China came not well from it when the Police security service (PST) and the intelligence services recently presented their annual threat assessments. The country was singled out as an alien force that will try to influence the political process, and to carry out intelligence operations that could damage Norway and Norwegian businesses ‘ interests.
the PST went so far as to warn against the assumption that the chinese phone company Huawei to get the build out 5G-online, probably to the americans ‘ pleasure.
Suddenly I felt a long time ago the royal couple and 320 Norwegian næringslivsaktører was on a visit to China and signed agreements, as “signeringspennen went warm”, so Innovation Norway talked about the visit in October of last year. So where does this – seemingly – sudden væromslaget from, roughly two years after Norway finally came out of the political freezer after fredsprisbråket in 2010?
What is it that makes the Norwegian safety authorities as suspicious in respect of private chinese companies?
the Answer lies in China’s political system and its powerful leader Xi Jinping. Ever since he took over power in 2012, he has gradually expanded his powers. He has created so-called ledelsesgrupper that is governed by him, and which has as its task to coordinate the policies within key areas such as finance, reform, cyber security and foreign affairs.
Xi has also vingeklippet the competing political wing of the party. Even more important is it that he has got the party to change the constitution so that he in practice could be sitting on a lifetime. It is this development that makes you refer to Xi as the “chairman of everything”. And it is this altomgripende maktutøvelsen that give rise to increased unrest.
In 2017 was also the country’s etterretningslov changed. According to paragraph seven to “any organization or citizen support, help or cooperate with the state intelligence”. A requirement that for safety’s sake is underpinned by section 14 of the act, which says that “state intelligence agencies may (…) require” cooperation.
Most of all was the revision of the law in 2017 excess. When it comes to the piece, makes the Xi that he will, in a system that has always been based on that it is the party that draws in all the threads. This week could news agency Reuters report that it probably is developers from netthandelselskapet Alibaba, which is behind a new, popular propagandaapp for the authorities.
There is also chinese technology companies that have developed pilotprogrammene for the contested social kredittsystemet which has been under trial. System that will take effect from next year, will punish and reward the citizens and businesses in terms of how they behaves.
There are also a number of other examples that chinese companies are cooperating with the authorities about the project that goes on the advisor, public safety and cloud storage. In itself is not unique but problematic, and one must remind themselves that it happens within the framework of an increasingly authoritarian regime where privacy is a salderingspost.
another example on the close ties between private chinese companies and the communist party, is the automaker Geely. Since 2010 has unknown Geely purchased including Volvo, London Taxi, secured control of the Lotus, the majority shareholding in the Danish Saxo Bank and become the largest single shareholder in Daimler-the group that owns the Mercedes Benz.
the Acquisitions, and especially the latter, has happened in a way that have aroused suspicion. Trades Geely founder Li Shufu on your own or on behalf of the people in power in Beijing? If you now go back to where oppkjøpsraidet started in Gothenburg in the autumn of 2010, who was it that came with the when the agreement with Volvo was signed? Xi Jinping.
Given this backdrop it is difficult to see chinese companies ‘ ambitions away from the communist party’s stated ambitions. Industriplanen “Made in China 2025” says precisely that the state shall take an active role as a facilitator for chinese companies. Huaweis founder, Ren Zhengfei has in interviews, and even shown to the Xis plans to “make China great again” and how Huaweis philosophy fits into this vision.
It proved difficult for the chinese authorities to distinguish between the nobel committee and the Norwegian government. Seen with Norwegian eyes, it can be just as demanding to distinguish private chinese companies from state interests.
