China News - 14 January 2021
International
David Perry, QC, a ‘source of shame’ for prosecuting Hong Kong democracy campaigners. David Perry, QC, has been appointed by a Hong Kong court to represent the prosecution in the trial of Jimmy Lai and eight others. Senior sources in the Foreign Office indicated that there was deep unease at Mr Perry’s decision, which is being examined closely by the department. Senior lawyers and MPs, including Tom Tugendhat and Neil O’Brien, have also expressed concern. The Times, 14 January
Beijing ‘mulling’ public office ban on BNO passport holders in Hong Kong in retaliation over the UK’s decision to offer them a visa with a path to residency. Officials were said to be divided on the more drastic step of denying Hongkongers with BNO status the right to vote in the city. SCMP, 13 January
US report into Covid origins expected to say Chinese army grew 'dangerous coronaviruses' in Wuhan. British diplomats are bracing for the United States to make grave allegations against China, linked to "dangerous" coronavirus research in Wuhan. UK sources believe Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, could make a public intervention as soon as Wednesday. The Telegraph, 13 January
Two members of WHO team held back in Singapore after testing positive for Covid-19 antibodies, as 13 others arrive in Wuhan for investigation into origins of coronavirus. SCMP, 14 January
US bans imports of all cotton, tomato products from China's Xinjiang region. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the order applies to raw fibres, apparel and textiles made from Xinjiang-grown cotton, as well as canned tomatoes, sauces, seeds and other tomato products from the region, even if processed or manufactured in third countries. Reuters, 13 January
Trade deal allows Chinese staff to work in EU for 3 years. The EU-China investment agreement will make it easier to bring Chinese staff into the European Union, where they will be able to work for up to three years in subsidiaries of Chinese companies, according to a text of the agreement obtained by POLITICO. Politico, 13 January
Britain’s Boris Johnson warns against ‘unthinking sinophobia’ in China ties. Speaking at the Liaison Committee in response to questions from Select Committee Chairs, Johnson called for a balanced relationship and said ‘calling out human rights abuses’ should not stop the countries from having a ‘productive relationship’. SCMP, 13 January
Joe Biden poised to name foreign policy expert Kurt Campbell as Asia tsar. Kurt Campbell addressed Policy Exchange on The Future of the Indo Pacific last October. FT, 13 January
Hong Kong: 11 more national security arrests over attempted boat escape to Taiwan. The Guardian, 14 January
Uncle Roger comedian Nigel Ng deletes video with China critic and apologised to his fans after featuring a YouTuber who has criticised the Chinese government. BBC, 13 January
Wang Yi tour to Asia: China and Indonesia agree to boost trade as Widodo’s Sinovac shot underlines ‘brotherly relations’. SCMP, 14 January
China watch
China records first Covid death since May as lockdown imposed on 23 million people. A 33ha isolation centre is already under construction in Shijiazhuang. The Guardian, Xinhua, 14 January
Tinajin trains surveillance cameras on maskless drivers amid fear they could become superspreaders. Sixth Tone, 13 January
Xi encourages Starbucks to help promote China-U.S. ties in letter to Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz. Xinhua, 14 January
Economy & tech
New joint Merics-EU Chamber of Commerce report on decoupling finds signs of significant disruption in digital decoupling. SCMP, 14 January
China takes the lead in demand for Swiss watches as it becomes #1 export market for first time. NYT, 14 January
US shelves plans for investment ban on Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu, say insiders. SCMP, 14 January
Longer reads & opinion
We’re starting to see a new foreign policy for Brexit Britain. James Forsyth inThe Spectator, 14 January
'China-watching' is a lucrative business. But whose language do the experts speak? The question of whether one needs to be able to speak Chinese to understand China has never been so fraught. The Guardian, 13 January
Elon Musk loves China, and China loves him back—for now. The Model 3 is now among the bestselling EVs in China, and in Tesla’s most recent earnings report, China accounted for about a fifth of revenue. Bloomberg BusinessWeek, 13 January
Thunderer: British lawyers shouldn’t get too close to Beijing. The Times, 14 January
The Government must do more to crack down on trade with China. Iain Duncan Smith in The Telegraph, 13 January
We will not turn a blind eye to modern slavery - including in China. Liz Truss in The Telegraph, 13 January