China News - 12 May 2021
Russia and China are using cyber attacks to ‘steal, sabotage and ransack’ the West, Dominic Raab will warn today. In a speech to the National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberUK, he will reveal that eighty universities, colleges and schools were targeted by ransomware in March. He is also set to call for a coalition of countries to “shape the international rules”. Daily Mail, Evening Standard, 12 May
Queen's Speech 2021: Key points at-a-glance. Amongst the 31 bills announced in yesterday’s speech, the Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill, Registration of Overseas Entities Bill and Espionage Bill are most relevant to China. The Espionage Bill will create a US-style register of foreign agents. The Times, BBC, 12 May
Australian court upholds laws against foreign interference. A former staffer to New South Wales state lawmaker Shaoquett Moselmane lost his High Court challenge to quash warrants allowing police to access his chats on social media. The Guardian, The Independent, 12 May
China threatens retaliation against Ericsson if Sweden doesn’t drop Huawei 5G ban. Beijing is giving Sweden one last chance to reverse its ban on Huawei, a Chinese state media outlet said. WSJ, 11 May
Italy wants Europe to reset China ties on more equal footing. “The EU is undergoing a reflection on its relationship with China,” Vincenzo Amendola, undersecretary for European affairs in Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s cabinet, said in an interview. Bloomberg, 12 May
Top officer in Hong Kong police national security unit may step down after being caught in unlicensed massage parlour raid. SCMP, 12 May
China’s population outlook: young people baulk at high cost of having kids. SCMP, 12 May
Economy & tech
Signs of inflation emerge as Chinese producer prices leap. The price of raw materials in Chinese factories leaving factories rose at 6.8 per cent year on year, indicating higher overall inflation. FT, 12 May
Renewables growing at record pace. China accounted for half of the new installations of solar, wind and other renewable power capacity. The Times, 11 May
Tesla shares slide in wake of China sales slump by 27 percent. The Telegraph, SCMP, 11 May
UK to ban default passwords for smart TVs, speakers to boost security. Reuters, 11 May
Longer reads & opinion
Protecting Education Exports: Minimising the damage of China’s future economic coercion. A new policy options report by the National Security College looks at how to minimise the risk of dependence in education. Report, 11 May
Comment: G7 mustn’t let dictatorships off the financial hook. The G7 should secure a concrete commitment from China on debt restructuring and Chinese adherence to international standards. The Times, 12 May
Tact & Tactics: Meet The Leading Women Diplomats Representing Britain Abroad. Vogue, 11 May
Family De-planning: The Coercive Campaign to Drive Down Indigenous Birth-rates in Xinjiang. ASPI, 12 May.
Amid US-China Competition over AI Capabilities, EU Projects Regulatory Power. Macro Polo, 11 May
How China is shaping the future of shopping. Chinese-backed apps are vying with the likes of Instagram and TikTok to redefine online retail for a new generation of consumers. FT, 12 May