Links for Wednesday, March 24, 2021

WORTH THINKING ABOUT

Pieces of news or analysis that caught our eye:

Following the whataboutism tour de force of the Chinese Foreign Ministry yesterday, the Chinese State Council today released its annual report on the human rights situation in the U.S. The document, titled “The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2020” (full text in English, Chinese), excoriates the U.S. for what it describes as its “reckless” pandemic response, polarized politics, “systematic racial discrimination,” “out-of-control epidemic” of gun violence, and widening wealth inequality.

“It is hoped that the U.S. side will show humility and compassion for the suffering of its own people, drop hypocrisy, bullying, ‘Big Stick’ and double standards, and work with the international community to build a community with a shared future for humanity,” the document concludes.

See also, in state media:

• Why Washington is a human rights double-dealer / Xinhua
• China champions win-win cooperation in advancing global human rights cause / Xinhua
  “The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council on Tuesday adopted a China-sponsored resolution advocating a cooperation approach in the field of human rights.”
• Chinese Embassy solemnly refutes wrong comments by Indian media on Xinjiang-related issues / Xinhua
  “The wrong comments, written by a member of the National Security Advisory Board of India in an article and published by Indian media, spread lies about China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in an attempt to sow discords among ethnic groups in China and drive a wedge between China and Islamic countries, the spokesperson said.”

MORE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

• TuSimple files for world’s first self-driving IPO
  TuSimple IPO filing shows self-driving trucks still a money-loser / WSJ (paywall)
  图森未来在美递交IPO申请 自动驾驶卡车量产仍需时间 / Caixin (paywall)
  TuSimple, an autonomous truck startup that operates in China and the U.S., filed for an IPO on Nasdaq on Tuesday, and is set to become the first self-driving company in the world to go public.
  • Founded in San Diego in 2015 by Chén Mò 陈默 and Hóu Xiǎodí 侯晓迪, TuSimple develops driverless freight trucks. The company has raised hundreds of millions from investors, but has yet to turn a profit, with a more than $300 million loss posted in the past three years.
  • TuSimple’s IPO may face hurdles due to its connections with China, as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) “alerted TuSimple this month that it was probing a Chinese investment in the company from 2017” from social media firm Sina.
• Geely launches electric car to rival Tesla
  Geely navigates China’s competitive electric vehicle market with new brand / Caixin (paywall)
  Geely’s new EV unit Zeekr will be overseas entity to better exploit foreign markets, CEO says / Yicai
  China’s biggest car brand to launch rival to Tesla / BBC via Yahoo
  Geely — China’s largest carmaker and owner of Volvo and Lotus — on Tuesday announced a new high-end electric car brand Zeekr to be sold domestically and overseas, with deliveries set to begin in the third quarter of next year. Zeekr EVs are expected to compete with Tesla, whose Model 3 was the top-selling EV in China, as well as other Chinese brands such as Xpeng, Nio, and Li Auto.
• Tencent’s sunny annual report
  Tencent profit beats expectations despite tightening scrutiny of big tech / Bloomberg via Caixin
  腾讯发布2020年业绩报告_实时热点_热点聚焦_36氪快讯_36氪 / 36kr.com
  Exclusive: Tencent boss meets China antitrust officials as scrutiny widens – sources / Reuters
• Soaring sales in Xiaomi annual report
  小米发布2020年业绩报告_实时热点_热点聚焦_36氪快讯_36氪 / 36kr.com
  Move over Huawei, Xiaomi is China’s new smartphone king / WSJ (paywall)
  “The Beijing company on Wednesday reported soaring sales in multiple regions, including a 57% jump in phone shipments in Western Europe, and a 52% increase in mainland China. Revenue for the year rose by more than one fifth.”
• Didi prefers New York listing
  China’s Didi leans towards New York for IPO, eyes valuation of at least $100 billion – sources / Reuters
• Mounting local government debt
  China’s $2.3 trillion hidden debt could climb even further / Bloomberg
• The low, low salaries of China’s couriers
  Most delivery workers make under $766 per month, survey shows / Caixin
• Companies back up from IPOs
  Shelved IPOs surge in China after watchdog tightens scrutiny / Caixin (paywall)
• EU-China trade deal in peril
  Sanctions row threatens EU-China investment deal / FT (paywall)
  “The EU’s trade policy chief has warned that China’s decision to escalate a sanctions row risks imperilling a market-access deal meant to be the cornerstone of future relations between Brussels and Beijing.”
• Tencent and ByteDance compete on gaming
  ByteDance snaps up Shanghai game-maker as tussle with Tencent intensifies / Caixin
  “ByteDance Ltd., the owner of short-video app TikTok, is leveling up its challenge to Tencent in the video game sector by acquiring the Shanghai-based maker of one of Southeast Asia’s most popular mobile games.”
  More on Tencent’s gaming arms:
  Chinese game livestreamers Huya and DouYu both report solid revenue growth as their merger remains uncertain on antitrust concerns / Caixin
  Tencent-backed DouYu still wants to merge with Huya despite government antitrust concerns / SCMP
• Haidilao loses more than expected
  Hotpot phenomenon Haidilao bites off more than it can chew / Caixin
  “The popular restaurant chain’s profit fell 86% in 2020 after it opened 544 new stores in the year of the pandemic.”
• Big Tech + fintech crackdown
  Tencent stresses regulatory compliance as profits from gaming, payments surge / WSJ (paywall)
  Tencent confirms talks with Chinese antitrust regulators / FT (paywall)
  “Gaming and payments group defends compliance record after ‘voluntary’ meeting with authorities.”
• HSBC expands into Chinese wealth management
  HSBC searches for China’s wealthy with an army of roaming bankers / WSJ (paywall)
  HSBC “is hiring 3,000 branchless bankers to search prosperous coastal cities for wealthy clients who need advice on insurance and investments…The venture, known as HSBC Pinnacle, is led by Trista Sun, a 41-year-old Chinese banker with the enthusiasm of a financial-technology entrepreneur.”
• More U.S. delisting
  U.S. SEC begins rollout of law aimed at delisting Chinese firms / Reuters

