For much of the past two years, as Covid-19 has spread across the world, Taiwan has seemed like an oasis – successfully keeping the virus under control and continuing with life more or less as normal. But at the same time, just as they have for decades, the island’s residents have lived in the shadow of a threat from China, which claims sovereignty and says it has the right to seize control. In recent months, with China’s president, Xi Jinping, repeatedly proclaiming that his “unification” policy “must be fulfilled”, fighter…
Day: November 2, 2021
Border closures threaten Hong Kong’s financial hub status
In an unprecedented open letter to Hong Kong’s financial secretary Paul Chan, the Asia Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (Asifma) writes: “We fear that if Hong Kong does not develop, and communicate, a clear and meaningful exit strategy from the current zero-case approach, as is the case in many other jurisdictions, Hong Kong risks losing its vital international status.””The government must do its utmost to foster informed dialogue and full consideration of the long-term risks to livelihoods if its borders remain effectively closed, in contrast to competing international financial…
3 Big Questions Looming Over the Glasgow Climate Talks
This article is part of the Debatable newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Six years ago in Paris, world leaders celebrated a breakthrough in global climate politics: After more than two decades of failure, nearly every country finally agreed to reduce “as soon as possible” the amount of planet-warming greenhouse gases they were pumping into the atmosphere. Those leaders knew, though, that their pledges were woefully insufficient to avert disaster and would need to be ratcheted up at a later date. That is…
Chinese urged to stockpile amid ongoing Covid outbreak
Chinese families have been encouraged to stockpile daily necessities, prompting panic-buying, amid surging vegetable prices linked to recent extreme weather, fears of supply shortages and an ongoing Covid outbreak. A notice posted on the website of the Ministry of Commerce late on Monday urged local authorities to stabilise prices and families “to store a certain amount of daily necessities as needed to meet daily life and emergencies”. It prompted some alarm and speculation, including that it related to increasing tensions with Taiwan. Related hashtags were viewed more than 18m times.…
Yahoo Pulls out of China, Citing ‘Challenging’ Environment
Advertisement Yahoo Inc. said Tuesday it has pulled out of China, citing an increasingly challenging operating environment. The withdrawal was largely symbolic, as many of the company’s services were already blocked by China’s digital censorship. But recent government moves to expand its control over tech companies generally, including its domestic giants, may have tipped the scales for Yahoo. “In recognition of the increasingly challenging business and legal environment in China, Yahoo’s suite of services will no longer be accessible from mainland China as of November 1,” the company said in…
China Urges Families to Stock up on Food for Winter
China has called on families and local governments to stock up on daily necessities as the country enforces stringent restrictions intended to curb a number of Covid outbreaks. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued the guidance in a statement on Monday. The Economic Daily, a Communist Party-backed newspaper, said that the directives were an effort by the government to prepare the public for Covid lockdowns in the prelude to winter. China has enforced a “zero Covid” policy that includes widespread testing and lockdowns to stamp out any small resurgence of…
Wanted: a new China writer
Nov 2nd 2021 The Economist is looking for a writer to join its team of China correspondents. You should be able to read and speak Chinese as well as write excellent, lively English. You should also have a good understanding of Chinese politics and society, and a proven ability as an analyst. Experience as a foreign correspondent in China would be an asset, as would willingness to be stationed in Beijing. We would also consider outstanding applicants who can make a case for covering mainland China from another location. All…