China News - 23 May 2023
International
Taiwan again excluded from WHO annual assembly. The annual World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva decided not to extend Taiwan an invitation to the event, which runs from May 21-30. China and Pakistan urged members to reject Taiwan's inclusion. Helen Davidson. The Guardian, 23 May
WHA press passes for Taiwan reporters abruptly cancelled. Two accredited reporters from Taiwan’s Central News Agency - Judy Tseng (曾婷瑄) and Tien Hsi-ju (田習如) - were told they would not be allowed to claim their press passes, in a move a UN staff member blamed on pressure from China. FocusTaiwan, 22 May
China hits back at G7 nations, accuses them of ‘smears’ and ‘slander’. Beijing summoned the Japanese ambassador to register an official protest and warned the UK must stop ‘slandering’ the country to avoid further damage to bilateral relations. Helen Davidson. The Guardian, 22 May
China and Saudi Arabia boycott G20 meeting held by India in Kashmir. A tourism working group attended by about 60 delegates from G20 countries is taking place this week. India, as president of the G20, has staged the meeting in Kashmir. China has said it will not attend, citing its firm opposition to ‘holding any kind of G20 meetings in disputed territory.’ Patrick Wintour. The Guardian, 22 May
US to sign new security pact with Papua New Guinea. The US continues to compete with China for influence in the Pacific. The State Department said the new agreement would provide a framework to help improve security cooperation, enhance the capacity of Papua New Guinea's defense force and increase regional stability. Nick Perry. The Independent, 22 May
Japan and China arranging defence ministers’ meeting in June. The two parties are set to meet on the sidelines of an international conference in Singapore next month. Reuters, 22 May
Dutch foreign minister heads to China. Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra to visit Beijing this week for talks with his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang. The Netherland’s recent decision to restrict exports of advanced chip equipment to China is likely to dominate discussions, though observers say this policy is unlikely to change. Kawala Xie. South China Morning Post, 22 May
Economy & tech
UK businesses in China call for regulatory clarity. The British Chamber of Commerce in China has warned that Beijing needs to provide greater regulatory certainty on data security and other issues to restore investor confidence. Joe Leahy. The Financial Times, 23 May
South Korea could step in after China’s ban on Micron. Seoul has signalled it will not intervene to stop South Korean companies Samsung and SK Hynix from filling in gap in the Chinese market after Chinese regulator imposed a ban on US chipmaker Micron. Ryan McMorrow and Song Jung-a. Financial Times, 22 May
China tells parents to report children using encrypted messaging apps to the police. Authorities in China have issued a warning over the use of apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp; fueled by fears that they may facilitate the ‘destruction of criminal evidence’ in the organisation of protests. Sophia Yan. The Telegraph, 22 May
Chinese billionaire and founder of home appliances company Midea creates US$428 million science fund. He Xiangjian, founder and largest shareholder of Midea Group has unveiled a RMB 3 billion science fund to boost artificial intelligence and climate research in China. Ben Jiang. South China Morning Post, 22 May
Beijing metro installs palm scanners, launched by WeChat. WeChat users who register their palm prints can pay for rides on Beijing’s airport express line at designated turnstiles. The technology relies on recognition of both surface-level palm prints and the hand’s veins, according to WeChat-owner Tencent. It is set to be rolled out across offices, campuses, retail outlets and restaurants. Iris Deng. South China Morning Post, 22 May
Opinion & long-reads
The Consultant Crackdown. A deep-dive into the raid on Shanghai-based consultancy, Capvision. Grady McGregor and Katrina Northrop. The Wire China, 21 May.
China’s $23 trillion local debt mess is about to get worse. What happened in cash-strapped Hegang points to a long economic struggle for the rest of the country. Bloomberg, 22 May
China Offers Tough Reply to Biden’s Suggestion of Thaw With U.S. Despite Biden seeing an imminent ‘thaw’ in US-China relations, frictions persist. Austin Ramzy. The Wall Street Journal, 22 May
How dependent is too dependent on China? Central Asia may soon find out. Central Asia’s outlook as China ramps up its persuasion campaign. Niva Yau. Atlantic Council, 20 May