A thread to highlight the opposite of places that stand up to China
Edinburgh gives their balls to China
This article gives a better insight. They were basically willing to sign a sister city relationship. China threatened Edinburgh with sanctions and another article I found even suggested China was saying they would stop sending students to Edinburgh university.
The school and businesses freak out and told to council to stop.
China’s representative in Edinburgh told councillors he had “grave concerns” about a “sister city agreement between Edinburgh and cities from Taiwan”.
In a letter sent earlier this month, consul general Zhang Biao wrote: "This is not a action simply to promote exchange and friendship, it is deeply related to the Taiwan question and will bring about serious consequences.
“The Chinese government firmly opposes counties that have diplomatic ties with China to conduct official exchanges with Taiwan in any form, including signing agreement with sovereign implications or of an official nature.”
Biao said the council signing a friendship arrangement with Taiwan “will hurt the feeling of the Chinese people and bring about serious consequences to our bilateral relations, which we do not want to see”.
He added: “Surely Edinburgh would benefit little but lose a lot from such action.”
Another report on Edinburgh’s cowardly capitulation to what the author calls Beijing’s “protection racket” and “the Faustian nature of UK-China relations.”
Guy
Fear. And I’m glad people are pointing this out.
Anyone with the faintest understanding of Beijing’s paranoia over Taiwan – and the way in which China is willing to weaponise anything to enforce their ‘One China’ principle worldwide – will know that the suspension of the Edinburgh-Kaohsiung partnership has little to do with safeguarding the sensibilities of the Chinese people. It was motivated by fear.
You give the PRC some leverage, and they will use it.
The UK and Germany seem to be among the worst at understanding this point. Or maybe they just see the world through the lens of an imperialist and not from the perspective of the (would be) colonized.
Guy
The UK should really look at this. If China is going to threaten their universities by not letting students return, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
If they had a once of respect, threaten them back by blocking student visas to UK universities. No more Oxford or Cambridge for the CCPs kids.
The problem is that they have set up their business model to depend so heavily on this one market (international students, particularly from the PRC, as their cash cow), leaving these institutions vulnerable. They have almost invited this situation.
Guy
If I was the UK, I would recruit heavily in the US. I did my masters in the UK and an equivalent would cost about double in the US.
There were some Americans but it seems like a good sell for US students that want to get a good education for half the price.
Can US students get loans for overseas universities?
Yes. If it’s an approved school you can. Basically any reputable school in the west will be fine.
Who woulda thunk it?
A counter-example to this thread: Calgary in Canada did not back down.
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/5899147
Guy
This thread was the counter to the places standing up to China 
Gotta keep some positive examples mind, or we’ll all go nuts. 
Guy
Prosecutors going after those people does not seem quite the same as “cowering” as in the thread title.
For that, you need to go a little bit north to Canada. 
Guy
Maybe because China’s “there can be only one” shenanigans resonated somehow?
Cuz we’re the Texans of Canada. 
And Beijing shivers at the might of Calgary.
Speaking of cowering from foreign powers
https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/justice-department-charges-russian-state-media-election-interference
The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it is seizing 32 domains tied to a Russian influence campaign accused of spreading propaganda to influence voters in U.S. and foreign elections.
Why it matters: Members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle directed Russian companies to promote disinformation as part of a campaign to influence the 2024 election, the Justice Department alleged.
- “The sites we are seizing today were filled with Russian government propaganda that had been created by the Kremlin to reduce international support for Ukraine, bolster pro-Russian policies and interests, and influence voters in the United States and other countries,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Wednesday.
Driving the news: The DOJ also announced charges Wednesday against Russian nationals connected to an alleged scheme to influence U.S. audiences with content that included hidden Russian government messaging.
- Court documents allege that RT, a Russian state media network previously called Russia Today, deployed nearly $10 million to finance and direct a Tennessee-based online content creation company that has posted nearly 2,000 videos in English focused on key domestic and foreign issues to “amplify divisions in the United States.”
Of course, that’s Biden’s DOJ.
If you can’t trust Pooty-Poot to look after the interests of Americans (well, the interests of one American, anyway) who can you trust?