China News - 25 June 2021
International
US bans target Chinese solar panel industry over Xinjiang forced labour concerns. The Biden administration imposed trade bans on five Chinese entities over forced labour allegations in Xinjiang, the White House said on Thursday, citing the G7’s recent pledge to clean up the global supply chain. A significant portion of the world’s polysilicon, which is used to make solar panels, comes from Xinjiang. The Guardian, Washington Post, NYT, US Factsheet, 24 June
Uygur Forced Labour Prevention Act re-emerges as it clears key US Senate committee. The bill effectively amounts to a ban on all goods coming into the US from Xinjiang, unless businesses can prove that they were not made using forced labour. SCMP, 25 June
In windfall for Xinjiang, huge US mutual funds invest millions in its companies. A SCMP investigation found Vanguard has seen the value of its Xinjiang investments triple since 2018. The investments are legal under current US sanctions laws but some are included in ESG funds. SCMP, 25 June
Hong Kong to complement China’s latest five-year plan: Carrie Lam. Government agencies in Hong Kong have set up a joint working group to help implement China’s 14th Five Year Plan. Caixin, 24 June
Apple Daily: Hong Kong’s last pro-democracy newspaper sells out final edition. The Times, 24 June
Security chief John Lee to become Hong Kong’s no. 2; police chief to head up security. HKFP, 25 June
Nothing wrong with HK being a police state: lawmaker says. RTHK, 25 June
Senior Nato officer warns of China’s ‘shocking’ military advances. “It is quite shocking how quickly China has built ships, how much China has modernised its air force, how much it has invested in cyber and other forms of information management, not least facial recognition,” said air chief marshal Sir Stuart Peach. FT, 25 June
Taiwan chipmakers keep workers ‘imprisoned’ in factories to keep up with global pandemic demand. A Telegraph investigation found labour rights squeezed in Taiwan’s lucrative semiconductor industry. The Telegraph, 25 June
China-Australia relations: Beijing says Canberra ‘distorting trade of goods’, in new WTO complaint. The move follows Australia’s complaint about the targeting of China’s tariffs on Australian wine exports. SCMP, 24 June
China holds slimmed-down Belt and Road conference on 23 June, attended by more than 30 parties, including Myanmar. The Diplomat, 25 June
China's first Covid case could have been in October 2019, says UK study. The Telegraph, 25 June
British Foreign Office withdraws Covid warning against travel to China. The Independent, 25 June
China focus
Longer days for Chinese pupils ‘to reduce burden on parents’. The Times, 24 June
China tech megamerger passes. On Wednesday, SASAC announced that China Putian Information Industry Group (aka Potevio) has become a wholly owned subsidiary of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC). Trivium, 24 June
Economy & tech
Pacific island turns to Australia for undersea cable after spurning China. Nauru is negotiating for the construction of an undersea communications cable that would connect to an Australian network, after a bid from the former Huawei Marine was scuppered. Reuters, 24 June
China plans crewed missions to Mars by 2033. Nasa also aims to send crewed missions to Mars in the 2030s after returning to the Moon later this decade. FT, The Guardian, 25 June
Nike boss defends firm’s business in China after facing consumer boycott. BBC, 25 June
US-China tech war: Beijing’s semiconductor push could be hindered by delays in US permit approvals for equipment imports. SCMP, 24 June
EU wants emergency team for 'nightmare' cyber-attacks. The European Commission has announced plans to build a Joint Cyber Unit to tackle large scale cyber-attacks. BBC, 24 June
Longer reads & opinion
High stakes on the high seas: now Russia, next China for naval confrontation? What will happen when the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier strike group headed by HMS Queen Elizabeth, with HMS Defender and other warships in tow, arrives in the South China Sea in a few months? The Times, 25 June
Between chaos and control: China’s century of revolutions. James Kynge in the FT, 25 June
Chaguan: Ferocious birth-control policies in Xinjiang are racially targeted. A trip to Xinjiang highlights the double standards of birth control in China. The Economist, 24 June
How Do Elite CCP Decisions Really Get Made? ChinaTalk, 24 June
New report: Lofty principles, conflicting incentives: AI ethics and governance in China. MERICS, 24 June