Highlighted links for January 11, 2023

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

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

European Union fires shots against TikTok
TikTok boss meets European officials as scrutiny intensifies / AP
“TikTok’s CEO met Tuesday with European Union officials about strict new digital regulations in the 27-nation bloc as the Chinese-owned social media app faces growing scrutiny from Western authorities over data privacy, cybersecurity and misinformation.”
EU leaders fire warning shots at TikTok over privacy / Politico
Europe turns on TikTok / Politico

China’s industrial output grows in 2022
China’s 2022 industrial output expected to have grown 3.6% / Reuters
“China’s industrial output is expected to have grown 3.6% in 2022 from the previous year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Wednesday, despite production and logistics disruptions from COVID-19 curbs.”

China National Offshore Oil Corp. to open the taps
Cnooc lifts spending to raise energy supply as China reopens / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China National Offshore Oil Corp. pledged higher spending this year as Beijing looks to raise production to safeguard energy security and fuel a rebound in economic growth.”

Another Chinese ecommerce firm heads to Southeast Asia
Vip.com becomes latest Chinese ecommerce firm to set up shop in Southeast Asia / SCMP (paywall)
“Flash-sales platform Vip.com has become the latest Chinese e-commerce firm to seek opportunities abroad amid stalling growth at home, by establishing a presence in Southeast Asia.”

China to approve more flight routes to U.S.
China preparing to expand airline service to United States / AP
“The Chinese air travel regulator is preparing to allow airlines to fly more routes between China and the United States following the lifting of anti-virus travel restrictions, state TV reported Wednesday.”

China’s digital currency a part of official cash figures, marking a new era
China digital currency: e-CNY included in official cash figures for first time / SCMP (paywall)
“China’s central bank has started to include the digital yuan into its calculations of the amount of cash circulating in the economy, marking a new era for its use in the world’s second-largest economy.”

Founder of Chinese energy firm detained by police
Founder of Chinese energy firm Hanergy Li Hejun reportedly detained by police / SCMP (paywall)
Energy tycoon Lǐ Héjūn 李河君, who was once China’s richest man, has been detained by police, in a case possibly related to the troubled Bank of Jinzhou, his biggest lender.

Chinese developers face pressure to repay massive debt
Chinese developers facing $141 billion in maturing bonds this year / Nikkei Asia
“Chinese developers are facing growing pressure on debt repayment as 958 billion yuan ($141 billion) of onshore and offshore bonds come due by the end of this year, data from a property think tank show.”

Chinese banking regulator appoints vice chairwoman in historic move
China’s banking regulator appoints first vice chairwoman / Caixin (paywall)
“The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) has appointed Cóng Lín 丛林, 53, as one of its four vice chairs, according to a personnel notice published by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on Tuesday.”

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT:

The wind turbines just keep getting bigger

China clean energy giants unveil world’s largest wind turbines / Bloomberg (paywall)
Ming Yang Smart Energy Group Ltd. unveiled the world’s largest wind turbine, an offshore behemoth whose more than 140-meter-long blades will sweep across an area larger than nine soccer pitches…
The announcement comes just a week after China State Shipbuilding Corp. announced its own record-breaking turbine. It’s also designed to produce at 18 megawatts of capacity, but has slightly smaller blades…

• In November 2022, we reported on what was then the world’s largest turbine with 123-meter-long blades, produced by China Three Gorges Corporation and Goldwind.

Pfizer and Merck won’t drop antiviral prices low enough for Chinese government
China’s push for cheap COVID drugs rebuffed by Merck, Pfizer / Bloomberg (paywall)
“Top US makers of COVID drugs appear to be pushing back on China’s efforts to get them to cut their prices, underscoring the challenges the country faces in giving its vast population easy access to antivirals.”
Merck drug could be available in China by end of next week, Sinopharm says / SCMP (paywall)

A Chinese version of Elon Musk’s Starlink project?
China’s version of Starlink is government-backed — and has global ambitions / Rest of World
“Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink is an enormous project, with over 3,000 satellites in orbit, beaming internet access to customers all over the world. But in recent months, a Chinese competitor has begun to emerge, backed by Beijing — and with ambitions spanning far beyond China’s borders.”

