Xi Is Meeting Blinken With Tough Issues on the Agenda; Chinese owner denies it’s willing to sell TikTok as US ban looms
China tells Blinken that U.S. should 'stop hyping' industry overcapacity
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Xi Is Meeting Blinken With Tough Issues on the Agenda
NY Times
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday, as the two countries attempted to maintain a working relationship despite disagreements on various issues. Both sides acknowledged the potential for further conflict and expressed concerns over the relationship deteriorating. The Biden administration is worried about the impact of cheap Chinese exports on US jobs and China's support of Russia in the Ukrainian war, while China has accused the US of encircling its interests in the Pacific. Despite these challenges, Xi struck a conciliatory tone in his opening remarks to Blinken.
Chinese owner denies it’s willing to sell TikTok as US ban looms
CNN
ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, has denied reports that it is exploring the sale of the social media platform. The denial came in response to new legislation signed by US President Joe Biden that could lead to a nationwide ban of the app. ByteDance published a statement on the Toutiao news aggregation app it owns, saying that rumours it was selling TikTok were "untrue". The company also attached screenshots of an article by The Information reporting the rumoured sale. The new US law gives TikTok a few months to find a buyer or face being banned from the country.
China tells Blinken that U.S. should 'stop hyping' industry overcapacity
Nikkei Asia
China has demanded that the US "stop hyping up" concerns about its industrial capacity as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Foreign Minister Wang Yi and, later, President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Friction is growing over China's apparent indirect support for Russia's war effort in Ukraine, US pressure over what it considers excessive Chinese industrial production and exports, Washington's drive to ban the popular Chinese-owned video app TikTok and a fresh $8bn military aid package for Taiwan, which China's Communist Party government considers its territory.
China highlights extremism threat, pledges deeper military ties with Kazakhstan
South China Morning Post
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun has pledged to deepen military cooperation with Kazakhstan and highlighted the increasing threat of terrorism, separatism, and extremism in the region. Dong made the comments during a meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana. The two leaders agreed to strengthen strategic coordination and expand areas of cooperation between the two militaries. China has repeatedly warned against a revival of terrorist forces in the region since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Beijing views stability in Central Asia as crucial to its energy supply chain and trade flows.
When U.S. Diplomats Visit China, Meal Choices Are About More Than Taste Buds
NY Times
American dignitaries visiting China must carefully consider their food choices, as they are laden with opportunities for geopolitical symbolism. The Beijing beer made with American hops highlights the trade relationship between the two countries, Tibetan food sends a human rights message, and mushrooms with possible hallucinogenic properties are chosen simply because they taste good. The choice of restaurants and dishes can affect the perception of the official, with authenticity, history, cooking technique, and taste all playing a role. During Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken's recent trip to China, he visited a renowned soup dumpling restaurant, suggesting a more cordial spirit compared to his previous trip.
South China Morning Post
Hong Kong and Shanghai have agreed to sign 20 cooperation documents to strengthen ties in various sectors, such as innovation, technology, finance, and the digital economy. The two cities have reached a consensus on 65 projects across 15 sectors. The total investment from Hong Kong businesses in Shanghai has increased from $2bn in 2003 to $17.4bn in 2021. The Hong Kong-Shanghai Economic and Trade Cooperation mechanism was established in 2003 and renamed the Hong Kong-Shanghai Cooperation Conference after the third plenary session in 2015.
South China Morning Post
Ant Group's Alipay+ has partnered with 14 overseas mobile payment apps to allow users to make payments in Hong Kong using their home wallet apps. The move will give Hong Kong's merchants access to a population of around 1.2 billion. The partnership will allow users of these e-wallets to make payments for goods and services at local shops in Hong Kong by scanning the merchant's AlipayHK or Alipay+ payment codes.
EU to tell Beijing of plan to blacklist more Chinese businesses for breaching Russia sanctions
South China Morning Post
European Union (EU) officials plan to inform Chinese diplomats on Friday about the intention to add more Chinese companies to a blacklist for helping Russia evade EU sanctions. The Chinese companies are accused of buying European-made goods that are not permitted to be sold to Russia and then exporting them to Russian military buyers. The aim of the meeting is to enlist Beijing’s help in closing the loopholes. Previous consultations have resulted in the removal of Chinese firms from a draft blacklist before it was published after Beijing committed to stopping the trade.
WADA asks 'independent prosecutor' to examine its handling of China case
Japan Times
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has requested an independent prosecutor to review its handling of the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a prescription heart drug. WADA will also send a compliance audit team to China to assess the country's anti-doping program. The organization has faced criticism for not sanctioning the swimmers after accepting China's argument that the positive tests were due to food contamination.
South China Morning Post
International car manufacturers in China are focusing on reliability and safety to combat falling market share, while also developing electric vehicles (EVs). Most companies plan to take a balanced approach, focusing on both conventional and battery-powered vehicles, unlike their Chinese rivals who are betting on the rapid adoption of EVs. Chinese car brands overtook their foreign rivals in the country's market share for the first time last year, with one in three new vehicles sold being battery-powered. Foreign manufacturers believe that competitiveness comes from long-term experience and that petrol and hybrid cars are still growth engines in China.
China passes tariff law as tensions with trading partners simmer
Nikkei Asia
China has passed a new law that allows it to retaliate with tariffs against countries that impose tariffs on its exports. The law, known as the Tariff Law, will take effect from December 1 and outlines various provisions related to tariffs on Chinese imports and exports. It is seen as a response to tensions with the US and the European Union over China's excess industrial capacity. Analysts suggest that China is seeking to consolidate and improve its trade defense capabilities, and the new law is aimed at deterring other countries from imposing tariffs on Chinese goods.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, sources say
Japan Times
ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, would prefer to shut down the app rather than sell it if it exhausts all legal options to fight legislation banning the platform from app stores in the United States, according to sources. TikTok's algorithms are considered essential to ByteDance's operations, making a sale of the app with the algorithms highly unlikely. The parent company would rather shut down the app in the US than sell it to an American buyer. TikTok represents a small portion of ByteDance's overall revenues and daily active users.
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