China links: Rare earths, internet diplomacy, spies, bribes, cybersecurity and more

• Amy Chang of CNAS has published a detailed report on the stakeholders, drivers and fragmented nature of China's cybersecurity policy.
• Peter Mattis on China's four main intelligence collection agencies operating in Taiwan.
• How China's rare-earth weapon went from boom to bust.
• While China's economic growth continues to slow, the country's tech sector is still booming.
• 'Internet diplomacy', previously a pejorative term indicating foreign interference, is now being used positively by state media to describe China's actions.
• A 'how to' guide to bribing your way into the Chinese government.
• Alastair Iain Johnston argues that anti-foreigner propaganda is not spiking in China.
• The city of Taiyuan in Shanxi is trialling underground bins to overcome its growing rubbish problem. This follows on from Beijing opening the world's largest rubbish incinerator earlier this year.
• A transcript from Henry Kissinger's meeting with Fu Ying (aka China's iron lady), who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress. Fu gave her thoughts on the US global position in the 21st century (Thanks Elliot):

The 21st century is very different from the 20th. The U.S., though still the most powerful, can’t keep everything under its thumb. Watching the U.S., the word I can use is 'anxiety.' It has so many problems of its own while trying so hard to handle many of the world affairs in the old way. This is not going to work and the U.S. needs to learn to adapt to the new world environment where the ground is shifting. In this changed world, countries have to work together, meaning accommodating and even making compromises when needed. The U.S. may need to change its way of looking at world issues.

Dirk van der Kley