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Autor: Redacția DeFapt

38 articole
Redacția DeFapt

Investigații

Lemnking a Chinese business scam

Lemnking, a Chinese business scam, worked for many years in Romania due to authorities turning a blind eye to it. In 2004, the Social Democrat deputy Aurel Gubandru was proudly presenting within the Chamber of Deputies the effects of a visit in China made by Adrian Năstase, the social-democrat prime minister at that time. When Năstase visited China “The visit made by prime minister Adrian Năstase in the P. R. of China was truly successful in developing Romanian-Chinese relations, and its results will surely be quick to appear. (...) in the second part of February 2004, a delegation from the Ministry of Commerce, led by the ambassador of P. R. of China in Bucharest, His Excellency Xu Jian, made a visit in Buzău County. (…) After the meeting at the prefecture, the Chinese delegation, which also included the representatives of the company F&J INTERNATIONAL (see dedicated article), visited three companies: the crayon factory; the cigarette factory; S.C. LEMNKING S.R.L., whose object of activity is processing and transporting wood.” Lemnking Industry Com SRL is owned by Shanghai F&J Investment and Management Co Ltd and three individuals, Chinese citizens, connected, one way or another, to the Chinese group F&J. Lemnking, a Chinese business scam mentioned by prosecutors At the beginning of 2012, Lemnking Industry Com SRL was mentioned by DNA prosecutors in the file of an extended corruption network located in the Constanța port, which also included a senator and the then secretary general of the Interior Ministry. The notoriety of the latter characters helped the name of the Chinese-owned company not be noted by the media. According to a press release issued in April 2012 by anti-corruption prosecutors, “an employee of S.C. Lemnking Industry Com S.R.L. Pârscov, Buzău was charged with the following crimes: initiating or establishing an organized criminal group or joining or supporting in any form such a group, complicity in the crime of bribery”. The same press release also added that the said employee was providing sums of money, through intermediaries, together with other persons charged, “so that the customs workers involved would illegally allow access in the country for important containers, or allow access in the country to certain containers blocked in customs, without any legally plausible grounds. Customs intermediaries, which were members of the group, would take over the import operations of their clients, redrafting the documents of origin for their goods, naming a ghost company as fictitious importer, reporting unlawful situations to customs commissioners and customs officers, to enable the establishment of bribery, in compliance with the group’s unwritten prices, negotiating the bribe and, in the end, paying it, sometimes through an intermediary to the customs commissioner, and other times, directly to the customs worker.” Bribes, smuggling, high connections In its press release, DNA also mentioned other types of illegal arrangements in which the Lemnking employee was involved: “In his turn, the culprit (...), Deputy Head of the Customs Office of Constanța South Agigea, both alone and together with some of his subordinates (...), claimed various amounts of money from several customs intermediaries and importers (...). The money was claimed both for providing illegal access in the country to certain containers of imported goods, and for allowing access in the country to other illegally smuggled goods, instead of having them blocked in customs, without any plausible legal grounds.” However, in August 2019, the High Court of Cassation and Justice decided the final exoneration of all those involved in the file “since the deed does not exist, the deed is not provided by the criminal law, or there is no evidence that a person has committed the crime”. The press connected this decision to the legislative changes that rendered certain evidence of the criminal files unfit to be used by the judges. Huge debts, bankruptcy Ever since the end of 2011, Lemnking Industry Com SRL went into insolvency, having debts to banks alone of 4.4 million dollars, 3.7 million euros and 18 million lei (over 4 million euros). Not accidentally, in April 2012, Gao Lei, one of the individuals loyal to F&J, established the company Lemnking Wood Investment SRL, also in Pârscov, Buzău, and the committee of creditors of Lemnking Industry Com SRL, a company in insolvency, “approved (in September 2012 – n.n.) the conclusion of a lease agreement with SC LEMNKING WOOD INVESTMENT SRL, whose subject was: C15 – hall, built surface of 883,07 sm; C16 – dryer, built surface of 510,19 sm”. In other words, the debts amounting millions of euros would remain on the insolvent company and the activity would carry on a new company, free from toxic liabilities. During the past three years (2017 – 2019), Lemnking Wood Investment SRL, although active, did not carry out any kind of activity. However, in the end the reorganization plan of Lemnking Industry Com SRL failed and the company went bankrupt. Lemnking, a Chinese business scam on repeat Right before Lemnking Industry Com SRL became insolvent, F&J European Investment Development SRL and the Chinese citizen Gao Lei established (also in Pârscov, Buzău, obviously), the company Lemnking Manufactory SRL. In October 2014, F&J European Investment Development SRL, which became a sole associate, ceded all its shares to Yong Sheng Forest Industry Filiala București SRL (whose major shareholder was Shaanxi Yongsheng Forest Development Co Ltd, Chinese company), company that took it upon itself to declare that it had no activity in year 2018, the year of its establishment. According to the website dedicated to the operations in Romania carried out by the Chinese group F&J, “LEMNKING, part of F&J EUROPE, is a private capital company specialized in wood processing which entered Romanian market in 1996 through a consistent green field investment. With headquarters in Bucharest (Romania’s capital), LEMNKING has established its production facilities in Parscov, Buzau County: - near to the one of the most important forest districts of Romania, the most important beech forests in the country, source for the best quality logs; - near to the main port Constanta, Romania. This is an important logistical advantage. The factory covers a surface of over 260,000 square meters and has developed modern production, transport and storage facilities, including a large kiln drying capacity of 32 kiln driers”. According to the data of the Ministry of Finance, Lemnking Manufactory SRL registered revenues of 7 million lei in 2019 (1.5 million euros) and a loss of 1.9 million lei (400.000 euros), with 50 employees.

