China News - 17 February 2022
International
World Bank accused of ‘funding campaign of repression’ in Xinjiang. A new report by the Atlantic Council found “significant evidence” that the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank subsidiary, has been providing hundreds of millions of dollars in loans to companies that may be relying on forced labor from Uyghur and other ethnic minority groups in China's western Xinjiang region. SCMP, CNN, 16 February
UK and Australia sign new defence and security agreement. Boris Johnson and Scott Morrison spoke yesterday evening to formalise the pact, which will see the UK agree to spend £25m for “regional projects [in the Indo-Pacific] to strengthen resilience in cyberspace, state threats and maritime security”. City AM, Reuters, 16 February
UK PM discusses collaboration in defence technology and the Indo-Pacific with Japanese counterpart Kishida. Gov.uk, 16 February
Chinese applicants outnumber Welsh at UK universities. The latest data from UCAS shows a 12 per cent increase in Chinese applicants to 28,930, making it the second largest overseas market for British universities after the European Union. The Times, The Daily Mail, 17 February
Chinese MI6 informant gave information to MPs about Huawei threat. Wang Yam, now serving a life sentence for murder in a British jail, has given information about the telecommunications company Huawei to the parliamentary intelligence and security committee (ISC), the Guardian has learned. The Guardian, 16 February
US accuses China of 'serious harm' to workers and businesses through trade. Following the US’s annual review of China's compliance with the deal that gave it membership of the WTO, Trade Representative Katherine Tai laid out concerns including Beijing's subsidies for key industries, restrictions on foreign companies' abilities to do business in China and the lack of protection for intellectual property rights. BBC, 16 February
Xi Jinping calls for diplomatic resolution of Russia-Ukraine dispute. President Xi called for a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine crisis during a call with French President Emmanuel Macron. Their discussion also outlined ways the two nations could work together, with Macron raising issues like Xinjiang and China’s failure to ratify ILO conventions. SCMP, Xinhua, 17 February
Beijing 2022 organisers claim stories of Xinjiang human rights abuses are ‘lies’. The Guardian, 17 February
Scott Morrison makes China focus of upcoming election, but risks backlash. Reuters, 16 February
China focus
Covid: Hong Kong's hospitals overwhelmed amid spike in cases. More than 10,000 people are waiting to be admitted to hospitals, as experts warn cases could surge to 28,000 daily. BBC, Sky News, 16 February
Xi publishes article on socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics. In an article published in Qiushi, the Communist Party’s main theoretical journal, President Xi urged China to speed up legislation related to foreign matters, with a priority on “urgent” areas including sanctions and interference. Xinhua, SCMP, 16 February
Economy & tech
Rare earth prices hit record high in China. The price of rare earths hit a record high this week as demand has outpaced supply in China, the world’s top producer of the elements crucial to many cutting-edge products. Caixin, 16 February
Taiwan to boost protection for its semiconductor secrets. Taiwan's government proposed a new law on Thursday to prevent China from stealing its chip technology, amid rising concern in Taipei that Beijing is stepping up its economic espionage. Reuters, 17 February
Yuan’s global popularity keeps rising with usage at record high. International funds have been buying more Chinese government bonds, while Russian gas producer Gazprom Neft now takes RMB over dollars. Caixin, 17 February
Global investors snap up Chinese stocks despite market declines. CNBC, 16 February
Hong Kong exodus forces market watchdog staff into 12-hour days. Bloomberg, 16 February
Opinion & editorial
Lazy parallels between Ukraine and Taiwan’s plight only help Putin and Xi. The two autocrats are strengthening their countries' links. Yet what's happening in Ukraine shouldn't be confused with the situation in Taiwan. Chris Cash. City AM, 17 February
The Silencing: China, the Uyghurs and a culture under attack. The New Statesman has put together a multi-article special issue on Beijing’s “relentless campaign” against the Uyghurs. Read the collection of essays here.
China’s weakening expectations. The CCP can certainly not be accused of lacking ambition. Yet, having ambition and having the capacity to realise it should not be conflated. George Magnus. LSE, 16 February
A scolding or call to arms? Unpacking Chinese President Xi Jinping’s message to Carrie Lam on Hong Kong’s coronavirus struggle. Gary Cheung and William Zheng. SCMP, 17 February
Long reads
China now understands what a nuclear rivalry looks like. For its entire nuclear history, China has been content with a relatively modest arsenal. That’s now changing. Michael Schuman. The Atlantic, 16 February
What China means when it says it wants “high quality” GDP growth. What exactly does “high quality” growth mean, and why is Beijing emphasising it now? Mary Hui. Quartz, 16 February
What does China’s Horn of Africa envoy mean for its non-intervention principle? China’s approach to security issues is meant to be in line with African frameworks, in accordance with the principle of non-intervention. Ovigwe Eguegu. The Diplomat, 16 February