Trump’s Insults Will Nudge African Nations Closer to China
By Ismail Einashe via NPR
January 16, 2018
Last week President Trump reportedly singled out Haiti, El Salvador and African nations as “shithole countries” whose people were not the kind of immigrants the United States wanted.
Donald Trump, Africa, China-Africa Relations, Belt and Road Initiative
Xi Jinping Calls on Donald Trump to Revive Economic Dialogue Programme
By Wendy Wu via South China Morning Post
January 16, 2018
The call comes as Washington ramps up talk of taking tough action against Beijing, including punitive tariffs, sanctions and even a trade war.
Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Trade, Trade Deficit
China’s Shutdown of Bitcoin Miners Isn’t Just about Electricity
By Sara Hsu via Forbes
January 16, 2018
The most critical aspect about cryptocurrency for China to address is criminal activity.
Technology, Bitcoin, Virtual Currency, Finance
Google Says ‘No Changes’ to Mapping Platform in China after Report
By Reuters via CNBC
January 16, 2018
Google denied a media report that claimed the tech giant was re-launching its mapping functions in China, where many of its services are blocked.
Google, Internet Censorship, Internet Freedom, Technology
Delta Air Lines, Zara Join Marriott in China's Bad Books over Tibet, Taiwan Gaffes
South China Morning Post
January 12, 2018
The outrage in China over US hotel giant Marriott’s gaffe in which it listed Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan as independent countries, has spread to a clutch of other well-known international brands as angry internet users sought to “expose” foreign businesses for not respecting Chinese sovereignty.
Airlines, Tibet, Taiwan
China's Top Movie Ticketing App Said to Plan $1 Billion IPO
Bloomberg
January 12, 2018
Maoyan Weying, China’s biggest online movie ticketing platform, is planning a Hong Kong initial public offering that could raise about $1 billion, people with knowledge of the matter said.
Box Office, Chinese Box Office
China Chides Tech Firms over Privacy Safeguards
CNBC
January 12, 2018
China reprimanded three top tech firms on Friday over poor privacy protections, as tech companies face an increasing backlash from consumers and authorities over excessive data collection practices.
Alibaba, Baidu, Social Media
China Professor Accused in #MeToo Campaign Is Sacked
BBC
January 12, 2018
A Chinese university has fired a professor accused of sexual misconduct, after a former student named him in a #MeToo campaign.
Feminism, Sexual Harassment
How Myanmar Fits into China's Global Power Ambitions
Quartz
January 12, 2018
As the Myanmar government’s violent policy towards its Rohingya Muslims drew increasing international condemnation in 2016, the country’s sometime icon of democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, declined to speak out for the persecuted minority.
Myanmar, China-Myanmar Relations, Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese Foreign Policy
China's 2017 Exports Rose 7.9% in Dollar Terms — Imports Jumped 15.9%
CNBC
January 12, 2018
China reported a 7.9 percent jump in exports and 15.9 percent rise in imports — both in dollar terms — for 2017.
Chinese Economy, Imports and Exports, Trade
A Blue Sky in Beijing? It's Not a Fluke, Says Greenpeace
New York Times
January 12, 2018
Winters in Beijing have long been choked by thick, dusty, toxic smog. But this winter, the sky has taken on a once seemingly unthinkable hue: blue.
Beijing, Air Pollution, Environment
China Is Winning Its War on Air Pollution, at Least in Beijing
Bloomberg
January 11, 2018
China is seeing signs of success in its fight against smog as pollution levels slump dramatically in the capital region Beijing.
Air Pollution, Beijing, Coal
China's Xi supports progress in inter-Korean talks: South Korea's Blue House
Reuters
January 11, 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday welcomed recent progress in inter-Korean talks during a telephone call with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the South’s Blue House said in a statement.
China-North Korea Relations, North Korea, South Korea, 2020 Winter Olympics
China church demolition sparks fears of campaign against Christians
Guardian
January 11, 2018
A church in northern China was demolished this week, the second in less than a month, sparking fears of a wider campaign against Christians as authorities prepare to enforce new laws on religion.
