China Articles - May 8, 2022
Friends,
This week marked the 103rd anniversary of the May Fourth Movement in China (yes… the date, May 4th, was significant well before the Star Wars franchise).
On that date in 1919, student protests erupted in Tiananmen Square once it became public that the Treaty of Versailles would grant Germany’s colonial holdings in Shandong to Japan rather than return them to the new Republic of China. The event, and the broader movement, became an important touchstone for political, cultural, and national awareness as the Chinese people moved away from thousands of years of dynastic imperial rule to an idea of nationhood (see Bill Hayton’s book, The Invention of China or this review of the book in the Diplomat, “Bill Hayton on the Invention of the Chinese Nation”).
In observance of May Fourth, I recommend watching this video address from two years ago by Matt Pottinger, the then U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor. Matt’s remarks are in Mandarin (with English subtitles), as this was an effort to speak directly to the Chinese people about an important event in the political and cultural history of China that predates the Chinese Communist Party.
In the decades since 1919, the Chinese Communist Party has sought to appropriate the May 4th spirit to boost its own legitimacy and rally its citizens around ever greater nationalist hysteria. The Party, like Putin in Russia, seeks to emphasize a sense of victimization by the outside world (in particular, at the United States and Europe) and portray the Chinese nation as besieged by threats, both physical and ideological, on all sides. For the Party, this means erasing the diversity that exists within the PRC, stamping out independent thought and inquiry, and covering up the ways in which the outside world has sought to welcome China into the international community as an equal partner.
One of the things that the Chinese Communist Party has sought to erase from national consciousness was the series of speeches over two years that the American philosopher and educator John Dewey gave to packed auditoriums across China on democracy in the wake of May Fourth. These speeches and his writings feed into a hot-house environment of debate and experimentation with political and social arrangements inside China.
Years later, one of the consequences of the May Fourth Movement manifested when the Republic of China became a founding member of the United Nations, its intellectual leaders co-authored the United Nations Charter, and became one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council. It was President Roosevelt who insisted on China’s equal status in the new international order in part because of the failure of Versailles a quarter century before.
Bringing us back to the present, one more thing before we get to this week’s articles and reports. In a speech last week in Ohio about passing the Bipartisan Innovation Act, President Biden remarked:
I could be wrong, but I think this is the first time that President Biden, or any officials from his Administration, has used the term “Chinese Communist Party.” I’d be curious if any readers could point me to other examples.
Thanks for reading!
Matt
Must Read
1. Who were the heirs of the revolution?
James Carter, SupChina, May 4, 2022
Narrowly defined, May Fourth was a small disturbance: a few thousand protesters, several dozen arrests. But the label applies both to the events of that day and to the broader movement that defined an era, characterized by Vera Schwarcz’s influential 1986 book as The Chinese Enlightenment. Jeff Wasserstrom calls May Fourth “The Day that Changed China.” Chinese leaders in the century since 1919 have regularly called on the “May Fourth spirit” to support or enact revolutionary change (sometimes with contradictory goals). The hyperbole surrounding May Fourth and its lingering influence rests on two long-term ideological consequences that grew out of the movement, both of which would shape China’s 20th century and beyond: nationalism and communism.
2. Watching China in Europe - May 2022
Noah Barkin, German Marshall Fund, May 4, 2022
Another great issue of Noah Barkin’s ‘Must Read’ newsletter:
Over the past months, European officials have made clear to their Chinese counterparts that active support for Russia in its war of aggression in Ukraine would have serious consequences for the EU-China relationship. At their virtual summit in early April, this message was delivered straight to President Xi Jinping. And yet, more than two months after the invasion began, European diplomats are still not convinced that China has fully understood the gravity of the conflict for Europe.
3. China’s Partnership with Russia Seen as Serious Problem for the U.S.
Christine Huang, Laura Silver and Laura Clancy, Pew Research Center, April 28, 2022
In yet another Pew Research poll, negative views of the People’s Republic of China reach an all-time high.
4. China and Russia are working on homegrown alternatives to the SWIFT payment system. Here's what they would mean for the US dollar.