Has the first COVID infection wave peaked?
China crests first infection wave since abandoning zero-COVID / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
Around 70% to 80% of residents in major cities in China have already had COVID and now some of those cities are claiming they’ve passed the peak of the latest wave of infections, which do appear to be falling.
Confronting the peak of the epidemic in a Shanghai hospital / Sixth Tone

POLITICS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

Chinese ambassador to EU meets with NATO deputy secretary general
NATO deputy secretary general meets new Chinese ambassador / NATO
NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană welcomed Ambassador Fù Cōng 傅聪, head of the Chinese Mission to the EU, to NATO Headquarters in Brussels for the first time on Tuesday and discussed NATO-China engagement, including dialogue on climate change and arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation.

China warns Taiwan as island holds drills
China renews threat against Taiwan as island holds drills / AP
“China renewed its threats Wednesday to attack Taiwan and warned that foreign politicians who interact with the self-governing island are “playing with fire.”’
China calls military flights a response to US-Taiwan ‘collusion’ / Bloomberg (paywall)

Japan, South Korea, and China continue COVID spat
Japan, S. Korea protest China visa stoppage amid COVID spat / AP
“Japan and South Korea defended public health restrictions on travelers from China on Wednesday, a day after China stopped issuing new visas in both countries in apparent retaliation.”
South Korea calls China’s visa suspension ‘deeply regrettable’ / Reuters
Japan lodges protest to China over visa suspension / Reuters
China halts visas from South Korea and Japan / WSJ (paywall)

China continues to shift away from “Wolf Warrior” diplomacy in picking ambassadors
China likely to name U.S. specialist as next ambassador to Washington / WSJ (paywall)
“China is likely to nominate Xiè Fēng 谢锋, a vice foreign minister and a U.S. specialist, as its new ambassador to Washington, according to people familiar with the matter, continuing a gradual tempering of the abrasive ‘Wolf Warrior’ style that has defined Chinese diplomacy in recent years.”

U.S. and U.K. strengthen Japan ties, with eyes on China
U.S. backs Japan’s need for military deterrence against China as leaders meet / Bloomberg (paywall)
“The US supports Japan’s effort to build military deterrence against China, a senior State Department official said ahead of security talks between top officials in Washington.”
Britain, Japan to sign defense pact during PM Kishida visit to London / Reuters
U.K., Japan sign defense deal amid rising concern about China / AP

U.S. House creates committee to counter China ‘threat’
New US house China panel to study ‘greatest geopolitical threat’ / Bloomberg (paywall)
“The House set up a new select committee Tuesday to come up with ways the US can counter China’s growing economic and strategic power, reflecting the broad sentiment in Congress for taking a confrontational approach in dealing with the world’s second largest economy.”

New Chinese foreign minister sidesteps UN in Africa visit
China FM on Africa visit sidesteps call for UN council seat / AP
“China’s new foreign minister, Qín Gāng 秦刚, has sidestepped a new call by the African Union for permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council during his visit to Ethiopia.”
Africa should not be arena for international competition, says Chinese foreign minister / Reuters

China struggles to maintain narrative amidst COVID wave
As China reopens, online finger-pointing shows a widening gulf / NYT (paywall)
“The Communist Party’s efforts to limit discord over its sudden ‘zero-COVID’ pivot are being challenged with increasing rancor, including from its own supporters.”

China-Philippine relationship not guaranteed as bilateral issues remain unsolved
China will need more than promises to sway Marcos from U.S. turn / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos’s high-stakes visit to China was short and yielded no breakthroughs on any major outstanding bilateral issues such as the stalled Chinese infrastructure projects, pointing to the Philippines still not being completely sold on shifting closer to China.

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

Photographs of Hong Kong’s architecture from the 50s to 70s

Photographer Walter Koditek captures Hong Kong’s post-war modernist architecture / HKFP
“From iconic landmarks to utilitarian industrial structures, Hong Kong-based German photographer Walter Koditek set out to create a record of the city’s post-war architectural heritage in the city, much of which can be seen at the ‘Hong Kong Modern Architecture of the 1950s-1970s’ exhibition at Blue Lotus Gallery from January 14 to February 12.”

Chinese travelers angry at restrictions on flights from China

Chinese tourists travel abroad again after ‘zero-COVID,’ but restrictions on passengers from China draw outrage / What’s on Weibo
“With China lifting blockades on foreign travel, there’s a post-zero-COVID itch to travel. But while many countries say they welcome Chinese tourists, they also implement restrictions on passengers coming from China. On Chinese social media, people respond to these restrictions with anger, fueled by media reports describing the rules as a form of foreign revenge and discrimination.”