Concern over threats from China is growing

The China Letter: July 14, 2022

The biggest experts in the world are getting more concerned about tactics by Beijing, a hacker may be exposing more than intended about life in China, fear of COVID-19 has taken on new dimensions, an effort to make amends after a violent bank protest and a tennis match gets interrupted. Read on for the details…

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Spies sounding the alarm

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP @hkfp

MI5, FBI chiefs warn over China in rare joint address hongkongfp.com/2022/07/07/mi5…

China’s threat is a “complex, enduring and pervasive danger” according to FBI director Christopher Wray, whose words of warning were part of a rare joint appearance with MI5 director general Ken McCallum. Cyber attacks are increasingly an area of concern along with incidents involving political intimidation.

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Once more into a breach

TechCrunch @TechCrunch

One billion Chinese resident records were allegedly siphoned from a police database in a huge data leak that exposes China’s vast surveillance state tcrn.ch/3OPl5KX by @zackwhittaker and @CarlyPage_

tcrn.chData leak exposes China’s vast surveillance state – TechCrunchOne billion resident records were allegedly siphoned from a Shanghai police database in China

Speculation has continued about the degree of the data breach involving a hacker who claims to have Shanghai police data about more than a billion Chinese residents, because some of the information was verified as genuine. The breach is considered chilling by some, but it also would be an expected consequence of life in a society being ruled through surveillance.

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Another bummer summer

Reuters @Reuters

Multiple Chinese cities are adopting fresh COVID curbs, from business halts to lockdowns, to rein in new infections, with the commercial hub of Shanghai bracing for another mass testing effort after finding a highly transmissible Omicron subvariant

reut.rsShanghai plans more COVID testing amid fresh curbs across ChinaMultiple Chinese cities are adopting fresh COVID-19 curbs, from business halts to lockdowns, to rein in new infections, with the commercial hub of Shanghai bracing for another mass testing effort after finding a highly-transmissible Omicron subvariant.

China’s zero-COVID policy means the arrival of the highly-transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.5.2.1 is being met with more testing—and more limits on movement. Fear of a second lockdown in Shanghai has been growing despite criticism, no matter how much Western media portrayed the policy as a success.

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Bank finds some money

The Associated Press @AP

Financial regulators in central China’s Henan and Anhui provinces have promised to give some bank customers some of their deposits back after a protest over their frozen accounts turned violent.

apne.wsChina bank customers to get deposits back after protestsTAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Financial regulators in central China’s Henan and Anhui provinces have promised to give some bank customers some of their deposits back after a protest over their frozen accounts Sunday turned violent.

Protests seemed to be effective in China as some bank customers were promised some of their lost deposits back. The demonstrations got more attention because many who planned to protest last month found their movements restricted by a health app. The latest gathering at the People’s Bank in Zhengzhou culminated in a violent crackdown that made headlines.

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Protester makes a racket

Drew Pavlou @DrewPavlou

Watch Wimbledon’s insane reaction to me silently holding a sign for Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai. Security swarmed us and repeatedly asked: “Do you want us to involve the police?” Head of security said to my face: “This is political as it involves the Chinese government.”

Australian human rights activist Drew Pavlou was physically ejected from the Wimbledon tennis championship men’s final after he walked into Centre Court with a sign reading “Where is Peng Shuai?” Pavlou previously brought his protest to the Australian Open, in the search for China’s missing tennis star.