China
Chinese Online Community Reacts to Bin Laden Death
This post has been updated since it was initially published (see below). Those who follow the chatter on Chinese social media sites are familiar with the pattern by now: More extreme comments enter the conversation early and while the more thoughtful comments don’t come until later. Rumors of Osama bin Laden’s death began to spread on Sina Weibo, China’s most active microblogging service, at least an hour before President Obama’s speech. The news was initially greeted with messages of shock and disbelief mixed with expressions of regret at the Al Qaeda founder’s passing – the latter reflective of an extreme form of anti-Americanism that spouts from the lips of ultra-nationalists, fanned in recent years by hawkish elements in the media and security forces. “Deeply mourning Bin Laden,” wrote Weibo user Jiajia Nuwu in comments echoed fairly widely across the site. “Yet another anti-American hero is lost.” “Is this real? Excellent!” wrote another. “Now the only terrorist left is the United States!” It’s hard to assess how widespread such sentiments are in Chinese society. The Chinese blogosphere provides an outlet for so-called “angry youth,” whose online ranting at the U.S. is sometimes assumed to be a proxy for a rebellion against domestic authority. It’s far less risky to lash out against foreigners than Chinese officials. Such comments do not appear to reflect mainstream views in a country that holds fairly deep reservations about the way America wields its power in the world, but still has plenty of affection for Americans and their culture. Still, in China more than a few people cheered the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and where Mr. bin Laden has sometimes been lauded for his willingness to take on the U.S. Other Weibo commenters, however, appeared happy about Mr. bin Laden’s death, partly because the terrorist leader’s political agenda posed a direct threat to security in China’s northwestern territory of Xinjiang. “Thank you America for helping us,” wrote user Zhaoling Tongzi, noting Beijing’s assertion that that the Al Qaeda leader had supported a Muslim separatist movement in Xinjiang. “He wasn’t a friend. He was an enemy.” On Twitter, which is blocked in China and thus tends to be used mostly by tech-savvy Chinese activists and intellectuals willing to circumvent China’s Internet censors, many users parsed news of Mr. bin Laden’s death through the lens of Chinese politics. “Some countries use 10 years in pursuit of justice while others need 100 years just to discover the definition of justice,” Internet entrepreneur Isaac Mao, often described as China’s first blogger, wrote on his Twitter account in veiled reference to Beijing’s unwillingness to admit its past political mistakes. In another oblique reference to Chinese politics, a number of Chinese Twitter users passed around a message reading: “Of the ten most evil people in the world, the U.S. has killed one. Now there are nine left.” Nine is the number of members on the Chinese Communist Party’s ruling Politburo Standing Committee. One Chinese Twitter user joked that Mr. bin Laden’s death meant the title of world’s top terrorist should go to Fang Binxing, the widely reviled “father” of China’s Great Firewall [http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/12/20/father-of-chinas-great-firewall-shouted-off-own-microblog/] In a more analytical vein, former journalist and prominent political blogger Wen Yunchao argued on his Twitter account that the death of Mr. bin Laden would have consequences for China’s foreign policy. “In the past, the U.S. needed China to joint the fight against terrorism and so made a more than a few concessions,” Mr. Wen wrote. “Now that bin Laden is dead, there’s one less constraint. The Free World now has more power to encircle China on the issue of universal values.” Twitter didn’t have the monopoly on backhanded political commentary. Responding to another user’s repetition of a conspiracy theory popular on Sina that the U.S. long ago captured Mr. bin Laden and only chose to announce it now to manipulate the American electorate in Mr. Obama’s favor, a Weibo user going by the name Xiang Shijie wrote: “That makes sense. Americans appear to have thoroughly studied Chinese tactics.” UPDATE: This post has been updated to include additional context on the nature of Chinese Internet commentary. –Josh Chin. Follow him on Twitter @joshchin .
