WORLD ROUNDUPWhy China Is So Bad at Disinformation | How Globalization Rose and Fell with Nord Stream | Most Americans See TikTok as a Chinese Influence Tool, and more
· China’s Electric Cars Keep Improving, a Worry for Rivals Elsewhere
More capable autonomous driving is just one way Chinese automakers are threatening to pull ahead — their E.V.s are also becoming bigger and roomier
· Elon Musk Can’t Solve Tesla’s China Crisis with His Desperate Asia Visit
Tesla’s deal with Baidu isn’t new, the mapping data Tesla will collect likely can’t leave China, and Full Self-Driving can’t compete with the more advanced Chinese alternatives
· Why China Is So Bad at Disinformation
China’s state-sponsored disinformation campaign has been running at a massive scale for seven years—but no one is looking at it
· How Globalization Rose and Fell with Nord Stream
The pipeline bringing Russian gas to Europe was once seen as a triumph for borderless business—but Putin’s invasion of Ukraine put an end to that fantasy
· As South Korea Comes Knocking — Will AUKUS Become the Asian NATO?
Several Pacific nations are interested in joining Britain, America and Australia’s security pact to work on weapons and tech. Is it worth China’s wrath?
· Global Elections in the Shadow of Neoliberalism
The neoliberal orthodoxy – government downsizing, tax cuts, deregulation – that took hold some 40 years ago in the West was supposed to strengthen democracy, not weaken it. What went wrong?
· Reuters/Ipsos Poll: Most Americans See TikTok as a Chinese Influence Tool
Americans believe that the Chinese government uses TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, to “influence American public opinion”
·Rwanda Gen Zs Combat Lingering Hate Speech
Over 100 days in 1994, Hutu extremists massacred some 800,000 minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus
· Negative Views of China Persist in US, Report Finds
81% of Americans have an unfavorable view of China, including 43% who hold a very unfavorable view of the country
China’s Electric Cars Keep Improving, a Worry for Rivals Elsewhere (Keith Bradsher, New York Times)
Automakers in China are building a new generation of bigger, more technologically advanced and competitive electric cars, threatening to leap further ahead of their global rivals as they step up exports around the world.
The dozens of car companies operating in China plan to put 71 new battery electric models on sale this year. Many new models have taller hoods for a bolder appearance and more storage space. The cars have bigger tires that improve braking. The seats are thicker and more comfortable. The batteries are ever smaller, more powerful and quicker to recharge.
The changes are aimed at making the cars even more appealing for customers in China and more competitive abroad. Along with plug-in hybrid cars, battery electric cars are taking sales away from gasoline-powered cars and their manufacturers.
China is also moving ahead with the technology and regulations for self-driving cars. The authorities approved data security arrangements this week for more capable autonomous vehicles. They approved cars from Tesla, the American electric vehicle company that also builds and sells cars in China, as well as five Chinese manufacturers, including BYD, Tesla’s principal global rival, and Nio, a longtime player in China’s auto sector.
Elon Musk Can’t Solve Tesla’s China Crisis with His Desperate Asia Visit (Carlton Reid, Wired)
Elon Musk will be pleased that his surprise jaunt to China on Sunday garnered many glowing headlines. The trip was undoubtedly equally a surprise to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, who had been scheduled to offer Musk the red carpet on a long-arranged visit.
The billionaire blew off India at the last minute, citing “very heavy Tesla obligations.” Indeed, Tesla has had a tumultuous couple of weeks, with federal regulator slap-downs, halved profits, and price-cut rollouts. Yet, in a very public snub that Modi won’t quickly forget, the company CEO made time for Chinese premier Li Qiang.
And well Musk might. Tesla needs China more than China needs Tesla. After the US, China is Tesla’s second biggest market. And ominously, in the first quarter of the year, Tesla’s sales in China slipped by 4 percent in a domestic EV market that has expanded by more than 15 percent. That’s enough of a hit for any CEO to jump in a Gulfstream and fly across the Pacific for an impromptu meeting with a Chinese premier. (Cont.)
