China News - 14 February 2022
International
UK-China weekend stories
Cabinet ministers voice security fears as Boris Johnson seeks closer ties to China. The Independent understands that some senior cabinet ministers favour a more guarded approach to relations with China, after it emerged Boris Johnson is seeking to boost trade with the economic superpower. One minister reportedly said the Prime Minister’s appetite to attract more inward investment from China was “completely at odds” with efforts to strengthen links with members of the so-called Five Eyes network of intelligence-sharing nations. The Independent, 13 February
Dominic Raab rips up solar contract linked to Uyghur forced labour. The Secretary of State for Justice ripped up a multimillion-pound contract to install solar panels on dozens of prisons and courts after The Times revealed they contained parts made by a firm that uses forced labour camps in China. A new report from an International Labour Organization committee revealed that China continues to carry out discriminatory work policies - such as forced labour, impossible production expectations and long working hours - against the Uyghurs. The Times, Al Jazeera, 12 February
British company found to be making propaganda films for China. Meridian Line Films is UK-registered and was majority-owned by a propaganda organisation directly controlled by the Chinese government for at least four years, a Telegraph investigation has found. Films made by the company include a three-part series, “China: Time of Xi,” a production that presents China as a cutting-edge nation under Xi’s stewardship. The Telegraph, 12 February
Beijing court forces Chinese billionaire responsible for developing Royal Albert Docks to hole up in UK. The Sunday Times, 13 February
How Britain gave China’s nuclear power grab its stamp of approval. The Telegraph, 12 February
Australian opposition leader dismisses claim China influenced party’s candidate selections. Australia’s security agencies foiled a plot by Chinese spies to bankroll potential opposition candidates in the country’s forthcoming general election. The Times, 11 February
Taiwan keeps eye on strait as tensions mount on Ukraine-Russia border. Taiwan is raising its preparedness in response to what is happening with Ukraine, the government said on Saturday, though it added the two cases were very different. Reuters, 13 February
Australia calls on China to not remain ‘chillingly silent’ on Ukraine crisis. SCMP, 13 February
Indian universities plan British outposts. In his Times column, former universities minister Jo Johnson predicts that the total number of Indian students at UK universities could overtake Chinese students within three years. The Times, 14 February
Germany hardens China stance, echoing EU's 'systemic rival' label. The German foreign ministry is poised to send a paper to other government departments urging them to regard China as a "systemic rival," as the new Olaf Scholz administration breaks with the longtime nonconfrontational approach. Nikkei Asia, 12 February
US to re-open Solomon Islands embassy in push against China. The decision to re-establish a diplomatic outpost follows China's increased presence in the region. BBC, The Guardian, 13 February
Beijing shows off its new international partners at Winter Olympics. FT, 14 February
Heavy snow causes Winter Olympics disruption. BBC, 13 February
Economy & tech
Chinese exports to Britain surge to record £63.5bn. Britain became more reliant on China than ever before last year, according to new ONS figures which show that the country was responsible for a seventh of all UK imports. The Telegraph, 11 February
Chinese developers selling off more London property to raise cash. It represents the latest sign that Beijing’s squeeze on the real estate sector is triggering a sell-off of assets beyond the country’s borders. FT, 11 February
ARM struggles to break free after Nvidia deal collapses. Britain’s premier semiconductor design company is facing questions about its own future after its $66 billion sale to US chip behemoth Nvidia fell through amid intense scrutiny from regulators. The Times, 13 February
Tesla zeroes in on Beijing for design centre to build Chinese-style cars for the mainland market. SCMP, 13 February
India bans 54 Chinese apps on security concerns, report says. SCMP, 14 February
China focus
Push from the top to make 2022 the year of Greater Bay Area integration. Guangdong needs to forge closer integration with Hong Kong and Macau as it seeks to transform the region into a world-class hub for innovation, technology and talent, according to the leadership of the southern Chinese province. SCMP, 12 February
China conditionally approves Pfizer’s Covid treatment pill Paxlovid. China’s medical products regulator has conditionally approved Pfizer’s Covid-19 drug Paxlovid, making it the first oral pill specifically developed to treat the disease cleared in the country. The Guardian, 12 February
Mainland China to help overwhelmed Hong Kong with COVID fight. Nikkei Asia, 12 February
China population: Beijing pledges support for ‘empty nesters’ as ageing crisis gathers speed. SCMP, 11 February
Opinion & editorial
The fading legacy of Deng Xiaoping. Instead of ‘socialism with Chinese characteristics’, the CCP talks about ‘the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics with Xi Jinping as core’. Cindy Yu. The Spectator, 12 February
China’s social credit score – untangling myth from reality. The idea that China gives every citizen a “social credit score” is a bogeyman. Vincent Brusse. MERICS, 11 February
Hong Kong has been left wrecked by zero-Covid Beijing. China has unabashedly shut down everything the territory once stood for. Ben Marlow. The Telegraph, 12 February
Best podcasts that shed light on the real China. Patricia Nicol. The Sunday Times, 13 February
Long reads
Enemies of my enemy. How fear of China is forging a new world order. Michael Beckley. Foreign Affairs, 14 February
Lithuania tests the EU’s resolve on Chinese economic coercion. Beijing is targeting the Baltic nation after it allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy. How will Europe respond? Richard Milne and Kathrin Hille. FT, 13 February
How the China Initiative went wrong. A key anti-espionage effort is mired in accusations of racism and overzealous prosecutions. Matt Schiavenza. Foreign Policy, 13 February