Lemnking, involved in shady businesses in the port of Constanta (source: riseproject.ro)
Belt and Road Forum in 2017 (source: brookings.edu)
Investigații

Chinese group F&J in Romania

The Chinese group F&J has been present in Romania for over 20 years. AT least according to their own website: “F&J Europe, part of F&J Group, began operation on Romania market in the mid 90′s, forming one of the group’s strongest profit centres. Focused on the same businesses – timber, electronic products and household appliances, energy investments, construction and cigarettes producing, but also exploring new opportunities, F&J Europe soon becomes a solid production base and distribution centre.” The official presentation of the Chinese group F&J in Romania The previously quoted website mentions three Romanian companies owned by F&J: Lemnking Manufactory SRL (see the dedicated article), China Tobacco International Europe Company SRL (see the dedicated article) and F&J Europe Industry Park. Furthermore, the F&J official website, the .ro version, presents the activity of F&J Europe Industry Park: “F&J Europe China Enterprise Pack (ECEP) was set up since 2007 which is the year Romania join in EU. As a Comprehensive Chinese background service company, ECEP take the goal of help more and more Chinese company enter the EU market as our own duty, provide all-around services which are included from set up company to distribute production and accounting law support. ECEP is located in Parscov Buzau county Romania, near E60 road. ECEP has a surface of 320000 m2, 6500 m2 of professional warehouse, total investment 50 million EURO. Welcome to Romania! Welcome to ECEP! We will prepare everything well for you, we will be the strong support for your business in the EU!” F&J, just a cover name However, in official documents, things are very different. First of all, there is no company called “F&J Europe Industry Park” in Romania. And there never has been. The main commercial vehicle through which the Chinese operated in Romania was the Chinese company Shanghai F&J Investment and Management Co Ltd. This was responsible for establishing several companies in Buzău. Among them, Vortex International Group SRL in Pârscov, Buzău (initially named Vorton Lighting Industry SRL), F&J International SRL (Pârscov, Buzău), F&J European Investment Development SRL (Pârscov, Buzău), F&J Greenenergy Environment Development SRL (Pârscov, Buzău). None of them still exists. Vortex International Group SRL was deregistered in 2011, F&J European Investment Development SRL and F&J Greenenergy Environment Development SRL – in 2018, and F&J International SRL in 2019. The last three were deregistered after being legally dissolved: “requirements regarding the headquarters are no longer complied with, as a result of the expiration of the document attesting the right to use the location appointed as headquarters or the transfer of the right of use or property on the location appointed as headquarters, inclusively”. Therefore, the four companies established by Shanghai F&J Investment and Management Co Ltd – despite the fact that the Chinese are bragging about having an industrial park in Pârscov, Buzău – were left without headquarters and thus were legally dissolved. The ghost headquarters It is no coincidence that Lemnking Manufactory SRL and China Tobacco International Europe Company SRL are no longer connected to any of the deregistered SRLs, the shares belonging to the two companies being transferred to certain active companies. In these circumstances, it is completely unclear who now owns the buildings that, on its website, the F&J group claims as belonging to F&J Europe Industry Park (company which, as earlier established, does not exist in Romania). Judging by one of the pictures, which shows an office building with the name VORTEX on it, we can assume that it belonged, at some point, to the company Vortex International Group SRL (now deregistered). At any rate, in Romania, the Chinese group F&J is a mere empty shell, far from the objectives proposed by its mother-company almost 30 years ago, according to the international website. “F&J Group was founded in Europe in 1992. After more than 20 years of development, it has formed an integrated financial service as the engine, industrial investment and integration as the cornerstone, investment and consulting services as the value enhancement, and international asset management and operation as the steady development. (...) Strategic goals F&J Group, with strategic foresight always adheres to the management theory of stable development and rational investment. In overseas markets, F&J Group becomes the partner of Chinese enterprises who want to invest and merge at aboard with mansion of international exploration and practice of Chinese enterprises, by its practical experience in overseas investment and making full use of business and government resources in overseas. (...) F&J International’s strategic layout is based on Shanghai, China and London, as an international investment and consulting operation management centre and technology innovation value-added service platform, radiating the EU market; with Xi'an as an integrated financial service and Slugu production and melting demonstration base, radiation Western China; Romania is the integrated financial service centre and overseas production and processing base and procurement centre, radiating the Central and Eastern European markets. F&J International is committed to giving full play to the geographical advantages of Xi'an at the new starting point of the Silk Road, with an international offshore innovation centre as an overseas platform, establishing an international investment service system, seizing the market opportunities of the China International Import Expo and creating an international development. The Slugu innovation model establishes the image of the innovation and development benchmark of the “Central and Eastern Europe 16+1” strategy under the national “Belt and Road” strategy. To build a platform for overseas and eastern capital investment in the western industry's industry and finance operation, and become a partner of Chinese companies' EU investment and international mergers and acquisitions. F&J International's strategic goal is to become an influential international asset management and operation company of the Silk Road economy.”.

