US Grain Ships Diverted at Sea Hours after China Imposes Grain Tariff
By Lily Kuo via Guardian
April 20, 2018
<p><span>Five ships carrying tonnes of sorghum change course after Beijing imposes rule requiring 178% deposit.</span></p>
Trade
China Refuses to Recycle More of the World’s Trash
By Daniel Shane via CNN
April 20, 2018
For decades, other countries shipped containers full of scrap and waste to China for recycling.
Recycling, Trash
China Envoy Says China Will Retaliate If U.S. Insists on Trade War: Xinhua
Reuters
April 20, 2018
China’s ambassador to the United States urged the United States to abandon a cold war and zero-sum mentality.
Trade
Analyst: China’s Huawei To Exit U.S. Market
By Jean Baptiste Su via Forbes
April 20, 2018
By the end of Huawei's annual analyst summit held this week in its hometown of Shenzhen, China, the world's largest telecommunications equipment maker left no doubt that the U.S. market is no longer part of its global strategy.
Huawei
China’s Economic Numbers Have a Credibility Problem
By Enda Curran via Bloomberg
April 19, 2018
China’s gross domestic product grew 6.8 percent in the first quarter, smack on its pace in the preceding quarter, which was unchanged from the quarter before that.
Economic Growth, GDP, National Bureau of Statistics
The Chinese Communist Party Is Setting Up Cells at Universities Across America
By Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian via Foreign Policy
April 19, 2018
It’s a strategy to tighten ideological control. And it’s happening around the world.
College/University, Chinese Communist Party, Ideology
China’s Children Are Its Secret Weapon in the Global AI Arms Race
By Alex Beard via Wired
April 19, 2018
China wants to be the world leader in artificial intelligence by 2030. To get there, it’s reinventing the way children are taught.
High-Tech Industry, Education, Children
China Quietly Rolled Out a Very Big Bang
By John Micklethwait via Bloomberg
April 19, 2018
In 1984, I came to China as a grumpy, uninquisitive backpacker, dragged from crowded bus to uncomfortable hostel to inedible meal by two student friends who spoke Mandarin.
Financial Reform, Trade
China Wages War on Apps Offering News and Jokes
By The Economist via Economist
April 19, 2018
At the end of last year Bytedance, one of China’s most talked-about technology firms, seemed to have the world at its feet.
Censorship, Internet Censorship, Media Control
Exclusive: China Looks to Speed up Chip Plans as U.S. Trade Tensions Boil - Sources
By Elias Glenn, Cate Cadell via Reuters
April 19, 2018
China is looking to accelerate plans to develop its domestic semiconductor market amid a fierce trade stand-off with the United States and a U.S. ban on sales to Chinese phone maker ZTE that has underscored the country’s reliance on imported chips.
Semiconductors, Trade
Pakistan Shuns US for Chinese High-Tech Weapons
By Kiran Stacey via Financial Times
April 18, 2018
In the last few months of the Obama administration, the US state department made an announcement which caused a new breach in Washington’s tumultuous relationship with Pakistan.
Pakistan, Weapons, Military
A Glimpse of Life along China’s Border with North Korea
By Laura Mallonee via Wired
April 18, 2018
When Elijah Hurwitz checked into the Hilton Garden Inn in Dandong, China, he knew his room would have an extraordinary view: The hotel sits near the banks of the Yalu River overlooking North Korea. Out the window, a caravan of trucks with North Korean license plates rumbled down a bridge over the border, carrying supplies into Kim Jong-un’s country.
North Korea, China-North Korea Relations, Photography
Will China Beat the World to Nuclear Fusion and Clean Energy?
By Stephen McDonell via BBC
April 18, 2018
In a world with an ever-increasing demand for electricity and a deteriorating environment, Chinese scientists are leading the charge to develop what some see as the holy grail of energy.
Energy, Clean Energy, Nuclear Power
Tesla Isn’t Ready to Thrive in China's Embrace
By Anjani Trivedi via Bloomberg
April 18, 2018
The structure of the electric-car market means that it needs a local partner.
