Noteworthy Links (September 2021)

Hong Kong disqualifies 10 more district councillors over ‘invalid’ oaths of loyalty, no explanation given
(HKFP, 09/30/21, Rhoda Kwan)

NUS President: University-Wide Restructuring to Include School of Computing; Yale Offered to Help Yale-NUS With Fundraising
(The Octant, 09/30/21, Ryan Yeo)

Beijing Suffers Major Loss from Its Hostage Diplomacy
(CSIS, 09/29/21, Scott Kennedy)

Exclusive: Two Canadians confess guilt, granted bail for medical reasons before leaving China: source
(Global Times, 09/26/21)

China draws up list of 100 instances of U.S. “interference” in Hong Kong
(Reuters, 09/25/21, Yew Lun Tian)

Former New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu elected KMT chairman
(Focus Taiwan, 09/25/21, Elizabeth Hsu and Teng Pei-ju)

Singapore’s foreign interference bill – legal monstrosity with totalitarian leanings
(Reporters Without Borders – RSF, 09/23/21)

With tighter grip, Beijing sends message to Hong Kong tycoons: fall in line
(Reuters, 09/17/21, Clare Jim and Farah Master)

Suspected Chinese State-affiliated Online Influence Campaign Urged Real-world Protests in U.S.
(China Digital Times, 09/13/21, Oliver Young)

Google handed user data to Hong Kong authorities despite pledge after security law was enacted
(HKFP, 09/11/21, Selina Cheng)

TSMC to build advanced chip plant in southern Taiwan
(Nikkei Asia, 09/13/21, Cheng Ting-Fang)

Disappeared Businesswoman Briefly Reappears As Ex-husband’s Memoir On Elite Corruption Published
(China Digital Times, 09/10/21, Joseph Brouwer)

Noteworthy Links (August 2021)

George Soros: Investors in Xi’s China face a rude awakening
(FT opinion, 08/31/21, George Soros)

Early Warning Brief: Implications of Xi’s Revival of the Maoist Slogan “Common Prosperity”
(Jamestown Foundation, 08/26/21, Willy Wo-Lap Lam)

Tianjin asks govt firms to move data out of Alibaba, Tencent clouds-document
(Reuters, 08/27/21, Beijing Newsroom)

Analysis: Xi’s leftward shift to a socialist China is for real
(Nikkei Asia, 08/26/21, Katsuji Nakazawa)

WHO Probe Leader Says Chinese Pressure Blocked Research Into Lab Accident Theory
(China Digital Times, 08/20/21, Joseph Brouwer)

HSBC Buys AXA Singapore for $575 Million to Grow Asia Wealth
(Bloomberg, 08/16/21, Denise Wee)

Canadian Michael Spavor Sentenced to 11 Years as Meng Wanzhou Extradition Decision Looms
(China Digital Times, 08/11/21, Joseph Brouwer)

New Restrictions on Private Tutoring Industry: Motivations and Reactions
(China Digital Times, 08/07/21, Cindy Carter)

China’s Ban on Taiwan Pineapples Backfires as New Buyers Step In
(Bloomberg, 08/05/21, Betty Hou)

Noteworthy Links (July 2021)

Hong Kong man given 9-year sentence in first security law case
(Nikkei Asia, 07/30/21, Michelle Chan)

Retired Taiwan general tells military to overthrow DPP, surrender to China
(Taiwan News, 07/30/21, Keoni Everington)

Abe: Taiwan must never repeat Hong Kong experience
(Nikkei Asia, 07/30/21, Ryo Nemoto)

Foreign investments into China are accelerating despite global economic tensions and restrictions
(PIIE, 07/22/21, Nicholas Lardy)

The Road Ahead for Taiwan-US Relations
(The Diplomat, 07/17/21, Melissa Conley Tyler)

China Says U.S. Trespassing in Its Airspace After Documents Sent to Taiwan
(Newsweek, 07/15/21, John Feng)

Carrie Lam downplays surge in emigration
(RTHK, 07/11/21)

‘Liberate Hong Kong’ slogan was about uniting freedom-loving people, political scientist testifies
(Stand News, 07/09/21, Holmes Chan)

What Bankers Can Know, You Can’t in Hong Kong
(Bloomberg, 07/07/21, Matthew Brooker)

Canadian rights activist says he received death threat for support of Hong Kongers
(The Globe and Mail, 07/05/21, Steven Chase)

