China News - 10 May 2023
International
Former PM Liz Truss to visit Taiwan next week. Truss is expected to meet with senior members of the Taiwanese government and deliver a keynote speech at an event organised by the Prospect Foundation think-tank. The think-tank was sanctioned by the Chinese government last month for its involvement in promoting Taiwanese independence. There are concerns that Truss’ visit could upset the UK’s China strategy. Matt Honeycombe-Foster. Politico, 9 May
Canada to identify foreign labs and universities that pose risk to national security. The list will include foreign-state-connected universities, research institutes and laboratories that are believed to be at “higher risk” of engaging in theft, unwanted knowledge transfers and interference in research. Entities included on the list will be ineligible for federal grants. Joanna Chiu. The Star, 8 May
China vows to retaliate against EU sanctions on its companies. China’s foreign minister Qin Gang is set to visit France, Germany and Norway this week. He has condemned EU proposals to impose sanctions on Chinese companies for supporting Russia’s war machine, vowing to react ‘strictly and firmly’ to defend its businesses. Guy Chazan. Financial Times, 9 May
Olaf Scholz: ‘We should not aim for a de-coupling, but a smart de-risking.’ The German Chancellor echoed comments made by Ursula von der Leyen during a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Reuters, 9 May
Italy set to withdraw from the BRI. The government of Giorgia Meloni has reportedly signalled to Washington that it will pull out of the scheme by the end of the year. Nick Squires. The Telegraph, 9 May
China accuses Australia of trying to sabotage its relationships in Pacific region. Senior Chinese diplomats said Australia has undermined Beijing’s security and law enforcement cooperation with Fiji. Ben Doherty. The Guardian, 9 May
Ron DeSantis signs bills banning Chinese citizens from buying land in Florida. The Republican governor says bills are meant to ‘counteract’ the ‘malign influence of the Chinese Communist party’ in the state. Gloria Oladipo. The Guardian, 9 May
Economy & tech
Cash-strapped local governments look to Middle Eastern funds for investment. Local government officials in China have held meetings with the Qatar Investment Authority, subsidiaries of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Mercedes Ruehl and Qianer Liu. Financial Times, 9 May
China arrests man for ‘misuse’ of ChatGPT in the first case of its kind. Police in the northwest Gansu province arrested the man for using the AI technology to generate a fake news piece about a train crash and sharing it on social media. Maroosha Muzaffar. The Independent, 9 May
Chinese investment in Europe falls to lowest point in a decade amidst regulatory scrutiny. Research by Rhodium Group and Merics found that at least 10 out of 16 investment deals in the tech and infrastructure sectors pursued in 2022 by Chinese entities were blocked by regulatory authorities. James Kynge. Financial Times, 8 May
LinkedIn to cut 716 jobs and shut down Chinese platform, citing strong competition. Since 2021, LinkedIn has operated a pared-back job application platform, InCareer, in the Chinese market. LinkedIn claims the decision was prompted by fierce competition, however reports suggest the company may have been scrutinised for allowing foreign companies to communicate with Chinese employees. Eleanor Olcott and Qianer Liu. Financial Times, 9 May
Chinese chipmaker plans Shanghai listing after clearing US export controls. ChangXin Memory Technologies will raise funds for production expansion after receiving confirmation that American equipment supplies will not be subject to export controls. Qianer Liu, Eleanor Olcott and Demetri Sevastopulo. Financial Times, 10 May
Opinion & long reads
Can Volkswagen win back China? The German carmaker depends on China for at least half of its annual profits, but it will have to fight to maintain its market share. Edward White and Patricia Nilsson. Financial Times, 9 May
Why the China scandal may be Justin Trudeau’s most damaging yet. Prime Minister Trudeau has denied any knowledge of the foreign interference, claiming that he found out about the Chinese plot from the newspaper, and blaming Canadian intelligence services for not briefing him. Nick Allen and Rozina Sabur. The Telegraph, 9 May
Why did Canada take so long to expel China’s diplomat? It’s our trade relationship. It’s been two years since Canada’s intelligence services learnt of Beijing’s efforts to target MP Michael Chong. Margaret McCuaig-Johnston. The Globe and Mail, 9 May