NPC opens: Beijing set to overhaul Hong Kong electoral system. Hong Kong's Election Commission will be more Beijing-appointed and will have the power to vet all Hong Kong legislative candidates, in some cases directly appointing them. Premier Li Keqiang, addressing the National People's Congress (NPC), warned the world not to interfere. BBC, The Telegraph, Xinhua (CN) 4 March
Other key announcements from the China’s biggest political gathering of the year (SCMP):
Target for GDP growth above 6% in 2021
A 6.8% increase for China’s military budget in 2021
Pledge to increase annual R&D spending by more than 7% over next five years, and 10.6% increase in gov expenditure on research in 2021
Pledge to cut energy intensity by 13.5%, implementing climate control targets
Construct a “Polar Silk Road” and participate in development of Arctic and Antarctic regions
UK changes course to allow benefits access for Hong Kongers. The Home Office has lifted a ban on access to public funds for Hong Kongers settling in the U.K. who might be at risk of falling into poverty, following pressure from campaigners and the Labour party. Politico, 5 March
Hong Kong activists: 15 of 47 granted bail but remain detained pending appeal. BBC, 4 March
WHO scraps plans to release interim report on Wuhan Covid origins. WSJ, The Times, 4 March
Warning over Chinese influence on British universities. More on the new UK universities report, due next week, which is led by Jo Johnson in The Times, 5 March
Beijing slams Lithuania’s plan to set up a representative trade office in Taiwan. SCMP, 5 March
Anti-China sentiment in US continues to rise, Pew survey finds. SCMP, 5 March
China, UK partners in green transition, says UK government renewable energy adviser. China Daily, 5 March
Economy & tech
In battle with U.S., China to focus on 7 ‘frontier’ technologies from chips to brain-computer fusion. As part of its five-year plan, China laid out seven tech areas it will focus on: AI, quantum information, semiconductors, brain science, genomics and biotechnology, clinical medicine and health, deep space and deep sea. CNBC, 5 March
EU sets 2030 target to produce cutting-edge semiconductors. Officials aim to secure digital ‘sovereignty’ from US and Asia, as part of its plans to reduce “high-risk dependencies”. Bloomberg, 5 March
New cranes arrive at the Port of Liverpool from China. LBN, 4 March
Longer reads & opinion
Xi Jinping turned me into a China hawk. Michael Schuman in Politico, 5 March
Chaguan: Red tourism in Xi’s China. The Economist, 5 March
The West needs champions. The West should consider backing big national firms more strongly, writes Elisabeth Braw in Foreign Policy, 4 March