Sino-File

Nancy Pelosi reacts to a journalist’s question about her proposed trip to Taipei this summer, and the reaction of President Joe Biden that “the military think it’s not a good idea right now”. As the Speaker of the House of Representatives, she would be the most senior American political figure to visit Taiwan in decades. The move would further escalate Sino-American tensions; a riled Beijing has threatened a military response if she goes to Taipei.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, India’s Minister of State for IT, denies that recent crackdowns on Chinese firms in India are politically motivated. Last week smartphone giants Oppo and Vivo were raided across 48 locations in India and had assets seized as part of a tax evasion probe. Along with Xiaomi, the two companies control 60% of the Indian smartphone market. India had a record trade deficit with China in the first quarter of 2022 (of about $22.8 billion).

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on revelations that emerged from a CNN interview that former National Security Advisor John Bolton was involved in the planning of foreign coups d’etat. Bolton made the admission in trying to put the January 6 attack on Congress in context. Wang described the news as “no surprise – this is very much part of the US rule book”.

Li Shufu, founder of car giant Geely, talks to the press after its acquisition of smartphone firm Meizu. “The merging of technologies of consumer electronics and vehicle manufacturing is inevitable,” Li added (for our earliest mention of Meizu and its battle with Apple, see WiC83).