Tesla, Automobile Industry, Automobiles, Electric Cars
Chinese President Xi Jinping Will Visit Pyongyang ‘Soon,’ Official Says
By Will Ripley and Ben Westcott via CNN
April 18, 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping is preparing to visit the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, an official with knowledge of the discussions told CNN Wednesday.
China-North Korea Relations, North Korea, Xi Jinping
Taiwan Accuses China of ‘Sabre Rattling’ as Naval Drill Begins
By BBC via BBC
April 18, 2018
China is conducting live-fire military exercises in the Taiwan Strait amid growing tension in the region.
China-Taiwan Relations, Taiwan, Military Drills
One-Time Potential Rival to China’s Xi Pleads Guilty to Corruption
By Chun Han Wong via Wall Street Journal
April 13, 2018
A purged Communist Party politician once regarded as a future Chinese leader stood trial on corruption charges in a case seen as part of an effort by President Xi Jinping to neutralize potential political rivals.
Xi Jinping, Anti-Corruption, Chinese Communist Party
Chinese Man Caught by Facial Recognition at Pop Concert
By BBC via BBC
April 13, 2018
Chinese police have used facial recognition technology to locate and arrest a man who was among a crowd of 60,000 concert goers.
Police, Technology, High-Tech Industry
China Wary after Trump’s U-Turn Could See US Rejoining TPP
By Wendy Wu, Keegan Elmer via South China Morning Post
April 13, 2018
Chinese analysts have said they are wary about the possibility that the United States will rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), but shrugged off the immediate need to make policy changes.
Trans-Pacific Partnership, Trade
China’s Trade Surplus with U.S. Soars in First Quarter but March Exports Falter
By Elias Glenn, Stella Qiu via Reuters
April 13, 2018
China’s trade surplus with the United States surged nearly 20 percent in the first quarter, with some analysts speculating exporters were rushing out shipments to get ahead of threatened tariffs that are spurring fears of a full-blown trade war.
Trade, Export
U.S. Considered Blacklisting Two Chinese Banks over North Korea Ties
By Christian Berthelsen via Bloomberg
April 13, 2018
U.S. officials alarmed by public displays of Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile technology last summer considered taking the provocative step of blacklisting two of China’s biggest banks from the U.S. financial system for doing business with North Korea, three people familiar with the matter said.
Banks, North Korea, Finance
China Delays Deal Reviews as U.S. Trade Frictions Build
By Lingling Wei, Yoko Kubota, Takashi Mochizuki via Wall Street Journal
April 13, 2018
Amid escalating trade tensions, China is holding up deal reviews that could clear the way for U.S. companies Qualcomm Inc. and Bain Capital to make multibillion-dollar acquisitions of semiconductor companies, people familiar with the matter say.
Trade, Qualcomm
U.S. Stocks Surge after China’s Xi Eases Trade Fears
By David Hodari and Allison Prang via Wall Street Journal
April 10, 2018
U.S. stocks climbed Tuesday, with the Dow gaining more than 400 points, as remarks from Chinese President Xi Jinping soothed concerns about a trade war that have roiled markets in recent weeks.
Trade, Tariffs, Xi Jinping, Stock Market
China’s Vast Intercontinental Building Plan Is Gaining Momentum
By Faseeh Mangi via Bloomberg
April 10, 2018
China’s massive build program to recreate trade routes stretching from Asia to Africa and Europe is gaining momentum.
Belt and Road Initiative, Myanmar, Pakistan, Kenya
What China Gained From Hosting Kim Jong Un
By Oriana Skylar Mastro via Foreign Affairs
April 10, 2018
In late March, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who had not stepped foot outside the hermit kingdom since taking power in 2011, traveled to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time.
China-North Korea Relations, North Korea, Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping
Duterte Banks on China Ties to Repair War-Torn Philippine City
By Ditas B Lopez and Andreo Calonzo via Bloomberg
April 10, 2018
China will have a chance to showcase warmer ties with the Philippines if it wins a contract to rebuild a city ravaged by Islamic State-inspired terrorists last year, a cabinet member said.
