Highlighted links for Monday, October 31, 2022

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

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

The end of Jeep in China
Jeep owner Stellantis’s China joint venture to file for bankruptcy / WSJ (paywall)
The holding company that owns Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group, Stellantis NV, “said its unprofitable joint venture that made and distributed the Jeep brand in China will file for bankruptcy, a move that follows the European auto giant’s failure to reverse its dwindling sales in the country.”
Stellantis’ joint venture in China is filing for bankruptcy / CNN
Stellantis says Jeep joint venture in China to file for bankruptcy / CNBC
In August on The China Project: Jeep shuts China factory as decoupling continues.

China reiterates support for the economy as factory and services activity fall
China central bank reaffirms it will step up support for real economy / Reuters
“China’s central bank will step up credit support for the real economy while keeping the yuan basically steady, Governor Yi Gang said in comments published on Sunday, reaffirming the bank’s existing policy objectives.”
China’s factory, services activity both contract in October as coronavirus curbs weigh on economy / SCMP (paywall)
China’s services sector activity falls – official PMI / Reuters
Chinese manufacturing weakens, adding to economic pressure / AP
China’s factory activity drops, bogged down by more COVID controls / CNBC
China’s economy weakens and signs point to more strain ahead / Bloomberg (paywall)

Beijing tries to assuage fears over private sector
China’s State Council reiterates policy support to bolster country’s digital economy as tech war with U.S. intensifies / SCMP (paywall)
Digital yuan needs to strike balance on privacy, China’s central bank governor says / Bloomberg (paywall)
An American helped build a business inside China. Clients want him to leave. / WSJ (paywall)

The dodgiest electric car company in China?
China’s Evergrande delivers first electric vehicles / Reuters
“China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle has started deliveries of its Hengchi 5 electric vehicle, with the first 100 customers getting their cars on Saturday, it said on its official Wechat account.”

U.S. watchdogs probe California-based self-driving trucking firm over China links
TuSimple probed by FBI, SEC over its ties to a Chinese startup / WSJ (paywall)
“TuSimple Holdings Inc., a U.S.-based self-driving trucking company, faces federal investigations into whether it improperly financed and transferred technology to a Chinese startup, according to people with knowledge of the matter.”

Amazon’s Chinese ecommerce rivals
Chinese tech giants’ push into U.S., Europe’s markets sets up potential clash with Amazon / CNBC
“Pinduoduo and TikTok owner ByteDance have launched international cross-border ecommerce websites in the last few months, aiming to take a crack at selling Chinese products to foreign buyers.”

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT:

China launches final part of massive space station
China launches 3rd and final space station component / AP
“China on Monday launched the third and final module to complete its permanent space station and realize a more than decade-long effort to maintain a constant crewed presence in orbit, as its competition with the U.S. grows increasingly fierce.”
China launches Mengtian, sending final research module to finish construction of Tiangong space station / SCMP (paywall)
Chinese launch next week will set stage for another big space-junk crash / Space
‘Dreaming of the Heavens’: China launches final module to space station / Reuters

Fire breaks out at mall in Nanjing
Iconic Nanjing mall “destroyed” in massive weekend fire / Nanjinger
“Citizens were left aghast over the weekend at images of the enormous fire and resulting smoke engulfing one of Nanjing’s mega malls which flooded social media.”
Fire guts Nanjing shopping mall / Caixin (paywall)

China won’t give up coal as it looks to secure energy
China wants more coal power and to hit climate change targets / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China is building a vast array of new coal-fired power stations, potentially more than the operating capacity of the U.S., even though it knows the plants will probably never be fully used.”

POLITICS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

Self-censorship in China’s political system
In Xi’s China, even internal reports fall prey to censorship / AP
China’s powerful internal reporting system “is struggling to give frank assessments as Chinese leader [Xí Jìnpíng 习近平] consolidates his power, making it risky for anyone to question the party line even in confidential reports, a dozen Chinese academics, businesspeople and state journalists said in interviews with The Associated Press.”

Will Brazil’s new president signal a shift in ties with China?
China’s Xi Jinping congratulates Lula on Brazil election win / Reuters
“China’s foreign ministry on Monday congratulated Luis Inacio Lula da Silva for his win in Brazil’s presidential election. Relations between China and Brazil, two of the world’s largest developing countries, worsened under right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who has not conceded the election yet.”
Lula presidential win a boost for Brazil-China ties, BRICS, experts say / SCMP (paywall)
Last week on The China Project: Bolsonaro vs. Lula: What’s at stake for China in Brazil election?

