China News - 23 February 2022
NEW PODCAST: Demystifying censorship in China. China has one of the world’s most restrictive media environments, relying on censorship to control information in the news, online, and on social media. But how does internet censorship in China actually function and who does it affect?
Chris Cash is joined by political scientist Molly Roberts to discuss the Chinese Communist Party’s censorship apparatus. You can listen on Spotify here.
International
Lecturers admit self-censoring classes to avoid causing offence. According to a report in the International Journal of Human Rights, a majority of lecturers said they believed that academic freedom was under threat in higher education and more than 40 per cent felt the same about their freedom to select teaching content. A similar percentage of academics specialising in China said they had self-censored when teaching students from authoritarian regimes. The Times, Times Higher Education, 23 February
Analysts: China faces ‘minimal’ fallout from sanctions on Russia, despite close ties. China’s “robust” trade relationship with Russia could put it in a position to offer economic and diplomatic help to Moscow. SCMP, 23 February
Taiwan military ordered to be combat ready in case of disruption by ‘outside force’ amid Ukraine crisis. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met top officials on Tuesday and sought counsel over how the self-ruled island should react and how the crisis would affect Taiwan. SCMP, 23 February
Wuhan lab leak theory ‘accepted as likely behind closed doors at No 10’. A biosecurity expert helping the Government to prevent future pandemics claims ministers consider a leak as the most likely origin of the Covid pandemic. The Telegraph, 22 February
China appoints new special envoy for turbulent Horn of Africa region. Senior diplomat Xue Bing has been appointed to a newly created post of special envoy for the Horn of Africa, a strategically important region where China has investments and a naval base on one of the world's main shipping routes. Reuters, 22 February
Xi counts some diplomatic wins after polarising Beijing Winter Olympics. Bloomberg, 22 February
China temporarily detains Japanese diplomat. The Japan Times, 23 February
Australia to dispatch $1bn Antarctic task force to fend off China. The Times, 22 February
China focus
Hong Kong to test everyone in territory for COVID three times over. Hong Kong will conduct compulsory testing of its entire 7.4 million population three times in March, deploying a key mainland strategy in a bid to slow an outbreak that has pushed the city’s resources to the brink. Al Jazeera, Caixin, 23 February
China moves a step closer to a national pension system. The central government has been slowly working to link the various provincial pension plans into a national one, so that money from richer areas can be used to support pensions in poorer areas that are struggling to pay for ageing populations. Bloomberg, 23 February
China to delay retirement ages ‘gradually’ by 2025, after holding firm for seven decades. SCMP, 22 February
Bringing up a child costlier in China than in US, Japan. Reuters, 23 February
Chinese education group New Oriental posts $876mn loss after Beijing clampdown. FT, 22 February
Economy & tech
Biden wants to cut into China's electric battery dominance. US President Joe Biden announced his administration is giving $35 million to MP Materials, a company that mines rare earth metals near the Nevada border in Southern California, as part of efforts to counter China’s dominance of the electric battery market. Independent, 23 February
Chinese feel imported inflation pressure, from coffee to crude to cosmetics. Price hikes at major coffee chains such as Starbucks and Luckin set off a social media backlash, illustrating public gripes over inflation as Chinese consumers see their own wages fall. SCMP, 23 February
BYD zooms past Tesla in China's electric-car market. Chinese automaker BYD sold more electric and hybrid vehicles in China last year than Tesla, new industry figures show, with a surge of growth that puts it on track to double sales in 2022. Nikkei Asia, 23 February
China’s housing market gets lifelines as cities, lenders ease down payment and financing to arrest slump. Caixin, SCMP, 23 February
China's solar power capacity set for record increase in 2022 - industry body. Reuters, 23 February
Opinion & editorial
Ukraine crisis poses dilemma for China but also opportunity. While Xi and Putin have pledged closer cooperation, there are growing economic ties between Beijing and Kyiv. Vincent Ni. The Guardian, 22 February
The UK’s BNO scheme, one year later. A year into its inception, a visa program introduced by the UK has opened a path to work and citizenship for millions of Hongkongers. Laurel Stewart. SupChina, 22 February
HSBC’s big bet on China is as unwise as it is unethical. By expanding into the world’s largest dictatorship, the bank is exposed to a property crisis and the effects of zero-Covid policies. Ben Marlow. The Telegraph, 23 February
Unmasking ‘panda diplomacy’. The success of Bing Dwen Dwen as Olympic mascot underlines how successful pandas are for China’s soft power. Ian Williams.The Spectator, 22
Long reads
Learning the right lessons from Ukraine for Taiwan. Ryan Hass. Brookings, 22 February
Avoiding the red card: The challenge of separating sports and politics in China. Hannah Price. The Diplomat, 23 February
Balancing China in the Indo-Pacific: the role of France and Germany. Mathieu Duchâtel and Roderick Kefferpütz. Institut Montaigne, 22 February
Asia's arms race: China spurs military spending spree. Andrew Sharp. Nikkei Asia, 23 February