China Articles - September 4, 2022
Friends,
After years of waiting and months of growing pressure, Michelle Bachelet, the now former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released her office’s report on Xinjiang and the Chinese Communist Party’s gross human rights abuses against their own Uyghur minority population.
That she did so just 13 minutes before formally stepping down from office on Wednesday evening and the incredibly measured tone of the report, shows the enormous influence the PRC has over the United Nations system. Paired with what has unfolded at the World Health Organization since the start of the pandemic or the efforts at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to embed authoritarian principles into artificial intelligence standards and the internet or the unwillingness at the World Trade Organization to hold the PRC accountable for its non-market-based economy, our international institutions have become conduits of the threats they were designed to combat.
For those of us who are frustrated that our international institutions are failing, we are left with some choices. Should we shun these institutions and pull back from the international space, focusing only on our own problems? Should we ignore the illiberal turn at these organizations and hope for the best? Should we lean-in, contesting control over these institutions to make them live up to their mandates? Or should we start over by rebuilding new institutions that are fit for purpose in the world we live in today?
Back in October 2019, Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister made his case for this dilemma in a speech at the Lowy Institute in Australia. If you haven’t read or watched it, I recommend you do here. His speech, delivered before COVID, before the crackdown on Hong Kong, before Putin’s February 2022 attack on Ukraine, is quite prescient.
Countries around the world are wrestling with these difficult choices. I think that the latter two options are the paths we should focus on. But in many places and across the political spectrum, the former two options seem to be winning out.
Thanks for reading!
Matt
MUST READ
United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, August 31, 2022
Thirteen minutes before stepping down as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet released this dense, legalist report on the PRC’s serious human rights violations in Xinjiang.
2. U.N. Says China May Have Committed ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ in Xinjiang
Nick Cumming-Bruce and Austin Ramzy, New York Times, August 31, 2022
A long-awaited report released by the United Nations accuses China of serious human rights violations that may constitute crimes against humanity.
3. PRC Efforts to Manipulate Global Public Opinion on Xinjiang
U.S. Department of State, August 24, 2022
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) actively attempts to manipulate and dominate global discourse on Xinjiang and to discredit independent sources reporting ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity conducted against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. PRC-directed and -affiliated actors lead a coordinated effort to amplify Beijing’s preferred narratives on Xinjiang, to drown out and marginalize narratives that are critical of the PRC’s repression of Uyghurs, and to harass those critical of the PRC.
Messaging Tactics
PRC messaging tactics seek to drown out critical narratives by both flooding the international information environment to limit access to content that contradicts Beijing’s official line, and by creating an artificial appearance of support for PRC policies. Messengers use sophisticated A.I. -generated images to create the appearance of authenticity of fake user profiles. The PRC works to silence dissent by engaging in digital transnational repression, trolling, and cyberbullying.
COMMENT: I’m proud of what the State Department’s Global Engagement Center is doing these days. It is exactly the kind of principled political warfare that we need.
4. Britain After Ukraine: A New Foreign Policy for an Age of Great Power Competition
Tom Tugendhat, Foreign Affairs, September 1, 2022
“The era of “respectful disagreement”—when dictatorships had more to gain from using existing systems than breaking them—is over.”
COMMENT: Tom Tugendhat, a rising leader within the UK’s Conservative Party and co-founder of the China Research Group, points out that authoritarians like Putin and Xi view the existing rules-based international system as a threat to their rule, not something that is mutually beneficial that must be protected. I couldn’t agree more.
Within democracies, one of our fundamental problems has been the problem that Jonathan Haslam identified in his recent book, The Spectre of War: International Communism and the Origins of World War II (2021), that we ascribe our own rationality to others:
“What was missing in the analysis of the international system was that its constituent elements, states were assumed in practice to be precisely what they were not, cleverly articulated machines, like businesses operating in the market, the behavior of which are open to prediction, not organisms, lifeforms that evolve according to inner dynamics affected by ethnicity and traditional culture. The tendency to assume like-mindedness has invariably proved overwhelming and wrong.”
“Society is and always was a complex organism. Ideology and cultural tradition always belonged more to the realm of organisms than of machines. This matters because ideologies in the international system, once activated can completely undercut predictability as they do not operate within the parameters of more settled states. The assumption that the system is run by rational actors thus falls apart because the calculation of what is rational is contingent on culture and historical evolution.”
I recommend picking up Haslam’s book, he does an excellent job of reframing the narrative around the origins of WWII and how the shock of the Russian Revolution and the threat of Bolshevism drove decision-making across much of the world.