Huileng Tan, Business Insider, April 28, 2022
In the aftermath of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, some Russian banks were banned from SWIFT, the Belgium-based messaging service that lets banks around the world communicate about cross-border transactions. The ban has hampered cross-border transactions for Russia's trade and financial systems, isolating the country economically. Now, both Russia and China are looking to establish alternatives to the US dollar hegemony. Russia is touting an alternative ruble-based payment system called the System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS), while China is advocating for its Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) which processes payments in Chinese yuan.
5. The China cushion has deflated — Q&A with Stephen Roach
Jeremy Goldkorn and Stephen Roach, SupChina, April 29, 2022
SupChina’s Jeremy Goldkorn interviews the economist Stephen Roach who has an increasingly negative view of the economic prospects for the PRC and that it will have a negative impact on the rest of the global economy.
Authoritarianism
6. Denial of bail is silencing Hong Kong's democrats
BBC, April 28, 2022
7. Apple to accelerate reduction in supply chain reliance on China amid lockdowns
Ann Cao, South China Morning Post, May 1, 2022
8. Taiwan calls China's COVID lockdowns 'cruel', says won't follow its steps
Reuters, May 1, 2022
9. Six in firing line after elderly patient blunder sparks new Covid horror in Shanghai
Mimi Lau, South China Morning Post, May 2, 2022
10. Xi in a Bind Over Who to Blame for Shanghai’s Covid Outbreak
Krystal Chia, Bloomberg, April 28, 2022
11. China's Leadership Is Prisoner of Its Own Narrative
Mark Dittli, TheMarket, April 27, 2022
12. Amid Ukraine War, China Announces “Global Security Initiative”
Raquel Leslie, Brian Liu, Lawfare, May 2, 2022
13. China to permit 'some' Indian students to return: Chinese Foreign Ministry
Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, The Economic Times, April 29, 2022
14. China is working to protect its overseas assets amid fears the US could impose Russia-style sanctions, reports say
Sam Tabahriti, Business Insider, May 1, 2022
15. China, North Korea halt border rail crossing over COVID fears
Yew Lun Tian, Soo-Hyang Choi, Reuters, April 29, 2022
16. 180 million people impacted by China's Covid lockdowns. Here's what you need to know
Jessie Yeung, CNN, April 28, 2022
17. Flying into Beijing is tougher than ever as China ramps up its zero-Covid measures
Selina Wang, CNN, April 30, 2022
18. China silences prominent market analyst as economic slump deepens
Laura He, CNN Business, May 02, 2022
19. Grim tales test China’s claim to be governed by the people
The Economist, April 30, 2022
20. China’s martial rhetoric will not help it defeat covid
The Economist, April 30, 2022
21. China’s Covid travel restrictions compound economic pain
Andy Lin, Financial Times, April 28, 2022
22. China’s Ukraine Conundrum
Yan Xuetong, Foreign Affairs, May 2, 2022
23. Where Foreign Correspondents Capitulated to Autocracy
Timothy McLaughlin, The Atlantic, April 27, 2022
24. Beijing halts weddings and funerals and closes schools in Covid fightback
Oliver Holmes, The Guardian, April 28, 2022
25. Xi’s Vow to Boost Growth While Locking Down Met with Skepticism
Bloomberg, April 29, 2022
26. Under Lockdown in China
Agnes Chang, Amy Qin, Isabelle Qian and Amy Chang Chien, New York Times, April 29, 2022
27. Hong Kong student jailed for five years under national security law
Jessie Pang, Reuters, April 29, 2022
28. 'Entry only. No exit:' Beijing sees more COVID closures as anger grows in Shanghai
Martin Quin Pollard, David Stanway, Reuters, April 29, 2022
29. When this Shanghai building went into COVID lockdown, my WeChat message group blew up
Rob Schmitz, National Public Radio, April 30, 2022
Environmental Harms
30. TWEET – Going crazy on new coal [and gas] power
Lauri Myllyvirta, Twitter, May 3, 2022
31. China to Suspend Import Taxes on Coal to Keep a Lid on Energy Costs
Bai Yujie, Tang Ziyi, Caixin Global, April 30, 2022
32. China Cuts Coal Import Tariffs to Zero to Increase Supply
Bloomberg, April 28, 2022
Foreign Interference and Coercion
33. China’s biggest insurer Ping An calls for HSBC break-up
Tabby Kinder, Financial Times, April 29, 2022
34. China is tracking down Uyghurs across the world, independent study finds
Carl Samson, Yahoo News, April 28, 2022
Human Rights and Religious Persecution
35. China enlists foreign vloggers to whitewash Uyghur situation in Xinjiang
Radio Free Asia, May 5, 2022
China has enlisted young foreign social media influencers who produce short videos showing happy minorities in Xinjiang in its pushback against charges it is committing genocide against the Uyghurs. These videos are carried on platforms such as Twitter that are banned in China and spread by state media and affiliated sites. State-owned media outlets and local governments organize the pro-China campaign, paying vloggers to take trips, according to documents posted online and video producers familiar with the system.
