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Taiwan calligraphy exhibit honors Tibetans who self-immolated

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On Sunday, Tibetans around the world will be protesting outside Chinese embassies around the world to mark International Human Rights Day.  

There is no Chinese Embassy in democratic Taiwan, so the Dalai Lama Foundation will exhibit 166 works of calligraphy by Ho Tsung-hsun, with prayers and chants from five Buddhist teachers honoring the “heroes and martyrs” of the Tibetan resistance movement instead. 

The exhibit – titled “Those Who Give Fearlessly” – will honor 166 Tibetans inside and outside China who have set themselves on fire as an act of resistance to Chinese Communist Party rule, and in pursuit of freedom, Ho told Radio Free Asia in a recent interview.

“I was very worried when I was doing this that people would think that I was encouraging self-immolation,” Ho said. “But these things happened – that’s a fact.”

“You can’t erase an entire nationality from the historical record who have made such sacrifices in pursuit of their freedom,” he said. 

Ho made the exhibit not to advocate self-immolation, but to highlight the despair and helplessness of those who use it as a form of protest, he said. 

In 2020, Ho Tsung-hsun arranged the names of people who self-immolated around an outline of Tibet. (Provided by Ho Tsung-hsun)

“Self-immolation is a last-ditch choice – there must be so much going on in people’s minds that we can’t understand,” he said. “166 self-immolations in the space of just 10 years is a shocking number.” 

“Cheng Nan-jung self-immolated right here in Taiwan, and we still see memorials to him here every year marking that day,” Ho said, in a reference to the 1989 self-immolation of the Taiwanese publisher, in a protest against the lack of free speech under authoritarian, one-party rule by the Kuomintang.

Writing history

Calligraphic inscriptions have been used since ancient times to record important events, whether on stone steles or on paper, Ho said.

He hopes that his imitation of ancient scrolls will pay due respect to the people who burned in the ultimate act of self-sacrifice. 

Kelsang Gyaltsen, the Dalai Lama’s envoy to Taiwan, told Radio Free Asia he was moved by Ho’s tribute.

“These Tibetans are heroes as we define them in Tibet,” he said. “The Chinese government demonizes them as insane, or claims they acted out of desperation due to family or economic disputes, but it’s not that. No.” 

“They sacrificed themselves for their country, and for their people.”

ENG_CHN_SelfImmolators_12082023.3.JPG
Ho Tsung-hsun says Lobsang Phuntsok’s self-immolation death, the second to take place in Tibet, had a powerful effect as it occurred on Ho’s birthday. (Hsia Hsiao-Hwa)

Kelsang Gyaltsen said the epithet, “Those who give fearlessly” is the highest level of almsgiving in the Buddhist tradition. “It means to give your life for a just cause,” he said. 

Many of those who set fire to themselves did so while shouting slogans or leaving statements calling for freedom for Tibetans, or for the return of its exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and the protection of Tibetans’ Buddhist and cultural heritage.

Some inscribed “Independence for Tibet” on their bodies, Kelsang Gyaltsen said. 

Anyone who claims that just speaking of the self-immolations means encouraging them is engaging in pro-Beijing “cognitive warfare,” he added.

“Who is it who most wants to forget them? Who doesn’t want us to cherish or remember them? It’s the brutal Chinese Communist Party regime,” he said, calling for the anniversary of the first self-immolation – Feb. 27 – to be marked as “Tibetan Self-Immolation Day.”

Art as protest

Ho, who studied advertising and fine arts, started writing calligraphy in high school 40 years ago. 

His calligraphy has graced a number of protests over the last three decades in Taiwan, including environmental protection and anti-nuclear campaigns, educational reform movements and political activism. 

ENG_CHN_SelfImmolators_12082023.4.jpg
Ho Tsung-hsun placed images of the the tantric Buddhist deity Palden Lhamo, a protective warrior goddess also known as Shri Devi, and Nechung, a protective deity closely associated with the Dalai Lama, on his desk to help him complete the calligraphy for Namlha Tsering. (Provided by Ho Tsung-hsun)

He has an abiding memory of one self-immolation – the second to take place in Tibet, in 2009 — in particular. 

“Lobsang Phuntsok, who was only 20 years old at the time, self-immolated on March 16, which happened to be my birthday,” Ho said. “From then onwards, it seemed as if our souls were connected, and that was when I started to pay attention and care about what was happening.” 

March 16 is also the anniversary of mass protests by Tibetans, including Buddhist monks and nuns in Ngaba, a Tibetan region of China’s southwestern province of Sichuan, in 2008, that were to be a turning point in the movement for a free Tibet.

“I was shocked, saddened and outraged by each self-immolation, especially during the nearly 90 self-immolations that took place in 2012 – at their peak, we were seeing nearly one a week,” Ho said.

Just thinking about the way Lobsang Phutsok died causes him pain to this day, he said. 

Ancient style

Ho’s exhibit will display 166 records of self-immolation by Tibetans using paper and a calligraphic style that matches the style of ancient official records. 

Each piece is 34 cm long and 18.5 cm wide (13 x 7 inches). Each work shows the person’s name, place of birth, identity and age of self-immolation. 

Ho’s exhibit also has the blessing of the Tibetan government-in-exile’s envoy to Taiwan, who suggested he make sure Tibetans are the central subjects of the work, and add the ancient Tibetan place-names from when the region was a sovereign and independent country, alongside the modern place-names that are used under Chinese rule. 

