China moves to contain property defaults — China imposes retaliatory sanctions against US over Xinjiang — Chinese city of Xi'an sees Covid cases rise
Peng Shuai retracts sexual assault claims as fears over wellbeing persist — Japan will not send government delegation to Beijing Olympics
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Xinjiang
China calls US law on Xinjiang imports ‘economic bullying’ — Al Jazeera
US President Joe Biden on Thursday signed into law legislation that bans imports from China’s Xinjiang region over concerns about forced labour.
China dismisses accusations of abuses against mostly Muslim Uighur minorities in the northwestern Xinjiang region as lies.
China imposes retaliatory sanctions against US over Xinjiang — Al Jazeera
China has announced sanctions on four members of the United States government’s Commission on International Religious Freedom in retaliation for penalties imposed on Chinese officials over complaints of abuses in the country’s northwestern Xinjiang region.
Intel apologises to China over Xinjiang products and labour directive — The Guardian
Intel, which derives more than a quarter of its $80bn (£60bn) in annual revenues from the Chinese market, apologised to the people of China and its local partners on Thursday for telling suppliers to avoid the region in accordance with restrictions imposed by “multiple governments”.
Coronavirus
Chinese city of Xian sees Covid cases rise as it enters third day of lockdown — The Guardian
China as a whole reported 140 new confirmed coronavirus cases for Friday, an increase of 62% from 87 cases the day before, its health authority said on Saturday. Of the new infections, 87 were locally transmitted, compared with 55 a day earlier.
Xi’an Cuts Off Air Travel in Escalated Covid Lockdown — Caixin
The city of 13 million people entered a lockdown starting Thursday, barring all nonessential travel outside the city. Authorities ordered residents to stay home absent pressing needs.
Three Sinovac Doses Fail to Protect Against Omicron in Study — Bloomberg
Two doses and a booster of the Covid-19 vaccine made by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd., one of the most widely used in the world, didn’t produce sufficient levels of neutralizing antibodies to protect against the omicron variant, a laboratory study found.
Boosters May Offer Protection Against Omicron, Chinese Study Says — Sixth Tone
Booster shots that use different technologies than the first two doses could improve vaccine-induced immune protection against the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus, a new study by Chinese researchers suggested.
Hong Kong
Two Hong Kong universities remove Tiananmen artworks after Pillar of Shame dismantled — The Guardian
Two more Hong Kong universities have removed works of art marking Beijing’s deadly 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square democracy protesters, as authorities move to erase memorials to the event.
Hong Kong authorities push election censorship globally — Axios
The Hong Kong government is distorting a law originally intended to preserve election integrity, and instead, it's using the law to shore up the appearance of legitimacy for elections now widely denounced as a sham.
Taiwan
US and Japan draw up joint military plan in case of Taiwan emergency – report — The Guardian
Under the plan, the US marine corps would set up temporary bases on the Nansei island chain stretching from Kyushu – one of the four main islands of Japan – to Taiwan at the initial stage of a Taiwan emergency and would deploy troops, Kyodo said on Thursday, citing unnamed Japanese government sources.
South Korea holds talks with China amid spat with Taiwan — Reuters
The sides discussed efforts to reopen stalled denuclearisation talks with North Korea, as well as Beijing's preparations to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in February, Yonhap news agency reported, citing South Korea's foreign ministry.
World
China to equip and train Solomon Islands police after anti-China unrest — The Guardian
The unrest, in which dozens of buildings were burnt down, arose after the decision by prime minister Manasseh Sogavare to launch relations with China fuelled a dispute between the national government and the most populous province, Malaita. Other domestic issues also stirred the discontent.
Harvard professor found guilty of hiding ties to Chinese-run recruitment program — The Guardian
A Harvard University professor charged with hiding his ties to a Chinese-run recruitment program has been found guilty on all counts.
China in Afghanistan: How Beijing Engages the Taliban — The Diplomat
There are two aspects to Beijing’s interest in Afghanistan – securing security in its western frontiers and securing security for its Belt and Road projects in Central Asia and Pakistan.
Society
China mulls bolstering laws on women’s rights and sexual harassment — The Guardian
The draft regulations come amid the rise of a nascent #MeToo movement in China, which activists say has been hampered by the country’s strict regime of censorship and oppression against all signs of dissent.
