Highlighted links for Thursday, October 13, 2022

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

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

U.S. and U.K. attempts to purge networks from Chinese telecom firms
U.S. FCC set to ban all U.S. sales of Huawei, ZTE equipment – Axios / Reuters
“The U.S. Federal Communications Commission plans to ban all sales of Huawei and ZTE telecommunications equipment in the United States on national security grounds, news website Axios reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.”
U.K. extends deadline to remove Huawei equipment from 5G network core / Reuters
“Britain on Thursday extended the deadline to remove equipment and services from China’s Huawei in core network functions to December 31, 2023, from an original target of January 28, 2023, after consulting with the company and telecoms operators.”

Tesla gets the cold shoulder from Taiwan over Musk comments
Taiwan’s military will not buy any more Tesla cars after founder’s comments / Radio Free Asia
“The Taiwanese military will stop buying Tesla cars after its boss Elon Musk suggested that China should ‘figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan.’ Meanwhile in China, Elon Musk’s company reported sales of 83,000 cars in September, up 8% from August.”

Volkswagen taps into China’s autonomous driving boom
Volkswagen to invest $2.3 billion in China autonomous driving venture / Bloomberg (paywall)
“Volkswagen AG will invest €2.4 billion euros ($2.3 billion) to set up an autonomous driving joint venture with China’s Horizon Robotics Inc. to strengthen the automaker’s tech presence in its biggest market.”
Volkswagen to take 60% stake in $2 billion tech JV with China’s Horizon Robotics / Reuters

Bordeaux-buying blight
The end of the great Chinese love affair with French vineyards / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China’s frenzied buying of Bordeaux vineyards has all but fizzled out as limits on capital outflows and the pandemic curbed investments.”

BYD in India
BYD enters Indian passenger car market / TechNode
“BYD on Tuesday announced entry into the Indian passenger vehicle market with the launch of the Atto 3, an electric sport-utility vehicle known as the Yuan Plus in China, with plans to begin vehicle delivery next January.”

Is China’s economy stagnating?
China’s progress on market reform remains ‘stagnated’, report finds / SCMP (paywall)
China’s progress in market reforms has “stagnated” in key areas, according to the latest China Pathfinder report published on Tuesday by the Atlantic Council and Rhodium Group.

Billions booming in digital yuan
Digital yuan transactions top $13.9 billion as trials expand / Caixin (paywall)
“Transactions using China’s experimental digital yuan topped 100 billion yuan ($13.9 billion) as of the end of August as trials of the virtual currency expanded to 15 provinces, data from the central bank showed.”
China’s digital currency passes 100 billion yuan in spending – PBOC / Reuters

Washington polls public about Trump-era tariffs on China
U.S. seeks public comment on review of Trump-era China tariffs / Bloomberg (paywall)
“The Biden administration is asking for public comment on the effectiveness of Trump-era tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese merchandise imports as part of its broader review of the duties.”

Great Wall Motor sells big in Australia and New Zealand
China’s Great Wall Motor reports monthly record for Australia, New Zealand sales / TechNode
“Great Wall Motor said on Wednesday that its monthly sales hit a record high of more than 4,000 cars in September in Australia and New Zealand, a 101% rise from a year ago.”

Yahua withdraws investment from Canadian lithium firm
China’s Yahua pulls out of investing in Canadian lithium startup / Yicai Global
“Yahua Industrial Group has withdrawn its plan to invest in Canadian lithium and gold explorer Ultra Lithium due to changes in the international environment which could have an impact on mining, resulting in the slower development of mines, the Chinese lithium supplier said.”

China woes aren’t keeping down Uniqlo owner
Uniqlo operator posts record annual profit despite China slump / Reuters
“Japan’s Fast Retailing Co, owner of clothing brand Uniqlo, reported record full-year profit on Thursday, boosted by a decline in the yen and overcoming lingering weakness in the Chinese market.”

