China Articles - November 21, 2021
Friends,
Below is this week’s edition of articles and reports on the malign activities of the Chinese Communist Party.
Professional tennis star, Peng Shuai has gone missing after accusing a senior CCP official of sexual assault (articles #58, #59, and #60) and the PRC’s coal output is at its highest level since 2015 less than a week after the end of COP26 (article #4).
Thanks for reading,
Matt
MUST READ
1. Germany Can Learn from Japan’s China Strategy
Noah Barkin, Foreign Policy, November 17, 2021
As the contours of new government take shape in Germany, and Berlin considers a new approach towards China, German officials would be well served in looking to Japan as an example. Although contemporary Japan and Germany share much in common, Berlin has typically opted for a relatively softer stance towards Beijing. It is time for Berlin to adopt a long-overdue whole-of-government approach to confronting the CCP—fostering collaboration across its vast bureaucratic landscape. Above all, the incoming German chancellor will need to rise to the moment, staking clear positions on a range of thorny issues, from the involvement of Huawei in domestic markets to human rights atrocities perpetrated by the CCP across China.
2. China’s Search for Allies
Patricia M. Kim, Foreign Affairs, November 17, 2021
Although the Chinese Communist Party has long eschewed formal alliance structures, Beijing continues to rely heavily upon a network of valuable partnerships. Some of these relationships—notably with Pakistan and Russia—have been enshrined in bilateral agreements while others remain far more ambiguous. As Beijing confronts an increasingly hostile diplomatic landscape Chinese strategists may ignore tradition and seek formal defense pacts with their closest friends, argues Patricia Kim in Foreign Affairs. Foreign policymakers in Washington and capitals around the world must preempt this strategy and solidify their partnerships with states in Beijing’s immediate realm.
3. China's monthly coal output rises to highest since March 2015
Reuters, November 15, 2021
China's October coal output rose to the highest since at least March 2015, after Beijing approved a raft of coal mine expansions to tame record prices and boost supply. The world's biggest producer and consumer of the dirty fossil fuel churned out 357.09 million tonnes of coal last month, up from 334.1 million tonnes in September, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Monday.
4. U.S. Companies Aid China’s Bid for Chip Dominance Despite Security Concerns
Kate O’Keeffe, Heather Somerville and Yang Jie, Wall Street Journal, November 12, 2021
U.S. firms and their China affiliates are ramping up investment in Chinese semiconductor companies, aiding Beijing’s bid for chip-sector dominance and complicating Washington’s efforts to preserve America’s lead in the critical technology, a Wall Street Journal investigation has found. U.S. venture-capital firms, chip-industry giants and other private investors participated in 58 investment deals in China’s semiconductor industry from 2017 through 2020, more than double the number from the prior four years, according to an analysis of deals data by New York-based research firm Rhodium Group done at the Journal’s request. Major chip company Intel Corp. is among the active investors, backing a Chinese company now called Primarius Technologies Co., which specializes in chip-design tools that U.S. companies currently lead in making, a separate Journal review of data from analytics firm PitchBook Data Inc. shows.
5. 2021 Report to Congress of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
Bob Borochoff, Jeffrey Fielder, Kimberly T. Glas, et al.
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, November 2021
Topics this year include the CCP's ambitions and challenges at its centennial, China’s influence in Latin America and the Caribbean, the CCP's economic and technological ambitions, the Chinese government’s evolving control of the corporate sector, U.S.-China financial connectivity and risks to U.S. national security, China’s nuclear forces, Chinese military capabilities and decision-making for a war over Taiwan, Hong Kong’s government embracing authoritarianism, and a review of economics, trade, security, political, and foreign affairs developments in 2021.
