Proposed U.S. bill targets Canadian drivers in Chinese cars

 

Proposed U.S. bill targets Canadian drivers in Chinese cars

Citing security concerns over the vehicle's ability to collect data, the act would deny entry to those visiting from Canada or Mexico.

    A new act proposed by Michigan politicians could prevent Canadians and Mexicans from driving China-made vehicles into the U.S.

    The bill specifically mentions Canada’s tariff reduction on Chinese EVs

    Previous bills have restricted vehicles being imported into the U.S. market, but this one targets drivers who are only visiting the country

Canadians who buy vehicles made in China may not be able to drive them into the United States, if a recently-announced bill is passed. Known as the Protecting America from Chinese Cars Act, it would prevent Chinese connected vehicles from entering the U.S. from Canada or Mexico.


The bill is being put forward by U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin and Representative Haley Stevens. Both represent Michigan, and both are members of the Democratic Party.

According to a release issued by Slotkin’s office, “This legislation is a significant step towards protecting our national security and the U.S. auto industry. The Chinese auto industry is heavily subsidized by the Chinese Communist Party, allowing them to undercut competitors and quickly flood new markets. We’ve seen this process play out rapidly in Europe and South America.”

 

Asian Investment into the United States Is Significant and Growing

Despite the global storm of uncertainty surrounding the world economy precipitated by the Ukraine war, U.S.-China tensions, the side-effects of COVID-19, rising inflation and significantly higher interest rates, global greenfield investment into the U.S. reached a cumulative $5 trillion in 2021. Actual annual net FDI flows into the U.S. were $389 billion in 2021, up by more than 400% from $95 billion in 2020.

While Europe continues to be the No. 1 source of cumulative investment into the U.S. at $2.8 trillion as of 2021, investments from companies in the Asia Pacific grew to more than $1 trillion. Asian FDI is forecast to grow at a rate of 7% per annum overall. Japan with its historic trade and investment ties to the U.S. is the No. 1 Asian and global investor with a cumulative total of $721 billion. Also in the top 20 were Australia at No. 9 with $102 billion, South Korea at No. 12 with $72 billion, China at No. 15 with $54 billion, and Singapore at No. 16 with $54 billion, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). 

U.S. political trends and legitimate concerns about government-linked investments from China have stoked anti-China investment sentiment. Many U.S. state investment promotion agencies (IPAs) are re-thinking their approach to attracting investment from Asia. Some of them are stopping their proactive China investment attraction efforts and redirecting their budgets to other Asian FDI source countries. Other states are taking a long-term view of staying in China focusing on export promotion while using these activities as a base for reactive investment attraction.

Historic Ties Draw Investment 

In times of economic and political turmoil and uncertainty, investment tends to stay at home or flow between historic economic partners. This is clearly the case in developed Asia, where there is now a strong trend to prioritize outward FDI toward North America.

The U.S.’s launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) for prosperity in May 2022 is strengthening cross-border trade and investment between the U.S. and the other 13 participants in the framework: the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, India, Fiji, and seven ASEAN countries (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam).

Investment into the U.S. from long-time allies and the developed economies in the Asia Pacific — Japan, Korea, and Taiwan — grew by 67%, 74% and 115%, respectively, from 2020 to 2021. Investments from Australia and New Zealand increased by 39% and 632%, respectively, although from a low base in the case of New Zealand. Recent investments from Australia include a $400 million investment by James Hardie Industries, a global building materials company expanding in Prattville, Alabama, and adding 200 jobs. Another notable investment includes Australia-based digital diagnostics company Ellume establishing its first U.S. manufacturing operation in Frederick County, Maryland, investing $230 million and creating 1,500 new jobs.

Japanese giant Honda and Korea-based LG Energy Solution in February broke ground for their joint venture EV battery plant in Fayette County near Jeffersonville, Ohio, which will create 2,200 jobs and attract an initial $3.5 billion investment.

