Links for Tuesday, September 29, 2020

WORTH THINKING ABOUT

Pieces of news or analysis that caught our eye:

Trump’s approval rating is only 17% in China: Caixin reports that a study conducted by the Institute of International and Strategic Studies at Peking University from June to July 2019 found that 17% of 3,000 respondents approved of Trump, and among “expert” respondents, Trump had only 5% approval. The approval rating of the U.S. wasn’t much higher, as “21% of the general public and 32% of the Beijing-based experts held favorable view of the U.S. as a country.”

The survey also indicated pessimism about U.S.-China relations, as “56% of the general public and 72% of expert respondents held negative views on the two countries’ relationship. The top three concerns included trade frictions, cybersecurity issues and Washington’s North Korea policies.”

MORE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

• Coal production shortage
  Bitter winter looms for China’s northeast as coal industry reforms bite / Caixin (paywall)
• Huawei gets into car technology
  Huawei showcases smart car technologies at Beijing Auto Show / Caixin
• Pharma and technology companies raise gobs of cash
  Biopharma firm Zai Lab raises $825 million in Hong Kong IPO / Caixin (paywall)
  Chinese drug manufacturer InventisBio bags $147m led by Hillhouse Capital / Caixin (paywall)
  Chinese life science solutions provider Taimei closes $176 million in new funding / Deal Street Asia via Caixin
• Thailand reopens to Chinese tourists
  Thailand to slowly restart tourism with flight from China / Reuters
• Dual circulation — stimulating the domestic market
  China needs a raft of reforms to make new economic strategy work: government advisers / Reuters
  China’s ‘dual-circulation’ model not a short-term response to COVID-19, U.S. frictions: adviser / Reuters
  Decoding China’s “dual circulation” strategy by Yu Yongding / Project Syndicate
  China’s export machine looks inward as global risks rise / WSJ (paywall)
  Related, on The China Project: Xi says China must develop domestic market and tech to withstand external shocks.
• Consumer rights protected in lawsuit
  Students take on a Chinese tech giant and win / Caixin
  A two-year lawsuit by students at East China University of Political Science and Law successfully argued that Kingsoft Internet Security, owner of Cheetah Mobile, had violated their consumer rights by bundling multiple pieces of free anti-virus software that they didn’t want. They got 700 yuan ($103) in compensation.
• Cross-border logistics investment
  U.S. real estate investor LaSalle raises another $380 million for China logistics fund / Caixin (paywall)
• Another entrant into online payments
  Trip.com jets into online payments / Caixin (paywall)
  Related, on The China Project: The next target for TikTok’s parent company: Payments.

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

• Over a dozen countries are running phase 3 trials for Chinese vaccines
  Coronavirus: more countries host final trials of Chinese-made vaccines / SCMP
  The countries include “Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Russia.”
• Coyote claims faster COVID-19 test
  China firm claims faster COVID-19 tests, targets global sales / Al Jazeera
• Chinese brain drain from U.S.: Zhū Sōngchún 朱松纯 leaves UCLA for Peking University
  Artificial intelligence expert Zhu Songchun to return to China from U.S. / SCMP

POLITICS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS:

• India-China border standoff
  China objects to Ladakh status, Indian border activities / AP
  China takes 1959 line on perception of LAC / Hindustan Times
  “Experts say Beijing’s position, which India has rejected in the past, suggests the standoff is unlikely to be resolved soon.”
  High road at Chilling: India builds Himalayan bridges and highways to match China / Reuters
• Branstad blames Beijing for keeping U.S.-China relationship “unbalanced”
  U.S. ambassador defends tough approach to China / AP
  Related, on The China Project: U.S. ambassador to China steps down, doesn’t notify Beijing.
• Hong Kong updates
  For Hong Kong protesters caught at sea, trial in China is likely / NYT (porous paywall)
  Who runs Hong Kong: party faithful shipped in to carry out Beijing’s will / Guardian
  Oxford moves to protect students from China’s Hong Kong security law / Guardian
  UK Foreign Minister ‘carefully considering’ options for sanctions against Hong Kong officials / HKFP
  Organiser of banned Oct. 1 demo urges Hongkongers to wear black, as Beijing claims ‘terrorist attacks’ planned / HKFP
• Japan-China diplomacy
  Suga and Xi agree to pursue high-level contacts in first talks / Japan Times
• Duterte’s latest change of mood on South China Sea
  Manila and Beijing agreed to shelve dispute, ambassador says — despite Duterte’s vow to uphold ruling / SCMP
• Lisbon won’t choose sides between Washington and Beijing
  Portugal rejects U.S. warning of sanctions over Chinese investment as rivalry heats up / SCMP
• Celebrating China’s National Day in Canada
  Ontario legislature criticized for plans to fly China’s flag on Wednesday / Globe and Mail

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

• Henan court gives death penalty to teacher
  Kindergarten teacher sentenced to death for poisoning students / Sixth Tone
• A Japanese-Chinese couple’s experience with border closures during COVID
  How COVID-19 border controls split China’s transnational families / Sixth Tone
  Related, on The China Project: China will allow foreign residents to return after six-month border closure.
• The cult of pu’er tea
  Pure pu’er / World of Chinese