Links for Thursday, July 30, 2020

WHAT WE’RE READING:

More important China news and analysis from around the web:

A “reset” of U.S.-China relations? The Chinese ambassador to the U.S., Cuī Tiānkǎi 崔天凯, called for just that in an op-ed in Politico today. Cui also wrote some meaningless platitudes that probably have no pull in Washington, at least under the Trump administration:

The China-U.S. relationship can have a future only when it is built on dialogue and cooperation — a future of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

David Wertime at Politico interpreted the overall message of the op-ed as “a signal the Chinese Communist Party is hoping to wait the current administration out.”

Meanwhile, Americans are extraordinarily negative on China right now. 

• A new Pew Research Center poll finds, “Since March alone, negative views of China have increased 7 points, and there is a widespread sense that China mishandled the initial outbreak and subsequent spread of COVID-19.”
• See also The China Project’s coverage and analysis of the last Pew poll, the results of which were published in April: American views of China had hit a record low.

An ESPN investigation into the NBA’s China training centers found many troubling details, including unique problems with the location in Xinjiang, which was reportedly closed down last year:

American coaches at three NBA training academies in China told league officials their Chinese partners were physically abusing young players and failing to provide schooling, even though commissioner Adam Silver had said that education would be central to the program…

The NBA ran into myriad problems by opening one of the academies in Xinjiang… American coaches were frequently harassed and surveilled in Xinjiang… One American coach was detained three times without cause; he and others were unable to obtain housing because of their status as foreigners.

A former league employee compared the atmosphere when he worked in Xinjiang to “World War II Germany.”…

At least two coaches left their positions in response to what they believed was mistreatment of young players.

IN OTHER NEWS:

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

• Zoom and TikTok
  Shares of Zoom Video plunge as much as 5% after senators seek probe into Zoom and TikTok’s relationships with Chinese government / CNBC via Twitter
  Popular TikTok stars to leave platform for rival app over data privacy concerns / LA Times via Yahoo
  Pressure on Tiktok mounts as Japan eyes ban / TechNode
• Huawei
  Brazil may face ‘consequences’ if it gives Huawei 5G access, says US ambassador / SCMP
  Huawei tops Samsung for first time in smartphones, Canalys says / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
  The backlash to Huawei’s global 5G expansion / Carnegie Endowment
• Economic outlook
  China tries its favorite economic cure: More construction / NYT (porous paywall)
  Xi calls for deeper reform to escape ‘grave’ economic conditions / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
  How China’s Craigslist became a grief circle for the unemployed / Rest of World
• Seed deliveries likely part of a “brushing scam”
  ‘Brushers’ come into focus as officials test packages of suspicious seeds / WSJ (paywall)
  “Brushing involves using fake transactions to enhance the reputations of online merchants. It began attracting attention in the U.S. about five years ago.”
• Three Gorges to reduce debt via minority stake sale?
  China Three Gorges mulls $4 billion stake sale in overseas unit / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
  “A minority stake sale would help the company both reduce debt and respond to the Chinese government’s urging state-owned companies to implement mixed-ownership reform, a policy meant to increase their efficiency and competitiveness.”
• Some Meituan users report the app disabled Alipay
  Meituan blocks payment via Alipay as rivalry intensifies / TechNode
• China permits some garbage imports, may never implement full ban
  China finally makes its peace with ‘foreign garbage’ / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
• Investment in fresh produce marketplace
  Chinese community e-commerce firm Nice Tuan nets $80 million in third funding in 2020 / Deal Street Asia via Caixin
• Self-flying vehicles in Canada
  China’s EHang gets green light to test self-flying vehicles in Quebec / Caixin (paywall)
• Red wine and liquor sales up
  Chinese liquor industry sees brisk sales as more people buy online to drink at home / China Daily

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

• COVID-19 in Hong Kong
  Covid-19: Hong Kong reverses blanket dine-in ban, as city sees another record-high no. of infections / HKFP
• Research from China on airborne transmission
  Yes, the coronavirus is in the air / NYT (porous paywall)

POLITICS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS:

• “We’ll put your son up for adoption”
  China’s new tool to chase down fugitives: American courts / WSJ (paywall)
• India-China border militarization
  India moving 35,000 more troops to disputed China border in Himalayas amid heightened tensions / SCMP
  China claims troops have disengaged in most areas, India says process not yet completed / Indian Express
• Dissident suppression
  China uses coronavirus as cover to detain dissidents, activists say / NYT (porous paywall)
• South China Sea updates
  US-China relations: PLA bombers carry out ‘attack exercise’ in South China Sea / SCMP
  Malaysia rebukes Beijing as South China Sea ‘lawfare’ heats up / SCMP
• The next Plenary Session
  19th CPC Central Committee to hold 5th plenary session in October / Xinhua
  中共中央政治局召开会议 决定召开十九届五中全会 分析研究当前经济形势和经济工作 中共中央总书记习近平主持会议 / Xinhua
• Military affairs
  China adds turbo generators to warships to power high-energy weapons, state media says / SCMP
  Can China’s military win the tech war? / Foreign Affairs
  Holding a pen in one hand, gripping a gun in the other / Wilson Center
  Report sheds light on china’s use of military-linked researchers / WSJ (paywall)
  Opinion | China’s arms buildup threatens the nuclear balance / NYT (porous paywall)
• Corruption case of former CDB chairman Hú Huáibāng 胡怀邦
  Former top banker in China pleads guilty to US$12 million corruption after being caught in Xi’s sweep / SCMP
• Internet censorship
  Hunan man punished for using VPN to watch porn / Sixth Tone

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

• The Chengdu graffiti art of Fàn Páng 范庞
  Good things come in threes / Neocha
• Bullying in the countryside
  Understanding China’s rural bullying crisis / Sixth Tone