Links (December 2021)

How Chinese Police Track Critics on Twitter and Facebook
(New York Times, 12/31/21 – updated 1/1/22 , Muyi Xiao and Paul Mozur)

Cost of living likely a major pressure point in 2022, says WP’s Pritam Singh
(Straits Times, 12/31/21, Goh Yan Han)

How democracy was dismantled in Hong Kong in 2021
(The Mainichi, 12/30/21)

Stand News’ Headquarters Raided, Executives Arrested, Computers Seized
(China Digital Times, 12/30/21, Joseph Brouwer)

In-depth report details Apple’s shift to Chinese suppliers to ‘cut costs and curry favor with Beijing’
(9to5mac.com, 12/30/21, Chance Miller)

How Apple Grew Closer to China By Turning ‘Little Foxconn’ Into a National Champion
(theinformation.com, 12/30/21, Wayne Ma)

After Diplomatic Switch, Nicaragua Seizes Taiwan’s Embassy and Hands It Over to China
(China Digital Times, 12/29/21, Oliver Young)

The long shadow of the Chinese Communist Party
(The New Statesman, 12/23/21, Yupina Ng)

Peng Shuai Interview Leaves Much Unanswered
(China Digital Times, 12/21/21, Joseph Brouwer)

Record Low Turnout for Hong Kong’s “Patriots Only” Election in Rebuke to Beijing
(China Digital Times, 12/21/21, Oliver Young)

Foreign banks to cast votes in Hong Kong’s ‘patriots only’ election, as citizens’ voting power shrinks
(HKFP, 12/18/21, Hillary Leung)

Four referendum questions fail to pass on low turnout
(Focus Taiwan, 12/18/21, Teng Pei-ju)

Taiwan resumes military cooperation with Singapore
(Taiwan News, 12/17/21, Kelvin Chen)

AMD Becomes TSMC’s Third Largest Customer
(tomshardware.com, 12/16/21, Anton Shilov)

Beijing criticises UK for creating ‘second-class citizens’ with Hong Kong visa scheme
(The Guardian, 12/15/21, Rhoda Kwan)

Nicaragua ends relations with Taiwan in diplomatic victory for China
(CNN, 12/10/21, Karol Suarez, Isa Soares and Ben Westcott)

In struggle between autocracy and democracy, Biden chooses Taiwan for his team
(LA Times, 12/08/21, Chris Megerian)

How China Uses Economic Coercion to Silence Critics and Achieve its Political Aims Globally
(CECC, 12/07/21)

‘We could sniff out opium dens on our own’: Retired CNB officers on their job in the 1970s
(Straits Times, 12/05/21, Zaihan Mohamed Yusof)

Caught between politics and the pandemic, a few kilometres from China, Taiwan’s Kinmen island rethinks its economy
(HKFP, 12/05/21, Alice Herait and William Han)

Links (November 2021)

Protests Engulf Solomon Islands and Chinese Businesses Amid Geopolitical Rivalries
(China Digital Times, 11/30/2021, Oliver Young)

Leaked papers link Xinjiang crackdown with China leadership
(The Guardian, 11/29/21, Patrick Wintour)

Laundering Cotton: How Xinjiang Cotton is Obscured in International Supply Chains
(Sheffield Hallam University – Helena Kennedy Centre for Intenational Justice, November 2021, Laura T. Murphy, et al.)

Chinese province targets journalists, foreign students with planned new surveillance system
(Reuters, 11/29/21, Beijing Newsroom)

U.S. lawmakers defy China by meeting with officials in Taiwan
(NBC News, 11/25/2021, Jonathan Allen)

Australia deploys forces to Solomon Islands as protesters burn Chinatown, Parliament
(Washington Post, 11/25/2021, Michael E. Miller)

U.S. invites Taiwan to its democracy summit; China angered
(Reuters, 11/24/2021, Humeyra Pamuk)

Hijacking The Mainstream—CCP Influence Agencies in Italian Parliamentary and Local Politics
(Sinopsis, 11/20/2021, Livia Codarin, Laura Harth, and Jichang Lulu)

Speculation island: Why are Taiwan’s housing prices soaring?
(CommonWealth Magazine, 11/19/21, Kwangyin Liu, Teng Kai-yuan, and Chen-kang Kang)

US condemned over NSL report
(RTHK, 11/18/21)

2021 Report to Congress of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
(U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, November 2021)

So long, Hong Kong: Asia’s business hub loses its luster
(Nikkei Asia, 11/17/21, Pak Yiu)

Chinese Feminists and Global Tennis Stars Ask, “Where Is Peng Shuai?”
(China Digital Times, 11/15/21, Joseph Brouwer)

First they came for the Hong Kong protesters. Then they came for their lawyers.
(Washington Post, 11/03/21, Editorial Board)

Taiwan’s leaders need to coalesce around a defense concept
(Brookings Institute, 11/01/21, Ryan Hass)

Links (October 2021)

The strongest weapon in Xi Jinping’s common prosperity armoury is a property tax
(Quartz, 10/29/21, Jane Li)

Legal aid reform: Critics fear right to choose lawyer will be undermined but Hong Kong gov’t advisor says plan will be ‘fairer’
(HKFP, 10/25/21, Selina Cheng)

Taiwan: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
(HBO, 10/24/21, John Oliver)

Why Lithuania Holds the Key to TSMC’s Future
(TechTaiwan, 10/21/21, Misha Lu)

Smuggling Australian rock lobsters into China a national security threat, Hong Kong customs chief says
(AFP via The Guardian, 10/21/21)

Inside TSMC, the Taiwanese chipmaking giant that’s building a new plant in Phoenix
(CNBC, 10/16/21, Katie Schoolov)

Chinese State-Backed Disinformation on Covid-19 Origins Dominates Search Engine Results
(China Digital Times, 10/08/21, Oliver Young)

Harvard Beijing Academy’s Move to Taipei
(The Crimson, 10/07/21, Io Y. Gilman and Isabel Wu)

New Accounts Describe Torture, Forced Labor Facing Xinjiang Detainees
(China Digital Times, 10/07/21, Oliver Young)

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)