This post has been updated since it was initially published (see below). Those who follow the chatter on Chinese social media sites are familiar with the pattern by now: More extreme comments enter the conversation early and while the more thoughtful comments don’t come until later. Rumors of Osama bin Laden’s death began to spread on Sina Weibo, China’s most active microblogging service, at least an hour before President Obama’s speech. The news was initially greeted with messages of shock and disbelief mixed with expressions of regret at the Al Qaeda founder’s passing – the latter reflective of an extreme form of anti-Americanism that spouts from the lips of ultra-nationalists, fanned in recent years by hawkish elements in the media and security forces. “Deeply mourning Bin Laden,” wrote Weibo user Jiajia Nuwu in comments echoed fairly widely across the site. “Yet another anti-American hero is lost.” “Is this real? Excellent!” wrote another. “Now the only terrorist left is the United States!” It’s hard to assess how widespread such sentiments are in Chinese society. The Chinese blogosphere provides an outlet for so-called “angry youth,” whose online ranting at the U.S. is sometimes assumed to be a proxy for a rebellion against domestic authority. It’s far less risky to lash out against foreigners than Chinese officials. Such comments do not appear to reflect mainstream views in a country that holds fairly deep reservations about the way America wields its power in the world, but still has plenty of affection for Americans and their culture. Still, in China more than a few people cheered the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and where Mr. bin Laden has sometimes been lauded for his willingness to take on the U.S. Other Weibo commenters, however, appeared happy about Mr. bin Laden’s death, partly because the terrorist leader’s political agenda posed a direct threat to security in China’s northwestern territory of Xinjiang. “Thank you America for helping us,” wrote user Zhaoling Tongzi, noting Beijing’s assertion that that the Al Qaeda leader had supported a Muslim separatist movement in Xinjiang. “He wasn’t a friend. He was an enemy.” On Twitter, which is blocked in China and thus tends to be used mostly by tech-savvy Chinese activists and intellectuals willing to circumvent China’s Internet censors, many users parsed news of Mr. bin Laden’s death through the lens of Chinese politics. “Some countries use 10 years in pursuit of justice while others need 100 years just to discover the definition of justice,” Internet entrepreneur Isaac Mao, often described as China’s first blogger, wrote on his Twitter account in veiled reference to Beijing’s unwillingness to admit its past political mistakes. In another oblique reference to Chinese politics, a number of Chinese Twitter users passed around a message reading: “Of the ten most evil people in the world, the U.S. has killed one. Now there are nine left.” Nine is the number of members on the Chinese Communist Party’s ruling Politburo Standing Committee. One Chinese Twitter user joked that Mr. bin Laden’s death meant the title of world’s top terrorist should go to Fang Binxing, the widely reviled “father” of China’s Great Firewall [http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/12/20/father-of-chinas-great-firewall-shouted-off-own-microblog/] In a more analytical vein, former journalist and prominent political blogger Wen Yunchao argued on his Twitter account that the death of Mr. bin Laden would have consequences for China’s foreign policy. “In the past, the U.S. needed China to joint the fight against terrorism and so made a more than a few concessions,” Mr. Wen wrote. “Now that bin Laden is dead, there’s one less constraint. The Free World now has more power to encircle China on the issue of universal values.” Twitter didn’t have the monopoly on backhanded political commentary. Responding to another user’s repetition of a conspiracy theory popular on Sina that the U.S. long ago captured Mr. bin Laden and only chose to announce it now to manipulate the American electorate in Mr. Obama’s favor, a Weibo user going by the name Xiang Shijie wrote: “That makes sense. Americans appear to have thoroughly studied Chinese tactics.” UPDATE: This post has been updated to include additional context on the nature of Chinese Internet commentary. –Josh Chin. Follow him on Twitter @joshchin .
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Chinese Online Community Reacts to Bin Laden Death
China
Q1 2024 Brief on Transfer Pricing in Asia
Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance released Regulation No. 172 of 2023 on transfer pricing, consolidating various guidelines. The Directorate General of Taxes focuses on compliance, expanded arm’s length principle, and substance checks. Singapore’s Budget 2024 addresses economic challenges, operational costs, and sustainability, implementing global tax reforms like the Income Inclusion Rule and Domestic Top-up Tax.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance (MoF) has released Regulation No. 172 of 2023 (“PMK-172”), which prevails as a unified transfer pricing guideline. PMK-172 consolidates various transfer pricing matters that were previously covered under separate regulations, including the application of the arm’s length principle, transfer pricing documentation requirements, transfer pricing adjustments, Mutual Agreement Procedure (“MAP”), and Advance Pricing Agreements (“APA”).
The Indonesian Directorate General of Taxes (DGT) has continued to focus on compliance with the ex-ante principle, the expanded scope of transactions subject to the arm’s length principle, and the reinforcement of substance checks as part of the preliminary stage, indicating the DGT’s expectation of meticulous and well-supported transfer pricing analyses conducted by taxpayers.