Hong Kong Court Jails U.S. Lawyer Over Scuffle With Policeman
(Bloomberg, 07/05/21, Kari Soo Lindberg)

US tech giants warn Hong Kong data law could drive them away
(Nikkei Asia, 07/06/21, Michelle Chan)

Banks accused of Beijing-backed ‘asset grab’ as Hongkongers in UK denied access to pension savings
(HKFP, 07/04/21, Laura Mannering)

Choice of an ex-policeman as Hong Kong’s number two signals Beijing’s nervousness in election year
(HKFP, 07/03/21, John Burns)

Modern-Day Martyr: Meet The Self-Made Billionaire Who Is Sacrificing It All For God
(The Federalist, 07/01/21, Christopher Bedford)

Noteworthy Links (June 2021)

How China’s security law changed Hong Kong forever in 12 months
(Bloomberg via Japan Times, 06/30/21, Iain Marlow)

H.K. Court Denies Bail to Apple Daily’s Editor, Publisher
(Bloomberg, 06/19/21, Chloe Lo)

Hong Kong justice chiefs accused of ‘shameless double standards’ for dropping charge against reporter from state-owned media outlet
(HKFP, 06/18/21, Rhoda Kwan)

Chinese FDI in Europe – 2020 Update
(Rhodium Group, 06/16/21, Agatha Kratz, Max Zhenglein, and Gregor Sebastian)

Do We Need to Be in Hong Kong? Global Companies Are Eying the Exits
(Dow Jones via Morningstar, 06/06/21, John Lyons and Frances Yoon)

Noteworthy Links (May 2021)

China allows three children in major policy shift
(BBC, 05/31/21)

Diplomats Barred From Trial of Australian Writer Yang Hengjun
(China Digital Times, 05/27/21, Joseph Brouwer)

Not even Singapore’s rules could keep the coronavirus at bay
(Washington Post, 05/21/21, Marina Lopes)

Taiwan’s TSMC reportedly spending US$28.6 million on water
(Taiwan News, 05/21/21, Huang Tzu-ti)

E.U. Puts Investment Deal with China On Hold as Beijing Refuses to Back Down on Sanctions
(China Digital Times, 05/21/21, John Chan)

How a False Sense of Security, and a Little Secret Tea, Broke Down Taiwan’s COVID-19 Defenses
(Time, 05/21/21, Michael Zennie and Gladys Tsai)

We will pursue you for life, Hong Kong warns wanted activists abroad
(Apple Daily, 05/19/21)

Two-Way Street – US-China Investment Trends – 2021 Update
(Rhodium Group, 05/19/21, Thilo Hanemann, Daniel H. Rosen, Mark Witzke, Steve Bennion, and Emma Smith)

TSMC trumps IBM’s “2nm” chip tech hyperbole with “1nm” claim
(verdict.co.uk, 05/18/21, Elles Houweling)

Hong Kong freezes listed shares of media tycoon Lai under security law
(Reuters, 05/14/21, Jessie Pang and Twinnie Siu)

Taiwan reports record 29 local COVID cases in one day
(Taiwan News, 05/14/21, Keoni Everington)

Record 1800-plus civil servants quit Hong Kong government
(Apple Daily, 05/13/21)

Hong Kong legislators pass ‘patriotic’ oath law
(Reuters, 05/12/21)

Beijing’s Elusive Bid for Pricing Power on Rare Earths
(macropolo.org, 05/05/21, Damian Ma)

Noteworthy Links (April 2021)

National security agents given harbourfront site
(rthk, 04/23/21)

How a 29-Year-Old Woman Cosplayed Her Way Into Taiwan’s Center of Power
(Vice, 04/23/21, Clarissa Wei)

China’s Chip Industry: Running Faster But Still Falling Behind
(Rhodium Group, 04/22/21, Jordan Schneider)

Chinese Wind Industry Growing Competitive, but Unlikely To Dominate
(macropolo.org, 04/19/21, Ilaria Mazzocco)

Home Advantage: How China’s Protected Market Threatens Europe’s Economic Power
(Rhodium Group, 04/15/21, Agatha Kratz and Janka Oertel)

PAP East Coast team committed to delivering promises made at GE2020: DPM Heng Swee Keat
(Straits Times, 04/10/21, Justin Ong)

