Category: China

This horrible that an entire family which includes three Korean nationals has been infected by the coronavirus:

Three Korean citizens in mainland China were confirmed to have been infected with the new coronavirus, the Korean government said Monday.

Kim Gang-lip, deputy head of the central disaster headquarters, told reporters that three members of a family staying in Qingdao, in the country’s eastern province of Shandong, have tested positive for the virus, which has killed 904 people and infected nearly 41,000 in 29 countries over the past few weeks.

“The World Health Organization and the Chinese government notified on Sunday that they were confirmed to be infected,” Kim said.

The three ― a father and his two children ― are “in a stable condition” and have been treated at a local hospital, he said. The man is the spouse of a Chinese woman who was confirmed to have been infected with the virus on Jan. 31.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

I think all of us that follow these issues know why this is:

In all fairness, one may wonder why the “new” Chinese ambassador to Seoul was given a free pass on his diplomatic gaffe, while the U.S. ambassador ― who was born to a Japanese mother ― was pilloried over his mustache that critics compared to the facial hair of Japanese colonial-period leaders preying on Koreans. 

If one were to draw comparisons of Ambassador Harry Harris to Japan’s cruel governor-general during that country’s 1940-1945 occupation, then it would be justified in comparing Ambassador Xing Haiming to arrogant senior messengers from Ming or Qing emperors who treated Joseon kings as their subordinates. 

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

This should be a surprise to absolutely no one who follows China and North Korea issues closely:

In the case of the three banks, which were not identified by name, China opposed U.S. sanctions on a North Korean front company in Hong Kong linked to the banks. Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled last year that the three companies were in contempt for failing to comply with the subpoenas and fined them each $50,000 per day.

Bloomberg News reported that the three banks appeared to be the China Merchants Bank, the Bank of Communications and the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, identified as among China’s 10 largest banks. The banks told Bloomberg that they were not under investigation for sanctions violations.

In a second case involving covert Chinese support to North Korea, an FBI agent revealed in court papers that although China agreed to work with U.S. authorities in providing bank records under the Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement, China never handed over any records. The FBI agent testified that based on the lack of cooperation “the MLAA process is not an effective way to obtain bank records from Chinese authorities with respect to investigations involving North Korea.”

That case involved a request for Chinese bank records regarding Dandong Hongxiang Industrial Development Co. Ltd., a North Korean front company in China.

The agent was quoted as saying “one reason that Chinese authorities do not want to assist with North Korean investigations is that producing such records could reflect badly on the Chinese government and the Chinese financial industry.”

Washington Times

You can read more at the link.

We have seen how Chinese fishermen have been challenging South Korean sovereignty well for more perspective, the Indonesians are having the same problem:

Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday reaffirmed his country’s sovereignty during a visit to a group of islands at the edge of the South China Sea that China claims as its traditional fishing area.

Widodo, accompanied by top military officials, toured Natuna Islands on a naval ship in a move designed to send a message to Beijing.

“Natuna is part of Indonesia’s territory, there is no question, no doubt,” Widodo said in a speech after the trip. “There is no bargaining for our sovereignty.”

He then presided over a meeting with local administration officials and fishermen, discussing issues including development of the remote islands, about 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) north of the capital, Jakarta.

His visit came a week after China’s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang in a news briefing in Beijing insisted that Chinese fishermen are free to conduct activities in their traditional fishing ground, which partly overlaps with Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone.

“Whether the Indonesian side accepts it or not, nothing will change the objective fact that China has rights and interests over the relevant waters,” Shuang said.

Shuang’s statement drew a nationwide indignation in Indonesia and prompted the military to beef up its forces at the islands. Although China has been making such claims for years, recently dozens of Chinese fishing boats, escorted by its coast guard vessels, were reportedly making more aggressive moves in the area and ignoring Indonesia’s warnings to leave.

Associated Press

You can read more at the link.