Solar park in Satu Mare (source: adevarul.ro)
Investigații

Chinese solar parks in Romania

Two Chinese men established a small group of companies operating in the field of renewable energy in Romania. But the Chinese solar parks in Romania are not big business. Zhang Chi owns Enertech Sun SRL, while Gao Jianjun – Euroasia Sun SRL. Most often operating together, the two own a few other companies activating in the field of solar energy. The companies are: Kentax Energy SRL, Reinvest Urziceni SRL, RC Development DVA RO SRL, Nord Solar Doba SRL, Ligovig Sun SRL. Citește și: No social-democrats in power, no success for China The first three manage photovoltaic parks in Bobicești, Olt, and the last two – in Satu Mare county (Doba and Acaș). Financial loss for the Chinese solar parks in Romania In 2018, the last financial year made public by the Ministry of Finance, the revenue cashed in by each of these five companies varies between 1,6 (300.000 euros) and 5,1 million euros (1,1 million euros) and all have losses. However, in 2019, Enertech Sun SRL had revenues of 6,3 million lei (1,4 million euros) and a net profit of 3,7 million lei (800.000 euros), with four employees. The Euroasia Sun SRL partnership gained revenues of less than 160.000 lei in 2018 (35.000 euros) and losses of almost 130.000 lei (less than 30.000 euros).