Two emerging Asian global investment sources include India and ASEAN. Both geographic regions are increasingly important to the U.S. as strategic trade and investment partners. There is a major focus by large Indian companies on going global. While COVID-19 had a huge impact on Indian FDI outflows into the U.S., which dropped from more than $4 billion in 2019 to $1.68 in 2020, this rebounded in 2021 to $2.9 billion and is forecast to continue to grow.

In a 2020 survey by the Confederation of Indian Industries, 83% of the 155 companies interviewed had plans to invest in the U.S. over the next five years. U.S. state IPAs are responding and taking a serious look at India as an investment source, not only for traditional sectors like IT/ITE services and pharmaceuticals, but for the growing number of sophisticated Indian conglomerates across a variety of industrial sectors. To date this investment has been concentrated in three states:

• Texas: $9.5 billion, 17,578 jobs
• New York: $2.4 billion, 6175 jobs
• New Jersey: $2.4 billion, 8,057 jobs. 

Technology and Agri-Foods Are Hot

Trends that started after the launch of U.S. import tariffs on Chinese goods and COVID supply chain interruptions include nearshoring of advanced manufacturing operations as well as agri-food manufacturing investments. A wave of advanced technology investment is gaining momentum as U.S. federal and state government investment attraction policies are spurring investment. The CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act have increased interest from Asian companies, spurring significant investments in EV battery materials, semiconductors, EV vehicle production and others.

Annual ASEAN FDI into the U.S. stood at $5.7 billion in 2020 and $5.6 billion in 2021 according to the BEA. Large ASEAN companies are struggling to achieve acceptable returns in their home countries and ASEAN neighbor countries and are now targeting investments in the major markets of North America and Europe.

Interest in the U.S. is increasing from companies across the agri-food supply chain. Of the 14 ASEAN companies identified by the Boston Consulting Group as Global Challengers (companies with more than $1 billion in revenues, high revenue growth, above-average EBIT, greater than 1,000 employees and greater than 10% international sales and a growing global presence), seven of them are in the agri-foods segment. Three of these are from Thailand, two from Indonesia and two from the Philippines. 

These are just the type of investment targets that any state investment promotion officer would salivate over. Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL (CPF), a 102-year-old diversified conglomerate headquartered in Thailand, was the first foreign investor in China when it opened in 1978 and now operates in 21 countries. In 2016, CPF bought Minneapolis-based Belisio Foods for $1.1 B. This was CPF’s first U.S. investment. While mergers and acquisitions of companies are not sought after by many IPAs, this initial acquisition has generated subsequent greenfield investment. CPF recently announced a $40 million plan to expand one of its manufacturing facilities in Jackson, Ohio, that will lead to the creation of 177 jobs. 

Each of the major economies of ASEAN have at least five leading companies in each primary industrial sector. A good example is Indofoods, a leading Indonesian agri-foods conglomerate that has $7.3 billion in revenue and last year grew by 24% (2020-2021). It has the financial wherewithal and global experience to consider investment in the U.S. and Europe after having successfully invested in several emerging African economies.

Opportunities for attracting FDI from Asia are large and varied. Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese companies are expected to continue to be the largest sources for Asian U.S. investment for the foreseeable future, but the competition to attract this investment is intense. India and ASEAN are emerging sources of FDI. While the number of companies and total investment are smaller, the companies are excellent targets and are aggressively looking to the U.S. as a priority investment destination.

Attracting investment from China is being seen as politically fraught. But it should not be dismissed entirely. Despite the difficulties of the past two years, 2020 and 2021 resulted in $6.3 billion and $6.5 billion (Statistical Bulletin of China’s Foreign Direct Investment) and there are many mid-size private Chinese companies without government ties that are trying to diversify their manufacturing footprints outside of China for the very same reasons as non-Chinese companies.