The Question Facing China’s Maternity Leave Advocates: Who Pays? — Sixth Tone
If the government does not back up its pro-natal policies with real financial and economic support, the costs of these policies will be passed on to the very people they’re supposed to help. Even the possibility of one day taking maternity leave may force women to accept concessions like lower pay or block them from lucrative job opportunities.
China’s Stream Sales Queen Vanishes Following Record-Breaking Fine — Sixth Tone
China’s online sales queen, Huang Wei, known online as Viya, was fined 1.34 billion yuan ($210 million) for tax evasion, tax authorities said Monday. Later that evening, her accounts were removed from all online platforms, including streaming services Taobao Live and Douyin, and microblogging site Weibo.
Here’s How People in China Celebrate Christmas — RADII
The short video […] explores China’s relationship with Christmas from multiple angles, tackling the government’s crackdown on the holiday, Christmas consumerism in the country, and even introducing ‘the real Santa’s workshop,’ Yiwu city, where most of the world’s Christmas decorations are produced.
Gallery: Santa Claus Creates Festive Atmosphere in Shanghai — Caixin
Santa Claus figures in different shapes and sizes adorn the buildings and streets of Shanghai for Christmas. Some of these figures carry huge gift bags; some are seen sitting on lamp posts, while others appear to be climbing the buildings, creating an amusing view for the tourists and locals out to enjoy the festive atmosphere
Economy & Finance
China moves to contain property defaults — Axios
The Chinese government is loosening the flow of credit. It recently cut reserve requirements for banks and has asked the banks to provide more loans to property developers. To encourage M&A, it declared that loans backing such deals won’t be subject to the “three red lines” test that effectively froze lending to property developers.
Surging shipping costs in a year riddled with supply-chain disruptions are straining China’s small commodities exporters, and industry insiders are bracing for more challenges to come as they say high freight rates could stretch into 2023.
China to build financial centre in western region by 2025, central bank says — Reuters
China is planning to build a financial centre in the western region by 2025, the central bank said on Friday, in a bid to support economic growth in the Chengdu-Chongqing area.
Science & Tech
Alibaba Admits It Was Slow to Report Software Bug After Beijing Rebuke — Bloomberg
Alibaba’s admission on Thursday clouded its role in uncovering potentially one of the more serious software vulnerabilities of recent years. Alibaba Cloud researcher Chen Zhaojun discovered the flaw in the Log4j open-source software and in November emailed it to members of the Apache Software Foundation community, which helps maintain the tool.
Chinese Elderly Slowly Adapt to Senior-Friendly Apps — Sixth Tone
More companies have introduced apps with larger fonts, but experts say developers need to do more to narrow the digital gap.
Education
An education billionaire is going back to his rural roots after China’s tutoring crackdown — Quartz
He grew up in eastern Jiangsu province, the son of illiterate farmers, and made it into the English department of the prestigious Peking University after failing the notoriously hard college entrance exam twice. A decade ago, Yu joined the ranks of China’s billionaires.
Now, after a year that saw New Oriental’s market cap go from $30 billion to $3.5 billion, Yu is looking to his rural roots as a deadline looms for tutoring companies to overhaul themselves.
Environment
Gallery: China Mulls Law to Protect the Yellow River — Caixin
Known as the “mother river” of the Chinese nation, the Yellow River is the second-longest river in China and sixth in the world, with a length of about 5,464 kilometers. Originating in Qinghai province of Northwestern China, it flows through nine regions before emptying into the Bohai Sea
Sports
Peng's sexual assault denial raises further concerns about her well-being — Axios
Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has denied that former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli sexually assaulted her, saying there had been a "misunderstanding" over her November social media post about him.
Japan will not send government delegation to Beijing Olympics — Reuters
Japan will not send a government delegation to February's Winter Olympics in Beijing, it said on Friday, a move likely to deepen tension with China.
Arts & Culture
Shanghai-Based Music School Opens the Gate for Underground Musicians — RADII
Gate Music’s teachers are all professional musicians, DJs, and producers who share their knowledge and skills as a part-time job
New Investigation Exposes TV Shows for Fabricating Ratings — RADII
[…] Li Xuezheng, director of the state-affiliated Golden Shield Television Center, shared that “90% of TV shows in China spent money on fabricating viewership data.” Li also pointed out that he has expressed concerns about this fraudulent practice for years, yet little progress has been made in tackling the issue.
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