Religion, Church, Christianity
China’s inexorable rise is helped by Trump’s retreat
Washington Post
January 11, 2018
The first stop on French President Emmanuel Macron's trip to China this week was, curiously, not Beijing.
Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese Foreign Policy
China just reminded the United States that Beijing is its banker
CNBC
January 11, 2018
U.S. bonds sold off on Wednesday — and that may have been the point.
Bonds, Foreign Exchange, Chinese Foreign Policy, Financial Market
Chinese boy with frozen hair reignites poverty debate
BBC
January 11, 2018
An eight-year-old Chinese pupil, dubbed "Ice Boy" by social media users after images emerged of him arriving at school with swollen hands and frost on his hair and eyebrows, has sparked renewed discussion online about child poverty.
Poverty, Social Media, Rural China
East China Sea Oil Tanker Burns for Third Day as Winds, High Waves Lash Rescuers
By Josephine Mason, Yuna Park via Reuters
January 9, 2018
The poor conditions, with rain and waves as high as 3 meters (10 feet), frustrated efforts to tame the fire and search for the 31 remaining tanker crew members, China’s Ministry of Transport said in a statement on Tuesday.
Oil, East China Sea, Transportation, Transport Ministry
Emmanuel Macron Targets Deals during China State Visit
By Lucy Hornby and Anne-Sylvaine Chassany via Financial Times
January 9, 2018
French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to China’s imperial past during a state visit this week as he sought deals for French industry and co-operation on global issues such as climate change and terrorism.
Emmanuel Macron, France, Diplomacy
Philippines to Protest to China over Apparent Airbase on Manmade Island
By Reuters Staff via Reuters
January 9, 2018
The United States has criticized China’s build-up of military facilities on the artificial islands and is concerned they could be used to restrict free movement along the key trade route.
China-Philippines Relations, Philippines, South China Sea, Territorial Disputes
China’s Women Break Silence on Harassment as #MeToo Becomes #WoYeShi
By Tom Phillips via Guardian
January 9, 2018
Beijing’s strict social control mean few have risked speaking out about misogyny but campaigners are beginning to make their voices heard.
Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Politics, Feminism, Women
A Life-Size Replica of the Titanic Is under Construction in China’s Countryside
By Rob Schmitz via NPR
January 9, 2018
The film moved Su Shaojun, the developer overseeing the project, so much that when he became a developer 15 years later, he proposed building a resort and theme park featuring a replica.
Film, Film and Television, Rural Development
Americans Can’t Agree If They Loved or Hated ‘the Last Jedi.’ but China Definitely Hated It
By Bloomberg via Fortune
January 9, 2018
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” brought in an estimated $28.7 million in its opening weekend in China, coming in below its two predecessors in the world’s fastest-growing market.
Film, Film Industry, Box Office
China to Open Cultural Center in Jordan
By Zhou Xin via Xinhua
January 8, 2018
China will launch a cultural centre to promote Chinese culture in Jordan and to enhance ties between the two countries, Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Pan Weifang said Monday.
Jordan, Middle East, Culture
Africa Is Changing China as Much as China Is Changing Africa
By Lily Kuo via Quartz
January 8, 2018
In African countries, increasingly you find Chinese people who never meant to stay as long as they have. But now, they say they can’t go home, because being in Africa has changed them.
Africa, China-Africa Relations
Trump Is Reportedly Targeting China in Aggressive Trade Crackdown
By Sam Meredith via CNBC
January 8, 2018
President Donald Trump will unveil plans for an aggressive trade crackdown over the coming weeks, according to a report by Politico.
Donald Trump, Trade
France’s Macron Visits China to Talk Fairer Trade and the Future
By Rick Noack and James McAuley via Washington Post
January 8, 2018
As French President Emmanuel Macron began his three-day visit to China on Monday, he arrived with a bold message. “Europe is back,” he said.
