Highlighted links for September 26, 2023

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

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

China’s plans to revive northern industries
Slowing, graying and in debt, can China’s industrial heartland be revived? / NYT (paywall)
“China, facing an economic slump, wants to make its industrial northeast more productive, turning to policies that some economists say have outlived their time.”

U.S.-China tech war
Tech remains central in ‘hot peace’ between China and U.S. / FT (paywall)
“Read the headlines and the picture is clear: geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China have risen alarmingly and the world’s two biggest economies are decoupling fast. U.S. investors have been hearing that message and knocked $200 billion off the stock market value of Apple this month following reports that Beijing had banned the use of the U.S. company’s phones by state officials.”

Europe’s electric vehicle war with China
China’s commerce chief unhappy at EU’s anti-subsidy probe / Reuters
“China’s commerce minister expressed strong dissatisfaction in a weekend meeting with the European Union’s trade chief that the bloc will launch an anti-subsidy investigation over China’s electric vehicles, his ministry said on Tuesday.”
Tesla to face EU anti-subsidy probe over China exports / Reuters
“Tesla and European carmakers that export from China to the EU will be part of the bloc’s probe into whether the country’s electric vehicles industry is receiving unfair subsidies, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing Brussels’ most senior trade official.”
Tesla’s China exports in crosshairs of EU anti-subsidy probe / Bloomberg (paywall)
“One automaker is looming larger than any other in the investigation of electric vehicles flowing into the European Union from China: Tesla Inc.”

Other electric vehicle news
Southwest province has big EV battery dreams, Qualcomm mulls China layoffs / Caixin (paywall)
“Southwest China’s Sichuan Province has unveiled a plan to become a ‘world-class lithium battery production base’ within the next five years, capitalizing on its bountiful lithium reserves and hydropower resources.”
Ford tried to sell the electric Mustang to China the Tesla way — it didn’t work / WSJ (paywall)
“Detroit automaker changes its China strategy after EV sales in the country suffer from marketing, sales missteps.”

Stock market restrictions
Big shareholder in China? Don’t try selling / WSJ (paywall)
“Chinese regulators have taken a novel approach to prop up the country’s faltering stock market by banning many companies’ biggest shareholders from selling.”

Evergrande
Former Evergrande CEO and CFO face probe, sources say / Caixin (paywall)
“Multiple current and former executives of China Evergrande Group and its subsidiaries have been swept up by investigations, as authorities look into whether the embattled conglomerate has violated rules over how funds can be used.”
China Evergrande has ‘no bullets’ left as crisis lights up mainland social media about end-game for fallen billionaire Hui Ka-yan / SCMP (paywall)
“The debacle at China Evergrande Group is heating up some of the nation’s social media platforms with discussions about its fate. Some argued the penny stock is worth a punt before another bid to beat the drop. Others said bankruptcy may be inevitable.”
Chinese government probe casts new doubt over Evergrande restructuring / FT (paywall)
“Evergrande, the struggling Chinese property developer, has cast serious doubts over the future of its debt restructuring plan, saying an ongoing official investigation will prevent it from issuing new notes.”

Alibaba
China’s Alibaba kicks off restructuring with plan to list logistics arm in Hong Kong / Reuters
“Alibaba Group on Tuesday kicked off its restructuring with a plan to list its logistics arm Cainiao in Hong Kong that would make the unit the first to be separated since the Chinese ecommerce giant announced its break-up six months ago.”
Alibaba’s Cainiao files for $1 billion IPO, helping Hong Kong to land the world’s second-biggest listing of 2023 / SCMP (paywall)
Alibaba’s logistics arm files for $1 billion-plus IPO / Bloomberg (paywall)

Hong Kong economic indicators
Law firm layoffs rise in Hong Kong as China business slows / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“Foreign law firms in China and Hong Kong are shedding staff at a rapid pace, with one company laying off at least 20 lawyers this year as China’s economic downturn and geopolitical tensions continue to squeeze business.”

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT:

Agriculture
China produces world record peanut test crop amid national food security push / SCMP (paywall)
“In a coup for China’s push for food security, a research field in the eastern province of Shandong has hosted a world record-breaking peanut yield, state media reported on Saturday.”

POLITICS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

Pushback against public security excesses
Beijing should be cautious about going too far on China’s public security, academic tells forum / SCMP (paywall)
“Beijing should beware of blind spots as it pursues its security objectives and be more mindful of the impact of its policies on society’s most vulnerable, an academic with an official think tank said.”

China’s Global South diplomacy
China seeks tighter developing-nation ties as decoupling hedge / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“China unveiled a new diplomatic approach on Tuesday aimed at strengthening relations with developing countries as a bulwark against ‘drawbacks’ stemming from foreign companies decoupling from Asia’s biggest economy.”

Corruption
Former chairman of Chinese Football Association charged with bribery-state TV / Reuters
“Chinese authorities have charged the former chairman of the national football association with bribery as part of an anti-corruption investigation into the soccer federation, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday.”
Investigator at China’s top graft buster turns himself in / Caixin (paywall)
“A senior official of China’s anti graft watchdog overseeing investigations of corruption among financial regulators and state-owned enterprise executives turned himself in to authorities over suspected serious disciplinary violations.”

