China News - 28 February 2023
International
Canada bans TikTok from government devices over security concerns. Canada on Monday announced a ban on Chinese-owned social media app TikTok from government-issued devices, saying it presents an "unacceptable" level of risk to privacy and security, adding to the growing rift between the two countries. Nikkei Asia, 28 February
British tech minister: TikTok should be ‘personal choice’ for UK officials. Politico, 28 February
Orbán backs China’s Ukraine peace plan. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that his country supports China’s peace plan for Ukraine, countering Western leaders’ position on the Beijing proposal. “We also consider China’s peace plan important and support it,” the Hungarian leader said, adding that he wants Hungary to stay out of the war and not deliver weapons to Ukraine. Politico, 27 February
EU to start talks on UK participation in Horizon Europe. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has publicly confirmed that she is ready to begin talks immediately on an association agreement to allow UK’s participation in Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship scientific research programme aimed at scientific and technological bases and boost its innovation capacity. University World News, 28 February
UK government announces £15 million funding boost to strengthen supply of critical minerals. The £15 million funding will launch the CLIMATES programme, delivered by Innovate UK, to develop work on rare earths by researchers and businesses across the country. This will support innovations in the recycling of rare earth elements, as well as research and development, engagement with international partners and activities to identify and support future skills needs. Gov.uk, 27 February
Foreign Affairs Committee oral evidence session: UK universities’ engagement with autocracies. Today’s session on universities' engagement with autocracies will include questions from MPs on the issues that internationalisation in UK higher education raises around national security, human rights and academic freedom. Parliament.uk, 28 February
Congress to examine operations of US companies in China. The US House committee created to focus on threats from Beijing plans to look at the role of private equity, venture capital and Wall Street firms in China as it prepares to launch hearings on Tuesday. FT, 27 February
China threatens to block Musk's Starlink with rival fleet of 13,000 satellites. The Telegraph, 27 February
China dismisses latest claim that lab leak likely caused Covid. NYT, 27 February
Economy & tech
Chinese factories launch charm offensive for buyers after Covid isolation. Local Chinese governments have organised delegations of exporters to trade shows across the US and Europe to drum up business, targeting foreign buyers who diversified their suppliers in response to disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic. Investment by foreign companies in China tumbled to its lowest level in 18 years in the second half of last year. FT, 28 February
JPMorgan slashes China weighting in proposed new Asia bond index. JPMorgan has proposed an alternative to its popular index of Asian corporate bonds that slashes the weighting of Chinese issuers, following a financial crisis in the country’s real estate market that has choked off new issuance from the highly indebted sector. FT, 27 February
Volkswagen China chief visits Xinjiang plant, claims no sign of forced labour. Volkswagen is contractually committed to its plant in Xinjiang until 2030, it said on Tuesday, after its China chief made the first visit by senior management to the plant in mid-February and said he saw no signs of forced labour. Reuters, 28 February
China’s gas demand is a bigger worry for Europe than Russia cutoff. Bloomberg, 28 February
Opinion & editorial
Britain risks being sidelined in funding war. Washington and Brussels are preparing for a fight over future green energy projects. Meereen Khan and Emily Gosden. The Times, 28 February
Some politicians seem comfortable with the idea of a new cold war. They shouldn’t. Christopher S Chivvis. The Guardian, 27 February
To save Ukraine, defeat Russia and deter China. Tom Nichols. The Atlantic, 27 February
What will China’s ‘two sessions’ 2023 bring? The expected confirmation of Xi protégé Li Qiang as the country’s new premier could be the most watched moment of the legislative session. Jun Mai. SCMP, 28 February