France, Emmanuel Macron, Europe, Xi Jinping, Trade, Investment
BBC China Editor Carrie Gracie Quits Post in Equal Pay Row
BBC
January 8, 2018
The BBC’s China editor Carrie Gracie has resigned from her post, citing pay inequality with male colleagues.
BBC, Gender Equality
Bitcoin Miners Are Shifting outside China amid State Clampdown
Bloomberg
January 8, 2018
As China’s crackdown on cryptocurrencies broadens to bitcoin miners, some of the industry’s biggest players are shifting operations overseas.
Bitcoin
THANK YOU TRUMP: THAT TWEET WAS JUST WHAT CHINA NEEDED TO TAME PAKISTAN
South China Morning Post
January 5, 2018
In South Asia, there is one clear winner from Donald Trump’s tweet tantrums this week: China, which suddenly finds its leverage over Pakistan multiplying as a result of the US president’s mood swings.
Donald Trump, Pakistan, North Korea, U.S.-North Korea Relations, Twitter
China's Social Media Giants Want Their Users to Help out with the Crushing Burden of Censorship
Quartz
January 5, 2018
China’s social media giants are ramping up efforts to get their users to turn in people circulating taboo content, as the Communist Party further tightens its grip on the country’s internet.
Social Media, Sina Weibo, Weixin, WeChat, Tencent, Internet Censorship, Chinese Communist Party
China Is Building a $2 Billion Office Park in Beijing Just for AI
Quartz
January 5, 2018
Last year, China said it plans to be a world leader in AI by 2030. Now its capital is building a massive campus to house the AI firms that will power that rise, according to local media outlet Beijing News (link in Chinese).
Technology, Supercomputer, Telecommunications
As Koreas Agree to Talk, China Ups Pressure on the North
CBS News
January 5, 2018
South Korea said Friday that both Koreas had agreed to hold their first talks in more than two years on Tuesday.
North Korea, South Korea, China-North Korea Relations, 2020 Winter Olympics
China Unveils New Visa Program to Attract 'High-End' Foreigners
NPR
January 5, 2018
If you are a scientist, entrepreneur or a Nobel Prize laureate, you might have a future as an expatriate in China.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese Foreign Policy, Visas, Foreign Policy
China Says It Will Limit Oil, Refined Product Exports to North Korea
CNBC
January 5, 2018
China's Commerce Ministry said on Friday it will limit exports of crude oil, refined oil products, steel and other metals to North Korea, in line with tough new sanctions imposed by the United Nations for Pyongyang's missile tests.
North Korea, China-North Korea Relations, Oil, Imports and Exports
Chinese ‘Generation Zen’ Millennials Choosing Smartphones over Communist Values
By Jamie Fullerton via Telegraph
January 4, 2018
China’s ruling communist party is concerned that swathes of politically apathetic millennials, branded the ‘Zen-generation’, are sauntering through life in a passive and unpatriotic way - raising doubts about their loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party.
Chinese Communist Party, Chinese Communist Party Youth, Youth
China and the US ‘Are about to Ride a Bumpy Journey,’ State News Agency Says
By Huileng Tan via CNBC
January 4, 2018
China warned of a “bumpy journey” in trade with the U.S. and “retaliatory measures” a day after Washington blocked MoneyGram's proposed sale to a financial services firm affiliated with Chinese tech giant Alibaba.
Alibaba, National Security, Trade
Beijing to Build $2 Billion AI Research Park: Xinhua
Reuters
January 4, 2018
Beijing is planning to build a 13.8 billion yuan ($2.12 billion) artificial intelligence development park in the city’s west, the official Xinhua news agency reported, as China pushes ahead to fulfill its ambition to become a world leader in AI by 2025.
Investment, Technology, Beijing
The China Trade War Has Already Begun: CEO Daily for January 4, 2018
By Alan Murray and Tom Huddleston Jr. via Fortune
January 4, 2018
Gordon Orr, director emeritus of McKinsey and long-time China hand, wrote recently that many Chinese investors now “simply assume that they could not get approval for investment in the United States, and so won’t try.”
