China tests new space capability with hypersonic missile
FT

+ Launch in August of a nuclear-capable rocket that circled the globe took US intelligence by surprise

AFP: China slams US, Canada for sending warships through Taiwan Strait

Production, politics, and propaganda: How Beijing has shaped the international COVID immunization drive.
Nikkei

China’s Xi says common prosperity doesn’t mean full equality
Bloomberg

+ “Not everyone will be wealthy at the same time and not all regions will reach the same level of wealth at the same time,” Xi said in an August speech published Friday by the Qiushi Journal, a publication of the ruling Communist Party.

Beijing sets journalists 90 hours of lessons to learn the party line
The Times

Washington hears echoes of the ’50s and worries: Is this a Cold War with China? Incursions into Taiwan’s air zone, a space launch, and what looked like a prisoner swap raise a question that is about more than just semantics. It could signal a dangerous new mindset.
NYT

+ Governments that plunge into a Cold War mindset can exaggerate every conflict, convinced that they are part of a larger struggle. They can miss opportunities for cooperation, as the United States and China did in battling COVID-19, and may yet on the climate.

Japan to set up advanced-tech fund with eye on economic security: Investments to target AI, biotech, and robotics, reflecting PM Kishida's pledge.
Nikkei

+ The government-backed fund will invest in artificial intelligence and quantum technology, biotechnology, and robotics

South Korea is coming — let the games begin: Hooked on Squid Game? That’s not a coincidence, says Harriet Walker — it’s part of the K-wave sweeping pop culture from fashion to TV and music.
The Times

Samsung Electronics wants to dominate cutting-edge chipmaking: The South Korean dynasty’s third generation is taking on TSMC and Intel. Can it succeed?
Economist

+ Despite rising tensions between China and the West, in particular America, neither SE nor any other South Korean chipmaker is likely to give up on their giant neighbor

West eyes China’s playbook as Big Tech revs up finance ambitions: Beijing has already cracked down the digital giants that dominate its online payments.
Politico

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China ITK Daily.

Demystifying China's politics and power.