China-Philippines Relations, Philippines, South China Sea
China Installed Military Jamming Equipment on Spratly Islands, U.S. Says
By Michael R. Gordon and Jeremy Page via Wall Street Journal
April 10, 2018
China has installed equipment on two of its fortified outposts in the Spratly Islands capable of jamming communications and radar systems, a significant step in its creeping militarization of the South China Sea, U.S. officials say.
South China Sea, Militarization, Military Drills
Xi Says China to Lower Trade Barriers as Beijing Files Wto Complaint against U.S.
By Scott Neuman via NPR
April 10, 2018
China’s President Xi Jinping says his country will “significantly lower” import tariffs on automobiles as part of a broader move to open up its economy amid a major trade dispute with the U.S.
Trade, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, World Trade Organization, Tariffs, Automobiles
China Now Has the Most Valuable AI Startup in the World
By Bloomberg News via Bloomberg
April 9, 2018
Facial recognition company in China becomes richest-valued private AI startup.
Start-Ups, Alibaba, Technology, Business
China Elites Seek to De-Escalate Trade Tension before Xi Speech
By Gabriel Wildau and Emily Feng via Financial Times
April 9, 2018
Government advisers dismiss reports of secret plan to sell off US Treasury bill.
Trade, Xi Jinping
Hopes Are High for China to Announce Market Access Reforms on Tuesday
By Nyshka Chandran via CNBC
April 9, 2018
Xi’s speech to announce market reforms could help heal U.S.-China trade frictions.
Trade, Xi Jinping, Economy, Chinese Economy
Tensions Rise over Taiwan Strait as U.S. and China Harden Positions
By Simon Denyer via Washington Post
April 9, 2018
Fears grow that Taiwan will suffer the consequences of Trump-China spat.
Taiwan, China-Taiwan Relations, U.S.-Taiwan Relations, Trade
Europe Caught in the Middle as Trump Threatens China
By Jack Ewing via New York Times
April 9, 2018
Europe in dilemma as conflict escalates between its two biggest trading partners.
Europe, Trade, European Union
China Is Studying Yuan Devaluation as a Tool in Trade Spat
By Bloomberg News via Bloomberg
April 9, 2018
China evaluates impact of currency depreciation among trade tensions.
Trade, Currency Devaluation, Currency, Currency Manipulation
White House Sends Mixed Message on China Trade Thaw
By Shawn Donnan, Michael Hunter and Ben Bland via Financial Times
April 5, 2018
Markets rally but questions remain over US willingness to talk to Beijing.
Stock Market, Trade
U.S. Farmers Likely among Hardest Hit by Chinese Tariffs
By Frank Morris via NPR
April 5, 2018
China's retaliatory tariffs may hit farmers harder than any other group.
Agriculture, Farmer
If There’s a U.S.-China Trade War, China May Have Some ‘Unconventional Weapons’
By Neil Irwin via New York Times
April 5, 2018
There are ways to make life harder for American companies in China that need not be formal, or widely publicized.
Trade, Foreign Companies, Technology
Why China Could Get Hurt More from a Trade War in the Tech Sector
By Saheli Roy Choudhury via CNBC
April 5, 2018
China could lose more than the U.S. from trade tensions now spilling into the technology sector, according to Gavin Parry from Parry Global Group.
Trade, Agriculture
Ex-Google Executive Opens a School for AI, with China's Help
By Tom Simonite via Wired
April 5, 2018
Onetime head of Google's operations in China launches a new project to train Chinese AI talents.
Kai-Fu Lee, Google, Higher Education
Anti-China Tilt in Australia Is Shortsighted
By Daniel Moss via Bloomberg
April 5, 2018
In Australia, Chinese investment is small, but feels large.
