Asia Pacific Focus

The talks will be aimed at cooling some of the tensions from the previous months surrounding the pandemic, Hong Kong and investments.

The EU and China are sitting down together for the first time since their relationship turned sour in the wake of the global pandemic, when Brussels accused Beijing of misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 crisis.

Beijing is still smarting from the fact that the EU called for an independent probe into the origins and spread of the coronavirus. Its 27 members co-sponsored a resolution that was submitted to the WHO’s decision-making body. Many other countries threw their weight behind the resolution.

The EU has also been under pressure from the US, asking it to take a tougher stand on China. Besides, EU officials have said that China is using social media to spread fake news about Europe’s handling of the crisis. China has, of course, been denying all these allegations and maintains that it has been transparent in sharing information.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel will hold video conferences with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping today on several issues. No statement is expected to be released after the meet.

There is much on the table apart from the coronavirus, problems that predate and follow the pandemic. The EU has expressed “grave concern” for the new security laws in Hong Kong, which according to activists and businesses will damage the semi-autonomous nature of the city and its role as a global financial hub. The EU passed a resolution condemning this which China has reacted angrily to. There are also concerns in the EU that Beijing will attempt to buy up European companies weakened by the coronavirus crisis. In new legislation, specifically targeting Chinese companies, the European Commission has said it will block foreign firms backed by heavy state subsidies from skewing competition in Europe. This comes at the back of European anger that the Chinese haven’t opened by their economy despite a 2019 agreement to do so.

The Galwan confrontation between the Indian and Chinese army has created an uncertain situation for Hong Kongers living in India. At least 20 Indian army men were killed in clashes with the Chinese military at the Galwan Valley in Ladakh region on June 15.

After clashes in Galwan tension between India and China has escalated, Hong Kong residents who have been residing in India would be evacuated.

The Chinese government has arranged to charter its nationals from parts of India to Hong Kong. All Hong Kong nationals would be evacuated from Chennai on June 20.

According to an advisory issued to all India states, the Ministry of Home Affairs, following a request from officials in Hong Kong, made immediate arrangements to facilitate their movement by June 20.

In that advisory, the travel to Hong Kong by the former colony residents should be treated as “essential.” It has been categorized as that to facilitate their movement across states.

According to reports, a substantial number of Hong Kong residents are based out of Tamil Nadu. They mostly work in IT, oil, and gas pipeline projects.

Following the advisory, state police officials are facilitating their travel. The residents would be issued special passes to travel through various check posts. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several travel restrictions are in place in different Indian states and cities.

On being asked if Chinese nationals in India would be moving out, a police source shared with the Hindu that, as of now, there is no such information.

The officer added that some flights had been arranged to move out Chinese nationals in India as students, tourists, or business visas. However, their return is more related to the rising COVID cases in India.

Following the Galwan confrontation, de-escalation talks have been going on between the military officials of two nations.

Satellite imagery shows that Chinese army men have mobilized hundreds of men and construction material along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

So far, border talks between Major Generals have failed to deescalate the issue. Reports add that the ground situation remains tense. More talks between the two sides are likely. Meanwhile, protests erupted in parts of India against Chinese action in Galwan Valley. Protesters have been demanding the boycott of Chinese goods and services and also ban on entry of any investments.

South Korean leaders held an emergency meeting yesterday after the sister of North Korean supreme leader threatened severe action against South Korea. Tension have escalated between North Korea and South Korea in recent weeks.

Because of the recent escalation of tension, the sister of Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong on 13 June, said that the decision to use the military option against South Korea would be left to military leadership in North Korea.   

According to a spokesperson from the Blue House, the South Korean National Security Council held a meeting to analyze the emerging situation, post-Kim’s threat. The South Korean leaders will respond to the danger after discussing all available options.

Without sharing any details about North Korean action, Kim said it is “high time” to break ties with the South. The next course of action by Seoul would be announced soon.

Kim, in recent months, has emerged as a powerful voice in the North Korean power hierarchy.

In a separate announcement, the South Korean Defence Ministry said it has been reading into all movements by North Korea. South Korean military, according to the statement, is ready to respond to any situation.

The Unification Ministry deals with all North Korean affairs and says that all Pyongyang moves are being closely watched.

Earlier, North Korea had suspended all communications with South Korea. The Pyongyang regime was unhappy when defectors fled to the South. It was also angry with South Korean balloons carrying propagandist messages for defectors.

South Korean government tried to reassure the Pyongyang government that action would be against those involved in such propaganda.

Despite the escalation in tension, experts from the region believe the North Korean government might be trying to extract concessions from the South by creating this crisis.

So far, negotiations with the US have remained unsuccessful.

Talks to resolve nuclear issues with the US failed to garner any result after the summit between the US President Donald Trump, and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un failed in 2019.  The two Koreas had restarted hotline and other formal communication channels two years ago to de-escalate the tension.

Hong Kong police said they made about 240 arrests in the ongoing protests against the law protecting the Chinese national anthem, under discussion in the local parliament, and that on national security arriving from Beijing. The charge is of suspected participation in unauthorized demonstrations. Most of the latest arrests took place in the Mong Kok area. Many agents lined up in riot gear around the local parliament, where yesterday the second reading debate was held on the law protecting the Chinese national anthem, contested by pro-democracy activists. The call for mobilization has seen the participation of thousands of people. According to local activists, the agents fired stinging cartridges to disperse the activists.

The National People’s Congress, the legislative branch of the Chinese parliament, approved the adoption of the Hong Kong national security law. In the vote of the final session, the assembly also approved the first Civil Code of the People’s Republic. The council passed with 2,878 in favor, one against and 6 abstentions, the motion to impose on Hong Kong the controversial law that will punish secession, acts against authorities, terrorism, and actions that threaten national security.

The document approved yesterday is little known: the Congress Standing Committee will work on the specific modalities of the law and its application, possible by circumventing the vote of the local parliament. Yesterday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Hong Kong is no longer autonomous from China, laying the foundations for the removal of the special status of the city in its relations with the US.

U.S. policy toward Hong Kong, grounded in a determination to promote Hong Kong’s prosperity, autonomy, and way of life, is stated in the U.S.–Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, which stipulated that the U.S. would continue to treat Hong Kong apart from the People’s Republic of China even after the 1997 transfer of sovereignty marking the end of British rule. The United States maintains substantial economic and political interests in Hong Kong. The United States supports Hong Kong’s autonomy by concluding and implementing bilateral agreements, promoting trade and investment, arranging high-level visits, broadening law enforcement cooperation, bolstering educational links, and supporting the large community of American citizens and visitors.

China must respect Hong Kong’s autonomy, the European Union also affirmed on Tuesday. “We attach great importance to the preservation of Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy in line with the Basic Law and international commitments,” European Council President Charles Michel, who represents European governments, said. Speaking after a video conference with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, he said Europe and Japan “share the same ideas” on China. “We are not naive about Chinese behaviour.” Michel stressed, adding that Europe supported the “one country, two systems” principle that governs Hong Kong’s autonomy.