AUTHORITARIANISM
6. The non-zero costs of zero-covid
The Economist, November 13, 2021
7. Behind bars, Hong Kong’s democrats remain popular
The Economist, November 11, 2021
8. Hong Kong opens new modern art museum under national security cloud
James Pomfret, Reuters, November 13, 2021
9. Wall St. Is Finally Getting Access to China. But for How Long?
Lananh Nguyen, New York Times, November 15, 2021
10. ‘A Man of Determination’: This Glowing Profile Tells Us How Xi Jinping Wants to Be Seen
Viola Zhou and Alan Wong, Vice, November 10, 2021
11. Does Xi Jinping’s Seizure of History Threaten His Future?
Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, November 10, 2021
12. Hong Kong denies visa to Economist journalist in latest blow to press freedom
Arpan Rai, The Guardian, November 13, 2021
13. How the Chinese Communist Party is policing the past to secure its future
Jessie Lau, The New Statesman, November 12, 2021
14. Temasek Pauses China Tech Investments Amid Beijing Crackdown
Dylan Loh, Caixin Global, November 16, 2021
15. China's top chipmaker just lost a quarter of its board overnight
Michelle Toh, CNN, November 12, 2021
16. Tiananmen statue creator asks for immunity from Hong Kong security law
Jessie Pang, Reuters, November 12, 2021
17. The Trickle-Down Economics in China’s Poverty Alleviation Drive
Eliot Chen, The Wire China, November 15, 2021
18. The ultramarathon survivors threatened for speaking out
Sophie Williams, BBC, November 18, 2021
19. Xi Jinping’s Terrifying New China
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, November 15, 2021
20. China’s Communist authorities reinvent state capitalism
The Economist, November 14, 2021
21. China Weighs Moderating Property Curbs to Help Troubled Developers Unload Assets
Lingling Wei, Wall Street Journal, November 10, 2021
22. China Left in Shock Following Brutal Killing of Corgi During Covid-19 Disinfection
Natasha Khan, Wall Street Journal, November 15, 2021
23. Health workers in China are killing pets while their owners are in quarantine
Emily Feng, National Public Radio, November 15, 2021
24. What’s Driving Xi Jinping’s Economic Revamp? China’s Social Mobility Has Stalled
Stella Yifan Xie, Wall Street Journal, November 14, 2021
25. An injured Olympic athlete was flown home on a cargo plane because of Covid rules in Beijing.
Raymond Zhong, New York Times, November 17, 2021
26. Hong Kong jails protester for chanting political slogans
Chan Ho-him, Financial Times, November 11, 2021
27. Investors pivot to India after China’s tech crackdown
Benjamin Parkin and Mercedes Ruehl, Financial Times, November 16, 2021
28. Red China
Benjamin Della Rocca, Foreign Affairs, November 10, 2021
29. Number of newlywed couples in China drops amid concern over falling birth rates
Didi Tang, Sunday Times, November 16, 2021
30. Beijing Winter Olympics committee denies blocking foreign media
Helen Davidson, The Guardian, November 11, 2021
31. Hong Kong: Harsh Sentence for Shouting Slogans
Human Rights Watch, November 11, 2021
32. China resolution enshrining Xi scraps ban on 'personality cults'
Yuri Momoi, Nikkei Asia, November 17, 2021
ENVIRONMENTAL HARMS
33. China’s Coal Addiction Runs Deeper Than Economics
Nathaniel Taplin, Wall Street Journal, November 14, 2021
34. The last-minute coal demand that almost sunk the Glasgow climate deal
Karl Mathiesen, Politico, November 13, 2021
35. Toxic red dust suspected as cancer rates quadruple around Chinese-owned factory
Nick Squires , The Telegraph, November 10, 2021
36. What did China say and do at COP26?
Aurora Almendral, Quartz, November 15, 2021
37. EU and US face hard road to confront China’s dirty steel
Barbara Moens and Steven Overly, Politico, November 15, 2021
38. China's Iran oil purchases rebound on lower prices, fresh quotas
Chen Aizhu and Alex Lawler, Reuters, November 11, 2021
FOREIGN INTERFERENCE AND COERCION
39. Adidas Takes Hit from Boycott in China, Once Seen as a Growth Engine
Georgi Kantchev and Stu Woo, Wall Street Journal, November 10, 2021
40. Tory MP's £300,000 link to China 'spy' firm as he gets £700,000 for four extra jobs
Geraldine McKelvie, The Mirror, November 13, 2021
Ashley Rindsberg, Tablet, November 15, 2021
42. EU shelves Taiwan trade upgrade amid balancing act on China
Finbarr Bermingham, South China Morning Post, November 17, 2021
43. Students tell Exeter to cut ties with Chinese university
Charlie Parker and Ben Ellery, Sunday Times, November 16, 2021
44. ‘Fox in the hen house’: Fears Chinese official vying for Interpol job could pursue Beijing’s critics
