Highlighted links for August 3, 2023

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

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

Electric vehicles
Toyota to ramp up electric car push in China with R&D revamp / Caixin (paywall)
“Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s biggest car seller, has announced plans to consolidate its research and development (R&D) resources in China and ramp up its focus on electric vehicles (EVs), as it attempts to revive stalling sales in the highly competitive market.”
Ford hands local JV the wheel to China electric car unit / Caixin (paywall)
“Ford Motor Co.’s China joint venture (JV) with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. Ltd. has taken over the operations of the U.S. auto giant’s electric vehicle (EV) unit, Ford Mustang Mach-E, in the country amid weak sales in the highly competitive market.”

Superconductors
China, Korea tech stocks rally after superconductor breakthrough buzz / Caixin (paywall)
“Claims about a breakthrough in superconductor technology that could revolutionize the power, transportation and chip industries have sparked surges in some Korean and Chinese stocks even as scientists remain dubious.”

AI
China’s Tencent says it is expanding testing of ‘Hunyuan’ AI model / Reuters
“China’s Tencent Holdings said on Thursday that it has started internal testing of its self-developed artificial intelligence (AI) model, which is now being integrated with a number of internal services and products.”
How China is fast-tracking high-speed rail with AI-powered builders / SCMP (paywall)
“AI-powered machines are taking on some of hardest jobs on the world’s largest high-speed railway network.”
China’s Xi prepares for the worst with drones, hypersonic weapons / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“China is seeking advances in artificial intelligence-powered drones and hypersonic weapons in a broader military buildup, as President Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 prepares the country for ‘extreme’ scenarios.”

Exports and de-risking
China trade: U.S., EU de-risking isn’t going away, ‘the worst is yet to come’ for exports / SCMP (paywall)
“While the widespread reach of a global economic slowdown is seen as the primary reason behind China’s sharp drop in exports, economists and trade experts warn that the impact of ‘de-risking’ efforts by developed countries cannot be underestimated, as ‘the worst is yet to come.’”

Drone export controls
Chinese drone makers mum over fallout from Beijing’s export controls targeting military use of unmanned aerial vehicles / SCMP (paywall)
“Chinese drone makers have largely refrained from publicly commenting on the possible fallout from Beijing’s new export curbs on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with potential military applications, with only the world’s largest drone maker offering a curt statement.”

Domestic IPOs
China IPOs boom with Beijing’s double-edged involvement / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“China is increasingly counting on its stock market to boost the country’s startup scene, as Beijing seeks an edge in its rivalry with the U.S. on semiconductors and other technological fields.”

Data regulation
China to make holders of more than 1 mln users’ data get annual audits / Reuters
“China’s cyberspace regulator issued on Thursday draft rules requiring service providers that hold data on more than 1 million people to undergo at least one compliance audit a year, another step in efforts to control data and information.”

Travel
China’s latest problem: People don’t want to go there / WSJ (paywall)
“Half a year after China lifted COVID-19 restrictions and reopened its borders, few international travelers are coming—another sign of decoupling between China and the West that could have negative repercussions for a long time.”

Development and real estate
China to make it easier for citizens to settle in small and medium cities / Reuters
“China will relax restrictions for its citizens hoping to permanently settle in small and medium sized cities, state media reported on Thursday, but changes in the biggest cities such as the capital Beijing will be more limited.”
‘Buy one floor, get one free’: China’s real estate slump deepens / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“Real estate and its broad range of related industries generate an estimated 30% or so of China’s gross domestic product. Though this drove rapid growth when demand was strong, it is now weighing heavily on the economy.”

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT:

Research funding
Xi Jinping pledges more funding and support for research in face of international competition / SCMP (paywall)
“Chinese President Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 has pledged to boost investment and support for research into scientific fundamentals, saying the country must achieve technological self-reliance.”

Extreme weather
Flooded rivers, trapped residents test China’s disaster response / Reuters
“From coping with dangerously swollen rivers to helping residents trapped in waterlogged cities, China’s disaster-response systems are being put to the test after one of the strongest storms in years brought record rainfall that could take weeks to recede.”
‘The capital’s moat’: thousands forced from homes in China’s Hebei province to ease flooding in Beijing / SCMP (paywall)
North China city pleads for emergency aid after flood / Caixin (paywall)
China officials’ call to save Xi’s projects angers flood victims / Bloomberg (paywall)
“Residents of areas hit hard by recent flooding in northern China have taken aim at a key Communist Party official, saying he sacrificed their safety to protect President Xi Jinping’s flagship projects.”

Hospitals
In Northeast China, a new ‘fangcang’ hospital sparks public uproar / Sixth Tone
“During the pandemic, hundreds of temporary fangcang hospitals were built to meet urgent needs. The proposed construction of a new one has raised concerns about the necessity of building hospitals designed for emergencies.”

POLITICS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

U.S.-China competition and tensions
China says it is willing to keep talking with U.S. on foreign minister visit / Reuters
“China said on Thursday that it is ‘willing to maintain communications’ with the United States on a possible future visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wáng Yì 王毅 to Washington, D.C.”
U.S. raises concerns over China’s counter-espionage push / Reuters
“The United States on Wednesday raised concerns over a Chinese call to encourage its citizens to join counter-espionage work and said it has been closely monitoring the implementation of Beijing’s expanded anti-spying law.”
U.S. House probes suspected Chinese hacking of government emails / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“The U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee said on Wednesday it is opening an investigation into China’s suspected involvement in recent breaches of Commerce and State department email systems.”

Japan
Japan’s prized abalone now a target of Chinese politics / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“Beijing’s hard line on Fukushima water is upsetting fishermen of kippin, a hidden delicacy.”

Niger
Who benefits from Niger’s coup? / Foreign Policy (paywall)
“Most global powers with a military presence or financial stake in the country stand to lose from instability—and that could put pressure on the military junta.”

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

Soccer
Charged with five crimes, ex-head coach of China’s national soccer team will stand trial in Hubei / Caixin (paywall)
“The former head coach of the Chinese national men’s soccer team has been charged in Hubei province with five crimes including bribery as China’s wide-ranging campaign against corruption in the sport continues.”

Literature
The art of telling forbidden stories in China / NYT (paywall)
“Many writers are looking for ways to capture the everyday realities that the government keeps hidden — sometimes at their own peril.”

Dance
In China’s dance schools, a dangerous obsession with weight loss / Sixth Tone
“In China’s elite dance schools, students are facing ever greater pressure to lose weight, with coaches urging them to become ‘as thin as lightning.’ The result: a troubling rise in cases of anxiety, eating disorders, and other mental health issues.”