Links for Monday, October 10, 2022

Tsai talks about Taiwan on Taiwanese National Day
Taiwan tells China that armed confrontation ‘absolutely not an option’ / Reuters
Taiwan calls on mainland China to cooperate for cross-strait peace, while vowing island will defend itself / SCMP (paywall)
Taiwan’s Tsai warns China against conflict, touts defense buildup / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
KMT chair emphasizes resolve to safeguard ROC on National Day / Focus Taiwan

Art censorship and nationalism
‘Traitors are everywhere’: UCCA Beijing removed a painting from view and scrubbed its website after nationalistic visitors complained / Artnet
“An abstract painting by a Chinese artist, which was reportedly based on a photograph of World War II Japanese Kamikaze pilots, has been taken down from an exhibition in Beijing after visitors reported the work to the police.”

Musk wades into Taiwan tensions, while Tesla hits record sales in China
Musk says Beijing doesn’t want him to sell Starlink in China / CNBC
Musk praised by Chinese diplomat over controversial Taiwan plan / Al Jazeera
Tesla breaks its China factory delivery record, but trails BYD / WSJ (paywall)
Tesla hits China sales record as Beijing praises Musk’s Taiwan proposal / FT (paywall)

Group buying on Alibaba’s Freshippo now only available in Shanghai
Freshippo’s group buying business withdraw from Hangzhou and Nanjing / TechNode
“Alibaba’s grocery chain Freshippo withdrew its group buying business from Hangzhou and Nanjing on October 10, leaving Shanghai as the only city to operate the business for now.”

Phone game company Black Shark slashes employee head count
Gaming phone maker Black Shark lays off half its staff following failed acquisition by Tencent: report / TechNode
“Xiaomi-invested gaming phone maker Black Shark is downsizing across all major departments, affecting nearly half of the company’s employees.”

Slow rebound for tourism in Asia
Cathay Pacific expects reduced flying for at least two more years / FT (paywall)
“Cathay Pacific does not expect to return to normal levels of flying for at least another two years, underscoring the slow return of travel in parts of Asia and Hong Kong’s fragile status as a global hub.”

China chills drive Taiwan firms south
Taiwanese companies in China flocking to Southeast Asia: survey / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“Taiwanese companies in China are increasingly moving to Southeast Asia, a new survey [by U.S.-based think tank CSIS] shows, a trend that reflects the potential importance of President Tsai Ing-wen’s [蔡英文 Cài Yīngwén] flagship foreign policy.”

Boeing’s 737 Max returns to China
First foreign 737 Max flight takes to skies in China after almost four years / Bloomberg (paywall)
The first commercial Boeing Co. 737 Max flight appeared to have resumed flying into China for the first time in almost four years, in what would be a major breakthrough for the U.S. planemaker’s best-selling jet.
Boeing 737 MAX flight by Mongolian airline lands in China – flight tracking sites / Reuters

Hong Kong, a Russian oligarch, and his superyacht
Hong Kong risks reputation over superyacht linked to ally of Russia’s President Putin, U.S. says / AFP via HKFP
“Hong Kong could damage its reputation as a financial hub if it gives haven to sanctions dodgers, the United States cautioned Saturday, after the city said it would not act against a superyacht reportedly owned by a Kremlin ally.”
U.S. warns Hong Kong over oligarch’s superyacht docked in its waters / FT (paywall)