China News - 23 November

International

UK spy agencies hiring Mandarin speakers in bid to manage cyber threats from China. The hunt for talented Mandarin speakers comes after GCHQ boss Sir Jeremy Fleming warned the digital dominance of hostile states like China could threaten the UK’s future prosperity and security. The Sun, 22 November

UK Ministry of Defence guidance is not to use Hikvision cameras. The Ministry of Defence has quietly issued guidance "not to use or install Hikvision equipment", though other government departments are using the surveillance technology facilitating the oppression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, official documents reveal. IPVM, 22 November

Xi says China ready to sign ASEAN's nuclear arms-free zone treaty. Chinese leader Xi Jinping said on Monday that Beijing was ready to sign the nuclear weapon-free Bangkok Treaty, in an apparent response to the new AUKUS defence pact. Nikkei Asia, 22 November

Beijing Winter Olympics boycott over Peng Shuai would be 'meaningless gesture', says Lord Coe. Coe, World Athletics president and an International Olympic Committee member, said such actions would serve no purpose and that it would “far better to have ministers there [in Beijing], maintain diplomatic relationships, and ask the tough questions.” The Telegraph, 22 November

China must answer serious questions about tennis star Peng Shuai, Australia says. The Guardian, 22 November

Top EU China critic: German companies act as "lobbyists" for Beijing. Raphaël Glucksmann, leader of the European Parliament's first official delegation to Taiwan, says the EU is slowly waking up to the threat posed by the Chinese government - but is held back by companies, particularly in Germany, that act as "lobbyists" for Beijing. Axios, 23 November

Greenland strips Chinese mining firm of licence to iron ore deposit. Greenland said on Monday it has stripped a Chinese mining company of its licence to an iron ore deposit due to site inactivity, dealing a blow to attempts by Chinese companies to gain a foothold on the resource-rich Arctic island. Reuters, 22 November

US admits China is ahead in hypersonic missile race. The Times, 22 November

Germans view US as most important ally again thanks to Biden. Reuters, 22 November

Stanley Johnson to trace Marco Polo’s steps. The Times, 23 November

Economy & tech

British Chamber of Commerce warns China's data policies could slow innovation. China's policies regarding data transfer and localisation are causing companies to cancel projects due to fears of compliance issues, according to a new report from the British Chamber of Commerce in China, set to be launched today. Reuters, 23 November

China’s central bank signals easing as economic growth slows. In its latest quarterly monetary policy report, the People’s Bank of China removed from its policy outlook a few key phrases cited in previous reports, including sticking with “normal monetary policy”, indicating a shift towards more supportive measures, several major banks said. Caixin, Bloomberg, 22 November

China eases pressure on property sector but reform remains priority. FT, 23 November

Surge in Chinese millionaires brings £135bn boost to Britain. Law firm Boodle Hatfield analysed 2019/20 financial year data from HMRC which found that 650 non-domiciled individuals moved to the UK from China. Chinese investors continue to view the UK as one of the “most secure jurisdictions in which to hold assets”. The Times, International Adviser, 22 November

Choose a side, China tells Taiwanese firms as it punishes conglomerate. Taiwanese firms operating in China need to draw a line between themselves and independence supporters, China's government said on Monday after law enforcement agencies punished Taiwan's Far Eastern Group for a series of problems, from tax to fire safety. Reuters, Bloomberg, 22 November

UK revealed to have the highest shipping costs in Europe as dockers struggle to clear backlog of deliveries. iNews, 22 November

Weibo’s plan to go public in Hong Kong shrouded in uncertainty by Beijing’s tough new data regime. SCMP, 23 November

China focus

China’s birth rate lowest in 43 years, official data shows. Annual data released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed strong indication of the country’s looming demographic crisis, as birth rates and marriage registrations continue to decline - a trend that has long worried authorities amid an increasingly ageing society. SupChina, SixthTone, 22 November

Hong Kong to set up polling booths at mainland China border checkpoints. The Hong Kong government will set up polling stations at closed border checkpoints so that Hongkongers living in mainland China can vote in next month’s “patriots-only” legislative election, but Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the move was not aimed at boosting turnout. HKFP, 23 November

China says will more tightly regulate celebrities' online information. China's cyberspace regulator said on Tuesday it would more tightly regulate celebrities’ personal details and the placements of their advertisements on internet sites, describing the proliferation of gossip and star-chasing as “impacting mainstream values”. Independent, Reuters, 23 November

Chinese parents find new ways to give their children an edge. Instead of signing up for foreign language classes, barred by new regulations, parents instead are opting for non-core curriculum subjects like art, which are taught in English. FT, 23 November

Chinese doctors query Beijing’s Covid contact tracing policy. FT, 23 November

Beijing outlines plan to improve elderly care services in 2023. Reuters, 22 November

Opinion & editorial

Until government gets tough on China, Labour will not attend the Olympics. Labour politicians will not be attending Beijing 2022, because to do so “would confer a sense of respectability to propaganda exercises for states which abuse human rights”, writes Jo Stevens MP. The Times, 23 November

Beijing Winter Games to help China's major power mind-set. Global Times, 22 November

Wall Street and the Chinese military industrial complex. Most US companies doing business with Chinese firms are being influenced in some way by the CCP. Rana Foroohar. FT, 22 November

In its rush to net-zero, the West is aligning itself with Chinese human rights abuses. Iain Duncan Smith. The Telegraph, 22 November

Long reads

Analysis: as China threat rises, can Aukus alliance recover from rancorous birth?Patrick Wintour. The Guardian, 23 November

Kevin Rudd: “China views the UK as weaker after Brexit”. Brexit hurt the liberal democratic order, says Australia’s former prime minister in an exclusive interview. Freddie Hayward. The New Statesman, 22 November

African nations mend and make do as China tightens Belt and Road. Duncan Miriri. Reuters, 22 November

How China became Jihadis’ new target. International terrorist organisations long considered Beijing a secondary focus. That’s changed. Raffaello Pantucci. Foreign Policy, 22 November

Xi's confidence game. Jude Blanchette. Foreign Affairs, 23 November