China Articles - October 17, 2021
Friends,
This week’s issue nearly breaks the three-digit mark for articles and reports on the malign activities of the Chinese Communist Party. When I think back three years ago when I started collecting and distributing a weekly summary, I was lucky to find twenty. Now I routinely find well over 100 each week and must triage what I find.
I’m also struck by the number of spinning plates and the potential for a cascade of Party failures. Economic pressures on the Chinese Communist Party continue to grow as an energy crisis spreads across the country threatening the Party’s crafted message going into COP26, inflation hits industrial inputs and the potential contagion from China Evergrande’s slow collapse expands as Chinese developers cannot access global debt markets. The U.S. Government appears intent on continuing to tighten the screws on both trade, as well as capital flows to the PRC with the SEC Chairman starting the clock on delisting PRC entities from American exchanges that refuse to comply with U.S. transparency and audit laws.
These economic and financial problems aren’t unfolding in a vacuum.
The Party seems determined to further threaten Taiwan with public amphibious exercises by the Chinese military (see #77). There is an expanding rift between the PRC and the United States and between the PRC and the European Union (see #38)… a trend that is bound to expand as Xi’s one ally, Chancellor Merkel, steps down in Berlin. The new Japanese Government appears intent on sharpening its policy towards the PRC (see #78). The American campaign to kneecap Huawei, Beijing’s most important national champion, looks to be working (see #1). The Party’s effort to spend hundreds of billions of dollars to become self-sufficient in semiconductors has failed (see #58).
Then there was the humiliating capture last week of nearly 200 Chinese soldiers by the Indian Army when they crossed the border to vandalize Indian bunkers (see #7).
All of this suggests that the challenges for Xi Jinping are multiplying in ways that must be difficult for an increasingly centralized regime. Xi’s decade-long effort to make himself the ‘Chairman of Everything’ could result in serious domestic political challenges as Chinese citizens and Party members question his decision-making prowess.
Something to consider is that when Harvard dares to move one of its academic programs out of Beijing and to Taiwan (see #6), you know things aren’t going right for the Party…
Thanks for reading!
Matt
MUST READ
1. U.S. Set Out to Hobble China’s Huawei, and So It Has
Dan Strumpf, Wall Street Journal, October 7, 2021
In the span of a year, Chinese telecommunications maker Huawei has gone from an ascendant global technology provider to a much-diminished international pariah. Governments and customers alike are wary of Huawei technology while sanctions and trade restrictions have choked the firm of access to crucial supply chains. This precipitous downfall reflects a successful isolation effort on the part of Washington and its partners.
2. To prevent the next pandemic, we must find the source of covid-19. China’s stonewalling is unacceptable.
Editorial Board, Washington Post, October 11, 2021
The Editorial Board of the Washington Post issued a sharp condemnation of Chinese efforts to derail credible international investigations into the origins of COVID-19.
3. The Neglected Agency at the Center of Biden’s China Strategy
Martijn Rasser and Megan Lamberth, Politico, October 5, 2021
Martijn Rasser and Megan Lamberth respond in Politico to a recent speech by the United States Trade Representative, advocating for a whole-of-government approach to confronting Beijing. The duo suggests a larger role for the Department of Commerce—an often under-appreciated and under-utilized agency—as American economic and security initiatives find increasing common ground.
4. The real question about China for investors
Logan Wright, Financial Times, October 13, 2021
Logan Wright, the Director for China Markets Research at Rhodium Group, observes that the real danger for investors in China is whether the pathologies in the Chinese Communist Party’s policy-making processes will derail the kind of reforms that are obviously necessary. Hoping that Beijing’s technocrats with exercise a steady hand may be a mirage.
5. VIDEO — The Chinese business tycoon revealing the secrets of Beijing's elite
60 Minutes Australia, September 26, 2021
60 Minutes Australia interviews Desmond Shum, the Chinese tycoon and author of “Red Roulette.”
6. Harvard Beijing Academy’s Move to Taipei
Io Y. Gilman and Isabel Wu, The Harvard Crimson, October 7, 2021
Harvard University is moving its Beijing Academy summer study abroad program to the National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan in the summer of 2022. According to the director of the program, Harvard made this decision due to the unfriendliness of the host institution, Beijing Language and Culture University in the PRC. This will undoubtably put increased pressure on various other Harvard programs that operate in Communist China.
