China News - 3 November 2021
China News - 3 November 2021
International
Westminster School scraps plans for linked institutions in China. The elite private institution had been working since 2017 on plans for a 2,000-pupil school in Chengdu in Sichuan province. But in a letter to staff and students on Tuesday, Mark Batten, chair of the governing body, wrote that a combination of the Covid-19 pandemic and “recent changes in Chinese education policy” had led to the cancellation of the project. The Telegraph, FT, The Times, 2 November
In parliament today: legislation detailing a new finance model to help cut the cost of new British nuclear power projects and reduce overdependence on foreign suppliers is set to be debated.
COP26
Truss announces major investment in clean infrastructure in Asia. The UK’s £110 million of financial support announced yesterday will mobilise further public and private funds and forms part of a wider commitment from ASEAN governments and partners to deploy over £5 billion into green projects across the region. Gov.uk, Politics.co.uk, 2 November
World leaders announce plan to make green tech cheaper than alternatives. More than 40 nations, including the UK, US, and China, said they would align standards and coordinate investments to speed up production and bring forward the “tipping point” at which green technologies are more affordable and accessible than fossil-fuelled alternatives. The Guardian, 2 November
China urges US to look at its own record on climate action after Biden condemns Xi’s absence. China’s ambassador to the UN on Wednesday criticised the US over its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and its back-pedalling on climate policies after US President Joe Biden condemned Chinese and Russian leaders for not taking part in the ongoing climate summit in Glasgow. SCMP, 3 November
Beijing optimistic on climate markets deal after "wasted" years. Reuters, 2 November
Taiwan welcomes first official European Parliament delegation. This visit of a delegation from the Parliament’s Special Committee on Foreign Interference is likely to “provoke fury in Beijing and refocus attention on EU-China relations”, according to Politico. Politico, Reuters, Bloomberg, 3 November
Chinese students being ‘harassed and interrogated’ in US, education ministry says. Those studying in STEM fields have been subject to more scrutiny since August, according to a new notice. SCMP, 3 November
Chinese drug makers want to produce US Covid-19 pill for poorer nations. SCMP, 2 June
Hong Kong activist who tried to seek asylum at US consulate found guilty of secession. The Guardian, 3 November
Economy & tech
Yahoo pulls out of China, ending tumultuous two-decade relationship. The US tech giant cited an increasingly challenging business and legal environment as the reasons behind ceasing to offer its services in China. Access to many of Yahoo's features has disappeared since 2013, including email and news. WSJ, CNN, BBC, 2 November
Border closures threaten Hong Kong's financial hub status. As countries in the region reopen, the city is now one of the most closed places in the world following Carrie Lam’s announcement that almost all exemptions from quarantine for overseas and mainland travellers would end. BBC, FT, 3 November
China’s premier warns of new ‘downward pressures’. China’s economy faces new downward pressures and has to cut taxes and fees to address the problems faced by small and medium-sized companies, according to the country’s Premier Li Keqiang. Al Jazeera, 3 November
China’s property developers struggle to find buyers for billions in assets. Bloomberg, 2 November
Alibaba launches ‘metaverse’ for China’s Black Friday. RADII, 3 November
Diageo announces $75 million malt whisky distillery in Yunnan province. The Times, 3 November
China focus
Tennis star accuses China's former vice premier of sexual coercion. Peng Shuai’s accusation against Zhang Gaoli takes the country’s budding #MeToo movement to the top echelons of the Communist Party for the first time. TaiwanNews, NYT, 2 November
Shutting down historical debate, China makes it a crime to mock heroes. Under a new law, Beijing has prosecuted even the perceived slander of Communist figures, broadening Xi Jinping’s campaign to dominate party orthodoxy. NYT, 2 November
Beijing flights cancelled as China’s capital city tightens Covid restrictions. CNBC, 2 November
Opinion & editorial
How we can share our divided world. Co-operation is essential if nations are to provide the necessary global public goods for humanity. Martin Wolf. FT, 2 November
The Guardian view on China and Cop26: do not despair. Despite Xi Jinping’s absence in Glasgow, Beijing is taking climate seriously. The Guardian, 2 November
Spirit of consensus offers hope for Cop26 summit. Ben Webster. The Times, 2 November
What China’s new data export guidelines mean for international businesses. Xinmei Sun. SCMP, 2 November
Longer reads
Explainer: The Chinese Communist Party’s Sixth Plenum. The aims of the upcoming Sixth Plenum and what they say about Xi Jinping’s political and personal agendas. Charles Parton. Council on Geostrategy, 3 November
Xinjiang’s oppression has shifted gears. Militarisation is being scaled down as internal surveillance and propaganda increase. Daria Impiombato. Foreign Policy, 1 November
Hong Kong protests: filmmakers decry new law that could censor a moment in history. The 2019 protests spawned documentaries that may never see broad release amid growing intolerance of anything linked to the fight for democracy. Helen Davidson. The Guardian, 3 November