China News - 30 October
International
US urges Beijing to temper Iran’s response to Israel-Hamas war. Following meetings with Wang, a senior US official said “we…pressed China to take a more constructive approach, and that would include of course their engagements with the Iranians to urge calm”. Demetri Sevastopulo. Financial Times, 28 October
Official says an agreement has been reached for Biden-Xi talks, but the details are still being worked out. According to a US official, Biden and Xi have agreed to meet on the sidelines of next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. Didi Tang, Matthew Lee and Aamer Madhani. AP News, 28 October
US eyes 5-year timeline for China chip decoupling. The US seems to be extending export waivers indefinitely to South Korean and Taiwanese chipmakers to supply Chinese facilities with American tech as Washington takes a longer-term approach to decoupling from China. Rintaro Tobita and Kotaro Hosokawa. Nikkei Asia, 27 October
G7 calls for immediate repeal of bans on Japanese food, pressing China. Following a meeting in Osaka, G7 trade ministers called for the “immediate repeal” of import curbs on Japanese food products, which is a clear reference to China’s restrictions. Kantaro Komiya. Reuters, 29 October
China set to skip Ukraine talks as Zelenskiy blueprint struggles. China is not expected to be among the 55 nations attending a meeting of national security advisers in Malta, where Ukraine's drive to build support for its peace formula will be discussed. Alberto Nardelli and Daryna Krasnolutska. Bloomberg, 27 October
Taiwan election may open window for better China ties, report says. The report calls for all parties to take a step back, clarify their positions and “re-establish a baseline level of trust”. Helen Davidson. The Guardian, 27 October
Economy & Tech
Plunging foreign direct investment piles pressure on China’s economy. Analysis shows that FDI fell 34% to $10bn year on year in September, which is the largest decline since monthly figures became available in 2014. Thomas Hale, Ryan McMorrow and Andy Lin. Financial Times, 29 October
Norsk Hydro warns flood of Chinese electric vehicles threatens aluminium demand in Europe. Chief executive, Hilde Merete Aasheim, said the threat posed “if European automakers start reducing their demand [for aluminium] because they are outcompeted” is very real. Harry Dempsey. Financial Times, 29 October
Property developer Evergrande faces winding-up petition in Hong Kong. A Hong Kong court will address a winding-up petition, brought by offshore investor Top Shine Global, against Evergrande. Thomas Hale, Cheng Leng and Chan Ho-him. Financial Times, 29 October
Opinion & long-reads
Will the Israel-Hamas war upend China’s Middle East ambitions? Analysts say that the war threatens to thwart Beijing’s hopes of securing the role of a key mediator, and an alternative to the US, in the region. Erin Hale. Al Jazeera, 28 October
Li Keqiang, Chinese premier, 1955-2023. During his decade in office, Li was seen as the more reform-minded face of Xi’s increasingly authoritarian government. Joe Leahy, Sun Yu and Edward White. Financial Times, 27 October
The passing of a premier and China’s future. Although few are likely to mourn one of China’s more colourless leaders, his death could be used as a way to criticise Xi. Ian Johnson. Cfr, 27 October
Britain is ignoring the real Chinese AI threat. As China is attending the AI summit, it makes discussions on the already huge and ever growing threat posed by the country very difficult. Iain Duncan Smith. Telegraph, 27 October