7. India Foils Chinese Incursion in Arunachal Pradesh, Briefly Detains PLA Troops
Amrita Nayak Dutta, News 18 India, October 8, 2021
The Indian Army captured nearly 200 PLA soldiers who had crossed the PRC-Indian border in the far northeast of India. The Chinese soldiers were apparently seeking to damage or destroy unoccupied Indian bunkers when they were surrounded and forced to surrender. The Indian authorities released the PLA soldiers without further incident.
AUTHORITARIANISM
8. China Targets News Media in Xi Jinping’s Campaign to Expand Communist Party Control
Liza Lin, Wall Street Journal, October 12, 2021
9. China and the World Bank: Who Needs Whom?
Anastasiia Carrier, The Wire China, October 10, 2021
10. Chinese State Capitalism: Diagnosis and Prognosis
Scott Kennedy and Jude Blanchette, CSIS, October 7, 2021
11. The Man Behind Xi Jinping’s Foreign Policy
Peter Martin, China File, October 6, 2021
12. From the bookshelf: ‘The long game: China’s grand strategy to displace American order’
Robert Wihtol, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, October 13, 2021
13. How Evergrande Grew and Grew, Despite Years of Red Flags
Brian Spegele, Julie Steinberg, and Elaine Yu, Wall Street Journal, October 8, 2021
14. China to outlaw all news outlets not funded by Communist Party
Sophia Yan, The Telegraph, October 11, 2021
15. China readies plan to elevate status of antitrust unit
Reuters, October 13, 2021
16. Fall in China's $1.3 trln land sales to test local finances, economy
Ryan Woo and Liangping Gao, Reuters, October 7, 2021
17. In China, Home Buyers Who Went All in Say They Want Out
Alexandra Stevenson and Joy Dong, New York Times, October 12, 2021
18. ‘This Drop Came So Quickly’: Shrinking Schools Add to Hong Kong Exodus
Vivian Wang, New York Times, October 11, 2021
19. All Hong Kong schools must display Chinese national flag, hold weekly flag-raising ceremonies from next year
Rhoda Kwan, Hong Kong Free Press, October 12, 2021
20. University of Hong Kong orders removal of Tiananmen Massacre statue after 24 years, artist ‘shocked’
Candice Chau, Hong Kong Free Press, October 8, 2021
21. Hong Kong Policy Address: Emotional Carrie Lam hails ‘new era,’ vows to bolster national security measures
Rhoda Kwan, Hong Kong Free Press, October 6, 2021
22. Hong Kong plans megacourt to deal with protest arrests backlog
Helen Davidson, The Guardian, October 7, 2021
23. Half of China’s top developers crossed Beijing’s ‘red lines’
Thomas Hale, Financial Times, October 8, 2021
24. China DENIES WHO access to bat caves as part of Covid-19 investigation
William Cole, Daily Mail, October 11, 2021
25. How Hong Kong’s National Security Law Is Changing Everything
Kari Soo Lindberg, Natalie Lung, and Pablo Robles, Bloomberg, October 5, 2021
ENVIRONMENTAL HARMS
26. China power cuts: Coal miners ordered to boost output, say reports
BBC, October 8, 2021
27. North Korean companies smuggle coal to power crisis-hit China
The Statesman, October 12, 2021
28. China’s plan to build more coal-fired plants deals blow to UK’s Cop26 ambitions
Rob Davies. The Guardian, October 12, 2021
29. China protest sets stage for U.N. plane emissions debate
Allison Lampert, Reuters, October 8, 2021
30. China’s Power Crunch Exposes Tensions Ahead of Key U.N. Climate Summit
Keith Bradsher and Lisa Friedman, New York Times, October 7, 2021
FOREIGN INTERFERENCE AND COERCION
31. China’s bid to ‘weaponise trade’ crumbles as it turns to Australia despite ban
Su-Lin Tan, South China Morning Post, October 8, 2021
32. Taiwan will not bow to China, vows Tsai Ing-wen during national day celebrations
Richard Lloyd Parry, Sunday Times, October 11, 2021
33. China’s Xi vows peaceful ‘unification’ with Taiwan, days after sending a surge of warplanes near the island
Adela Suliman, Washington Post, October 9, 2021
34. LinkedIn avoids key questions on China censorship
Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, Axios, October 12, 2021
35. Amid U.S.-China Chill, Harvard Moves a Top Language Program to Taiwan
Amy Qin, New York Times, October 13, 2021
36. Huawei Rejected by Three in Four Canadians on Eve of 5G Decision
Natalie Obiko Pearson, Bloomberg, October 11, 2021
37. Up to a quarter of US equity ETF revenues derived from China
Steve Johnson, Financial Times, October 4, 2021
38. How little Lithuania dragged the EU into its showdown with China
Stuart Lau, Politico, October 6, 2012
39. Pen America Decries LinkedIn’s Apparent State-Influenced Censorship
Pen America, September 29, 2021
United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, October 11, 2021
41. India rejects China stand on VP’s Arunachal tour
Rezaul H. Laskar, Hindustan Times, October 14, 2021
42. AUDIO — Think Globally, Act Locally: China’s Local Diplomacy Strategy
Bonnie S. Glaser and Mareike Ohlberg, German Marshall Fund, October 12, 2021
43. How China’s Economic Freedom Deficit Distorts Markets Beyond Its Borders
Anthony B. Kim, Washington Examiner, October 11, 2021
44. In Post-American Central Asia, Russia and China are Tightening Their Grip
Bradley Jardine and Edward Lemon, War on the Rocks, October 7, 2021
Robert Kuttner, The American Prospect, October 5, 2021
46. Hong Kong university hires US law firm to seek Tiananmen statue’s removal
Thomas Chan, Financial Times, October 8, 2021
47. The Race for Semiconductors Supremacy: China Versus an Emerging Democratic Alliance
Andy Keiser and Michael Lumpkin, Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, October 2021
HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION
48. EXCLUSIVE US electronics firm struck deal to transport and hire Uyghur workers
Cate Cadell, Reuters, October 8, 2021
49. Beijing Olympics Sponsors Face a $110 Billion Dilemma
Bloomberg, October 11, 2021
50. China’s Communist Party Formally Embraces Assimilationist Approach to Ethnic Minorities
Keith Zhai, Wall Street Journal, October 8, 2021
Darren Byler, Rest of World, October 12, 2021
52. John Coates rules out IOC pressuring China over human rights ahead of Beijing Winter Olympics
ABC News Australia, October 12, 2021
53. UHRP Calls for U.S. Investigation of Universal Electronics Products Made with Uyghur Forced Labor
Uyghur Human Rights Project, October 8, 2021
54. The covid tech that is intimately tied to China’s surveillance state
Darren Byler, MIT Technology Review, October 11, 2021
55. CCP: Comics from Korea Should Avoid Promoting “Separatism” or Religion
Zhou Kexin, Bitter Winter, October 13, 2021
56. Ban of Falun Gong in Hong Kong Promoted Through False Survey
Gladys Kwok, Bitter Winter, October 8, 2021
57. Chinese Journalist Detained After Criticizing Government-Sponsored Blockbuster
Steven Lee Myers and Amy Chang Chien, New York Times, October 8, 2021
INDUSTRIAL POLICIES AND ECONOMIC ESPIONAGE
58. 'Made in China' chip drive falls far short of 70% self-sufficiency
Shunsuke Tabeta, Nikkei Asia, October 13, 2021
59. Top U.S. science funder says it is swamped by investigations of foreign influence on grantees
Jeffrey Mervis, Science, October 7, 2021
60. China’s Power Problems Expose a Strategic Weakness
Keith Bradsher, New York Times, October 13, 2021
61. Battery technology gives China an opening in electric vehicles
Henry Sanderson, Financial Times, October 7, 2021
62. Biotech’s Borders
Anastasiia Carrier, The Wire China, October 10, 2021
63. CATL's Super-Charged Trajectory
Eliot Chen, The Wire China, October 10, 2021
64. Lithium Deal Shows China’s Accelerating Race for Battery Metals
Yvonne Yue Li, Bloomberg, October 11, 2021
CYBER AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
65. China is exploiting search engines to push propaganda about origins of covid-19, study finds
Cristiano Lima, Washington Post, October 5, 2021
