China’s Plans for Creating New International Courts Are Raising Fears of Bias
By Nyshka Chandran via CNBC
February 2, 2018
Multi-jurisdictional dealings between Chinese entities and their emerging market counterparts can pose immense regulatory challenges, especially in the realms of financing and execution.
International Court, Belt and Road Initiative, Investment, Infrastructure
How WeChat Came to Rule China
By Shannon Liao via Verge
February 2, 2018
China’s most popular messaging app, WeChat, has always had a close relationship with the Chinese government. The app has been subsidized by the government since its creation in 2011, and it’s an accepted reality that officials censor and monitor users.
WeChat, Censorship, Internet, Tencent
Britain’s May Discusses Trade Barriers with China’s Xi
By Erika Kinetz and Christopher Bodeen via Washington Post
February 2, 2018
British Prime Minister Theresa May said Friday she discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping the importance of removing barriers to commerce, especially for British food, drink and financial services, as the two countries move toward a future trading arrangement for after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.
United Kingdom, Trade, European Union
Theresa May Pledges to Raise Hong Kong and Human Rights with China
By Tom Phillips and Jessica Elgot via Guardian
January 31, 2018
Theresa May has insisted she will raise human rights and Hong Kong’s political situation with China’s leaders this week, amid criticism of Britain’s “pusillanimous” response to Beijing’s increasingly hard line.
Hong Kong, Human Rights, Hong Kong-Mainland Tension, United Kingdom
CIA Chief Says China ‘as Big a Threat to US’ as Russia
BBC
January 31, 2018
Chinese efforts to exert covert influence over the West are just as concerning as Russian subversion, the director of the CIA has said.
Russia, U.S.-Russia Relations, CIA, Diplomatic Threats
China Creates Nuclear Powerhouse
By Wayne Ma via Wall Street Journal
January 31, 2018
China is putting two of its largest nuclear-power firms back together as it seeks to bolster its state-owned enterprises and create a corporate powerhouse that can better compete for contracts in other countries.
Nuclear, Nuclear Power, State-Owned Enterprises
China Moves to Protect Coastal Wetlands Used by Migratory Birds
By Erik Stokstad via Science
January 31, 2018
China has armored its coastline over the past several decades, building sea walls and turning more than half of its marine wetlands into solid ground for development.
Environmental Protection, Wetlands, Birds
Hong Kong Drowning in Waste as China Rubbish Ban Takes Toll
By Farah Master via Reuters
January 31, 2018
Hong Kong boasts glittering skyscrapers, seamless transportation and billion dollar infrastructure projects, but it is struggling with a much more mundane problem: disposing of its trash.
Hong Kong, Recycling, Waste, Environmental Protection
Trump Alarms China with ‘Cold War’ Rhetoric in State of Union Address
By Simon Denyer via Washington Post
January 31, 2018
China raised alarms Wednesday over what it called President Trump’s “outdated Cold War mentality” after an address that described Beijing as a global rival and set an increasing tough line against China’s economic and military reach.
Cold War, State of the Union, Russia, U.S.-Russia Relations, Military
Vatican, Eager for China Ties, Asks ‘Underground’ Bishops to Step Aside
By Ian Johnson via New York Times
January 30, 2018
The decision in December came amid what observers describe as an extraordinary effort by the Vatican to advance negotiations to restore ties with Beijing after a nearly 70-year schism among Catholics in the world’s most populous nation.
The Vatican, Catholicism, Pope Francis
China’s Retired Anti-Graft Tsar Wang Qishan Holds on to Top Legislature Spot to Stay in the Political Game
By Jun Mai via South China Morning Post
January 30, 2018
Wang is set to take on the vice-presidency but his power will depend on what Xi Jinping needs him to do, analyst says.
Wang Qishan, Xi Jinping, Party Politics, National People’s Congress, Anti-Corruption
Taiwan Retaliates Against Chinese Airlines, Hampering Lunar New Year Travel
By Chris Horton via New York Times
January 30, 2018
Tens of thousands of Taiwanese working in China are at risk of being unable to return home for the Lunar New Year in mid-February as a result of an escalating battle over airspace in the Taiwan Strait.
China-Taiwan Relations, Airlines, Air Travel, Spring Festival, Public Transportation
Theresa May Declines to Endorse China’s Belt and Road Initiative
By George Parker via Financial Times
January 30, 2018
UK prime minister to raise concerns on visit aimed at boosting trade ties.
