China News - 8 February 2022
Tomorrow’s event: China’s tech landscape - where do Beijing’s priorities lie? Tom Tugendhat MP chairs an event with Rui Ma, Rogier Creemers and John Lee on China’s tech policies. 4pm GMT, 9 February. Register here.
International
Britain joins EU-China WTO challenge over Lithuania. The EU launched a challenge last month, accusing China of discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania. The UK has now requested to join the EU’s WHO consultation as a third party. Reuters, 7 February
Boris Johnson’s new spin chief lobbied No10 Chief of Staff not to outlaw Chinese firm Huawei. The Sun reports the minutes of a 2020 meeting betwen Guto Harri (No 10’s new comms director) and Eddie Lister (the Prime Minister’s former chief of staff) where Mr Harri directly asked Sir Eddie which ministers he could “nudge” for help. The Sun, The Guardian, 7 February
China’s UK embassy stokes Argentina claim over Falkland Islands. The Chinese embassy in Britain on Tuesday reiterated Beijing’s stance supporting Argentina’s claim over the Falkland Islands. SCMP, 8 February
Australia denied access to dual citizen detained for alleged ‘subversion’ in Hong Kong. The dual Australian-Chinese citizen has been detained in Hong Kong for 11 months under the national security law. The Guardian, 8 February
US adds 33 Chinese companies to red flag list. The firms now face new restrictions on their ability to trade with American companies. SCMP, 8 February
Hong Kong reports highest number of Covid cases (614) since pandemic began. The Guardian, 8 February
China focus
Eileen Gu’s gold at Beijing Olympics ignites celebrations in host country. The American-Chinese freestyle skier is one of the biggest stars at the Olympics. FT, 8 February
Two years after his death, the Chinese doctor who warned of the virus is remembered. NYT, 7 February
Chinese fans demand equal pay for women’s soccer team after historic win. Sixth Tone, 7 February
Economy & tech
SoftBank plans to take Arm public after Nvidia abandons deal. The $66bn deal was facing an uphill battle for regulatory approval in the US, EU, China and UK. FT, Bloomberg, 8 February
UK regulators sign off on Chinese nuclear reactor design. The UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency have approved the reactor design, although the proposed Bradwell plant faces further obstacles. SCMP, 7 February
LEAK: EU Commission’s Chips Act and semiconductor package. A new EU programme, CHIPS for Europe, will look to improve the EU’s semiconductor sector. Euractiv, 7 February
China-Britain Business Council: China Trade Tracker released. China remains the UK’s third largest trade partner, with goods exports up 3.1% in the first nine months of 2021. CBBC, 7 February
Opinion & editorial
We should pull our judges out of Hong Kong. The association of British judges with Hong Kong is lending legitimacy to a system incompatible with our values. William Hague. The Times, 7 February
FT View: Oaktree’s China deal is a positive sign for investors. The seizure by a US investor of a prized Evergrande asset is a positive sign for the role of foreign capital. FT, 7 February
How Can We Talk about China and against Sinophobia without Feeling Guilty, Apologetic or Defensive? Chi Zhang and Tung-Yi Kho. British Journal of Chinese Studies, 23 January
China crushed our Apple Daily newspaper and jailed my colleague – this is how Hong Kong’s democracy is dying. Jimmy Lai and Mark Clifford. iNews, 8 February