Latika Bourke, Sydney Morning Herald, November 15, 2021
45. Off the grid: Chinese data law adds to global shipping disruption
Jonathan Saul and Eduardo Baptista, Reuters, November 17, 2021
46. Australia toughens rules on foreign interference at universities
Kirsty Needham, Reuters, November 17, 2021
47. Chinese embassy lobbies U.S. business to oppose China bills
Michael Martina, Reuters, November 15, 2021
48. China’s zero-Covid policy risks battering global economy, warns Mark Carney
Russell Lynch, The Telegraph, November 12, 2021
49. Consulting giant McKinsey profits off both sides of U.S.-China cold war
Dan De Luce and Yasmine Salam, NBC, November 13, 2021
50. VIDEO — Australian student fighting back after China tries to silence him
60 Minutes Australia, November 7, 2021
51. Italian city defies China, opens exhibit by dissident artist
Charlene Pele, Associated Press, November 13, 2021
52. China’s Global Network of Vocational Colleges to Train the World
Niva Yau and Dirk van der Kley, The Diplomat, November 11, 2021
53. China’s Content Manipulation Reaches New Frontiers
Sarah Cook, The Diplomat, November 16, 2021
54. As Distrust of China Grows, Europe May Inch Closer to Taiwan
Amy Qin and Steven Erlanger, New York Times, November 10, 2021
HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION
55. Guan Yin Citta: Leader Dies, Crackdown on Buddhist Movement Continues
Zhao Zhangyong, Bitter Winter, November 13, 2021
Beijing to Britain, November 15, 2021
57. Naomi Osaka expresses ‘shock’ over missing Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai
Helen Davidson
The Guardian, November 17, 2021
58. WTA Tour Seeks Chinese Inquiry into Player’s Sexual Assault Accusation
Christopher Clarey, New York Times, November 14, 2021
59. Men's tour backs WTA call for probe into Peng sexual assault allegations
Reuters, November 15, 2021
60. A citizen journalist who shined a light on the pandemic in Wuhan may die in prison
Emily Feng, National Public Radio, November 11, 2021
61. China: Olympics Sponsors in Spotlight as Games Loom
Human Rights Watch, November 12, 2021
62. WeChat, Grids Mobilized for Anti-Religious Propaganda
Wang Zhipeng, Bitter Winter, November 12, 2021
63. China’s Xinjiang cotton is banned in the U.S. but still making it to store shelves, report says
Eva Dou, Washington Post, November 17, 2021
64. Chinese agents operating abroad to get Uyghurs deported, ICC told
Helen Davidson, The Guardian, November 11, 2021
65. Tibetan Dissident Dhi Lhaden Sentenced to 4 Years in Jail
Lopsang Gurung, Bitter Winter, November 15, 2021
66. China, Script Killing and Religion
Zhou Kexin, Bitter Winter, November 16, 2021
67. Kazakh Voices from Camps and Jails in Xinjiang. 1. Anykbek Turdazhan
Serikzhan Bilash, Bitter Winter, November 17, 2021
INDUSTRIAL POLICIES AND ECONOMIC ESPIONAGE
68. Inside China's electric car capital, where rush hour is almost silent
Sophia Yan and Duarte Dias, The Telegraph, November 11, 2021
69. Why it matters that magnesium is in short supply
The Economist, November 15, 2021
70. Finish universities prepare guidelines on potential challenges when cooperating with China
Gregers Møller, ScandAsia, November 9, 2021
71. China’s growth spurt ends. What’s next?
Derek Scissors, American Enterprise Institute, November 11, 2021
72. China still steals commercial secrets for its own firms’ profit
The Economist, November 11, 2021
73. Secretive Chinese Committee Draws Up List to Replace U.S. Tech
Bloomberg, November 16, 2021
74. Shaping Up and Shipping Out
Anastasiia Carrier, The Wire China, November 15, 2021
75. Huawei Recruits Smartphone Partners to Sidestep U.S. Sanctions
Bloomberg, November 14, 2021
76. Biden Sells Infrastructure Improvements as a Way to Counter China
Jim Tankersley, New York Times, November 16, 2021
77. China Bought Italian Military-Drone Maker Without Authorities’ Knowledge