United Kingdom, Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese Investment, European Union
U.S. Firms in China Fear Fallout from Tit-For-Tat Trade War
By Wendy Wu via South China Morning Post
January 30, 2018
American business group says Beijing could target sectors to send a political message across the Pacific.
American Chamber of Commerce, Tariffs, Solar Energy, Imports and Exports, High-Tech Industry, Trade
China “Gifted” the African Union a Headquarters Building and Then Allegedly Bugged It for State Secrets
By Abdi Latif Dahir via Quartz
January 30, 2018
In an investigation published by French newspaper Le Monde, China, which also paid and built the computer network at the AU, allegedly inserted a backdoor that allowed it to transfer data.
African Union, China-Africa Relations, Africa, Hacking
China's Bitcoin Crackdown Has Simply Driven Trade Underground
Business Insider
January 26, 2018
China's crackdown on bitcoin has simply led to the trading going underground, according to a key player.
Bitcoin, Trade, Chinese Economy, Crackdown
Exclusive: China to Name Harvard-Trained Liu He as Vice Premier Overseeing Economy - Sources
Reuters
January 26, 2018
China is set to name Liu He, a Harvard-trained economist who advises President Xi Jinping, as a vice premier overseeing the economy and financial sector, five sources familiar with the development said.
Chinese Communist Party, 19th Party Congress, Chinese Economy
China Embraces a Game About a Traveling Frog
New York Times
January 26, 2018
A few short weeks after its release, a Japanese mobile game featuring a traveling frog has become a hit in China.
Video Games, Weibo
China to Develop Arctic Shipping Routes Opened by Global Warming
BBC
January 26, 2018
China has announced plans to develop shipping lanes through the Arctic to become a "Polar Silk Route".
Global Economy, Arctic, Belt and Road Initiative, New Silk Road
China's Eight-Year-Long Smartphone Growth Comes to an End
BBC
January 26, 2018
The decline ends eight years' growth in the world's largest mobile phone market.
Smartphones, Huawei, Chinese Economy
‘Globalism with Chinese Characteristics’ Is on Display in Davos. but It's Not Everything It Seems
CNBC
January 26, 2018
President Xi Jinping wasn't present at this year's World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, but the impact of his speech championing globalization at last year's gathering lingered.
Globalization, Jack Ma, Chinese Economy, Xi Jinping
Chinese Wind Turbine Firm Found Guilty of Stealing U.S. Secrets
By Sherisse Pham via CNN
January 25, 2018
A top Chinese wind turbine maker has been found guilty in the U.S. of stealing trade secrets -- an act that “nearly destroyed” an American tech firm, according to prosecutors.
Wind Power, Intellectual Property, Intellectual Property Rights, Clean Technology
Online Sales of Illegal Opioids from China Surge in U.S.
By Ron Nixon via New York Times
January 25, 2018
Nearly $800 million worth of fentanyl pills were illegally sold to online customers in the United States over two years by Chinese distributors who took advantage of internet anonymity and an explosive growth in e-commerce, according to a Senate report released on Wednesday.
Drugs, Online Shopping, E-Commerce
China ‘Holding at Least 120,000 Uighurs in Re-Education Camps’
By Tom Phillips via Guardian
January 25, 2018
At least 120,000 members of China’s Muslim Uighur minority have been confined to political “re-education camps” redolent of the Mao era that are springing up across the country’s western borderlands, a report has claimed.
Re-education Through Labor, Uighur, Human Rights, Human Rights Abuses, Patriotism
China Denies Plan to Build Military Base in Afghanistan
By Reuters Staff via Reuters
January 25, 2018
China’s Defence Ministry on Thursday denied that it was planning to build a military base in Afghanistan, branding such reports “groundless”.
Overseas Military Base, Afghanistan, Ministry of Defense, Military
How China Is Winning Back More Graduates from Foreign Universities Than Ever Before
By Luke Kelly via Forbes
January 25, 2018
Where it was once inevitable that those who left to study at prestigious foreign universities would remain on distant shores for years, China’s graduates are now answering the call of home more than ever before -- and many are turning down lucrative careers on Wall Street or in Silicon Valley in favor of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
College/University, Graduate Students, Students, Studying Abroad, U.S. Colleges
Chinese Contractors Grab Lion’s Share of Silk Road Projects
By James Kynge via Financial Times
January 25, 2018
China’s pledge to the world is that it will create a “community with a shared future for mankind”. But that sharing is no more than an afterthought as it rolls out an ambitious programme to build transport infrastructure across Eurasia, a study shows.
Belt and Road Initiative, New Silk Road, Silk Road
Yes, They’ve Cloned Monkeys in China. That Doesn’t Mean You’re Next.
