China News - 1 March 2022
Upcoming event: China and Russia: A deepening alliance? Maria Repnikova, Sergey Radchenko and Bonny Lin will unpack what Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means for the trajectory of China-Russia relations. Is Beijing willing and able to rein in Putin?
Monday 7 March, 5pm GMT. Register for this online event here.
International
Ukraine crisis: China says it is ‘partners’ not allies with Russia and vows not to interfere. China is the only major economy that still has a direct line to a fast-isolated Russia - but the pressure is increasing on Beijing to change that. Beijing is opposed to unilateral sanctions with no basis in international law and ‘normal trade’ with Russia is set to continue, according to foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. The Telegraph, The Times, Politico, 28 February
China spy think tank advising Xi predicts Russia sanctions will backfire. Bloomberg, 1 March
Gazprom paves way to new China gas deal as sanctions hit Russia. Caixin, 1 March
US sends delegation of ex-defence officials to Taiwan in show of support. The visit, led by the one-time chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen, is designed to send a message of reassurance to Taiwan and to remind China not to step up pressure on Taipei while the US is focused on the war in Ukraine. FT, Reuters, 28 February
China rattled by calls for Japan to host US nuclear weapons. Beijing has reacted angrily to calls by Japan’s influential former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, for Tokyo to consider hosting US nuclear weapons in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising concern over Chinese aggression towards Taiwan. The Guardian, The Times, 1 March
UK and New Zealand sign comprehensive trade deal. The UK has signed a far-reaching trade deal with New Zealand that will remove trade barriers on a range of goods and services and provide new opportunities for British businesses. The UK-New Zealand trade relationship was worth £2.3 billion in 2020 and is now expected to increase by almost 60%, with the deal “driving the UK towards accession to Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.” Gov.uk, The Guardian, 28 February
EU plans summit with China on April 1 to address tensions. Reuters, 28 February
China-Africa trade reaches all-time high in 2021, showing resilience amid pandemic. Xinhua, 28 February
‘Sophisticated’ new Chinese hacking tool found, spurring US warning to allies. SCMP, 1 March
China focus
President Xi: China will plot its own path on human rights. In an address to the Communist Party’s Politburo, Xi said China had blazed a path of human rights development consistent with the trend of the times and the nation’s conditions, state news agency Xinhua reported. Xinhua, 1 March
China’s urbanisation push could be at a ‘bottleneck’, with slowest migration growth rate in quarter-century. The downward trend may continue as the economic situation remains challenging during the pandemic and fewer jobs are available in major cities. SCMP, 28 February
Beijing Paralympics set to begin this week. China, which has won only one medal in the Winter Paralympics, is sending its largest-ever delegation to Beijing 2022. SupChina, 28 February
Chained woman prompts tougher modern slavery sentences in China. The Times, 1 March
Hong Kong residents brace for citywide lockdown. Reuters, 1 March
China Post to test all overseas mail for Covid-19 as outbreak continues. SCMP, 1 March
Economy & tech
China warns of 'huge' pressure on foreign trade as economic challenges mount. Commerce Minister Wang Wentao warned on Tuesday that China's economy faces multiple challenges at home and abroad this year, including "huge" pressure from uncertainty over global trade and from still-lacklustre domestic consumption. Reuters, 1 March
Chinese company removed as operator of cobalt mine in Congo. A court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sidelined the Chinese owner of one of the world’s largest copper and cobalt mines, a major victory for the Congolese government as it seeks to become a bigger player in the global clean energy revolution. NYT, 28 February
China manufacturing recovers after weak January. Caixin, 1 March
Tech gear maker warns conflict is blocking China-Europe railway. Bloomberg, 1 March
Yahoo stops email service for mainland users in final retreat from China. SCMP, 28 February
Opinion & editorial
Russian banks may boost renminbi’s status via China’s ‘Swift’. Russian banks’ expulsion from Swift may just be what China needs to make its Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (Cips) a serious proposition. FT, 28 February
The Sino-Russian alliance is now a threat to Western tech supremacy. Russia's vast natural resources and China's production prowess make a formidable match. Andrew Orlowski. The Telegraph, 28 February
ASEAN should have called out Russia’s attack but it chose to stay mute. The union’s reluctance to take a firm stand on global issues doesn’t augur well for regional security where the interests of great powers collide. Hoang Thi Ha. SCMP, 1 March
Britain - A Force For Good. Catherine West MP, Shadow Minister for Asia and the Pacific. Coalition for Global Prosperity, 28 February
Long reads
Ukraine: Did China have a clue? A careful examination of the events suggests that China was, in fact, played. Yun Sun. Stamson, 28 February
How reliable are China’s statistics? Beijing has both the motive and means to fudge its statistics. Ben Lowson. The Diplomat, 1 March