Tyr-Ziu Saxnot
11-25-2021, 01:03 PM
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-s-disappearing-ships-the-latest-headache-for-the-global-supply-chain/ar-AAR4l7o?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531
CNN
China's disappearing ships: The latest headache for the global supply chain
Analysis by Laura He, CNN Business - Wednesday
Ships in Chinese waters are disappearing from industry tracking systems, creating yet another headache for the global supply chain. China's growing isolation from the rest of the world — along with a deepening mistrust of foreign influence — may be to blame.
Analysts say they started noticing the drop-off in shipping traffic toward the end of October, as China prepared to enact legislation governing data privacy.
Usually, shipping data companies are able to track ships worldwide because they are fitted with an Automatic Identification System, or AIS, transceiver.
This system allows ships to send information — such as position, speed, course and name — to stations that are based along coastlines using high-frequency radio. If a ship is out of range of those stations, the information can be exchanged via satellite.
But that's not happening in the world's second-largest economy, a critical player in global trade. In the past three weeks, the number of vessels sending signals from the country has plunged by nearly 90%, according to data from the global shipping data provider VesselsValue.
Ningbo-Zhoushan Port as seen in August. Experts worry that a lack of shipping data out of China could strain the global supply chain.
© Suo Xianglu/Xinhua/Getty Images
Ningbo-Zhoushan Port as seen in August. Experts worry that a lack of shipping data out of China could strain the global supply chain.
"We are currently seeing an industry wide reduction in terrestrial AIS signals in China," said Charlotte Cook, head trade analyst at VesselsValue.
New data law could worsen supply chain chaos
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told CNN Business that AIS stations along Chinese coastlines that are legally constructed in accordance with international treaties "have not been shut down" and "are operating normally."
Publicly available AIS platforms are also operating normally, it added.
The State Council Information Office, which acts as a press office for the country's cabinet, did not respond to a request for comment about why shipping providers were losing access to data.
But analysts think they've found the culprit: China's Personal Information Protection Law, which took effect November 1. It requires companies that process data to receive approval from the Chinese government before they can let personal information leave Chinese soil — a rule that reflects the fear in Beijing that such data could end up in the hands of foreign governments.
The law doesn't mention shipping data. But Chinese data providers might be withholding information as a precaution, according to Anastassis Touros, AIS network team leader at Marine Traffic, a major ship-tracking information provider.
"Whenever you have a new law, we have a time period where everyone needs to check out if things are okay, " Touros said.
Other industry experts have more clues of the law's influence. Cook said that colleagues in China told her that some AIS transponders were removed from stations based along Chinese coastlines at the start of the month, at the instruction of national security authorities. The only systems allowed to remain needed to be installed by "qualified parties."
Not all of the data is gone: Satellites can still be used to capture signals from ships. But Touros said that when a ship is close to shore, the information collected in space is not as good as what can be gathered on the ground.
"We need terrestrial stations in order to have a better picture, a more high-quality picture," he added.
With Christmas approaching, a loss of information from mainland China — home to six of the world's 10 busiest container ports — could create more problems for an already troubled global shipping industry. Supply chains have been under strain this year as badly congested ports struggle to keep up with a rapidly rebounding demand for goods.
Shipping firms rely on AIS data to predict vessel movement, track seasonal trends and improve port efficiency, according to Cook from VesselsValue. She said the lack of Chinese data "could significantly impact ocean supply chain visibility across China." The country is one of the world's major importers of coal and iron ore, as well as a huge exporter of containers.
"As we move into the Christmas period, it will have a really big impact on [supply chains] and this is the most important element right now," said Georgios Hatzimanolis, media strategist for Marine Traffic. He expects the loss of "minute by minute" ship data from China to have "a great impact on the supply chain," since companies may lose crucial information about ship docking, unloading and leaving times.
The global supply chain is already under "great stress," he added. "It doesn't need another factor to make it more difficult."
China's self-isolation
China's desire to retain absolute control over all data and information within its borders isn't surprising, as President Xi Jinping continues to reassert the ruling Communist Party's dominance in every aspect of the economy and society.
The country has been pushing for economic self-sufficiency as it faces external threats, such as US sanctions on key technologies.
Xi emphasized his self-reliance goals in the years before and during a bitter trade and tech war with former US President Donald Trump. That's the point, for example, of "Made in China 2025," an ambitious plan to push China's manufacturing sector into more advanced technological fields.
Some top officials in Beijing have recently tried to quell concerns among global investors that the country is isolating itself from the rest of the world as it prioritizes national security.
Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, considered a trusted ally of Xi, told the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore that China would not "develop isolated from the world." Speaking via video, he also called on countries to keep supply chains "stable and smooth."
But China has embraced policies during the coronavirus pandemic that often appear to do otherwise.
For example, during the pandemic Xi has doubled down on his push for self-reliance, stressing the need to create "independent and controllable" supply chains to ensure national security.
And the country's sweeping clampdown on tech extended this summer to foreign IPOs, when the Cyberspace Administration of China proposed that major companies with more than a million customers seek approval before listing shares overseas. As with the recent data privacy law, the agency cited concerns about whether personal data held by those companies could be exploited by foreign governments.
