China News - 30 November 2021

International

MI6 boss warns of China 'debt traps and data traps'. In his first live broadcast interview, Richard Moore warned China has the capability to "harvest data from around the world" and uses money to "get people on the hook". Explaining the "data trap", he said: "If you allow another country to gain access to really critical data about your society, over time that will erode your sovereignty, you no longer have control over that data. His public speech today will see him set out an approach based on pursuing partnerships with tech companies to “solve our biggest mission problems”. BBC, The Times, The Guardian, 30 November

Leaked papers link Xinjiang crackdown with China leadership. Documents leaked to the Uyghur Tribunal were reviewed by Adrian Zenz and leading Xinjiang experts David Tobin and James Millward. ‘The Xinjiang Papers’, which were partly covered by the NYT in 2019, show multiple links directly links top Chinese leaders including President Xi Jinping to the state's crackdown on Uyghur Muslims. The Guardian, BBC, 29 November

Xi pledges 1 billion vaccines for Africa. President Xi made the pledge on Monday at the ongoing Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the key triennial forum for China-Africa relations, and a frequent source of high-profile policy announcements. Xi also said China would encourage more imports of African agricultural products with new "green lanes", and increase the range of zero-tariff goods, aiming for US$300 billion of total imports from Africa in the next three years. SCMP, Xi speech transcript, 29 November

EU plans €300bn global infrastructure spend. The FT and Handelsblatt both report on draft proposals of the EU’s new development financing plans. The €300bn, to be invested by 2027, would include resources from the EU, member states, European financial institutions and national development banks. FT, Handelsblatt, 29 November

New Shadow Foreign Secretary. David Lammy will replace Lisa Nandy, who had taken a firm stance on China. The Guardian, 29 November

Taiwan's Tsai hosts Baltic lawmakers, seeking closer cooperation. President Tsai held meetings with delegations from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Nikkei Asia, 29 November

The Simpsons: Tiananmen episode not found in Hong Kong. The launch of Disney+ in Hong Kong was missing an episode. BBC, 29 November

China blowback looms for US $250bn Innovation and Competition Act. Politico, 28 November

China focus

China not inviting Western politicians who threaten boycott of Beijing Winter Games, media says. The country has not invited US politicians to attend the Winter Games and has no plans to invite a large number of foreign guests. Reuters, 29 November

Alibaba market cap sinks by half in a year since Ant IPO shelved. Nikkei Asia, 29 November

Taiwanese tycoon ‘opposes independence’ after China fines firm US$74 million. Reuters, 30 November

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Economy & tech

China surveillance of journalists to use 'traffic-light' system. Security officials in one of China’s largest provinces have commissioned a surveillance system they say they want to use to track journalists and international students among other “suspicious people”, documents reviewed by Reuters showed. Reuters, BBC, The Guardian, IPVM, 29 November

China's CNOOC starts production at second phase of Buzzard. CNOOC has a 43% interest in the largest UK North Sea oil discovery in the past two decades, which aims to produce up to 80,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2022. Reuters, 29 November

Tesla to expand production at Shanghai plant. The expansion project marks Tesla’s renewed effort to increase investment in China. Caixin, 29 November

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Opinion & editorial

The Times view on Barbados cutting ties with the monarchy: Colonial Caribbean. Citing debt diplomacy, it warns China’s financial muscle is a modern form of colonialism. The Times, 30 November

Why China’s elite tread a perilous path. International renown offers no protection from arbitrary power in China. Gideon Rachman. FT, 29 November

Some quiet relief as Covid aborts the WTO ministerial. Covid travel bans derailed the planned biennial Ministerial WTO conference in Geneva. Alan Beattie. FT, 29 November

Long reads

Taiwan’s secretive submarine programme. Britain also has approved multiple export licences in the past three years for UK companies to supply submarine components, technology or software to Taiwan, according to FOIs. Reuters, 29 November

What a brawl at a rally against Asian hate and the BN(O) influx of Hongkongers can tell us about political fires between Chinese groups in the UK. A rally in Chinatown led to scuffles. SCMP, 30 November

Are African governments expecting too much from FOCAC? While agricultural exports are top of the agenda, just five categories make up 83 percent of total Chinese agricultural imports from Africa. Lauren Ashmore. The Diplomat, 29 November

New report: Benchmarking critical technologies. The authors look to develop an objective and repeatable methodology for measuring technical achievements against clearly defined strategic goals for the critical technology sector. ASPI, 30 November

What is it to be ‘Chinese’? Cindy Yu and Bill Hayton. The Spectator’s Chinese Whispers podcast, 29 November