The Conservative Party in the UK have a parliamentary group called the China Research Group. I will post content from their e-mails in here.
Next week’s event:The CRG will host Sir Geoffrey Nice QC and Prof Martin Elliott and Hamid Sabi for a human rights briefing based on the findings of last year’s China Tribunal. Sir Geoffrey Nice will chair the Uyghur Tribunal next year, which will assess the the legal grounds for declaring a genocide. Wednesday 4 November, 10-11am. Sign up to the virtual webinar here.
Further ahead: China: The View from Europe, with Johann Wadephul, Pavel Fischer, Janka Oertel and Tom Tugendhat MP. Tuesday 17 November, 10-11am Sign up here.
Academic warns of CCP loyalists teaching and studying at UK universities. Steve Tsang, speaking at yesterday’s China Research Group event, warned that nothing can stop “‘wolf warrior’ patriotic Chinese students” at British universities from reporting classmates to the authorities in Beijing, despite attempts to protect free speech on campus. The Chinese state had “a lot of leverage” on some UK universities that were heavily dependent on income from Chinese students, he said. The Times, 28 October
Other CRG mentions in today’s press:Independent, Tory groups on the march in The Times and Times Red Box on the rationale behind the CRG model.
Watch the recording of yesterday’s event:
China loses trust internationally over coronavirus handling.The findings come from the YouGov-Cambridge Globalism Project; the widest survey yet of global public opinion on China’s handling of the pandemic. Almost 9 out of 10 respondents in China believe their country has shown the most global leadership in response to the pandemic. Every country surveyed, apart from China, overwhelmingly believe that coronavirus was first detected in China. The Guardian, 28 October
More polling:Donald Trump’s use of China as a campaign issue never got traction, analysts say. In a Gallup Poll survey of registered US voters in the last two weeks of September, relations with China as “extremely important” came in second to last among a list of 16 election issues. SCMP, 27 October
US senators seek to declare Uighur 'genocide’ by China in bipartisan push.A co-sponsored bill seeks to declare that China is committing genocide against Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims, a step that could increase pressure on Beijing over the plight of an estimated one million-plus people being held in detention camps. The Guardian, 28 October
Four Hong Kong activists seeking asylum in US consulate ‘turned away’ just hours after national security police arrest three others. Sources said mainland Chinese officials in Hong Kong were aware of their attempt and closely monitoring what could have erupted into a major diplomatic row, had the would-be asylum seekers been accepted. SCMP, 27 October
Sri Lanka assured of China's help in burying post-war obligations. China is leveraging its seat on the UNHRC by offering to defend Sri Lanka's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity at meetings next March. China's diplomatic guarantees come as the strategically-located Indian Ocean island looks for foreign allies. Nikkei, 28 October
China watch
Chinese graduates seek shelter in civil service, as concerns rise over jobs market. Only 1.6 per cent of applicants will eventually secure a position. FT, 27 October
China refutes U.S. accusations over cooperation with UN, noting its role as second-largest contributor to the UN’s regular as well as peacekeeping budget (Xinhua).
Economy & tech
TikTok shrugs off Trump attack with expansion plans. The Chinese-owned firm has announced a tie-up with online retailer Shopify to help businesses create video ads to promote their products. BBC, 28 October
Beijing and Wall Street deepen ties despite geopolitical rivalry.Over the first eight months of this year, the amount of Chinese onshore bonds held by foreign institutional investors increased more than 20 per cent year on year to Rmb2.8tn ($421bn), according to Fitch Ratings. And Wall Street groups including BlackRock, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase have each been given approval to expand their businesses in China over recent months. FT, 27 October
Longer reads & opinion
US election: The Taiwan-sized challenge facing the next US president. "Xi Jinping wants Taiwan back," says Professor Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at London's School of Oriental and African Studies. "And Xi Jinping wants to have Taiwan back before he hands over power to whoever comes next." BBC News, 28 October
Trump's China policy is here to stay, no matter who wins. Nikkei Asia, 28 October