Reuters / South Korea scrambles jets as China, Russia warplanes enter air defence zone

• South Korea's military said it scrambled fighter jets as two Chinese and six Russian warplanes entered its air defence zone on Wednesday.
• The two Chinese H-6 bombers repeatedly entered and left the Korea Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) off South Korea's southern and northeast coasts starting at around 5:50 a.m. (2050 GMT Tuesday), Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
• They re-entered the zone hours later from the Sea of Japan, known in South Korea as the East Sea, together with the Russian warplanes, including TU-95 bombers and SU-35 fighter jets, and left after 18 minutes in the KADIZ, the JCS said.
• "Our military dispatched air force fighter jets ahead of the Chinese and Russian aircraft's entry of the KADIZ to implement tactical measures in preparation for a potential contingency," the JCS said in a statement.

The Guardian – Helen Davidson / US and Canada urge China not to harm zero-COVID protesters amid new clashes with police

• The US and Canada have urged China not to harm or intimidate protesters opposing Covid-19 lockdowns as police clashed with demonstrators and the country’s top security body called for a crackdown on “hostile forces”.
• Protesters scuffled with police in the southern Chinese megacity of Guangzhou late on Tuesday night, according to witnesses and footage.
• Security personnel in hazmat suits formed ranks shoulder-to-shoulder, taking cover under riot shields, to make their way down a street in the southern city’s Haizhu district as glass smashed around them, videos posted on social media showed.
• In the footage – geolocated by Agence France-Prese – people could be heard screaming and shouting, as orange and blue barricades were pictured strewn across the ground.
• Financial Times – Ryan McMorrow / Restless Beijingers rise up against Covid controls

Financial Times – Anna Gross and Qianer Liu / China enlists Alibaba and Tencent in fight against US chip sanctions

• China has enlisted tech giants Alibaba and Tencent to aid its efforts in designing semiconductor chips, as Beijing braces for further US-led sanctions aimed at suppressing Chinese computing power.
• The Chinese government has set up a consortium of companies and research institutes, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to create new chip intellectual property. Beijing wants to reduce its dependence on SoftBank-owned Arm, whose technology underpins the majority of semiconductors around the world. 
• The group is using Risc-V — pronounced “Risc-five” — an open-source chip design architecture created in 2010 by the University of California, Berkeley. Risc-V has emerged as a competitor to Arm in recent years. Open-source code can be produced, accessed, used and enhanced by anyone. 
• Beijing’s interest in Risc-V has grown as Washington has increased the pressure on China’s tech sector by limiting access to cutting-edge chip components and machinery.
• The Atlantic – Michael Schuman / Why Biden’s block on chips to China is a big deal

Politico – Lili Bayer / Western allies vow to help Ukraine stay warm in winter

• Western officials from the NATO military alliance and beyond pledged Tuesday to help Ukraine repair and defend critical energy infrastructure amid Russia’s weaponization of cold weather and Ukrainian calls for faster assistance.
• Moscow’s bombardment of key infrastructure across Ukraine has raised fears about how civilians will cope with freezing temperatures this winter. But the Kremlin's tactics have also presented a new set of challenges for Ukraine’s partners. 
• Many Western governments want to help Kyiv rebuild infrastructure, but there is a risk that Russia could simply target the sites a second time after they have been repaired. At the same time, some spare parts to help repair Ukrainian systems are hard to find.
• And while providing Ukraine with more air defenses has become a key priority for Western governments, there is a recognition that in such a large country, not all infrastructure can be protected. 
• The Guardian – Lorenzo Tondo and Julian Borger / Onset of winter in Ukraine – a photo essay

Today’s longer reads: 

• Financial Times – Alice Hancock, Sam Fleming and David Sheppard / Price cap problems: Europe struggles to form a wartime energy policy
• Foreign Affairs – Matt Pottinger, Matthew Johnson and David Feith / Xi Jinping in his own words