China News - 25 October
International
China dismisses defence minister Li Shangfu who has been missing for two months. General Li Shangfu was appointed to the role during a cabinet reshuffle in March, but he has not been seen publicly since August. He is the second high-ranking Chinese official to disappear this year. Sky News, 24 October
Navy to replace Chinese laundrymen for security reasons. The Royal Navy is ending its century-old tradition of having Chinese servants on warships. Nepalese Gurkhas will replace them amid fears that Beijing could threaten the servants’ families in China and make those on board pass on Royal Navy secrets. Ali Mitib. Thetimes, 23 October
China’s Wang Yi to visit Washington amid Middle East tensions, US officials say. Wang will visit Washington from 26-28 October and meet with Anthony Blinken and Jake Sullivan. This long-anticipated visit comes amid soaring tensions in the Middle East. Humeyra Pamuk and Simon Lewis. Reuters, 23 October
Canada tells of China-linked “spamouflage” blitz on MPs’ social media. The foreign ministry said it detected China-linked bots posting conspiracy theories, lies and abuse as comments on MPs’ feeds, even that of Justin Trudeau. The Guardian, 24 October
Hong Kong universities under pressure as academics head for exit. Some academics believe “the space for freedom has diminished” as the effects of Beijing’s crackdown on civil liberties in the Chinese territory had led many to take up lower-paid positions in other places. Chan Ho-him. Financial Times, 24 October
Taiwan presidential frontrunner blasts China over Foxconn probe. Lai Ching-te has accused Beijing of unfairly targeting the Taiwanese company ahead of the election saying “China must not demand Taiwanese enterprises take sides”. Kathrin Hille. Financial Times, 24 October
Economy & Tech
China and US officials discuss macroeconomic developments in meeting. The officials from both countries met online to discuss domestic and global macroeconomic developments. The US Treasury Department called the meeting “productive and substantive”. Kanishka Singh. Reuters, 24 October
US chip curbs stymie efforts by China surveillance group to diversify. SenseTime has been pushing to diversify away from unreliable government revenues by snapping up high-powered chips that every AI company wants. Eleanor Olcott. Financial Times, 24 October
Opinion & long-reads
The bankruptcy of Xiconomics. Xi’s stubborn adherence to flawed policies has global implications as Chinese growth is likely to remain slow for decades. Junhua Zhang. Gisreportsonline, 23 October
China’s EV sector burns bright but cannot offset property’s woes. Xi’s “high-quality consumption” slogan requires difficult structural reforms. Joe Leahy. Financial Times, 24 October
China’s age of malaise. China seems to be in turmoil as party officials are vanishing, young workers are “lying flat”, and entrepreneurs are fleeing the country. Evan Osnos. The New Yorker, 23 October
Why does China claim almost the entire South China Sea. Beijing’s claim is embodied by its nine-dash line that an international court rejected more than seven years ago. Al Jazeera, 24 October
China toddler mauling prompts crackdown on dogs. Officials in China have launched a crackdown on stray, unregistered and “oversized” dogs following a vicious attack on a two year old girl by a Rottweiler. Stephen McDonnell. BBC News, 23 October