Elon Musk lands in Beijing, raising hopes he will promote Tesla’s FSD autonomous driving tech; China looks to France to foster ‘positive’ and ‘pragmatic’ EU policy on Beijing
Hong Kong, Macau business visa length doubled to 2 weeks per trip for mainland Chinese holders, in boost for 100 million firms
Welcome to this issue of The China Brief. Today is April 28, 2024. Here at The China Brief, we bring you the latest news on China's politics, economy, and society from global media sources, along with exclusive expert analysis. If you find our content helpful, please subscribe to our newsletter.
Elon Musk lands in Beijing, raising hopes he will promote Tesla’s FSD autonomous driving tech
South China Morning Post
Elon Musk has reportedly arrived in Beijing, sparking speculation that he may bring Tesla's autonomous driving technology to China. The visit comes as Tesla faces fierce competition from local Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers in the world's largest automobile market. Musk's visit also coincides with the 2024 Beijing Auto Show, where the latest EVs are being showcased. Tesla has previously expressed interest in bringing its autopilot and supervised full self-driving options to its Chinese customers. The company delivered over 600,000 Model 3s and Model Ys to Chinese buyers last year.
China looks to France to foster ‘positive’ and ‘pragmatic’ EU policy on Beijing
South China Morning Post
China has urged France to influence the European Union (EU) to adopt a "positive" and "pragmatic" China policy as the bloc tightens scrutiny of Chinese products and market access. The appeal comes ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected trip to Europe and was made in a phone call from China's foreign minister to the French president's diplomatic adviser. The EU is currently investigating alleged preferences given by Beijing to Chinese companies in the procurement of medical devices, and whether Chinese manufacturers of green products have been subsidised by the state.
South China Morning Post
Mainland Chinese business visa holders for Hong Kong and Macau will be able to stay in both cities for an extra week from next month as part of a range of measures announced by the mainland’s National Immigration Administration to improve the business environment of the Greater Bay Area. The extension to the period of stay for business visa holders is expected to benefit 100 million individually owned firms and staff from 30,000 companies who registered for multiple business visas. The maximum seven-day period per trip will be doubled to 14 days.
Tornado Kills 5 in Guangzhou, a Chinese City Battered by Recent Rains
NY Times
A tornado struck Guangzhou, China, killing five people and causing damage to numerous factory buildings. The tornado hit the Baiyun district, injuring 33 people and lasting about four minutes. The city had already been experiencing heavy downpours and flooding, leading to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. Videos showed transmission towers and power lines igniting, with debris swirling in the air. Guangzhou has a long history of flooding and has made efforts to improve its resistance to inundations. The city is expecting continued heavy rain and wind in the coming days.
Top US-based humanoid robotics firm pivots to China-dominated all-electric tech race
South China Morning Post
Boston Dynamics, one of the world's leading robotics companies, has announced that it will stop developing hydraulic-powered humanoid robots and will instead focus on electric motor-driven robots. The move comes as Chinese tech companies are increasingly dominating the electric robot market. Boston Dynamics has introduced a new all-electric successor to its hydraulic humanoid robot "Atlas." The new model, also called Atlas, features individual electric motors at each joint, giving it a wider range of motion. Chinese robotics maker Unitree Robotics has been building its own electric humanoid robot, which it claims is the fastest in the world.
US vs China, Israel vs Iran, India vs Pakistan: Asia plays with fire as nuclear war safety net frays
South China Morning Post
A chain of potential nuclear-conflict zones is emerging across the Middle East and Asia, as geopolitical tensions rise. Recent events have highlighted the ability of Israel and Iran to target each other's uranium-enrichment facilities, while a multi-headed rocket arms race is underway between India and Pakistan. Israel is believed to either possess multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV) technology or be developing it. India and Pakistan are also said to be a few years away from deploying nuclear-armed submarines. Meanwhile, the US and Russia are modernising their Cold War-era nuclear arsenals, and China is expanding and upgrading its military capabilities. The connections between these countries' nuclear build-ups are difficult to disentangle from regional developments, according to analysts. The acquisition of MIRV technology can tempt leaders to adopt a more threatening nuclear posture, rather than relying solely on nuclear weapons as a deterrent. Experts are concerned that the expiration of the New START treaty in 2026 could lead to a new nuclear arms race.
Germany Mulls Scaling Back Scrutiny of Chinese Investments: WSJ
Yahoo US
The German government is reportedly considering reducing its proposed scrutiny of Chinese investments to prevent its economic growth from being hampered. It is believed that Chancellor Angela Merkel’s administration will scale back its foreign investment-screening law amid concerns that heightened scrutiny of Chinese investments could weigh on the nation’s economy. The proposed bill would have allowed the government to screen new types of greenfield investments, including artificial intelligence, quantum technology and sophisticated semiconductors. A final decision on the matter has not yet been made.
South China Morning Post
More than 10 million vehicles have used the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge since it opened over five years ago, according to Chinese state media. The vehicle flow reached 3.26 million in 2021, with a daily average of 8,900 vehicles using the bridge. This increase was attributed to the reopening of the border after the pandemic and the launch of a quota-free scheme for Hong Kong motorists. The figures were released in response to an article by US broadcaster Voice of America, which referred to the bridge as underused and dubbed it a "ghost" crossing.
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