Highlighted links for Monday, September 12, 2022

Below are links to other noteworthy reports published in the last 24 hours from and about China.

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

Electricity cuts for aluminum smelters in Yunnan
Yunnan aluminum smelters ordered to cut electricity use by 10% amid power crunch / Caixin (paywall)
“Aluminum smelters in Southwest China’s Yunnan province have been ordered to gradually reduce electricity use by 10% over five days starting Saturday, as the hydropower-reliant province faces a power supply crunch following the country’s historic heatwave and lower-than-average rainfall.”

Electric cars: CATL, BMW, and BYD
Tesla’s China battery supplier operating under COVID restrictions / Bloomberg (paywall)
CATL, the world’s biggest maker of batteries for electric vehicles, “said its largest plant in China is now operating a factory bubble as the city where it’s located is locked down to comply with Beijing’s zero-tolerance pandemic curbs.”
Chinese EV giant BYD pushes into Thailand with new factory deal / Caixin (paywall)
“Chinese electric car and battery maker BYD inked a deal to build its first overseas passenger car factory in Thailand.”
BMW taps Chinese battery makers to extend EV range up to 30% / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“BMW is teaming up with a pair of Chinese battery companies to extend the range of its electric vehicles due out in 2025, following American rival Tesla in adopting a more efficient cylindrical cell format.”

Lockdown-hit Universal Studios slashes staff in Beijing
Universal Studios Beijing cuts staff as China sticks with zero-COVID policy / WSJ (paywall)
“An eight-week shutdown and cap on visitors have led to layoffs and losses at the theme park.”

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT:

Earthquake casualties mount in western China as Shanghai preps for typhoon
Death toll from western China earthquake rises to 93 / AP
“The death toll from a major earthquake in western China rose to 93 as the search for survivors continued, authorities said.”
Sichuan mourns earthquake victims as death toll rises and rain hampers search and rescue / SCMP (paywall)
Typhoon Muifa heads for Asia’s largest port of Shanghai / Bloomberg (paywall)
“Asia’s largest container shipping hub may face another major storm as Typhoon Muifa bears down on Shanghai and nearby Ningbo.”

Will flights to Hong Kong get easier?
Hong Kong government scraps quarantine rules for air crew / Reuters
“Hong Kong will scrap its quarantine rules for locally based airline crew from Saturday, the government said on Friday, a key step in unwinding draconian COVID-19 rules which have isolated the Asian financial hub.”

China outlines more Moon missions
China plans more Moon missions after finding new lunar mineral / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China plans to launch three unmanned missions to the Moon over the next 10 years, as it seeks to rival the U.S. in the new era of space exploration.”

POLITICS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

China gives strong backing to Russia despite “neutral” stance on Ukraine
China’s No. 3 party leader reaffirms support for Russia’s vital interests / Caixin (paywall)
Lì Zhànshū 栗战书 “reaffirmed during a trip to Russia last week that China is willing to continue to support its neighbor’s vital interests and to keep working with Moscow in fighting back against foreign interference and sanctions, according to state media reports.”
China’s No. 3 official Li Zhanshu calls for united front with Russia against Western sanctions / SCMP (paywall)
China legislator criticizes sanctions on visit to Russia / AP
Russia says that a senior Chinese official expressed support for the invasion of Ukraine. / NYT (paywall)
“The comments are the clearest sign of support from China, which has preferred to stay on the sidelines and maintain ties with both Russia and Europe, without alienating either.”
China threatened by unbreakable bond with Russia / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
Possible Xi-Putin summit comes at a critical time in Sino-Russian ties / China Global South Project (paywall)

Can Taiwan take on a growing number of Chinese drones?
Chinese drones: The latest irritant buzzing Taiwan’s defenses / NYT (paywall)
“Drones are increasingly testing Taiwan’s capacity to respond to China’s growing military pressure. Soldiers shot one down recently and are ramping up defenses.”
Taiwanese military confirms for first time PLA drones crossed Taiwan Strait median line / SCMP (paywall)

Biden to toughen up on chip tech to China
Biden to hit China with broader curbs on U.S. chip and tool exports / Reuters
“The Biden administration plans next month to broaden curbs on U.S shipments to China of semiconductors used for artificial intelligence and chipmaking tools, several people familiar with the matter said.”
Biden to boost U.S. biomanufacturing to compete with China / Bloomberg (paywall)

Deescalation efforts along the China-India border
Indian, Chinese soldiers pull back from key border area / AP
“Indian and Chinese soldiers are pulling back from a key friction point on their disputed border as part of efforts to lower tensions in a more than two-year standoff that has sometimes led to deadly clashes, the countries’ defense ministries said.”
Chinese, Indian military forces pull back troops from disputed border area ahead of possible Xi-Modi meeting / China Global South Project (paywall)

Will Angola’s new president shift the country further away from China?
With re-election secure, Angolan president is expected to reduce country’s dependence on China / SCMP (paywall)
“After securing a second term as president of Angola, Joao Lourenco is expected to continue diversifying the nation’s economy away from oil and cut its dependence on China, observers say.”

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

Mental health for teachers
In 2022, China’s students are struggling to cope. So are their teachers. / Sixth Tone
“China is growing increasingly concerned about a spike in mental health problems among students. But zero-COVID is taking a shocking toll on teachers, too.”

Chinese actor accused of soliciting prostitutes
Chinese actor Evan Li detained on suspicion of soliciting prostitutes, CCTV reports / Reuters
“Chinese actor Lǐ Yìfēng 李易峰, who played former Communist Party leader Máo Zédōng 毛泽东 in a 2021 movie, was detained recently by Beijing police on suspicion of soliciting prostitutes, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday.”
Chinese star Li Yifeng detained, accused of soliciting prostitutes / SCMP (paywall)

Ancient wood bridges in Zhejiang, Fujian, and Henan at risk from extreme weather
Hell or high water: China’s historic wooden bridges in danger / Sixth Tone
“While traditional bridge building techniques have been revived, ancient structures require urgent attention.”

A Hong Kong bakery’s iconic neon sign flickers off
In pictures: People flock to bid farewell to 79-year-old Hong Kong bakery’s neon sign, ‘a piece of Yuen Long history’ / HKFP
“Since announcing that one of its iconic neon signs would soon be removed, the streets around Tai Tung Bakery have been thronged with people wishing to capture traces of a vanishing Hong Kong.”