Links for Thursday, August 6, 2020

WHAT WE’RE READING:

More important China news and analysis from around the web:

This ChinaFile conversation on the future of U.S.-China relations is worth a read. A few excerpts from some of the contributors:

• Jerome Cohen: “We cannot abandon the urgently needed efforts to cooperate in many areas, including climate, pollution, health, economics, poverty, refugees, and arms control.”
• Scott Kennedy: “Hence, even if there are moments of relative calm, I can see relations continuing their downward spiral until one of three things occurs: there is a major bilateral confrontation that forces both sides into a fundamental reassessment; new leadership arrives in both capitals that begins with an alternative, less Manichean evaluation of the relationship; or Washington is able to gain the upper hand in a drawn-out contest and forces Beijing to back down.”
• Yangyang Cheng: “Nowadays, there’s more awareness of Beijing’s oppressive politics, but it’s often portrayed as a uniquely Chinese problem. People who claim their Americanness as a birthright also assume a position of moral superiority, waving the banner of liberal democracy as a cover for nationalism.”
• Andrew Nathan: “The Trump administration has declared a new Cold War on China,” but “has no actual strategy to deal with China.” Although Trump administration officials “don’t want war, and neither do China’s leaders, war can happen when one side lives in a narcissistic dream world in which the other side has no moves.”

IN OTHER NEWS:

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

• TikTok updates
  Microsoft expands TikTok takeover ambitions to entire global business / FT (paywall)
  “One person close to ByteDance’s Asia-Pacific operations suggested that Microsoft had been attracted to the idea of buying all of TikTok’s global business by the difficulty of separating back-office functions such as HR and to ensure that TikTok users in one country could still use the app if they traveled to another.”
  TikTok sees no slowdown in global popularity despite Indian ban and U.S. threats / Caixin
  Facebook’s Instagram launches TikTok copycat in political storm / Bloomberg via Caixin
  TikTok to launch $500 million data center in Ireland / PingWest
  Microsoft CEO Nadella wades into U.S.-China tensions in TikTok pursuit / WSJ (paywall)
• Digital currency testing
  China’s biggest banks are testing the digital yuan ‘on a large scale’: report / TechNode
  China’s 4 biggest banks trialing state-backed digital currency / Sixth Tone
• Baoshang Bank goes bankrupt
  China allows first commercial bank to go bankrupt in almost 20 years / FT (paywall)
• Jiǎng Rénshēng 蒋仁生 at cusp of top 10 richest Chinese
  Chinese pharma tycoon has world’s fastest growing fortune / Bloomberg via Caixin (paywall)
• Medical supply chain
  Pandemic lays bare U.S. reliance on China for drugs / WSJ (paywall)
• Electric vehicle updates
  Tesla challenger Xpeng raises $400 million before planned U.S. IPO / Caixin
  CATL announces it will supply batteries for Mercedes-Benz new electric sedan / Caixin
• State conglomerate in a crunch
  China’s CITIC Group to cut expenses by $1.4 billion: document / Reuters

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

• Persistent COVID-19 outbreaks, as Vietnam ups border controls
  China reports 37 new coronavirus cases in mainland for Aug 5 / Reuters
  Vietnam cracks down on illegal entries from China as Covid-19 cases flare up / SCMP
• COVID-19 vaccine development
  AstraZeneca in first COVID-19 vaccine deal with Chinese company / Reuters
  German-Chinese coronavirus vaccine trial begins in China / AFP via Channel NewsAsia
• “Intestinal-type plague” in Inner Mongolia
  Inner Mongolia village quarantined after plague patient dies / Reuters
• How much nitrous oxide is being released in China?
  ‘Super-pollutant’ emitted by 11 Chinese chemical plants could equal a climate catastrophe / InsideClimate News
• Satellite launches
  China launches two satellites from desert launch site / Space

POLITICS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS:

• India says conflict is “likely to be prolonged”
  Standoff with China will be long, India warns in pulled statement / Reuters
• Third Canadian sentenced to death in three years
  Chinese court sentences Canadian to death for making drugs / Reuters
• Xinjiang and Uyghur updates
  ‘Independent’ observation based on lies in Xinjiang unaccepted / Global Times
  Iran hardliners claim China is serving Islam by suppressing Uyghur Muslims / RFE/RL
  Xinjiang authorities relocate camp detainees to restricted-access ‘residential area’ / Radio Free Asia
  Sayragul Sauytbay: How China destroys Kazakh culture / DW
• Hong Kong updates
  This is the hardliner China chose to oversee Hong Kong security / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
  A profile of Zhèng Yànxióng 郑雁雄, director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security.
  Hong Kong is losing its charm for expats as China tightens the screws / WSJ (paywall)
  Hong Kong foreign press says journalists being targeted in US-China stand-off / BBC
  Hong Kong Immigration Dep’t refuses to explain months-long work visa delays for journalists / HKFP
  U.S. Sec. of State Pompeo vows to protect exiled Hong Kong activists ‘wanted’ by Beijing / AFP via HKFP
  25 Hong Kong activists charged for taking part in ‘unauthorized’ Tiananmen massacre vigil / HKFP
  China’s offer to help with virus testing spooks Hong Kong / NYT (porous paywall)
  Hong Kong’s yellow movement turns Chinese propaganda on its head / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
• Will Beijing put more cities under direct administration?
  Shenzhen should be elevated to same administrative status as Beijing, academics say / SCMP
  Chinese academics divided on idea to turn Kashgar into a municipality under Beijing’s control / SCMP
• Biden is opposed to tariffs
  Biden says Trump’s China trade deal is ‘failing’ badly / Reuters
  Biden shares new details of his plan for overturning President Trump’s agenda / NPR
• Op-ed by Ai Weiwei
  Think ‘sanctions’ will trouble China? Then you’re stuck in the politics of the past / Guardian
• Pakistan approves large railway project
  Pakistan approves $6.8bn railway upgrade, its most expensive project under China’s Belt and Road plan / SCMP
• South China Sea
  Indonesia, Singapore stay neutral on U.S.-China dispute despite Pompeo’s call / SCMP
  South China Sea: Avoid siding with U.S. or China, Malaysia urges Asean / SCMP
  Taiwan sends marines to reinforce South China Sea outpost amid reports of major PLA landing drill / SCMP
• More reporting on Saudi nuclear ambitions
  U.S. examines whether Saudi nuclear program could lead to bomb effort / NYT (porous paywall)
  Earlier in the Wall Street Journal: Saudi Arabia, with China’s help, expands its nuclear program.
• Chinese response to Beirut explosion
  Chinese peacekeepers deliver emergency medical help in Lebanon after Beirut port explosion kills 135 / SCMP

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

• Discussion of the Huawei Talented Youth Program
  Are any new graduates really worth 2 million yuan a year? Netizens discuss! / Caixin
• Efforts to convince consumers to return to cinemas
  Popcorn or cheaper tickets – what would make you return to the cinema? / Caixin
• Mulan set for digital-only release on Disney+
  Disney’s Mulan will not see big screen release, set for September streaming launch / SCMP
• Pandas in Canada need more bamboo
  Pandas at Canada zoo ‘in jeopardy’ over dwindling bamboo supply / Sixth Tone
• Chinese journalism student speaks out
  Caught in the middle of the U.S. and China conflict as a journalist / The Berkeley Beacon