Highlighted links for Wednesday, November 30, 2022

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

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

Apple’s supply chain less dependent on China, as Foxconn woes continue
Apple supply chain data shows receding exposure to China as risks mount / Reuters
“Apple Inc’s wide exposure to Chinese manufacturing, notable both for its low costs and rising risks, has receded since the COVID-19 pandemic began, company supply chain data shows.”
New data reveals Apple is steadily shifting its supply chain out of China to other countries in Asia / China-Global South Project (paywall)
Foxconn asks workers for referrals to replenish China plant’s staff / Reuters
“Apple supplier Foxconn on Wednesday offered a 1,000 yuan ($141.11) award to staff who successfully recommend people to work at its plant in China’s Zhengzhou city, as it tries to replenish depleted staff numbers there after recent unrest.”

Jack Ma is weathering out Beijing’s regulatory storm in Tokyo
Alibaba founder Jack Ma living in Tokyo since China’s tech crackdown / FT (paywall)
Jack Ma (马云 Mǎ Yún), “the Alibaba founder and once the richest business leader in China, has been living in central Tokyo for almost six months, amid Beijing’s continuing crackdown on the country’s technology sector and its most powerful businessmen.”

Jobless youth pour out frustrations in COVID-zero protests
China’s high youth unemployment stokes student COVID protests / FT (paywall)

Economic woes and COVID curbs
COVID controls hit Chinese factories, adding risks to global growth / WSJ (paywall)
Chinese protests over ‘zero COVID’ follow months of economic pain / NYT (paywall)
‘Inevitable’ economic cost of China’s COVID curbs as factory, services cool / SCMP (paywall)
China factory, services activities slide to 7-month lows on COVID curbs / Reuters

Even Chinese firms are catching COVID
Half of China firms had COVID cases this month, Beige Books says / Bloomberg (paywall)
“The coronavirus is rapidly spreading across China and hitting production further, with more than half of firms reporting a case among their employees this month, according to a new survey.”

BYD eyes EV buyers in Mexico
China’s BYD to sell EVs in Mexico in 2023, aims for up to 30,000 sales in 2024 / Reuters
“Chinese electric-vehicle maker BYD said on Tuesday it will launch its cars in Mexico next year, with a senior executive pegging its sales target at up to 30,000 vehicles in 2024.”

The electric car bubble softly deflates — XPeng sales are weak
XPeng’s electric vehicle sales contract again, outlook dims / Bloomberg (paywall)
“XPeng Inc. expects its electric-car deliveries to remain weak through the final quarter of the year, as China’s drawn out battle against COVID continues to impact vehicle production and sales.”

Former banking chief ousted from the CCP
Former head of China Development Bank branch kicked out of Communist Party / Caixin (paywall)
Fù Xiǎodōng 傅小东, the “former president of the Henan branch of China Development Bank, was expelled from the Communist Party, removed from public positions and turned over to prosecutors on corruption charges, the country’s anti-graft watchdog said Monday.”

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT:

China’s three new astronauts dock at Tiangong space station
China’s latest rocket sends new crew to finish Tiangong space station / WSJ (paywall)
China launches astronauts to Tiangong space station / NYT (paywall)
Chinese spaceship with 3 aboard docks with space station / AP
Chinese astronauts in historic encounter on Tiangong space station / SCMP (paywall)

Beijing ramps up COVID inoculation
Chinese vaccine plans spark hope for end of ‘zero COVID’ / AP
“A campaign to vaccinate the elderly has sparked hopes China might roll back severe anti-virus controls that prompted protesters to demand President [Xí Jìnpíng 习近平] resign, but the country faces daunting hurdles and up to a year of hard work before ‘zero COVID’ can end.”
China steps up timetable for senior vaccinations as COVID cases surge / Caixin (paywall)
China mulls rolling out fourth COVID shot on reopening pressure / Bloomberg (paywall)
China to boost COVID vaccination for the elderly amid outbreak / Sixth Tone

POLITICS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

Chinese censorship strained as protests spark a rush of online activity
Despite ban, Twitter downloads surge in China amid COVID protests / TechCrunch
“Twitter saw a surge in downloads in China as protests against the country’s stringent COVID restrictions erupted nationwide over the last few days.”
‘Breach of the big silence.’ Protests stretch China’s censorship to its limits / NYT (paywall)

Support for COVID-zero protests reaches Western nations
Hundreds at Harvard, NYC, Chicago protest China’s actions / AP
“Hundreds of people gathered Tuesday at Harvard University and near Chinese consulates in New York and Chicago to support protesters who have called for that country’s leader to step down amid severe anti-virus restrictions in the biggest demonstrations against the government in Beijing in decades.”
Hundreds join U.S. rallies as China cracks down on COVID protests / SCMP (paywall)
Overseas Chinese step up protests as calls mount for change / Reuters

• Yesterday on The China Project: Chinese people organize anti-COVID-zero protests in New York — photo gallery.

