News that caught our eye / The week ending October 14
NOTE: The news reports below are not in chronological order. There is often a time lag in their reaching the US and in gaining our attention. These reports reflect the opinions of a variety of news sources.
China: The US is creating a new Cold War environment / October 13, 2022
The Chinese government on Thursday accused Washington of “Cold War thinking” and appealed for efforts to repair strained relations after President Joe Biden released a national security strategy that calls for “out-competing China” and blocking its efforts to reshape global affairs (AP).
Analysis: In Xi’s next term, he faces huge economic challenges / October 13, 2022
After next week's Communist Party Congress, Xi Jinping must confront economic challenges unlike those he has faced before. Youth unemployment is at record highs. Economic growth is near historic lows. The construction and sales of new homes is in crisis. Debt levels are soaring. China’s past economic model is now unsustainable (Reuters).
China pushes back against US hedge on Artic / October 8, 2022
The US is working with allies, especially those whose territory borders on the Artic, to curtail Chinese presence there. China claims the US' strategy to control the Artic will further militarize the area. It points to "more than 22,000 active-duty troops in Alaska, with a base in Denmark-ruled Greenland." China is calling for “international rules on peacefully developing the Arctic…” guaranteeing “that the Arctic is a public region rather than the private asset of some countries and that development and cooperation in the region should be peaceful and equal” (Global Times).
Opinion: Xi Jinping is firmly in control / October 13, 2022
AP commentators Dake Kand and Ted Shaffrey maintain that at China’s 20th Communist Party congress, President Xi Jinping will be firmly in control. They quote longtime China observer Ho Pin, “It’s not about who’s going to be in the Standing Committee any longer [the Standing Committee is the handful of people who will be named to lead the ruling Communist Party for the next five years]. No matter who they are, they all have one thing in common: They all have to listen to Xi.”
Shanghai residents panic-buy drinking water / October 12, 2022
On October 12, city authorities assured Shanghai's 28.5M residents that drinking water supplies remained at a “normal” level. That announcement followed several days of residents rushing to stockpile bottled water because of rumors their municipal water was contaminated. Shanghai’s water supply has been threated by a drought that has depleted its water supply and by salt tide intrusion into its reservoirs since early September (Reuters).
How are delegates to China’s 20th Communist Party congress chosen / October 11, 2022
On Sunday, October 16, China’s 20th Communist Party congress convenes. 2,296 delegates will assemble there to set plans for China’s next five years. They will also endorse a list of 300 top party members for the Central Committee. That includes choosing President Xi Jinping to lead China for another five years. How does one become a delegate? The process is rigorous but at its heart is proof that each delegate is intensely loyal to Communist Party doctrine and to Xi Jinping (South China Morning Post),
China debuts a flying taxi in Dubai / October 11, 2022
China is bringing the day of George-Jetson-like flying cars closer to reality. China has debuted a pilot-less taxis in Duba. Taxis like this could whisk passengers above crowded urban streets. The vehicle can carry two passengers. It is powered by eight propellers. The company says it has a top speed of 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour (6abc.com).
New U.S. restrictions on technology exports to China / October 7, 2022
On October 7, the U.S. Commerce Department unveiled sweeping restrictions on the sale of semiconductors to China and on the equipment that makes semiconductors to Chinese customers. The restrictions are intended to curb Chinese companies from developing next-generation semiconductors (US Department of Commerce).
Chinese Covid cases rise as do lockdowns / October 10, 2022
Following a long national holiday to celebrate National Day, Covid infections are rising again in China. That has resulted in locking down citizens of a number of cities. Fenyang, a city in northern China’s Shanxi province, was locked down after a preliminary positive case was found in citywide testing. Hohhot, Inner Mongolia’s capital, has prohibited vehicles and their passengers from outside entering the region. 2,000 cases were discovered there over about 12 days. China continues to insist on following its Zero Tolerance policy toward Covid (AP).
China must stick with Covid zero policy, People’s Daily Says / October 10, 2022 (Bloomberg)