China News - 18 April 2023
International
UK delays long-awaited semiconductor strategy over “optics”. The strategy was due to be unveiled this Thursday. Reports suggest it has been stalled by uncertainty over who will deliver the announcement as Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan takes maternity leave. Tom Bristow and Pieter Haeck. Politico. 17 April
China ready to broker Israel-Palestine peace talks. Foreign minister Qin Gang has held separate calls with Israeli and Palestinian diplomats. Beijing is on a diplomatic offensive, having recently brokered the restoration of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Guardian. 18 April
Transnational oppression: Two charged in New York with running secret “police station” for China. The defendants were involved in counter-protests during President Xi’s visit to Washington in 2015 and helped locate Chinese dissident living in the US. Joe Miller, Stefania Palma and Demetri Sevastopulo. Financial Times. 18 April
British Geological Survey maps potential areas for exploration as Ministers’ push to secure critical minerals. The mapping of possible mineral deposits marks the first step towards realising the UK Government’s plan to strengthen supply chains and reduce dependence on China. Harry Dempsey. Financial Times. 16 April
Dutch National Intelligence Agency brands China “biggest threat to the Netherlands’ economic security”. The agency’s director general accuses China of using students and scientific personnel, as well as cyberattacks, to steal knowledge. Mike Corder. The Independent. 17 April
Joshua Wong sentenced in another Hong Kong activism case. The activist has been sentenced to three months in prison for “doxxing” - disclosing personal information about a police officer during 2019 anti-government protests. Kanis Leung. The Independent. 17 April
German chancellor backs EU-Indonesia trade deal to curb China reliance. Olaf Sholz is working to get the agreement across the line to reduce reliance on China for crucial raw materials. The Independent. 17 April
Navy could base permanent warship in Asia to counter China threat. The permanent deployment of at least one Type-31 frigate is under discussion as Western allies attempt to strengthen naval presence in the region. George Grylls. The Times.
PLA on high alert as US warship sails through Taiwan Strait in “routine transit”. The US navy sails warships through the strait around once a month as part of regular freedom of navigation missions in the South China Sea. Reuters. 17 April
Economy & tech
Hikvision internal review found contracts targeted Uyghurs. Hikvision hired Richard-Pierre Prosper, a lawyer and former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes, to conduct investigation in 2020. Footage has been obtained of Prosper presenting his findings at a Hikvision meeting in Australia. Bethany Allen-Ebrahamian and Ina Fried. Axios. 18 April
China’s economic growth exceeds expectations. GDP grew 4.5 percent year on year in the first quarter. Strong growth in exports and infrastructure investment as well as a rebound in retail consumption and property prices said to be driving recovery. Joe Leahy, Sun Yu, and Edward White. Financial Times. 18 April
US lawmakers to vote on new tariffs on solar panel imports from several Asian countries following anti-circumvention inquiry. The Department of Commerce’s decision to put off new tariffs on solar panel imports will be challenged under the Congressional Review Act. E.A. Crunden and Manuel Quinones. E&E News. 17 April
Tesla workers in Shanghai complain of bonus cuts in response to fatal safety incident. Staff at Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory took to social media to appeal to Elon Musk. Reuters. 17 April
Price war over electric vehicles erupts in China. Over 40 carmakers have discounted electric and gas-powered vehicles in China this year as auto sales slump. Claire Fu and Daisuke Wakabayashi. The New York Times. 17 April
Volkswagen, BMW, Nissan, Rivian, Hyundai and Volvo electric vehicles will lose access to US tax credit under new battery sourcing rules. The rules are aimed at weaning the United States off dependence on China for EV battery supply chains. David Shepardson. Reuters. 17 April
TikTok owner offers to buy back employee shares as IPO is stalled among political headwinds. Bytedance’s stock repurchase offer has remained steady despite company valuation declining. Coco Feng. South China Morning Post. 17 April
Opinion & long reads
Tao Wang on making sense of China’s economy. An interview with chief China economist at UBS. Andrew Peaple. The Wire. 16 April
The existential threat to Aukus: choking on US red tape. Technology sharing under AUKUS agreement faces bureaucratic hurdles. Mark Magnier. South China Morning Post. 17 April
A guide to TikTok bans around the world. Details of the new Montana TikTok ban and other restrictions on the app around the world. Arran Hope. The China Project. 17 April
Podcast: How serious is the risk of war over Taiwan. Richard C. Bush. Ryan Hass and David Dollar. The Brookings Institution. 17 April