Highlighted links for Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Below are links to other noteworthy reports published in the last 24 hours from and about China. Click through to our China NewsBase to see all the other stories we collected today.

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

Economic and real estate problems fester
China’s infrastructure boom gets swamped by property woes / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China’s infrastructure stimulus is boosting economic activity but it’s not large enough to offset the hit to construction caused by the ongoing property slump, high-frequency data show.”
As China’s economy stumbles, homeowners boycott mortgage payments / NYT (paywall)
“In a rare act of defiance, people across the country who bought property from indebted developers are refusing to repay loans on their unfinished apartments.”
China’s measures to boost economy don’t match past efforts / WSJ (paywall)

BYD bets big on batteries
BYD pours $4.2 billion into Jiangxi lithium project / Caixin (paywall)
“Chinese carmaker BYD plans to invest 28.5 billion yuan ($4.2 billion) in a lithium and battery production project in eastern China’s Jiangxi Province.”

Online grocery wars
China’s online grocers fight for survival in overcrowded market / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“After expanding fivefold in as many years, China’s market for online grocery deliveries is at a crossroads as it faces a debilitating price war and worker shortage…The fall of MissFresh, a pioneer in online grocery delivery, shows just how competitive the market has become.”
In depth: MissFresh implosion highlights bitter business of selling groceries online / Caixin (paywall)

Firms in a bind over U.S.-China tensions
Chinese factories flock to Mexico, crossing U.S. border to avoid tariffs / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
Taiwan tensions force multinationals to rethink China risk / FT (paywall)
“Multinational companies are drawing up contingency plans in the event of a U.S.-China military conflict after Beijing launched an unprecedented series of exercises around Taiwan this month.”
Yum China to convert Hong Kong listing to hedge against U.S. delisting / Caixin (paywall)
“Fast-food giant Yum China Holdings Inc. announced Monday it will convert its listing in Hong Kong from a secondary to a primary listing, joining a stream of Chinese firms seeking to hedge the risk of their stocks getting booted from U.S. exchanges.”

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT:

China to discourage abortions, hopes to raise birth rate
China to discourage abortions to boost low birth rate / Reuters
“China will discourage abortions and take steps to make fertility treatment more accessible as part of efforts to boost one of the world’s lowest birth rates, its National Health Authority said on Tuesday.”

POLITICS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

More confirmation of forced labor in Xinjiang from the UN
UN expert finds forced labor claims in China’s Xinjiang credible / Bloomberg (paywall)
“A United Nations slavery expert has found claims of forced labor in Xinjiang to be ‘reasonable,’ in one of the clearest critiques of China’s human rights practices from within the world body.”

Coastal provinces ordered to grow
A high-profile meeting in China may have tipped off which provinces will have highest growth / CNBC
“Chinese Premier Lǐ Kèqiáng 李克强 has called on [Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Henan, and Sichuan] to take the lead in supporting the country’s growth after data for July showed a slowdown across the board.”

China and U.S. are going to be at loggerheads over Taiwan for some time to come
China warns U.S. against sailing warships through Taiwan Strait / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China called on the U.S. to refrain from sailing naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait, saying Beijing would take further action in the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei.”
China’s ambassador accuses U.S. of exacerbating crisis over Taiwan / WSJ (paywall)
China tries to find right tone on Taiwan after latest U.S. visit / WSJ (paywall)
China’s U.S. ambassador doubles down on Beijing’s tough rhetoric / Politico

Hong Kong is still cracking down on democracy advocates
Hong Kong’s crackdown on dissent hits Facebook pages / WSJ (paywall)
“Several prominent Facebook pages that were used to share anonymous comments about government and educational institutions in Hong Kong have shut down in recent days, following the arrest last week of two men by national-security police on suspicion of sedition.”
Hong Kong denies democracy advocates security law jury trial / Bloomberg (paywall)
Group of 47 opposition activists to face Hong Kong subversion trial without a jury / SCMP (paywall)
Hong Kong court lifts reporting restriction on national security case / Reuters
Initial inquiry in national security case against Hong Kong activist Chow Hang-tung to be heard in open court / HKFP

Kenya has a new president — what will that mean for China?
Will Kenya’s next president follow through on China contract promises? / SCMP (paywall)
“Kenya’s relations with China will be a priority for the country’s new president’s foreign policy because of China’s outsize role in the Kenyan economy…after William Ruto, a vocal critic of China’s growing influence in Kenya, was declared president-elect in a tight and disputed race.”
William Ruto wins Kenya’s presidential election. What does that mean for Kenya’s ties with China? / China Global South Project (paywall)

Official sentenced to death for guns and graft
Former top provincial legislator gets suspended death sentence on graft, gun charges / Caixin (paywall)
“Shǐ Wénqīng 史文清, a former senior legislator in East China’s Jiangxi province, has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve by a local court for taking bribes worth around 195 million yuan ($29 million) and illegally owning firearms.”

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

Portrait of mystery king discovered in ancient Chinese pyramid
An ancient portrait of a mystery king has been unearthed at the foot of a 4,300-year-old pyramid in China / Artnet
“Archaeologists in China have unearthed what they think could be a portrait of a king carved into the foot of the Shimao Pyramid in the Shaanxi Province.”

Shanghai Museum exhibition examines China’s “essence”
New exhibition explores Chinese civilization’s earliest origins / Sixth Tone
“A new exhibition at the Shanghai Museum has brought together a remarkable collection of artifacts dating back to the very beginning of Chinese civilization. It’s the first installment of a series of shows, which the museum says will explore the ‘essence of China.’”