China News - 8 September 2021
New event - After Merkel: Berlin and Beijing. How will the upcoming German election shape Germany's foreign policy and the EU's approach to China? Join Tom Tugendhat MP, Constanze Stelzenmüller, Noah Barkin and Janka Oertel for a virtual briefing on Monday 20 September at 3pm BST. Register here.
International
China, Britain hold talks to advance cooperation on climate change. The UK’s president of COP26, Alok Sharma, is currently in China. He held discussions with Vice Premier Han Zheng on Tuesday, but the BBC’s Robin Brant noted that the only coverage so far is a Xinhua readout which says China and Britain have “maintained a good cooperative relationship in coping with climate change and both put forward stronger independent contribution targets and carbon neutrality visions”. Xinhua, Alok Sharma tweet, 8 September
Four Hong Kong democracy activists arrested under national security law. Hong Kong police on Wednesday arrested four members of a pro-democracy group that organises the annual June 4 rally to commemorate those who died in the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. They were accused of working for a “foreign agent”. The Times, 8 September
Royal Navy warships leave Britain for landmark Pacific deployment. Two Royal Navy patrol ships left the United Kingdom on Tuesday for a five-year deployment that will see them act as "the eyes and ears" of Britain from the west coast of Africa, to the west coast of the United States. CNN, 8 September
Perpetuus: Security review ordered into takeover of British graphene firm. More details on yesterday’s announcement: While Perpetuus has just 14 employees and turnover of less than £500,000, it supplies "at least one quarter" of all graphene plasma goods in the UK. BBC, CNBC, 7 September
Constructive Xi-Draghi phone call. Italy is planning to convene an extraordinary G20 summit on Afghanistan this month, as well as preparing for the G20 summit in Rome in October. Xi said he hoped Italy would play an active role in promoting China-EU relations. La Repubblica, 8 September
New documents about US-funded coronavirus research in China. The documents detail the work of EcoHealth Alliance, a US-based health organization that used federal money to fund bat coronavirus research at the Chinese laboratory. The Intercept, 7 September
Chinese foreign minister on fresh mission to Southeast Asia and South Korea. SCMP, 8 September
China focus
Missing Chinese entrepreneur briefly surfaces on eve of book’s publication. Duan Weihong called her ex-husband Desmond Shum and warned him to cancel the release of his forthcoming book ‘Red Roulette’. FT, 7 September
China’s educational crackdown hits apartment prices in its biggest cities. China’s campaign to tamp down education costs—as well as real-estate frenzies—has chilled the school-district housing” market. WSJ, 8 September
Chinese military gets youth injection with appointment of more generals. A number of senior members of the Central Military Commission are expected to retire next year. SCMP, 7 September
Chinese social media site Weibo suspends 22 K-pop accounts. The move comes amid a crackdown on fan culture. BBC, 8 September
Economy & tech
China may expand stock connect programmes to Hong Kong and London. China is studying an expansion of the stock connect program linking the mainland and Hong Kong exchanges and improvements to the Shanghai-London stock connect program as a way of further opening the capital markets to foreign investors, the country’s top securities regulator said Monday. Caixin, 8 September
Back in November 2020, This is Money reported that the Shanghai-London stock connect scheme to forge closer links between Britain and China's stock markets had just four Chinese companies signed up - despite being four years in the making.
BlackRock raises $1 billion for first Chinese mutual fund run by foreign firm. It will be the first-ever mutual fund solely run by a foreign firm that is allowed to sell to Chinese individuals. WSJ, 7 September
Longer reads & opinion
‘Like Game of Thrones’: how triple crisis on China’s borders will shape its global identity. Analysis: China’s handling of troubles in Afghanistan, Myanmar and North Korea will differ to the west, and mould its identity as a global power. The Guardian, 8 September
Opinion: Germany must call off Angela Merkel's Chinese love affair. Germany has more leverage over China than it thinks it enjoys. DW, 7 September
Is China uninvestable? Punishing foreign investors costs the Communist party little. FT, 8 September
In the driver's seat: China's electric vehicle makers target Europe. China will become a major automotive export hub with localised supply chains - and Europe is the main market, finds a new report by Gregor Sebastian. Merics, 1 September
The Rare Earth Myth. Contrary to popular perception, China neither can nor wants to weaponize the global supply. SupChina, 2 September
Fall 2021: China Leadership Monitor. China Leadership Monitor, 1 September