诺曼底登陆82周年 美防长专注美军纪念 退出国际纪念仪式

 

 诺曼底登陆82周年 美防长专注美军纪念   退出国际纪念仪式

今天周六是诺曼底盟军登陆82周年，美国防长皮特-海格塞斯（Pete Hegseth）周六上午在法国科勒维尔滨海（Colleville-sur-mer）的美军公墓再次呼吁欧洲各国在国防方面付出更多努力。此前数小时，他刚刚宣布将退出在法国诺曼底举行的国际纪念登陆仪式。

皮特-海格塞斯（或赫格塞斯）在诺曼底战役中阵亡的9387名美军士兵的白色墓碑前说：“长眠于此的将士们曾在一个军事联盟中并肩作战，联盟中的每个伙伴都尽己所能，贡献了自己的勤勉、勇气与牺牲”。

他强调，在“1944年，每个盟国都流血牺牲，承担了各自的责任”，并戏谑道：“没有空洞的口号，没有奢华的峰会，也没有联合公报”。

 

这位美国防长或称战争部长还说，“美国必须引领方向，而我们也会这样做，但我们的盟友必须与我们并肩作战”。

美国战争部长皮特·海格塞斯于周五晚宣布退出原定于周六举行的国际纪念仪式，以便专注于美国的纪念活动。

这位美国部长认为，“只有武力才能保障和平”。但在法国防长凯瑟琳·沃特兰在场的情况下，他在演讲中并未明确提及当前伊朗、乌克兰或世界其他地区的冲突。

法新社说，海格塞斯先生还似乎借82年前的诺曼底登陆行动，暗示移民对“西方文明”构成的威胁。

他抨击道：“遗憾的是，如今欧洲各地的海滩正遭到各种危险意识形态的侵袭：在西班牙、意大利、希腊和保加利亚的海滩上，船只和人群正不断登陆”。

他问道：“欧洲各国首都会采取行动抵御这场入侵吗？或者为时已晚？”随后，他引用了一段《圣经》经文作为结语。

1944年6月6日黎明，来自英国、加拿大、美国、比利时、挪威和波兰等国的士兵，在诺曼底长达80多公里的海岸线上的五个海滩登陆，是历史上规模最大的登陆行动。

共有6939艘船舰和13.27万名士兵参与，这支庞大的舰队在德军意想不到的地方发起突袭。而在登陆几小时前，已有超过2万名伞兵被空投至敌后。

这场宏大的军事行动对战胜纳粹德国起到了决定性作用，使德国陷入了西线大西洋和东线苏联两面受敌的境地。

A lonely monkey - one of the most striking images of 2026 so far

 

  Punch, the lonely monkey

A photo taken in February at the Ichikawa City Zoo, in Ichikawa, Japan, of Punch, a baby Japanese macaque, gazing affectionately into the oversized eyes of a stuffed orangutan sitting beside him, was among the more affecting images captured so far this year. The intensity of Punch's soulful, unrequited stare recalls a series of extraordinary paintings undertaken in the last decades of the 19th Century by German painter and primatologist Gabriel von Max, whose poignant portrait Monkey Before Skeleton, 1900, is invigorated by that same unfulfilled longing for a spark.

以色列祕密部署亞塞拜然 支援攻伊行動

  

以色列祕密部署亞塞拜然 支援攻伊行動


美國有線電視新聞網（CNN）五日披露，在美國和以色列對伊朗戰爭期間，以國曾在伊朗北部鄰國亞塞拜然南部祕密部署菁英部隊和情報人員，以利對伊朗的軍事行動。對此，亞塞拜然駐美國大使館發言人「堅決駁斥有關指稱利用亞塞拜然領土進行對第三國行動的毫無根據說法」。以色列總理辦公室和以國國防軍尚無回應。

CNN引述四名消息人士說法，以國菁英部隊約數十人，包括特種突擊隊、直升機作戰救援部隊以及情報單位「摩薩德」幹員，祕密部署亞塞拜然南部數個地點，進行對伊朗的行動。這些地點和伊朗北部邊境接壤，距離最近者離伊朗的大布里士（Tabriz）僅約九十六公里。

這些據點讓以國多一個基地可在飛行員遭擊落時執行救援行動，以及進行情報蒐集和無人機行動，掌握伊朗北部動態。以國從亞國發動的一個重要行動，就是三月四日狙殺伊斯蘭革命衛隊情報部門指揮官莫加達姆，以國指其負責二〇二四年刺殺川普的行動。該次行動引發隔天亞塞拜然飛地納希契凡機場遭無人機攻擊，亞國總統歸咎伊朗，但伊朗否認。

