China News - 9 March 2022
Podcast: China and Russia: A deepening partnership? If you missed this event on Monday, you can catch up via our Talks on China podcast. Our expert panel tackled a range of key issues, including: opportunities for China as sanctions hit Russia, Beijing’s Ukraine considerations and the implications of Russia’s invasion for Taiwan.
International
Ukraine invasion: Xi warns Scholz and Macron against crippling Russian sanctions. Chinese President Xi Jinping cautioned the French and German leaders that sanctions on Russia could “drag down” the global economy, as Europe stepped up a lobbying campaign for China to mediate on Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. SCMP, 8 March
Xi Jinping 'unsettled' by Vladimir Putin's difficulties in Ukraine. Xi has been "unsettled" by Russia's difficulties invading Ukraine, and by how the war has brought the United States and Europe together, according to the head of the CIA. William Burns told a congressional hearing that Xi’s aspirations over Taiwan should not be underestimated, but he believed there had been "an impact on the Chinese calculus". The Telegraph, FT, 8 March
China to provide 5 million yuan worth of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Reuters, 9 March
As Russia attacks Ukraine, China eyes the Indo-Pacific - Australia intelligence boss. Reuters, 9 March
UN human rights chief to visit China, including Xinjiang, in May. UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet is to visit China, including a trip to Xinjiang, after reaching an agreement with Beijing. Beijing had earlier insisted that any inspection be ‘friendly’ in nature. Nearly 200 rights groups meanwhile demanded that Bachelet’s office release its long-postponed report on the rights situation in Xinjiang. SCMP, The Guardian, 8 March
Demand for British solar panels spikes over Chinese slave labour fears. More consumers in the UK and Europe are turning to British solar panel providers because of concerns over slave labour used by some Chinese manufacturers. According to industry sources, the Sheffield Hallam report on forced labour in the global production of solar panels helped raise awareness of the issue. Independent, 8 March
China builds new bridge to Hong Kong to rush in workers as Covid cases surge. A temporary bridge linking Shenzhen and Hong Kong has been erected to help workers and materials from the mainland to enter the city as work began on a Covid-19 makeshift hospital to relieve pressure on the city’s overwhelmed medical system. The Guardian, 9 March
China lawmakers have West’s decline on their minds at ‘Two Sessions’. SCMP, 9 March
US state governments hit in Chinese hacking spree. WSJ, 8 March
Economy & tech
Carmakers fear shift to electric could stall. As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine adds to already surging raw materials costs, car makers will be forced to fork out more cash to make batteries. “The reality is China will happily take nickel and cobalt and other raw materials from jurisdictions that the West wouldn't. And as a result, they will go further and faster with EVs and batteries,” said Simon Moores, chief executive of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. The Telegraph, 9 March
Chinese metals tycoon faces steep losses on nickel price surge. FT, 8 March
China led world with 500,000 electric car exports in 2021. Nikkei Asia, 8 March
China government bonds tumble from top ranking as funds flee. Investors are unwinding bets on yuan debt as the government appears likely to increase borrowing to stimulate growth. Meanwhile, Chinese oil prices are approaching 10-year highs as international crude prices skyrocket. Bloomberg, Caixin, 9 March
Asian companies hesitate on Russia pullout as Western boycotts mount. A divide between Asian companies and their Western peers over doing business in Russia shows little sign of narrowing, two weeks after the invasion of Ukraine. Nikkei Asia, 8 March
Foreign companies in China are less optimistic about investing there. WSJ, 8 March
NIO pioneers a ‘loophole listing’ in Hong Kong. SupChina, 8 March
Opinion & editorial
The Guardian view on China and Russia: enough in common. The invasion of Ukraine puts Beijing in an uncomfortable position. That doesn’t mean it will distance itself from Moscow. The Guardian, 9 March
Beijing takes ‘war lessons’ from Russia’s military tactics in Ukraine. The performance of Russian troops on the ground may have come as a surprise to China’s People’s Liberation Army. Kathrin Hille. FT, 9 March
China must change course to escape policy-induced recession. Despite the tax refunds and tax cuts implemented by the government, the slowdown continues. Nikkei Asia, 9 March
We Uyghurs Have No Say by Ilham Tohti review – a people ignored. Helena Kennedy. The Guardian, 9 March
Long reads
The media environment and domestic public opinion in China toward Russia’s war on Ukraine. Insikt Group, 8 March
Russia turns to the renminbi. Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian. Axios, 8 March
China’s choices and the fate of the post-post-Cold War era. Patricia M. Kim. Brookings, 8 March