China News - 3 December 2020
International
UK imports from China soar during pandemic. At the height of the pandemic, Britain imported more goods from China than from any other country, for the first time on record. China is usually Britain’s second largest import partner after Germany. But its share rose in the second quarter to account for 13.4 per cent of British imports as purchases from China increased and those from elsewhere declined. Exports of textile fabrics to the UK jumped by £900 million to £1.16 billion while exports of electrical machinery leapt by £750 million to £3.87 billion. The Times, 3 December
Chinese step up attempts to influence Biden team - US official. William Evanina, from the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said the Chinese were also focusing on people close to Mr Biden's team, calling it an influence campaign "on steroids". Separately, a justice department official said more than 1,000 suspected Chinese agents had fled the US. BBC, 2 December
US bans cotton imports from China producer XPCC citing Xinjiang 'slave labor'. The targeting of XPCC, which produced 30% of China's cotton in 2015, follows a Treasury Department ban in July on all dollar transactions with the sprawling business-and-paramilitary entity, founded in 1954 to settle China's far west. Reuters, 1 December
US tightens visa rules for CCP members, limiting 92 million to one-month, single-entry U.S. permits. New York Times, 3 December
Harvard-sponsored Chinese researcher to plead guilty in cancer cell case, accused of trying to smuggle 21 vials of cancer cells taken from a Boston hospital. The Times, Bloomberg, 3 December
Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai detained for fraud. BBC News, 3 December
Australia set to approve tough new veto powers over agreements with foreign governments amid China row. Reuters, 3 December
Australia cannot walk away from its free trade agreement with China, Labor says. The Guardian, 2 December
China watch
China vows to beef up 'weather modification' capabilities, extending artificial snow and rain capabilities to 5.5m million square kilometres of land by 2025. Reuters, The Guardian, 2 December
China #MeToo trial grinds to a halt after accused fails to turn up. The case is a rare instance in China of a victim of alleged sexual misconduct taking her harasser to court. FT, 3 December
Interview: UK insurance CEO confident of China's future development. "I am confident that China -- as it continues to reform and open up -- will build on the progress it has made in the last 40 years," Prudential CEO Mike Wells told Xinhua in a written interview. Xinhua, 3 December
Economy & tech
HSBC share price rockets 50% since its 25-year low in September. It is still down about one-third since the start of the year. BBC, 2 December
Chinese firms on U.S. exchanges threatened by bill headed to Trump's desk. Congress has passed legislation that would force Chinese companies to delist from American exchanges unless they comply with US accounting rules. FT, 3 December
China has one powerful friend left in the U.S.: Wall Street. WSJ, 2 December
Shein: the stealth Chinese brand that helped bring down Topshop and Miss Selfridge. The Telegraph, 2 December
Longer reads & opinion
The end of a wonderful friendship and the beginning of trade woes. What does the decline of UK-China relations mean for a future trade deal? Bloomberg, 3 December
What is China thinking? A new translation project by David Ownby uncovers the intellectual diversity of some of China’s leading thinkers. SupChina, Link to project, 2 December.
Analysis: Ideological security as national security in Xi’s China. CSIS, 2 December
Inside China’s response to COVID: how the pandemic has shifted the country’s scientific landscape and global reputation. Nature, 2 December
Comment: Europe must take sides with the US over China writes Philip Stephens in the FT, 3 December
The case for Chinese reparations. Douglas Murray in The Spectator, 3 December