以色列長期以來視亞塞拜然為其對抗伊朗的戰略夥伴，一月中伊朗鎮壓示威人士後，以色列開始在亞、伊邊界裝設監聽、情蒐設備，同時也提供偵測伊朗發射飛彈的早期預警功能。

消息人士透露，除了亞塞拜然，以國在戰爭期間也在伊拉克設有兩座後勤支援的前進基地；在阿拉伯聯合大公國則祕密部署「鐵穹」防空系統。另外，以國去年率先承認的非洲索馬利蘭，也有一處軍事據點，提供軍機中途停留地點。這些前進部署據點之後擴大成為軍事、情報蒐集站，有利於以軍在戰爭期間，沿著伊朗南方、西方和北方周邊部署，將其軍事行動深入伊朗境內。

取出濃縮鈾 川普：不需伊同意

美國總統川普四日表示，與伊朗的談判正在「最後階段」，但是未詳述更多細節；川普也說，華府不需要與伊朗達成協議，就能取得其濃縮鈾，「如果我們想這麼做的話，現在就可以取得，我不認為他們能阻止。但是沒有理由這麼做，它被封存了」。他說，伊朗存放濃縮鈾的設施遭空襲「徹底摧毀」，目前只有美國和中國擁有設備，能夠深入崩塌的山體去取出濃縮鈾。

馬來西亞也有許多這樣的中國特工 - 美國記者認認當中共非法代理人！

 

馬來西亞也有許多這樣的中國特工  -   美國記者認認當中共非法代理人！

 

曾任職中國官媒的美國記者托馬斯．保肯二世（Thomas Pauken II）4日向美國法院認罪，坦承自己曾充當中國政府的非法代理人。波肯的刑期預計在9月1日宣布，最重可能會入獄10年。對此，美國聖湯瑪斯大學國際研究講座教授葉耀元提出三點評論，他認為「美國用代理人法來面對中國的滲透時，台灣也應該做一樣的方式」。

 

葉耀元今日於臉書粉專「葉教授的國際事務學院」發文提出以下3點評論觀點：

 

首先、非法代理人之所以需要用法律來處理，是因為他們的行為危害了國家安全。第2點、但這件事到底個人的自由（無論是言論或是行為）是否低於國家安全，以及到底什麼是國家安全，一直都是法律上須定義出的問題。

 

第3點、他身為一名現實主義學者，必須要講清楚國家安全的重要性不應該被任何事情取代，是此，當美國用代理人法來面對中國的滲透時，台灣也應該做一樣的方式。葉耀元直言，「我對藍、白當道的立法院沒有任何期待，但台灣的選民應該要去正視這個問題」。

中国资本全球收购的真实动机

中国资本全球收购的真实动机


来自中国的资本在全球的布局是怎样的，这尤其对德国这个依赖创新的经济体又会产生怎样的影响？同时，为了应对欧洲汽车需求不足、导致工厂开工不足的问题，欧洲企业目前正在采取哪些措施？又有怎样的风险？

《世界报》关注了一份多个世界顶尖大学与机构联合进行的有关中国在全球投资的调研报告。华盛顿乔治城大学、新加坡南洋大学、欧洲中央银行和麻省理工学院的学者，分析了2012年至2021年间159个国家超过16.1万家公司的数据，其结论是：截止到2021年，中国投资者控制的海外资产以每年20%的速度增长，达到2.1万亿美元，约占全球企业资产的3%。如果将香港和澳门也包括在内，“大中华区”便是仅次于美国的全球第二大资产控制国。

《世界报》注意到，这份题为“中国的全球资产布局”的调研报告尤其指出，中国资产高度集中在发达经济体，并瞄准掌握先进技术的企业，欧洲和北美合计占中国控制资产的近80%，“中国投资者，尤其是国有企业，战略性投资研发密集型企业和供应链联系紧密的公司。”

