International
UK-China: How Huawei ban and Chinese influence operations have worsened UK relations with China. A new Bloomberg long read looks at the recent history of the UK’s deteriorating relationship with Beijing. It includes stories of Huawei’s continued lobbying of members of the House of Lords and attempts to persuade British MPs to stop Benedict Rogers from publishing an article about human rights in China. Bloomberg, 26 November
UK Parliament: Lords have proposed cross-party amendment seeking to block trade deals with states accused of committing genocide.
Beijing’s influence in European Parliament draws fresh scrutiny. Another long read, this time from Politico, on CCP influence - through the EU-China friendship group. Its leader, a high-profile Czech conservative named Jan Zahradil, was vice chair of the Parliament’s powerful International Trade Committee. There are questions over whether he was able to obtain access to sensitive negotiating documents from the European Commission. Politico, 26 November
Chinese media step up campaign to muddy probe into Covid origins. Chinese state media are marshalling fringe theories to argue that the coronavirus pandemic began outside China, ahead of a World Health Organization investigation into the origins of the virus. FT, 25 November
'Not here to be bullied': UK weighs in on China’s list of 14 grievances against Australia. “We see ourselves, frankly, in very much the same boat as Australia," Tom Tugendhat MP said in an interview from London. Tugendhat said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson would be "extremely aware" of the list and that he expected the UK and Australia to stand "shoulder to shoulder in standing up for democracy". He urged China's President Xi Jinping to change course or it would put China's future economic prosperity at risk. Sydney Morning Herald, 26 November
UK: Foreign Office minister Baroness Sugg quits over UK overseas aid cut from 0.7% to 0.5% of GNI. The move has been widely criticised by MPs for sending the wrong message about Britain’s foreign policy ambitions, although British aid spending will still be some of the highest in the world after the cut. BBC, The Times, 25 November
Xi Jinping calls to congratulate Joe Biden on election win. Chinese president told future counterpart he hoped two countries would ‘uphold sprit of non-conflict, focus on cooperation’. The Guardian, 25 November
Unified ASEAN can avert South China Sea conflict - Philippine minister. Reuters, 25 November
South Korea, China agree on early Xi visit, North Korea talks after Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi arrived in Seoul on Wednesday. Reuters, 26 November
China watch
China’s Premier Li Keqiang orders provincial governments to ‘tell the truth’ about economic conditions as interbank regulators find evidence of wrongdoing at state-owned Yongcheng Coal. Caixin, SCMP, 25 November
Xi Focus: Xi stresses military training to raise capability of winning wars. Xinhua, 25 November
China's largest wholesale market in Beijing suspends sales, storage of frozen goods as COVID precaution. Reuters, 26 November
Economy & tech
Chinese tech companies write off India, as another 43 apps banned - blacklist includes Alibaba, Tencent and Bytedance. FT, 26 November
China lashes out at India app block, UK 5G ban, saying UK “discriminating and suppressing Chinese companies”. ZDNet, 25 November
Foxconn to shift some Apple production to Vietnam as firm diversifies to minimise China risk. Reuters, 26 November
China aims to shake US grip on chip design tools, as three Chinese startups hire veteran engineers from top US chip design toolmakers. Nikkei Asia, 26 November
France demands digital tax payments from US tech groups. French tax authorities are pushing ahead with a new digital service tax. FT, 25 November
Longer reads & opinion
China’s “Health Silk Road”: Adapting the BRI to a pandemic-era world. Merics, 25 November
China’s latest acts of oppression must act as a wake-up call. Former UK foreign minister David Owen in The Times, 26 November
Divided internet: China and US switch places as data powerhouse. Nikkei Asia infographic, 26 November
Britain’s independent schools must look beyond China for international students. Over 25% of overseas boarders in UK independent schools come form China and Hong Kong. Andrew Lewer MP in Capx, 25 November
Democratic source code for a new US-EU tech alliance. Lawfare, 24 November