China Draws Myanmar Closer as the World Turns Away
By Jane Perlez via New York Times
November 30, 2017
For the second time in a week, one of Myanmar’s top leaders is visiting Beijing, as international criticism over the brutal purge of Rohingya Muslims is bringing the neighboring countries together.
China-Myanmar Relations, Refugees, Southeast Asia, Bangladesh
U.S. Seeks to Deny China Market Economy Status in WTO
By Shawn Donnan via Financial Times
November 30, 2017
The Trump administration has opposed China’s bid for recognition as a “market economy” in the World Trade Organization, citing decades of legal precedent and what it sees as signs the country is moving in the opposite direction under Xi Jinping.
Market Economy, World Trade Organization, Antidumping, Trade
Australian Senator Loses Leadership Role over China Remarks
BBC
November 30, 2017
An Australian senator has been stripped of his senior duties after a recording revealed he had contradicted his party's policy on the South China Sea.
Australia, South China Sea, Geopolitics
Chinese Manufacturing Expanded More Than Expected in November
By Yen Nee Lee via CNBC
November 30, 2017
China reported on Thursday that factory activity expanded at a quicker pace in November, with the official manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index coming in at 51.8 — topping expectations.
Chinese Economy, Chinese Manufacturing, GDP
China Child Abuse Claims: Kindergarten Company Reveals More Complaints
Guardian
November 30, 2017
The major company whose kindergarten in Beijing is under investigation over child abuse allegations, has said it is aware of more complaints by parents at some of its schools elsewhere in China.
Child Abuse, Education, Beijing
Mulan: Disney Casts Chinese Actress Liu Yifei in Lead Role
BBC
November 30, 2017
Disney has picked Chinese actor Liu Yifei to play Mulan in an upcoming film, following accusations against Hollywood of ‘whitewashing.’
Disney, Movie Stars, Film
Trump Pledges New Wave of 'Major Sanctions' on North Korea After Call with China's Xi
By Simon Denyer via Washington Post
November 29, 2017
President Trump pledged Wednesday that “additional major sanctions” would be imposed on North Korea after Pyongyang's latest intercontinental missile test. Trump’s statement followed a telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose country is an economic lifeline for North Korea.
Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, North Korea Sanctions, North Korean Missiles, North Korea Nuclear Test
Trump Starts Probe into Aluminum That China Calls Protectionist
By Joe Deaux and Andrew Mayeda via Bloomberg
November 29, 2017
The Trump administration, invoking powers the U.S. hasn’t used in more than a quarter century, began a probe into Chinese aluminum imports that could lead to tariffs.
Metals, Antidumping, Trade
In China, Fears That New Anticorruption Agency Will Be Above the Law
By Chris Buckley via New York Times
November 29, 2017
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, is pushing to establish a new anticorruption agency with sweeping powers to sidestep the courts and lock up anyone on the government payroll for months without access to a lawyer — a plan that has met surprisingly vocal opposition from some of the nation’s foremost legal minds.
Xi Jinping, Anti-Corruption, Courts, Legal System
China Child Abuse Scandal: Police Accuse Parents of Making Claims Up
By Steven Jiang via CNN
November 29, 2017
A child abuse scandal that has rocked China took a shocking turn Tuesday, as police accused two parents for fabricating tales of their children being drugged and molested at a Beijing kindergarten.
Child Abuse, Education, Police
Chinese Stocks Are Beginning to Show 'Cracks.' Here's What It Means
By Rebecca Ungarino via CNBC
November 29, 2017
China’s stock market has been steadily rising all year, but according to one technician the charts are beginning to show signs of weakness.
Stock Market, Chinese Financial Market, Market Reform
China Fintech Lending Boom Fuels Risks of Data Theft Black Market in User Details Thrives as Apps Require Borrowers to Grant Access to Phones
By Gabriel Wildau and Yizhen Jia via Financial Times
November 29, 2017
The rise of online consumer loans in China has spawned a thriving black market in stolen user data.