MFA rebuts Indonesian corruption official’s reported allegations of Singapore as safe haven
(Channel News Asia, 04/09/21, Johannes Tjendro)

China Issues New Threats to Taiwan: ‘The Island’s Military Won’t Stand a Chance’
(U.S. News, 04/09/21, Paul D. Shinkman)

Drought in Taiwan Pits Chip Makers Against Farmers
(NYT, 04/08/21, updated 04/13/21, Raymond Zhong and Amy Chang Chien)

Noteworthy Links (March 2021)

A Taiwan Crisis May Mark the End of the American Empire
(Bloomberg, 03/21/21, Niall Ferguson)

Taiwan says China bolstering ability to attack, blockade island
(Reuters, 03/19/21, Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard)

US and China trade angry words at high-level Alaska talks
(BBC, 03/19/21)

Japan to probe messaging app Line after reports it let Chinese engineers access user data
(Channel News Asia,03/17/21)

US sanctions 24 Hong Kong and Chinese officials ahead of Blinken meeting with Beijing
(CNN, 03/17/21, James Griffiths)

Hong Kong gets a ‘D’ in academic freedom index
(Apple Daily, 03/17/21)

American Leadership on AI Requires a Partisan Cease Fire
(macropolo.org, 03/16/21, Matt Sheehan)

Taiwan bolsters South China Sea deployments, gets U.S. submarine parts approval
(Reuters, 03/16/21, Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard)

Taiwan’s continued success requires economic diversification of products and markets
(Brookings, 03/15/21, Shirley Lin)

To crush democracy, China is changing Hong Kong’s political rules
(The Economist, 03/13/21)

Hong Kong: China approves ‘patriotic’ plan to control elections
(BBC,03/11/21)

From safety of Taiwan, new magazine reaches out to Hong Kong diaspora
(Reuters, 03/09/21, Ann Wang)

Why China’s Hong Kong Crackdown Could Backfire
(Project Syndicate, 03/08/21, Minxin Pei)

China unveils Hong Kong electoral changes as it tightens grip on city
(The Guardian, 03/05/21, Helen Davidson)

What China Is Planning: Predicting the 14th Five-Year Plan
(macropolo.org, 03/04/21, Damien Ma and Jianyin Roachell)

Noteworthy Links (February 2021)

Taiwan urges people to eat more pineapples after China bans imports amid campaign of ‘intimidation’
(Australian Broadcasting Corporation – ABC, 02/26/21)

China to ban Taiwan pineapples starting March 1
(Taiwan News, 02/26/21, Sylvia Teng)

Singapore’s total fertility rate falls to historic low in 2020
(Channel News Asia, 02/26/21, Chew Hui Min)

More than 310,000 BNO passports issued in 2020, overtaking Hong Kong passports for the first time
(Apple Daily, 02/26/21)

Chinese Official Signals Changes to Hong Kong Election Rules
(Bloomberg, 02/22/21)

China faces fateful choices, especially involving Taiwan
(The Economist, 02/20/21, Chaguan)

KMT chairman launches re-election bid
(Focus Taiwan – CNA, 02/20/21, Liu Kuan-ting and Frances Huang)

Govt names new head of RTHK
(RTHK, 02/19/21)

New Reports Highlight Globalization of Surveillance Tech Industry
(China Digital Times, 02/19/21, John Chan)

Health Minister: China interference stopped COVID-19 vaccine deal
(RTI, 02/17/21, Stas Butler)

“Sinicization” Campaigns Target Religious and Ethnic Minorities Across China
(China Digital Times, 02/17/21, Joseph Brouwer)

Eye on 2022 (Part 2): Rising Stars in Beijing
(macropolo.org, 02/16/21, Neil Thomas)

Two Arrests, Two Outcomes Tell a Tale of Xi Jinping’s China
(NYT, 02/12/21, Li Yuan)

Stark Decline in Birth Rate a Legacy of Pandemic, One-Child Policy, and Choice
(China Digital Times, 02/10/21, Joseph Brouwer)

Cheap Solar (Part 2): How Solar Manufacturing Got Its Chinese Characteristics
(macropolo.org, 02/09/21, Ilaria Mazzocco)

Amid a Changing World Economy, Taiwanese Manufacturers Return Home
(Topics, 02/09/21, Matthew Fulco)

China’s latest weapon against Taiwan: the sand dredger
(Reuters, 02/05/21, Yimou Lee)