36. Solar Industry ‘Frozen’ as Biden Administration Investigates China
David Gelles, New York Times, April 29, 2022
37. Americans' unfavorable views of China hit new high, Pew survey shows
Reuters, April 29, 2022
Industrial Policies and Economic Espionage
38. Divergent views on China’s investment landscape
Harriet Agnew, Financial Times, May 2, 2022
39. China's Xi vows stronger antimonopoly efforts, healthy capital market
Reuters, April 30, 2022
40. U.S. Accuses China of Lax Intellectual Property Protection
Josh Zumbrun, Wall Street Journal, April 27, 2022
In its annual report on intellectual property protection, the Biden administration says Beijing needs to make a range of fundamental changes, criticizing China’s protection of U.S. intellectual property, saying that a fundamental shift is needed to improve protection of U.S. patents, copyrights and trade secrets. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office noted earlier in the week that “China needs to address weak enforcement channels and a lack of transparency and judicial independence.”
41. China battery maker CATL suffers profit fall as costs soar
Reuters, April 29, 2022
42. China Is Reassessing Western Financial Power After Ukraine
Diana Choyleva, Foreign Policy, May 2, 2022
43. China's CNOOC has no concrete plans to take on Russian assets -CFO
Reuters, April 28, 2022
44. Supply chain woes aggravated by China logistics, says Airbus CEO
Reuters, April 28, 2022
45. Musk’s Ties to China Could Create Headaches for Twitter
Steven Lee Myers and Paul Mozur, New York Times, April 29, 2022
46. China faces a double disaster caught between Covid and Putin
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, The Telegraph, April 29, 2022
47. America has a plan to throttle Chinese chipmakers
The Economist, April 30, 2022
48. U.S. Court Names Hytera Employees Charged in Alleged Motorola Trade-Secret Theft
Richard Vanderford, Wall Street Journal, April 28, 2022
49. U.S. FDA declines to approve two more China-tested drugs
Reuters, May 2, 2022
50. USTR remains mum on China tariff review plans
Doug Palmer, Politico, May 2, 2022
51. China April factory activity contracts at steeper pace as lockdowns bite
Reuters, May 1, 2022
52. China’s Manufacturing Activity Pummeled by Covid Restrictions
Jonathan Cheng, Wall Street Journal, April 30, 2022
53. Iran Ramps Up Oil Exports as China Pulls Back on Russian Crude
Benoit Faucon, Wall Street Journal, April 28, 2022
54. It’s not just Russia – China’s also contributing to higher inflation worldwide, report says
Weizhen Tan, CNBC, May 2, 2022
55. China Solar Firms Shift Strategy as U.S. Scrutiny Hits Results
Bloomberg, April 29, 2022
56. China’s Sudden Currency Plunge Raises Risk of a 2015-Style Panic
Bloomberg, April 28, 2022
57. China’s Economy Slows Rapidly as Covid Zero Lockdowns Bite
Bloomberg, April 29, 2022
Cyber & Information Technology
58. Arm dismisses China unit's opposition to CEO change
Brenda Goh, Jane Lanhee Lee, Reuters, April 29, 2022
59. Bets of Easing Crackdown Spur Dizzying Jump in China Tech Stocks
Abhishek Vishnoi, Jeanny Yu, Yahoo News, April 29, 2022
60. On China, US National Security Experts Fear the Wrong Thing
Sam Bresnick, Nathaniel Sher, Wired, April 28, 2022
Many argue that regulating Big Tech cedes leadership to China, but a healthy startup ecosystem is America's best defense. Nowhere is the apprehension about China’s tech development more pronounced than in the debate over whether to subject US tech firms to data and antitrust regulation.
