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.
Taiwan forces fire at drones flying over island near China / August 31, 2022
Taiwan’s military fired warning shots at drones from China flying over its outposts just off the Chinese coastline. Taiwan’s forces said in a statement that troops took the action on August 30 after drones were found hovering over the Kinmen island group. Dadan, one of the islands where a drone was spotted, lies roughly 9 miles off the Chinese coast.
Taiwan Shoots Down Commercial Drone Harassing Guard Post / September 1, 2022
A third term for Xi Jinping won’t make him ruler for life / August 30, 2022
Xi Jinping will probably be elected president for a third term at the twice-a-decade Communist Party congress in October. But that doesn’t mean he’ll rule China for life. To keep that post beyond 2027, under the current rules, he’ll need to keep securing five-year terms.
China and US compared: Spending on defense vs education / August 30, 2022
China’s Global Times offers an infographic that compares the percentage of China budget that supports education and defense compared to the percentage the US spends.
China sends additional flood aid to Pakistan / August 29, 2022
China will provide additional humanitarian aid to flood-devastated Pakistan. The Red Cross Society of China will also provide 300,000 US dollars in emergency cash assistance to the Pakistan Red Crescent Society. "We will never forget that Pakistan rushed to our assistance after the Wenchuan earthquake (in China) in 2008 and sent all its tents in stock to the stricken area, which deeply touched the Chinese people," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. "We also stand with our brotherly Pakistani people in face of this flood."
Russia and China to hold war games / August 29, 2022
Russia and China will hold joint military drills in Russia’s east during the first seven days of September. The Russian Defense Ministry said that the exercise will be held in various locations in Russia’s Far East and the Sea of Japan. It will involve more than 50,000 troops, and over 5,000 weapons units, including 140 aircraft and 60 warships.
China lowers interest rates / August 29, 2022
While interest rates in the US are going up, China has lowered its interest rates. The reason: “People are not spending money, nor are they trying to start businesses or buy homes. When a whole nation chooses to stop spending and borrowing (regardless of which nation it is), it means people are worried and scared. They either think tough times are coming, or they are already going through tough times and don’t expect it to get easier soon.”
UN: China is enslaving Uyghurs / August 29, 2022
A top UN official has confirmed Uyghurs are being forced to work against their will in Xinjiang, provoking fury and fresh denials from Beijing.
Economic growth declines in China / August 29, 2022
China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that “of the total profit of 4.89 trillion yuan ($711.49 billion) reported by domestic enterprises in the first seven months of the year,
The manufacturing industry accounted for 3.62 trillion yuan ($526.64 billion), a decrease of 12.6% year-on-year;
Electricity, heat, gas, and water production and supply industries accounted for 275.12 billion yuan ($40 billion), a decrease of 12.5%;
The mining industry accounted for 996.11 billion yuan ($144.84 billion), an increase of 1.05 times.
8,000 officials punished for ethics violations / August 29, 2022
A total of 8,185 Chinese officials were punished in July for violating the country's eight-point code on improving Party and government conduct. The officials were involved in 5,434 cases, and 5,626 of them were handed down disciplinary or administrative penalties.
Why China’s economy is slowing / August 26, 2022
Three powerful forces are at work in China's economic slowdown: a structural transformation of the economy, payback for past excesses, and a profound shift in the ideological underpinnings of Chinese governance.
What Chinese adults think about foreign bullies / August 25, 2022
“A plurality of Chinese (49%) think foreign countries regularly bully China and try to forestall its rise, with that share increasing to a majority (54%) when the bully in question is the United States specifically. An even larger share (58%) think China should stand up for itself more than it currently does — a rare indication of dissatisfaction with Chinese leadership — while around two-thirds (67%) think other countries should show China more respect.”
Drought changes the landscape in southwest China / August 23, 2099
AP photos show the impact of China’s unusually long and intense heat wave.” Chinese meteorologists are calling it the nation's strongest heat wave since record-keeping began in 1961, based on its intensity, geographic area, and duration. Now into its third month, it has surpassed the previous record of 61 days in 2013.”
US Department of State calls out Chinese disinformation on Xinjiang / August 24, 2022
“The People’s Republic of China (PRC) actively attempts to manipulate and dominate global discourse on [human rights abuses in] Xinjiang and to discredit independent sources reporting ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity conducted against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.”
China seems poised to increase cyber threats / August 22, 2022
The U.S. cybersecurity community is warning that China is laying the groundwork for cyberattacks in the U.S. as tensions rise over Taiwan. Following visits by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers to Taiwan, China appears to be mobilizing its cyber forces against the West.
