Ukrainekrieg: Russland und China vor dem SCO-Gipfel
Nach den militärischen Rückschlägen in der Ukraine scheint Putin nun auch andere Niederlagen zu verzeichnen. Nachdem nun vor einem Gaswinter gewarnt wurde, einem zweiwöchigen Blackout, einem „Volksaufstand“(Baerbock), dem Kollaps der deutschen Industrie, versuchen Regierung, Witrschaftsforscher und BILD nun die Angstwogen zu glätten und berichten wie der Münchner Merkur:
„Putins Gas-Plan vor dem Aus: Russlands Erpressung geht wohl nicht auf
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Putins Gas-Druck schwindet: Preise sinken
Doch auch dieser Plan scheint nun zunehmend fehlzuschlagen. „Selbst wenn es ganz eng wird, kommen wir wahrscheinlich durch den Winter“, prognostizierte Olaf Scholz schon Anfang September und damit vor dem kompletten Gas-Stopp Putins. Nun stellte Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen bei ihrer Rede zur Lage der Union klar: „Putin wird scheitern“. Und das wohl nicht nur im militärischen Bereich. Wirtschaftsprofessor Jan Schnellenbach von der TU Cottbus sagt etwa zur Bild: „Russland wird diesen Gaskrieg verlieren“. Wirtschaftsprofessor Moritz Schularick von der Uni Bonn stimmt ein und meint: „Russland verliert auch den Wirtschaftskrieg“.
Und tatsächlich scheint nun eine Art Wendepunkt erreicht zu sein – betrachtet man die Gas-Preise, die Putin mit seinem Lieferstopp in die Höhe trieb. Am Montag war der Preis des Terminkontrakts TTF für niederländisches Erdgas (gilt als Richtwert für das europäische Preisniveau) um acht Prozent auf 189 Euro pro Megawattstunde gesunken. Nur eine Woche zuvor – nachdem Putin den anhaltenden Lieferstopp via Nord Stream 1 verkündet hatte – war der Preis noch in Richtung 300 Euro gewandert.
„Ich würde mich wundern, wenn die Preise noch mal so stark steigen würden“, prognostizierte nun Energieökonom Andreas Löschel von der Ruhr-Universität Bochum gegenüber dem ZDF. Das Paradoxe: Die Preise sinken, da nun klar sei, dass Russland nicht liefere. Die Unsicherheit am Markt habe laut Löschel die Preise zuvor ansteigen lassen.
Trotzdem seien die Preise aktuell noch weit über dem Normal-Niveau. Doch das wird sich wohl bald weiter ändern: Die Analysten von Goldman Sachs etwa erwarten laut FAZ, dass die Preise im ersten Quartal 2023 unter 100 Euro fallen werden.
Europa reagiert – und lässt Putins Erpressung wohl scheitern
Zusätzlich hat Europa reagiert. Einerseits hat man sich neue Wege gesucht, um an Gas zu kommen und die Abhängigkeit von Russland zu reduzieren. So will die EU künftig beispielsweise deutlich mehr Gas aus der Südkaukasus-Republik Aserbaidschan beziehen. EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen und Aserbaidschans Präsident Ilham Aliyev unterzeichneten hierzu schon im Juli eine Absichtserklärung, wonach über den südlichen Gaskorridor innerhalb von fünf Jahren doppelt so viel Gas im Jahr geliefert werden soll wie bisher. Nur ein Beispiel. Auch Norwegen liefert etwa acht Prozent mehr Gas nach Europa als vor Ausbruch des Ukraine-Kriegs
Hinzu kommt, dass Europa bereits erfolgreich Gas einspart. Nach einer Umfrage für die Hans-Böckler-Stiftung bringen die hohen Preise aktuell viele deutsche Privathaushalte dazu, Energie zu sparen. Die Industrie hat ihren Verbrauch hierzulande bereits deutlich reduziert.
Und auch die hohen Speicherstände hierzulande machen Hoffnung. So lag der Füllstand für Deutschland am 11. September bei über 88 Prozent. Die Analysten von Goldman Sachs gehen davon aus, dass die Speicher bis Ende März immer noch zu mehr als 20 Prozent gefüllt sein werden.
All dies mindert den Druck, den Putin auf Europa aufbauen konnte, mittlerweile enorm.
Nach etwa 2 Monaten systematischer Panikmache nun das Gegenteil. Aber die Artikel von BILD, Münchner Merkur und die Äusserungen von Scholz, Van der Leyen, Goldmann Sachs und den beiden Wirtschaftsforschern haben auch viele „wohl“, „wahrscheinlich“, „vorraussichtlich“ und andere relativierende und schwammige Begriffe,mit denen sie ihre Prognosen doch wieder zur Disposition stellen oder vielleicht doch einfach nur Valium fürs beunruhigte Volk sind. Zudem auch Kurzzeitbetrachtungen, die als Langzeittrend hochprognostiziert werden. Metabotschaftsspektrum reicht von „Es wird nicht mehr schlimmer“, „Wir haben das Gröbste hinter uns“ bis „Wir siegen“.It remains to be seen.
Nachdem nun der Bezirksrat von St. Petersburg eine Hochverratsanzeige gegen Putin bei der russsichen Staatsanwaltschaft eingereicht hat, scheinen nun auch die ersten TV- Moderatoren von Bord zu gehen:
„Sogar in Russlands Staats-TV ändert sich der Tonfall: Putins Propaganda-Maschine hakt
Im russischen Staatsfernsehen ist plötzlich offene Kritik an Wladimir Putin zu hören – und die kremltreuen Moderatoren scheinen überfordert.
Moskau – Das Programm des russischen Staatsfernsehens kommt üblicherweise Pro-Putin-Festspielen gleich, auch im Ukraine-Krieg, der offiziell nicht so heißen darf. Die Erfolge der ukrainischen Gegenoffensive provozieren nun aber öffentliche Kritik am Kremlchef. Das frühere Duma-Mitglied Boris Nadezhdin etwa hat am Sonntag in einem Politik-Talk des Senders NTW offen die Strategie des russischen Militärs in Frage gestellt – ein Affront.
So selten ist im TV Widerspruch gegen Wladimir Putin, dass die US-Nachrichtenagentur AP direkt bei Nadezhin nachhakte. Immerhin forderte der Politiker Friedensverhandlungen zwischen Russland und der Ukraine, ein Unterfangen, das aktuell am Unwillen der Regierung von Wolodymyr Selenskyj scheitere, wie der Kreml behauptet.
