China News - 4 May 2021
UK and US urge G7 to ally against threats from Russia and China. Antony Blinken and Dominic Raab, have called for a revitalised and broadened alliance of G7 nations determined to defend open societies and the rules-based order from the threats posed by the autocracies of China and Russia. Speaking after a meeting in London on Monday, Raab said he saw “an increasing demand and need for an agile cluster of countries that share the same values and want to protect the multilateral system”. The Guardian, The Times, 3 May
New Zealand hardens stance on China in wake of Five Eyes security row. New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern said Monday that differences between her country and China are becoming “harder to reconcile” after her government faced accusations it was being too soft on Beijing. The Telegraph, 3 May
Australia reviews Chinese ownership of Darwin port over security risks. Australia’s department of defence is reviewing whether to scrap a 99-year lease to a Chinese company. The port is located close to a US Marines base. FT, The Guardian, 4 May
Cameron set to give up on $1bn UK-China investment fund. Four years after revealing plans to set up a joint private sector fund to invest in the UK, China and countries along China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the project remains on hold. FT, The Times, 3 May
‘Get the f*** out!’: Philippines foreign secretary in undiplomatic rebuke to China. Teodoro Locsin Jr., Duterte’s foreign minister, demanded that Beijing pull its ships out of Manila’s waters in the South China Sea. China urged the Philippines on Tuesday to observe "basic etiquette". NYT, The Independent, Reuters, 3 May
Stand up to China and Putin? Foreign policy at heart of Germany vote. Echoing rhetoric from within the White House, Annalena Baerbock recently said that Germany’s relationship with China should be marked by a “competition of systems: authoritarian powers versus liberal democracy”. The Observer, 2 May
Percussionist Fang Zhang wins BBC Young Musician 2020. The 17-year-old Chinese-born musician triumphed at final. The Guardian, 3 May
Virus blamed for rise in race attacks. Hate crimes against Chinese people rose sharply in Scotland as the coronavirus pandemic took hold. The Times Scotland, 4 May
Economy & tech
How Beijing bought up Britain. An investigation by The Sunday Times for the first time reveals the scale of Chinese investment in Britain, estimated at £143bn. Sunday Times, City AM, 2 May
EU regulator starts review of China’s Sinovac vaccine. Politico, 3 May
Longer reads & opinion
Lousy demographics will not stop China’s rise. Even if the average Chinese is only half as rich as the average American, the Chinese economy would still easily surpass America’s in overall size. Gideon Rachman in the FT, 3 May
West and allies relaunch push for own version of China’s Belt and Road. FT, 2 May
Why African countries back China on human rights. BBC, 2 May. Five Eyes: Is the alliance in trouble over China? BBC, 4 May
Comment: Biden and Xi talk of a clash of civilisations. But the real shared goal is dominance. The Guardian, 2 May
Interview with Adrian Zenz: Meet the man China is taking desperate measures to silence. The Telegraph, 3 May
The genocide in Xinjiang cannot be overlooked. Council on Geostrategy, 29 April