Analysis: Why is Taiwan so important to Chinese President Xi Jinping? / August 23, 2022
“Xi's legacy will still not be secure [without bringing Taiwan into China]. Only showing the ambition to take Taiwan will cement Xi's place as a remarkable person in China's history.”
A new ending for the new Minions movie / August 22, 200
The Chinese version of Minions: The Rise of Gru, has a new ending. The villains don’t get away to be villainous another day. Apparently, Chinese censors feared unpunished villains would encourage citizens to break laws.
Xi Jinping asked Biden to stop Nancy Pelosi from visiting Taiwan / August 21, 2022
Chinese president Xi Jinping reportedly asked his US counterpart Joe Biden to stop house speaker Nancy Pelosi from visiting Taiwan during a phone conversation in July. Ahead of the visit, Beijing had issued repeated warnings and threatened serious consequences if she went to Taiwan.
Large parts of China struggle because of severe drought / August 20, 2022
Drought conditions across a swath of China from the densely populated east across central farming provinces into eastern Tibet have “significantly increased.” Local authorities were ordered to “use all available water sources” to supply households and livestock, the weather agency said. Reservoirs that generate hydropower have fallen to half their normal levels.
China battles its worst heat wave on record / August 20, 2022
China's months-long heat wave officially passed the 70-day mark over the weekend, the longest continuous stretch of high temperatures since the country began recording such data in 1961. State officials said more than 240 cities saw temperatures over 104 degrees within the past week.
African nations and China forge an alliance / August 20, 2022
Using a virtual format, Chinese and African leaders met on August 18, 2022 to reaffirm their commitment to build a community with a shared future in the new era. The agreement is intended to enhance their fruitful cooperation and add fresh impetus to global development and stability.
Xi and Putin plan to attend the September G20 meeting / August 18, 2022
Chinese and Russian leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin will attend November's G20 summit on the resort island of Bali. The trip would be Xi's first time outside China since January 2020, when he visited Myanmar. U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to attend the G20 summit but the White House has not said whether he will meet Xi.
Xi and Putin are also scheduled to meet in Uzbekistan / August 25, 2022
When leaders of India, Pakistan, and Turkey meet in Uzbekistan on September 15, President Xi and Vladimir Putin will also be in attendance. "A trip to Samarkand would underline Xi’s goal of cultivating tighter security relationships with countries that aren’t US allies as a bulwark against Western efforts to contain China," Chinese officials told the Wall Street Journal.
China urges U.S. not to miscalculate resolve to defend territorial integrity / August 19, 2022
The China Military website reports, “Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Friday urged the U.S. side not to miscalculate China's firm resolve to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Wang stated, “It is the United States that has gone back on its commitment to the one-China principle and undermined China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, not the other way round. It is the U.S. leaders who went to Taiwan to support Taiwan independence separatist activities, not the Chinese ones who went to the United States to support Alaska's independence.”
China, Russia safeguard international order, justice / August 18, 2022
China’s Global Times says the US' concerns about the China-Russia relationship are the product of the US' own strategic anxiety. Washington worries that the US-centered international order established after WWII would collapse, and the coordination between China and Russia in the security realm could offset US' influence in the international order the US has long dominated.
China reverses one-child policy; now encourages larger families / August 19, 2022
China Global Television Network reports that the Chinese government has issued a new guidelines to boost the nation's birth and fertility rates. The guidelines add incentives for marriage, giving birth, and childraising. They provide access for families to education, housing, employment, and healthcare.
China’s threats to Taiwan become US campaign issue / August 18, 2022
According to Politico, “The Chinese government’s hysterical reaction to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit early this month is new ammunition for U.S. politicians seeking to weaponize perceptions of a “China threat” for political gain.”
China resolutely responds to US' Taiwan provocations / August 15, 2022
China’s Global Times has decried “the US continued provocation of China” by its support of Taiwan. “It's necessary to impose sanctions on those who have trampled on the one-China principle….” Visits by US lawmakers to Taiwan ”is considered as a blatant provocation….” The article quoted Ministry of National Defense spokesperson, Wu Qian, “Taiwan is part of China, and the Taiwan question is purely China's domestic affair and brooks no foreign interference.”
Banned for life / August 16, 2022
China imposed sanctions including an entry ban on seven Taiwanese officials and lawmakers. The seven are accused of being "independence diehards." The sanctions come after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan this month, a trip that China said had sent a wrong signal to what it views as pro-independence forces.