Gegenüber AP betonte Nadezhin jedoch, dass Verhandlungen „jederzeit und überall“ möglich seien. Vor dem NTW-Publikum hatte er sogar unterstrichen, dass er keine Strafen wegen „Fake News“ über die „militärische Spezialoperation“ fürchte.
Putin-Kritik im Russland-TV: „Harte Fragen“ wegen Ukraine-Krieg
Dass das Propaganda-TV plötzlich auch „harte Fragen“ an den Kremlchef parat hat, fiel auch dem US-Sender CBS anlässlich des NTW-Talks auf. In der Runde mit Nadezhin saß auch der Politik-Experte Viktor Olevich, der Putins Narrativ ebenfalls nicht mehr glauben wollte: „Sie sagen, alles läuft nach Plan“, rief er laut CBS ungläubig. „Wollen die uns wirklich erzählen, dass vor einem halben Jahr geplant war, einen Gegenoffensive abwehren zu müssen?“
Der russischsprachige Russlandexperte Dr. Rahr, den die ukrainische Propagandaorganisation Underdog Ukrainians als „Stimme Putins“ bezeichnete, berichtete noch:
„Ich habe gestern eine TV Diskussion in Russland gehört. Es herrschen grosse Zweifel an der Speziellen Operation. Die Hardliner fordern jetzt Generalmobilisierung und Krieg. Die Tauben fordern Verhandlungen und eine Geheimdiplomatie mit Westen.“
Ebenso bedeutend ist nun die Entwicklung in Zentralasien und um Kasachstan im Vorfeld des SCO-Gipfels. Nachdem es im Südkaukasus zwischen Aserbeidschan und Armeinien wieder zu Grenzgefechten kam und Russland als Vermittler überfordert scheint, tanzt nun auch Kasachstan aus der Reihe.
Der ehemalige Putin- und Gazpromberater Dr. Alexander Rahr vermeldete:
„Hiobsbotschaft für Putin vor dem SCO-Gipfel. Kasachstan hat den Handel mit Russland unter die US-Sanktionen verlegt. Ohne die Erlaubnis amerikanischer Beamter werden die Vereinbarungen nicht umgesetzt. Das Ziel ist nicht in sekundäre Sanktionen zu verfallen. Kasachstan ist Mitglied der OVSK und der EAWU, zu der auch Russland gehört. Gleichzeitig zeigt sich, dass Kasachstan die Zusammenarbeit mit den USA wichtiger ist als der Handel mit Russland. Aber was kann Russland seinem östlichen Nachbarn geben? Sie haben selbst Öl und Gas. Kasachen kaufen Konsumgüter in China und in Russland gibt es praktisch keine neuesten modernen Technologien und Produktionsanlagen. Daher stellt sich heraus, dass Kontakte zu Westen wichtiger sind als zu Russland, Alles, wie wir sehen, beruht auf der Wirtschaft. Möglicherweise wird Samarkand für Russland zu einem Stalingrad!.“
Wobei nicht zu vergessen ist, dass Putin schon länger tönte, dass Kasachstan und vor allem der von russischstämmigen Kasachen bewohnte Norden „russische Welt“ sei und sich die Kasachen, nun auch nach dem Ukrainekrieg bedroht fühlen. Bleibt abzuwarten, ob Kasachstan trotz SCO, OVKS und EAWU vielleicht wieder die Nähe von NATO Partnership for Peace- Programmen sucht. Derweil drängt China in die russische Lücke und besucht Xi Jinping im Vorfeld des SCO- Gipfels Kasachstan und Usbekistan und kündigt ein „Goldenes Zeitalter“ mittels der Neuen Seidenstrasse an, sieht die bilateralen Beziehungen als „Modell“ und betont die Global Times, dass China im „Ukrainekonflikt“ eine neutrale Haltung einnehmen würde, obgleich sie doch die NATO für den Krieg verantwortlich macht und bisher Putin diplomatisch auch immer unterstützt hat, man auch die Vostok 2022 diesmal erstmals mit allen Waffengattungen mit Russland abhielt und man bestenfalls von einer prorussischen Neutralität sprechen kann. Beachtlich ist welche Länge China in der Global Times publizistisch dem Kasachstan- Artikel gegeben hat und Xi das Land auch so wichtig findet, das er es als erstes besucht. Zum einen weil es das wichtigste unter den Zentralasiaten von Grösse wie auch Rohstoffen ist, aber wichtig ist Xi auch zu zeigen,dass China das erste Land war, das Kasachstans Unabhängigkeit von der Sowjetunion anerkannte und unausgesprochen anders als Russland, das Kasachstan und die Ukraine alsTeil einer russischen Welt sieht als chineische Welt sieht oder gar momentan territoriale Annektionsansprüche hatte, wenngleich schon als Teil der Seidenstrasse betrachtet. Aber chinesisches Militar ist innerhalb der SCO momentan noch mehr zur Bekämpfung der 3 Übel des grenzüberschreitenden Drogenschmuggel, organisierte Kriminalität und Extremismus vorgesehen. Also im letzteren Fall Stabilisierung der autoritäten Postsowjetdespoten vor demokratischen Farbrevolutionen oder Islamsimus. Daraus kann sich natürlich auch Weitergehendes entwickeln, wenn China einmal eine stärkere Militärmacht mit globaler Machtprojektion wird und wie damals die USA oder Russland in ihren HInterhöfen und near abroad dann eben in seinem zentralasiatischen Hinterhof eingreift oder Marionettenregierungen etabliert, sollte sich jemand da zuviel Eigenwilligkeiten herausnehmen.
“Xi kicks off 1st foreign trip since pandemic, ushers in new ‚golden‘ era of ties with Kazakhstan
By GT staff reporters Published: Sep 14, 2022 04:37 PM Updated: Sep 14, 2022 11:59 PM
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday kicked off his first trip abroad since the COVID-19 pandemic, during which he is scheduled to attend the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and pay state visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The first stop took him to Kazakhstan on Wednesday, underscoring that he highly values the bilateral relations with the Central Asian country and indicating such visit will inject new growth momentum for the country, Chinese officials and experts said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping pays state visit to Kazakhstan and attends a welcome ceremony held by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on September 14, 2022. Photo: Xinhua
Xi first arrived at Nur-sultan on Wednesday afternoon for a state visit to Kazakhstan before landing in Samarkand in the evening to pay a state visit to Uzbekistan and attend the SCO summit.