China Tobacco International Europe Company SRL (source: occrp.org)
Investigații

China Tobacco International Europe Company SRL

China Tobacco International Europe Company SRL (registered in Ilfov) is owned by companies registered in China. Which are as follows: China Tobacco Anhui Industrial Corporation (62%), Hongta Tobacco Group Co Ltd (Trust) (25,6%) and China Tobacco Shaanxi Industrial Co. Ltd. (12,3%). Big investment in China Tobacco International Europe Company SRL According to the company’s website, “China Tobacco International Europe Company, hereinafter referred as CTIEC is the only manufacturing plant of China National Tobacco cigarettes in Europe and so far the largest investment project in Romania owned by the Chinese government. In the CTIEC project of foundation from Romania, the Chinese government has invested a capital of about 40 million dollars, of which China National Tobacco holds 97.50% share”. Citește și: No social-democrats in power, no success for China The same source indicates ambitious plans for the Chinese cigarette factory in Romania. “Our Company takes Romania's neighbouring countries, the Middle East, the Balkan countries and North African markets as expanded focus and market base and explores new markets in all areas by drawing upon the experience gained from key points to achieve sequential development. These expansion areas are also gateways for exporting an increasing amount of goods to remote overseas markets in South Eastern and Central Asia, Western Europe, and Southern Africa.” The kings from Buzău Until October 2019, 0.76% of the shares of China Tobacco International Europe Company SRL were owned by Lemnking Industry Com SRL (Buzău). A company which withdrawn from the shareholding of the cigarette manufacturer after going bankrupt. In turn, Lemnking Industry Com SRL is owned by Shanghai F&J Investment and Management Co Ltd and three individuals. The Chinese nationals are connected, in one way or another, to the Chinese group F&J. At the beginning of 2012, Lemnking Industry Com SRL was mentioned by DNA prosecutors in a case very well-known at the time. It was about an extensive network of corruption in the port of Constanța (see details in the article dedicated to Lemnking). The network included a senator and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior of that time. The high-profile of the latter was the only thing that kept the Chinese-owned company from being noticed by the media. Furthermore, F&J, the Chinese group owning Lemnking Industry Com SRL, assumes parentship over China Tobacco International Europe Company SRL, as provided by the group’s website. “In 1997, China Tobacco Corporation, Shaanxi Tobacco Company and F&J EUROPE established the joint venture company in Romania. In 2005, the company increased the investment with three million US dollars, The HONGTA Group, China Tobacco Anhui Industrial Corporation joined as the new shareholders also.” Smaller and smaller profits After years of obtaining profit, the fiscal year 2019 was the first year of loss for China Tobacco International Europe Company SRL, as shown by the data of the Ministry of Finance. In year 2017, the company’s net profit was of 9.6 million lei (over 2 million euros), with revenue of almost 77 million lei (almost 17 million euros), with 166 employees. The following year, 2018, the net profit was half of the one gained the previous year – 4.8 million lei (little over 1 million euros), with revenue of 97,6 million lei (almost 22 million euros), with 179 employees. In 2019, the revenue was only 54,3 million lei (over 11 million euros), and the loss was of 7 million lei (1,5 million euros), with 175 employees. Also a relevant indicator, showing that things are not exactly going well for China Tobacco International Europe Company SRL, is debt. In 2017, the debt level was 68 million lei (almost 16 million euros). In 2018, it increased dramatically, to over 121 million lei (almost 27 million euros, with 5 million euros more than that year’s revenue). In 2019 it dropped to almost 97 million lei (20 million euros). Debt and smuggling for China Tobacco International Europe Company SRL Therefore, the company’s future is not bright: CTIEC began 2020 with a 1,5 million euros loss from the previous year, debt amounting to 20 million euros and forecasted revenue of only 11 million euros (if nothing changes compared to 2019). In the recent past, the company has also faced alleged smuggling operations scandals. According to Satu Mare (county located in the North-West of Romania, on the Ukrainian border) media reports, “the Dubliss brand belongs to China National Tobacco Corporation, through the company China Tobacco International Europe Company SRL, registered in Romania. The brand was launched in our country in 2008, being then sold in Russia, and Ukraine respectively. It has been a few years since Dubliss cigarettes with Romanian tax stamp became unavailable in markets in our country. (...) What is interesting is the fact that most (...) Dubliss cigarettes sold in markets in Satu Mare county have Ukrainian tax stamps, a clear indication of the country of origin of those cigarettes.”