James Marson and Giovanni Legorano, Wall Street Journal, November 15, 2021
CYBER AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
78. Harsher punishment proposed for China’s VPN providers
Coco Feng, South China Morning Post, November 15, 2021
79. Unable to Win Beijing’s Approval, Fortnite Gives Up on China
Zheping Huang, Bloomberg, November 14, 2021
80. China’s Social Media Explosion
Christina Lu, Foreign Policy, November 17, 2021
81. Cyber attacks on the UK hit new record - with COVID vaccine research prime target
Deborah Haynes, Sky News, November 17, 2021
82. Behind China's great crypto exodus to Singapore
Michelle Ma, Protocol, November 11, 2021
83. China seeks to tighten cyber scrutiny on Hong Kong tech IPOs
Eleanor Olcott, Financial Times, November 14, 2021
Military and Security Threats
84. Kissinger Warns U.S. and China are on the ‘Precipice’
Andrew Browne, Bloomberg, November 17, 2021
85. Taiwan's 'guerilla' home guard gears up for David vs Goliath battle with China
Nicola Smith, The Telegraph, November 15, 2021
86. Is China about to invade Taiwan?
Alessio Patalano, The Spectator, November 13, 2021
87. China y su avance militar estratégico en Argentina [China’s Strategic Military Advance in Argentina]
R. Evan Ellis, China y America Latina, November 15, 2021 — ORIGINAL IN SPANISH
88. How the game of Go explains China’s aggression towards India
The Economist, November 11, 2021
89. China’s nuclear build-up: ‘one of the largest shifts in geostrategic power ever’
Demetri Sevastopulo, Financial Times, November 15, 2021
90. Australia vows to help US defend Taiwan from Chinese attacks
Demetri Sevastopulo, Financial Times, November 13, 2021
91. As U.S. spies look to the future, one target stands out: China
Greg Myre, National Public Radio, November 16, 2021
92. Deterring Chinese Strategic Attack: Grappling with the Implications of China’s Strategic Forces Buildup
Matthew Kroenig, Atlantic Council, November 2021
93. Why Is China Building Up Its Nuclear Arsenal?
Tong Zhao, New York Times, November 15, 2021
ONE BELT, ONE ROAD STRATEGY
94. Stalled Dreams
Sean Williams, The Wire China, November 15, 2021
95. EU to Lay Out $46 Billion Technology Plan to Counter China
Alberto Nardelli, Bloomberg, November 11, 2021
OPINION PIECES
96. Yes, This is a Cold War
Matt Turpin, The Wire China, November 15, 2021
97. Western brands aim for the sky in Xi Jinping’s China
Brooke Masters, Financial Times, November 17, 2021
98. The Bad Guys Are Winning
Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, November 15, 2021
99. Keating out of date and out of touch on Taiwan
Mark Harrison, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, November 12, 2021
100. China’s economic miracle is ending
Edward Chancellor, Reuters, November 12, 2021
101. Xi Jinping has rewritten China’s history, but even he can’t predict its global future
Rana Mitter, The Guardian, November 14, 2021
102. Chinese threat calls for Five Eyes expansion
Roger Boyes, Sunday Times, November 16, 2021
103. ‘Xi Jinping Thought’ Makes China a Tougher Adversary
Kevin Rudd, Wall Street Journal, November 12, 2021
104. Xi’s heavy-handed reforms of China’s tech sector could have an upside for the U.S.
David Ignatius, Washington Post, November 09, 2021
105. How America can defend Taiwan
Elbridge Colby, The Spectator, November 11, 2021
106. US-China rhetoric won’t solve our climate woes if Beijing stays hooked on coal
Julia Pamilih, City A.M., November 12, 2021
107. The EU must act now to stop abuses against Uyghur people
Helen de Rengerve and Koen Stoop, Euractive, November 8, 2021
108. The United States Can Shape China’s Collapse
Robert L. Wilkie, The Heritage Foundation, November 12, 2021
109. Japan and Germany align on an Indo-Pacific strategy
Tongfi Kim and Christoph Lhotka, The Japan Times, November 15, 2021
110. Greece’s ambivalent romance with China
Phillippe le Corre, Euractive, October 25, 2021