Iran-China relations + China drops tariffs for African countries + Elderly-care robots

EU spurns economic dialogue with China over deepening trade rift (Financial Times)

The EU has refused to hold the EU-China High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue with Beijing because of a lack of progress on numerous trade disputes, reports the Financial Times. The omission of the talks will lower expectations for any concrete gains at the leaders’ summit set for the end of July in Beijing, which also marks 50 years of bilateral relations. (25/06/17)

China stockpiling nuclear warheads at fastest rate globally, new research shows (The Guardian)

A report published on Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimated that China now has at least 600 nuclear warheads, with about 100 per year being added to the stockpile since 2023. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun declined to comment on the report but said: “China has […] always maintained its nuclear forces at the minimum level required for national security.” (25/06/17) 

Largest known leak of Chinese personal data from single source uncovered (Security Affairs)

Researchers discovered a massive 631GB unsecured database containing around 4 billion records, including financial, WeChat, and Alipay data, likely exposing hundreds of millions of users, primarily from China. They suggest the scale and variety of the information point to a centralized system, possibly used for surveillance, profiling, or enriching existing data. (25/06/07)

Chinese propaganda surges as the U.S. defunds Radio Free Asia (Washington Post)

According to an analysis prepared for a grantee of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which funded Radio Free Asia and other news outlets, China filled the void left by RFA shutting down 60 shortwave radio frequencies due to drastic funding cuts by the Trump administration by adding 80 new frequencies during the same period, jamming frequencies previously used by RFA, includes in Tibetan and Uyghur language. (25/06/06)

Widespread pay cuts in China drive down consumer spending, fuel deflationary fears (Radio Free Asia)

Chinese workers across industries are facing salary cuts and layoffs as mounting economic woes engulf China’s public and private sectors. The cuts indicate the financial strain on local governments. The salary reductions have sparked a sharp decline in consumer spending, creating deflationary pressures across the economy, as businesses engage in aggressive price cutting in a desperate bid to attract cash-strapped consumers. (25/06/17)

G7 Leaders’ Statement on Transnational Repression (G7)

In the statement, which does not single out China or other countries, the leaders of the G7 voice their concern about transnational repression, which they describe as an “aggressive form of foreign interference whereby states or their proxies attempt to intimidate, harass, harm or coerce individuals or communities outside their borders.” They vow to “redouble our efforts to keep our communities safe, to defend human rights, including the freedom of expression online and offline, and to safeguard our sovereignty.” (25/06/17)

We would like to thank our research interns Anna Cruz, Edwin Desailly and Ariane Kolden for their contributions to this issue of MERICS China Essentials.