China cuts interest rates to shore up economy / August 2022
China's central bank trimmed a key interest rate Monday to shore up sagging economic growth at a politically sensitive time when President Xi Jinping is trying to extend his hold on power. "The momentum of economic recovery has slowed," a government spokesman, Fu Linghui, said at a news conference. The People's Bank of China cut its rate on a one-year loan to 2.75% from 2.85% and injected an extra $60 billion into lending markets after growth in factory output and retail sales weakened in July and home sales fell by double digits.
China describes its approach to reunifying with Taiwan / August 10, 2022
In a recently published white paper, Beijing has promised that “after peaceful reunification, Taiwan may continue its current social system and enjoy a high degree of autonomy.” It also insists that the “use of force [to capture Taiwan] would be the last resort taken under compelling circumstances.” However, critics point to Beijing’s takeover of Hong Hong as proof Taiwan would be treated in the same way.
China plans the “re-education” of Taiwan / August 5, 2022
According to Lu Shaye, China's Ambassador to France, once China establishes control over Taiwan, a process of "re-education" of the island's population would follow, "After the re-unification, we'll do re-education," Lu told the French TV channel. "I am sure that at that time, the people of Taiwan will be in favor of reunification again. They will become patriotic again.”
China’s withdrawal from policing illicit drugs is unacceptable / August 8, 2022
China’s move to suspend cooperation with the United States to combat narcotics trafficking, including illicit fentanyl, is “unacceptable,” according to the White House. Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), said, “At a time when illicit fentanyl continues to claim a life every five minutes, it’s unacceptable that the PRC (People’s Republic of China) is withholding cooperation that would help to bring to justice individuals who traffic these illicit drugs and who engage in this global criminal enterprise.”
Chinese electric car battery production surges / August 12, 2022
The China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance has announced that China’s power battery production and vehicle loading maintained a high year-on-year growth rate in July. Power battery output totaled 47.2GWh, a year-on-year increase of 172.2% and a month-on-month increase of 14.4%.
China objects to joint military practice / August 13, 2022
More than 5,000 personnel from the U.S., Indonesia, Australia, Japan, and Singapore are participating in this year’s Super Garuda Shield exercises. This is an annual joint combat exercise that began in 2009. The expanded drills are seen by China as a threat. Chinese state media have accused the U.S. of building an Indo-Pacific alliance similar to NATO to limit China’s growing military and diplomatic influence in the region.
Will Xi be overthrown? / August 8, 2022
According to CIA veteran and China scholar, Christopher K. Johnson, the reports that Chinese President Xi will soon lose power are fake news. Johnson maintains that “Xi has a plan and is executing it, even if it is not to the West’s liking,” and so “foreign governments would be wise to deal with Xi as he is if they seek to mount effective policy responses.”
#MeToo accuser, “I won’t give up, but I also don’t know what to do next.” / August 10, 2022
The woman at the center of a landmark case in China’s #MeToo movement has vowed not to give up after a court rejected her appeal for an apology and damages. In 2018 Zhou Xiaoxuan accused a high-profile state TV presenter, Zhu Jun, of forcibly kissing and groping her during a 2014 internship. The case inspired many others to share their experiences of sexual assault and caused a social media storm. On August 10, the court in Beijing ruled that evidence submitted by the 29-year-old was “insufficient” in proving alleged sexual harassment. Last year a court ruled against her on similar grounds, prompting her to appeal.
Without partnering with the US, China will reduce greenhouse emissions / August 7, 2022
China will move forward with efforts to reduce emissions, even as its suspension of bilateral talks with the United States has cast doubt on whether the world’s second-largest economy can follow through on its agenda to fight global warming, according to climate experts.
China and Taiwan
China Reaffirms Threat of Military Force to Annex Taiwan / August 10, 2022
China has reaffirmed its threat to use military force to bring self-governing Taiwan under its control. The Chinese statement said Beijing would “work with the greatest sincerity and exert our utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification…. But we will not renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures.”
China aims to control the western Pacific, Taiwan says / August 8, 2022
Taiwan considers Chinese military drills near the self-governing island are both a rehearsal for an invasion and a reflection of China’s ambitions to control large swaths of the western Pacific. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said that China wants to establish its dominance in the western Pacific. That would include controlling the East and South China Seas via the Taiwan Strait and imposing a blockade to prevent the U.S. and its allies from aiding Taiwan in the event of an attack.
