CRG Weekly
News from the China Research Group
Vacancy: We are hiring another full-time researcher to join the team. Applications close on Friday 23rd July. Full details are on our website.
Events: Catch up on our previous two events via our podcast: Assessing the UK’s tilt to the Indo-Pacific and NATO for Trade.
The week in brief
British MPs participated in two China-related debates: one on the sale of Newport Wafer Fab to Chinese-owned Nexperia, followed by a debate over a potential diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The chief of MI5 Ken McCallum said in a speech that the activities of China, Russia and other hostile states could have as large an impact on the public as terrorism.
The Biden administration issued a warning for US business of the potential “reputational, regulatory, financial, and in certain cases legal risks associated with their Hong Kong operations”.
Canada launched a dedicated refugee stream for human rights defenders.
Japan mentions Taiwan stability in defence paper for first time, while Jacinda Ardern told diplomats and academics that “we have embraced the concept of an Indo-Pacific as the wider home for New Zealand”.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the push to discount Covid-19 lab leak theory was ‘premature’ as he asked for more transparency from China.
The FT reported that Beijing refused to grant Wendy Sherman, US deputy secretary of state, a meeting with her counterpart during a proposed visit to China.
China launched its new carbon emissions trading scheme, which covers more than 2,000 power plants. But analysts noted oversupply, a limited scope and no cap on total emissions may hinder its effectiveness.
Hong Kong chief secretary John Lee Ka-chiu told the Global Times that the priority of his work will be to make sure that nobody disguises as a "patriot" to take part in the upcoming elections.
Chinese state police and security officials were sent to start a cybersecurity investigation into Didi. The company has recently launched in the UK.
TikTok hit 3 billion downloads, becoming the first non-Facebook app to hit the figure.
What we’re listening to:
Avoiding ideological conflict with Beijing: Thomas Pepinsky and Jessica Chen Weiss. Sinica.
Checks and Balance: What is Joe Biden’s new China doctrine? The Economist.
China Expert Matt Turpin on Beijing's Strategic Objectives. Intelligence Matters.
Interesting events:
YCW in Conversation: Can China and the world decouple technologically? Raffaello Pantucci talks with Nigel Inkster about his new book, The Great Decoupling. Wed, 21 July 2021, 13:30 – 14:30 BST. Register.
Oxford PPE Alumni Group: Perspectives on China with Yuan Yang of the FT, Rana Mitter and Cindy Yu. Wednesday 28 July, 10:30am BST. Register.