Hong Kong government warns of “color revolution,” while students host small rally
Hong Kong official warns lockdown protests hurt security / AP
Hong Kong security chief warns Xinjiang fire protests could spark ‘color revolution’ / SCMP (paywall)
‘We are not foreign forces’: HKU students stage small rally in support of mainland China COVID-19 protests / HKFP

Countries react to China’s protests
China shouldn’t interfere with ‘extraordinary’ protests, U.S. ambassador says / Bloomberg (paywall)
U.S. envoy urges China not to interfere with COVID protests / FT (paywall)
Canada’s Trudeau says people in China should be allowed to protest / Reuters
How the Chinese protests are being discussed in South Africa / China-Global South Project (paywall)
Arab media’s cautious coverage of the China COVID protests / China-Global South Project (paywall)

More coverage on the protests in China
Taking brunt of lockdown, migrant workers fuel China’s latest protests / NYT (paywall)
The long odds facing China’s protesters / NYT (paywall)
Excitement, defiance for young Chinese in COVID ‘tipping point’ protests / Reuters
China officials soften tone on COVID curbs amid protests / WSJ (paywall)
With intimidation and surveillance, China tries to snuff out protests / NYT (paywall)

Hong Kong renews lease for foreign press club, under national security clause
Hong Kong renews FCC lease with caveats on national security / Bloomberg (paywall)
“The Hong Kong government renewed the lease on the Foreign Correspondents’ Club with a warning that the organization must abide by the national security law.”
Renewal of lease of Hong Kong foreign press club a ‘huge relief,’ president says, as gov’t adds national security clause / HKFP

YouTube can’t keep out China’s bullish propaganda influencers
How Chinese influencers are dodging YouTube’s anti-propaganda rules / Rest of World
“Content from tense frontiers like Xinjiang is being swamped by a litany of rural scenery and delicious food.”

Will France block China’s CGTN from broadcasting in Europe?
French regulator called on to withdraw license allowing CGTN to broadcast from London / Guardian
“France’s media regulator is under pressure to withdraw a license that allows the Chinese state broadcaster to beam its programmes across Europe from a studio in west London.”

Pentagon warns of China’s nuclear buildup and growing influence
Nuclear stockpile makes China a growing rival, Pentagon says / WSJ (paywall)
“Beijing is on pace to challenge the U.S. militarily and prevent it from intervening in a crisis with Taiwan, according to the annual assessment.”
China likely to have 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035: Pentagon / Reuters
China set to expand nuclear arsenal to 1,500 warheads by 2035, U.S. says / FT (paywall)
Pentagon: China to expand security presence in Belt and Road countries / China-Global South Project (paywall)

Sri Lanka’s debts to China are more than expected, report finds
Sri Lanka’s debt to China close to 20% of public external debt -study / Reuters
“Sri Lanka owed Chinese lenders $7.4 billion — nearly a fifth of its public external debt — by the end of last year, calculations by the China Africa Research Initiative (CARI) published on Wednesday showed, an estimate higher than many others.”
New research reveals Sri Lanka’s debts to China are much higher than previously reported / China-Global South Project (paywall)

Saudi Arabia to host Xi
Saudi Arabia to host China-Arab summit during Xi visit, sources say / Reuters
“Saudi Arabia plans to host a Chinese-Arab summit on Dec. 9 attended by Chinese President [Xí Jìnpíng 习近平] during his visit to the kingdom, three Arab diplomats in the region familiar with the plans said on Wednesday.”

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

Young urban drifters evade soaring rents
Can’t afford rent? These young urban drifters make do in unexpected settings / World of Chinese
“From living in hotels to sleeping in the office, three young Chinese tell their stories of avoiding sky-high rents.”

Artists empowering China’s anti-COVID-zero protests
Artists helping to power “A4Revolution” in China / Artforum

Are Beijing’s rules helping to keep young Chinese away from their screens?
More Chinese minors are online but fewer addicted, report says / Sixth Tone
“China’s minors are more than ever connected to the internet, but the government’s anti-addiction measures have limited their screen time, a new report published Wednesday said.”