China News - 7 February 2022
International
British research ‘could help China build superweapons’. A new and comprehensive Times investigation shows British universities have accepted £240 million from Chinese institutions, including £60 million form sources now sanctioned by the US government for supplying the Chinese military. The number of research collaborations between scientists in the UK and Chinese institutes with connections to the military has also tripled in six years. The Times, The Sun, 5 February
US embassy warns TU Dublin about risks of ties with Harbin Institute for Technology. The Times, 6 February
Chinese Docklands development signed off by Boris Johnson on brink of collapse. A flagship £1.7bn scheme to transform the east London docks with Chinese investment was one of Boris Johnson’s biggest commercial property deal as London mayor. But after Johnson ‘personally awarded’ the deal in 2013, the Greater London Authority has now served a “final termination notice” to the Chinese developer. The Times, The Guardian, 5 February
Boris Johnson’s new spin chief Guto Harri lobbied Government for Chinese tech giant Huawei. Harri is said to have had a “hands-on role”, including involvement in talks with Whitehall officials. The Sun, 6 February.
For a comprehensive take on Huawei’s lobbying in the UK, read ‘How Huawei conquered Britain’ from June 2020 in The Sunday Times.
Beijing backs Argentina over Falkland Islands. Argentina has signed up to the Belt and Road, and the joint statement included backing for each other’s territorial claims - including Argentina’s claim over the Falkland Islands. Liz Truss tweeted last night: “We completely reject any questions over sovereignty of the Falklands.” France24, The Guardian, 6 February
British using Chinese CCTV linked to repression of Uyghurs. A new survey of 676 secondary school suggests more than half in England use Hikvision or Dahua cameras, some including facial recognition. The Times, 7 February
Peng Shuai meets IOC chief and denies alleging sexual assault. Peng spoke in the presence of a representative from China’s Olympic committee. She said her Weibo post sparked a ‘huge misunderstanding’. FT, BBC, 7 February
UN’s Guterres says he expects China to let rights chief pay ‘credible’ visit to Xinjiang. The Guardian, 6 February
Winter Olympics begins in Beijing. The opening ceremony included a 20-year-old Uyghur athlete given the prominent role of final torchbearer. Some athletes have complained about the quarantine conditions (FT), while a Dutch broadcaster was dragged away by security live on air (Daily Mail).
Economy & tech
News Corp hit by cyber attack, links to China. News Corp outlets, including The Times and The Sun, were hit by a cyber attack that the company linked to Chinese espionage. It admitted that the hackers ‘accessed emails and documents of some employees, including journalists’. WSJ, FT, Sky News, 4 February
UK becoming more reliant on cheap imports from Asia. Goods imports from low-cost Asian countries as a percentage of UK manufacturing gross output hit 61% in September 2021, up from 44% in 2020. The Times, 7 February
The flat above a West Country takeaway that is home to 761 Chinese firms. A Daily Mail investigation found that Chinese nationals have registered 11,000 new companies in the past year - but most of the firms are registered to only 18 addresses. Daily Mail, 5 February
China predicts low inflation based on Western monetary moves. China’s economic planners expect monetary tightening in the West to weaken the global rally in commodities. Bloomberg, 6 February
UK Government paying to rent storage space in China for 1.6 billion items of unused PPE. The Government has been renting 9,512 containers for PPE, including at one storage facility in Shanghai. Daily Mirror, 4 February
China focus
Xi congratulates Queen Elizabeth II on Platinum Jubilee. Xinhua, 6 February
Tencent restores Fight Club ending after censorship backlash in China on social media. The original ending was replaced the original ending with text saying authorities thwarted a plot to bomb buildings. SCMP, BBC, 6 February
Opinion & editorial
How I Survived a Chinese ‘Reeducation’ Camp by Gulbahar Haitiwaji review. Gulbahar’s memoir is an indispensable account of the brutality of life in a Xinjiang reeducation camp. John Phipps. The Sunday Times, 6 February
We can’t let China use the Olympics to mask genocide and human rights abuses. Labour’s plan for China includes an audit of UK-China relations, new supply chain measures and more sanctions targeted at Chinese officials. David Lammy. The Observer, 6 February
Revealed: Tory links to the Chinese spy operating in the heart of Westminster. Other MPs are linked to Christine Lee. Juliet Samuel. The Telegraph, 5 February
Is getting into bed with President Xi for science . . . or just sleazy? It is telling that China is closed to almost all visitors, but some British scientists have managed to secure visas in order to take up posts. Charles Parton. The Times, 4 February
China and Russia’s hypersonic weaponry threatens US early warning system. William Schneider. FT, 6 February