COVAX releases amount of first round of COVID-19 vaccine distribution; Taiwan to get a share of the allotted amount
(Taiwan CDC, 02/05/21)

Hong Kong’s SIM card registration plan aims to sow fear, distrust and self-censorship
(HKFP, 02/05/21, Shui-Yin Sharon Yam)

Noteworthy Links (January 2021)

Chinese millennials aren’t getting married, and the government is worried
(CNN, 1/29/2021, Nectar Gan)

Chinese H-6 Bombers Heard On Radio Confirming Orders For Simulated Attack On U.S. Aircraft Carrier Near Taiwan
(The Aviationist, 1/29/2021, David Cenciotti)

Hong Kong government says it will not recognise BNO passports from Jan 31
(Reuters, 1/29/2021)

300,000 dual citizens in Hong Kong must choose between Canada and China after policy change
(National Post, 1/27/2021, John Ivison)

Eye on 2022 (Part 1): Rising Stars in the Provinces
(macropolo.org, 1/26/2021, Neil Thomas)

China Arrivals to Offset Exodus to U.K., Hong Kong Aide Says
(Bloomberg, 1/25/2021, Iain Marlow)

Hong Kong’s Present Echoes Tibet’s Past
(The Diplomat, 1/25/2021, Simon Shen)

After Disappointing Sinovac Trial, Beijing Snipes at Western Vaccines
(China Digital Times, 1/21/2021, John Chan)

Celebrity Scandal Inspires Reflection on Surrogacy in China
(China Digital Times, 1/20/2021, Joseph Brouwer)

China-U.K. Relations Fracture Amid Hong Kong Crackdown
(China Digital Times, 1/20/2021, John Chan)

U.S. Designates Uyghurs’ Persecution “Genocide” And “Crime Against Humanity”
(China Digital Times, 1/19/2021, Joseph Brouwer)

China’s College Graduates Can’t Find Jobs. The Solution: Grad School.
(New York Times, 1/18/2021, Vivian Wang)

Hong Kong civil servants given four weeks to pledge loyalty to the government
(Reuters, 1/15/2021)

11 Hong Kongers Arrested for Allegedly Aiding Hong Kong 12 Escape
(China Digital Times, 1/14/2021, John Chan)

Law experts pan High Court ruling on retired general
(Taipei Times, 1/14/2021, Jason Pan)

U.S. Issues Total Ban on Xinjiang Cotton and Tomatoes
(China Digital Times, 1/13/2021, John Chan)

Disappointing Chinese Vaccine Results Pose Setback for Developing World
(NYT, published 1/13/2021, updated 1/15/2021, Sui-Lee Wee and Ernesto Londoño)

New Rules Would Punish Firms for Complying With U.S. Sanctions
(China Digital Times, 1/12/2021, John Chan)

The China Dashboard – Winter 2021
(Rhodium Group, 1/12/2021, Daniel H. Rosen and Lauren Gloudeman)

Pompeo voids restrictions on diplomatic contacts with Taiwan
(AP, 1/9/2021, Kevin Freking)

Communist Hong Kong: China taunts the world as it arrests the entire democratic opposition
(WSJ, 1/8/2021, The Editorial Board)

NCC orders phone recall over malware
(Taipei Times, 1/7/2021, Shelley Shan)

Hong Kong police raid office of primary election co-organisers PORI, but voter data ‘physically crushed’, says deputy
(HKFP, 1/6/2021, Selina Cheng)

Dozens of Hong Kong opposition figures arrested under national security law
(CNN, 1/6/2021, James Griffiths and Jadyn Sham)

American lawyer arrested by HK police in national security crackdown
(Reuters, 1/5/2021, Reuters Staff)

TSMC to build advanced IC packaging, testing plant in Japan: report
(Focus Taiwan – CNA, 1/5/2021, Chang Chien-chung and Frances Huang)

Facial Recognition And Beyond: Journalist Ventures Inside China’s ‘Surveillance State’
(NPR, 1/5/2021, Fresh Air: Dave Davies interview with Kai Strittmatter)

Taiwan says Chinese jets made record 380 incursions in 2020
(AFP via Channel News Asia, 1/5/2021)

I have no role in national security: commissioner
(RTHK, 1/4/2021)

China’s Belt and Road: Down but not Out
(Rhodium Group, 1/4/2021, Matthew Mingey and Agatha Kratz)