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

• Why are Chinese companies still hiding clinical trial data?
  China coronavirus vaccine diplomacy stumbles as clinical trial data remain absent / Washington Post (porous paywall)
  Officials in Singapore are saying that “Sinovac needs to provide more data before they will consider rolling out its doses.” But “Chinese government officials and industry executives have largely deflected questions about when they will release the data.”
  See also, in Foreign Affairs last month: China must stop hiding its vaccine data.
• Vaccine production and distribution
  China triples output of COVID-19 vaccines from early February: Xinhua / Reuters
  “China’s daily output of COVID-19 vaccines has reached about 5 million doses, more than tripling the 1.5 million-dose daily production rate on Feb. 1, official media said on Wednesday.”
  China administered 82.85 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of March 23 / Reuters
  Beijing district encourages residents to get COVID-19 shots with shopping coupons / Reuters
  China to offer COVID-19 vaccine for foreign residents in Shanghai / Reuters
• Issues with one package lead to Pfizer-BioNTech freeze in Hong Kong, Macao
  BioNTech vaccinations halted in Hong Kong and Macao / Caixin (paywall)

POLITICS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS:

• Is China using vaccines to pry away Taiwanese allies?
  Paraguay says offers of Chinese vaccine tied to dumping Taiwan / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
  China denies offer of ‘vaccine diplomacy’ deal to Paraguay / Guardian
  “Paraguay said its government had been approached by unofficial brokers claiming to offer access to Chinese-manufactured batches of Covid-19 vaccine in return for cutting diplomatic ties with Taiwan, although Beijing has denounced the claim as ‘malicious disinformation.’”
  Taiwan to help allies buy vaccines, but not from China / Reuters
  “Taiwan will help its handful of remaining diplomatic allies buy COVID-19 vaccines but on the condition that Taiwanese money is not used to obtain Chinese vaccines, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said on Wednesday.”
• China continues to help North Korea get around sanctions
  How illicit oil is smuggled into North Korea with China’s help / NYT (porous paywall)
  “New satellite images obtained by The New York Times show that China has allowed tankers to use its infrastructure and territorial waters to deliver oil to North Korea.”
  How we tracked secret oil deliveries to North Korea / NYT (porous paywall)
• Security on Facebook for Uyghurs
  Facebook caught Chinese hackers using fake personas to target Uyghurs abroad / TechCrunch
  Chinese hackers used Facebook to target Uyghurs abroad, company says / Reuters
• Japan’s relatively modest rebukes of China
  Japan shies away from sanctions on China over Xinjiang / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
  “In echo of Tiananmen Square, Tokyo takes different path than that of key allies.”
  China embassy takes swipe at ‘fusty’ Japan over South China Sea / Reuters
  “China’s embassy in the Philippines has blamed ‘some external countries’ for stoking tensions in the region, in remarks aimed at Japan after its ambassador stressed the need for peace and stability and in the South China Sea.”
• U.S. diplomacy in Europe
  U.S. won’t force NATO allies into ‘us or them’ choice on China / Reuters
  “The United States will not force any NATO ally to choose sides between Washington and Beijing, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, although he warned that the West needed to show authoritarian states that democracy was superior.”
• Beijing to host Israel-Palestine talks?
  China plans to invite Palestinians and Israelis for talks – Al-Arabiya / Reuters
  “The Chinese government plans to invite Israelis and Palestinians to hold talks in China, Al-Arabiya TV channel quoted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday as saying in an interview.”

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

• Reality TV tries out featuring intellectuals as participants
  Ready or not, here come China’s pop culture intellectuals / Sixth Tone
  “For decades, China’s public intellectuals were lionized; more recently, however, those who wear the label — particularly self-styled liberals — have come under fire for their out-of-touch politics. Many have retreated from the spotlight. [Xu Zhiyuan’s] decision to join “Roast!” is an indication that some of them may be staging a comeback, not as trendsetters or punching bags, but as mass entertainers.”
• Architectural preservation
  China’s rural revolution: The architects rescuing its villages from oblivion / Guardian
• Profile of Wuhan-based artist Yang Qian
  An artist preserves Wuhan’s COVID memories / AP