Experts believed that as China’s permanent comprehensive strategic partner, Kazakhstan, the Chinese president’s first stop in his ongoing foreign trip, is considered as a bridge connecting China with Central Asia and Europe, as it’s also where the Chinese president first proposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and on the first stop of the BRI’s westward routes from China, bringing tremendous benefits for the region and the world.
Kazakhstan has been striking a balance between China and Russia in terms of political influence, and serving as a bridge for major powers also sets a good example for other Central Asian countries. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Central Asia are in a very important position in China’s overall diplomacy, as all five Central Asian states are China’s strategic partners, and among them, China-Kazakhstan partnership has reached one of the highest levels, experts said.
When the Chinese president arrived at the Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, he was warmly welcomed by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and a group of senior officials including Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mukhtar Tileuberdi and Nur-Sultan Mayor Altai Kulginov.
Xi was later awarded by Tokayev with the „Order of the Golden Eagle“ — the highest honor to recognize outstanding people who have made significant contributions to Kazakhstan including foreign heads of state promoting Kazakhstan’s friendly relations with other countries.
During a meeting between Xi and Tokayev, the Chinese top leader said this is his first foreign visit since the COVID-19 pandemic, and choosing Kazakhstan as the first stop demonstrates the high level and uniqueness of China-Kazakhstan ties.
Kazakhstan is a major country in Central Asia and Eurasian region with important influence, Xi said, reiterating that the Chinese government attaches great importance to China-Kazakhstan ties and always supports Kazakhstan in maintaining national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
China firmly supports Kazakh President’s reform measures to maintain the country’s stability and development, and firmly opposes any interference into Kazakhstan’s internal affairs. China will always be Kazakhstan’s trustworthy friend and partner, Xi said.
Xi also called on the two countries to promote high-quality Belt and Road development, expand cooperation in such areas as trade, the economy and interconnectivity, and explore cooperation in new fields including big data, digital finance and green energy.
Tokayev said that Xi’s visit, the Chinese president’s first foreign trip since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, fully demonstrated the two countries‘ high-level mutual trust and will surely become a new milestone in the history of Kazakhstan-China relations.
As next year marks the 10th anniversary of Xi’s proposing the Belt and Road Initiative in Kazakhstan, Tokayev said his country will continue to support and participate in the joint building of the Belt and Road.
After their meeting, the two leaders signed a joint statement commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The two governments also signed a number of cooperative documents in areas such as finance and the media, and decided to set up consulates general in Xi’an and Aktobe.
Build together the next golden 30 years of China-Kazakhstan Relations. Graphic: GT
A model
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan. Standing at a new historical starting point of China-Kazakhstan relations, President Xi’s visit will surely draw a new blueprint, inject new momentum to the bilateral relations, opening up a new chapter and another golden thirty years of bilateral relations, Zhang Xiao, Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan said in a recent interview with media.
The bilateral relations have withstood a changing international situation, and the two countries firmly support each other on issues concerning their core interests, making important contribution to the regional and world peace and stability, Zhang noted. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the political mutual trust between the two countries has been continuously strengthened, and the two countries will continue to consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations and create favorable conditions for bilateral cooperation in various fields, he said.
Almost a decade ago, Xi visited Kazakhstan, making a significant proposal that China and Central Asian countries build an „economic belt along the Silk Road“, a trans-Eurasian project spanning from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea, during a speech at Nazarbayev University in Astana, now known Nur-sultan. He also visited the Central Asian country in 2015 and in 2017 to boost the bilateral ties and regional cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative.
„President Xi’s first visit abroad since the pandemic highlights the importance he attaches to Kazakhstan and Central Asia, which is also seen as a breakthrough in terms of China’s foreign exchanges and diplomacy,“ Zhao Huirong, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences‘ Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Central Asia could be seen as China’s key „strategic partner zone“ in the world, she said, as the five Central Asian countries are all China’s strategic partners. Among them, Kazakhstan was one of the first to become China’s strategic partners, which enjoyed one of the highest-levels of strategic partnership, Zhao said.
In a signed article by Xi titled „Build on the Past to Make Greater Strides in China-Kazakhstan Relations“ published Tuesday on the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper ahead of his state visit, the Chinese top leader described the two countries as being bound together by mountains and rivers and common interests, which are good neighbors, good friends and good partners.
Having stood the test of the changing circumstances and the passage of time, China-Kazakhstan relations have long become rock-solid, Xi said in the article.
Setting our sight beyond the pandemic, China would like to partner with Kazakhstan to remain pioneers in Belt and Road cooperation, Xi stressed.
China would like to deepen law enforcement, security and defense cooperation with Kazakhstan. Guided by the Global Security Initiative, the two countries should act on the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and work together to promote the implementation of the Data Security Cooperation Initiative of China+Central Asia, the article said.
We should join hands to combat terrorism, separatism, extremism, drug trafficking and transnational organized crimes, and ensure the security of oil and gas pipelines and other large cooperation projects and their personnel. We should resolutely oppose interference by external forces and work together for lasting peace and long-term stability of our region, Xi said.
The world has been witnessing more uncertainties now including the uncertainties in supply chain and in foreign relations. China’s good neighborhood lays a foundation for the country’s prosperity, and as a corridor in Central Asia, Kazakhstan stands at a central stage of China’s interaction with the Central Asian countries, Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
„The Central Asian country has been always hoping to serve as a bridge between China and Russia,“ Wang said, noting that striking such balance between major powers also serves as a good example for other Central Asian countries.
Belt and Road cooperation is a major highlight in China-Kazakhstan cooperation. In 1992, the bilateral trade volume was only $368 million, but it has reached $25.25 billion in 2021, said Zhang, the Chinese envoy to Kazakhstan. From January to July 2022, China-Kazakhstan trade reached $17.67 billion, up 18.9 percent year-on-year, which is expected to hit a record high for the whole year.
The two countries have established a dialogue mechanism for production capacity and investment, and established a special fund for China-Kazakhstan production capacity cooperation, providing strong support for the development of Kazakhstan’s energy, industry, transportation and other fields, the Chinese envoy said.
Also, among the Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan plays a fundamental role in the trade between China and the Eurasian region, while serving as an important channel for China to link Eurasian countries as the northern line of the China-Europe freight train service.
„China-Europe freight trains pass through Kazakhstan to Europe, and Kazakhstan has gained a lot of benefits from Belt and Road cooperation, which also helped it achieve its long-standing will of serving as a transportation hub in Eurasia,“ Zhao said.