Finance, Loans
China Jails Taiwanese Rights Activist for 5 Years
By Edward White via Financial Times
November 28, 2017
Lee Ming-che, who worked at a college in Taipei and kept regular contact with civil society activists in China via social media platforms, has been held by Chinese authorities since travelling to Guangdong on March 19.
Taiwan, Freedom of Expression, Human Rights, Crackdown
US Charges 3 Chinese Nationals with Hacking, Stealing Intellectual Property from Companies
By Evan Perez via CNN
November 28, 2017
The charges being brought in Pittsburgh allege that the hackers stole intellectual property from several companies, including Trimble, a maker of navigation systems; Siemens, a German technology company with major operations in the US; and Moody’s Analytics.
Hacking, Intellectual Property, U.S.-China Relations, Technology
Obama to Meet with Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi on Visits to China, India and France
By David Nakamura via Washington Post
November 28, 2017
The tour comes just two weeks after President Trump held a summit with Xi in Beijing and days after Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, a White House adviser, participated in a global economic summit in Hyderabad, India.
Barack Obama, Diplomacy, Xi Jinping, Trade
For China’s High-Flying Tycoons, a Precarious Balance
By Anthony Kuhn via NPR
November 28, 2017
Flush with credit, LeEco expanded aggressively overseas. But the company overextended itself, its credit began to dry up — and by May, it had to lay off most of its workers in the U.S.
Smartphones, Entrepreneurship, Technology
“Coco” Looks Like a Surprise Hit in China—Where It Technically Should Be Banned
By Josh Horwitz via Quartz
November 28, 2017
Coco, Pixar’s latest animated movie, beat two superhero films to top the US box office over Thanksgiving weekend. It could also become one of Pixar’s top-grossing films in China—a country where the studio has struggled to win over audiences.
Pixar, Film Industry, Animation, Box Office
Xi Jinping Makes China’s Toilets a Number Two Priority
By Benjamin Haas via Guardian
November 28, 2017
Chinese urged to ‘Advance the Toilet Revolution Steadily’ and do away with squalid communal facilities as a national imperative.
Urban Development, Urban Planning, Modernization, Urban Issues
Three Things to Know About China's Kindergarten Abuse Scandal
By Casey Quackenbush via Time
November 27, 2017
A public firestorm has erupted in China over allegations of teachers abusing children at a kindergarten in Beijing. At the kindergarten in Xintiandi run by RYB Education, a New York-listed education chain that is well known in China, children were allegedly given pills, pierced with needles, forced to strip naked, and possibly sexually molested.
Education, Beijing, Child Abuse, Private Education
Mass Evictions in Freezing Beijing Winter Sparks Public Outrage but Little Official Remorse
By Simon Denyer and Luna Lin via Washington Post
November 27, 2017
In his nationwide address to usher in the start of 2017, China’s President Xi Jinping said he was “seriously concerned” about people living in hardship in his country — those who struggle to find jobs, housing, health care and education for their children. Xi pledged that to “ceaselessly solve those problems remains an unshirkable responsibility for the party and the government.”
Beijing, Housing, Forced Evictions, Migrant Workers
Aung San Suu Kyi Looks to China as Criticism over Rohingya Grows
By John Reed via Financial Times
November 27, 2017
Aung San Suu Kyi is to visit China in a sign that Myanmar is drawing closer to Beijing as international condemnation of the violent expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from the country grows.
China-Myanmar Relations, Refugees, Diplomacy, Bangladesh
Chinese Premier Backs More Investments in Eastern Europe
By Pablo Gorondi via ABC
November 27, 2017
At a summit of 16 countries in the Hungarian capital, Premier Li Keqiang said efforts such as China’s “new Silk Road” initiative to expand trade across Asia, Africa and Europe, should be a boon to the countries that were formally part of the communist bloc.
