Links for Tuesday, August 18, 2020

WHAT WE’RE READING:

More important China news and analysis from around the web:

“Beijing is dialing down its belligerence to avoid provocative moves that might give President Trump more opportunities to attack ahead of the November election,” the New York Times writes:

One after another, top Chinese diplomats have called for “peaceful coexistence” with the United States, forgoing their previous assertions that Beijing’s authoritarian system is superior. Hawkish scholars are now emphasizing prospects for defusing tensions, instead of urging China to challenge American military might. Journalists at state-run news outlets are limiting their direct attacks on President Trump, under instructions to take a more conciliatory approach.

There are several ways that this change could be read. A few possibilities (there could be others):

• It is a superficial change, intended to “wait and see” whether Trump wins reelection, and if he does not, making it easier to attempt a “reset” or at least a recalibration with a Biden administration.
• Someone convinced Xi Jinping that letting nationalism get too out of hand could increase the risk of the worst-case outcomes, including war with the U.S. We recommend a Foreign Affairs article by Kevin Rudd, or an interview with Rudd on Australian radio, to provide clarity on why this is a distinct possibility in a period of heightened tension.

For more on the broader context of worsening U.S.-China relations, and the questions both sides would have to answer to change the long-term trend, see Jeffrey Bader of the Brookings Institution: Avoiding a new Cold War between the U.S. and China.

IN OTHER NEWS:

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

• Tariffs to come on Australian wine?
  China launches anti-dumping probe into Australian wine imports / Reuters
  Crikey! China opens anti-dumping probe into Aussie wine / Grape Wall of China
• Who will buy TikTok?
  Oracle enters race to buy TikTok’s U.S. operations / FT (paywall)
• Naspers feels the shock of Trump’s Tencent targeting
  Africa’s largest publicly traded company now squarely in the U.S.-China crossfire / China-Africa Project
  Related on The China Project: Tencent’s biggest investor is a little-known South African media group.
• 200 American executives to fly back to China
  American Chamber of Commerce gets permission to fly business executives to China / SCMP
  Yesterday in the WSJ: U.S. executives who left China amid pandemic are stuck abroad — and may never return.
• DJI disputes Reuters report on staff cuts
  Drone-maker DJI denies gutting its sales and marketing staff / Caixin (paywall)
  Yesterday in Reuters: Chinese dronemaker DJI makes sweeping cuts in ‘Long March’ reforms.
• $11 billion venture to make plastics in Russia’s Far East
  Russia, China deepen ties with construction of massive polymer plant / WSJ (paywall)
• U.S.-China trade deal and decoupling updates
  Trump praises China farm purchases after delay in trade talks / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
  China ramps up U.S. oil purchases before trade deal review / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
  Trump dangles cash for U.S. firms moving from China / BBC
  Tencent hires its first lobbyist / Politico
  Sorry, the world’s biggest bike maker can’t help you buy a bike right now / NYT (porous paywall)
  A story about how rocketing demand for bicycles has caused Giant, the Taiwanese company, to increase production in China, despite tariffs.
• “SGMW sells 15,000 electric-powered Mini EVs in first 20 days”
  General Motors joint venture brings street cred to China’s ‘mini cars’ / Caixin (paywall)
• State rail company tries to stop paying dividends nine years early
  China railway sparks investor ire over attempt to shut down fund / Caixin (paywall)
• 50 million people tune in to Xiaomi sales drive
  Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun makes $30 million in sales in livestreaming debut / Caixin
• Tesla objects to group-buying discounts on its Model 3
  Telsa won’t deliver discounted cars to Pinduoduo / Caixin (paywall)
• Ecommerce deal: JD.com will sell Trip.com’s tickets
  JD.com, Trip.com tie up as domestic travel comes back to life / Caixin (paywall)
  China’s JD.com posts upbeat results as online orders surge / Reuters

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

• African swine fever vaccine testing
  Chinese vaccine for African swine fever advances to next trial phase / SCMP
• Overfishing
  How China’s expanding fishing fleet is depleting the world’s oceans / Yale Environment 360

POLITICS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS:

• Flooding continues
  China’s rain-swollen Yangtze River triggers unprecedented flood alert / Reuters
• Another public security chief under investigation
  Shanghai’s top cop falls under Party investigation / Caixin
• East China Sea
  Japan voices concerns over Chinese activity around disputed islands: NHK / Reuters
• Repression of Uyghurs
  China defends detention of Uyghur model in Xinjiang / BBC
  Related on The China Project: ‘They screamed like babies’: Uyghur prisoner describes abuse in Xinjiang.
  Xinjiang hospitals aborted, killed babies outside family planning limits: Uyghur obstetrician / Radio Free Asia
  Related on The China Project: ‘Demographic genocide’ in Xinjiang.
• Reported suicide of railway executive
  Head of China Railway Construction dies after falling from building / Sixth Tone
• India-China updates
  China-India border dispute: PLA flexes military muscle with live-fire drill in Tibet / SCMP
  Ananth Krishnan on Twitter: “After Chinese mobile firm Vivo pulled out of the Indian Premier League wary of public sentiment after the events on the border, Dream11 has now replaced it as the sponsor. Among its investors? China’s Tencent.”
• Hong Kong updates
  Hong Kong’s Carrie Lam rejects fears that national security law can be ‘weaponized’ / HKFP
  The publishing empire helping China silence dissent in Hong Kong / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
  An overview of Beijing-controlled media in Hong Kong.
• Internet celebrities in the All-China Youth Federation
  Chinese web celebs appointed to Party-backed youth organization / Sixth Tone
  One of the nominees is Li Ziqi, the new face of China’s countryside.
• Will Tibetan refugees continue to use WeChat?
  WeChat helped reunite Tibetan refugees. But at what cost? / Rest of World
• 15-year CIA veteran admits to spying
  Former CIA officer charged with spying for China / NBC
  Ex-C.I.A. officer is accused of spying for China / NYT (porous paywall)

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

• Mostly nationalistic responses to TikTok ban
  Chinese online responses to the ‘TikTok problem’ / What’s on Weibo
• Analyzing what “housewife” means in modern China
  The life, death, and potential rebirth of China’s ‘taitai’ housewives / Sixth Tone
• New feature in WeChat
  Users of WeChat Moments can now delete comments from friends / What’s on Weibo