China News - 12 February 2021
International
China bans BBC World News. BBC World News has been banned from airing in China, a week after Beijing threatened to retaliate for the recent revocation of the British broadcasting licence for China’s state-owned CGTN. China’s broadcasting regulator said that the BBC had violated requirements that news reporting be true and impartial and ‘undermined China’s national interests and ethnic solidarity’. Hong Kong’s public broadcaster also said it was dropping the channel. Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab said this “latest step will only damage China’s reputation in the eyes of the world.” The US has also condemned the move. The Guardian, BBC, The Times, Reuters, 11 February
Huawei to seek UK court order to access HSBC records in bid to clear CFO. Huawei’s battle to prevent the extradition of its chief financial officer from Canada to the US will open a new front at the British high court on Friday when the Chinese telecoms giant seeks an application to access records from inside HSBC in a bid to prove that she did not mislead the bank. The Guardian, BBC, 11 February
Biden warns China will 'eat our lunch' on infrastructure spending. Biden said he spoke to Xi for two hours on Wednesday night. Afterwards, he warned senators: “If we don’t get moving, they are going to eat our lunch.” The Global Times editor hailed the length of the phone call as a ‘very positive message’. BBC, Reuters, 11 February
Possible early Covid-19 cases in China emerge during WHO mission. The WSJ reports that about 90 people were hospitalised with Covid-19-like symptoms in central China in the two months before the disease was first identified in Wuhan in late 2019. WSJ, 12 February
White House says Confucius Institutes considered as part of approach to Beijing’s infowar. The White House said it was considering how best to counter China‘s information operations and interference. SCMP, 12 February
Don’t go to China if you’ve had Covid, Germans warned. The German foreign ministry said that a healthy citizen was forced to quarantine and was tested in a Chinese hospital for several weeks. The Times, 12 February
Mekong River at 'worrying' low level amid calls for more Chinese dam data. The Mekong River Commission called on Beijing to share all of its water data, partly attributing the issue to to outflow restrictions from Chinese hydropower dams upstream. Reuters, 11 February
China food security: time to boost domestic output as focus on imports ‘fundamentally incompatible’. Record purchases by China have sent corn prices soaring since the end of last year, leaving farmers and analysts pondering how long the surge can be sustained. FT, SCMP, 12 February
Vaccine diplomacy: From China's CanSino, Mexico welcomes biggest vaccine shipment yet. Reuters, 11 February
Economy & tech
UK Trade department has released detailed factsheets on trade with more than 200 markets, including China and Hong Kong. Trade Gov, China factsheet, 11 February
China’s coal war with Australia fuels shortage. Prices in China surged over the seven months through January to records of more than $130 a metric ton for high-grade thermal coal—nearly twice the midyear level. WSJ, 11 February
Tesla’s new $25k compact car will be designed and made in China. Tech in Asia, 11 February
Longer reads & opinion
Leaders: “Genocide” is the wrong word for the horrors of Xinjiang. The Economist, 11 February
Chaguan: China and America talk of co-operating on climate. It will be hard. The Economist, 11 February
Some interesting writing on UK-China from the last week:
Britain’s hardening stance on China. While China’s response to Britain’s new stance has so far been limited to rhetoric, future sanctions seem likely. The Economist, 11 February
Through the Kaleidoscope: British-Chinese Relations in 2021. Martin Thorley in ISPI, 5 February
Hongkongers will enrich the UK - and we must make their transition as smooth as possible. City AM, 11 February
As in Xinjiang, China is tightening its grip in Tibet. The Economist, 12 February
How the UK's Chinatowns are celebrating Chinese New Year in lockdown. ITV and BBC.
Happy Lunar New Year!
