China News - 23 July 2021
International
Beijing rejects WHO proposal for second phase of investigation into Covid-19 origins. China rejects the World Health Organization’s proposal for a second phase of investigation into Covid-19’s origins, including a potential laboratory leak, and has put forward its own proposal to seek evidence in other countries, a top Chinese official said. BBC, WSJ, Washington Post, 23 July
Hong Kong police arrest speech therapists over children’s books with China depicted as a wolf. Five speech therapists in hoods and handcuffs were led away by security police in Hong Kong yesterday for distributing “seditious” children’s books that depict China as a malevolent wolf. The Times, 23 July
US charges 9 with involvement in Beijing’s ‘Operation Fox Hunt’, including a Chinese prosecutor. A Chinese prosecutor has been accused of travelling to America to direct a harassment campaign against a US resident and his family, and then ordering the destruction of evidence related to those actions, according to the US Justice Department. SCMP, 22 July
US moves to drop visa fraud charges against Chinese researcher under “China Initiative”. Reuters, 23 July
Joe Biden’s digital trade deal could see US rejoin Asia-Pacific pact ditched by Donald Trump. Plans by the United States for a digital trade agreement covering Indo-Pacific economies may be a step toward Washington rejoining CPTPP, Australian trade minister Dan Tehan said. SCMP, 23 July
UK should be concerned at Chinese gene data harvesting, British MP says. BGI’s prenatal tests are sold in Britain. Tom Tugendhat said that any British companies using the tests should be clear where the data is going, who holds it, and what access others, including other governments, would have to it. Reuters, 22 July
Asean nations left ‘exposed’ by global minimum corporate tax could forge closer ties with China. SCMP, 23 July
Academic freedom: Reports that HKUST’s Ching Kwan Lee forced to resign after being accused of support for Hong Kong protests. Stand News, Twitter, 23 July
U.S. moves to drop visa fraud charges against Chinese researcher
Dalai Lama’s inner circle listed in Pegasus project data. The Guardian, 22 July
China focus
China’s Xi makes first official visit to Tibet. Xi Jinping has made his first visit to Tibet as Chinese president. Bloomberg, 23 July
China defends its vaccines, says leaders of over 30 countries publicly vaccinated. CGTN, 22 July
China’s push to purge organised crime casts shadow over private businesses. It has led to prosecutions and asset seizures targeting prominent entrepreneurs. WSJ, 22 July
'Utterly ruined': The debris-strewn aftermath of China's record rains. Channel News Asia, 22 July
Economy & tech
New: UK innovation strategy. The strategy outlines 7 strategic technologies to prioritise and build on existing R&D strengths, including genomics and AI. Gov, 22 July
Didi shares fall 11% on reports China is planning penalties. It comes after a report that regulators in Beijing are considering serious penalties for the company. BBC, 22 July
Task force: US defence firms must reduce reliance on rare earth materials from China. SCMP, 23 July
Bets on electric vehicles light up lithium miners and battery makers. Shares in Ganfeng Lithium, China’s largest producer of the battery material, have risen 98 per cent this year. FT, 22 July
In Depth: Why Hong Kong could gain from China’s foreign share sale crackdown. Chinese companies holding the personal information of 1 million or more users have to seek a government cybersecurity review before a foreign share flotation - but “foreign” doesn’t include Hong Kong. Caixin, 22 July
Longer reads & opinion
As disaster strikes, Xi takes the headlines. Premier Li Keqiang was sidelined in coverage of the flooding of Zhengzhou. China Media Project, 21 July
Academics in Hong Kong suffer curbs on their freedoms. Some believe that the chill on campuses is a sign that the Communist Party—which does not operate openly in Hong Kong—has infiltrated academia. The Economist, 23 July
The Huawei Moment. How did China achieve dominance in 5G and how did the US lose its leadership position? Georgetown CSET, 22 July
Losing our agnosticism. How to make Australia’s foreign influence laws work. ASPI, 22 July
Rapidly implementing a Chinese data security regime. China Brief - Jamestown Foundation, 16 July
Did China buy Cambridge? The Spectator cover article was short on detail, argues Tim Summers. Pearls and Irritations, 16 July