Links for Friday, February 19, 2021

WORTH THINKING ABOUT

Pieces of news or analysis that caught our eye:

One of former secretary of state Mike Pompeo’s last punches against China, declaring that Beijing was committed genocide against the Uyghurs, was not a consensus position in the U.S. executive department that he led. Foreign Policy reports:

The U.S. State Department’s Office of the Legal Advisor concluded earlier this year that China’s mass imprisonment and forced labor of ethnic Uighurs in Xinjiang amounts to crimes against humanity—but there was insufficient evidence to prove genocide, placing the United States’ top diplomatic lawyers at odds with both the Trump and Biden administrations, according to three former and current U.S. officials.

See also several recent commentaries regarding the international law definition of “genocide” in the context of Xinjiang:

• “Genocide” is the wrong word for the horrors of Xinjiang / The Economist
• The Economist on Xinjiang: don’t call it genocide / The China Collection
• How did The Economist get it this wrong? / Genocide Response

MORE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

• Anonymous former Bytedance employee condemns censorship
  I helped build ByteDance’s censorship machine / Protocol
  “I couldn’t help but feel every day like I was a tiny cog in a vast, evil machine.”
• American tech for Chinese police
  How Oracle sells repression in China / The Intercept
  Mara Hvistendahl writes: “In its bid for TikTok, Oracle was supposed to prevent data from being passed to Chinese police. Instead, it’s been marketing its own software for their surveillance work.”
• Is Xiaomi making its own smart electric car?
  Today smartphones, tomorrow smart cars? Xiaomi rumors fly / Caixin
  Multiple Chinese media reported on Thursday that Xiaomi is planning to build its own smart electric vehicles. Xiaomi declined to comment on the news, and asked the public to “wait for an official statement later.” Xiaomi’s shares jumped by 12% today as the rumor spread.
• Huawei cuts 2021 smartphone output amid U.S. sanctions
  Huawei to more than halve smartphone output in 2021 / Nikkei (porous paywall)
  Huawei’s smartphone business continues to struggle as U.S. sanctions bite. Huawei told its suppliers that it will order smartphone components for 70 million to 80 million phones in 2021, a more than 60% decline from the 189 million smartphone output in 2020. Huawei chairman Rén Zhèngfēi 任正非 said earlier this month that the company “can survive without replying on phone sales.”
• New rental contracts in major cities hit six-year high this Lunar New Year holiday
  New rental contracts hit six-year high over Lunar New Year / Caixin (paywall)
  Residents of major Chinese cities signed more rental contracts than usual over the Lunar New Year break, as many chose not to return home amid coronavirus control measures. The average monthly rents in cities during the weeklong break also increased by 6% compared with the previous week.
• Chinese grocery app Dingdong Maicai is planning for a U.S. IPO this year
  Sequoia-backed grocery app Dingdong Maicai mulls U.S. IPO / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
  Dingdong Maicai, an online grocery shopping app that delivers fresh foods, is considering an IPO in the U.S. as soon as this year. The company, which competes in the crowded grocery delivery market with many other platforms backed by tech giants like Tencent and Alibaba, could raise $300 million.
• Douyin to deepen in-app search capabilities
  TikTok sister app Douyin to deepen search capabilities, become ‘Google of short video / SCMP
  ByteDance’s Douyin, sister app of TikTok, plans to increase investment in its in-app search function. The company’s search feature currently has 550 million monthly active users, and upgrading the search function is expected to expand Douyin’s advertising revenue.
• Another consumer group compliant for TikTok in Europe
  European consumers group targets TikTok / Caixin Global
  TikTok is facing another official complaint in Europe filed by a consumer rights group, who accused the short-video app of violating user rights and exposing underage viewers to inappropriate material.
• U.S. expect the highest ever farm exports to China
  USDA says 2021 farm exports to China will touch record high / Caixin (paywall)
  The U.S. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) said that China will buy $31.5 billion farm goods from America in the federal fiscal year ending September 30, the highest ever. USDA estimate is 17% from November, citing a surge in shipments and sales, most notably in corn.