Chinese People's Liberation Army continues exercises near Taiwan / August 8, 2022
On August 8, after four days of live-fire military drills designed to intimidate Taiwan, the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army continued to conduct practical joint exercises in the sea and airspace around Taiwan Island, focusing on organizing joint anti-submarine and sea assault operations. According to the China’s Global Times, drills like these will not stop and are expected to become routine until reunification.
Pelosi: China cannot isolate Taiwan / August 6, 2022
While in Tokyo on August 5, Pelosi said her visit to Taiwan was not intended to change the status quo for the island but to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait. She praised Taiwan's hard-fought democracy and success in technology and business, while criticizing Chinese violations of trade agreements, weapons proliferation and human rights problems, including its treatment of its Muslim Uyghur minority. “If we do not speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out about human rights any place in the world,” Pelosi said.
Chinese Gen Z are underemployed / July 25, 2022
A perfect storm of factors has propelled unemployment among 16- to 24-year-old urbanites to a record 19.3%, more than twice the comparable rate in the US. Because private industry has not offered employment, many young people are opting for lower-paying state jobs. But private companies drive entrepreneurial expansion of the economy. Lower income expectations and talent shunning the private sector are likely to lower growth in the long term.
3 killed, 6 injured in attack on Chinese kindergarten / August 3, 2022
Police in southern China are searching for a man who allegedly killed three people and injured six at a kindergarten in the country’s southern province of Jiangxi on Wednesday.
China’s declining birthrate signals greater problems / August 2, 2022
The Chinese Party Work Group of the National Health Commission reports that the Chinese population is facing “profound and complex changes.” The report identifies four factors that are impacting the nation’s long-term health: a large drop in the birth rate; a decline in childbearing willingness; the rapidly aging population; and the miniaturization of families.
Conflicting views on China’s economy
Manufacturing in China is expanding / July 29, 2022
A Reuter’s poll shows that China's factory activity has expanded at the fastest pace in a year. Production in COVID-hit manufacturing hubs has resumed now that lockdowns are lifted. The official manufacturing Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) is expected to have risen to 50.4 in July - the highest in 12 months - compared with 50.2 in the previous month.
Manufacturing is retreating / July 31, 2022
Two surveys find Chinese manufacturing’s recovery from anti-virus shutdowns faltered in July. The China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing reports factory activity was depressed by weak global demand and anti-virus controls that are weighing on domestic consumer spending. The Federation and the National Bureau of Statistics issues a monthly purchasing managers’ index. That index retreated to 49 from June’s 50.2 on a 100-point scale. On that scale numbers below 50 indicate activity declining.
Pelosi visit to Taiwan
China announces military exercise opposite Taiwan / July 30 2022
China said it was conducting military exercises off its coast opposite Taiwan. The military exercises come after China warned U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to scrap possible plans to visit the island democracy. Pelosi has yet to confirm whether or not she will go.
Washington: “We won’t take the bait” / August 2, 2022
The White House on Monday decried Beijing’s rhetoric over an expected visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, vowing the United States “will not take the bait or engage in saber rattling” and has no interest in increasing tensions with China.
Chinese reaction to Pelosi visit / August 3, 2022
When US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday night, many Chinese entities issued statements condemning the visit and warning of its “severe impact” on US-China relations. China’s military said it would immediately launch “air and sea exercises” and released a plan for drills surrounding the island in coming days.
The impact of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan / August 2, 2022 (YouTube video, 18 minutes)
Bonnie Glaser, Director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund, explains what you need to know about US House Speaker Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. She unpacks the likely consequences of Speaker Pelosi's visit, against the background of deteriorating US-China relations and China's domestic politics in the leadup to the 20th Party Congress.
China conducts ‘precision missile strikes’ in Taiwan Strait / August 4, 2022
China conducted “precision missile strikes” Thursday in the Taiwan Strait and in the waters off the eastern coast of Taiwan. The drills were prompted by a visit to the island by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week and are intended to advertise China’s threat to attack the self-governing island republic.
US-China relations on a precipice / August 3, 2022
Matthew Lee, the diplomatic writer for AP, offers his insights about U.S.-China relations in view of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
China refuses to cooperate with US over Pelosi visit / August 5, 2022
China is canceling or suspending dialogue with the United States on a range of issues from climate change to military relations and anti-drug efforts in retaliation for a visit this week to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Cooperation on returning illegal immigrants, criminal investigations, transnational crime, illegal drugs, and climate change will be suspended.