

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Trump Impeachment Call from Rep. Amash ‘Very Disturbing,’ Kevin McCarthy Says

By Fox News. House GOP Chairman Kevin McCarthy is disputing five-term Congressman Justin Amash’s call for President Trump’s impeachment.

Joining a growing chorus of Republicans, McCarthy said Tuesday that Rep. Amash, D-Mich., was out of step with others in the Republican Party and with the American people.

On “Sunday Morning Futures” this past weekend he told Maria Bartiromo, “What he wants is attention in this process. He’s not a criminal attorney. He’s never met Mueller. He’s never met Barr. And now he’s coming forward with this?”

“It’s very disturbing,” McCarthy remarked. “This is exactly what you would expect from Justin. He never supported the president. And I think he’s just looking for attention.” (Read more from “Trump Impeachment Call from Rep. Amash ‘Very Disturbing,’ Kevin McCarthy Says” HERE)

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This Is What China Tariffs Could Do for American Jobs

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A 25 percent tariff on all imported goods from China would create more than 720,000 American jobs by 2024, a new study finds.

The United States would undergo a nationwide reshoring-jobs effort if it imposed a tariff on all Chinese imports, the latest study from Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) researchers Jeff Ferry and Steven Byers finds.

Ferry and Byers’ study reveals that an across-the-board 25 percent tariff on every good imported to the U.S. from China would “deliver a significant, sustained boost to the US economy” by creating 721,000 American jobs and adding $125 billion to the nation’s GDP by 2024.

“Our model demonstrates that across-the-board US tariffs on Chinese imports stimulate the US economy, increase US production and jobs, and lead to a reduction in US import costs over time,” Ferry said.

“This result is consistent with US experience in 2018 and early 2019 when tariffs on steel, aluminum, and other industries led to job creation in those sectors,” Ferry said. “The modeling results provide additional evidence that decoupling the US economy from China and its predatory trade and subsidy practices will make the US economy stronger, with more production, investment, and jobs.” (Read more from “This Is What China Tariffs Could Do for American Jobs” HERE)

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With Farmers Hit Hard by Chinese Tariffs, the Trump Admin Devises $15 Billion Agriculture Aid Plan

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As America’s trade fight with China escalates, the Trump administration is planning to provide even more assistance to farmers whose bottom lines have been affected by the increases in foreign tariffs.

Last year the federal government ended up paying farmers $12 billion to cover the loss of foreign sales to tariff increases, and this year it’s looking like the number is going to be $15 billion.

“We’re gonna take the highest year, the biggest purchase that China has ever made with our farmers, which is about $15 billion,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday, “and do something reciprocal to our farmers so our farmers can do well, they’ll be planting, they’ll be able to sell for less and make the same kind of money until such a time as it’s all straightened out.”

The move comes after Trump faced considerable pushback from Senate Republicans whose state agricultural economies were hit by slumping foreign sales, the Washington Post reports.

In a Monday press release, Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee Chairman John Hoeven, R-S.D., praised the President’s idea and noted that the assistance would take the form of “Market Facilitation Program” payments and other agricultural assistance.

“We appreciate the Administration’s recognition of the challenges in farm country and their commitment to provide agriculture assistance. As chairman of the Agriculture Appropriations Committee, I’ve been making the case to the Administration, both at USDA and the White House, that our producers need another round of MFP as well as other ag assistance,” the statement says. “At the same time, supporting our agriculture industry will send a clear message to China that the U.S. is going to do what it takes to get better trade deals.”

While agricultural commodities across the board have been hit hard by the standoff between Washington and Beijing, one of the hardest-hit crops is soybeans, which fell to record low prices on Monday amid a massive supply glut and stalled Asian purchases.

And that supply glut is hitting the president right in his geographic base of support, as several of the states with the highest soybean acreages are states that voted for him in 2016, as shown by the map below.

“We’ve been understanding during this negotiation process, but we cannot withstand another year in which our most important foreign market continues to slip away and soybean prices are 20 to 25 percent, or even more, below pre-tariff levels,” said John Heisdorffer, American Soybean Association Chairman and Iowa soy farmer, on Monday. “Our patience is waning, our finances are suffering, and the stress from months of living with the consequences of these tariffs is mounting.”

Early on Tuesday morning, the president tweeted that “Our great Patriot Farmers will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of what is happening now,” and that the funding for the new subsidies would be paid for by the “massive Tariffs” currently leveled against China and others. “The Farmers have been ‘forgotten’ for many years. Their time is now!”

