International
EU parliament declares China treaty ratification ‘frozen’. MEPs voted by an overwhelming majority on Thursday to halt the ratification of the EU-China CAI because of retaliatory sanctions imposed by Beijing on European parliamentarians, diplomats, academics and think tanks. Thursday’s resolution was passed with 599 votes in favour, 30 against and 58 abstentions. FT, The Guardian, 20 May
Lithuanian parliament latest to call China's treatment of Uyghurs 'genocide'. Reuters, 20 May
216,000 Chinese students study in UK as a result of US visa restrictions. The number of entrants from China for higher education in the UK each year since the admission year 2012-13 has exceeded the number of all EU countries combined and continues to rise, surpassing 100,000 in the 2019-20 academic year. Global Times, 21 May
Canada’s new immigration path for Hongkongers attracts strong interest. Canada’s scheme for Hong Kong residents has seen nearly 6,000 applicants three months since its launch. SCMP, 21 May
Biden to push South Korea to take tough line on China at summit. The US is trying to convince Moon Jae-in to agree to a strong statement of concern about China when the South Korean president becomes the second world leader to meet Joe Biden in Washington on Friday. FT, 21 May
Bipartisan bill pushes Biden to act on Uyghur genocide. A bipartisan bill being introduced in the House Wednesday would hold President Biden accountable for taking tangible steps to address the Chinese Communist Party's genocide of the Uyghur population. Yesterday, Biden signed the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act into law to combat attacks against Asian-Americans. Axios, SCMP, 21 May
G7’s ‘aggressive attitude’ pushing Russia and China together, envoy says. Russia’s ambassador to Britain Andrei Kelin said the grouping is playing a ‘dangerous game’ by making baseless criticism of the Kremlin. SCMP, 21 May
Sri Lanka OKs commission to oversee Chinese-built port city adjacent to Port of Colombo. The Independent, SCMP, 21 May
Kiribati’s China-backed airstrip upgrade fuels political divisions in Pacific nation. Opposition figures have questioned Beijing’s intentions and the project’s purpose. SCMP, 21 May
Economy & tech
China-Australia relations: coal cargo delivered after almost a year at sea. SCMP, 21 May
China could have ordered Huawei to shut down Australia’s 5G, claim spies. Sydney Morning Herald, 21 May
Longer reads & opinion
Stay or Move to UK? Hong Kong locals face hard choices as China reshapes city. Bloomberg, 21 May
China’s vaccine drive accelerated by free eggs, rap music and a rare outbreak. From May 9 to 19, the total number of doses administered in China soared by 125m shots. FT, 20 May
How disgruntled Chinese people talk about you-know-who. When, at a recent private gathering that included diplomats, executives and bankers, the talk turned to Chinese politics, it was suggested that all switch off their mobile phones. The Economist, 21 May
Why London must bring together the world’s best minds. Paid promotional post by Huawei in the Evening Standard, 21 May