Chinese Investment, Markets, Trade, Technology
Http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/Macron-Heading-China-Strengthen-Economic-Ties-52133070
By Samuel Petrequin via ABC
January 4, 2018
French President Emmanuel Macron will head to China next week to strengthen commercial ties with the world's second-largest economy.
France, North Korea, Climate Change, Xi Jinping
China Land Grab on Lake Baikal Raises Russian Ire
By Charles Clover and Archie Zhang via Financial Times
January 4, 2018
A sleepy tourist town on the shores of Siberia’s Lake Baikal has become an unlikely lightning rod among Russian nationalists after Chinese investors bought up properties on the town’s lakefront.
China-Russia Relations, China Borderlands
Geely Buys Stake in Volvo Trucks, despite China Restrictions
By Sui-Lee Wee via New York Times
December 27, 2017
China’s government has made it harder to move money overseas. It has said it would punish companies for investing in certain sectors. It has told firms to report all cross-border deals.
Chinese Investment, International Capital Flows
Trump Readies Tougher ‘America First’ Line for China Trade in 2018
By David J. Lynch via Washington Post
December 27, 2017
The Trump administration is setting the stage to unveil tough new trade penalties against China early next year, moving closer to an oft-promised crackdown that some U.S. business executives fear will ignite a costly battle.
Trade, Tariffs
China to Look at Changing Its Constitution
By Tom Mitchell via Financial Times
December 27, 2017
China’s Communist party will meet next month to deliberate revisions to the country’s state constitution that would mark the document’s first amendments since 2004.
Constitution, Xi Jinping
China Says Part of Hong Kong Rail Station to Be Subject to Mainland Laws
By Christian Shepherd, Venus Wu via Reuters
December 27, 2017
China’s parliament on Wednesday said part of a high-speed railway station being built in Hong Kong would be regarded as mainland territory governed by mainland laws, an unprecedented move that critics say further erodes the city’s autonomy.
Hong Kong, Railways, Borders, Hong Kong-Mainland Tension
Huawei's China Smartphone Sales Chief Detained on Corruption Charges
By Li Tao via South China Morning Post
December 27, 2017
A senior Huawei Technologies sales executive has been arrested over suspected “non-state staff bribery”, the Shenzhen-based company said in a statement on Wednesday.
Huawei, Corruption
Copper Rallies to Three-Year High as China Plant Halts Output
By Joe Deaux, Winnie Zhu and Eddie van der Walt via Bloomberg
December 27, 2017
Copper in London surged to the highest in almost four years after China ordered its top producer to halt output to combat winter pollution, fueling a rally this year driven by optimism about demand and supply disruptions at mines.
Pollution, Deficit, Metals
AP Exclusive: Anger with China Drives Uighurs to Syria Fight
By Associated Press via ABC
December 22, 2017
Since 2013, thousands of Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority from western China, have traveled to Syria to train with the Uighur militant group Turkistan Islamic Party and fight alongside al-Qaida.
Uighur, Islam, Xinjiang, Syria, Ethnicity
China Tells U.S. Not to Be a 'Human Rights Judge' After Sanctions on Chinese Official
By Reuters Staff via Reuters
December 22, 2017
Gao Yan was one of the targets of an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday blocking the property of foreigners involved in human rights abuses.
Human Rights, Human Rights Abuses, Sanctions, Government Officials
India, China Hold Talks on Long-Running Border Dispute
By Associated Press via ABC
December 22, 2017
India and China on Friday discussed ways to prevent a repeat of a recent face-off between their armed forces at a Himalayan plateau where their borders meet.
China-India Relations, India, Border Conflict, Border Dispute, Borders
France Couple in China Unreachable After Liu Xiaobo Tribute
By BBC via BBC
December 22, 2017
Hu Jiamin and Marine Brossard painted a mural showing an empty blue chair at an art exhibition in Shenzhen last week.
Liu Xiaobo, Censorship
Behind the Fall and Rise of China's Xiaomi
By David Kline via Wired
December 22, 2017
The comeback has made Xiaomi a poster child for China’s entrepreneurial dynamism.
