News that caught our eye / The week ending January 13th
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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 cuts deal with Taliban to extract oil in Afghanistan / January 10, 2023
China added another trade alliance—this time, a 25-year oil contract with Afghanistan’s Taliban—to its string of recent global deals. However, a recent terrorist attack on a hotel in Kabul that injured 5 Chinese nationals, and Afghan resentment of China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims, may threaten the new relationship (Fox News).
China halts visas for Japan, South Korea in COVID-19 spat / January 9, 2023
Responding “tit-for-tat” to Japan and South Korea mandating Covid tests for Chinese citizens traveling to those countries, China suspended granting new visas to Japanese and South Korean citizens traveling to China. China could enact additional suspensions on other countries with similar Covid policies for Chinese travelers, including the US (ABC News).
Asia-Pacific’s benchmark index enters a bull market / January 10, 2023
Asian and Pacific stock market indexes entered a bull market this week based on a rally of Chinese stocks, China’s reopening its economy, and a weakening US dollar. Some express concern, however, that the market is warming up too quickly and heedless of existing uncertainties (CNBC).
Looking for the endgame to Sino-U.S. competition / January 10, 2023
How should the West deal with China’s increasing global economic and political influence? One commentator recommends that cooperation with a rising China is the best overall strategy. The West may also need to see itself as one of a number of “hubs” of economic and cultural power, not the leader (The Japan Times).
China Covid: More than 88 million people in Henan infected, official says / January 9, 2023
Almost 90 million people have contracted the Covid virus in China’s third most populous province. The staggering count overwhelms the government’s official report of just 120,000 cases nationwide, and infections will likely multiply as travel for the Lunar New Year begins in the next few weeks (BBC News).
China Snubs US Military Outreach Ahead of Expected Blinken Visit / January 9, 2023
China rejected a US request to discuss military deceleration after a “close call” between US and Chinese military jets in mid-December over the South China Sea. China sees the US presence in the area as provocative while the US considers China’s claim of the entire South China Sea as unlawful (China News).
China: Five dead after man drives into crowd in Guangzhou / January 11, 2023
A 22-year-old man struck a crowd of pedestrians at a street corner in the southern city of Guangzhou on Wednesday, killing 5 and injuring 13. The tragedy occurred as China approaches the family-oriented Chinese New Year. It is at least the third such incident in China since February 2022 (BBC News).
Weifeng Zhong on New House Select Committee on China / January 11, 2023
An expert on China discusses the reasons behind the new House Select Committee on China, including the CCP’s influence in the media, an imbalanced trade relationship, the fentanyl crisis, and data mining. China’s entry into the WTO didn’t transform China into a more open society; rather, the opposite has occurred (C-Span).
Islamic State suicide attack at Afghan Foreign Ministry kills five / January 12, 2023
China may be noticing now that the Taliban is not able to provide the security China needs or expects as another bomb attack occurred in Kabul Thursday at an Afghan Foreign Ministry where Chinese diplomats were scheduled to meet. Is-K, an Isis-offshoot rebel group opposed to the Taliban, claimed responsibility (The China Project).