Links for Monday, December 5, 2022

Grand Prix: Zero. COVID: Four.
Chinese F1 Grand Prix canceled for fourth year in a row / Reuters
“Formula One’s Chinese Grand Prix was canceled for the fourth year in a row on Friday due to strict local measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, with the sport looking for a possible replacement.”
China’s 2023 F1 Grand Prix gets canceled because of COVID-19 / Bloomberg (paywall)

Functional fashion under Beijing’s surveillance state
How Chinese students came up with an ‘invisibility cloak’ that evades security cameras / SCMP (paywall)
“Several Chinese graduate students have invented a plain-looking, low-cost coat that can hide the human body, day or night, from security cameras monitored by AI, according to the team.”

Movies for the blind
A Beijing theater is committed to screening movies for the blind / Sixth Tone
Reckoning Theater in Beijing, which narrates movies to its audience, “has become a go-to venue” for the visually impaired.

Jeremy Lin fined for quarantine site criticism
China fines Jeremy Lin $1,400 for criticizing quarantine facilities / WSJ (paywall)
China fines former NBA star Lin over quarantine comments / AP

• Last Friday on The China Project: Jeremy Lin fined $1,400 by CBA for showing shabby gym in isolation hotel on Instagram.

China’s services sector shrinks
China services activity shrinks to 6-month lows – Caixin PMI / Reuters
China’s service activity shrinks to 6-month low as COVID takes ‘heavy toll’ / SCMP (paywall)

U.S. accuses Chinese solar firms of skirting tariffs via Southeast Asia
Chinese solar makers evaded U.S. tariffs, investigation finds / NYT (paywall)
U.S. finds Chinese solar manufacturers are evading tariffs / Bloomberg (paywall)
U.S. to expand solar panel tariffs after probe finds Chinese evasion / Reuters

Xi mentions COVID and protests with Michel
Chinese leader tells EU ‘frustrated students’ are behind COVID-19 protests / SCMP (paywall)
Xi Jinping signaled to EU chief China may adopt more openness in COVID response / AFP via HKFP
China tries to keep Europe in play as U.S. seeks united front / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
Xi sees COVID in China as now less lethal, EU official says / Bloomberg (paywall)

Rooftop solar is booming in China
China households, businesses take shine to rooftop photovoltaics / Caixin (paywall)
“Policy support and market demand make ‘distributed solar’ an increasingly attractive, reliable source of power.”

Germany backs away from U.S.-style blanket ban on Chinese telecom firms
German government not planning blanket Huawei ban / Reuters
“Germany does not want to follow the United States in generally banning products made by Chinese telecoms equipment makers such as Huawei, but will continue making such decisions on a case-by-case basis, an Economy Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.”

Nickel giant secures deal to expand in Zimbabwe
Tsingshan expands investment in Zimbabwe / Caixin (paywall)
“Chinese stainless steel and nickel giant Tsingshan Holding Group Co. agreed with the government of Zimbabwe to expand its investment in steel and coke capacity and start cement and lithium mining and processing in the southern African country, Tsingshan said Friday.”

Volkswagen and Tesla are having car problems in China
Volkswagen faces growing backlash in China over malfunctioning software in ID Series / TechNode
Tesla China recalls over 435,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles due to taillamp problem / TechNode

Apple shifts away from China as Foxconn sales plunge
Apple makes plans to move production out of China / WSJ (paywall)
Foxconn reports big sales drop after iPhone plant disruption / Bloomberg (paywall)
COVID chaos at Foxconn iPhone plant causes 29% revenue fall / FT (paywall)

Inequality widens under COVID zero
Coronavirus knocks back China’s ‘incremental’ gains in closing urban-rural wage divide / SCMP (paywall)
“China’s sluggish economy and strict zero-COVID policy have hit low-income earners hard…Leaving them vulnerable to slipping back into poverty while undermining Beijing’s pledge to reduce inequality and grow the middle class.”