One record reads: “Lobsang Tashi, a monk from Amdo in today’s Sichuan, was 24 years old when he set himself on fire on Feb. 27, 2009, to fight for the freedom of Tibetans.”

Every one of the 166 self-immolators, who include elderly in their 80s, 16-year-old students, high-ranking Buddhist teachers, or Rinpoche, monks, nuns, students and women, is given equal weighting in the exhibit, with a word limit of 43 to 46 words each, Ho said. 

The process has been a harrowing one at times for Ho, who got horribly stuck on the record for 49-year-old herder Namlha Tsering, the 104th Tibetan to self-immolate. 

He kept making errors on this record, missing out words each time he tried to copy it. 

“Namlha Tsering…

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Business

US Enacts New Investment Restrictions on AI and Semiconductor Technologies in China

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Hanshika Ujlayan

The US has implemented regulations restricting investments in key technology sectors in China, citing national security risks, particularly concerning AI and semiconductors, following President Biden’s previous executive order.


US Investment Restrictions on Key Technology Sectors

The United States has implemented new regulations that restrict investments in crucial technology sectors in China, including artificial intelligence and semiconductors, driven by national security concerns. The Treasury Department’s announcement marks a significant change in the US stance on foreign investment in critical technologies.

Effective January 2, US citizens, residents, and companies will be barred from transactions involving advanced technologies. Investors must also alert the Treasury about investments in less advanced technologies that pose potential national security risks, reflecting a broader approach to safeguarding American interests.

These restrictions stem from growing worries about China’s technological capabilities and military applications. The move follows President Biden’s previous executive order to prevent US investments from unintentionally benefiting adversaries. As tensions rise, these regulations are expected to impact the global tech industry significantly.

Source : US implements new investment restrictions on AI and semiconductors in China

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China

Strengthening Economic Relations Between China and Indonesia: Exploring Trade and Investment Prospects

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Indonesia emphasizes green and digital economic development, investing in renewable energy and healthcare. China, its largest trading partner, accounted for 25.24% of Indonesia’s trade in 2022. Although trade declined in 2023, optimism remains for growth in 2024.


The Indonesian government prioritizes the development of emerging sectors such as the green economy and digital economy. Leveraging its natural resources, consumer potential, and labor force, Indonesia has significantly increased its investment and support in renewable energy, electric vehicles, high-value-added downstream mining industries, electronic communications, and healthcare.

Given the complementary strengths of China and Indonesia in resources, production capacity, technological innovation, markets, and industrial chains, there is vast potential for further economic and trade cooperation between the two nations.

As of 2022, China has consistently been Indonesia’s largest trading partner for 10 consecutive years. According to official statistics, China-Indonesia trade accounted for 25.24 percent of Indonesia’s total trade in 2022. China has also been Indonesia’s largest source of imports for 13 consecutive years, with imports from China making up 28.52 percent of Indonesia’s total imports in 2022. Additionally, China has been Indonesia’s largest export destination for seven consecutive years, with exports to China comprising 22.58 percent of Indonesia’s total exports in 2022.

According to Chinese customs statistics, the total trade volume between China and Indonesia reached US$149.09 billion in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 19.8 percent. Of this, China’s exports to Indonesia amounted to US$71.32 billion, up 17.8 percent, while imports from Indonesia totaled US$77.77 billion, up 21.7 percent.

Despite a slight decline in China-Indonesia trade in 2023, with bilateral trade amounting to US$139.42 billion, down 5.9 percent year-on-year, China remains Indonesia’s largest trading partner. This decline is attributed to global commodity price adjustments. The Indonesian Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) is optimistic that exports to China will increase in 2024 due to the government’s efforts to optimize the Two Countries, Twin Parks (TCTP) cooperation project and China’s continued role as a major trade partner, contributing nearly a quarter of Indonesia’s total exports.

Source: General Administration of Customs, China


This article was first published by China Briefing , which is produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The firm assists foreign investors throughout Asia from offices across the world, including in in ChinaHong KongVietnamSingapore, and India . Readers may write to info@dezshira.com for more support.

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Business

China Real Estate: Sunac’s Luxury Apartments in Shanghai Sell Out in Just 3 Hours

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China’s property market is recovering, with all 158 luxury units at Sunac China’s One Sino Park in Shanghai sold in three hours, generating 5.88 billion yuan, amid new government stimulus measures.


Signs of Recovery in China’s Property Market

China’s property market shows signs of recovery as Beijing implements measures to revitalize the sector. Recently, buyers flocked to a luxury residential project in Shanghai, indicating renewed interest in real estate.

Successful Sale of One Sino Park Units

The third batch of Sunac China Holdings’ One Sino Park sold all 158 units within three hours, generating ¥5.88 billion (US$825.8 million). This follows the successful sales of the project’s previous phases, totaling ¥21.5 billion. The luxurious flats in the Huangpu district were priced at ¥172,000 (US$24,150) per square meter, attracting double the number of interested buyers compared to available units.

Investor Perspectives on Real Estate

Shanghai resident Sun, who purchased a sizable apartment, expressed satisfaction in securing an asset that can “maintain its value.” He noted that current market conditions make home buying a more sensible investment compared to other options like the stock market.

Source : China property: Sunac’s Shanghai luxury flats sell out in 3 hours

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