Event reminder: Join our briefing tomorrow with three leading disinformation experts from the University of Oxford who will share their recent findings on PRC public diplomacy and propaganda targeted at the UK. 9:30-10:15am, Thursday 24 June. Register here.
International
UK and CPTPP nations launch formal accession negotiations as Raab embarks on Southeast Asia tour. Through the agreement, Britain hopes to strengthen trade links with 11 countries in the Pacific region, which represent a market of 500 million people. The UK government has said the deal would open new markets for Britain’s service industries, while lowering tariffs on exports of goods such as cars and whisky. Raab is currently on a short visit to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Singapore. The Guardian, Bloomberg, Independent, 22 June
HK pro-democracy paper Apple Daily announces closure. Earlier in the day, its lead opinion writer, who publishes under the name Li Ping, became the first writer at the newspaper to be arrested. It is believed that Thursday’s Apple Daily edition will be the last paper to be sold. BBC, The Guardian, 23 June
Hong Kong's first trial under national security law starts without jury. Tong Ying-kit faces life in jail but has pleaded not guilty to inciting secession, terrorism, as well as a charge of dangerous driving. The trial without a jury is seen as a landmark moment for Hong Kong's fast-changing legal traditions. BBC, NYT, 23 June
Open Xinjiang to ‘independent observers’, Canada tells China. Canada’s statement at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva was backed by over 40 countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United States. In response, Chinese diplomats attacked Canada’s colonial past and called on the council to investigate the remains of more than 200 Indigenous children at a Canadian boarding school. Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Reuters, 22 June
Biden pushes for high-level meetings with Chinese officials. After pursuing a hardline stance for five months, the US is arranging a possible meeting between Antony Blinken, secretary of state, and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi at a G20 meeting in Italy next week. FT, 22 June
UK scientist with links to Wuhan lab 'recuses himself' from inquiry into Covid origins. Peter Daszak has recused himself from an inquiry into the origins of the Covid pandemic amid concern over his links to a Wuhan laboratory tied to the ‘lab leak’ theory. The Telegraph, 22 June
China stepping up use of secret detention without trial, report warns. Tens of thousands of people - including an American basketball pro - have been subjected to “residential surveillance at a designated location”. The system allows security forces to hold people for months without charges or trial. WSJ, The Guardian, 22 June
Australians’ trust in China drops as trade and Covid row deepens. FT, The Guardian, 22 June
Scholars on LinkedIn are being blocked in China ‘without telling them why’. LinkedIn made a trade off to accept Chinese censorship when it entered China in 2014. WSJ, 23 June
China bolsters ties with Myanmar military junta despite international condemnation. FT, 22 June
China focus
China to keep Covid-19 border restrictions for another year. Government officials are fretting over the emergence of new variants and a calendar of sensitive events, despite a coronavirus vaccination campaign that has topped one billion doses. WSJ, MarketWatch, 22 June
Shanghai aims to expand influence through soft power. The Shanghai Committee of the Communist Party of China on Tuesday released a guideline aiming to enhance the city’s soft power and showcase Shanghai’s potential. Sixth Tone, 22 June
For three-child era, demographer suggests annual parental leave. As the Chinese government works to curb the country’s falling birth rate, a demographer affiliated with the State Council, proposed on Monday that parents of young children should receive more annual leave. Sixth Tone, 22 June
Sun Yang to miss Tokyo Olympics after ruling by Court of Arbitration for Sport over ban. BBC, 23 June
Economy & tech
Huawei 5G ban is upheld by Swedish court in further blow to Chinese telecoms giant’s European plans. The ruling is Huawei’s second loss on appeal after authorities in Stockholm barred the company from its network in October, citing national security concerns. SCMP, 22 June
Biden opens sneaky new front in trade war against China. The Biden administration is blocking the purchase of Magnachip, a South Korean semiconductor producer, by a Chinese private equity fund. Foreign Policy, 22 June
China’s leading search engine Baidu announces goal to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2030. PR Newswire, 22 June
Is China an inflationary force now? As production prices rise, Chinese producers have little choice but to jack up their export prices in dollars. FT, 23 June
China will create millionaires over three times faster than the US in five years through 2025, Credit Suisse wealth report says. SCMP, 22 June
Longer reads & opinion
Crucial Collaboration: The Case for Closer Australia-UK Defence and Security Ties in Light of a Rising China. Tom Tugendhat argues for evolving Australia-UK ties in a new report for the Centre for Independent Studies, 23 June
How China spreads propaganda about Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Thousands of videos posted look like unfiltered glimpses of life for Uyghurs, but taken together, the videos begin to reveal clues of a broader influence campaign orchestrated by the Chinese government. NYT, 23 June
Influencers, Activists, and Diplomats. A recent speech by the head of China Media Group suggests China is gearing up to further refine its external communication strategy. But can calls for “innovation” break free of the restraints of one-size-fits-all thinking? China Media Project, 22 June
Can China keep rising? The July/August issue of Foreign Affairs is devoted to China.
In historic shift, Biden aligns allies on China. Daniel Baer. Foreign Policy, 22 June
Soon, neither the US nor China will have ambassadors in each other's capitals. Will it make a difference? CNN, 23 June
Inside China’s billion-dose vaccination drive. Louise Watt. The Telegraph, 22 June
The Belt and Road Initiative: China is moving away from coal power. The Africa Report, 22 June
Little red look: 100 years of Chinese Communist Party style. From Mao suits to Xi Jinping’s anorak. Matthew Sweet. The Economist 1843 Magazine, 22 June