As more countries have been struggling in energy crisis amid Russia-Ukraine conflict and rampant inflation, trade activities between China and the Central Asian countries have been keeping their momentum. Such close partnership also triggered some speculation from the West on whether Russia’s influence in the region has been overshadowed by China’s presence.
„This is the typical intention of sowing discord between China and Russia. China and Kazakhstan are eyeing on strategic and concrete cooperation,“ Wang said.
Experts said the stability and development of Central Asia is not only the concern of the Central Asian countries, but also the concern of both China and Russia, as the two countries have many consensus and common interests in the region.
The current instability in the international and regional situation directly leads to a greater desire for regional stability, peace and development, so there is more demand for closer and more efficient cooperation, Zhao noted. „As Xi’s visit will not only enhance bilateral relations but also boost multilateral cooperation to meet those demand,“ she said.
Following the state visit to Kazakhstan, Xi arrived in Samarkand on Wednesday evening to pay a state visit to Uzbekistan and attend the SCO summit, a strategically important occasion of gathering of world leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to media reports.
While China-Kazakhstan relations serve as an example for China-Central Asia ties, the geopolitical situation in the region has becoming more complex, and experts suggested that China and Central Asian countries should enhance communication and coordination in combating extremist forces.
„To crack down on ‚Three Evils‘, China and Central Asian countries need to enhance security cooperation under the SCO framework including intelligence sharing, staff training, joint exercise in fighting drugs, cross-border organized crimes and preventing the spread of extremist ideas,“ Zhao said.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202209/1275219.shtml
Gleichzeitig verkündet die Global Times, dass die nicht- Dollar- basierten Energieverträge Chinas mit anderen Ländern nun die Dollarhegemonie brechen würden, wie sich auch immer mehr Länder gegen die unverantwortliche Geldpolitik der Federal Reserve Bank und der Dollardominanz erheben würden—ähnlich wie auch etwa der indische Ex-General Asthana das Entstehen eines nicht-dollarbasierten Finanzsystems dämmern sieht:
“GT Voice: Non-dollar settlement in energy trade will break US hegemony
By Global Times Published: Sep 14, 2022 10:34 PM
As the US Federal Reserve’s monetary tightening policy is set to wreak havoc and cause shocks across the global economy, there is increasing urgency for China, Russia, and other economies to step up cooperation to break the US dollar’s dominance in the energy market.
The dollar has been strengthening against the world’s other major currencies, and it has reached a level not seen in almost two decades. As the US central bank keeps raising federal funds rates to curb runaway inflation, the dollar is set to continue to appreciate significantly in the coming months.
In Europe, the euro has fallen below parity with the dollar, reaching its lowest level in 20 years. In Asia, the Japanese yen has been traded at around 140 per dollar, which nears a 24-year low. Sharp currency depreciations will bring more pain and risks for non-dollar economies, including the EU, Japan and others.
In the global energy markets, commodities such as crude oil and natural gas are usually traded in US dollars. A strong dollar means energy products will become more expensive in terms of other currencies. When energy and raw material prices rise, the prices of other products will go up, leading to high inflation globally. The only exception will be the US where a strong dollar makes imported goods cheaper, thus helping keep its inflation in check.
The reason why the US can, time and again, export its own inflation crisis caused by its previous monetary easing policy to the world is mainly because the dollar still holds the dominant position in the global foreign exchange market, reserve assets, trade settlement and other fields.
To break the dollar’s dominance, it is essential to first weaken its anchor with major energy products such as crude oil. With the Fed’s irresponsible monetary policy now plunging the world economy into a tempest, more countries have been waking up to the growing urgency of breaking the dollar’s dominance in global energy trading. It has become more frequent than ever to see crude oil producing countries and consuming countries use non-dollar currencies to settle their energy trade in recent months.
For instance, Russia has sought payment in United Arab Emirates dirhams for oil exports to some Indian customers, Reuters reported in July. In the same month, India’s central bank announced an arrangement to allow trade settlements between India and other countries in rupee. And, Saudi Arabia has been in discussions with China about pricing some Saudi oil sales to China in yuan instead of dollar, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Most recently, Russia’s Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation have agreed to switch payments for gas supplies to Russian ruble and the Chinese yuan instead of the US dollar. Oil and gas cooperation has always been the most fruitful and extensive area of practical cooperation between China and Russia. At present, Russia has become one of the main oil and gas supply sources for China, while China is also an important export market for Russian oil and gas.
During a recent visit to Russia, Li Zhanshu, chairman of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era has maintained strong development momentum.
It is worth noting that as the global economy is facing growing shocks from the stronger dollar, China and Russia need not only to accelerate their cooperation in energy settlement by facilitating relevant coordination and negotiation mechanism, but also studying the possibility of integrating that exploration into the cooperation under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the BRICS framework.
There is real and common need for both developing and developed economies to seek non-dollar settlement in their energy trade. It is time for the concerned economies to act and fully coordinate and experiment with the possibility.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202209/1275269.shtml?id=12
Fraglich ist, ob ein paar Erdölgeschäfte schon die Dollarhegemonie brechen, ob diese Theorie von der Erdölpreisdeckung und der Energie als Hauptsäule der Dollarhegemonie überhaupt so stimmt, zumal auch keine konkreten Zahlen genannt werden. Und was ist mit anderen Industriegütern und Dienstleistungen, die in Dollar frakturiert werden, auch im Hitechsektor?
Chinaexperte und Sinologieprofessor an der LMU, Professor van Ess kommentierte:
„Wishful thinking!“
Desweiteren verkündet China einen Durchbruch bei der Chip-Front: Nun sei der Durchbruch bei den 14 nm Chips gelungen und die Entwicklung des 7 nm Chips mache grosse Fortschritte:
„Shanghai confirms 14-nm chips being mass produced now
By Qi Xijia Published: Sep 14, 2022 08:24 PM
Authorities in Shanghai, the hub of China’s semiconductors industry, on Wednesday said 14-nanometer chips are now being mass produced in the city.
The achievement is a milestone for Shanghai in building a modern technology center, and a major event for China’s chips-making sector to break the blockade of the US government, amid the intensified China-US tech competition, experts said.
Shanghai-based firms have achieved mass production of semiconductors with 14-nm process and made breakthroughs in 90-nm lithography machines, 5-nm etching machines, 12-inch large silicon wafers, central processing units and 5G chips, Wu Jincheng, director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Digitalization, said at a press conference on Wednesday.