Europe, Belt and Road Initiative, European Union, Li Keqiang
Early China Indicators Signal That Economy Cooled This Month
By Bloomberg News via Bloomberg
November 27, 2017
Confidence among China’s sales managers and steel producers waned in November, matching the mood among international investors, while sentiment among small businesses improved, according to the earliest available indicators.
Chinese Economy, Economic Slowdown, Economic Growth, Construction
Business Is Booming Between China, Japan and South Korea — the US Should Get in on It
By Michael Ivanovitch via CNBC
November 27, 2017
China, Japan and South Korea account for a quarter of the world’s output of goods and services. Their combined trade surplus is currently running at an annual rate of $400 billion. They can recycle that trade income to finance, with interest, most of America’s external deficit of $460 billion.
Japan, South Korea, East Asia, Trade, United States
Air China Indefinitely Suspends Flights between Beijing and Pyongyang
Reuters
November 22, 2017
Air China Ltd has indefinitely suspended flights between Beijing and Pyongyang, citing poor demand as North Korea faces growing sanctions from the United States over its nuclear weapons and missile programs.
North Korea, China-North Korea Relations, North Korea Sanctions, Nuclear Weapons
Air China Indefinitely Suspends Flights between Beijing and Pyongyang
Reuters
November 22, 2017
Air China Ltd has indefinitely suspended flights between Beijing and Pyongyang, citing poor demand as North Korea faces growing sanctions from the United States over its nuclear weapons and missile programs.
North Korea, China-North Korea Relations, North Korea Sanctions, Nuclear Weapons
President Trump Has Imposed New Sanctions on North Korea and Chinese Trading Firms
By Matthew Pennington via Time
November 22, 2017
The Trump administration imposed new sanctions Tuesday on a slew of North Korean shipping firms and Chinese trading companies in its latest push to isolate the rogue nation over its nuclear weapons development and deprive it of revenue.
Donald Trump, North China, North Korea Sanctions, Terrorism
China Is Investigating Its Former Internet Censor-In-Chief for Corruption
Time
November 22, 2017
China’s former top internet regulator and censor is being investigated by the ruling Communist Party’s anti-corruption arm, the agency said Tuesday.
Lu Wei, Cybersecurity, Propaganda, Internet Censorship
Donald Trump's Unwitting Surrender to China
By Edward Luce via Financial Times
November 22, 2017
Sixty years ago Russia shocked the world with the launch of the Sputnik satellite. Donald Trump was 11 years old.
Donald Trump, Immigration, North Korea, Nuclear Weapons
Victoria's Secret Meets China's Security
By Christopher Balding via Bloomberg
November 22, 2017
At one point, it must‘ve seemed like a good idea. Victoria‘s Secret, the American lingerie brand, was making a major push to expand its business globally.
Security, Victoria's Secret, Fashion, Chinese Economy
China Turns Its Back on Comrade Bob to Embrace Change in Zimbabwe
By Tom Phillips via Guardian
November 22, 2017
Confirmation of Robert Mugabe’s ouster prompted revelry on the streets of Harare. “The Goblin has gone!” raved one.
Zimbabwe, Chinese Foreign Policy, Robert Mugabe
Skype Vanishes from App Stores in China, Including Apple’s
By Paul Mozur via New York Times
November 21, 2017
For almost a month, Skype, the internet phone call and messaging service, has been unavailable on a number of sites where apps are downloaded in China, including Apple’s app store in the country.
Skype, Apple, Mobile Phones, Smartphones, Social Media
China Jails yet Another Human Rights Lawyer in Ongoing Crackdown on Dissent
By Emily Rauhala and Simon Denyer via Washington Post
November 21, 2017
Jiang Tianyong, 46, is the latest lawyer known for defending government critics to be jailed. More than 200 have been detained over the last two years in the ongoing crackdown on criticism in China.