APEC
China says it’s talking to the U.S. about Xi attending APEC summit / Bloomberg (paywall)
Wáng Yì 王毅 “says his nation will make an announcement in due time.”
China’s top diplomat calls on US to host an APEC summit that is cooperative, not confrontational / AP
“China’s foreign minister called on the U.S. on Tuesday to do what it can to host a cooperative meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders in November, criticizing those who seek to play up a confrontation between democracy and authoritarianism.”

Hong Kong media repression
China urges countries to boycott Hong Kong media freedom event — document / Reuters
“China is pressing countries to boycott a British-organized event at the United Nations in Geneva on media freedom in Hong Kong with the son of a jailed media tycoon [Jimmy Lai (黎智英 Lí Zhìyīng)], a letter showed and four diplomats confirmed on Tuesday.”

U.S.-China competition and tensions
One view: Behind China-U.S. tensions are misunderstandings, author says / NYT (paywall)
“In an interview, the economist Keyu Jin says much of the world is asking the wrong questions — and so is drawing outdated conclusions.”
Cultural decoupling from China is not the answer / Foreign Policy (paywall)
“‘De-risking’ — minimizing the danger of national security threats, economic shocks, and diplomatic setbacks — has become the watchword of U.S. relations with China. Officials including National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan insist that to de-risk is not to ‘decouple.’ They acknowledge that China and the United States, while locked in economic, political, and ideological rivalry, are also interdependent and must continue to collaborate on trade, climate change, public health, nuclear security, and more.”

Italy and the Belt and Road
Xi seeks stable ties even as Italy plans to exit investment pact / Bloomberg (paywall)
“Chinese President Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 pledged to promote ‘healthy and stable’ relations with Italy even as the European nation plans to exit his signature Belt and Road Initiative.”

Nepal
Nepal, China sign 12 agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation / NDTV
“Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Chinese Premier Lǐ Qiáng 李强 comprehensively reviewed the bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over the close and cordial ties subsisting between the two countries”

Philippines and South China Sea tensions
What is Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea and why are China and the Philippines disputing it? / Reuters
“The Philippines on Tuesday vowed not to back down against a Chinese move to block its fishermen from a hotly contested area of the South China Sea, as Beijing warned against provocations after Manila severed its floating barrier.”
Philippines aims to ‘take control again’ of shoal from China amid rising tensions / SCMP (paywall)
“The Philippines is exploring multi-law enforcement efforts to enter a fish-rich shoal in the contested South China Sea after it removed a ‘floating barrier’ placed by Beijing’s coastguard there as maritime tensions between the two sides remain elevated.”
China tells Philippines not to ’cause trouble’ in South China Sea / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
Philippines removes Chinese floating barrier in South China Sea / WSJ (paywall)
Tensions with China cross a new line in the South China Sea / NYT (paywall)

EU
EU commissioner calls for more balanced trade with China and warns that Ukraine could divide them / AP
“The European Union’s trade commissioner called for a more balanced economic relationship with China on Monday, noting an EU trade deficit of nearly 400 billion euros ($425 billion), while also warning that China’s position on the war in Ukraine could endanger its relationship with Europe.”

China schmoozes East Asia
China, Japan, South Korea agree to revive summit at ‘earliest convenient time’ / SCMP (paywall)
“The foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea will soon meet and a long-stalled summit will resume at the ‘earliest convenient time,’ the Chinese foreign ministry said on Tuesday.”
China, Japan, South Korea agree to hold trilateral summit / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“China, Japan and South Korea will soon hold their first trilateral summit since 2019, signaling a restart of diplomacy among the East Asian countries, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said.”

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

Urban planning
How residents are rebuilding Shanghai’s urban communities / Sixth Tone
“In 2016, Shanghai became the first Chinese city to commit to the 15-minute city approach to urban planning. Increasingly popular around the world, the 15-minute city model seeks to ensure all residents can meet their everyday needs — groceries, work, and play — within a 15-minute walk of their homes.”

LGBTQ
Uncertainties abound after landmark Hong Kong court ruling on same-sex partnerships. What exactly will change for couples, and when? / SCMP (paywall)
“LGBTQ community [is] not cheering yet, concerned that changes will not be comprehensive and may be delayed.”

Groundbreaking copyright use case
Actor sues after gangster’s classic TV lines used in video game / Sixth Tone
“Is it legal to take classic lines from a TV show and use them in a video game without authorization? That is the question being debated in China’s first copyright dispute over lines spoken in a film or TV series.”

The demand for on-demand chefs
The young Chinese working as on-demand private chefs / Sixth Tone
“From making ends meet to relieving stress, the young Chinese working as on-demand private chefs are doing so for different reasons.”

Film
Hit new film offers a striking portrait of Beijing’s migrant villages / Sixth Tone
“Liang Junjian’s award-winning new documentary ‘Bitter Sweet Ballad’ has shocked viewers with its portrayal of the lives of migrant children in Beijing.”

Religion
‘A jealous god’: China remakes religions in its own image / Al Jazeera
“Authorities are violating religious freedoms across China as the leadership seeks to assert control.”