It marks the first official recognition of the ability of Chinese companies to mass produce 14-nm chips, Xiang Ligang, an independent technology analyst, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
The validation also comes as a powerful response to an expanded US blockade on high-end chip exports to China, which will only accelerate China’s breakthroughs in core technology, experts said
„The broader the US blockades are, the faster that China will research and develop its own technology,“ Xiang said.
The Biden administration plans to broaden curbs on US shipments to China of semiconductors used for artificial intelligence and chip-making tools, Reuters reported on Monday.
The US Commerce Department has sent letters to companies including KLA Corp, Lam Research Corp and Applied Materials Inc, forbidding them from exporting chip-making equipment to Chinese factories that produce advanced semiconductors with sub-14-nm processes unless the sellers obtain Commerce Department licenses, according to the report.
While 10-nm has often been taken as a benchmark for advanced processes, for China, mature processes above 14-nm can meet the majority of Chinese market demands, Xiang said.
Chen Jia, an independent research fellow on strategy, told the Global Times on Wednesday that demand for 14-nm process in the industry is represented by new-energy vehicles.
The large-scale production of 14-nm chips in Shanghai will greatly help the development of such sectors as new-energy cars, smart cities, intelligent manufacturing and the Internet of Things, which will help China consolidate its advantage as the world’s top manufacturing factory, Chen said.
Experts said that the 14-nam breakthrough shows that China will allocate resources for breakthroughs in more advanced manufacturing processes.
With the completion of Shanghai’s industry cluster for the 14-nm chips, more advanced projects in the 7- and 5-nm processes will be accelerated, Chen said.
„The manufacturing of 7-nm chips in China is also progressing faster than expected,“ Xiang said.
Shanghai is the backbone of the nation’s semiconductors industry, with a market size reaching 250 billion yuan ($35.91 billion) in 2021, accounting for 25 percent of the nation’s total. More than 1,000 leading enterprises have settled in Shanghai, attracting 40 percent of the talent nationwide, officials said.
At the beginning this year, the Shanghai municipal government announced a set of new policies to bolster China’s advanced chip-making capacity
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202209/1275240.shtml?id=12
Wobei die USA, Japan und Taiwan schon bei der Produktion von 4 nm Chips sind und gerade die 2 nm Chips entwickeln. Ähnlich wie man in Europa noch von 5G bei der Telekommunikation träumt, China und die USA aber schon längst 6 G entwicklen.
Derweil wird das Wegbleiben Indiens von Bidens Indo Paciifc Economic Framework (IPEF) als Erfolg Chinas und der SCO gelobt und als bedeutende Schlappe für die USA:
“India keeps independent diplomacy as Modi to attend SCO summit while New Delhi walks away from US-led IPEF
By
Published: Sep 14, 2022 09:25 PM
Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has confirmed his attendance at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit which will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from Thursday to Friday, just days after India’s decision to walk away from part of the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) last week. Analysts said India is sticking to an independent and autonomous diplomacy and they hope India will be more united with other SCO members including China and Russia, and play a more positive role to promote multipolarization of the world together.
Modi is likely to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, said a statement the Indian Ministry of External Affairs released on Sunday.
As to whether Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin or Modi, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at Tuesday’s routine press conference, „I have no information to offer at the moment. We will release information in a timely manner if there is any.“
Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Wednesday that India has always stressed independence and autonomy in its diplomacy and strategy, so it has always been open to joining different international organizations to maximize its own interests. The latest move to walk away from the US-led IPEF means New Delhi will not be cheated or fooled by Washington easily.
India has stayed out of the trade pillar of the IPEF, it announced after the IPEF ministerial meeting held in Los Angeles on September 8-9. India’s Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal cited concerns over possible discrimination against developing economies. India was the only one of the 14 IPEF countries, which include Southeast Asian countries, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan, not to join the declaration on trade.
The conspicuous absence of India in the trade pillar, one of the four pillars of the IPEF, underlines the dispute between India and the US regarding the mechanism, a US-led geopolitical tool hiding behind economy issues, and implies an uncertain future for the framework, said analysts.
Although India wants to gain benefits from US‘ Indo-Pacific Strategy to serve its competition with China in the region, New Delhi is very clear that where it can get real interests and who will set a trap for it or even use it to contain others, experts said.
Lin Minwang, a professor at the Institute of International Studies of Fudan University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that India’s diplomatic tradition is to get interests by keeping a balance between different major world powers, so ahead of the SCO Summit, it will release some positive signals to show that India is not teaming up with the US to contain China and Russia.
„Joining the SCO serves India’s demand to increase cooperation with the Central Asian countries and Russia, to strengthen the connectivity with other countries in the region. For other SCO founding members, to include India, the fifth-biggest economy in the world with a huge population, will also strengthen the influence of the organization. So it’s mutually beneficial,“ Lin said.
In recent years, due to the impact of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy, there are some signs that India’s strategy is getting more and more pro-US, which is different from other members of the SCO, so the role that New Delhi could play in the SCO is limited. To change the situation, India needs to show more positive signals and become more united with other SCO members, analysts said. They noted that this has changed somewhat after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the latest decision that India made to stay away from the trade pillar of the IPEF.
India needs to follow the consensus reached by the SCO members, so it can benefit more from the organization and have a more positive role to play, experts noted.
Lin said the SCO is also valuable for India to communicate with Pakistan, which is an SCO member, to avoid miscalculations and conflict and solve disputes through dialogue. Regarding China-India relations, the SCO is an important mechanism for the two sides to ease border tensions and seek more possibilities for cooperation.
Compared with the US-led „multilateral mechanism“ which in fact serves the unipolar world order dominated by US hegemony, the SCO formed by non-Western key powers like China, Russia, India and Pakistan is much more collaborative and is really promoting the multipolarization of the world that benefits the majority of the international community, which is why countries like Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Belarus are seeking membership or deeper connection with the SCO, analysts said.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202209/1275246.shtml?id=12
Dass Indien noch im Quad ist, ebenso nicht Mitglied bei Chinas Freihandelszone RCEP oder gar der BRI- Neuen Seidenstrasse sein will, wird dezent nicht betont. Zwar entspannen sich die chinesisch- indischen Beziehungen in der Grenzregion im Himalaya;
“India, China troops begin disengagement at Gogra-Hot Springs in Ladakh “
Gleichzeitig verschärft sich aber die indisch-chinesische Konkurrenz im Indischen Ozean, vor allem um Sri Lanka und den chinesischen Hafen, wobei nun Indien und Japan der Regierung Wirtschaftshilfe und einen Kredit in Aussicht stellten, um Sri Lankas Abhängigkeit von Chinas Krediten und Geldern etwas entgegenzusetzen. Desweiteren hat Indien auch noch die Entsendung eines chinesische Schiffes vor die Küste Sri Lankas erzürnt, von dem Indien behauptet, es sei ein chinesisches „Spionageschiff“, was wiederum China dementiert.