Xiaomi, Mobile Phones, Entrepreneurship, Innovation
China's Real-Life Magic Realism of 2017, According to Chinese Netizens
By Zheping Huang via Quartz
December 22, 2017
In China, the term is beloved by netizens who use it when surfacing the absurd in political and social phenomena they witness daily.
Censorship, Eviction
Tech Titans Wage War in China's next Internet Revolution
Wall Street Journal
December 21, 2017
As Alibaba and Tencent do battle for supremacy, companies and consumers will be caught in the crossfire
Alibaba, Tencent, Chinese Economy, China Internet Conference
China Is out of the 2018 Russia World Cup—but Its Businesses Are Not
Quartz
December 21, 2017
China is not sending a team to the 2018 Russia World Cup, to the dismay of fans. But the country’s businesses are not going to miss the world’s most popular sports event.
World Cup, Sponsorship, Chinese Economy, Sports
Donald Trump 'Ignores Facts': Chinese Military Hits Back at Claim It Is Trying to Challenge US Interests
South China Morning Post
December 21, 2017
The Chinese military has rejected US President Donald Trump’s accusation that it is a challenge to American’s national security, according to a statement released late on Wednesday night.
Donald Trump, National Security, Xi Jinping, Military
China Inflicted a World of Pain on South Korea in 2017
Quartz
December 21, 2017
Perhaps no other country felt the economic cost of China’s wrath as South Korea did this year.
South Korea, Economy, Tourism, THAAD
A Second Territorial Dispute in Asia Could Be More Dangerous Than the South China Sea
CNBC
December 21, 2017
When it comes to territorial disputes in Asia, the South China Sea typically commands the bulk of attention.
China-Japan Relations, South China Sea, East China Sea, Border Conflict, Territory Disputes
What Happened on China's New Silk Road in 2017
Forbes
December 21, 2017
Year four of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is now in the books.
New Silk Road, Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese Economy, Trade
China to USA: 'Stop Deliberately Distorting' Our Global Strategy
CNBC
December 20, 2017
China hit back at the U.S. after it branded the East Asian giant a competitor, accusing it of distorting the country's intentions and adopting a "Cold War" mentality.
Economy, Donald Trump, Chinese Communist Party, 19th Party Congress, Xi Jinping
The US and China Are Preparing for All Hell to Break Loose in North Korea
Business Insider
December 20, 2017
As tensions rise to historic heights on the Korean Peninsula, both the US and China have begun taking unprecedented steps to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
North Korea, China-North Korea Relations, U.S.-North Korea Relations
The Arms Race in the South China Sea
Forbes
December 20, 2017
China’s increasingly assertive attitude in the South China Sea has its neighbors worried.
South China Sea, China-Southeast Asia Relations, U.S. Foreign Policy, Military
Taiwan Says Pro-China Party Is Suspected of Passing Information to Beijing
New York Times
December 20, 2017
Taiwan is investigating four members of a small political party that advocates unification with China, on the suspicion that they gave Chinese officials classified information related to an espionage case.
Taiwan, China-Taiwan Relations, Taiwan Politics, Crime
South Korean Coast Guard Fires 250 Rounds at Chinese Fishing Ships
CNN
December 20, 2017
South Korea's coast guard said it fired almost 250 rounds of ammunition from a machine gun and other weapons during a confrontation with dozens of Chinese fishing vessels Tuesday.
Fishing, South Korea, China-Southeast Asia Relations, Border Conflict
China Shrugs off Debt Worries as Xi Takes Firmer Economic Grip
New York Times
December 20, 2017
It’s Xi Jinping’s economy now, and he isn’t too worried about debt.
Xi Jinping, Chinese Economy, Debt, Chinese Communist Party
China Says Trump’s New Security Policy Shows ‘Cold War Mentality’
By James Griffiths and Serenitie Wang via CNN
December 19, 2017
Speaking Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying urged the US to “abandon its Cold War mentality and zero-sum game ” warning failure to do so “would only harm itself as well as others.”
National Security, Trade