Australia, Chinese Influence, Chinese Investment
Xiaomi Ceo Calls China’s Plan to Lure Tech Listings ‘Excellent’
By Bloomberg News via Bloomberg
April 4, 2018
China’s trial program for encouraging technology giants like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. to list their shares at home is drawing positive early reviews, a sign their stocks may soon be available in the world’s most populous country.
Alibaba, Xiaomi, Stock Market
Facial Recognition in China Is Big Business as Local Governments Boost Surveillance
By Rob Schmitz via NPR
April 4, 2018
Dozens of cameras meet visitors to the Beijing headquarters of SenseTime, China’s largest artificial intelligence company. One of them determines whether the door will open for you; another tracks your movements.
Technology, High-Tech Industry, Surveillance
Family Reunion 24 Years in the Making Captures Hearts in China
By Joshua Berlinger and Jemima Barr via CNN
April 4, 2018
The extraordinary story of a married Chinese couple reuniting with their daughter nearly 24 years after she went missing has captured the hearts of millions across China.
Family, Human Trafficking, WeChat
US Take Note: Chinese, Russian Militaries Are Closer Than You Think, China’s Defence Minister Says
By Kinling Lo via South China Morning Post
April 4, 2018
The United States should be aware of the close military ties between Beijing and Moscow, China’s defence minister said during a visit to Russia, which has been facing international isolation over the killing of a former spy in Britain.
China-Russia Relations, Russia, Ministry of Defense
China Strikes Back at the U.S. With Plans for Its Own Tariffs
By Keith Bradsher and Steven Lee Myers via New York Times
April 4, 2018
China hit back at the United States on Wednesday with proposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of American soybeans, cars, chemicals and other goods, in a move likely to stoke fears that the countries’ escalating confrontation could become an all-out trade war.
Trade, Tariffs
China Strikes Back at the U.S. With Plans for Its Own Tariffs
By Keith Bradsher and Steven Lee Myers via New York Times
April 4, 2018
China hit back at the United States on Wednesday with proposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of American soybeans, cars, chemicals and other goods, in a move likely to stoke fears that the countries’ escalating confrontation could become an all-out trade war.
Trade, Tariffs
China’s Financial Opening Isn't Quite What It Seems
By Andrew Polk via Bloomberg
April 4, 2018
Although trade tensions between the U.S. and China show no signs of abating, there are some reasons for cautious optimism.
Banks, Financial Market, Trade
China Announces It’s Imposing New Tariffs on 128 Us Products
By Nyshka Chandran via CNBC
April 2, 2018
China implements additional tariffs as retaliation against increased U.S. import taxes.
Tariffs, Trade
The Rise and Fall of Tiangong-1, China’s First Space Station
By Jonathan Corum via New York Times
April 2, 2018
China’s first space station burned up over the South Pacific on April 1.
Air Space, China National Space Administration, Space Program, Space Exploration
Three Takeaways from Kim Jong Un’s Trip to China
By Rush Doshi via Washington Post
April 2, 2018
What to learn from the secret meeting between Xi and Kim?
Kim Jong-un, China-North Korea Relations, North Korea, U.S.-North Korea Relations
Anxious Hong Kong Catholics Told to Make Leap of Faith over China Deal
By Greg Torode, Venus Wu via Reuters
April 2, 2018
Beijing-Vatican deal causes divisions among Catholics in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong, Vatican, Catholicism, Religious Freedom
What’s Made Indonesian Students Forget the China Taboo?
By Aisyan Llewellyn via South China Morning Post
April 2, 2018
Not that long ago, having a Chinese book was strictly prohibited in Indonesia. But now the country’s young people are attending Chinese universities by the thousands.
Higher Education, Indonesia, China-Southeast Asia Relations
China's 'Jack the Ripper', Gao Chengyong, Sentenced to Death
By BBC via BBC
April 2, 2018
A serial killer in China has been sentenced to death for the murder of 11 women.
Crime
‘America First’ Shouldn’t Stop the Us from Welcoming Chinese Students and Other Global Talent
By Vasilis Trigkas via South China Morning Post
March 28, 2018
Almost half a century after the “Nixon shock”, when US President Nixon unilaterally declared that the United States would abandon the dollar’s convertibility to gold and impose a 10 per cent import surcharge, the world is now being shaken by the “Trump shock”.