By Gina Kolata via New York Times
January 25, 2018
Researchers in China reported on Wednesday that they have created two cloned monkeys, the first time that primates have been cloned with the technique that produced Dolly the sheep more than 20 years ago.
Cloning, Science, Ethics
Top U.S. Sanctions Envoy Presses China to Expel North Korean Agents
By Jeremy Page and Ian Talley via Wall Street Journal
January 24, 2018
The Trump administration’s top sanctions envoy pressed China in high-level meetings this week to deliver on commitments to expel North Korean agents helping finance Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.
China-North Korea Relations, North Korea, North Korea Sanctions, U.S.-North Korea Relations
‘She’ll Die If She Stays with Us’: a Baby Abandoned in China
By Javier C. Hernández and Iris Zhao via New York Times
January 24, 2018
The 6-month-old girl was found alone at night in a park in southern China, sleeping in a stroller. Next to her, in a lime-green backpack, was a bottle of infant formula, diapers and a two-page note from her parents.
Disabilities, Family Planning, Children
US-China Biotech Startup XtalPi Lands $15m from Google, Tencent and Sequoia
By Jon Russell via TechCrunch
January 24, 2018
Google continues to increase its presence in China after it joined Sequoia China and Tencent in a $15 million investment for XtalPi, a U.S.-China biotech firm that uses artificial intelligence and computing to accelerate the development of new drugs.
Tencent, Google, Sequoia China, Investment, Technology, Medical Technology
China Stocks at Risk of Outpacing Fundamentals
By Gabriel Wildau and Emma Dunkley via Financial Times
January 24, 2018
As the Chinese stock market’s disastrous 2015 boom-and-bust fades from memory, investors are in a mood to buy. Chinese stocks both on the mainland and in Hong Kong outperformed the S&P 500 last year, as economic growth accelerated for the first time since 2010.
Stock Market, Finance, Economic Growth, Financial Regulation, Monetary Policy
China to Roll out Fresh Market-Opening Measures This Year, Official Says
By Reuters Staff via Reuters
January 24, 2018
China will roll out fresh market-opening measures this year that could exceed “international expectations”, a top Communist Party official said in Davos on Wednesday.
Market Reform, Trade, Market Economy
‘Me Too,’ Chinese Women Say. Not so Fast, Say the Censors.
By Javier C. Hernández and Zoe Mou via New York Times
January 24, 2018
They call themselves “silence breakers,” circulate petitions demanding investigations into sexual harassment and share internet memes like clenched fists with painted nails.
Women, Working Women, Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, Censorship, Internet Censorship, Women’s Rights
China Has Plenty of Options to Retaliate against U.S. Tariffs
By Bloomberg News via Bloomberg
January 23, 2018
U.S. President Donald Trump may soon get a lesson about tangling with China on trade: Beijing can punch back.
Trade, Tariffs, Apple
Alibaba’s Jack Ma Thinks He Knows How to Save China's ‘Left-Behind Children’ — He’s Asking Other Entrepreneurs to Buy In
By Karen Gilchrist via CNBC
January 23, 2018
The founder and executive chairman of e-commerce behemoth Alibaba said that investing in rural boarding schools could provide a solution for China’s “left-behind children” and ensure a more prosperous future for the next generation.
Education, Alibaba, Jack Ma, Children, Left-Behind Children, Rural, Rural Development
Did Trump Just Start a Trade War with China?
By Daniel Shane via CNN
January 23, 2018
President Trump's decision Monday to slap tariffs on imports of solar panels and washing machines risks inflaming tensions with China and other big U.S. trade partners.
Tariffs, Trade, Solar Energy
Taiwan President Says Does Not Exclude Possibility of China Attack
Reuters
January 23, 2018
“No one can exclude this possibility. We will need to see whether their policymakers are reasonable policymakers or not,” Tsai said in an interview on Taiwan television broadcast late on Monday, when asked whether China could attack Taiwan.
China-Taiwan Relations, Taiwan, Taiwan Politics, Tsai Ing-wen
China’s Propagandists Wanted a Hero. ‘Frost Boy’ Fit the Bill.
By Javier C. HernáNdez via New York Times
January 23, 2018
His frazzled face, rosy cheeks and icy hair lit up the internet. Now Wang Fuman, the 8-year-old Chinese student known as Frost Boy, is taking on a new role: propaganda star.
