Links for Wednesday, September 2, 2020

WORTH THINKING ABOUT

Pieces of news or analysis that caught our eye:

Trump is using China to distract from Russia, and Politico has the most detailed report yet published with sources saying as much:

From the president’s Twitter feed to the Republican National Convention to Fox News, a new talking point has taken hold among Donald Trump and his allies: that U.S. intelligence shows that China would prefer a Joe Biden presidency and is trying to help him win…

But the intelligence community has said no such thing, according to public statements by the country’s top counterintelligence official Bill Evanina and multiple sources who have seen the underlying intelligence. And national security officials and others briefed on the latest election threat intelligence are now expressing concern that the Trump administration is trying to draw attention away from the more acute threat posed by Moscow, which is again trying to boost Trump’s reelection, they said.

That doesn’t mean China doesn’t have the capacity to interfere in the U.S. presidential election, if it wanted to, or that Beijing is totally neutral on American elections. “Officials who spoke to Politico emphasized that Beijing’s activities, while having the potential to affect the election, have largely been overt and aimed at influencing politicians at the state and local level.”

An op-ed by Jessica Chen Weiss and Ali Wyne, about how and why Chinese nationalism can be “self-defeating,” was published today in the New York Times: America, don’t try to out-China China.

• Weiss made a similar argument on The China Project in June: No ‘Beijing Consensus’: Why the U.S. risks a Pyrrhic victory in confronting China.
• Wyne appeared on the Sinica Podcast in January 2019: The U.S. and China: Cold War, or hot air?

Related, on Chinese nationalism, by Yaqiu Wang in Politico: In China, the ‘Great Firewall’ is changing a generation.

MORE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

• TikTok deal in limbo
  ByteDance chief reconsiders TikTok options after new China rules / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
  Trump insists on compensation for U.S. in any TikTok sale / Bloomberg via Caixin
  What China’s new export rules mean for TikTok’s U.S. sale / FT (paywall)
  TikTok sale hits snag as China places restrictions on tech sales / CNBC
  “An announcement of a deal was expected as soon as Sept. 1, CNBC previously reported, but that day came and went with no news of a transaction.”
  Related on The China Project: Beijing threatens to yank TikTok out of Trump’s reach.
• Continuing emphasis on “dual circulation” — the domestic economy
  Key meeting emphasizes dual circulation as feature of deeper-level reform / Xinhua
  Related on The China Project: Xi says China must develop domestic market and tech to withstand external shocks.
• China’s big three airlines report combined $3.8 billion loss for first half of year
  Chinese airlines’ first-half losses show they can’t shake coronavirus fallout / Caixin (paywall)
• Oppo’s budget sub-brand wins over Southeast Asia
  Realme becomes one of the five biggest smartphone brands in all eight key Southeast Asian markets / Caixin
• Kangmei Pharmaceutical fraud has knock-on effects
  Eighteen IPO applications halted in wake of GF Securities’ sponsoring ban / Caixin
• Relaxed restrictions on inbound international flights
  China will gradually resume direct international flights to Beijing / Reuters
  China relaxes 75% passenger cap on inbound international flights / Caixin
  “Airlines will be able to fill their cabins as long as they aren’t coming from high-risk areas for the coronavirus, don’t import too many cases.”
• Tariff exemptions
  U.S. extends some China tariff exclusions only through year end / Reuters
  Face masks among Chinese exports given four-month US trade war tariff reprieve / SCMP

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

• Overseas fishing
  How China’s massive fishing fleet is transforming the world’s oceans / Slate
  “From West Africa to North Korea, Beijing’s armada is depleting fish stocks and driving international conflict.”
  Pakistanis to protest arrival of Chinese fishing vessels / Nikkei Asian Review
  “Fishermen say letting in giant trawlers means ‘selling the seas’ to Beijing.”
• COVID-19 restrictions eased in Xinjiang and Hong Kong
  Xinjiang ends regional COVID-19 lockdown after 17 days without new cases / Caixin (paywall)
  Mainland China reports eight new COVID-19 cases vs 10 a day earlier / Reuters
  All infections officially reported were from abroad, though between August 31 and September 1, there were 53 asymptomatic cases recorded.
  Hong Kong eases some COVID-19 restrictions, but cancels China national day fireworks / Reuters
• Nuclear power
  China cabinet approves two nuclear power projects: state media / Reuters

POLITICS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS:

• Taiwan gets a new passport: “Republic of China” is tiny
  Taiwan unveils new-look passports to avoid ‘China confusion’ / SCMP
  New passport design that highlights ‘Taiwan’ released / Focus Taiwan
• Australia-China tensions
  China says Australia is infected with fear, conjecture and paranoia / Sydney Morning Herald
  Australia’s largest grain firm CBH Group says there is no evidence to support China’s barley suspension / SCMP
  Related on The China Project: Australian citizen and TV host detained.
• Mongolian-language protest updates
  Ethnic Mongolians in China protest removal of traditional language in schools / Reuters
  Updates include: A second city in Inner Mongolia restricts movement to tamp down protests, and former Mongolian president Tsakhia Elbegdorj tweeted his support for protests.
  Yesterday on The China Project: Ethnic Mongols protest Beijing’s push for Mandarin-only classes.
• Hong Kong crackdown updates
  Hong Kong Education Bureau removes website slide on separation of powers as part of ‘update’ / HKFP
  Portuguese envoy pledges ‘humanitarian’ support for Hongkonger detained in mainland China / SCMP
  Ousted Hong Kong lawmaker Baggio Leung jailed for 4 weeks after court rejects appeal bid / HKFP
• Pompeo pushes for more “reciprocity” in U.S.-China relations
  U.S. puts new restrictions on Chinese diplomats / FT (paywall)
  Advancing reciprocity in U.S.-China diplomatic relations / U.S. Department of State
  “The Department of State will now require senior PRC diplomats in the United States to receive approval to visit U.S. university campuses and to meet with local government officials. Cultural events with an audience larger than 50 people hosted by the PRC embassy and consular posts outside of mission properties will also require Department of State approval.”
  Pompeo hopeful China’s Confucius Institutes will be gone from U.S. by year-end / Reuters
• More academic fraud accusations
  Accusations of mass math plagiarism deal another blow to Chinese academia’s dented reputation / Caixin (paywall)
• Continued backlash in Solomon Islands after Taiwan recognition switch last year
  Solomons province pushes for independence in ‘China switch’ fallout / Reuters
  Solomon Islands province announces independence vote amid China tensions / Guardian
  Context on The China Project, October 2019: A setback for Beijing in Solomon Islands.
• Argentinians upset over pork deal
  Argentina delays China pork export deal amid environmental protests / Reuters

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

• Netflix is making a Three-Body Problem series
  Netflix to adapt best-selling Chinese sci-fi trilogy ‘The Three-Body Problem’ / Caixin
  The pros and cons of Netflix’s plan to adapt the ‘Three-Body Problem’ series / The Ringer
  “‘Game of Thrones’ showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are set to turn Liú Cíxīn’s 刘慈欣 hit science-fiction novel into a TV show. Is this a smart move or a disaster in the making?”
• How should Beijing manage COVID-19 risk at the city’s colleges?
  Should colleges seal off campuses for the fall semester? / Beijing Review
• The work of Shanghai-born photographer Ding Wei
  Seven emotions / NeoCha
• The post-punk art rock of Chengdu band Hiperson
  Formative years / NeoCha