61. China grants first driverless taxi permits to Baidu, Pony.ai
ABC News, April 27, 2022
62. China's Huawei posts Q1 revenue drop, says handsets now more available
Reuters, April 28, 2022
63. China EV Maker XPeng Says Covid Affecting Supply Chain; Deliveries Drop In April From March
Russell Flannery, Forbes, May 1, 2022
64. China just launched a rocket with 5 satellites to orbit from a platform at sea
Tariq Malik, Space.com, April 30, 2022
65. China’s logistics robot maker VisionNav raises $76M at $500M valuation
Rita Liao, Techcrunch, April 29, 2022
66. China’s Tech Crackdown Could Give It an Edge
Kevin Klyman, The Diplomat, April 30, 2022
67. China's Weibo shows user locations to combat 'bad behavior's
Reuters, April 28, 2022
68. China may be getting ready to wind down its crackdown on big tech
Diksha Madhok, CNN Business, April 29, 2022
69. Xiaomi is the latest big Chinese company to face the heat in India
Diksha Madhok, CNN Business, May 2, 2022
70. China, India, Russia missing from future of internet pledge by US, EU, and 33 others
Julian Bingley, ZDNet, April 28, 2022
Military and Security Threats
71. Former Australian PM Kevin Rudd says risk of U.S.-China war ‘much greater than it’s ever been’
The Globe and Mail, April 28, 2022
72. China says Nato has ‘messed up Europe’ and warns over role in Asia-Pacific
Helen Davidson, The Guardian, April 29, 2022
73. US holds high-level talks with UK over China threat to Taiwan
Kathrin Hille, Financial Times, April 30, 2022
74. More Americans View China as a Threat, Poll Finds
James T. Areddy, Wall Street Journal, April 28, 2022
75. Solomon Islands to supervise Chinese police operating there
Reuters, May 2, 2022
76. Leaked draft of an agreement between China and the Solomon Islands has U.S. concerned
John Ruwitch, National Public Radio, April 28, 2022
77. China asks its firms in Pakistan to enhance security after suicide attack
Press Trust of India, BuzzFeed News, April 28, 2022
78. A ‘70 to 80 per cent’ chance Australia will be at war by end of the decade, warns expert
Noah Yim, News.com.au, April 29, 2022
79. AUDIO – Is War with China Inevitable?
Kevin Rudd, The Little Red Podcast, April 27, 2022
80. Serbia showcases artillery bought from Russia and China
Deutsche Welle, April 28, 2022
One Belt, One Road Strategy
81. China Will Help Restructure Zambia’s Debt. What Exactly Does That Mean?
Hannah Ryder, The Diplomat, April 29, 2022
82. What the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Tells Us About the Belt and Road Initiative
Zenel Garcia and Umer Rahman, The Diplomat, April 28, 2022
Opinion Pieces
83. China’s Tech Companies Get a Reprieve, Not a Pardon
Tim Culpan, Bloomberg, May 3, 2022
84. VIDEO – Critical Issues Confronting China featuring Bert Hofman
Bert Hofman, Fairbank Center for China Studies, Harvard University, April 27, 2022
85. Who Got China Wrong?
Bob Davis, Foreign Policy, May 2, 2022
86. How to Deter China from Making War
James Holmes, 1945, April 29, 2022
87. Ukraine’s War Has Already Changed the World’s Economy
Adam Tooze, Foreign Policy, May 2, 2022
88. Present your China contingency plan at the next board meeting
Keith Krach, Fortune, April 27, 2022
89. Hong Kong, my vanishing city
Louisa Lim, Financial Times, April 29, 2022