China News - 16 October 2020
International
Wolf warrior diplomacy: China ambassador warns Canada not to take Hong Kong refugees and makes veiled threat to Hong Kong-based Canadians. Cong Peiwu, Chinese envoy to Canada, warned Ottawa not to give asylum to Hong Kong ‘criminals’ - saying Canada should not interfere in “China’s domestic affairs” if it cares about the “good health and safety” of 300,000 Canadian passport holders in Hong Kong. Canadian foreign affairs minister, François-Philippe Champagne, said Cong’s comments were inappropriate and he had instructed the ministry to call in the ambassador for a meeting. China also continues to deny that it has taken two Canadian men hostage amid a long-running diplomatic dispute. The Guardian, Globe and Mail, 15 October.
The Economist this week: The persecution of the Uyghurs is a “crime against humanity”.
The Economist’s front page this week calls the persecution of the Uyghurs the “gravest example of a worldwide attack on human rights” and a “crime against humanity”. It also contains several articles looking at the plight of the Uyghurs in China and the decline of global freedom. The Economist is well-regarded in China, and its coverage is likely to provoke a response from the Foreign Ministry. The Economist, article on Xinjiang evidence, 15 October
Arrest warrants issued for Hong Kong pro-democracy activists Nathan Law and Sunny Cheung over banned Tiananmen vigil. Hong Kong Free Press, 16 October
Australian politician Eric Abetz refuses to apologise for demanding Chinese-Australians denounce Communist party in Senate inquiry, after criticism it was a “loyalty test based on ethnicity”. The Guardian, 15 October
With eye on China, Japan's Suga seeks tighter ties with Vietnam, Indonesia in first overseas trip but likely to steer clear of harsh US-style rhetoric on China. Reuters, 15 October
A campaign group in BC, Canada is claiming to “out” candidates in provincial elections for links to Beijing. The Times, 15 October
China watch
China’s national legislature deliberated the country’s first Export Control Law for the third and final time - the law is expected to pass on Saturday. China is set to pass a new law that would restrict sensitive exports vital to national security, expanding its toolkit of policy options as competition grows with the US over access to technologies that will drive the modern economy. It also contains measures the government can take if any country or region “abuses export control measures to endanger the national security and interests of China”. (Xinhua, Fortune)
China fires 2 health officials following new virus outbreak in Qingdao (AP)
Student’s suicide note discussing academic pressure widely shared on Chinese social media, highlighting effects of rigorous academic system. Sixth Tone, 15 October
Economy & tech
PBOC is open to taking on more debt to support the Chinese economy, as loan growth continues to rise. Total domestic debt rose from over 300% of GDP to nearly 318% in the first quarter of 2020, according to estimates by the IIF. CNBC, 16 October
Watch: China’s drone swarm technology released from the back of a lorry, highlighting military advances. Like the US, China has been developing drone swarm technology for some years. The goal is for UAVs to communicate with each other and co-ordinate their movements without human input. The Times, 16 October
Longer reads & opinion
China's turbo-charged online fashion takes on Zara and H&M: how Shein has become the largest fast-fashion company in the world and the most downloaded shopping app globally. But unlike H&M and Zara, Shein gives no details about its supply chains or working conditions. Reuters, 16 October
“If I speak out, they will torture my family”: voices of Uyghurs in exile in London. 1843 Magazine, 15th October
Book review: Blockchain Chicken Farm - how rural villagers in China are using tech. NYT, 15 October
Beijing 1986: portraits of a forgotten China. FT Weekend