5. DIU’s director tried to overcome a calcified defense innovation system. It beat him. Now what?
Bill Greenwalt, Breaking Defense, August 29, 2022
Bill Greenwalt describes the failures of the U.S. Defense Department to implement its own initiatives for acquisition reform and draw on commercial technology to compete with the PRC.
COMMENT: Whereas the State Department has taken its mission seriously and is embarked on a program of reform to deal with our new, more dangerous international environment, I’m increasingly concerned that the Department of Defense cannot institute the bureaucratic and acquisition reforms that have been identified for well over a decade. Bill Greenwalt’s description of these failures is an indictment of leaders in both parties who have been unable or unwilling to do the difficult things that must be done.
6. Spirals of Delusion: How AI Distorts Decision-Making and Makes Dictators More Dangerous
Jeremy Wallace, Foreign Affairs, August 31, 2022
Machine learning may increase polarization—reengineering the online world to promote political division and aid authoritarian regimes.
7. U.S. Business Confidence in China Falls to Record Low, Survey Says
Liza Lin, Wall Street Journal, August 29, 2022
Sentiment about operating in China among U.S. businesses has plummeted to a new low, driven largely by Beijing’s continued use of sudden Covid-19 lockdowns, an annual survey by an American business group found.
Authoritarianism
8. In China’s Version of ‘Minions’ Movie, Morality Triumphs
Tiffany May, New York Times, August 23, 2022
9. Xi Jinping’s Radical Secrecy
Richard McGregor, The Atlantic, August 21, 2022
10. Chinese anime fan claims police interrogated her for wearing a kimono
Nectar Gan, CNN, August 15, 2022
11. U.S. Entertainment Industry Hits Wall in China
Erich Schwartzel and Anne Steele, Wall Street Journal, August 24, 2022
12. Adidas CEO to Leave Amid Struggles in China
Georgi Kantchev, Wall Street Journal, August 22, 2022
13. US Suspends 26 Flights by Chinese Airlines in Escalating Dispute Over Covid Policies
Alan Levin, Bloomberg, August 26, 2022
14. VIDEO – China 101: Why Taiwan Matters
Dan Crenshaw, August 17, 2022
Jon Cohen, Science, August 18, 2022
16. Latin America’s New Leaders Are Embracing State Authority
Eric Farnsworth, Barron’s, August 30, 2022
17. China Sets October Date for Party Congress Where Xi Jinping Can Extend Power
Chun Han Wong, Wall Street Journal, August 30, 2022
18. Another Russia Is Possible The Kremlin Will Eventually Tire of Its Reliance on China
Dmitri Alperovitch and Sergey Radchenko, Foreign Affairs, August 30, 2022
19. China’s mortgage boycotts: Why hundreds of thousands of people are saying they won’t pay
Lili Pike and Alex Leeds Matthews, GRID, August 29, 2022
20. Three Reasons the PCAOB’s Agreement With China May Not Have Changed the Landscape
Christopher Davies, Daniel F. Schubert, Jeffery I. Kessler, and Alan J. Wilson, WilmerHale, August 30, 2022
Environmental Harms
21. China’s Record Drought Is Drying Rivers and Feeding Its Coal Habit
Keith Bradsher and Joy Dong, New York Times, August 26, 2022
22. China’s wealthiest regions increase fossil fuel investment
Yujie Xue, South China Morning Post, August 22, 2022
23. Analysis: China no closer to peak coal despite record renewable capacity additions
David Stanway, Reuters, August 22, 2022
24. A ‘Sea Cow’ That Evoked Mermaids Is Extinct in Chinese Waters, Study Finds
Mike Ives, New York Times, August 26, 2022
25. Its largest lake is so dry, China digs deep to water crops
Associated Press, August 23, 2022
26. U.S. must dispel Pelosi's 'negative influence' before climate talks -China
Reuters, August 31, 2022
Foreign Interference and Coercion
27. WAYBACK MACHINE – China’s Expanding Influence in the UN System
Kartik Ashta, Abhimanini Sawhney, Dakshata Ahlawat and Palak Malhotra, Gateway House, May 27, 2021
China has been steadily increasing its influence within the United Nations using a combination of increased funding, strategically placing its key officials and selecting the most influential agencies and bodies to lead. The clusters of agencies headed by China are directly and indirectly linked to its domestic agendas like the Belt and Road Initiative, Make in China 2025 and the rise of Chinese companies. The world is just starting to take notice - and so must India.
