China News - 6 November 2020
International
Major fashion firms and TikTok quizzed in UK Parliament on the risk of forced Uyghur labour in supply chains. In yesterday’s House of Commons business committee inquiry on forced labour, Boohoo, H&M and Nike all denied Uyghur forced labour allegations, claiming to have written to suppliers to confirm no manufacturing or fabric links to the region. Boohoo also committed to map and make pubic its entire tier 1 and tier 2 supply chain globally in the next 12 months as part of its efforts to uncover worker abuses at the factories where its clothes are made. (BBC, Ecotextile). A senior TikTok UK executive, Elizabeth Kanter, did admit that the company had previously censored content critical of China 'specifically with regard to the Uyghur situation', and agreed to allow MPs to review the app’s recommendation algorithms. Kanter also claimed the company had no obligation to share user data with the Chinese government due to its corporate structure - and would refuse to hand over data if asked, claiming "there is no influence of the Chinese communist party on TikTok." (Business Insider, The Telegraph).
Australia tells exporters to find other markets and reduce reliance on China after rise in tensions that threatens up to A$6bn in annual trade. Government officials delivered the warning to exporters during a conference on Thursday to discuss informal threats relayed by Chinese importers to Australian exporters. The importers said Beijing planned to ban wine, lobsters, copper and other selected goods from Friday. FT, 6 November
Hong Kong: New hotline for reporting breaches of national security law gets more than 1,000 calls within hours of going live. Residents can anonymously send in images, audio and videos if they suspect someone has violated the law. BBC, 6 November
Germany’s defence chief calls China a ‘systemic challenge’ as Berlin ramps up military presence in Asia, calling for greater military cooperation with ‘like-minded’ countries. SCMP, 5 November
China's coast guard authorised to use weapons against foreign ships involved in ‘illegal activities’ in its waters under new law. Beijing's move has raised concerns about the heightened risk of a clash around the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands. China claims the islands as the Diaoyu, and Chinese vessels, including coast guard ships, have been spotted in the area on a near-daily basis. Nikkei, 6 November
Sunny Duong, accused of having links to Beijing, vows to fight foreign interference charge. A Chinese-Australian community figure charged with a foreign interference offence has vowed to fight the charge and issued a spirited defence of his reputation, saying he has “nothing to hide”. The Guardian, 6 November
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister publicly calls for next US administration to work with China to put bilateral relations back on track. Nikkei, 6 November
Coronavirus: Beijing bans foreigners from at least eight countries, including Russia, the UK, France and Italy, even if they hold a visa or residence permit. ABC, 6 November
Chinese COVID vaccine finds few volunteers in Pakistani trial - despite close ties with Beijing, conspiracy theories make many hesitate. Nikkei, 6 November
China watch
More coverage of Xi’s keynote speech at China International Import Expo in Shanghai: Pledges to increase imports, noting “China is the world’s largest market with the greatest potential”. BBC, 5 November
China Focus: A glance at drafting process of CPC proposals for China's new development plan, including consultation of grassroots representatives, symposiums with entrepreneurs and scientists, and 1 million online comments. Xinhua, 5 November
Nanjing launches chip university in bid to fill China’s semiconductor talent gap, founded by a district management committee focused on boosting China’s chip manufacturing capability. SupChina, 5 November
Over 6,000 people in China's Lanzhou test positive for brucellosis, state media report, despite origin leak at a vaccine plant being a year ago. China’s top legislative body passed a law last month to establish protocols for biosecurity risk prevention and control, and systems to respond to risks including sudden outbreaks. Reuters, 6 November
Economy & tech
Soyabean prices hit four-year high as nerves rise over food inflation, with China an active buyer as the country steadily rebuilds its pork industry. China, which has sold large amounts of grain from its strategic reserves since May in an effort to dampen rising grain prices, needed to replenish its stockpiles. FT, 6 November
US firms get a boost with a rise in sales from strong consumer activity in China. WSJ, 6 November
Apple must face shareholder lawsuit, led by a UK pension fund, after CEO Cook accused of misleading investors by concealing falling demand for iPhones in China. Reuters, 6 November
Longer reads & opinion
China shapes a new U.S. economic era: The return of industrial policy. “Industrial policy has become now no longer a dirty word. And in fact, I think that a whole lot of serious people are talking about it in the United States as a phenomenon that really crosses party lines,” said Harris, who co-authored a pro-industrial policy manifesto with a top Biden aide, Jake Sullivan, who served as Biden’s national security adviser. Politico, 6 November
America Needs a New Economic Philosophy. Foreign Policy Experts Can Help. Jennifer Harris and Jake Sullivan in Foreign Policy, 7 February
How Beijing positioned itself as the saviour of the developing world with vaccine development. Foreign Affairs, 6 November
China’s unpopularity problem. What happens to bottom lines when Beijing’s PR techniques fail overseas? Politico, 6 November
Beijing strangles Hong Kong even tighter, with new proposal that will impose “comprehensive governance” of Hong Kong in the next five years. WSJ, 6 November
Chaguan: No American election will change China’s mind. The Economist, 4 November
Book review of China's Good War: The changing legacy of the second world war in China. The post-Mao changes, Mitter writes, are part of a broader move from an emphasis on revolutionary ideals and class struggle to one on foreign mistreatment of China during a “century of humiliation” that began with the Opium wars and peaked in Japanese imperialism. The Economist, 6 November
Amid U.S.-China conflict, can Latin America find its way? This past August, “active non-alignment” was discussed in a seminar with the virtual presence of six former foreign ministers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. SupChina, 4 November