Mal sehen, ob Xi nun auch noch Putin treffen will, aber der Focus berichtet, dass das Bündnis angeblich „bröckelt“.Genaueres erfährt man aber in dem Artikel nicht, lediglich die Briten werden zitiert. Jedenfalls scheinen die russischen Angaben zum Manöver Vostok stark übertrieben. Laut anderen Berichten entsandte Indien auch nur 75 Soldaten zu dem Manöver und betonte der indische General (a.D.) Astahana im GR-Interview, dass die Manöver schon vor dem Ukrainekrieg geplant waren und Indien auch mit den USA Manöver im Himalaya und im Indischen Ozean abhalte, weswegen man dem nicht zuviel Bedeutung beimessen solle oder es gar für eine Parteinahme Indiens zugunsten Russlands im Ukrainekrieg missverstehen solle.
„Obwohl China bei Manöver mitmacht-Die Allianz zwischen Putin und Xi bröckelt
Freitag, 09.09.2022
Mit viel Getöse kündigte Putin die Militärübung „Vostok 2022“ an. Nun zeigt sich: die angekündigten hohen Teilnehmerzahlen waren offenbar extrem geschönt.
Vostok 2022 – die Militärübung Russlands im Wehrbezirk Osten (Vostok), die am 1. September begonnen hatte, ist gestern zu Ende gegangen. Nach offiziellen russischen Angaben haben daran 50.000 Soldaten teilgenommen. Im Einsatz waren demnach auch 140 Flugzeuge und 60 Kriegsschiffe. Militärbeobachter zweifeln aber, dass derart viele Soldaten an dem Manöver teilgenommen haben. Sie gehen davon aus, dass nicht mehr als 15.000 Soldaten aktiv in den Militärübungen involviert waren.
Die Übung im Militärbezirk Osten findet alle vier Jahre statt. Im Vergleich zum Militärmanöver im Jahr 2018 waren dieses Mal selbst nach offiziellen Angaben deutlich weniger Soldaten beteiligt, auch wenn die damalige offizielle Zahl von 300.000 Soldaten wohl deutlich übertrieben gewesen war. Tatsächlich waren es damals wohl an die 100.000 Manöverteilnehmer gewesen. (…)
Russisches Manöver mit China, das jedoch von Militärhilfen für Putin absieht
China, aber auch Indien sind derzeit wohl die wichtigsten Partnerstaaten Russlands. Deren Teilnahme an der Übung sollte auch demonstrieren, dass Russland zwar durch den kollektiven Westen, nicht aber global isoliert ist. Die neuerliche Teilnahme Chinas demonstriert, dass die militärische Zusammenarbeit mit Russland ungebrochen ist. Chinesische Truppen schätzen zudem das Training mit kampferfahrenen russischen Soldaten.
Trotzdem aber hat China keinerlei militärische Güter für den russischen Krieg in der Ukraine bereitgestellt. Auch Hochtechnologielieferungen für die russische Rüstungsindustrie, die auf westliche Komponenten verzichten muss, sind wohl nur beschränkt erfolgt. Chinesische Unternehmen fürchten Sekundärsanktionen sollten sie vom Westen sanktionierte Güter nach Russland liefern. Der nordamerikanische und der europäische Markt sind für China wesentlich wichtiger als der russische. Das zeigt auch, dass die, von Putin und Xi im Februar 2022 beschworene, „Partnerschaft ohne Grenzen“ eben doch ihre Grenzen hat.
Russische und chinesische Schiffe haben ihre Übungen im Japanischen Meer durchgeführt. Die japanische Regierung hatte vorher darauf gedrängt, dass die zwischen Russland und Japan umstrittene Inselkette der südlichen Kurilen (in Japan „nördliche Territorien“ genannt) nicht in das Manöver einbezogen werden sollten. Natürlich hat die russische Führung das abgelehnt. Es wurde, ganz im Gegenteil, während der Militärübung im Japanischen Meer auch ein feindlicher Angriff auf die südlichen Kurilen bekämpft und abgewehrt.“
Derweil braut sich mit einer neuen möglichen Gesetzesvorlage in den USA durch das US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, die Taiwan zu einem non-NATO ally aufwerten will, neuer Ärger im Indopazifik zusammen. Wie die Global Times kommentiert , würde damit das Ein Chinaprinzip weiter ausgehöhlt und seien diesmal stärkere Reaktionen zu erwarten als bei dem Pelosibesuch . Aussenminister Blinken wie auch andere Rgeierungsmitglieder seien gegen dieses Gesetz, aber hätten den Kongress nicht unter Kontrolle wie schon der Pelosibesuch gezeigt hätte und selbst falls es diesmal nicht direkt durchkomme, bestehe die Gefahr, dass einzelnen wichtige Passagen dennoch US-Aussenpolitik würden. China werde diese Salamtaktik nicht unbeantwortet lassen.
“US to consider ‚comprehensively restructuring‘ policy toward Taiwan island; may lead to ‘China’s strong countermeasures’
By Cui Fandi Published: Sep 13, 2022 10:34 PM
The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations will consider a draft of the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, which is described as the most comprehensive restructuring of US policy toward China’s Taiwan region since the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979. Chinese experts warned that if the bill gets passed, it will lead to the complete elimination of the US‘ „one-China policy,“ and that China will take strong countermeasures.
The proposed Taiwan Policy Act intends to change the language of providing arms to Taiwan from being in a „defensive manner“ to „arms conducive to deterring acts of aggression by the People’s Liberation Army.“ It also intends to authorize the island of Taiwan with „$4.5 billion over four years in Foreign Military Financing, and prioritizes Taiwan’s requests for assistance.“ Taiwan will be designated as a Major Non-NATO Ally for the US, according to the website of the US Foreign Relations Committee.
If this draft or most of its provisions are passed, it is further hollowing out the content of the US‘ „one-China policy,“ Xin Qiang, director of the Taiwan studies center with the Shanghai-based Fudan University and deputy head of the university’s US studies center, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
„The US‘ de facto ‚one-China, one-Taiwan‘ policy would take another big step forward, making the ‚one-China policy‘ exist in name only,“ Xin said.
