China News - 28 September 2021
NEW REPORT: A reminder that yesterday we published a major new paper laying setting out the next steps for the UK’s relationship with China, with endorsements from two former UK foreign secretaries. Read the full paper here.
International
UK to start talks on joining trans-Pacific trade pact. The UK will begin talks on Tuesday with the 11 members of the CPTPP to join the pact it regards as important part of its future trade plans. The CPTPP trade pact removes 95% of tariffs between its members; Britain hopes to carve out a niche for itself in world trade as an exporter of premium consumer goods and professional services. Reuters, Sky News, 28 September
UK must be more clear-eyed about risks of China investment - Labour. Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy warned that Britain needs to be warier of the risks of Chinese investment in key industries like nuclear energy. Nandy also declared that Labour would introduce an Act of Parliament that would see companies face financial penalties if they fail to eliminate forced labour from their supply chains. Reuters, 27 September
China accuses British navy of 'evil intentions' as UK warship sails through Taiwan Strait. The HMS Richmond was shadowed by two Chinese vessels on its journey from Japan to Vietnam. The last British frigate to travel through the Taiwan Strait was HMS Kent in 2008. Sky News, The Times, The Telegraph, Independent, 27 September
NATO Secretary General meets virtually with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi. In his first ever formal meeting with China’s foreign minister, NATO’s Stoltenberg said China isn’t an adversary, but “raised NATO’s concerns over China’s coercive policies, expanding nuclear arsenal and lack of transparency on its military modernisation.” NATO, 27 September
U.S., EU to discuss global trade and tech cooperation. Top-level officials from the U.S. and European Union will participate in the inaugural U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council in Pennsylvania on Wednesday to discuss several major economic and technological challenges facing the trans-Atlantic alliance as China’s ambitions increasingly shape global markets. CNBC, 27 September
EU envoys create 11th-hour hitch for transatlantic tech alliance. Ambassadors fail to reach consensus on statement about what the objectives should be. Politico, 27 September
China: 2 Canadians in prisoner swap freed for health reasons. Beijing kept up its narrative that the arrests of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor – and their releases – were not linked to Meng Wanzhou’s arrest in Canada. The Diplomat, 27 September
Canada and China in heated spat at UN over allegations of hostage diplomacy. CNN, 28 September
China lets US siblings return home after three years. BBC, The Guardian, 28 September
Essential poll: majority of Australians back Aukus submarine pact, but fear it will inflame tensions with China. The survey of 1,094 respondents shows 62% believed Australia was correct to pursue the nuclear submarine deal with the US and the UK, while 54% agreed with the statement: “The Aukus partnership is in Australia’s best security and economic interests.” The Guardian, 28 September
Australia's costs for its harder line on China. NYT, 27 September
Vietnam bids to woo Cambodia, Laos from China. AsiaTimes, 27 September
Smartphone maker Xiaomi engages experts to assess Lithuania claims its handsets contain censorship feature. SCMP, Reuters, 27 September
China focus
China electricity shortage: industrial production grinds to halt and traffic lights fail amid rationing. Half of China’s provincial jurisdictions mandate rationing of electricity; one local government warns that the entire power grid is at risk of collapse if electricity is not rationed. SCMP, NYT, Sixth Tone, BBC, Xinhua, 27 September
China power outages pose new threat to supplies of chips and other goods. WSJ, 28 September
China’s State Council outlines development plans for women and children. The plans will play a vital role in implementing the fundamental policy of gender equality and the principle of prioritising the development of children over the next 10 years. Xinhua, 27 September
Economy & tech
How ‘wonder material’ graphene became a national security concern. The UK and China are racing to develop forms of the super-strength technology that has potential aerospace and weaponry uses. The Guardian, 27 September
Cryptocurrency exchanges start cutting off Chinese users. Cryptocurrency exchanges have begun cutting links with customers in China after Beijing declared more activities related to digital coins “illegal” last week. Huobi, one of the world’s biggest crypto exchanges, announced it would remove Chinese users by the end of the year, while Binance was no longer accepting user sign-ups with Chinese phone numbers. FT, WSJ, 27 September
Chinese developer Sunac seeks to avoid Evergrande contagion. FT, 28 September
Longer reads & opinion
‘The Michaels’ and the truth about hostage diplomacy in China. Edward White. FT, 27 September
Australia must adopt unorthodox options to disrupt China’s grey-zone threats. Ashley Townshend and Thomas Lonergan. The Guardian, 28 September
‘Common Prosperity’ or Populist PR Stunts? Sam Bresnick and Nathanial Sher. The Wire China, 26 September
China is choking civil society at the United Nations. The Chinese government is using every means at its disposal to do battle with NGOs. Rana Siu Inboden. Foreign Policy, 28 September
Why BRICS still matters. Manjari Chatterjee Miller. Foreign Policy, 27 September
China’s “digital natives”: How the post-’90s generation is transforming the country. Cheng Li. Brookings, 27 September