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China News - 14 December 2021
International
International Trade Secretary outlines plan to position UK at heart of growth opportunities in the Indo-Pacific. During a keynote speech at Asia House, Anne-Marie Trevelyan emphasised that the Indo Pacific region is critical to Global Britain’s strategic, economic, and security interests. She mentioned that, by 2030, ASEAN’s digital economy alone is projected to hit a colossal $1 trillion and 65% of the world’s middle-class consumers are expected to be in Asia, driving global demand for the type of high-quality goods and services in which the UK excels. Gov.uk, 13 December
Antony Blinken touts deeper engagement and criticises ‘aggressive’ China in Indo-Pacific policy speech. FT, The Guardian, 14 December
Taiwan fears Chinese invasion by 2025 in latest assessment. Whilst Taiwan’s defence ministry said that China’s People’s Liberation Army did not yet have enough amphibious ships for a lightning invasion carried out in a single wave of landings, it warned by 2025 China would have improved its ability to control the Taiwan Strait. The Times, 13 December
Taiwan ally Guatemala fends off Beijing overtures. Beijing has been lobbying heavily in Latin America and the Caribbean, offering coronavirus vaccines as an inducement to switch diplomatic relations, but Guatemala’s president Alejandro Giammattei said the country’s loyalty to Taiwan was a “question of principle”. FT, 13 December
China uses YouTube influencers to spread propaganda. A new report by Australian think thank ASPI explores how the CCP uses foreign social media influencers to shape and push messages about Xinjiang and other policies that are aligned with its own preferred narratives. NYT, 14 December
Chinese government deploying online influencers through US-based consulting firm amid Beijing Olympics boycotts. OpenSecrets, 13 December
China refutes G7 foreign ministers’ statement on China’s internal affairs. The Chinese Embassy in the UK said on Monday that the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meeting confused right and wrong on a number of issues, made irresponsible remarks on China and interfered in China’s internal affairs. Global Times, 13 December
Omicron variant: Britain set to be added to Hong Kong’s list of highest-risk countries. An SCMP source said Britain will be moved to the enhanced-measures category where arrivals must spend one week in Penny’s Bay Quarantine Centre, and then 14 days in a hotel. SCMP, 13 December
Kremlin says Putin, Xi to discuss tensions in Europe in video call. Reuters, 14 December
China donates new mosque and wells for Taliban ministry. GCR, 13 December
Economy & tech
Washington blocks Chinese fund’s US$1.4 billion takeover of South Korean chip maker. Chinese buyout fund Wise Road Capital has withdrawn its bid for Magnachip after the deal failed to receive approval from CFIUS, a further blow to China’s efforts to acquire semiconductor technologies and production capabilities. Wise Road Capital has emerged as an active Chinese buyout fund in the chip sector, raising eyebrows as it snapped up assets around the world. SCMP, 14 December
China urged to cut interest rates, boost infrastructure spending to hit 5% GDP growth next year. Policymakers have been advised to use interest rate policy tools and alleviate the private sector’s debt burdens with lower rates. Han Wenxiu, a senior official with the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, said the government should be cautious about unveiling policies that could trigger economic contraction. Xinhua, SCMP, 14 December
New China import rules bring headaches for food and beverage makers. China's customs authority published new food safety rules in April stipulating all food manufacturing, processing and storage facilities abroad need to be registered by year-end for their goods to access the Chinese market, with many fearful their goods will be unable to enter China as the deadline looms. Reuters, 13 December
Didi's Wall Street exit signals investors playing by China's rules. Didi is moving its stock listing to Hong Kong, heralding more departures as Beijing ramps up scrutiny of China’s corporate sector. NYT, 13 December
China focus
Xi Jinping says China must be ‘self-sufficient’ in energy, food and minerals amid global challenges. At the Central Economic Work Conference, Xi said China must establish a “strategic baseline” to ensure self-sufficiency in key commodities amid the Covid-19 pandemic and changing international relations. SCMP, 13 December
Caution on carbon as ‘China realises key role of coal’ in energy mix. Serving and former Chinese senior officials have urged caution on the path towards carbon neutrality, echoing the leadership’s assessment that climate targets “can’t be achieved in just one battle”. SCMP, 13 December
Mainland China detects first case of Omicron coronavirus variant. Reuters, 13 December
Archaeologists uncover oldest Buddha statues ever found in China. The Daily Mail, 13 December
Opinion & editorial
What’s behind China’s regulatory storm? Individually, many of the new rules make sense. But taken together, it’s a clear expansion of the government and the Chinese Communist Party. Barry Naughton. WSJ, 12 December
Spectre of three wars poses danger to America’s dominance. Russia, China and Iran are making military threats that demand a response from Washington. Gideon Rachman. FT, 13 December
How much does the diplomatic boycott of Beijing 2022 matter? Dan Roan. BBC, 13 December
Editorial: US, UK threaten world peace by weaponizing 'democracy'. Global Times, 12 December
Long reads
China’s troll king: how a tabloid editor became the voice of Chinese nationalism. At the Global Times, Hu Xijin helped establish a chest-thumping new tone for China on the world stage – but can he keep up with the forces he has unleashed? Han Zhang. The Guardian, 14 December
Hong Kong elections: How China reshaped the city. The city's Legco polls look different this year thanks to new electoral and national security laws. Paul Organe. BBC, 14 December
Will China’s regulatory ‘Great Wall’ hamper AI ambitions? Beijing is taking a legal sledgehammer to the AI industry – at the expense of its own tech companies. Ellen Lu and Ryan Fedasiuk. The Diplomat, 13 December
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