China Tweets #16

German chancellor Olaf Scholz is visiting China with a delegation of business leaders, including CEOs of BioNTech, Merck and Bayer. Could that lead to deals with Beijing over the use of vaccines and therapeutics? pic.twitter.com/B5fFeZmDeo

— Yanzhong Huang (@YanzhongHuang) November 3, 2022

In Beijing, Scholz stressed need for cooperation but was also critical:

- China is "closing off" many economic sectors
- Lacking protection of intellectual property
- Sanctions against individual EU countries or MEPs "unacceptable"
- Raised human rights, particularly in Xinjiang pic.twitter.com/YbhoYL7UwH

— Hans von der Burchard (@vonderburchard) November 4, 2022

My sense is that Olaf Scholz has done about as well as he could on this visit, given the questionable timing & the messages sent by the Cosco deal and inclusion of a business delegation. It was important that Scholz not shy away from the contentious issues, and he did not ... pic.twitter.com/5V63wFCDOG

— Noah Barkin (@noahbarkin) November 4, 2022

THREAD
Scholz Li presser just ended

Key points /1

SCHOLZ:
- China has responsibility for international security
- Expects China to use influence on Russia
- Xi and I are united that nuclear threats irresponsible, dangerous

— Richard Walker (@rbsw) November 4, 2022

Ready for the Daily Rumor (UNVERIFIED)? Zeng Guang, chief scientist at China CDC, just said at a citi meeting that Beijing’s policy will soon have a substantial change. Reopening has already started and won’t wait until next Spring. The market seems to have believed it. pic.twitter.com/9qzgFz53FI

— Shanghai Macro Strategist (@ShanghaiMacro) November 4, 2022

Zeng’s meeting has already been confirmed! I cannot really emphasize how significant his statements are!! It seems that he implicitly confirmed the WHN meeting and said that economic development will now be prioritized over covid prevention. A PIVOT IS COMING SOON. pic.twitter.com/hb6nX9zso0

— Shanghai Macro Strategist (@ShanghaiMacro) November 4, 2022

China’s gov’t today crushing rumours that China will start relaxing its Covid Zero policy.

Cases are now rising in China but officials say ‘must persist in putting people and lives first, control virus from abroad coming in, control rebound domestically’: pic.twitter.com/edcwxzAPeZ

— Bill Birtles (@billbirtles) November 5, 2022

Chinese health officials said at a news conference Saturday that they would "unswervingly" stick to the zero-COVID policy.

Speculation of a change in policy had rallied stock markets in China. https://t.co/W8mtDDJHwp

— Nikkei Asia (@NikkeiAsia) November 5, 2022

China's determination to press on with zero COVID measures, refusal to import mRNA vaccines, expand ICU capacity, despite economic costs lead me to conclude...

The CCP *likes* the control Zero policies give it, with Party members monitoring their neighborhoods, work units. (1/3)

— John Culver (@JohnCulver689) November 5, 2022

Stunning scoop or train wreck?

A matter of mistranslation?

Incompetence, honest errors or bad faith?

Summary of glaring errors & omissions & lack of insight of science in story by @KatherineEban @jeffykao @tracyweber @SteveEngelberg @propublica @radhikajones @VanityFair

1/ pic.twitter.com/JE5rm0RgYT

— Jane Qiu, PhD (@janeqiuchina) November 6, 2022

In @Diplomat_APAC, based on her @ReviewPacific paper, @TabitaRosendalE explains how China is using Buddhist narratives to promote its soft power in Sri Lanka in the context of Belt and Road projects, and bolster its image as a harmonious regional power. https://t.co/bOGuIlgf21

— The Pacific Review (@ReviewPacific) November 4, 2022

What is the Global Security Initiative, and how will it impact China's national security? Scholars from CICIR, one of China's leading IR think tanks, answer these questions in their overview of Xi's initiative, proposed in April 2022.

— Interpret: China (@CSIS_Interpret) November 3, 2022