28. China's unseen war for strategic influence
Financial Times, August 25, 2022 – VIDEO
29. How China’s Propaganda Influences the West
Seth D. Kaplan, Wall Street Journal, August 21, 2022
30. Taiwan’s Parade of Visitors Continues With Indiana Governor
Joyu Wang and Miho Inada, Wall Street Journal, August 22, 2022
31. German dependence on China growing 'at tremendous pace', research shows
Klaus Lauer, Reuters, August 19, 2022
32. China Direct: Estonia explains dropout — Berlin in debate mode — Minion in jail
Stuart Lau, Politico, August 25, 2022
33. Fears of a coup in Solomon Islands after PM delays elections
Liam Bartlett, 6PR882 News Talk, August 18, 2022
34. Future US-China cooperation on tackling global drugs trade seen as unlikely
Zhuang Pinghui, South China Morning Post, August 29, 2022
35. Mahathir Mohamad urges Asean to move towards China after US’s Taiwan ‘provocation’
Oliver Telling, Financial Times, August 30, 2022
36. Solomon Islands lurch toward despotism as China debt deepens
Elizabeth Beattie, Nikkei Asia, August 30, 2022
37. Report: US Coast Guard ship denied port call in Solomons
David Rising, Navy Times, August 26, 2022
Human Rights and Religious Persecution
38. Nury Turkel’s “No Escape”: Yes, There is a Genocide of the Uyghurs
Marco Respinti, Bitter Winter, August 19, 2022
39. UN rights chief ‘trying very hard’ to publish Xinjiang report
Finbarr Bermingham, South China Morning Post, August 25, 2022
40. Hong Kong: 47 Lawmakers, Activists Face Unfair Trial
Human Rights Watch, August 22, 2022
41. 6 ex-Apple Daily staff to admit collusion in Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai pleads not guilty
Brian Wong, South China Morning Post, August 22, 2022
42. Founder of China’s largest gay dating app steps down after delisting
Coco Feng, South China Morning Post, August 22, 2022
43. U.N. Report on Rights Abuses in Xinjiang May Be Delayed Again
Nick Cumming-Bruce and Austin Ramzy, New York Times, August 25, 2022
44. U.N. report: China may have committed crimes against humanity in Xinjiang
Lily Kuo and Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, August 31, 2022
45. The Censorship Machine Erasing China’s Feminist Movement
Han Zhang, New Yorker, August 29, 2022
Industrial Policies and Economic Espionage
46. Critical minerals – the next front line in the China-US rivalry?
Laura Zhou, South China Morning Post, August 21, 2022
47. Pandemic Bolsters China’s Position as the World’s Manufacturer
Jason Douglas and Stella Yifan Xie, Wall Street Journal, August 21, 2022
48. $2.6tn could evaporate from global economy in Taiwan emergency
Nikkei Asia, August 22, 2022
49. U.S. chip tool maker Synopsys expands in Vietnam amid China tech war
Lien Hoang, Nikkei Asia, August 26, 2022
50. China’s Semiconductor Breakthrough
Che-Jen Wang, The Diplomat, August 20, 2022
51. ‘The Eye of the Storm’: Taiwan Is Caught in a Great Game Over Microchips
Paul Mozur, John Liu, and Raymond Zhong, New York Times, August 29, 2022
52. Republican Rubio slams U.S. approval of chip deal with China ties
Reuters, August 30, 2022
53. U.S. vs. China: The Race to Build the World’s Fastest Supercomputers
Wall Street Journal, August 31, 2022 – VIDEO
54. Xi Jinping’s Vision for Tech Self-Reliance in China Runs Into Reality
Li Yuan, New York Times, August 29, 2022
55. Hong Kong’s Exodus Shrinks Workforce in Threat to Financial-Hub Status
Krystal Chia and Hayley Wong, Bloomberg, August 25, 2022
56. China’s AgBank Says Overdue Loans From Mortgage Boycott Double
Bloomberg, August 29, 2022
57. Goldman Says Market Sees 50% Risk of China Stocks Exiting US
Jeanny Yu, Bloomberg, August 29, 2022
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said markets are still pricing in a 50% chance of Chinese companies being delisted from US exchanges, even as the two nations reached a preliminary deal to resolve a decades-long standoff over audits.
58. Nvidia, AMD warned of new US export restrictions on AI chips
Lisa Martine Jenkins, Protocol, August 31, 2022
59. More western tech companies set out Russian exit plans
Supantha Mukherjee and Alexander Marrow, Reuters, August 29, 2022
Cyber & Information Technology
60. Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei rallies the troops as global recession looms