China CEE Fund management (source: china-ceefund.com)
Investigații

Chinese investment fund CEE Equity Partners

The Chinese investment fund CEE Equity Partners “performed the payment towards Brise Group, one of the largest agribusiness groups in Romania, within the transaction announced in April, for modernizing and developing the grain silos belonging to the Romanian group. Part of the sum (25 million euros) are directed towards the new company established by Brise in partnership with CEE Equity Partners, while the other, 35 million euros, was granted for the targeted investments”, wrote ZF at the end of July 2019. The Competition Council report The newly-established company mentioned by ZF is Bristol Logistics SA. Over 76% of it is currently owned by Rishima Limited, an off shore company in Cyprus. A report issued by the Competition Council in September 2018 shows that Rishima Limited is the Chinese investment fund: Citește și: No social-democrats in power, no success for China “The fund II China CEE acquired direct control over Bristol Logistics S.A. and certain assets from the Brise Group. Bristol Logistics’ main object of activity was storage. This company carried out no commercial activity between 2016 and 2018, and will provide services auxiliary to cereal trading, such as storage, weighing, smoking, drying etc.”. China Exim Bank in the Chinese investment fund CEE Equity Partners In the same document, the Chinese investment fund CEE Equity Partners is mentioned. The Competition Council also showed that “Funds I and II China CEE are investment funds, controlled by the Export-Import Bank of China (the China Exim Bank)”. And also that “Fund I China CEE operates on the Romanian marked through Flash Lighting Services S.A., company acquired in year 2018. The company’s main object of activity is represented by electrical installation works. It carries out activities such as designing and implementing energy efficient lighting solutions in Romania”. The two economic operations are mentioned by the Competition Council in a discussion regarding the China CEE Group acquiring, through Gardenica Limited (“wholly owned by China Central and Eastern Europe Investment Co-operation fund II SCS SICAV-SIF (...) hereinafter referred to as the II China CEE Fund”), Pasteur – Filiala Filipești SRL, Farmavet SA etc. (see dedicated article).

Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă attends the reception marking the National Day of the People's Republic of China (source: gov.ro)
Investigații

Contract almost awarded to CCC by SDP

Contract almost awarded to CCC: the fate of an infrastructure project worth 1,36 billion euros, carried out by a Chinese company (in partnership with a Turkish one), was decided by a motion of no confidence. On October 10th, 2019, the government led by Viorica Dăncilă was dismissed through the vote of Romanian parliamentarians. Three days later, on October 13th, the Minister for Transport of that government (in office until the investiture of the new government), Răzvan Cuc, announced that the signing of the contract was a mere formality. Comarnic - Brașov highway, contract almost awarded to CCC He was referring to the project of the Comarnic – Brașov highway, which the Dăncilă government decided to carry out in a public-private partnership. Following the procedure for selecting the private partner, the winner was deemed to be the consortium formed by China Communications Construction Company Ltd (China) and Makyol Insaat Sanayi Turizm (Turkey). Also read: No social-democrats in power, no success for China “Next week I am submitting the contract so it can be signed by the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis (authority appointed to complete formalities – n.n.). The Contract must be approved by a Government decision. Should we (the Dăncilă government – n.n.), be able to pass it, we will, if not, we will lay it out for the next Government”, said Minister Cuc three days after the dismissal of the cabinet he was a part of. Dăncilă out, Orban in However, the Government Decision was not passed by Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă so the contract was almost awarded to CCC. After his investiture, the new Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, made a foreseeable move (given the objections raised by the opposition of the Dăncilă government with regard to the choice of a public-private partnership for the project, instead of accessing European funds for large infrastructure projects): he cancelled the entire procedure and decided that the project would be funded from European funds. According to a document drafted by the new government, the project would be financed by LIOP European funds (Large Infrastructure Operational Programme) and would cost 1.2 billion euros (VAT included). According to the document quoted, in this scenario the 52 kilometres of mountain highway would be completed within 5 to 6 years (2025 – 2026). For the time being no procedure for appointing the constructions was initiated.

The p(ropag)anda democracy (source: Facebook/Chinese Embassy to Romania)
Investigații