Noteworthy Links (December 2020)

Hong Kong’s top court revokes bail for Jimmy Lai
(Apple Daily, 12/31/2020)

The world next innovations depend on a single country, Taiwan
(Eric Khun, 12/31/2020)

Shenzhen detainees jailed for up to three years
(RTHK, 12/30/2020)

China drops 76ers broadcasts as Hong Kong row rumbles on
(Japan Times, 12/29/2020)

Trump approves provisions for Taiwan Assurance Act
(Radio Taiwan International – RTI, 12/28/2020, Shirley Lin)

Water Wars: Flirting in the Taiwan Strait
(lawfare, 12/23/2020, Sam Cohen)

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai granted bail
(AP, 12/23/2020, Zen Soo)

US warns against travel to HK, cites security law
(RTHK, 12/18/2020)

China Escalates Trade War With Australian Coal Ban, Despite Shortages
(China Digital Times, 12/17/2020, John Chan)

‘Beijing’s Plan to Export Revolution Hasn’t Changed’: Ching Cheong
(Radio Free Asia, 12/17/2020, Chan Chun-ho, translated by Luisetta Mudie)

Competition With China Could Be Short and Sharp: The Risk of War Is Greatest in the Next Decade
(Foreign Affairs, 12/17/2020, Michael Beckley and Hal Brands)

Belt and Road Initiative Takes New Path as State Funding Declines
(China Digital Times, 12/16/2020, Joseph Brouwer)

Why Taiwan Can Feel at Ease with Joe Biden as U.S. President
(RAND, 12/15/2020, Derek Grossman)

Coercive Labor in Xinjiang: Labor Transfer and the Mobilization of Ethnic Minorities to Pick Cotton
(Center for Global Policy, 12/14/2020, Adrian Zenz)

China’s Combative Nationalists See a World Turning Their Way
(New York Times, 12/14/2020, Chris Buckley)

China plays the sanctions game, anticipating a bad US habit
(Peterson Institute, 12/14/2020, Gary Clyde Hufbauer and Euijin Jung)

Pound for Pound, Taiwan Is the Most Important Place in the World
(New York Times, 12/14/2020, Ruchir Sharma)

China’s tiny Jewish community in fear as Beijing erases its history
(The Telegraph, 12/13/2020, Sophia Yan)

Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai faces national security charge, bail denied as prosecution cites tweets
(AFP in HKFP, 12/12/2020)

China has politics too: Xi Jinping prepares for make-or-break decade
(Axios, 12/11/2020, Kevin Rudd)

China Authorities Detain Bloomberg News Beijing Staff Member
(Bloomberg, 12/11/2020, Reto Gregori and Madeleine Lim)

Hong Kong rebel media tycoon Jimmy Lai becomes most prominent person charged under national security law
(ABC News, 12/11/2020, Britt Clennett and Karson Yiu)

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai charged under national security law
(Reuters, 12/11/2020)

Taiwanese-American tipped for US trade post
(Taipei Times, 12/11/2020, Kayleigh Madjar)

China launches ‘gray-zone’ warfare to subdue Taiwan
(Reuters, 12/10/2020, Yimou Lee, David Lague, and Ben Blanchard)

How China’s Communist Party trains foreign politicians
(The Economist, 12/20/2020, “Exporting Xi Jinping thought”)

With Account Freezes and Sanctions, Financial Bodies Become Hot Front in Hong Kong Turmoil
(China Digital Times, 12/8/2020, John Chan)

Hong Kong police arrest 8 more opposition figures, inc. ‘Long Hair’, Eddie Chu, Figo Chan, Wu Chi-wai
(HKFP, 12/8/2020, Rachel Wong)

How Ping An, an insurer, became a fintech super-app
(The Economist, 12/3/2020, “Ping An: Metamorphosis”)

How China’s bullying could backfire
(The Economist, 12/3/2020, Chaguan)

Pro-democracy politician Ted Hui announces his exile from Hong Kong
(Apple Daily, 12/3/2020)

Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai detained for fraud
(BBC, 12/3/2020)

Hong Kong activists Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow & Ivan Lam jailed over 2019 ‘unauthorised assembly’
(HKFP, 12/2/2020, Kelly Ho)

The Slow Death of China’s Dialects
(The McGill International Review, 2019, Wing Wong)