Links for Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Profitability of Western companies’ Chinese operations
The real reasons why Western companies chase Chinese sales / FT (paywall)
“But there’s a more rational way to think about the attraction of Chinese investment: undermoney — the flow of funds that, while not visible to the public, influences people and events.”

Taiwan isn’t happy about Musk’s geopolitical take
Musk’s Taiwan plan draws scorn from the island’s politicians / Radio Free Asia
“The suggestion by the world’s richest person, billionaire Elon Musk, that China should ‘figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan,’ was met with angry responses from Taiwan but a nod of approval from Beijing.”

U.K. and Europe debate decoupling and security
U.K. spy chief says China’s tech aims are a ‘threat to us all’ / AP
“The head of Britain’s cyber-intelligence agency is accusing China of using its economic and technological clout to clamp down at home and exert control abroad, saying Beijing’s aggressive stance is driven by fear and poses ‘a huge threat to us all.’”
U.K. spy chief warns China’s use of technology threatens global security / NBC
British official stresses threat from China even amid Russian aggression / NYT (paywall)
Decoupling from China not an option for EU firms / Reuters
“Decoupling from China is not an option for companies in the European Union, said EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis according to prepared remarks of a speech in Berlin on Tuesday.”

Li Auto QR codes are invading XPeng’s charging stations
XPeng charging piles besieged by promotional Li Auto QR codes / Pandaily
“A Chinese vehicle owner attested on domestic social media on October 10 that when he was charging his XPeng EV at the company’s own facility, he found that a QR code for Li Auto had been posted in the lower left-hand corner of the operation guide.”

Prohibition rumors in China spur temporary drop in liquor stocks
China liquor stocks pare losses as drinking ban speculation swirls / Bloomberg (paywall)
“Chinese liquor makers hit a bout of volatility, sharply dropping before erasing declines, amid speculation the country will ban civil servants from drinking alcohol, including when they’re off the clock.”

Blue-collar jobs boom in China?
China offers perks to make blue-collar jobs more attractive / Sixth Tone
“China’s top policymakers are turbocharging their initiatives to make blue-collar jobs more attractive as the country wrestles with a skilled worker shortage.”

Beijing again summons silicon firms over price manipulation

Chinese regulators summon silicon firms again to warn against pumping up prices / Yicai Global

“Chinese regulators have cautioned leading silicon producers against price manipulation through the hoarding of supplies for the second time in two months, as the price of the raw material used to make solar panels continues to skyrocket.”

Apple’s new iPhone doesn’t impress Chinese consumers
iPhone 14 Plus has among highest depreciation rate in Chinese smartphone market / Pandaily
“With its high price of 6,999 yuan ($974), and no major updates from the previous generation in terms of configuration and appearance, the iPhone 14 Plus has set records for the fastest price reductions in China, arousing lively discussion.”

JD.com’s Dada Nexus forges ahead with robot grocery deliveries
JD.com’s logistics arm pushes ahead with unmanned robotic grocery deliveries as Amazon pulls plug on similar trials / SCMP (paywall)
“Dada Nexus is teaming up with a robot start-up to pilot unmanned grocery deliveries in China’s eastern Jiangsu Province, as the logistics affiliate of Chinese ecommerce giant JD.com pushes ahead with the technology despite Amazon pulling the plug on similar efforts in the U.S.”