Chinese propaganda missed the pictures with Romanian high officials

Throughout Romania, China has spread the same propaganda topics used internationally: China is not guilty for the spread of the pandemic, China notified the occurrence of COVID-19 on time, that China’s methods of fighting against the coronavirus were correct (and do not breach or limit human rights), China is being attacked by other great powers (especially by the US) due to ideological reasons and China is supporting many countries around the globe with sanitary materials and the experience of its doctors. China’s main communication channel in Romania was the Facebook channel of the Embassy of China. The priority of the Embassy of China in Romania was to present as much evidence as possible regarding the Romanian-Chinese cooperation during the pandemics. However, unlike the surrounding countries (Moldova, Hungary, Serbia and others), in Romania, China's advertising success was moderate, because no senior government official accepted to take part in photo sessions with China’s representatives (in Serbia and Moldavia, for example, the state presidents where themselves present at the arrival of medical materials from China in their countries, while in Hungary, the Prime Minister was the one to attend). Arafat, the frontman The most important Romanian official with which the Embassy of China in Romania was able to take pictures was Raed Arafat, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Health and chief of the body managing emergency situations in Romania. The event took place on the 15th of April, and pictures was accompanied by a short text on the Facebook page of the Embassy of China in Romania: “The ceremony of handing over the medical materials for the fight against Covid-19 offered by Huawei Romania to the Government of Romania took place today 15th of April, at an ISU-subordinated unit.” The second most important character, in terms of notoriety, in Romania, with which the Chinese ambassador took a picture was Gabriela Firea, the mayor of Bucharest, as shown in a post of 21st of March: “On the 21st of March, Her Excellency Mrs. Ambassador Jiang Yu attended the ceremony organized in the honour of donation granted by Chinese communities and enterprises to the Bucharest city hall. Mrs Ambassador thanked for the donation and said that the proverb reflects the relations of our countries, as friends and partners. I believe that the brave Romanians will defeat the virus, and the Chinese people will stand alongside the Romanian people. The Mrs. also mentioned that in the video of the ALLEGRETTO Group of Romania offering a musical gift to the Chinese people fighting against the coronavirus epidemic has had over 30 million views.” The donations On the 30th of April, the Embassy of China mentioned on Facebook the donations towards the City Hall of the 2nd District: “Today, donations of sanitary materials, together with best wishes from the City Hall of Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, have arrived at the City Hall of the 2nd District of Bucharest Municipality. Let’s fight this challenge together, with love and courage!” On the 22nd of April, the donations towards Mioveni were mentioned: “Today, after a long journey, over 50 boxes of medical supplies donated by the City Hall of Jinhua, Zhejiang province for the City Hall of Mioveni, Arges County, have finally reached their destination. Only together we can prevail!!” Ploiești and Prahova were “attacked” on the 21st of April: “In the past days, the donations made by the Harbin city, Heilongjiang province, for the city of Ploiesti, Prahova county and by the Lanzhou city, Gansu province, for the city of Alba Iulia, Alba county, arrived successfully in Romania. All materials will be used in the fight against COVID-19. Best health to all!” On the 6th of April, a donation arrived in Tulcea: “At the end of last week, a donation of 40.000 protective masks from Suzhou arrived in Tulcea County, which is twinned with Suzhou Municipality of the People's Republic of China.” On the 3rd of April it was Alba county’s turn: “On the 3rd of April, in the name of the Gansu province, Her Excellency Mrs. Ambassador Jiang Yu has transferred 120 boxes of materials for the prevention of the epidemic caused by Covid-19, which include protective suit, N95 masks and surgical masks to the Alba County Council, the county of Alba being twinned with Gansu Province the People's Republic of China.” Huawei has sent donations to Suceava on the 1st of April: “Today, Suceava County Council received a donation including 20000 masks, 100 disinfectant bottles, 2000 pcs. tableware made by Huawei Romania.? Come on, Romania!!” The real goal On the 25th of March, the Embassy showed what kind of reception would China actually want, by posting on Facebook pictures with the Hungarian Prime Minister, the Serbian President and the Czech authorities, with the message: “Leaders of Hungary, Serbia and Czech Republic welcome Chinese plane with COVID-19 supplies.” The second type of collaboration between China and Romania presented by the Embassy in Bucharest was that of video conferences between Romanian and Chinese doctors. The most