(For more from the author of “With Farmers Hit Hard by Chinese Tariffs, the Trump Admin Devises $15 Billion Agriculture Aid Plan” please click HERE)

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Trump Fires First Shot in U.S.-China Trade War

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The trade war begins: Trump hikes tariffs on China

The Trump administration has officially imposed tariffs on roughly $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.

Tariffs on the select Chinese exports were raised from 10 percent to 25 percent overnight, resulting in a plummeting stock market and a promise from Beijing to impose retaliatory tariffs of its own.

“China deeply regrets that the US has decided to increase the tariffs from 10 per cent to 25 per cent on US$200 billion worth of China goods exported to the United States,” China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement following the tariff hike.

“We’ll have no choice but to take the necessary countermeasures,” the statement added.

President Trump took to Twitter Friday to signal that he may leave the tariffs in place for quite some time.

“Talks with China continue in a very congenial manner – there is absolutely no need to rush,” the president said in one of his tweets.

North Korea again commences missile tests following long hiatus

The regime that rules North Korea has started to test-fire short-range missiles, following relative calm through the course of the Trump administration.

On Thursday, the South Korean military reported seeing Pyongyang test-firing projectiles into the sea, marking a significant escalation from a regime that was once in discussions about denuclearization.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has pledged to keep his military in “full-combat posture,” according to North Korean state media, which released photos of Kim watching the military exercises that occurred this week.

President Trump was not particularly amused with the North Korean saber-rattling, but remained open to further negotiations.

“They were smaller missiles, they’re short range missiles,” President Trump told reporters. “Nobody’s happy about it, but we’re taking a good look and we’ll see, we’ll see. The relationship continues, but we’ll see what happens.”

Guaido says he would ‘probably accept’ US military intervention in Venezuela

Venezuela opposition leader or interim president, depending upon your politics and views on the situation unfolding in Caracas, Juan Guaido continues to consider the possibility of American military intervention in his country.

In an interview with the Italian publication La Stampa, Guaido said he would “probably accept” U.S. military intervention intended to topple socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro.

“If the Americans were to propose a military intervention I would probably accept it,” Guaido said, according to a translation by The Telegraph.

Iranian regime offers cold response to POTUS’ ‘call me’ outreach

The regime that rules Iran is thoroughly rejecting any notion of diplomacy with the United States, following President Trump’s offer to negotiate with the mullahs this week.

“There will be no negotiations with America,” a top Iranian general raged, according to one of its state-run media outfits, Fox News reported Friday.

Trump said Thursday at the White House, commenting on the newly imposed sanctions against the Tehran regime: “What I would like to see with Iran, I would like to see them call me.”

The Trump administration has sent some serious firepower to maintain a presence off of Iran’s coast, following reported U.S. intelligence picking up information on a terrorist threat originating from Iran and its terrorist proxies.

Sec. Pompeo to meet with Putin in Russia next week

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet face to face with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week in Sochi, Russia, the State Department said in a press release Friday.

While in Sochi, he will also meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The parties will discuss “the full range of bilateral and multilateral challenges,” the State Department said.

Secretary Pompeo will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Russia. The landmark commemorates the Soviet soldiers who perished during World War II, when the U.S. and Soviet Union struck an alliance to defeat Nazi Germany. (For more from the author of “Trump Fires First Shot in U.S.-China Trade War” please click HERE)

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Trump Just Threatened HUGE Tariffs on China

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China may back out of trade talks scheduled for this week with U.S. officials after President Donald Trump threatened Beijing with increased tariffs.

Trump said in a Sunday afternoon Twitter post that the current 10% tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods will rise to 25% on Friday. He also threatened to impose 25% levies on an additional $325 billion of Chinese goods “shortly.”

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He had planned to bring a large delegation to Washington on Wednesday to hash out a trade deal — and there’d been talk in recent days that something resembling a deal could result. Instead, two sources briefed on the talks said the Chinese side may back out of this week’s negotiations.

That was pegged to Trump’s new threats, they said, which abandon a six-month truce after Beijing waffled on some previously discussed commitments.

One source said the Chinese vice premier will likely cancel the trip he’d planned for himself and a 100-person delegation for the final round of talks that U.S. officials had previously said could yield a deal by Friday. Chinese officials canceled a trip in late September 2018 in similar circumstances. (Read more from “Trump Just Announced HUGE Tariffs on China” HERE)

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