China News - 7 December 2020
International
U.S. preparing new sanctions on Chinese officials over Hong Kong crackdown - Reuters reports. The United States is preparing to impose sanctions including asset freezes and financial sanctions on at least a dozen Chinese officials over their alleged role in Beijing’s disqualification of elected opposition legislators in Hong Kong. A Magnitsky-style sanctions regime was also formally adopted by the EU this morning. Reuters, 7 December
House of Lords peers seek to enshrine human rights in post-Brexit trade bill. Peers in the House of Lord are preparing to back a cross-party move to block trade agreements with any country deemed to be committing genocide. The manoeuvre is in addition to Labour-led plans in the upper house to require a government human rights risk assessment before backing a Brexit trade deal. Trade amendments will be debated in the House of Lords on Monday. But the government has said that the trade bill under consideration only applies to trade agreements that have already been signed with the EU, and any amendment is likely to be blocked. The Guardian, EJIL analysis, 6 December
Ex-Hong Kong lawmaker HSBC bank accounts blocked after leaving city. Ted Hui, who faces charges linked to anti-government demonstrations in the Chinese-ruled city last year, said on Sunday his Hong Kong bank accounts had been frozen after he left the city to seek exile in Britain with his family to continue his pro-democracy activities. Hui now says some bank accounts have been unfrozen. Reuters, The Guardian, 7 December
Finance leads Hong Kong's first business exodus in 11 years, with firms including Barings and Deutsche Bank open Singapore offices. Nikkei Asia, 7 December
Taiwan: 'Stronger together', as foreign minister urges new alliance against China. Read Minister Wu’s comments to the China Research Group last month. The Guardian, 7 December
BRI: India and China compete over Indian Ocean debt-relief diplomacy, with Sri Lanka and Maldives both seeking bailouts. FT, 7 December
Australian wine: China boycott to hit Australian wine harder than expected, with “limited” scope to divert high-quality wine to allies in the UK and US. The Guardian, 6 December
Norway: Central bank deputy governor Jon Nicolaisen resigns after denied security clearance renewal amid security concerns over his Chinese wife. FT, 4 December
Covid-19: China peddles propaganda to obscure origin of Covid pandemic; state news media has published false stories misrepresenting foreign experts. NYT, 7 December
South China Sea: Beijing’s island military bases in SCS have valuable role in asserting Beijing’s claim over Spratly Islands - but are vulnerable to attack, report claims. The Times, 7 December
China watch
Chinese producer builds world's largest pig farm, aiming to produce around 2.1 million pigs a year. Reuters, 7 December
Record 9 million Chinese graduates will try to enter workforce in 2021, according to Ministry of Education. SCMP, 7 December
18 Chinese coal miners killed by carbon monoxide poisoning. BBC, 5 December
Economy & tech
China exports generate record trade surplus. New trade data shows November exports up 21% from a year earlier, driving a $75bn trade surplus - the highest on record. WSJ, 7 December
UK supermarkets struggle with ginger stocks amid global shortage after poor harvest in China. The Times, editorial, 7 December
Chinese drugmaker Sinovac gets $500m boost to push Covid-19 vaccine as frontrunner to be sold worldwide. FT, 7 December
Huawei invests in China chip groups with $400m fund after US sanctions, stepping up efforts to become self-sufficient in semiconductors. FT, 7 December
Longer reads & opinion
Here’s how to turn the tables on the tyrants: Bellingcat’s open-source investigations have outfoxed Russia; they should target China next. Edward Lucas in The Times, 7 December
From Tokyo to Beijing, growing old is hard to do. The economy-sapping shadow cast by Japan’s demographic decline holds sombre lessons for China, which has a rapidly ageing population. FT, 6 December
Slavery will never be history as long as we turn a blind eye to China. Consumers don’t want to know their stuff is made by forced Uighur labour. Nick Cohen in The Guardian, 5 December
‘Do you know that I am with you?’: Uighur poetry preserves culture under attack. The Guardian, 7 December
Lunch with Jung Chang: ‘Most Chinese people in my generation experienced starvation. You could feel it around you’. The Observer, 6 December
The week ahead
Monday
2:30pm: Commons Oral Questions to Defence Minister, including questions on integrated review and NATO.
3:30pm: Commons Urgent Question on sentencing of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist, raised by Alyn Smith MP.
House of Lords debate amendment to trade bill that could ban trade agreements with genocidal states.
Tuesday
2:30pm: Foreign Affairs Committee hears evidence on the UK’s role in strengthening multilateral organisations, including from ICC judge. International Development Committee hears evidence on future of UK aid, including from Henry Jackson Society.
Taiwan’s President Tsai delivers virtual address to National Democratic Institute in Washington, as part of ‘charm offensive’.
Wednesday
China inflation data released and Nestle unveils a plant-based meat substitute strategy aimed at China’s middle-income consumers.
Friday
Deadline for new U.S. sanctions on Hong Kong listed persons who violated autonomy.