China News - 24 January 2022
International
For Chinese students, UK education keeps its lustre. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service said 28,490 Chinese applicants were living in Britain in 2021, 17 per cent more than in 2020. Recently established international schools, bilingual schools and international programmes in high schools in China are seeing their first or second cohort of school leavers in 2020-21, resulting in a growing interest in studying in the UK. Independent, 21 January
Rugby School shuns China in global expansion. While Rugby held initial talks with companies in China, Peter Green, the school’s executive headmaster, commented: “Realistically we couldn’t offer a full British curriculum [in China] so it was probably better to concentrate efforts elsewhere.” The Times, 22 January
Beijing Winter Olympics
Winter Olympics poses challenge to China’s zero-Covid policy as authorities conduct mass testing. The event was intended to be symbol of country’s ascendancy but has been marred by pandemic and diplomatic tensions. FT, The Guardian, 22 January
China hires western TikTokers to polish its image during 2022 Winter Olympics. Concerned about the international backlash against the Beijing Games amid a wave of diplomatic boycotts, the Chinese government has hired western PR professionals to spread positive stories about China throughout next month’s Winter Olympics. The Observer, Business Insider, 23 January
Winter Olympics sponsors caught between Beijing, US. WSJ, 23 January
Beijing 2022 long reads:
Beijing 2022 vs 2008: Two Olympics and two very different Chinas, BBC.
Chinese pay the price as Beijing clamps down on freedoms ahead of Winter Olympics, The Telegraph.
How China's Xi Jinping is staging the Beijing Olympics on his terms, NYT.
Dutch university scandal taps into fears of Chinese influence peddling. The Free University of Amsterdam is paying back a subsidy granted to the Cross Cultural Human Rights Center (CCHRC), an independent research institute operating under the university’s mantle, over funding connections to the Chinese Communist Party. CCHRC’s website declares that “there is definitely no discrimination of Uyghurs or other minorities” in Xinjiang. Politico, 24 January
Taiwan reports new large-scale Chinese air force incursion. This development comes amid reports that China has established a constant naval presence close to southern Japan and eastern Taiwan, in a marked expansion of Beijing’s sea power that has focused attention on the area as a potential future battleground. Reuters, FT, 24 January
China-UK study ‘shines new light’ in solar-hydrogen power quest. A team of scientists in China and Britain, writing in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, claim to have made a breakthrough in the quest to use sunlight to produce hydrogen, which can be used as a power source or in industry. SCMP, 22 January
‘Miserable and dangerous’: a failed Chinese promise in Serbia. Poor conditions for Vietnamese workers building a $900 million tire factory underscore a chasm between the promise of investment from China and realities on the ground. NYT, 22 January
Former Australian PM Paul Keating criticises Liz Truss over China comments. The Guardian, 24 January
China clears Australia coal stranded at ports after import ban. Bloomberg, 24 January
Tennis Australia defends banning ‘Where is Peng Shuai?’ T-shirts at Australian Open. The Guardian, 23 January
Alleged ‘Chinese agent’ in UK established two companies in Dublin. The Irish Times, 22 January
Economy & tech
City of London’s $10 trillion Chinese conduit plans for growth. China Construction Bank Corp.’s City of London outpost is banking on ever closer financial flows between the two countries, according to a report by Bloomberg. The branch is the sole renminbi clearing bank in the UK, making it an essential conduit to vast flows of Chinese money and investment. It has cleared some 64 trillion yuan ($10 trillion) of transactions since 2014 - the largest volume outside of Asia. Bloomberg, 24 January
IMF warns China over cost of Covid lockdowns. China should review its zero-tolerance approach to the pandemic or risk damaging the global recovery, according to the head of International Monetary Fund. Kristalina Georgieva also criticised the Chinese authorities for withdrawing financial support to protect workers and businesses too early. The Guardian, 21 January
US House bill on China competitiveness, chip investment ‘coming soon’. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday that the legislation will “supercharge our investment in chips, strengthen our supply chain and transform our research capacity, plus many other key provisions." Reuters, 21 January
Beijing lectures Alibaba, Tencent, other Big Tech firms on gig workers’ rights. SCMP, 22 January
Premier Li Keqiang vows greater support for start-ups, small firms. SCMP, 24 January
Chinese developer Yuzhou warns of bond defaults as BNP Paribas predicts “significant policy easing” in property sector. Reuters, SCMP, 24 January
China’s SenseTime ponders future after US blacklisting. FT, 22 January
China focus
China says local officials underreported deaths in flooding. Officials have been arrested for intentionally underreporting the number of people who died or went missing in severe flooding in Henan province in July, according to China’s State Council. WSJ, 21 January
China’s generation Z is resisting marriage and babies. Young Chinese women want to get educated and prioritise their careers, a trend that has alarmed the authorities battling a demographic crisis. The Guardian, 24 January
‘Time bank’ lets Chinese care for elderly and earn support when they are old. The Times, 21 January
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam defends Covid hamster cull. BBC, 22 January
Opinion & editorial
A new cold war? Britain’s relationship with China is much more complex than that. In a globalised world, the claim that Chinese agent Christine Lee forged links with UK politicians shouldn’t surprise us. Martin Thorley. The Guardian, 23 January
China envoy appointment signals deeper ties with Horn of Africa. Beijing seeks to extend influence in order to protect investments in the volatile region. Andres Schipani. FT, 24 January
How China spies on the West. An explanation of the nature of CCP espionage in the wake of the Christine Lee affair. Ian Williams. The Spectator, 23 January
China’s economic downturn gives rise to a winter of discontent. With Xi likely seeking a third term, his critics may have more leverage than they have had for years. Kevin Rudd. WSJ, 21 January
Long reads
UK intelligence agency targets China’s United Front. Spymasters in the UK and other countries are going public in their push against CCP influence. Duncan Bartlett. The Diplomat, 22 January
‘Your only right is to obey’: China’s thousands of disappeared. Determined to avoid embarrassment at the Winter Olympics, Beijing is crushing dissent with a system of ‘black jails’ into which tens of thousands have vanished. Philip Sherwell. The Sunday Times, 23 January
Russia and China’s plans for a new world order. For Moscow and Beijing, the Ukraine crisis is part of a struggle to reduce American power and make the world safe for autocrats. Gideon Rachman. FT, 23 January
Is China putting ‘Wolf Warriors’ on a leash? Recent signs indicate that Beijing wants to moderate – but not abandon – the assertive tone of its diplomats. Aidan Powers-Riggs and Eduardo Jaramillo. The Diplomat, 22 January