recent took place on the 14th of April: “On the 14th of April, through a video conferencing system, the specialized medical personnel of Mioveni Arges had a dialogue with medical specialists in Jinhua Zhejiang, as an exchange of experience on the topic of COVID-19.” In March, “Physicians from Deva, Hunedoara and Yancheng, Jiangsu China began consultations on the topic of COVID-19, in an online conference”, according to the Embassy of China in Bucharest. However, the messages issued by the representatives of the Chinese diplomatic mission in Bucharest were not always positive. In fact, they sometimes were manipulative or downright offensive. For example, on the 25th of March, the Embassy posted on Facebook a YouTube video, accompanied by the message “Did COVID-19 come from US?”. Threats On the 8th of April, the Chinese Embassy did something even more interesting: it threatened Romania with the failure to observe the unitary character of the state, in a post regarding Taiwan. Here are the most relevant fragments: “Recently, a few Romanian mass-media sources have reported on the prevention and control of Covid-19 epidemic in Taiwan, stating that the absence of Taiwan from the World Health Assembly might affect the public health of Taiwan and of the world. (...) In October 1971, the 26th UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, restoring all the legitimate rights of the People's Republic of China in the UN and removing of Taiwanese authorities. Romania was a co-initiator of that resolution and we will never forget the just position held by Romania. Currently, over 180 countries, including Romania, are firmly observing the principle of . (...) The problem of Taiwan is related to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the P.R. of China and is connected to China’s core interests. We firmly oppose any attempt to divide China under any pretext, to any effort of creating or . Romania also has a strong concern regarding sovereignty and territorial integrity, therefore our two governments and our people can understand and support each other in such matters. I am sure that the Romanian people would not accept anybody raising questions regarding the Romania's sovereignty and territorial issues. Do as you would be done by. Let’s hope that the Romanian mass-media will observe the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the P.R. of China, just as we observe that of Romania.” However, before getting down to threats, China is more concerned of sending the message that “China and Romania are working together to fight against COVID-19”: “The Chinese nation is a grateful nation. We will never stand aside when a friend has certain difficulties, nor will we seek personal gain when lending a helping hand. At a time when the epidemiological situation of Romania is getting worse, China has acted swiftly to offer support to Romania, while its own task of preventing and controlling the epidemics remains a difficult one.” (post made public on the 29th of April) Love and peace Furthermore, everything is based solely on peace and friendship (also a post made public on the 29th of April): “The virus knows no borders, and the environment is the same for everybody. China will continue establishing its cooperation with other countries, including Romania, in the field of common cross-border prevention and control and will continue to offer support, within the limits of its capabilities, to countries in need. As long as a country is still threatened by the epidemic, we should continuously work together to fight the epidemic. In the current situation, national and ethnic political systems and ideologies should not become obstacles in the path of cooperation. As long as we maintain the vision of a human community, with a common destiny for the human race, we will be able to take more concrete actions, instead of making empty accusations, and we will work together in order to fight the epidemic, we will help the sun of cooperation fight off the fog of the epidemic and brighten our earth.” The messages of the Chinese Embassy were retrieved and promoted by certain Romanian journalists. The Russian tools However, the case of the Kremlinist propaganda carried out by Sputnik was on a whole new level: the attachment of China to Russia and transformation of the two neighbouring countries in the alternative to the backsliding west, which did not help Italy, a state which was terribly affected. Thus, on 6th of May, Sputnik published an article which reads as follows: “The confidence of the Italians in the EU is collapsing: China and Russia are considered friends”, while the text said that “The trust of the Italian people in European institutions has collapsed, and among the countries which they see as friends, ranked first are Russia and China, according to a survey recently carried out by SWG Research Institute, a prestigious Italian public opinion research institute. (...) The survey reflects a considerable closeness of the Italians to China, which is preferred as an ally, instead of USA, its historical partner. Thus, 36% of the Italian people consider China a preferable international partner, whereas only 30% chose the USA”.