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT:

Tourists return to Taiwan after ease in COVID rules
Tourists flock to Taiwan as COVID entry restrictions eased / AP
“Taiwan lifted all its COVID-19 entry restrictions on Thursday, allowing tourists unfettered access to the self-ruled island after over 2 1/2 years of border controls.”
Taiwan reopens to tourists, ending strict COVID-19 quarantine rules / AFP via HKFP

POLITICS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

U.S. sizes up China and Russia
U.S. sees China as only other nation capable of reshaping global order / Bloomberg (paywall)
“The Biden administration labeled China as the nation’s top competitor, while Russia remains a danger to be constrained in a new defense strategy that also calls inflation a threat to global security.”
Biden global strategy tackles China, Russia, domestic needs / AP
Yellen warns of ‘geopolitical coercion’ by Russia, China / Reuters
U.S. will soon need to deter two major nuclear powers for first time, White House says / Guardian
Opinion | We are suddenly taking on China and Russia at the same time / NYT (paywall)

Infighting in Germany over how to handle China
German business chiefs clash with Berlin over China policies / Reuters
Recent uproar from German business chiefs shine a light on “the angst within German boardrooms about the government’s push to recalibrate its relationship with China.”
This week on Live with Lizzi Lee: EU officials find cracks in Beijing’s support for Putin, while Germany’s Scholz plans trip to China.

Taliban seeks to reassure investments in Afghanistan, with an eye on China
Taliban say Afghanistan secure enough for big projects / AP
“The Taliban said Wednesday there is enough security across Afghanistan to restart major economic projects that stopped due to decades of war, despite a slew of attacks rocking the country since the group seized power more than a year ago.”

Retired tech billionaire wants to fund Taiwan’s civilian army
China-Taiwan: Can a tech billionaire create a civilian fighting force? / BBC
“In September this year a retired tech billionaire in Taipei, white-haired and bespectacled, called the island’s media to a press conference to tell them he was pledging 1 billion Taiwan dollars [$32 million] to create a civilian army.”
See earlier from the Financial Times: The Taiwanese chip billionaire squaring up to China.

All eyes on Xi as Party Congress looms
China’s Xi Jinping problem / FT (paywall)
“A relentless centralization of power allows the Chinese leader to take decisive action. But it makes it harder to reverse his mistakes.”
China’s Xi gets chance to tighten hold on economy at meeting / AP
The spirit at the core / China Media Project
Beijing exhibition celebrates Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s ‘New Era’ ahead of major Communist Party congress / HKFP

Henan bank protesters wrestle with China’s long-reaching security arm
When Chinese protesters came up against Xi’s security machine / Reuters
“The stories recounted to Reuters by Yao and 14 other bank depositors, who used social media to discuss and coordinate efforts to recover their funds, reveal the scale and reach of China’s high-tech security apparatus.”

China and Poland
China-Poland relations amid the Ukraine War / Diplomat

Rail link between China and Indonesia
Indonesia’s China-built high-speed rail project on track despite cost overrun of $2 billion / SCMP (paywall)
“President Joko Widodo, who inspected a new railway station, said the project was 88.8% complete and its commercial launch is expected in June 2023.”

Chengdu rolls out new gaming rules
Chengdu sets stern rules for role-playing mystery games / Sixth Tone
“Chengdu in southwestern China has become one of the first cities nationwide to introduce new rules governing the role-playing mystery gaming sector, as authorities have time and again accused the once-booming industry of promoting unhealthy content among young players.”

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

Social media up in arms over women’s bodies
Much ado about big breasts: Two controversies surrounding busty women on Chinese social media / What’s on Weibo
“This week, the popular WeChat account Brother News (新闻哥) published an article authored by ‘Sister News’ (新闻妹) addressing two recent controversial hot topics on Chinese social media related to attractive, busty young women.”

Art mistake worth millions
Art expert fired after underestimating a $9 million Chinese vase / ARTNews
“An unidentified art expert has been fired in France after grossly undervaluing a Chinese vase at 4,000 times less than its sale price.”

Middle-aged women are becoming the faces of luxury brands in China
Luxury fashion brands in China embrace middle-aged actresses / Sixth Tone
“A group that has long been missing from public view is regaining recognition in a sector that has mostly favored young faces.”

Book series that helped China open back up
The publisher who rekindled China’s curiosity about the world / Sixth Tone
“For much of the 20th century, China isolated itself from the West. A series of books helped turn the tide.”

Nationalistic TV
The dark side of Chinese pop culture / Economist (paywall)
“A hit TV series for teenagers peddles nationalist fantasies.”

Miniature models bring back ’90s nostalgia in China
Micro-dosing nostalgia with China’s miniature modelers / Sixth Tone
“After decades of development and tear-downs, a new breed of model workers are helping Chinese recapture the long-gone countryside of their youth.”