Subject: [Salon] SEE REUTERS ARTICLE: " CHINESE BUYERS INTERESTED IN UNWANTED GERMAN VOLKSWAGEN FACTORIES" in China Risk Report for Thursday January 16, 2025
Trade Chinese buyers interested in unwanted German Volkswagen factorieofficials and automakers are eyeing German factories slated for closure and are particularly interested in Volkswagen’s sites, said a person with knowledge of Chinese government thinking. Buying a factory would allow China to build influence in Germany’s prized auto industry, home to some of the oldest and most prestigious car brands. Chinese companies have invested across a range of industries in Germany, from telecommunications to robotics, but have yet to set up traditional car manufacturing there, despite Mercedes-Benz having two large Chinese shareholders. (Reuters)
US Politics Rubio vows to confront ‘dangerous’ China, deter Taiwan invasion. Marco Rubio laid out his world view to fellow senators at a confirmation hearing. Rubio, who is expected to secure confirmation easily, described China as “the most potent and dangerous near-peer adversary this nation has ever faced” and warned of drastic impacts if the US does not act. “If we stay on the road we’re on right now, in less than 10 years virtually everything that matters to us in life will depend on whether China will allow us to have it or not -- everything from the blood pressure medicine we take to what movies we get to watch,” Rubio said. He vowed to ramp up defenses of Taiwan to prevent a “cataclysmic military intervention.” (AFP)
Trump’s Canada and Greenland threats imperil China fight, says departing ambassador. Ambassador Nicholas Burns, in a parting interview in which he expressed concern about the future of relations with Beijing, said Donald Trump’s designs on Canada and Greenland will weaken Washington’s ability to confront adversaries such as China. In the days leading up to his inauguration next week, Trump has declared it “an absolute necessity” that the US take control of Greenland, a Danish territory, and suggested that Canada be made a 51st state, citing national-security concerns. Threats to the sovereignty of allies undermine the longstanding US position that nations should respect the territorial integrity of those around them, Burns said in an interview at the US Embassy in Beijing. (Wall Street Journal)
US ramps up Russia sanctions, targeting Moscow’s business partners. The US Treasury Department announced on Wednesday it is ramping up its sanctions against companies and entities involved in Russia’s defense industry. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the US is targeting more than 150 individuals and entities supporting Russia’s military and defense, affirming the move will “further constrain Russia’s ability to wage war and thwart sanctions evasion.” Specifically, the department said it re-designated nearly 100 major entities across Russia’s financial, defense, and energy sectors as well as placing sanctions on 15 new entities. The sanctions will impact a wide range of companies globally, but particularly in China, which the department says is “the largest supplier of dual use items and enabler of sanctions evasion in support of Russia’s war effort.” (The Hill)
Geopolitics India’s navy launches submarine, warships to guard against China’s presence in Indian Ocean. India’s navy on Wednesday simultaneously launched a submarine, a destroyer, and a frigate built at a state-run shipyard, underscoring the importance of protecting the Indian Ocean region through which 95% of the country’s trade moves amid a strong Chinese presence. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Atlantic Ocean’s importance has shifted to the Indian Ocean region, which is becoming a center of international power rivalry. “India is giving the biggest importance to making its navy powerful to protect its interests,” he said. The situation in the Indian Ocean region is challenging with the Chinese navy, India’s main rival, growing exponentially, said Rahul Bedi, a defense analyst. (AP)