Beijing boosts ties with Russia, Singapore
China nods to even tighter ties with Russia in Xi Jinping’s third term / WSJ (paywall)
“Beijing is eager to deepen the relationship with Moscow ‘at all levels,’ China’s foreign minister said in a call with his Russian counterpart.”
Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng to visit Singapore Nov 1-2 / Reuters
“Chinese Vice Premier [Hán Zhèng 韩正] will visit Singapore from November 1-2, a spokesman at China’s foreign ministry said on Monday.”
Xi kicks off third term with flurry of diplomatic activity / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China will host a flurry of top foreign leaders this week, as President [Xí Jìnpíng 习近平] kicks off a norm-busting third term during which he’s vowed to increase his nation’s global influence.”

Europe divided over Chinese influence after Germany port deal
Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz to visit China with business delegation / Bloomberg (paywall)
“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will lead a delegation of senior business leaders to China next week, including the chief executive officers of Adidas AG, Deutsche Bank AG, Siemens AG, vaccine maker BioNTech SE and Volkswagen AG, according to people familiar with the matter.”
Ports in a storm: Chinese investments in Europe spark fear of malign influence / SCMP (paywall)
Hamburg port to sell stake to China’s Cosco after Scholz’s push / Bloomberg (paywall)
Scholz must send a clear message on his visit to Beijing / FT (paywall)
Noteworthy Weibo post by embassy of Germany in China about what happened in 1989 / What’s on Weibo (paywall)
More on The China Project:

• Today: Cosco Shipping is making money despite global oceans of gloom.
• Last week: A deal to sell a sizeable stake in Germany’s biggest port to a Chinese company throws Berlin into discord.

Beijing hits out at U.S. plans for bomber planes in Australia
China slams reported plan for U.S. B-52 bombers in Australia / AP
“The United States is preparing to deploy up to six nuclear-capable B-52 bombers in northern Australia, a news report said Monday, prompting China to accuse the U.S. of undermining regional peace and stability.”

A country under Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping opens a new chapter for China / NYT (paywall)
“The country’s top leader has tightened his grip on power and sent a message that he is determined to point his country in a different direction.”
Xi’s total control in China injects more risk into chaotic world / Bloomberg (paywall)
What does Xi Jinping’s power move mean for China? / Brookings Institute

Beijing strengthens legal protections for women
China revises law to tackle sexual harassment, discrimination / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China updated its decades-old women’s law to improve gender equality, days after the Communist Party excluded women from its upper echelons for the first time in 25 years.”
China passes new women’s protection law, revamped for first time in decades / Reuters

Canada probes China’s “illegal” overseas centers
Chinese ‘police stations’ in Canada under investigation / AFP via HKFP
“Canadian federal police said Thursday they are investigating reports that China has set up illegal police stations in the North American nation and harassed Chinese expatriates.”

Crackdown on Pakistan bombings of Chinese nationals
Alarmed by suicide attack, China and Pakistan work together on probe / Channel NewsAsia

The case of Meng Wangzhou
Inside the secret prisoner swap that splintered the U.S. and China / WSJ (paywall)
“Detention of a Chinese executive to stand trial in the U.S. provoked a standoff between global rivals and opened an acrimonious new era.”

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

Queer pride march fills the streets in Taiwan
Taiwan celebrates diversity, equality in east Asia’s largest Pride march / Reuters
“About 120,000 people, many carrying rainbow flags, marched through Taiwan’s capital Taipei on Saturday to celebrate LGBTQ+ equality in East Asia’s largest Pride march.”

Survival stories from the Sichuan earthquake
Atop a lonely Sichuan mountain, grit, hope, and survival / Sixth Tone
“A devastating earthquake in Sichuan left several workers at a hydropower plant stranded for days.”

Young, modern-day morticians
Young Chinese shrug off stigma to work as morticians / Sixth Tone
“The web series ‘Song of Life’ has given visibility to the personal and professional lives of those in the funeral service sector.”

Art under Hong Kong’s National Security era
‘We all want creative freedom’: Arts election lays bare Hong Kong censorship fears / AFP via HKFP
“Hong Kong officials say they want the city to become a world-class international arts hub, but critics wonder if local artists can survive, let alone thrive, in the current climate.”