In conclusion, PMK-172 reflects the Indonesian government’s commitment to addressing some of the most controversial transfer pricing issues and promoting clarity and certainty. While it brings new opportunities, it also presents challenges. Taxpayers are strongly advised to evaluate the implications of these new guidelines on their businesses in Indonesia to navigate this transformative regulatory landscape successfully.
In a significant move to bolster economic resilience and sustainability, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Mr. Lawrence Wong, unveiled the ambitious Singapore Budget 2024 on February 16, 2024. Amidst global economic fluctuations and a pressing climate crisis, the Budget strategically addresses the dual challenges of rising operational costs and the imperative for sustainable development, marking a pivotal step towards fortifying Singapore’s position as a competitive and green economy.
In anticipation of global tax reforms, Singapore’s proactive steps to implement the Income Inclusion Rule (IIR) and Domestic Top-up Tax (DTT) under the BEPS 2.0 framework demonstrate a forward-looking approach to ensure tax compliance and fairness. These measures reaffirm Singapore’s commitment to international tax standards while safeguarding its economic interests.
Transfer pricing highlights from the Singapore Budget 2024 include:
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
China
New Report from Dezan Shira & Associates: China Takes the Lead in Emerging Asia Manufacturing Index 2024
China has been the world’s largest manufacturer for 14 years, producing one-third of global manufacturing output. In the Emerging Asia Manufacturing Index 2024, China ranks highest among eight emerging countries in the region. Challenges for these countries include global demand disparities affecting industrial output and export orders.
Known as the “World’s Factory”, China has held the title of the world’s largest manufacturer for 14 consecutive years, starting from 2010. Its factories churn out approximately one-third of the global manufacturing output, a testament to its industrial might and capacity.
China’s dominant role as the world’s sole manufacturing power is reaffirmed in Dezan Shira & Associates’ Emerging Asia Manufacturing Index 2024 report (“EAMI 2024”), in which China secures the top spot among eight emerging countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The other seven economies are India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
The EAMI 2024 aims to assess the potential of these eight economies, navigate the risks, and pinpoint specific factors affecting the manufacturing landscape.
In this article, we delve into the key findings of the EAMI 2024 report and navigate China’s advantages and disadvantages in the manufacturing sector, placing them within the Asia-Pacific comparative context.
Emerging Asia countries face various challenges, especially in the current phase of increased volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). One notable challenge is the impact of global demand disparities on the manufacturing sector, affecting industrial output and export orders.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
China
Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
Chinese social media influencers have recently claimed that prominent Chinese-born Australian journalist Vicky Xu had posted a message saying she planned to return to China.
There is no evidence for this. The source did not provide evidence to support the claim, and Xu herself later confirmed to AFCL that she has no such plans.
Currently working as an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, or ASPI, Xu has previously written for both the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, or ABC, and The New York Times.
A Chinese language netizen on X initially claimed on March 31 that the changing geopolitical relations between Sydney and Beijing had caused Xu to become an expendable asset and that she had posted a message expressing a strong desire to return to China. An illegible, blurred photo of the supposed message accompanied the post.
This claim was retweeted by a widely followed influencer on the popular Chinese social media site Weibo one day later, who additionally commented that Xu was a “traitor” who had been abandoned by Australian media.
Following the publication of an ASPI article in 2021 which exposed forced labor conditions in Xinjiang co-authored by Xu, the journalist was labeled “morally bankrupt” and “anti-China” by the Chinese state owned media outlet Global Times and subjected to an influx of threatening messages and digital abuse, eventually forcing her to temporarily close several of her social media accounts.
AFCL found that neither Xu’s active X nor LinkedIn account has any mention of her supposed return to China, and received the following response from Xu herself about the rumor:
“I can confirm that I don’t have plans to go back to China. I think if I do go back I’ll most definitely be detained or imprisoned – so the only career I’ll be having is probably going to be prison labor or something like that, which wouldn’t be ideal.”
Neither a keyword search nor reverse image search on the photo attached to the original X post turned up any text from Xu supporting the netizens’ claims.
Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Shen Ke and Malcolm Foster.
Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in today’s complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers’ understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Read the rest of this article here >>> Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
- Q1 2024 Brief on Transfer Pricing in Asia
- New Report from Dezan Shira & Associates: China Takes the Lead in Emerging Asia Manufacturing Index 2024
- Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
- Guide for Foreign Residents: Obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China
- China Unveils Plan to Upgrade Industrial Equipment
- China deepens engagement with new Indonesian president as top diplomat visits Jakarta
