China News - 2 March 2021
Scientists at top British universities worked with Chinese nuclear weapons researchers. Scientists at Britain’s leading universities – including Cambridge, Edinburgh and Manchester – have worked on a string of projects with researchers at China’s nuclear weapons research institution. Several also appear to have worked for the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP) at the same time as holding posts at British universities. The Telegraph, 2 March
Hundreds protest outside Hong Kong court before marathon hearing of nearly 50 pro-democracy activists. A Hong Kong court adjourned early on Tuesday morning after a democracy activist fainted during a marathon hearing of 47 people charged with conspiracy to commit subversion. The Telegraph, The Guardian, 2 March
China's electoral reform 'earthquake' set to upend Hong Kong politics. Reuters reports that the plans to reform Hong Kong’s electoral system, set to be decided at this week’s NPC session, ‘will upend the territory’s political scene’. Reuters, 2 March
Chinese hackers infiltrated India's power grid ahead of Mumbai blackout, says report. The New York Times reports that a Chinese state-sponsored group inserted malware into the control systems that manage electric supply across India. China denied the report. NYT, The Telegraph, SCMP, 2 March
Borrell: EU doesn’t have resources to fight disinformation from China. The European Union's foreign service doesn't have the resources nor the authority to effectively counter hybrid attacks coming from China, its foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said today. Politico, 2 March
China pledges 400,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine to Afghanistan. Afghanistan has also received 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India. Independent, 2 March
WHO investigators sceptical of China’s frozen food Covid origin theory. Peter Embarek told the journal Science that frozen food “was not a possible route of introduction”. FT, 2 March
Taiwanese urged to eat ‘freedom pineapples’ after China import ban. Chinese authorities suddenly banned imports of the fruit over ‘harmful pests’. The Guardian, 2 March
Covid: Japan asks China to stop anal tests on its citizens, citing ‘psychological distress’. BBC, 2 March
Chinese embassy in UK hits back at UK over Hong Kong and The Guardian over its report over Xinjiang’s history, which referred to East Turkestan. 2 March.
China watch
China aims to vaccinate 40% of its population before June ends. Bloomberg, Reuters, 2 March
China’s devolved lawmaking put on notice as Xi Jinping signals tighter control over provinces. SCMP, 2 March
Chinese scientists warn of new variants of African swine fever; milder but more transmissible. Pork prices surged after a huge outbreak in 2018. Bloomberg, 1 March
Economy & tech
China’s spending on research and development hits a record $378 billion. China’s National Bureau of Statistics said that R&D spend accounted for 2.4% of China’s GDP. CNBC, 2 March
China on track to surpass US as ‘AI superpower’, Congress warned. After a two-year study, the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence said the US needed to build a “resilient domestic base” for designing and making semiconductors. FT, BBC, 2 March
Jack Ma’s Ant defies pressure from Beijing to share more customer data. The FT reports that the central bank is frustrated by limited access to Ant’s consumer credit data. FT, 2 March
A major Chinese bitcoin mining hub in Inner Mongolia is shutting down its cryptocurrency operations in an effort to reduce energy consumption. SCMP, CNBC, 1 March
Hong Kong residents buy up 4x UK properties ahead of expected immigration surge. The Telegraph, 2 March
Longer reads & opinion
Watching China in Europe - March 2021. Noah Barkin’s monthly newsletter, 2 March
Here's one NPC mechanism that shouldn't be overlooked. A selection of responses various gov’t organs released recently to suggestions submitted by National People’s Congress deputies last year. Beijing Channel, 1 March
China’s economy is growing again, but a shortfall in babies will be harder to fix. China’s workforce is expected to shrink by more than 0.5% a year, presenting a long-term economic risk despite its strong economic recovery. WSJ, 28 February
Long read: The rich vs the very very rich: the Wentworth golf club rebellion. One of Britain’s most prestigious golf clubs was bought by a Chinese billionaire in 2015. The Guardian, 2 March
Copying China’s Online Blockade. Good interview on the Great Firewall with Paul Mozur. NYT, 2 March
Chart of the day
The UK government's Industrial Strategy includes a target to raise investment on R&D to 2.4% of GDP by 2027.