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

• USDA and FDA make joint statement dismissing food packaging transmission
  Coronavirus: US agencies dismiss China’s theory of Covid-19 spread via food and packaging / SCMP
• COVID-19 spread, then and now
  COVID-19 was spreading in China before first confirmed cases, fresh evidence suggests / WSJ (paywall)
  “The number, and genetic sequencing, of the first cases identified by China suggest coronavirus was spreading before early December 2019”
  Super spreader caused nearly half of one Chinese city’s COVID-19 cases / Caixin (paywall)
  “Salesman directly or indirectly passed coronavirus to at least 141 people in northeastern city of Tonghua, one of whom later died, official report says.”
• Vaccines
  Nepal approves Chinese COVID-19 vaccine, to make first purchases from India / Reuters
  China’s public hesitant to take COVID-19 vaccines, another survey suggests / SCMP
• GMOs
  China announces eight cases of illegal genetically modified crops / Caixin (paywall)
  “Agriculture ministry assures public that use of GM organisms is generally ‘above-board and controllable.’”

POLITICS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS:

• U.S. to become involved in vaccine diplomacy?
  Biden rolling out plan for $4 billion global vaccine effort / AP
  “The $4 billion in U.S. funding was approved by Congress in December and will be distributed through 2022.”
  Kyle Griffin on Twitter: “Biden on the need for the world to have access to COVID vaccines, not just the U.S.: ‘You can’t build a wall or fence high enough to keep a pandemic out.’”
• U.S. diplomacy
  US, EU must prepare for ‘long-term strategic competition with China,’ says President Joe Biden / SCMP
  Biden defends democracy at summits with European allies, seeing China as ‘stiff’ competition / WSJ (paywall)
  Biden’s plan to link arms with Europe against Russia and China isn’t so simple / NYT (porous paywall)
  “The new president’s vow to restore the trans-Atlantic alliance is welcome, but Europeans want a more balanced relationship, with more dialogue and less diktat.”
  US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discusses China-related issues with fellow ‘Quad’ diplomats / SCMP
  At Biden’s G7 debut, leaders look beyond COVID to trade and China / Reuters
  G7 says to counter ‘non-market’ policies from China to ensure free trade / Reuters
• Xinjiang
  Inside Xinjiang detention camps, allegations of shackled students and gang rape / CNN
• Taiwan
  Chinese fighters buzz Taiwan’s air zone as it appoints new defense minister / Reuters
  Taiwan accuses China of blocking efforts to buy COVID vaccines / FT (paywall)
• South China Sea
  France sends warships to South China Sea ahead of exercise with US and Japan / SCMP
  US concerned at Chinese law allowing coast guard use of arms / FT (paywall)
• Messing with Texas
  Texas weather crisis deepens Chinese belief they’re ‘on right path,’ says foreign ministry / Reuters
  “China’s foreign ministry said on Friday that seeing the plight of Americans suffering in a severe winter storm that hit the state of Texas this week reinforced a belief among Chinese citizens that their country is ‘on the right path.’”
• U.S.-China tariffs remain in place
  Yellen says U.S. will keep tariffs on China in place for now / Reuters
• Cambodia internet repression
  Cambodia’s new China-style internet gateway decried as repression tool / Reuters

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

• Doctor takes to Weibo to warn about “date rape” drugs
  Chinese doctor knocks herself out in controversial self-experiment / What’s on Weibo
  “With sevoflurane being a controlled substance, Dr. Chen’s video triggered discussions on whether or not she was actually involving in a criminal act by doing the self-experiment. She also received criticism from within the medical community that she used this medication outside of the hospital environment.”
• Ancient tombs in Xi’an
  3,500 ancient tombs found under Xi’an airport expansion site / Sixth Tone
• Review of a zoological thriller novel
  The beasts within / World of Chinese