Cambodia and Iran curry favor with China, while Beijing pours even more money into railway project in Indonesia
News briefing for February 13, 2023
Here’s what else you need to know about China today:
Top story: The U.S. and the Philippines are on high-alert over PLA incursions, after U.S. fighter jets shot down a fourth object over American soil, and a Chinese naval ship pointed a massive laser at a Philippines Coast Guard vessel in the South China Sea. In the wake of “Balloon-gate,” those fears are likely to stick around, no matter how Beijing explains it. Scroll down for a summary or click through for the whole thing.
China has thrown in more political and economic support to Cambodia after the country’s prime minister, Hun Sen, met with Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 in Beijing on Friday. Strong ties with Phnom Penh have helped Beijing retain its position and interests within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), despite criticism from several members over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Click through for our in-depth including views from scholars and Cambodian opposition leaders.
Iran’s president will also meet with Xi to shore up ties during a three-day visit to China, after a joint declaration signed between Xi and Gulf leaders in December drew anger from Tehran.
Indonesia and China will pour an extra $1.2 billion to build a high-speed train in the Southeast Asian nation, despite the fact that the railway project is already $2 billion over budget and has faced several other issues, such as construction delays, due to years of Beijing’s COVID curbs.
An ethnic Kazakh in Xinjiang is being squeezed by Chinese security forces for communicating with Kazakh activists overseas, and is reaching out to the international community to help her escape arrest. “If I disappear or if I die, I want the world to hold them responsible,” journalist and artist Zhanargul Zhumatai said on January 2.
- Last month, a U.K. court threw out a Uyghur forced labor lawsuit — but plaintiffs still called the wording of the judgment an “important vindication” for persecuted Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities. Click through to The China Project for our weekly column on Uyghur stories.
Geely’s electric car brand Zeekr raised $750 million from five investors — one of which is battery giant CATL. Also: Tobacco industry corruption crackdown, and a tough year for the chemical industry.