College/University, Students, Visas, Protectionism
It’s Not Just Facebook: China’s Biggest Tech Company Is Getting Crushed
By Daniel Shane via CNN
March 28, 2018
Tencent (TCEHY) -- the company often referred to as China's Facebook -- has lost more than $70 billion in market value over the past week.
Tencent, WeChat, Stock Market
China Academics Divided over Australia Influence Crackdown
By Jamie Smyth via Financial Times
March 28, 2018
Canberra’s proposed crackdown on Chinese government influence in Australia has prompted a bitter split among academics, following claims the policy is driven by racism and is stigmatising Chinese Australians.
Australia, Chinese Influence, Law
When Xi Met Kim: How China and North Korea Depicted It
By Javier C. Hernández via New York Times
March 28, 2018
Kim Jong-un’s surprise visit to Beijing this week to meet President Xi Jinping added an element of intrigue to talks over North Korea’s nuclear program.
China-North Korea Relations, North Korea, Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping
China Says North Korea’s Kim Pledged Commitment to Denuclearization
By Ben Blanchard, Joyce Lee via Reuters
March 28, 2018
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged his commitment to denuclearization and to meet U.S. officials, China said on Wednesday after his meeting with President Xi Jinping, who promised China would uphold friendship with its isolated neighbor.
China-North Korea Relations, North Korea, Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping, Nuclear Disarmament
What Kim Jong-Un May Get in Reaching out to China
By Steven Lee Myers and Choe Sang-Hun via New York Times
March 27, 2018
A flurry of activity and speculation surrounding Beijing’s diplomatic quarter on Tuesday accompanied what officials described as an unusual, and highly secretive, visit by North Korean dignitaries, possibly even the country’s youthful leader, Kim Jong-un.
China-North Korea Relations, North Korea, Kim Jong-un
North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un Leaves Beijing after Surprise Visit
By SCMP Staff via South China Morning Post
March 27, 2018
Security returns to normal in Chinese capital as armored train pulls out.
Kim Jong-un, China-North Korea Relations, North Korea, Beijing
Why Would Kim Jong Un Make a Secret Trip to China?
By James Griffiths via CNN
March 27, 2018
A surprise visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to China may indicate Pyongyang’s need for support from its closest ally ahead of upcoming summits with South Korea and the US.
China-North Korea Relations, North Korea, Kim Jong-un
How Clean Indoor Air Is Becoming China's Latest Luxury Must-Have
By Helen Roxburgh via Guardian
March 27, 2018
One luxury hotel in Shanghai is attracting guests with clean filtered air.
Shanghai, Air Pollution, Pollution, Luxury Goods
T-Minus One Week until China’s Space Lab Crashes to Earth. Here’s What It Will Look Like.
By Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Amy B Wang via Washington Post
March 27, 2018
The out-of-control space lab is expected to plummet to earth in a week.
Space Program, China National Space Administration, Space Exploration
China Needs More Water. So It's Building a Rain-Making Network Three Times the Size of Spain
By Stephen Chen via South China Morning Post
March 27, 2018
China tests weather modification system to bring more rain to Tibet.
Water Distribution, Water Scarcity, Tibetan Plateau
China’s Attempts to Supplant Dollar Face Historic Difficulties
By Mike Bird via Wall Street Journal
March 26, 2018
The world’s first yuan-denominated oil contracts launched Monday, as part of China’s drive to turn its currency into a global force in markets.
Yuan, Finance, Oil
Hong Kong’s Ethnic Minorities Are Struggling with a Chinese Education Gap, but Can the Government See It?
By Phyllis Cheung via South China Morning Post
March 26, 2018
The government has announced that the Chinese-language proficiency requirements will be lowered for 22 civil service grades, bringing the total thus adjusted since the year 2010 to 53.
Hong Kong, Ethnic Minorities, Education, Chinese Language