Links for Thursday, December 3, 2020

MORE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

• Warren Buffett–owned firm denies ties to PLA
  U.S. component seller denies China military ties, as Washington prepares new blacklist / Caixin U.S. electronic-components maker TTI Electronics, wholly owned by Warren Buffett’s firm Berkshire Hathaway, “has denied selling to the Chinese military, days after another peer issued a similar denial.”
• China’s most government-savvy fintech company?
  Lufax tweaks business as China clamps down on Big Tech lending / SCMP (porous paywall)
• Chaotic electric car market to get another infusion of cash
  Tesla rival Li Auto plans new share sale to bankroll R&D / Caixin
  Comment: Everyone thinks they’re a Tesla rival.
• Growing consumer demand
  Growth in China’s services sector soars on stronger consumer demand: Caixin PMI / Reuters  “Growth in China’s services sector accelerated in November as new business rose at the fastest pace in over a decade.”
• Australian coal and the vagaries of China customs
  China to allow Australian coal cargo ashore despite ban / Bloomberg via Yahoo
  “While it remains unclear why an exception seems to have been made for the Alpha Era cargo, the shipment did arrive at Fangchenggang in late May. That’s about five months before Chinese officials verbally ordered traders to stop purchasing Australian coal.”

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

• Corruption and inaction in the early days of COVID-19
  China testing blunders stemmed from secret deals with firms / AP
  Reporter Dake Kang summarizes:

During 12 fateful days in January, Chinese authorities failed to report any new coronavirus cases, lulling Wuhan residents into complacency. Why? In part, because of cronyism and secret deals between the China CDC and three Shanghai companies.

• Still no formal approval for Chinese vaccines
  Chinese COVID-19 vaccine remains elusive, in the West it’s poised for approval / SCMP (porous paywall)
  “Chinese drug firms have yet to submit final data even though a million people have already received emergency shots.”
• Economic growth = lousy air
  Industry-led economic recovery behind Beijing’s smog surge, report shows / Caixin
  “The rebounds also indicate that ‘creative accounting’ in China’s steelmaking industry is hindering efforts to cut capacity in line with government targets and stymying air quality gains from one of the country’s most-polluting sectors.”

POLITICS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS:

• Hong Kong’s new daily grind
  Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong media tycoon, is denied bail on fraud charge / NYT (porous paywall)
  Former Hong Kong lawmaker Ted Hui says will seek exile in Britain / Straits Times Asia  
• Space race redux?
  China-Russia space cooperation: another small step in Beijing’s pursuit of U.S.? / SCMP
• India-China border dispute
  ‘Carefully monitoring’ Brahmaputra amid China dam plans, says India / The Hindu 
  State-run Chinese hydropower firm PowerChina is planning to build the first downstream dam on the Brahmaputra (a.k.a. Yarlung Zangbo) River in Tibet. An Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said the “government carefully monitors all developments on the Brahmaputra River.”
• NATO talks about China with middle powers of Pacific
  NATO huddles with Asia-Pacific democracies to talk China / The Diplomat
  On December 2, “the foreign ministers of the NATO members, along with delegations from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea, gathered virtually to discuss the rise of China and the implications for the global balance of power.”
• China continues to punish Australia
  China to keep anti-dumping duties on Australian wine for up to four months / Reuters
• Taiwan to schmooze with Biden and U.S. public
  Anxious Taiwan launches U.S. charm offensive to win Biden’s backing / FT (paywall)
  “Taiwan’s president will kick off a campaign to woo the incoming Biden administration on Thursday as Taipei fights to preserve the strongest support it has enjoyed from its unofficial protector in more than 40 years.”
  If Taiwan calls, will Biden answer? A pro-Trump democracy braces for uncertainty / Vice
• Taiwan and Mandarin teaching in the U.S.
  U.S., Taiwan join forces to launch education project / Taipei Times
  “Despite Confucius Institutes in the US closing, there continues to be a strong interest among American and international students in learning Mandarin, Christensen said, adding that Taiwan ‘can and should play a key role.’”
• Lawyer Cháng Wěipíng 常玮平 in detention for “incitement to subvert state power”
  Father visits Chinese rights lawyer, sparking concerns over his health / RFA
  “Fears are growing over the health and well-being of rights lawyer Cháng Wěipíng 常玮平, who is currently in detention on suspicion of ‘incitement to subvert state power’ in the northern Chinese province of Shaanxi, his family says after being allowed to visit him.”

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

• School performance and social media
  Policy against sharing students’ grades on WeChat sparks debate / Sixth Tone
  “A policy prohibiting schools in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou from sharing students’ grades and class rankings within parent-teacher groups on social app WeChat has sparked wide discussion on striking the right balance between motivating children and stressing them out.”
• Hipster café and social enterprise
  Shanghai has a hole-in-the-wall café run by disabled, bear-clawed baristas / Sixth Tone