Lawyers, Human Rights, Dissidents and Activists, Crackdown, Chinese Communist Party
Mugabe's Downfall Could Be Good Business for China
By Ting Shi via Bloomberg
November 21, 2017
China has seen its influence rise in Zimbabwe during Robert Mugabe’s nearly four decades in power, becoming the African nation’s third-largest trading partner and biggest foreign investor. Beijing might gain even more if he goes.
Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, China-Africa Relations
China to Fend off Bubble Risk with Tighter Property Rules
By David Reid via CNBC
November 21, 2017
The authorities said they would stop funds being illegally funneled into property and that capital flow would be more forcibly balanced between real estate and other industries.
Chinese Financial Market, Chinese Financial Policy, Financial Regulation, Real Estate, Real Estate Bubble
Chinese Social Media Giant Is Worth More Than Facebook
By Daniel Shane via CNN
November 21, 2017
Tencent shares closed more than 2% higher in Hong Kong on Tuesday, valuing the social media and gaming giant at around $522 billion, according to FactSet. Facebook is currently worth a little over $519 billion.
Facebook, Tencent, New Media, Social Media, Technology
China's Revealing Spin on the ‘Sharing Economy’
By Brook Larmer via New York Times
November 21, 2017
China is the first country to frame “sharing economy” as a “national priority.” It fits with the image that Beijing wants to project: warm, generous, egalitarian.
Sharing Economy, Mobike, Sharing Scheme, Economic Reform
China Draws Three-Stage Path for Myanmar, Bangladesh to Resolve Rohingya Crisis
By Yimou Lee via Reuters
November 20, 2017
China called for a ceasefire in Myanmar’s Rakhine State so that Rohingya Muslim refugees can return from Bangladesh, proposing a three-stage approach to the crisis as diplomats from 51 mostly Asian and European countries gathered in Myanmar on Monday.
China-Myanmar Relations, Refugees, Bangladesh, Myanmar
Chinese Envoy Wraps up North Korea Trip after Meetings
By The Associated Press via ABC
November 20, 2017
A high-level Chinese envoy wrapped up a four-day trip to North Korea on Monday after meeting with top officials and discussing the tense state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula and other issues.
China-North Korea Relations, Diplomacy, Pyongyang, Nuclear Crisis
Chinese Shadow Banking Has Slowed — but That's Not as Good as It Seems
By Huileng Tan via CNBC
November 20, 2017
China is on a drive to reduce its reliance on debt, a habit that some experts warn could lead to a global financial crisis.
Chinese Financial Policy, Shadow Banking, Debt, Financial Market
Rosneft Deal Boosts Russia-China Relationship
By Henry Foy via Financial Times
November 20, 2017
Russia’s state-run oil group Rosneft has agreed to supply its new partner CEFC China Energy with almost 61m tonnes of oil over the next five years, strengthening the most high-profile corporate link in the burgeoning relationship between Moscow and Beijing.
China-Russia Relations, Oil Companies, Energy, Trade
Australian Furor over Chinese Influence Follows Book's Delay
By Jacqueline Willams via New York Times
November 20, 2017
The book was already being promoted as an explosive exposé of Chinese influence infiltrating the highest levels of Australian politics and media. But then, months before it was set to hit bookstore shelves, its publisher postponed the release, saying it was worried about lawsuits.
International Relations, Australia, Media, Politics
China on pace for Record Solar-Power Installations
By Bloomberg News via Bloomberg
November 20, 2017
China, the world’s biggest carbon emitter, is poised to install a record amount of solar-power capacity this year, prompting researchers to boost forecasts as much as 80 percent.
Solar Energy, Clean Energy, Energy Reform, Renewable Energy
China's Soccer Push Puts a Storied Team under Murky Ownership
By SuiI-Lee Wee & Ryan McMorrow & Tariq Panja via New York Times
November 17, 2017
When the Chinese businessman Li Yonghong bought A.C. Milan, the world-famous Italian soccer club, virtually nobody in Italy had heard of him.
