China News 30 April 2020
International
Sweden joins calls for inquiry. Sweden is planning to ask the European Union to probe the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sweden’s Health Minister Lena Hallengren replied to a letter from parliamentarians, and said Sweden will also support the EU looking at the role of the WHO. SMCP, 30 April & Axios
UK backing inquiry - after crisis. Britain’s Ambassador to the United States on Wednesday backed calls for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus and the response of the World Health Organization, but said the first priority is containing the outbreak. The Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee has written to the Government asking about the UK’s strategy for engaging with China. Reuters, 29 April & Foreign Affairs Committee
Australia and New Zealand not backing down. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said an inquiry was “entirely reasonable.” His comments came after the Chinese embassy leaked a confidential diplomatic phone call, and the Chinese consul-general gatecrashed a press conference with Australia’s Health Minister. FT, 29 April, ABC & Sydney Morning Herald, 29 April and DFAT statement
After PM Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand would support an inquiry, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said: “It is very hard to conceive, no matter what country it is, of there not being a desire from every country around the world - including the country of origin - for an investigation to find out how this happened." He added: "I'm not worried about [potential ramifications] because China has promised me they don't behave that way," Newshub, 29 April
State-run media threatens Netherlands over Taiwan office name change. State-run newspaper the Global Times has threatened the Netherlands over its decision to change the name of its office in Taiwan. It raised the prospect of a Dutch product boycott in China, and a halt to medical exports to the Netherlands. Global Times, 28 April
Delayed National People's Congress (NPC) to open 22 May. “a symbolic display of confidence by Beijing that it has successfully contained the coronavirus”. CNN, 29 April.
“China urges U.S. to stop interfering in China's internal affairs under pretext of religion” Xinhua, 29 April
Economy
How Europe is tightening controls on foreign investment. Bloomberg reports on the new EU law on screening foreign investments, due to take effect this October. Berlin, Paris, Rome and Madrid have all increased their powers to veto investment from outside the EU in recent weeks. This month Germany tightened protections to enable it to block acquisitions that present “potential interference” to critical infrastructure and on Tuesday added an extra provision for all investments of 10% or more in healthcare companies. Bloomberg, 30 April
White House split over medical trade policy, says Washington Post. The paper reports on a debate over proposals from Peter Navarro, which would require the government to buy medical supplies manufactured in the United States. Washington Post, 29 April
Ted Cruz promoting bill to stop film studios working with Chinese censors. The law would block cooperation between the U.S. Defense Department and any film studios that edit or alter their movies for audiences in China. Politico, 28 April
Long reads
Dream State: Harpers magazine on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protest movement.
Politico on the international contest for online influence: “If Russia is a tropical storm, then China is climate change,” said Jānis Sārts, director of the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence.
If you found this news summary useful, please do sign up to receive it, or share it with friends: