Highlighted links for Tuesday, September 27, 2022

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

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

Chinese financial firms in Hong Kong fill the gap left by departing foreign groups
Chinese financial groups move into Hong Kong office market / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“Chinese financial groups are moving into the Hong Kong office market as an exodus among foreign organizations drives vacancy rates to record highs.”

Expensive iPhones are in, cheaper models not so much
iPhone 14 Pro series sales volume up 56% in the first week in mainland China / TechNode
“The iPhone 14 Pro series sales volume is 56% higher than the iPhone 13 Pro series during the first week of sales on Tmall, according to Sandalwood, a Hong Kong-based data firm. However, the standard series iPhone 14 and 14 Plus saw a 70% decrease in sales volume during the same period on Tmall, compared with iPhone 13 series.”
Apple’s use of India to limit its exposure to China is part of a broader trend / China-Global South Project (paywall)

Milestones for Microsoft and Starbucks in China
Starbucks opens its 6,000th store in China / Starbucks Stories
Microsoft China turns 30, gives nation the gift of jobs and export promotion / Register
“Microsoft has celebrated the 30th anniversary of its operations in China with promises to hire more locals and encourage exports.”

EVs and robotaxis
Huawei-powered Arcfox releases semi-autonomous driving features in Shenzhen / TechNode
“Arcfox, an electric vehicle brand launched by Chinese automaker BAIC, said it had started providing car users with its long-awaited Navigation Cruise Assist (NCA) software, a semi-autonomous driving feature developed on Friday by Huawei.”
Toyota-backed Pony.ai teams up with SAIC for EV ‘robotaxi’ / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“Toyota-backed Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai is collaborating with China’s largest auto manufacturer SAIC to develop a fully driverless electric ‘robotaxi,’ the company announced Tuesday.”

The long and potholed runway for Chinese commercial jets
China’s biggest air show could take off again without C919 narrowbody jet / Reuters
“China will show off its homegrown civil and military aviation technology at the country’s biggest air show in November, the mayor of host city Zhuhai said on Tuesday, though there was no confirmation that would include the C919 narrowbody jet.”

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT:

Beagle gives birth to world’s first cloned wolf
The world’s first cloned wolf has reportedly been born in China, and it’s adorable / Science Alert
“A Chinese pet-cloning company has announced the birth of the world’s first cloned Arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos), which was carried to term by an unlikely surrogate mother — a beagle.”

Floods on Mars and missions to Jupiter and Uranus
China’s Mars rover finds hints of catastrophic floods / Nature
“China’s Zhurong rover has peered deep under the surface of Mars, finding evidence of two major floods that probably shaped the region the robot has been exploring since it landed in May 2021.”
China plans a 2-in-1 mission to Jupiter and Uranus / Gizmodo
“As part of its expanding Tianwen program, China hopes to launch two spacecraft in the early 2030s to explore Jupiter and Uranus.”

POLITICS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

Will the Indian Ocean be the next dispute between India and China?
Indian Ocean rivalry: China’s naval maneuvers irk New Delhi / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“Submarine deals and ship deployment hint at Beijing’s power projection.”

Chinese and Russian ships near Alaska stoke Arctic fears
Patrol spots Chinese, Russian naval ships off Alaska island / AP
Chinese and Russian naval ships were spotted by a U.S. Coast Guard ship on routine patrol in the Bering Sea.

U.S. users targeted by Chinese propaganda ahead of midterms, Meta says
Meta says removes China-based propaganda operation targeting U.S. midterms / Reuters

Meta Platforms said on Tuesday it disrupted the first known China-based influence operation focused on targeting users in the United States with political content ahead of the midterm elections in November…The network maintained fake accounts across Meta’s social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as competitor service Twitter, but was small and did not attract much of a following, Meta said in a report.

Is Cantonese in danger of going extinct?
As Cantonese language wanes, efforts grow to preserve it / AP
“The Chinese government’s push for wider use of Mandarin — already the national language, spoken by 1 billion people — along with the country’s changing migration patterns have contributed to an undeniable shift away from Cantonese.”

Chinese media shifts tone on Russia after Putin’s quasi-mobilization order
China’s state media turning on Putin’s war / Asia Times
“China’s censored media is being allowed to take a surprising critical line on Russia’s recently announced mobilization of as many as 300,000 reservist troops and latest threats to use nuclear weapons, marking a distinct shift in editorial tone from earlier cheerleading in support of Moscow’s war on Ukraine.”
Last week on The China Project: Putin threatens potential nuclear escalation; Beijing’s public response muted.

China’s fishing fleet
China’s fishing operations raise alarms worldwide / NYT (paywall)
“With its own coastal waters depleted, China has built a global fishing operation unmatched by any other country.”

China’s influence in Zimbabwe
How powerful is China in Zimbabwe? New report counts the ways / China-Global South Project (paywall)
“The prominent Zimbabwean environmental NGO, the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), published a new policy brief mapping China’s influence in key Zimbabwean economic sectors, including extractives, utilities and power.”

Xi’s closed-off China makes it even more inscrutable to outsiders
The cost of China’s information vacuum / FT (paywall)
“Reduced access for foreign experts is making it even harder for governments to understand decision-making in Beijing.”

Press freedom plummets again in Hong Kong
Hong Kong press freedom index hits new low under draconian national security law / Radio Free Asia
“Press freedom in Hong Kong has declined for yet another year, with most local outlets now hesitant to criticize the Chinese government, according to a recent survey by the city’s journalists.”

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

It’s hard to make friends and there are apps for that
Dating apps thrive in China, but not just for romance / NYT (paywall)
“China has cracked down on many tech companies, but has allowed dating apps that provide social connections to flourish.”

Chinese media and censors have a different view of Iran women’s rights protests
No hashtags for Mahsa Amini on Chinese social media / What’s on Weibo
“While the death of Mahsa Amini [玛莎 阿米尼 Mǎshā Āmǐní] and the unrest in Iran is a major news story worldwide, the incident and its aftermath received relatively little attention in Chinese media, where the narrative is more focused on how Western responses to the issue are intensifying anti-American sentiments within Iran.”

There aren’t enough eligible, educated men in rural China
In China’s hinterlands, young women can’t find a man. Literally. / Sixth Tone
“A growing number of Chinese women are indeed remaining single by choice, despite the social stigma associated with being a ‘leftover woman.’ But the word ‘choice’ can be misleading; it hides the fact that many Chinese women — especially those living outside the major cities — have their options heavily constrained by the country’s distorted human geography.”

Chinese women team at the basketball World Cup
China eyeing a medal for first time in 28 years / AP