China News - 16 November 2021
International
Biden and Xi engage in ‘healthy debate’ during first virtual summit. The extensive talks were opened with the US president telling his Chinese counterpart that they had to ensure competition between the powers did “not veer into conflict”. The two leaders did not reach agreement or find any way to ease tensions over Taiwan. FT, BBC, The Guardian, CNN, The Times, 16 November
Readout from Biden-Xi meeting: Brookings will be hosting (3pm GMT) a webinar to explore the themes discussed, beginning with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reading out the virtual meeting.
PM gives foreign policy speech to Lord Mayor's Banquet. Boris Johnson admitted frustration at the failure to reach climate change goals at the COP26 summit and announced that the UK will soon publish “ten separate roadmaps” on the delivery of green commitments. Johnson also mentioned the need for an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the logic behind Britain’s Indo-Pacific tilt, and the quest to become a “scientific superpower”. Gov.uk, Beijing to Britain, Sky News, 16 November
Students tell Exeter to cut ties with Chinese university. Exeter University is being urged to cut institutional ties with Tsinghua University over its employment of academics considered the “ideological architects” of the oppression of Uyghurs. Tsinghua has partnerships with other leading western universities and is understood to have provided resources to Exeter worth tens of thousands of pounds. The Times, 16 November
China urges developed countries to take the lead in cutting out coal. After its dilution of the Cop26 statement wording, Beijing says developing nations cannot make the green transition without support. The Guardian, 15 November
China’s Decarbonisation: assessing UK-China opportunities. A new report by Asia House explores four key areas where the UK and China can cooperate on decarbonisation.
EU and US face hard road to confront China’s dirty steel. Politico, 16 November
China bought Italian military drone-maker without authorities’ knowledge. In 2018, two Chinese state-controlled companies bought an Italian manufacturer of military drones, Alpi Aviation, via an offshore company. The Italian and European authorities had no knowledge of the move, revealing how Beijing is skirting weak investment screening in Europe to acquire sensitive technology. WSJ, CNBC, 15 November
Taiwan's 'guerilla' home guard gears up for David vs Goliath battle with China. Taiwanese citizens are learning First Aid skills amid debate over whether special forces should train an urban militia. The Telegraph, 15 November
US Senate leader will add China tech bill to defence measure. Reuters, 15 November
Fast spreading bird flu puts Europe and Asia on alert. The Guardian, 15 November
The year's highest-grossing movie, Chinese mega-blockbuster The Battle at Lake Changjin, is about to hit UK cinemas. CGTN, 16 November
Economy & tech
Global climate fight hinges on China’s $6.5tn green investments challenge. China needs to unleash $6.5tn in green investments and radically reorganise its economy if the planet is to win the fight against climate change, analysts say. FT, 16 November
Urgent need for EV battery industry to expand and be more sustainable to meet future demand, analysts say. The rapid electrification of the transport sector means battery production needs to expand, posing challenges such as raw material availability, more sustainable battery production methods and greater innovation. In the first three-quarters of this year, the global EV market has recorded a nearly 50% year-on-year increase in sales, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). SCMP, 16 November
China’s semiconductor output drops again in October, signalling bottlenecks amid global chip shortage. Disrupted supply chains have hurt efforts to increase production capacity at foundries across China, including new projects from SMIC, as integrated circuit output fell by 300 million units to 30.1 billion in October. SCMP, 15 November
Singapore state investor Temasek pauses China tech investments amid Beijing crackdown. Caixin, 16 November
Local authorities are finding ways to soften the blow of China’s tight real estate policies without incurring Beijing’s wrath. SCMP, 16 November
Game over for Fortnite in China as developer Epic Games pulls the plug. The Times, 15 November
Opinion & editorial
Making supply chains local instead of global could easily backfire. David Wighton. The Times, 16 November
Don’t believe the deglobalisation narrative. Data show trade balances are not shrinking and foreign investment continues to pour into China. Megan Greene. FT, 16 November
Wilson-Truss spat on China mirrors UK political mess, says Chinese state media. Lu Xue. Global Times, 15 November
Climate promises made in Glasgow now rest with a handful of powerful leaders. In Washington, Beijing, New Delhi and beyond, governments face conflicting forces that will shape their next steps in the effort to avert a climate crisis. Somini Sengupta. NYT, 15 November
Long reads
Xi Jinping’s terrifying new China. The country is in the grip of the most concerted government campaign to assert greater control over its people in decades. Michael Schuman. The Atlantic, 15 November
Investors pivot to India after China’s tech crackdown. Benjamin Parkin and Mercedes Ruehl. FT, 16 November
China’s search for allies. Is Beijing building a network of its own? Patricia M. Kim. Foreign Affairs, 15 November
China's ultramarathon tragedy and the survivors threatened for speaking out. BBC, 16 November