China
Anti-Asian racism harming US interests
Author: Zhiqun Zhu, Bucknell University
In June 1982, Vincent Chin was beaten by two white men in Detroit at a time when the Japanese auto industry was becoming highly competitive in the United States. Chin, a Chinese-American, was assumed Japanese and fatally attacked by the two laid-off autoworkers. Almost 40 years later on 27 September 2020, Tadataka Unno, a Japanese pianist in New York City, was chased and knocked to the ground by a group of teenagers shouting anti-Chinese slurs. He was hospitalised with a broken collarbone.
The United States has a history of anti-Asian racism. In the second half of the 19th century, the Chinese immigrants were the targets of racism, including the lynching of Chinese in Los Angeles in 1871 and mass killings of Chinese in Rock Springs, Wyoming by white mobs in 1885. In 1882, US Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited the immigration of Chinese labourers to the United States. Chinese immigrants were blamed for depressed wages and rising unemployment and were considered carriers of disease. Following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, about 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated in concentration camps between 1942 and 1946 by President Franklin Roosevelt’s executive order.
Anti-Asian racism is once again on the rise in the United States. Since his election in 2016, President Donald Trump has repeatedly incited racism across the board, most infamously calling Mexican immigrants ‘drug dealers, criminals and rapists’.
The United States is now leading the world in both positive cases and deaths from COVID-19. Over 9 million Americans — including Trump himself — had been infected and over 230,000 had died by the end of October 2020. But instead of reflecting on his own policy failures, Trump is conveniently blaming China and the World Health Organization (WHO) for the country’s poor handling of the pandemic.
The Trump administration’s irresponsible and intentional use of the terms ‘Chinese virus’ and ‘kung flu’ is fuelling anti-Asian racism. Amid COVID-19, verbal and physical attacks on Asian Americans are rising. More than 2500 such attacks were reported between mid-March and early August 2020 according to Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition that tracks anti-Asian discrimination.
On 17 September 2020, the US House of Representatives voted to pass a bill condemning anti-Asian sentiment amid the pandemic, with all 164 votes against coming from Trump’s fellow Republicans. Following the legislation’s passing, Congresswoman Grace Meng — who introduced the bill — received racist abuse.
The toxic political climate is making it difficult for the United States to maintain normal educational and cultural exchanges with other countries. In August 2020, the University of North Texas (UNT) abruptly cancelled its visa program for 15 visiting Chinese scholars who receive funding from the Chinese government-supported Chinese Scholarship Council. These scholars must now return to China — a decision which sparked thousands from the UNT community to sign a petition to reverse the move to no avail.
As part of its ‘China Initiative’ to counter alleged Chinese espionage, the US Department of Justice stepped up efforts to screen Chinese scholars and students at airports for suspected spying. US border agents carried out 1147 searches of Chinese nationals’ electronic devices in 2019 — a 66 per cent increase from the previous year. The number of searches conducted on people of all nationalities rose by only 23 per cent over the same period.
Not all US schools have turned hostile to international students or academic exchanges — many maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward racism. A professor at the University of Missouri was relieved of teaching in August for making inappropriate remarks to a Chinese student. In response to finding out the student was from Wuhan, the professor said ‘let me get my mask on’. Despite his apology, many found the comment xenophobic.
A professor at Syracuse University and a professor at the University of Cincinnati were also placed on administrative leave for calling the coronavirus the ‘Chinese Communist Party virus’ or ‘Chinese virus’.
The Trump administration’s unfriendly approach toward international students is undermining US soft power and global leadership as many international students have become disillusioned and are looking for opportunities in other countries. Its sweeping ‘espionage’ claims against Chinese students and its decision to terminate the Fulbright programs in…
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?
China
Guide for Foreign Residents: Obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China
Foreign residents in China can request a criminal record check from their local security bureau. This certificate may be required for visa applications or job opportunities. Requirements and procedures vary by city. In Shanghai, foreigners must have lived there for 180 days with a valid visa to obtain the certificate.
Foreign residents living in China can request a criminal record check from the local security bureau in the city in which they have lived for at least 180 days. Certificates of no criminal record may be required for people leaving China, or those who are starting a new position in China and applying for a new visa or residence permit. Taking Shanghai as an example, we outline the requirements for obtaining a China criminal record check.
Securing a Certificate of No Criminal Record, often referred to as a criminal record or criminal background check, is a crucial step for various employment opportunities, as well as visa applications and residency permits in China. Nevertheless, navigating the process can be a daunting task due to bureaucratic procedures and language barriers.
In this article, we use Shanghai as an example to explore the essential information and steps required to successfully obtain a no-criminal record check. Requirements and procedures may differ in other cities and counties in China.
Note that foreigners who are not currently living in China and need a criminal record check to apply for a Chinese visa must obtain the certificate from their country of residence or nationality, and have it notarized by a Chinese embassy or consulate in that country.
Foreigners who have a valid residence permit and have lived in Shanghai for at least 180 days can request a criminal record check in the city. This means that the applicant will also need to currently have a work, study, or other form of visa or stay permit that allows them to live in China long-term.
If a foreigner has lived in another part of China and is planning to or has recently moved to Shanghai, they will need to request a criminal record check in the place where they previously spent at least 180 days.
There are two steps to obtaining a criminal record certificate in Shanghai: requesting the criminal record check from the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and getting the resulting Certificate of No Criminal Record notarized by an authorized notary agency.
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
China Unveils Plan to Upgrade Industrial Equipment
China unveiled a comprehensive action plan for upgrading industrial equipment, with a focus on driving technological innovation and economic growth. The plan, released on April 9, 2024, aims to enhance competitiveness and sustainability within the manufacturing sector through extensive investment and regulatory support.
China announced an ambitious action plan for industrial equipment upgrading, which aims to drive technological innovation and economic growth through extensive investment and regulatory support.
On April 9, 2024, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and six other departments jointly released a notice introducing the Implementation Plan for Promoting Equipment Renewal in the Industrial Sector (hereafter referred to as the “action plan”).
Finalized earlier on March 23, 2024, this comprehensive action plan addresses critical issues related to technological innovation and economic development. It reflects China’s proactive stance in enhancing competitiveness and sustainability within its manufacturing sector. The initiative underscores the recognition of industrial equipment upgrading as a top policy priority.
The scope of China’s action plan to upgrade industrial equipment in manufacturing, is extensive, covering various aspects such as:
In line with China’s ambitious goals for industrial modernization and sustainable development, the action plan outlines several key objectives aimed at driving substantial advancements in the industrial sector by 2027.
These objectives encompass a wide range of areas, from increasing investment to enhancing digitalization and promoting innovation, including:
The objectives and key actions proposed in the action plan are summarized below.
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.
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