China News - 2 November 2021

COP26

UK launches ‘Clean Green Initiative’ at COP26. The initiative includes a doubling of UK aid-funded green investments to more than £3bn over five years and new guarantees to support clean infrastructure projects aimed at helping developing countries take advantage of green technology and grow their economies sustainably. Addressing the opening of the COP26 conference, Boris Johnson urged world leaders to “defuse the bomb of climate change”. Gov.uk, Metro, Energy Voice, The Times, 1 November

Xi Jinping makes no major climate pledges in written Cop26 address. China’s president also called on developed countries to “provide support to help developing countries do better” in dealing with the climate crisis. He was the only world leader so far to deliver remarks to the conference in written form. Xinhua, The Guardian, 1 November

Biden and his allies look past China on climate. The president and European leaders are looking to countries like Indonesia, India and South Africa for climate change breakthroughs after failing to move Beijing at the G20 summit. Politico, 1 November

Global leaders pledge to end deforestation by 2030. The pledge includes almost £14bn ($19.2bn) of public and private funds and reflects a growing recognition of nature’s role in helping mitigate global warming. BBC, NYT, The Guardian, 2 November

UK financial services primed to aid China’s green finance drive. ICAEW, 1 November

Other international

China accused of blocking media access to Winter Olympics. Chinese authorities have been accused of “continuously stymying” attempts by foreign media to cover the Winter Olympics, by denying or ignoring requests for access, and following, harassing and abusing journalists. In a statement on Tuesday, the Foreign Correspondents Club of China called for transparency and clarity from China’s national Olympic organising committee. The Guardian, 2 November

Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai goes on trial over Tiananmen vigil. Apple Daily newspaper founder Lai and seven other pro-democracy activists face charges of organising, participating and inciting others to take part in an unauthorised candlelight vigil commemorating the 1989 crackdown on protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. The Guardian, 1 November

China, Russia revive push to lift UN sanctions on North Korea. Al Jazeera, 2 November

Taiwan to woo backers at APEC for bid to join Pacific trade pact. Reuters, 2 November

Elon Musk confuses internet after tweeting ancient Chinese poem. RADII, 2 November

Economy & tech

Global investors turn cautiously optimistic on China. Investors and analysts have started to turn positive on China in the wake of a regulatory shock and property crisis that led some to wonder whether the country had become a no-go zone for money managers. FT, 2 November

Beijing pledges boost in policy support for consumer services sector. The State Council, or cabinet, said the government will use monetary policy tools such as relending and rediscounting facilities to help services companies and guide commercial banks to boost loans to small firms and individual businesses in the sector as the CCP steps up efforts to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of people in society under Xi Jinping's banner of "common prosperity”. Reuters, 2 November

Shanghai’s multiple-home owners look to offload units as threat of higher property tax looms. SCMP, 2 November

Departing US business chiefs warn of expat exodus from China. FT, 1 November

China focus

China's Xi to cement authority, legacy in Communist Party resolution. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to push through an historical resolution at a key Communist Party gathering next week, cementing his authority and legacy and strengthening his case for a precedent-breaking third term starting next year. Reuters, 2 November

Chinese cities must better prepare for climate risks, official says. Jiang Wanrong, a senior official at China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said Chinese cities must boost their investments in eco-friendly construction and improve warning systems to reduce disaster-related losses. China is home to 37 of the 100 most ‘at-risk’ cities in Asia. SixthTone, 2 November

Covid: Beijing tells citizens to stockpile food as controls are tightened, locks down Shanghai Disneyland to test 34,000 visitors after single case. FT, Reuters, The Guardian, The Japan Times, BBC, 2 November

Opinion & editorial

China will dictate the success of Glasgow’s COP26. Sir Ed Davey. Evening Standard, 1 November

The Times view on global reliance on fossil fuels: Toppling King Coal. The Times, 1 November

Greater private investment is essential to tackle the climate crisis. Sarah Gordon. FT, 1 November

How the US should deter China’s nuclear ambitions. Editorial Board. Bloomberg, 1 November

Longer reads

Measuring the cultural dividend: how does interest in UK culture affect Chinese study decisions. British Council, 27 October

The battle to keep China off European university campuses. Chinese institutes come under scrutiny as German publisher claims Xi Jinping is ‘sacrosanct and beyond discussion’. The Week, 1 November

Who decides China’s foreign policy? As the world figures out how to work with China on major global issues, a deeper understanding of the foreign policy decision-making process may hold the key to successful cooperation going forward. Yu Jie and Lucy Ridout. Chatham House, 1 November

Alibaba’s silicon chip in the age of hypersonic missiles. Alibaba’s Yitian 710 chip shows how the U.S.-China-Taiwan semiconductor dance hides an increasingly unstable equilibrium. Paul Triolo. SupChina, 1 November

Taiwan’s leaders need to coalesce around a defence concept. Ryan Hass. Brookings, 1 November