Iris Deng, South China Morning Post, August 23, 2022
61. TikTok’s In-App Browser Includes Code That Can Monitor Your Keystrokes, Researcher Says
Richard Nieva, Forbes, August 18, 2022
62. Huawei founder sparks alarm in China with warning of ‘painful’ next decade
Helen Davidson, The Guardian, August 25, 2022
63. TikTok Browser Can Track Users’ Keystrokes, According to New Research
Paul Mozur, Ryan Mac and Chang Che, New York Times, August 19, 2022
64. Chinese discourse power: Ambitions and reality in the digital domain
Atlantic Council, August 24, 2022
65. A huge Chinese database of faces and vehicle license plates spilled online
Zack Whittaker, TechCrunch, August 30, 2022
Military and Security Threats
66. How Does China Deter America in the Taiwan Strait?
James Holmes, 1945, August 19, 2022
67. Japan considers deploying long-range missiles to counter China, Yomiuri reports
Reuters, August 21, 2022
68. China Hasn’t Reached the Peak of Its Power
Oriana Skylar Mastro and Derek Scissors, Foreign Affairs, August 28, 2022
69. Analysis: China's navy begins to erase imaginary Taiwan Strait median line
Yimou Lee and Greg Torode, Reuters, August 26, 2022
70. US has ‘no good options’ on Taiwan as China resets status quo
Kathrin Hille, Financial Times, August 26, 2022
71. How China Could Choke Taiwan
Chris Buckley, Pablo Robles, Marco Hernandez and Amy Chang Chien, New York Times, August 25, 2022
72. China must show it's not an 'agent of instability' on Taiwan, US Ambassador to China says
Selina Wang, Sandi Sidhu and Simone McCarthy, CNN, August 19, 2022
73. China’s Taiwan Strategy After the Nancy Pelosi Visit: Forever Crisis?
Dean Cheng, 1945, August 18, 2022
74. U.S. warships pass through Taiwan Strait for first time since Pelosi visit
Adela Suliman, Washington Post, August 28, 2022
75. China and Russia join forces for Vostok military exercises
John Paul Rathbone, Financial Times, August 30, 2022
76. China adds 5 advanced destroyers in naval buildup pressuring Taiwan
Tsukasa Hadano and Shin Watanabe, Nikkei Asia, August 29, 2022
77. ‘On a par with the Russians’: rise in Chinese espionage alarms Europe
John Paul Rathbone and Demetri Sevastopulo, Financial Times, August 29, 2022
78. Biden Looks East
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, August 29, 2022
79. Biden Administration Preps $1.1 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan
Anthony Capaccio, Samson Ellis, and Daniel Flatley, Bloomberg, August 30, 2022
80. Jakarta gets ‘grey-zoned’ by Beijing
Evan A Laksmana, East Asia Forum, August 30, 2022
81. Nicaragua: Dictatorship and Collaboration with Extra-Hemispheric U.S. Rivals
Evan Ellis, Center for Strategic and International Studies, August 29, 2022
82. AUDIO – The Taiwan Crisis: Reaching Critical? A View from Taipei
Katrine Hille and Michael Auslin, The Pacific Century, August 16, 2022
One Belt, One Road Strategy
83. To Counter China in Latin America, Focus on Argentina
Frank Okata, U.S. Naval Institute, August 2022
84. The Evolution of PRC Engagement in Mexico
Evan Ellis, Global Americans, August 24, 2022
85. China's ASEAN Silk Road gets slippery as other powers move in
Lien Hoang, Nikkei Asia, August 23, 2022
86. Kenya's new highway signals shift in China's lending blitz in Africa
Takeshi Kumon and Iori Kawate, Nikkei Asia, August 20, 2022
87. Beyond blocs: global views on China and US-China relations
MERICS, August 18, 2022
88. BLOOD GOLD
Eryk Bagshaw and Edward Adeti, Sydney Morning Herald, August 25, 2022
89. The China-Solomon Islands Agreement and Beijing's Prospects for Influence in the Pacific Islands
William Piekos, Center for Advanced China Research, August 29, 2022
Opinion Pieces
90. America’s Industrial Base Isn’t Ready for War with China
Elbridge A. Colby and Alexander B. Gray, Wall Street Journal, August 18, 2022
91. How China’s Propaganda Influences the West
Seth D. Kaplan, Wall Street Journal, August 21, 2022
92. China's property-sector woes will inevitably spread further
Andrew Collier, Nikkei Asia, August 23, 2022
93. What Did China Gain From Taiwan Exercises?
Walter Pincus, The Cipher Brief, August 16, 2022
94. The Unwisdom of the Solomon Islands
Wall Street Journal, August 30, 2022
95. Hainan’s Covid chaos exposes the bad, ugly – and scary – of China’s virus control measures
Wang Xiangwei, South China Morning Post, August 27, 2022
96. China’s dim prospects turn disastrous
Diane Francis, The Hill, August 29, 2022
97. Prof. Aron Shai: I was an Enthusiastic Supporter of the Chinese Model. Now I Know Better
Galia Lavi, Institute for National Security Studies, August 29, 2022