Propaganda, Education, Rural, Rural China, Rural Life, Children
Why China and Latin America Are Discussing Trade Now
By Lucia Newman via Al Jazeera
January 22, 2018
Foreign ministers from Latin America and China are meeting in Chile for a two-day summit focusing on trade, which is becoming crucial for the growth of both.
China-Latin America Relations, Investment, Trade
Chinese Police Seize Publisher from Train in Front of Diplomats
By Chris Buckley via New York Times
January 22, 2018
A Hong Kong-based book publisher with Swedish citizenship who was secretly spirited to China and held in custody for two years, igniting international controversy, has disappeared again in dramatic fashion — snatched from a train bound for Beijing under the eyes of two Swedish diplomats.
Hong Kong, Booksellers
Chinese Bank Fined over Multibillion-Dollar Bad-Debt Cover-Up
By Mandy Zuo via South China Morning Post
January 22, 2018
China’s banking regulator has slapped a 462 million yuan (US$72 million) fine on a bank branch over a massive shell company fraud, as Beijing continues to crack down on financial risks.
Debt, Loans
China’s Vpn Crackdown Is about Money as Much as Censorship
By Lucy Hornby via Financial Times
January 22, 2018
For years, Beijing has played a cat-and-mouse game with anyone trying to breach its Great Firewall of internet censorship. Recently, however, it has switched gears from high-tech censorship to old-fashioned shakedown, as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology forces Chinese and foreign companies to use expensive Chinese software to conduct their internal business.
VPN, Crackdown, Internet Censorship
Asia & Pacific China to U.S.: It’s Your Fault We Are in the South China Sea
By Emily Rauhala via Washington Post
January 22, 2018
Beijing has a message for the Trump administration: The more ships you send to the contested waters of the South China Sea, the more we will bolster our presence there.
South China Sea, Military, U.S. Foreign Policy
China Takes Aim at Hip-Hop, Saying ‘Low-Taste Content’ Must Stop
By Pei Li, Adam Jourdan via Reuters
January 22, 2018
China’s censors have a new target in a widespread clamp-down on popular culture: the country’s nascent hip-hop scene, which resonated with Chinese youth last year on hugely popular television show “Rap of China.”
Pop Culture, Pop Music, Crackdown, Hip-hop
Trump Is 'Determined to Bite Somebody, and China Is the Most Likely Target,' Trade Expert Says
CNBC
January 19, 2018
A year after President Donald Trump took office, the United States' trade deficit with China looms larger than ever.
Donald Trump, Trade, Chinese Economy
Executive Behind Facebook’s China Charm Campaign Is Out
New York Times
January 19, 2018
The executive in charge of Facebook’s efforts to court China has left the company, a fresh setback for the social network as it seeks to get its products into China’s huge internet market.
Facebook, Internet Sovereignty, Social Network
Google Inks a Patent Deal with Tencent as It Explores Ways to Expand in China
Fortune
January 19, 2018
Alphabet‘s (GOOG, +0.31%) Google has agreed to a patent licensing deal with Tencent Holdings (TCTZF, +0.86%) as it looks for ways to expand in China where many of its products, such as app store, search engine and email service, are blocked by regulators.
Google, Tencent, Technology, WeChat
China to Enshrine Xi's Thought into State Constitution Amid National 'Fervor'
Reuters
January 19, 2018
China’s ruling Communist Party will enshrine President Xi Jinping’s political thought into the country’s constitution, state media said on Friday, further solidifying his power following its addition last year to the party constitution.
Xi Jinping, Socialism, 19th Party Congress
U.S. Military Advantage over Russia and China 'Eroding,' Pentagon Says
NPR
January 19, 2018
The Pentagon unveiled its National Defense Strategy, a document that focuses on the "eroding" U.S. military advantage with regard to Russia and China, and will likely influence future spending on weapons systems and other military hardware.
Military, Pentagon, Russia, Terrorism
Old Kim Coal: Us Officials Release Satellite Photographs Which 'Show China Flouting Sanctions by Docking in North Korea and Loading up on Fuel'
Daily Mail
January 19, 2018
Chinese companies have been violating UN sanctions against trading with North Korea, according to U.S. officials.
North Korea, China-North Korea Relations, Fuel, United Nations
How China’s Military Is Girding for Battle, and What It Means for Neighbours
South China Morning Post
January 18, 2018
Wei Shiji “died instantly” while trying to defuse a landmine in a dense forest in China’s Fujian province this month, while two comrades, Li Shoushun and Liu Shangdong, “survived the war”.
Military, People’s Liberation Army, Central Military Commission, Xi Jinping
Oil Spill off China Coast Now the Size of Paris
CNN
January 18, 2018
An oil spill from an Iranian oil tanker that sank in the East China Sea is now the size of Paris.
