China News - 30 November 2022
International
China Covid protests: UK summons ambassador over journalist arrest. The Chinese ambassador to the UK, Zheng Zeguang, was summoned to the Foreign Office following the arrest of BBC journalist, Ed Lawrence, in Shanghai. A heavy police presence in China's major cities seems to have curbed further protests, although people in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou clashed with police overnight. Some protesters have said police have contacted them to seek information on their whereabouts. Meanwhile, Chinese officials directed blame for the unrest towards local governments and ‘hostile forces’. BBC, 30 November
China’s high youth unemployment stokes student Covid protests. FT, 30 November
Shenzhen nucleus gene lab found to report false Covid test results. Caixin, 30 November
Former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin dead at 96. The former Chinese president Jiang Zemin, who led his country out of isolation after the crushing of pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square and supported economic reforms that led to a decade of explosive growth, has died aged 96. Jiang died from leukaemia and multiple organ failure in Shanghai, the official Xinhua news agency said. Reuters, 30 November
The Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by the CRG’s Alicia Kearns MP, arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of a week of dialogue with Taiwanese officials:
UK government to pay Chinese group £100 million to exit Sizewell C. The UK government is to pay Chinese state-owned power group CGN over £100 million to exit Britain’s £20 billion Sizewell C nuclear energy project in a bid to reduce Beijing’s involvement in the country’s infrastructure. The move comes alongside a continued government commitment to develop a pipeline of new nuclear projects, beyond Sizewell C. Gov.uk, 29 November
French regulator called on to withdraw licence allowing CGTN to broadcast from London. France’s media regulator is under pressure to withdraw a licence that allows the Chinese state broadcaster to beam its programmes across Europe from a studio in London. Ofcom revoked the organisation’s licence to transmit in the UK last year but CGTN was able to continue broadcasting following authorisation from the Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel. The Guardian, 29 November
NATO holds first dedicated talks on China threat to Taiwan. NATO members held their first dedicated debate on Taiwan in September, as the US encourages other members of the transatlantic security alliance to pay more attention to the rising threat of China to the island. The discussions came three months after Nato released a strategy that for the first time described China as a threat to the 30-member alliance. FT, 30 November
Pentagon: China to more than triple its nuclear arsenal by 2035. By 2035, Pentagon officials expect the People’s Liberation Army to complete the modernisation of its military forces. Politico, 29 November
South Dakota bans TikTok access on state-owned devices citing ties to China. Kristi Noem, governor of South Dakota, issued an executive order banning state employees and contractors from accessing the video platform TikTok on state-owned devices, citing its ties to China. The Guardian, 30 November
Xi says ready to strengthen China-Russia energy cooperation. Xinhua, 29 November
Shenzhou-15: China sends new crew to Tiangong space station. BBC, 30 November
Economy & tech
China economic activity falls as Covid cases surge to record. China’s economic activity contracted further in November amid a record Covid outbreak, with growth likely to remain weak and the central bank expected to add more stimulus to bolster the recovery. The official manufacturing purchasing managers index fell to 48 this month, the lowest reading since April. Bloomberg, 30 November
China's chip industry fights to survive US tech crackdown. Battered by sanctions, Huawei leads the way in stealthily building a domestic semiconductor supply chain. The Chinese government has also set up a consortium of companies - including Alibaba and Tencent - and research institutes to create new chip intellectual property. Nikkei Asia, FT, 30 November
Alibaba founder Jack Ma living in Tokyo after China’s tech crackdown. FT, 29 November
Long reads & opinion
Will China’s protests survive? A nationwide movement of this scale has no post-1989 precedent. James Palmer. Foreign Policy, 28 November
Companies will find it hard to diversify away from China Covid shock. June Yoon. FT, 30 November
Time is Taiwan’s most critical asset. With clarity of vision and unity of purpose, Taiwan can put itself in a stronger position to protect its democratic way of life. Ryan Hass. Brookings, 28 November
Editorial: Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai goes on trial soon. So does freedom of speech. The Washington Post, 30 November