China and Saudi Arabia ink 34 investment deals

Here’s what else you need to know about China today:

China and Saudi Arabia inked 34 investment deals in sectors including energy and technology during Xí Jìnpíng’s 习近平 three-day visit to Riyadh, sources report, his first trip to the oil-rich region in six years.

• In an opinion piece signed by Xi, China welcomed a “new era” of ties in Sino-Saudi relations, after his plane was welcomed with ceremonial smoke in the colors of the Chinese flag by Saudi Arabian jets before he landed on Wednesday evening.
• The deals included a memorandum of understanding between Huawei and the Saudi communication minister to develop high-speed mobile internet and a cloud-computing facility in the kingdom.
• Xi’s “pivotal” visit comes as Riyadh’s relationship with longtime ally the United States grows increasingly tense over disputes about oil.

Some hospitals in Beijing are rationing medical supplies like ibuprofen and paracetamol, as concerns about a surge in COVID infections from easing pandemic restrictions drive people to buy up fever-reducing medicine and rapid tests in the Chinese capital.

• Some major cities across the country, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, have further eased local travel and quarantine restrictions starting today.
• Hong Kong has shortened the isolation period for people who test positive, as well as their close contacts, while also cutting down on the number of mandatory rapid tests for inbound travelers.
• Although the loosening pandemic measures have been met with enthusiasm for some, others remain cautious: “I know COVID is not so ‘horrifying’ now, but it is still contagious and will hurt,” said a Weibo user per Reuters. “The fear brought to our heart cannot be easily dissipated.”
• Read our top story today on China’s coming COVID tsunami.

India will “not tolerate” unilateral attempts by China to alter the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the country’s external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said yesterday, while accusing Beijing of building up troops along the disputed border.

• Indian army chief general Manoj Pande said in November that the “situation is stable but unpredictable.” He also confirmed that China has not reduced its forces on its side of the LAC following a report from the U.S. Defense Department.

An 11-year prison sentence for Uyghur pop singer Ablajan Ayup by Chinese authorities has been met with outrage from Uyghur and human rights activists: “Sentencing someone like Ablajan to more than a decade in prison demonstrates how far the Chinese government is willing to go to crush Uyghur cultural expression,” said Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) executive director Omer Kanat.

• Related, on The China Project today: Uyghurs in Ürümchi in protest.

“Ten new measures” spur tourism booking spree: Yesterday, the State Council released “10 new measures” to further reduce COVID prevention regulations, including the abolition of mandatory centralized isolation. Bookings for air and rail tickets and hotels for the upcoming Spring Festival immediately soared, with related online searches reaching the highest level in three years. See today’s Business briefs from the Chinese media, with more links and info on:

• The Niutron SUV is not happening.
• Juicing up the real estate market.
• Car sales are down but EV sales are up in November.

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