Oil Drilling, Oil, East China Sea
Baidu's Robin Li Is Helping China Win the 21st Century
Time
January 18, 2018
When Robin Li looks back at the question now, he can laugh. But things were different in 1992, when the Baidu CEO was a tongue-tied Chinese student applying for a computer-graphics graduate program in the U.S.
Baidu, Robin Li, Technology
China Asked Marriott to Shut down Its Website, the Company Complied
Washington Post
January 18, 2018
Marriott International is apologizing to the Chinese government—and changing its practices—after coming under fire for listing Hong Kong, Taiwan.
Hong Kong, Tibet, Taiwan, Macau, One-China Policy
India Tests Ballistic Missile, Posing New Threat to China
New York Times
January 18, 2018
India tested a long-range ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons on Thursday, paving the way for membership to a small list of countries with access to intercontinental missiles and putting most of China in its reach.
India, China-India Relations, Missile Crisis, Nuclear Crisis
China Reports Its Fastest Economic Growth In 7 Years
NPR
January 18, 2018
China is reporting its fastest economic growth in seven years, saying its gross domestic product grew by 6.9 percent in 2017.
Economy, Chinese Economy, Economic Growth
Joshua Wong Sentenced in Hong Kong for Role in Umbrella Movement
By Alan Wong via New York Times
January 17, 2018
Mr. Wong had pleaded guilty to contempt of court for refusing to obey a court order to leave a protest site in the last days of demonstrations, known as the Umbrella Movement, that paralyzed parts of Hong Kong without winning any political concession from the Chinese government.
Hong Kong, Hong Kong Independence, Umbrella Movement, Joshua Wong, Democracy, Democracy Movement
The Island Paradise That Could Be China’s Next Strategic Transport Hub
By Justina Crabtree via CNBC
January 17, 2018
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded his annual trip to Africa on Tuesday with a visit to the tiny island nation of Sao Tome and Principe, off the continent's western gulf.
Africa, Infrastructure, Investment, China-Africa Relations, Foreign Investment
Amid Tension, China Carrier Group Sails through Taiwan Strait
By Fabian Hamacher, Jess Macy Yu via Reuters
January 17, 2018
A Chinese carrier group has sailed through the narrow Taiwan Strait that separates the self-ruled island from its giant neighbor but no unusual activity was detected, Taiwan said on Wednesday, amid heightened tension with Beijing.
Taiwan, China-Taiwan Relations, Air Space, Ministry of Defense
China’s Sports Industry Is Allegedly Growing Faster Than the National Economy
By August Rick via Forbes
January 17, 2018
The Chinese National Bureau of Statistics announced official data on the growth of China’s sport’s industry for 2016 on Saturday, showing a total output of 1.9 trillion yuan ($295 billion), and an 11.1% growth that outpaced the recovering national economy.
Economic Growth, Sports, Technology
China accuses U.S. of “Cold War thinking” with North Korea summit
CBS News
January 17, 2018
China on Wednesday said “Cold War thinking” was behind a meeting of U.S. allies on how to deal with North Korea's nuclear threat, adding that the gathering risks splitting international opinion over the issue.
North Korea, United States, Korean Peninsula
China Escalates Crackdown on Cryptocurrency Trading
Bloomberg
January 17, 2018
China is escalating its clampdown on cryptocurrency trading, targeting online platforms and mobile apps that offer exchange-like services, according to people familiar with the matter.
Bitcoin, Virtual Currency, Internet, Finance, Regulation
Ex-C.I.A. Officer Suspected of Compromising Chinese Informants Is Arrested
By Adam Goldman via New York Times
January 17, 2018
A former C.I.A. officer suspected by investigators of helping China dismantle United States spying operations and identify informants has been arrested, the Justice Department said on Tuesday. The collapse of the spy network was one of the American government’s worst intelligence failures in recent years.
CIA, Intelligence, Espionage
Huge Oil Spill Spreads in East China Sea, Stirring Environmental Fears
By Gerry Mullany via New York Times
January 16, 2018
Greenpeace said the disaster occurred in “an important spawning ground” for fish.
Oil, Water Pollution, Ocean, East China Sea
China Disrupts Global Companies’ Web Access as Censorship Bites
By Yuan Yang and Lucy Hornby via Financial Times
January 16, 2018
Groups fear being forced to use expensive VPN software surveilled by Beijing.
Censorship, Internet Censorship, VPN, Internet, Internet Freedom