China News - 26 November 2021
International
Lord Grimstone: ‘Huge potential’ in UK for Chinese investors. At a forum hosted by the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK, the investment minister told Chinese businesses with UK operations that there “is clearly a huge potential for Chinese investments to play a major part in the UK from offshore wind and energy storage to electric vehicles, to batteries and to green finance.” The Times, 26 November
UK student visas acceptances hit record annual high. In terms of nationality, the most visas were granted to students from China, with about 135,000 issued in the year to September. However, the new China total accounted for a lower proportion of overall study visas: 32% as opposed to 43% in the year to September 2019, as countries like India have seen higher increases. Times Higher Education, 26 November
UK not qualified to be a teacher on human rights, Chinese embassy says. A report by the UK Foreign Office listed China among countries with a "deteriorating" record, citing the situations in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet, to which an embassy spokesman accused the UK of slandering and smearing China. CGTN, 25 November
China and Russia in spotlight as Greens take charge of German foreign policy. Observers expect the job of foreign minister to go to Annalena Baerbock, the Green co-leader, who has argued strongly for a foreign policy “guided by human rights and values”. The Greens viewed departing chancellor Angela Merkel as too soft on China, failing to speak out strongly on abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. FT, 25 November
China warns Olaf Scholz’s incoming German coalition over Taiwan. Bloomberg, 25 November
PM urged to elaborate on potential removal of Chinese firms. Labour shadow climate change minister Matthew Pennycook called for clarity on how the government plans to remove China’s state-owned energy company from nuclear power projects in the UK. Construction News, 25 November
Fewer Hong Kongers are applying for new UK visa scheme. The decline comes as the pandemic continues to weigh on international travel. Bloomberg, 25 November
US lawmakers arrive in Taiwan to meet Tsai Ing-wen on surprise visit. SCMP, Independent, 25 November
Philippines rejects China’s demand to remove wreck from South China Sea reef. The Times, 25 November
Peng Shuai: Man claiming to know athlete says WTA head ignored mail. BBC, 26 November
Economy & tech
British car production collapses to 65-year low. Car production slumped by 40% last month as manufacturers grappled with a shortage of semiconductors on top of disruption caused by the Covid pandemic. The sector is calling for assistance from the government to help ease the burden and enhance companies’ ability to compete with foreign rivals. The Times, 26 November
Cornish lithium hunt makes funding breakthrough in bid to power electric cars. Cornish Lithium has secured an £18m investment to speed up the development of its mining projects as the UK attempts to wean itself off a reliance on Chinese minerals. The mineral exploration firm said the funds from TechMet, which backs technology metals projects globally, will allow it to hunt for lithium reserves in further locations. The Telegraph, 25 November
After shaking up nickel, China's Tsingshan sets sights on lithium. Reuters, 26 November
Beijing draws up three-year plan to revamp state technology system. A new blueprint approved by President Xi Jinping calls for an improved state system to help China achieve self-sufficiency in technology. Efforts to revamp the country’s tech system have gained urgency due to US sanctions limiting China’s access to advanced chips. SCMP, 25 November
US commission calls for tighter controls on flows to Chinese markets. In a move that would have profound implications for asset managers and index providers, the latest annual report from the US-China Economic Security Review Commission called for tighter controls on flows to China’s capital markets due to security concerns arising from “investment in some problematic Chinese companies.” FT, 26 November
China aims to implement real-time power trading across regions. The State Grid Corporation of China released a guideline on real-time power trading across regions as the country embarks on liberalising pricing in the state-controlled power market to help resolve electricity crunches in the future. Sixth Tone, 25 November
China asks Didi to delist from US on data security fears. Reuters, 26 November
Supply chain crisis only getting worse with China’s seven-week port quarantine. Bloomberg, 25 November
China focus
Hong Kong records two cases of the new Covid variant detected in South Africa. The discovery could complicate efforts to reopen the border between the territory and the Chinese mainland. NYT, 26 November
Shanghai cancels hundreds of flights, shuts schools over three Covid cases. The Guardian, 26 November
China’s ageing population a ‘long-term reality’, and its silver economy needs to catch up, State Council says. The State Council released guidelines to “actively cultivate the silver economy,” calling for improvements to industries and services that cater to the special needs of the elderly, and for enhanced market supervision to protect their rights. SCMP, 26 November
Tibetan tribe members recruited as rangers to guard Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon. The Times, 25 November
Opinion & editorial
Don't listen to the gloomsters. Cop26 was a British success. We often underestimate British soft-power, but in Glasgow it brought the world a step closer to eliminating carbon emissions. Amber Rudd. The Telegraph, 25 November
China-Germany relations won’t seriously derail despite small bumps. Global Times, 26 November
JP Morgan should make no apologies to the Chinese Communist Party. Ben Wright. The Telegraph, 25 November
Gulf states are caught in the middle of the US-China cold war. Hussein Ibish. Bloomberg, 26 November
Long reads
‘Battery arms race’: how China has monopolised the electric vehicle industry. Pete Pattisson. The Guardian, 25 November
China’s globetrotting students are getting back on the road. The pandemic’s impact on Chinese demand for study abroad has not been as bad as many had predicted. The Economist, 25 November
A squabble about history almost killed Xi Jinping’s father. Joseph Torigian. Foreign Policy, 25 November
Where is the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation headed next? As FOCAC gears up for its eighth session, a look at its development so far and future trajectory. Njumbe Smith. Foreign Policy, 26 November