Victor Ponta and Li Keqiang in Bucharest (source: gov.ro)
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Romania: no social-democrats in power, no success for China

The close relations with China were established during Romania’s communist period (1945 – 1989). As would be expected from an ideological point of view, the successor of the Romanian Communist Party, namely today’s Social Democratic Party, has been more sensible to the connection with the great Asian power than the politicians in Bucharest with other ideological orientations. Iliescu & Năstase The first wave of Chinese business came over the young Romanian capitalism in the '90, when Romania was led by Ion Iliescu, a former member of the Romanian Communist Party led by Nicolae Ceaușescu until his execution, in December 1989. During the Prime Minister mandate of the social democrat Adrian Năstase, he also benefited personally of the commercial advantages offered by China: a criminal file on Năstase’s name mentions that he bought impressive quantities of goods from China, with money without any legal justification, including a life-size ceramic horse. However, the next Prime Minister imposed by PSD, Victor Ponta, was the most active in promoting Chinese economic interests: he promised he would cede reactors 3 and 4 of the nuclear power plant in Cernavodă to Chinese state company, he concluded a memorandum through which Huawei would have participated in strategic public projects in the field of communications, and he generally promised he would fully open Romania’s economy to opportunities coming from Beijing. Ponta in China Visiting Beijing in 2013, at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Li Keqiang, Ponta requested the conclusion of a strategic partnership with China: “We proposed, during our meetings with the president and the prime minister, elevating the relationship between Romania and China to the highest level Romania has, namely that of Strategic partnership. There are a few countries we have strategic partnership with, and we would like – next year we will celebrate 65 years of diplomatic relations – to have a strategic partnership with China. Such a strategic partnership includes several fields, from political collaboration, to, obviously, economic collaboration, which is of great importance, but also in the fields of culture, education and others. (...) The president and the prime minister said they greatly appreciate this proposal, that they have a very good opinion on it, and that, obviously, we will enter the analyse procedure, a standard diplomatic procedure necessary for its completion”. This proposal caused uproar both in Bucharest and in western chancelleries, as Romania had a strategic partnership with the USA and was a NATO member. Dăncilă's advisers Another social-democrat prime minister who stimulated Romanian-Chinese economic relations was Viorica Dăncilă (2018 – 2019). Considered the puppet of the former PSD leader Liviu Dragnea, without any real political power, Dăncilă was advised and controlled by councillors very close to China. According to the media in Bucharest, one of them, Florea Voinea, had met the current Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang when they were both members of the Communist Youth (of Romania and China, respectively). In an interview with Radio România Internațional, the Chinese department, Voinea expressed his full admiration for China: “If you go and visit Shenzhen, with Huawei and ZTE, and see what they’ve done there… their nuclear power plant, how many groups operate there… They’ve built new cities, you wouldn’t believe there are such constructions on Earth (…) I am puzzled as to why we haven’t continued our collaboration with China, why we don’t collaborate with them and carry out projects with them. I confess that Zhang Gaoli said, 4-5 years ago, that for them it wouldn’t be a problem to support Romania’s development, that they can offer us loans even without government guarantees and that we can pay with anything. I confess I really can’t begin to comprehend how you could have such an offer and fail to capitalize it”. NATO, the game changer However, the relevant events occurring internationally in the second half of 2019 blocked the momentum gained by strategic Chinese business in Romania. After a meeting in Washington in August 2019, between Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis, and the American president, Donald Trump, the White House published a joint statement showing that the two countries “seek to avoid the security risks that accompany Chinese investment in 5G telecommunications networks”. Following the agreement concluded in Washington, a memorandum hindering the access of Huawei in the construction of the 5G network in Romania was signed. In December 2019, after a NATO summit in London, the final statement included a fragment highlighting an ambivalent relationship between the Alliance and China: “We recognise that China’s growing influence and international policies present both opportunities and challenges that we need to address together as an Alliance”. In November 2019, Ludovic Orban, president of the National Liberal Party, the same party that supported Klaus Iohannis in winning his second mandate as president, became Prime Minister. For Nicolae Vasilescu, President of the Romania-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, these political moves were a disaster. “All strategic investments with China were stopped by the PNL government”, declared Vasilescu, for the project “The Chinese belt around the Black Sea”, referring to reactors 3 and 4 in Cernavoda, the Comarnic – Brașov highway and the auction for the 5G network. More propaganda, less money President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania, Mihai Daraban, seems to confirm that, without the realization of these mammoth investments, Chinese influence on the Romanian economy is diminished. “I keep seeing, in the public space, a multitude of Chinese delegations coming to Romania. Every colleague of mine, from every county, has received tens if not hundreds of Chinese delegates over the years, but unfortunately, although we would have great expectations from them, China is under the one hundred million euros mark of direct investment in Romania. It is true, in the media they are very active, very present. Even our officials are sometimes travelling more frequently in China than in the United States, but this is reality, China has less than one hundred million (euros directly invested in Romania)”, said Daraban in October 2019. According to the revenues gained in the fiscal year 2018, the most important Chinese companies in Romania are: COFCO (3.9 billion lei - 900 million euros), Pirelli Tyres Romania (2.6 billion lei - 578 million euros), Huawei (1.9 billion lei - 420 million euros), Smithfield and the companies it owns (1.5 billion lei - 333 million euros), Eurosport DHS and the companies it owns (440 million lei - 100 million euros), NBHX Rolem (375 million lei - 83 million euros), COSCO (210 million lei - 47 million euros) and Honest General Trade (202 million lei - 45 million euros).

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