Soccer, Business, Sports
China's Nuclear Spaceships Will Be 'Mining Asteroids and Flying Astronauts to the Moon' as It Aims to Overtake US in Space Race
By Stephen Chen via South China Morning Post
November 17, 2017
China is on course to develop nuclear-powered space shuttles by 2040, and will have the ability to mine resources from asteroids and build solar power plants in space soon after, according to state media.
Nuclear, Technology
China's $38 Trillion Off-Balance Sheet Binge Poses Little Risk: UBS
Bloomberg
November 17, 2017
The Chinese finance sector’s 253 trillion yuan ($38 trillion) of off-balance sheet items pose little risk because more than two-thirds of them are relatively harmless components such as custodial funds and untapped credit-card limits, said UBS Group AG.
Financial Crisis, Chinese Economy
China Faces Waste Hangover after Singles’ Day Buying Binge
Reuters
November 17, 2017
China’s Singles’ Day online discount sales bonanza on Saturday saw bargain-hungry buyers spend over $38 billion, flooding the postal and courier businesses with around 331 million packages - and leaving an estimated 160,000 tonnes of packaging waste.
Online Shopping, Alibaba, Singles’ Day, Waste
Trump Hails China's North Korea Envoy as 'Big Move' but Experts Doubtful
By Ben Westcott via CNN
November 17, 2017
US President Donald Trump has hailed the Chinese government sending an envoy to North Korea Friday as a "big move" in the wake of his five-country trip to Asia.
Donald Trump, North Korea, U.S.-China Relations, China-North Korea Relations, Nuclear
There's Legitimate Suspicion That China Approved of Zimbabwe's Coup
Quartz
November 17, 2017
When general Constantino Guveya Chiwenga, head of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), was on his way to China in early November, his vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa was being unceremoniously dismissed from the government and the ruling ZANU-PF party.
Zimbabwe, Trade, Military
Trump's First Asia-Pacific Tour: The View From Taiwan
Diplomat
November 17, 2017
What implications did Trump’s trip have for the U.S.-China-Taiwan triangle?
China-Taiwan Relations, U.S.-Taiwan Relations, Xi Jinping
China Could Sell Trump the Brooklyn Bridge
New York Times
November 17, 2017
There is a saying — “When you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there” — and it perfectly sums up the contrast between China’s President Xi Jinping and President Trump.
Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Asia-U.S. Relations
"A Man Who Makes Things Happen": Chinese State Media's 8,000-Word Profile on Xi Jinping
Quartz
November 17, 2017
Chinese president Xi Jinping officially became the most powerful leader in China since Mao Zedong at a recently concluded Communist Party congress. Now, you can read all about why Xi is so great in a lengthy profile published today (Nov. 17) by state news agency Xinhua.
Xi Jinping, state news agency Xinhua
A Chinese Novelist Is Found in Translation
By Taras Grescoe via New York Times
November 16, 2017
Xue Yiwei, who has been hailed as China’s “most charismatic literary stylist,” is virtually unknown among English-language readers.
Cultural Revolution, Tiananmen Square, Literature
Donald Trump Tells UCLA Trio to Thank Xi Jinping for Releasing Them from China
South China Morning Post
November 16, 2017
US President Donald Trump has exhorted three suspended UCLA basketball players to thank Chinese President Xi Jinping for their freedom following a shoplifting incident while they were in China.
Basketball, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, U.S.-China Relations, Crime
Zimbabwe Army Chief's Trip to China Last Week Raises Questions on Coup
Guardian
November 16, 2017
When one of the architects of Zimbabwe’s low-key coup landed in Beijing last week he was met by two of the most senior members of the world’s largest military force.
Zimbabwe, Political Reform, Military, Foreign Investment
Chinese Investors Are Stealthily Pouring Money into India
CNBC
November 16, 2017
If you go by official Indian government figures, Chinese direct investments into the country this century hit a paltry $1.6 billion in March 2017.
