China News - 5 December

International

US, UK and Australia move to track “emerging threats” in space. The allies will build a ground-based radar in each country to enhance “space domain awareness” and increase their ability to detect, track and identify objects in deep space. Demetri Sevastopulo, Felicia Schwartz and Lucy Fisher. Financial Times, 2 December

Australia says AI will be used to help track Chinese submarines under new Aukus plan. Richard Marles, Australia’s defence minister, met with Grant Shapps and Lloyd J Austin in California to announce the second “pillar” of the Aukus deal. Tory Shepherd. The Guardian, 2 December

“Blame China”: EU Parliament’s high-stakes gambit at COP28. The head of the European Parliament’s delegation said Beijing must stop portraying itself as a developing country and contribute to climate finance like “a superpower” or assume responsibility for the talks’ failure. Frederic Simon. EURACTIV, 3 December

China says US navy ship “seriously violated” its sovereignty. The US says the vessel was operating in international waters, but military tensions continue to linger although overall diplomatic ties have seemingly warmed. Bloomberg, 4 December

Second SCMP reported dropped out of contact in China last year. Minnie Chan has been unreachable since travelling to China more than a month ago. Erin Hale. Al Jazeera, 4 December

Edinburgh Zoo’s giant pandas leave their home of 12 years to start journey back to China. The UK’s only giant pandas, Yang Guang and Tian Tian, left for China on Monday. Sky News, 4 December

Economy & Tech

China will hold summit with EU leaders to discuss global economic issues. A China-EU summit will be held in Beijing on Thursday, both sides are expected to discuss strategic and global economic issues. Liz Lee. Reuters, 4 December

McDonald’s raises China bet, bucking Western firms’ derisking trend. McDonald’s decision to take greater control of its China business and expand aggressively in the face of a consumer slowdown and geopolitical tensions seems risky but may pay-off. Casey Hall. Reuters, 4 December

Opinion & long-reads

Evergrande: liquidation would leave Beijing with 1.5mn angry homebuyers. 1.5mn people have already paid Evergrande for unfinished homes. Beijing may have to deal with social discontent if Evergrande’s projects cannot be completed. Financial Times, 4 December

Couple’s property ordeal captivates Chinese internet. A Chinese couple in their 30s have documented the last 2 years of their lives. Their struggle to own a flat has captivated the Chinese internet and shed light on the country’s economic downturn. Fan Wang. BBC News, 4 December

Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive worked wonders on his bureaucrats’ waistlines. In 2009, more than 40% of public sector officials were overweight in China, a recent study has found that Xi’s anti-corruption campaign is slimming their waistlines and wallets. Torsten Bell. The Guardian, 3 December