China News - 19 April 2023
International
G7 statement: ‘We remind China of the need to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and abstain from threats, coercion, intimidation, or the use of force’. G7 Ministers voice concerns over cyber-enabled intellectual property theft, militarisation of the South China Sea, autonomy of Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet. MOFA. 18 April
Beijing hits out at ‘arrogant’ and ‘prejudiced’ G7 statement. Cyril Ip and Dewey Sim. South China Morning Post. 18 April
UK should not ‘pull the shutters down’ on China, says Foreign Secretary. James Cleverly calls for a more nuanced approach to UK-China relations, argues that failing to engage with Beijing would be ‘counterproductive’. Pippa Crerar. The Guardian. 18 April
White House briefs industry groups on upcoming scrutiny of US investment in China. New rules, expected later this month, are likely to introduce notification requirements for investments in Chinese tech and prohibit deals in critical sectors. Gavin Bade. Politico. 18 April
EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment to return to EU agenda next month. Major trading nations will insist on discussing the CAI at summits of EU foreign ministers in May, according to EU official. Finbarr Bermingham. South China Morning Post. 18 April
China expands footprint in the Antarctic. China is making ‘significant progress’ building its fifth scientific research facility in the region. CSIS report warns it may also be used to enhance country’s intelligence collection. The Guardian. CNN. 19 April
UK cyber chief to issue a warning on China’s rise as a technological superpower. Lindy Cameron will deliver the remarks at the CyberUK annual conference in Belfast this week. The Guardian. 18 April
Raytheon, Lockheed executives banned from China. Company execs have been banned from entering the country in response to arms sales to Taiwan. Reuters. 18 April
Economy & tech
Ping An calls for HSBC to separately list Asian arm in Hong Kong. As HSBC’s largest shareholder, Chinese insurer Ping An continues to push for restructuring. Chad Bray. South China Morning Post. 18 April
Chinese genetic company MGI Tech to rollout gene sequencing machines in the US. MGI Tech was a subsidiary of BGI Genomics, which has been blacklisted by the Biden Administration. It was spun out and listed on the Shanghai stock exchange last year, but BGI founder still holds significant ownership stake. Jamie Smyth and Demetri Sevastopulo. Financial Times. 18 April
Key takeaways from China’s first quarter economic data. Joe Leahy and Edward White. Financial Times. 18 April
Foxconn wages drop below US$3 an hour in Shenzhen as Apple diversifies supply chains. Hourly rates have been slashed as Apple’s largest contract manufacturer ramps up production in India and Vietnam. Iris Deng. South China Morning Post. 19 April
Opinion & long reads
China’s undersea capability: Meeting the challenge. An article exploring how the PLA’s submarine capabilities will affect the strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific and how British interests might be challenged. Emma Salisbury. The Council on Geostrategy. 18 April
Unsafe at the top: China’s anti-graft drive targets billionaires and bankers. Prompted by the sentencing of a former senior official at China Development Bank last week, Hawkins looks at China’s battle against corruption and ‘financial elitism. Amy Hawkins. The Guardian. 19 April
The perils of the new industrial policy: How to stop a global race to the bottom. Are the US’ Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the CHIPS and Science Act likely to set off a counterproductive subsidy race? David Kamin and Rebecca Kysar. Foreign Affairs. 18 April
How to survive a great-power competition: Southeast Asia’s precarious balancing act. An analysis of ASEAN’s non-alignment strategy. Huong Le Thu. Foreign Affairs. 18 April
Why China’s shrinking population is a problem for everyone. How China’s demographic challenges could impact the global economy. Nicole Hong. New York Times. 19 April
The UK’s semiconductor industry is vulnerable - but how will Rishi Sunak strengthen it? An argument for securing supply chains through government subsidies. Freddie Hayward. The New Statesman. 18 April
Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region: The evidence. The first in a new series of evidence briefs on Uyghur forced labour from the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice. Sheffield Hallam University. 18 April