„It is far more serious than [house speaker] Nancy Pelosi’s provocative visit to Taiwan island because the law’s enforcement is above the policy and likely to continue to exert influence for decades to come,“ he said. The draft, if passed, would almost certainly follow a higher level of US security commitment to the island, he noted.
However, it is clear that this draft, which will be considered by the Congress, is not in large part a US government aspiration.
On September 7, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a TV interview with Bloomberg that „there are other elements [of the draft] that give us some concern.“
Sullivan is the only US government official to have made a public negative statement on the matter so far, though media reports imply that more people in the White House do not support the draft. According to a Bloomberg report in August, the Biden administration is concerned that the bill’s strong language on Taiwan’s status could upset the established US balance on Taiwan and is lobbying Democratic lawmakers to put the brakes on the bill.
Although the White House and the US Congress often disagree on Taiwan-related affairs, the White House and the US president – who under the Constitution can ultimately determine the policy – do not appear to have enough say and decision-making power, observers noted.
The White House is well aware of the dire consequences if the draft passes, yet its ability to influence the Congress is not as great as we might have thought, Xin said.
The scholar cited the example of Pelosi’s provocative visit to Taiwan. Before Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, even President Joe Biden publicly expressed his disapproval, yet Pelosi’s trip was not canceled, and the White House chose to acquiesce.
The US midterm elections are about to take place. Many lawmakers are taking this opportunity to hype foreign affairs issues, especially those related to Taiwan, in an effort to earn more votes, Xin notes.
And this draft entirely about Taiwan is not even what the Taiwan authorities want, Xin said. No senior officials in the Taiwan island have yet publicly stated their support for the draft.
If the draft is passed, it is likely that Taiwan will be the party other than the US that can no longer afford the Chinese mainland’s stronger countermeasures, he said.
„This is more proof that Taiwan is just a pawn of the US.“
On September 5, China vowed to take firm countermeasures against the US‘ latest approval of $1.1 billion in arms sales to the island of Taiwan, the largest since Biden took office. China has long urged the US to halt arms sales and military interactions with the island, including the mega-deal this time.
On September 8, the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged US politicians to immediately stop any form of official exchanges with China’s Taiwan region, and stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan secessionists, in response to a trip made by a US bipartisan delegation led by Representative Stephanie Murphy, vice chair of the House Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations.
China also needs to be wary of further US „salami slicing,“ such as this draft being blocked, but the provisions get scattered through other bills later to achieve the same effect, Xin said.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202209/1275192.shtml
Zudem inspiriert von Putins Energiekrieg überlegt auch China Taiwan an seiner verletztlichsten Stelle anzugreifen:
“Taiwan’s Greatest Vulnerability Is Its Energy Supply
Taiwan imports nearly all of its energy and would struggle to keep power flowing during a disruption to supply lines.(…)
Taiwan’s economy and its manufacturing prowess is in turn highly dependent on steady, reliable sources of energy. Taiwan manufactures about 65 percent of the world’s semiconductors and almost 90 percent of the most advanced chips. Producing these chips consumes huge amounts of electricity. TSMC alone accounted for 6 percent of Taiwan’s total energy consumption in 2020 and this is expected to rise to 12.5 percent by 2025 as the company continues to build new chip plants.
Taiwan is an island with no physical power interconnections with neighboring countries. In addition, there are very few indigenous energy sources available – hydro and pumped storage are limited by a lack of adequate river systems, utility-scale solar power is limited by available land, geothermal energy is limited by suitable locations and public opinion, and there are no domestic sources of fossil fuels. In addition, there is opposition to nuclear power, dams, and even to onshore wind installations. This is partially offset by excellent offshore wind resources in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan is therefore almost totally dependent on imports for its energy requirements. In 2021 Taiwan relied on imports of fossil fuels for 97.7 percent of its total energy supply. Electricity is primarily generated from coal and natural gas, representing 81.5 percent of total generation, while nuclear power accounted for only 9.6 percent and renewables (mostly solar and wind) for 6.0 percent. Taiwan began implementing an energy transition policy in 2016 which has set goals to promote green energy, increase use of natural gas, reduce coal-fired power, and end the use of nuclear power. The one remaining operational nuclear power plant is to be decommissioned by 2025.
Taiwan’s energy system vulnerabilities are an ongoing concern. While Taiwan’s government has specific energy resource stockpile requirements, the resiliency of Taiwan’s energy system to potential disruptions is limited in part by the relatively low level of its oil, natural gas, and coal stockpiles. Currently stockpiles slightly exceed the minimum requirements with 39 days of coal, 146 days of oil, and 11 days of natural gas, according to the Bureau of Energy, part of Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs. Should China implement a full or even partial blockade, Taiwan would incur severe damage to its economy after 11 days since natural gas accounts for about 37 percent of electricity generation and oil-fired generation is negligible, leaving coal as the only baseload backstop since Taiwan’s remaining nuclear power plants are set for phase out.
Electricity grid stability is vitally important to Taiwan’s manufacturing industry, particularly the semiconductor industry. Taiwan has experienced frequent blackouts due to malfunctions in feedlines and transformers, much of which is due to centralized and aging infrastructure. In its latest sustainability report, TSMC noted that the risk of power outages or disruptions are rising and that grid instability could impact on its operations on the island within the next three years.
There is already some evidence that China’s recent actions may have started to have an impact on major energy projects in Taiwan. An offshore wind project being built off Taiwan’s west coast has seen some international financial institutions drop out of project financing while others are flagging the increased level of risk associated with financing such projects in Taiwan.
China’s actions have highlighted the vulnerability of Taiwan’s economy to disruptions in the surrounding sea lanes and airspace. The Joint War Committee (JWC) of insurers based in London, which classifies the world’s waters according to risk, says that while some shippers have had to take detours around Taiwan’s eastern coast, they do not currently consider China’s actions to pose an elevated risk to shipping. However, if militarization in the region were to increase in level and/or frequency, risk assessments could change.
A blockade or even an increase in frequency of Chinese drills and military maneuvers in the airspace or the sea lanes around Taiwan could potentially disrupt Taiwan’s exports and delay or disrupt inbound shipments of energy, minerals, food products and other critical components needed to keep Taiwan’s economy running. China could also employ a selective “blockade” by attempting to limit certain types of freight or goods from entering or leaving Taiwan. If airlines and shipping companies are compelled to take alternate routes as a result of increased risk, it could cause delays and increased freight costs and insurance, not only in the Indo-Pacific but globally. Because of Taiwan’s importance in global trade, especially for electronic components such as semiconductors, such disruptions could be catastrophic for the world economy.
