China News - 5 October 2020
International
Royal Navy diving contract with Chinese-linked firm is 'maritime version of our 5G' Defence Chair Tobias Ellwood warns. Tobias Ellwood raised security concerns after JFD, an underwater capability which is a customer of Chinese owned subsea supplier SMD, announced it had been awarded a contract for the management and availability of the Royal Navy’s in-service life-support diving equipment. The Telegraph, 2 October
Former Chinese government official ran TikTok’s content policy as app went global. Cai Zheng, who worked in China’s embassy in Tehran for four years according to a now deleted LinkedIn profile, ran ByteDance’s global content policy team in Beijing until early this year, when the company accelerated a move to let its biggest markets make their own decisions about what videos should be removed. FT, 4 October
£342m of UK investments that will automatically fund Chinese debt as Chinese government bonds are upgraded by the London Stock Exchange. Mail on Sunday, 4 October
United States closes immigration door to communists in clear swipe at China. Communist party members will not be granted permanent residence or citizenship, US Citizen and Immigration Services says. SCMP, 4 October
Mike Pompeo’s Asia trip will see ‘Quad’ of Japan, India, Australia and US to discuss co-operation and critical supply chains as China relationship frays. The Guardian, SCMP, Reuters, 2 October
China signals it will put 12 fleeing Hong Kong residents on trial. WSJ, 5 October
Cambodia demolished US-built facility on naval base, raising concerns about China’s access to military bases in the nation. Reuters, 5 October
China watch
China’s mealtime appeal amid food supply worries: Don’t take more than you can eat. Washington Post, 4 October
Xi says ready to bring China-Bangladesh ties to new heights. Xinhua, 4 October
Economy & tech
US government invests $25m in London-based mining group TechMet to fight Chinese control of rare metals. The Telegraph, 4 October
China rolls out experimental Covid vaccine without completing final-stage trials as it eyes global market. FT, 5 October
Thousands of companies sue US government over China tariffs asking for refunds. FT, 5 October
Facebook shuts down Chinese disinformation operation targeted at Philippines and US, focused on influencing public perception of Chinese influence. China Digital Times, 23 September
Longer reads & opinion
Event: The Integrated Review: What is Britain’s place in the world? Shashank Joshi, Rt Hon Sir Michael Fallon, Patrick McGuinness CMG OBE, Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, Tom Tugendhat MP. Policy Exchange, 5 October
The Big Read: A new Cold War: Trump, Xi and the escalating US-China confrontation. Gideon Rachman in FT, 5 October
Steelworkers’ choice for Port Talbot survival: Tories — or China. The Times, 3 October
Long read: Xi Jinping and China’s wolf warrior diplomacy. David Bandurski in Global Asia, 25 September
China is winning the war for global tech dominance with the expected release of the China Standards 2035 plan. Sam Olsen in The Hill, 4 October
Report: Becoming a Chinese client state: The case of Serbia. CSIS, 24 September