China-India Relations, Business, Foreign Investment
'It's a Mistake to Underestimate China'
Atlantic
November 16, 2017
At the recent APEC CEO Summit in Vietnam, President Donald Trump said the United States would refocus its existing development efforts in Asia toward infrastructure investment that promotes economic growth.
Donald Trump, Asia-U.S. Relations, U.S.-China Relations, Chinese Economy, APEC
Donald Trump Tells UCLA Trio to Thank Xi Jinping for Releasing Them from China
South China Morning Post
November 16, 2017
U.S. President Donald Trump has exhorted three suspended UCLA basketball players to thank Chinese President Xi Jinping for their freedom following a shoplifting incident while they were in China.
Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, U.S.-China Relations, Basketball
Seeing U.S. In Retreat under Trump, Japan and China Move to Mend Ties
New York Times
November 16, 2017
When Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, met with President Xi Jinping of China on the sidelines of a regional summit meeting in Vietnam over the weekend, the pair shook hands and posed for a photo. Mr. Xi, who had looked more dour in previous meetings, flashed a grin.
Donald Trump, Japan, Asia-U.S. Relations, China-Japan Relations
China Appears to Have Crossed Trump on North Korea
Business Insider
November 16, 2017
After a 12-day trip to Asia in which President Donald Trump stressed his friendship and mutual understanding with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Beijing appears to have crossed Trump on a key issue: North Korea.
Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, U.S.-China Relations, North Korea, Nuclear Weapons
U.S. Congress Urged to Require Chinese Journalists to Register as Agents
By David Brunnstrom via Reuters
November 15, 2017
A report to the U.S. Congress released on Wednesday accused Chinese state media entities of involvement in spying and propaganda and said their staff in the United States should be required to register as foreign agents.
Journalism, State Media, Propaganda, Foreign Media, Censorship, Xinhua, Espionage
Why China Wants to Lead on Climate, but Clings to Coal (for Now)
By Somini Sengupta via New York Times
November 15, 2017
Barely a month ago, in a landmark speech to the Communist Party Congress, President Xi Jinping of China promised that his country would take a “driving seat in international cooperation to respond to climate change.”
Coal, Coal Industry, Renewable Energy, Environmental Protection, Climate Change, Fossil Fuels
“Have You Considered Your Parents’ Happiness?”
Human Rights Watch
November 15, 2017
The psychiatrist told my mom: ‘Homosexuality is just like all the other mental diseases, like depression, anxiety, or bipolar. It can be cured…. Trust me, leave him here, he is in good hands.’
LGBT, Homosexuality, Human Rights, Mental Health, Family Planning, China Health Ministry
Three UCLA Players Return from China to Calls for Suspensions — and a Twitter Scolding from Trump
By Des Bieler and Matt Bonesteel via Washington Post
November 15, 2017
The three UCLA players who were detained in China for shoplifting returned to the U.S. on Tuesday night, following intervention from, among others, President Trump. As immensely relieved as LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley must be to have been allowed to leave so quickly — not to mention to have avoided prison sentences — they came back to calls for strong punishments from the school — and a chiding from the president.
Basketball, Crime, Prisons, Sports, U.S.-China Relations, Donald Trump
China Could Sell Trump the Brooklyn Bridge
By Thomas L. Friedman via New York Times
November 15, 2017
There is a saying, “When you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there,” and it perfectly sums up the contrast between China’s President Xi Jinping and President Trump.
Trade, U.S.-China Relations, Chinese Economic Influence, Donald Trump
‘Bloodless’ Takeover ‘Won’t Dampen’ Chinese Investment in Zimbabwe
By Kinling Lo via South China Morning Post
November 15, 2017
China will continue to invest in its “all-weather friend” Zimbabwe despite a military takeover of the African country’s government, observers said.
Zimbabwe, China-Africa Relations, Chinese Investment, Chinese Economic Influence, Military