The risks to Taiwan’s economy and its energy security are rising in the wake of China’s more aggressive stance, as the island faces an elevated level of security threats that could further disrupt trade and cause financial and investment risk to rise. Given Taiwan’s almost total reliance on imports of energy resources to sustain its economy and the global reliance on Taiwan’s “democracy chips” – as President Tsai Ing-wen has quipped – Taiwan’s allies and partners have a real self interest in promoting peace and security in the Taiwan Strait and pressuring China to stand down on its provocations. At the same time, Taiwan should review its energy policies with a view toward further diversifying its energy sources, developing contingency plans in the case of disruptions, and reviewing its policy on nuclear power.
Taiwan’s Greatest Vulnerability Is Its Energy Supply – The Diplomat
Was Taiwans DDP scheinbar nicht sonderlich zu beeindrucken scheint. Südostasien- und Asienexperte Dr. Wolfgang Sachsenröder kommentierte: „China kann Taiwan von den Rohstoffen abschneiden. Heute schreibt meine Strait Times, dass die de-facto Botschafterin Taiwans in Washington, Bi-kim Hsiao, Wirtschaftssanktionen gegen China fordert. Ich kenne sie seit vielen Jahren als sehr engagierte DPP-Politikerin. Jetzt macht sie aber m.E. mit den Sanktionen einen Fehler.“
Während China mit U-Booten, Flugzeugträgern, Schiffen, Land- und Unterwasserdrohnen und anderem aufrüstet für die Auseinandersetzung mit den USA um die neue multipolare Weltordnung, vermeldet es jetzt auch einen weiteren Durchbruch: Den Cargo Transporter Y- 20, der schon mal rund um die Welt bis nach Serbien und nach Österreich geflogen wird, um seine Reichweite zu demonstrieren. Nicht nur als Exportschlager, sondern auch für eigene zukünftige Machtgelüste weit über Taiwan hinaus. Freilich ist dieser Lastentransporter, der vorerst für Katastrophenhilfe und Evakuierungen eingesetzt ebenso als Waffen- und Truppentransporter fürs chinesische Militär nutzbar, weswegen ja auch die VBA da die Regie führt. Also man hofft, dass chinesische Militärtransporter in Zukunft wie die amerikanische Galaxy, Herkules und andere US-Grossraumtransporter chinesische Macht rund um die Welt projezieren soll und dann auch Kampftruppen für kommende Auslandseinsätze transportieren werden. Noch tarnt man dies mit wohlklingenden Slogans wie: „The PLA Air Force is a force of peace”.
“Y-20 cargo plane debuts at European air show, displays China’s aviation achievements
By Liu Xuanzun
Published: Sep 01, 2022 08:55 PM Updated: Sep 01, 2022 08:51 PM
A Y-20 large transport aircraft of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force has arrived in Austria to participate in the largest air show in Europe starting on Friday.
This is the first time that the Y-20 will be put on static display for the public in Europe, a move experts believe will display the tremendous achievements made by the Chinese aviation industry and the PLA Air Force, showing transparency and confidence.
The Austrian Armed Forces on Wednesday released a video showing the arrival of the Y-20, which will participate in the upcoming Airpower22 air show, after Senior Colonel Shen Jinke, a spokesperson for the PLA Air Force, announced on Monday that the aircraft would fly to Europe and join an international air show for the first time.
A Y-20 large transport aircraft perform at the PLA Air Force open day event kicked off in Changchun, Northeast China’s Jilin. Photos: Cui Meng/GT
Organized by the Austrian Armed Forces and advertised as the largest air show in Europe, the two-day Airpower22 is scheduled to kick off on Friday. About 200 aircraft from 20 countries and regions will participate, according to the event’s website.
The Chinese transport plane will be put on static display for the general public at the air show, said the organizer.
The Y-20’s participation in the event comes after large groups of Y-20s flew to Serbia in April to deliver air defense missiles procured by the Eastern European country, which attracted wide attention in Europe.
By participating in an international air show in Europe, the PLA Air Force shows its transparency and confidence, and the display of the Y-20 will allow European visitors to the event to better understand China’s achievements in aviation and realize that the PLA Air Force is a force of peace, analysts said.
There are only few countries in the world that can independently develop military large transport aircraft like the Y-20, which reflected the Chinese aviation industry’s world-class level, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times on Thursday.
Being able to travel such a long distance from China to Austria also demonstrated Y-20’s capabilities, Wei said.
The Y-20 has made frequent appearances on the world stage, and it has become China’s latest “calling card” that highlights the country’s commitment to fulfilling its responsibilities and obligations as a major power, analysts said.
Among the Y-20’s overseas missions was a disaster relief supply delivery mission to Tonga in January after the island country in the South Pacific was hit by a volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami. The plane also carried out an anti-epidemic material delivery mission to the Solomon Islands in February, as well as a disaster relief supply delivery mission to Afghanistan in June after an earthquake. In a latest development, the aircraft delivered relief supplies to Pakistan in late August after a flood hit the country.
China could also offer the Y-20 as an export-ready product now that the country has made breakthroughs in the development of domestic engines, Wei said.
Thanks to its outstanding cost performance, the Y-20 will be more competitive in the international market than its Russian and US counterparts, the Il-76 and the C-17, Wei said.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202209/1274431.shtml
Und begleitend werden auch schon J-20 Kampfjets mitgeschickt, vorerst noch nach Südkorea wegen der Märtyrer des Koreakriegs, aber schon mal zur Übung für kommende andere Einsätze:
“J-20 fighters to escort Y-20 aircraft for 1st time in repatriating remains of CPV martyrs from S.Korea
By GT staff reporters Published: Sep 14, 2022 08:23 PM
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force will on Friday send its J-20 stealth fighter jets to escort the Y-20 large transport aircraft for the first time in the repatriation from South Korea of the remains of Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53) mission.
J-20 fighter jets attached to an aviation brigade under the PLA Air Force taxi in close formation during a flight training exercise on January 7, 2022. Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn
This is a move that will not only pay tribute to the CPV martyrs but also display the increasing number of J-20s in service, experts said on Wednesday.(…) The CPV martyrs had made tremendous sacrifices in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and as their remains return to motherland, the PLA welcome them back home with latest transport aircraft and fighter jets, telling them that the motherland and its military are becoming ever stronger, with advanced weapons and equipment, Song said.
„No other country can bully China, as the Chinese military is capable of safeguarding China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests,“ Song said.”