文章指出，“这正是德国利益直接受到影响的地方。大约十年前，中国在其‘中国制造2025’发展规划中确定发展并提升全球竞争力的特定行业，而它们几乎与德国工业的优势完全重合：高精密机床、机器人、汽车和电动汽车、工业自动化以及特种化学产品。“

中资收购后，相关公司的研发支出平均增长6.6%，资本存量增长7.3%，但是，这些额外的投资并没有带来专利活动的增加，反而伴随着盈利能力的显著下降。“研究表明，中资在发达经济体中收购后，其中国母公司创新活动激增。尤其是当收购方是中国国企时，专利申请数量会增加约4.4倍。被收购公司得以继续进行研发，但利润则落入中资所有者的口袋。"

《世界报》对此警告道，“认识到这一点对德国尤为重要，因为德国经济很大一部分由创新推动。如果中国企业的影响力不断增强，将不可避免地逐步挤压同行业其他公司的研发活动。换言之，当中国国有企业在某个行业站稳脚跟时，竞争对手就会减少自身的研发投入。”

“自2021年、也就是该研究观察期结束以来，中国对西方国家的收购活动有所放缓，至少官方数据显示如此。然而，当下中国对西方国家的收购兴趣再次高涨，尤其是在举步维艰的汽车行业，例如，中国似乎有意收购面临关闭的大众汽车工厂。”

“因此，综上所述，经济学家建议高层决策者应当保持谨慎，中国的目标显然是系统性地在西方工业化国家，尤其在关键产业，构建全球企业控制权。而德国因其技术实力，受到中国的特别重视。”

充满风险的结盟：欧洲车厂向中国开放

为了应对欧洲汽车需求不足、导致工厂开工不足的问题，欧洲企业目前采取双管齐下的策略：一方面，他们将重心放在中国市场。在中国，他们与合资伙伴开展更紧密的合作，生产更符合中国消费者需求的车型。另一方面，他们开始向中国车商开放在欧洲的生产设施。

《新苏黎世报》写道

，“中国汽车制造商很乐于在欧洲现有工厂进行生产。尽管欧洲的生产设施与中国相比更为老旧，而且工资水平、尤其是在中欧和北欧地区远高于中国，但这些不足之处可以被自己的优势弥补。在欧洲生产中国汽车，可以巧妙地规避欧盟的进口关税。“

“数月以来，中国汽车制造商已在欧盟境内的多家工厂开始生产。日产将位于巴塞罗那的工厂提供给奇瑞集团，用于生产混合动力的SUV。Stellantis与中国零跑汽车公司成立合资企业，在波兰的蒂黑以及位于西班牙萨拉戈萨的工厂进行生产。Stellantis另一处位于马德里的工厂也计划很快开始生产零跑电动汽车。”

“对于大众集团及其在德国开工不足的工厂而言，很明显，中国合作伙伴可以填补产能缺口。然而，中国企业更倾向于工资和成本较低的欧盟南部国家，例如西班牙、意大利或法国。因此，大众与中国合作伙伴小鹏汽车、上汽集团和一汽集团就德国工厂产能利用问题进行的谈判最终无果。”

不过，《新苏黎世报》并不认为谈判失败一定是一件坏事。因为对Stellantis而言，“向中国开放工厂蕴含着巨大的战略风险：零跑T03这样的城市汽车，直接与集团自身的经济型电动车型形成竞争，比如雪铁龙-C3，或即将上市的菲亚特Grande Panda。Stellantis的做法，实际上是在低价且易销的汽车市场上，助竞争对手一臂之力。

此外，Stellantis集团会由此陷入对远东技术依赖的危险境地。中国制造商将进口所有控制元件、完整底盘和动力系统，在欧洲只需要进行组装。因此，Stellantis在欧洲的研发工作会逐渐失去价值。如果未来只能购买电动汽车的创新技术，集团将失去自主生产此类汽车的能力。而与此同时，中国制造商在Stellantis工厂生产的过程中，已学会并掌握了欧洲复杂的物流和质量检验标准。”