Links for Tuesday, February 23, 2021

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

• Chinese to be allowed to invest overseas?
  China may ease controls on citizens’ offshore investments / Caixin (paywall)
  China is considering liberalizing capital controls to allow citizens to invest overseas securities and insurance products, a senior foreign exchange regulator said. Each individual is expected to exchange yuan for foreign currencies equivalent to $50,000 each year.
• Huawei bottom line not affected by sanctions?
  Exclusive: Despite sanctions, Huawei’s Ren Zhengfei says company profits increased last year / Caixin (paywall)
  “Caixin has obtained internal records that suggest the company’s revenue and profit grew in last year.”
  Huawei’s 5G business contracts top 1,000, spanning 20 industries / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
  Huawei launches new foldable phone as U.S. sanctions continue to hurt smartphone business / CNBC
• Border clash has little effect on India-China trade
  China returns as top India trade partner even as relations sour / Bloomberg via Caixin (paywall)
  “Two-way trade between the longstanding economic and strategic rivals stood at $77.7 billion last year…Although that was lower than the previous year’s $85.5 billion total, it was enough to make China the largest commercial partner displacing the U.S. — bilateral trade with whom came in at $75.9 billion amid muted demand for goods in the middle of a pandemic.”
  Related, an exception in pharma, via Reuters: Indian pharma firms go local seeking to end reliance on China.
• Capitalizing on Clubhouse ban
  Chinese imitators quick to exploit popularity of blocked U.S. chatroom app / Caixin (paywall)
  Related The China Project reporting: Clubhouse blocked in China after uncensored chats attract thousands — everything you need to know.
• Mobile gaming revenue
  Honor of Kings retains top spot as world’s highest-earning mobile game / Caixin
  “Last month, Honor of Kings saw its revenue grow 22% year-on-year to $267 million, about 97% of which came from China, followed by 1% from Thailand.”
• Potential auto IPO
  Chinese car maintenance start-up Tuhu plans U.S. IPO after $400 million fundraising: sources / Reuters
  “The company will likely opt for a U.S. stock listing as there is more liquidity and more comparable companies trading on U.S. exchanges.”
• Green finance
  China gives banks a new reason to boost green lending / Caixin (paywall)
  “State Council plans to give ‘green finance’ greater weight in regulatory assessments of financial institutions.”
• Holiday box office continues to smash records
  China’s own ‘Back to the Future’ zips past rivals for holiday box office crown / Caixin (paywall)
  “Hi, Mom had raked in 4.2 billion yuan ($650 million) at the Chinese box office as of Tuesday, moving past Detective Chinatown 3 to take over the top spot during the lucrative holiday period, according to industry website Maoyan. Both films have been out for 12 days, and their latest totals make them China’s fifth and sixth best-earning films of all time, Maoyan data showed.”
• Weibo Hong Kong listing rumblings
  China’s Weibo hires banks for Hong Kong secondary listing, sources say / Reuters
• China will not ground Boeing 777
  China won’t ground any aircraft in wake of Boeing engine failure in U.S. / Caixin (paywall)
  “The country doesn’t have any planes of the same model powered by the same engine type, aviation authority says.”

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

• COVID-19 vaccine exports
  Senegal begins vaccinating against coronavirus with doses from China / Reuters
  China is exporting COVID-19 vaccines to 27 countries / Xinhua
  China deploys COVIDovid-19 vaccine to build influence, with U.S. on sidelines / WSJ (paywall)
  Zimbabwe embarks on national vaccination drive with donated Sinopharm jabs / China Africa Project
  More Chinese vaccines to Algeria / China Africa Project
• COVID-19 vaccines in China
  Why seniors and pregnant women in China can’t get vaccinated / Caixin (paywall)
  “Although three COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for emergency use in China, no clinical data involving people over the age of 59 have been made public.”
• The fight over COVID-19’s origin
  China did ‘little’ to hunt for Covid origins in early months, says WHO document / Guardian
• Recycling
  China urges to strengthen recycling of renewable resources / Reuters
• Boozology?
  Maotai expert’s nomination for top science honor raises eyebrows / Sixth Tone
• Climate change
  China sees unusual May-like temperatures — in February / Sixth Tone

POLITICS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS:

• Canada’s parliament says China’s treatment of Uyghurs is genocide
  Canada’s parliament passes motion saying China’s treatment of Uyghurs is genocide / Reuters
  Canada’s Trudeau, Cabinet abstain from China genocide vote / AP
• Other countries on repression of Uyghurs and genocide
  Rep. Katko calls on Biden to boycott Beijing Olympics / Axios
  EU calls on China to allow ‘meaningful access’ to Xinjiang / Reuters
  Holocaust survivors urge Boris Johnson to stand up for Uyghurs in genocide law fight / Politico
  Peers vote for ‘judicial committee’ to assess genocide claims / Guardian
  12 Japan firms will kill business deals involving Uyghur forced labor / Kyodo News
• China responds to criticism and genocide designation
  China condemns Canada’s motion calling treatment of Uyghurs genocide / Reuters
  Chinese diplomat refutes British official’s erroneous remarks at UN rights body session / Xinhua
  World political parties oppose interference in other countries’ affairs in name of human rights / Xinhua
  美好的生活 幸福的笑脸 / Xinhua
  On Xinhua’s home page today, profiles of happy Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
• Uyghurs in exile
  ‘Nobody wants this job now’: The gentle leaders of China’s Uyghur exiles —– in pictures / Guardian
• China’s control of Mekong River
  Mekong’s falling water level riles China’s downstream neighbors / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
• Propaganda push marking completion of poverty alleviation campaign
  Xi to attend event marking China’s poverty eradication, award role models / Xinhua (in Chinese here)
  Xi leads fight against poverty / Xinhua
  Includes a 13-minute video documentary. Chinese version here.
  彪炳史册的伟大奇迹——中国脱贫攻坚全纪实, 数据可视化：摆脱贫困，中国这样走过, 832个点带你重温战贫之路 / Xinhua
  总书记和乡亲们的脱贫故事 / People’s Daily
  Related, on The China Project yesterday: China looks set to legalize GMO seeds and encourage agricultural technology.
• Investigation into January mining accident in Shandong
  Improper storage, use of explosives killed 10 Chinese miners / AP
• Chinese visiting scholar accused of PLA affiliations
  More charges against Chinese scientist in visa fraud case / AP
• How China operates in the Solomon Islands
  Deep State, Inc. / The Wire China
• Major themes in official statements, state media, and propaganda
  China’s political discourse in 2020: China Media Project / China Media Project via Sinocism

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

• American movies still have hope in China?
  Chloe Zhao’s ‘Nomadland’ cleared for China release / Hollywood Reporter
  “The neo-Western’s pacing and themes would usually make for a challenging fit for China’s commercially driven film market, but the director’s Chinese origins — and the acclaim her work already has received — have generated excitement among some Chinese film buffs.”
• Architecture and design
  x+living completes a cinema and bookstore in Taiyuan, China / designboom
• Rural education activism
  China honors education pioneer who lifted 1,800 girls out of poverty / SCMP
• Cultural misappropriation?
  ‘Antique Chinese traditional fruit basket’ sold on Amazon for $72 is actually a chamber pot / Straits Times
• Women’s rights and divorce
  Beijing divorce court values wife’s 5 years of housework at $7,700 / Sixth Tone