China News - 30 September 2020

International

US Presidential debate: Donald Trump blames ‘China plague’ for US economic woes. Early on in the debate, Biden, the former vice-president, said that Trump had downplayed the severity of the pandemic and given undue praise to China’s response under President Xi Jinping’s government. Both candidates attacked each other for being too soft on China. SCMP, 30 September

Uyghurs could be allowed to seek genocide ruling against China in UK. Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities would be given the right to petition a UK high court judge to declare that genocide is taking place in China, requiring the UK government to curtail trade ties with Beijing, under proposals brought by MPs and peers. The Guardian, 29 September

Interview with Trade Secretary Liz Truss: UK accelerates talks with TPP members after closing Japan trade deal. Nikkei Asia, 30 September

Stuart Lau @stuartlauscmp

Merkel set out her main China talking points a day before attending a special EU summit with a China focus: 1/Trade: “We are interested in having a fair trade with China. Not much progress has been made and now we want to try to give it a new impetus, to make a decisive progress”

Quad group, made up of US, Japan, Australia and India, to meet in show of unity to China. SCMP, 29 September

China flexes military muscle with drills in all four coastal seas. The Times, 29 September

China's UK ambassador calls for efforts to overcome difficulties in bilateral ties. ECNS, 29 September

Portugal rejects US warning of sanctions over Chinese investment; President says only Portuguese representatives decide on domestic issues. SCMP, 29 September

China takes 1959 line on perception of LAC - the first time it has clearly spelled out its stance on Sino-India boundary. Hindustan Times, 29 September

China watch:

• China sets October 26-29 date for key Fifth Plenum of 19th Party Congress and early November for CPPCC meeting. SCMP, Xinhua, 29 September

• Chinese Leader Xi Jinping inscribes himself into party procedural rules. Radio Free Asia, 29 September

• Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi says China will keep opening up, contribute to vaccine efforts. Reuters, 29 September

• Artificial intelligence expert Zhu Songchun to return to China from US as part of Beijing push for AI leadership. SCMP, 29 September

Economy & tech

China’s export machine looks inward as global risks rise. WSJ, 27 September

VW and its Chinese partners pour €15bn into country’s electric car market. FT, 28 September

Germany heading for de facto Huawei ban. Handelsblatt, 30 September

China Evergrande reaches debt deal to relieve deadline pressure. Nikkei Asia, 30 September

Longer reads & opinion

How China is taking over international organisations, one vote at a time. No other nation has its citizens running more than one U.N. agency. WSJ, 29 September

Opinion: Business must keep pushing for freedom in Hong Kong. Joshua Wong in the FT, 29 September

Washington Post Editorial Board: China’s Xi is doubling down on genocide. Washington Post, 29 September

Opinion: China and Russia have adapted the Lenin’s call to sow discord and acquire influence. Edward Lucas in The Times, 28 September

Comment: HSBC board ill-equipped to deal with crisis in the East with only two Chinese out of 15 board members. Katherine Griffiths in The Times, 29 September

Covid-19: The nail in the coffin of China’s Belt and Road initiative? The Diplomat, 28 September