China's actions this year may come at a cost, though, if the country goes too far in its attempt to protect itself from perceived foreign interference
Sure looks like preparation for war. As was their recent misslie testing.
One point must be made-- China has "their guy" -installed as our President.
Do they take Tawain, Phillipines, or hit Japan? --Tyr
******
https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/27/asia/tsai-ingwen-taiwan-china-interview-intl-hnk/index.html
Taiwan's President confirms US troops are training military on the island
07:32
Taiwan's President says the threat from China is increasing 'every day' and confirms presence of US military trainers on the island
By Will Ripley, Eric Cheung and Ben Westcott, CNN
Updated 4:51 AM ET, Thu October 28, 2021
Taipei, Taiwan (CNN)The leader of Taiwan, the island thrust into the center of rising tensions between the United States and China, said the threat from Beijing is growing "every day," as for the first time she confirmed the presence of American troops on Taiwanese soil.
Speaking with CNN in an exclusive interview Tuesday, President Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan, which is located fewer than 200 kilometers (124 miles) away from China's southeastern coast, was a "beacon" of democracy that needed to be defended to uphold faith worldwide in democratic values.
"Here is this island of 23 million people trying hard every day to protect ourselves and protect our democracy and making sure that our people have the kind of freedom they deserve," she said.
"If we fail, then that means people that believe in these values would doubt whether these are values that they (should) be fighting for."
Taiwan and mainland China have been separately governed since the Nationalists retreated to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese civil war more than 70 years ago. Taiwan is now a flourishing democracy but the mainland's ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to view the island as an inseparable part of its territory -- despite having never controlled it.
Today, relations between Taipei and Beijing are at their lowest point in decades. Earlier this month, China's military sent a record number of warplanes into the air around Taiwan while diplomats and state-run media warned of a possible invasion unless the island toes the CCP line.
The displays of force are partly the result of strengthening ties between Taiwan and the United States under Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Large arms sales and high profile visits by US officials have bolstered Taiwan's international standing and antagonized Beijing.
In her interview with CNN, Tsai became the first Taiwan President in decades to acknowledge the presence of US troops on the island for training purposes. The last official US garrison left in 1979, the year Washington switched formal diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, though last year media reports hinted at small deployments.
The US military posted and then deleted a video in early 2020 that showed US Army Special Forces training soldiers in Taiwan. In November 2020, Taiwan's Defense Ministry announced and then denied to local media that US troops were training local soldiers on the island.
Tsai wouldn't say exactly how many US military personnel are on the island at present but said it was "not as many as people thought." "We have a wide range of cooperation with the US aiming at increasing our defense capability," she said.
CNN
China's disappearing ships: The latest headache for the global supply chain
Analysis by Laura He, CNN Business - Wednesday
Ships in Chinese waters are disappearing from industry tracking systems, creating yet another headache for the global supply chain. China's growing isolation from the rest of the world — along with a deepening mistrust of foreign influence — may be to blame.
Analysts say they started noticing the drop-off in shipping traffic toward the end of October, as China prepared to enact legislation governing data privacy.
Usually, shipping data companies are able to track ships worldwide because they are fitted with an Automatic Identification System, or AIS, transceiver.
This system allows ships to send information — such as position, speed, course and name — to stations that are based along coastlines using high-frequency radio. If a ship is out of range of those stations, the information can be exchanged via satellite.
But that's not happening in the world's second-largest economy, a critical player in global trade. In the past three weeks, the number of vessels sending signals from the country has plunged by nearly 90%, according to data from the global shipping data provider VesselsValue.
Ningbo-Zhoushan Port as seen in August. Experts worry that a lack of shipping data out of China could strain the global supply chain.
© Suo Xianglu/Xinhua/Getty Images
Ningbo-Zhoushan Port as seen in August. Experts worry that a lack of shipping data out of China could strain the global supply chain.
"We are currently seeing an industry wide reduction in terrestrial AIS signals in China," said Charlotte Cook, head trade analyst at VesselsValue.
New data law could worsen supply chain chaos
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told CNN Business that AIS stations along Chinese coastlines that are legally constructed in accordance with international treaties "have not been shut down" and "are operating normally."
Publicly available AIS platforms are also operating normally, it added.
The State Council Information Office, which acts as a press office for the country's cabinet, did not respond to a request for comment about why shipping providers were losing access to data.
But analysts think they've found the culprit: China's Personal Information Protection Law, which took effect November 1. It requires companies that process data to receive approval from the Chinese government before they can let personal information leave Chinese soil — a rule that reflects the fear in Beijing that such data could end up in the hands of foreign governments.
The law doesn't mention shipping data. But Chinese data providers might be withholding information as a precaution, according to Anastassis Touros, AIS network team leader at Marine Traffic, a major ship-tracking information provider.
"Whenever you have a new law, we have a time period where everyone needs to check out if things are okay, " Touros said.
Other industry experts have more clues of the law's influence. Cook said that colleagues in China told her that some AIS transponders were removed from stations based along Chinese coastlines at the start of the month, at the instruction of national security authorities. The only systems allowed to remain needed to be installed by "qualified parties."
