China News - 12 April 2023
MI5 warns of Chinese spies buying citizenship to third countries and exploiting visa-free access into UK. Home Office and FCDO said to be at odds over plans to introduce new visa restrictions. Matt Dathan and Fiona Hamilton. The Times. 11 April
China suspected of building military installations on Myanmar’s Coco Islands. Infrastructure development on the islands, which are located just 55km north of Indian air and naval bases, has raised questions. Maria Siow. South China Morning Post. 11 April
US House of Representatives to vote on the Countering Telecommunications Abroad Act next week. If passed, the legislation would require the State Department to report on US Nato allies and others using telecoms equipment in their 5G networks from companies like Huawei and ZTE, among other measures. South China Morning Post. 12 April
China records first H3N8 bird flu death, says WHO report. The woman, who is thought to have caught the virus at a wet market, is the first known fatality in humans. Sarah Newey. The Telegraph. 11 April
Hong Kong emigrants to UK blocked from accessing £2.2bn in pensions. In 2021, the Hong Kong government said residents could not use emigration to the UK under the BN(O) scheme as a valid reason for early withdrawal of pension savings. Primrose Riordan. Financial Times. 12 April
Chinese Foreign Minister begins visit to Uzbekistan. Qin set to meet with his counterparts from six countries in the region later this week to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. Liu Zhen. South China Morning Post. 12 April
Economy & tech
Chinese regulator to place new AI products under mandatory security review before public release. Hours after Alibaba announces the launch of ChatGPT-alternative, the Cyberspace Administration of China warns that AI products should “embody core socialist values and must not contain any content that subverts state power”. Ryan McMorrow and Nian Liu. Financial Times. 11 April
The Renminbi’s share of trade finance has doubled since the start of the Ukraine war, according to Swift data. Analysts say the growth reflects both the greater use of China’s currency to trade with Russia and the rising cost of dollar financing. Hudson Lockett and Cheng Leng. Financial Times. 12 April
GCL Technology considers its first overseas plant in Middle East or Europe to bypass US trade barriers. Eric Ng. South China Morning Post. 11 April
GCL Technology is a Chinese polysilicon producer, formerly known as GCL-Poly Energy. It was one of three entities with proven links to forced labour transfer programmes in Xinjiang, according to a report published by researchers at Sheffield Hallam University in May 2021.
In China, young people are walking away from white-collar jobs. An increasingly competitive job market and demanding corporate culture fuel disillusionment among China’s graduate population. Vivian Wang and Zixu Wang. New York Times. 11 April
Opinion & long reads
China’s super rich are voting with their assets - and fleeing Xi’s regime. Elites head for Singapore as China becomes an increasingly hostile environemnt for business. Cindy Yu. The Telegraph. 11 April
Pentagon Leaks: key revelations of classified documents. Leaked intelligence covers China and Ukraine, as well as China’s plans to build a deepwater port in Nicaragua. Julian Borger. The Guardian. 12 April
CTTPP members now have to figure out what to do about China. Lessons learnt from the UK’s accession set ground for dealing with China and Taiwan. Wendy Cutler. Nikkei Asia. 11 April
China’s banking regulators are caught between Beijing and its regions. Conflicts between local and central bodies are likely to worsen after regulatory reform. Cheng Leng. Financial Times. 11 April
As the West tries to limit TikTok, what about China’s other apps? A look at the other mobile apps yet to attract regulatory scrutiny. Amy Hawkins and Helen Davidson. The Guardian. 12 April
Japan and the Netherlands announce plans for new export controls on semiconductor equipment. Japan and the Netherlands reveal critical new details of arrangement following the United States’ 7 October export controls. Gregory C. Allen, Emily Benson and Margot Putnam. CSIS. 10 April