66. China’s cameras face fresh scrutiny in Europe
Liv Klingert, Politico, October 6, 2021
67. Deep in the Data Void: China’s COVID-19 Disinformation Dominates Search Engine Results
Elen Aghekyan and Bret Schafer, Alliance for Securing Democracy, October 5, 2021
68. China's 14th Five Year Plan and what it means for data centers
Dan Swinhoe, Data Center Dynamics, October 12, 2021
69. JPMorgan’s Deal with Alipay Will Put the PLA in Your Pocket
Elisabeth Braw, Foreign Policy, October 13, 2021
70. US has already lost AI fight to China, says ex-Pentagon software chief
Katrina Manson, Financial Times, October 10, 2021
71. Twitter’s China Problem Rears Its Head
Jimmy Quinn, The National Review, October 12, 2021
72. Jonathan Hillman on the Digital Silk Road's Increasing Importance
James Chater, The Wire China, October 10, 2021
MILITARY AND SECURITY THREATS
73. U.S. Troops Have Been Deployed in Taiwan for at Least a Year
Gordon Lubold, Wall Street Journal, October 7, 2021
74. VIDEO — How an aggressive China is helping U.S understand India's need for S-400 deal
The Hindustan Times, October 14, 2021
75. India, China military talks fail
Ashok Tuteja, The Statesman, October 11, 2021
76. Is a Chinese Military Attack on Taiwan Inevitable?
James Holmes, Clingendael Spectator, October 6, 2021
77. China says it carried out beach landing drills in province opposite Taiwan
Reuters, October 11, 2021
78. Japan's ruling party makes unprecedented defence spending pledge
Tim Kelly and Ju-min Park, Reuters, October 13, 2021
79. First Japan-UK submarine warfare exercise held with China in its sights
Julian Ryall, South China Morning Post, October 6, 2021
80. C.I.A. Reorganization to Place New Focus on China
Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, October 7, 2021
81. ‘Starting a Fire’: U.S. and China Enter Dangerous Territory Over Taiwan
Chris Buckley and Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, October 9, 2021
82. US blocks radioactive fuel to China amid nuclear weapons fears
Sunday Times, October 6, 2021
ONE BELT, ONE ROAD STRATEGY
83. Ecuador eyes trade deals with China, Russia in bid for investment
Reuters, October 7, 2021
84. New Port of Liverpool rail link as China demand soars
Liverpool Business News, October 6, 2021
85. Towering Ambitions: Egypt and China Building for the Future
John Calabrese, Middle East Institute, October 6, 2021
86. China's massive infrastructure initiative across Asia, Europe and Africa hits snags
Jackie Northam, National Public Radio, October 6, 2021
OPINION PIECES
87. Evergrande crisis puts PwC role in spotlight
Tabby Kinder, Financial Times, October 11, 2021
88. Europe’s Complacency Heightens the China Challenge
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Wall Street Journal, October 10, 2021
89. Can Berlin Get Tough on Beijing?
Ian Johnson, Foreign Affairs, October 11, 2021
90. The moment of truth over Taiwan is getting closer
Gideon Rachman, Financial Times, October 11, 2021
91. Congress must untie Biden’s hands on Taiwan
Congresswoman Elaine Luria, Washington Post, October 11, 2021
92. A rising tide lifts all boats in maritime cybersecurity - CyberScoop
Jeff Stone, CyberScoop, October 8, 2021
93. How to Prevent an Accidental War Over Taiwan
David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, October 12, 2021
94. Xi Jinping’s Two-Track Foreign Policy
Walter Russell Mead, Wall Street Journal, October 11, 2021
95. Carbon Neutrality with Chinese Characteristics
Nancy Qian, The Wire China, October 10, 2021
96. Xi is using Taiwan to distract from struggles at home – just like Putin did with Crimea
Sophia Yan, The Telegraph, October 12, 2021
97. The University of Hong Kong Takes a Page from the Taliban’s Playbook
Eli Lake, Common Sense with Bari Weiss, October 12, 2021
98. China Will Test America on Taiwan. What Will Joe Biden Do?
Brent Sandler, Heritage Foundation, October 12, 2021