China News - 25 January 2022
International
Rolls-Royce seeks bids for site to make small nuclear power plants. An industry consortium led by Rolls-Royce has written to several of England’s regional development bodies and the Welsh government asking them to pitch for the manufacturing site, promising investment of up to £200m and the creation of up to 200 direct jobs. The consortium secured £210m from the government towards the development of a fleet of mini-reactors, deemed a key part of the 10-point plan to help meet the 2050 net zero carbon target. FT, 23 January
Sanctions on steel from China may be dumped. The new Trade Remedies Authority - a government trade agency - has launched a review into whether the UK should drop anti-dumping sanctions against Chinese steel producers. Sanctions were put in place when the UK was a member of the European Union and when the dumping of cheap steel from China hit domestic producers such as the Port Talbot facilities of Tata Steel and British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant. The Times, 25 January
Beijing denies that Xi asked Putin to delay Ukraine invasion during Olympics. A Bloomberg report suggested that Chinese leader Xi Jinping might have asked his Russian counterpart not to spoil the Olympics with a military offensive in Ukraine. China’s foreign ministry called the report “a hoax and provocation.” SupChina, 24 January
Australian opposition leader: China relations won't change. Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said Australia’s relationship with China will remain difficult even if his centre-left Labor Party wins the forthcoming May elections. Independent, 25 January
WeChat hits back at interference claims about Scott Morrison’s account. The Guardian, 25 January
Australian Open: Peng Shuai T-shirt ban reversed after outcry. BBC, 25 January
Blinken says Beijing is bringing more aggression to competitive and cooperative ties. The US Secretary of State said the bilateral relationship is growing increasingly adversarial because ‘this is in many ways a different China on the world stage’, while acknowledging that Washington’s own rejection of multilateralism in recent years has allowed Beijing to take a more prominent global role. SCMP, 25 January
UK open for travel with all restrictions removed for eligible vaccinated arrivals. From 11 February, the UK will recognise vaccine certificates from 16 further countries and territories at the border, including China and Mexico. Gov.uk, 24 January
Taiwanese vice-president heads for Honduras to shore up shaky alliance. SCMP, 25 January
US carriers in South China Sea, Taiwan reports further Chinese incursion. Reuters, 24 January
Winter Olympics: diplomats attending Games risk 21-day quarantine. Bloomberg, 24 January
Economy & tech
Chinese stocks glimpse light at the end of the tunnel. After a year of fierce policy measures, China’s central bank is tilting dovish as most other major central banks increasingly lean the other way. WSJ, 24 January
Chinese fashion retailer SHEIN revives plan for New York listing in 2022- Reuters sources. The founder of the Nanjing-based company - one of the world's largest online fashion marketplaces targeting overseas consumers - is considering a citizenship change to bypass proposed tougher rules for offshore IPOs in China, two people familiar with the matter said. Reuters, 25 January
Evergrande seeks more time from offshore creditors for debt restructuring plan. Evergrande, once China's top selling real estate developer, on Monday sought more time from its offshore bondholders to work on a "comprehensive" and "effective" debt restructuring plan, amid signs Beijing is tightening control over the cash-strapped property group. Reuters, 24 January
Agile Group becomes latest debt-ridden Chinese developer to be rescued by state-owned company. SCMP, 24 January
Tesla, BYD raise China prices on EV subsidy cuts and material costs. Electric car manufacturers like BYD and Tesla are raising prices in China, where government subsidies for such new-energy vehicles were reduced in January. Nikkei Asia, 25 January
Second supply chain ETF debuts in China despite Omicron lockdowns. FT, 25 January
Alibaba’s home province to offer preferential tax policies and promote ‘hard tech’ such as chips and digital security. SCMP, 24 January
China focus
China launches campaign to clean up internet for lunar new year holiday. The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s top internet regulator, has instructed officials to sweep away “illegal content and information” and target celebrity fan groups, online abuse, money worship, child influencers and the homepages of media sites. FT, 25 January
Uphold China’s unity and socialist society, new Xinjiang chief tells minority and religious leaders. The call from Ma Xingrui – just four weeks into his new role – came as the far western Uyghur autonomous region kicked off its annual gathering of local lawmakers and policy advisers, ahead of the national “two sessions” legislative meetings scheduled in March in Beijing. SCMP, 24 January
No proof foreign mail infectious, Chinese health officials say. The possibility that overseas packages could carry COVID-19 spurred cities to order recipients to get tested. Sixth Tone, 25 January
Beijing warns it will take action against ‘polluters’ ahead of 2022 Winter Olympics. Independent, 24 January
China’s vape queen hit by Beijing investigation. FT, 24 January
Opinion & editorial
Why China’s global image is getting worse. The Chinese government’s increasingly aggressive diplomacy has hurt its image in much of the world. It’s unlikely to improve anytime soon. Joshua Kurlantzick. Council on Foreign Relations, 24 January
Reparations to the Caribbean could break the cycle of corruption – and China’s grip. Kenneth Mohammed. The Guardian, 25 January
China’s tech-savvy single-person households set to grow larger, helping drive economic growth. Zhou Xin. SCMP, 24 January
Long reads
'Hostage diplomacy': The case of the Western executive held in China for three years. Richard O'Halloran feels he's been 'left to rot' in an atmosphere of growing hostility. Simon Foy. The Telegraph, 24 January
The surveillance concerns around China’s Winter Olympics app – explained. A report found the app that will be used to monitor athletes’ health and travel data has a ‘devastating’ encryption flaw. Johana Bhuiyan. The Guardian, 24 January
As India and China compete, smaller states are cashing in. Harsh V. Pant. Foreign Policy, 24 January