Not all of the data is gone: Satellites can still be used to capture signals from ships. But Touros said that when a ship is close to shore, the information collected in space is not as good as what can be gathered on the ground.
"We need terrestrial stations in order to have a better picture, a more high-quality picture," he added.
With Christmas approaching, a loss of information from mainland China — home to six of the world's 10 busiest container ports — could create more problems for an already troubled global shipping industry. Supply chains have been under strain this year as badly congested ports struggle to keep up with a rapidly rebounding demand for goods.
Shipping firms rely on AIS data to predict vessel movement, track seasonal trends and improve port efficiency, according to Cook from VesselsValue. She said the lack of Chinese data "could significantly impact ocean supply chain visibility across China." The country is one of the world's major importers of coal and iron ore, as well as a huge exporter of containers.
"As we move into the Christmas period, it will have a really big impact on [supply chains] and this is the most important element right now," said Georgios Hatzimanolis, media strategist for Marine Traffic. He expects the loss of "minute by minute" ship data from China to have "a great impact on the supply chain," since companies may lose crucial information about ship docking, unloading and leaving times.
The global supply chain is already under "great stress," he added. "It doesn't need another factor to make it more difficult."
China's self-isolation
China's desire to retain absolute control over all data and information within its borders isn't surprising, as President Xi Jinping continues to reassert the ruling Communist Party's dominance in every aspect of the economy and society.
The country has been pushing for economic self-sufficiency as it faces external threats, such as US sanctions on key technologies.
Xi emphasized his self-reliance goals in the years before and during a bitter trade and tech war with former US President Donald Trump. That's the point, for example, of "Made in China 2025," an ambitious plan to push China's manufacturing sector into more advanced technological fields.
Some top officials in Beijing have recently tried to quell concerns among global investors that the country is isolating itself from the rest of the world as it prioritizes national security.
Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, considered a trusted ally of Xi, told the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore that China would not "develop isolated from the world." Speaking via video, he also called on countries to keep supply chains "stable and smooth."
But China has embraced policies during the coronavirus pandemic that often appear to do otherwise.
For example, during the pandemic Xi has doubled down on his push for self-reliance, stressing the need to create "independent and controllable" supply chains to ensure national security.
And the country's sweeping clampdown on tech extended this summer to foreign IPOs, when the Cyberspace Administration of China proposed that major companies with more than a million customers seek approval before listing shares overseas. As with the recent data privacy law, the agency cited concerns about whether personal data held by those companies could be exploited by foreign governments.
China's actions this year may come at a cost, though, if the country goes too far in its attempt to protect itself from perceived foreign interference
Sure looks like preparation for war. As was their recent misslie testing.
One point must be made-- China has "their guy" -installed as our President.
Do they take Tawain, Phillipines, or hit Japan? --Tyr
******
https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/27/asia/tsai-ingwen-taiwan-china-interview-intl-hnk/index.html
Taiwan's President confirms US troops are training military on the island
07:32
Taiwan's President says the threat from China is increasing 'every day' and confirms presence of US military trainers on the island
By Will Ripley, Eric Cheung and Ben Westcott, CNN
Updated 4:51 AM ET, Thu October 28, 2021
Taipei, Taiwan (CNN)The leader of Taiwan, the island thrust into the center of rising tensions between the United States and China, said the threat from Beijing is growing "every day," as for the first time she confirmed the presence of American troops on Taiwanese soil.
Speaking with CNN in an exclusive interview Tuesday, President Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan, which is located fewer than 200 kilometers (124 miles) away from China's southeastern coast, was a "beacon" of democracy that needed to be defended to uphold faith worldwide in democratic values.
"Here is this island of 23 million people trying hard every day to protect ourselves and protect our democracy and making sure that our people have the kind of freedom they deserve," she said.
"If we fail, then that means people that believe in these values would doubt whether these are values that they (should) be fighting for."
Taiwan and mainland China have been separately governed since the Nationalists retreated to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese civil war more than 70 years ago. Taiwan is now a flourishing democracy but the mainland's ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to view the island as an inseparable part of its territory -- despite having never controlled it.
Today, relations between Taipei and Beijing are at their lowest point in decades. Earlier this month, China's military sent a record number of warplanes into the air around Taiwan while diplomats and state-run media warned of a possible invasion unless the island toes the CCP line.
The displays of force are partly the result of strengthening ties between Taiwan and the United States under Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Large arms sales and high profile visits by US officials have bolstered Taiwan's international standing and antagonized Beijing.
In her interview with CNN, Tsai became the first Taiwan President in decades to acknowledge the presence of US troops on the island for training purposes. The last official US garrison left in 1979, the year Washington switched formal diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, though last year media reports hinted at small deployments.
The US military posted and then deleted a video in early 2020 that showed US Army Special Forces training soldiers in Taiwan. In November 2020, Taiwan's Defense Ministry announced and then denied to local media that US troops were training local soldiers on the island.
Tsai wouldn't say exactly how many US military personnel are on the island at present but said it was "not as many as people thought." "We have a wide range of cooperation with the US aiming at increasing our defense capability," she said.