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☆ China's automakers must adapt quickly or lose out on the EV boom in the face of regulatory scrutiny abroad and competition at home
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The automaker is the joint venture partner of Honda and Toyota in China, and has an electric car brand called Aion. Expanding outside ChinaLike other automakers in China, GAC is also turning overseas. China's overseas car sales surged last year, putting the country on par with Japan as the world's largest exporter of cars. Dyer expects that to drive overseas demand for Chinese electric cars. Chinese consumers placed almost twice as much importance on tech features compared with U.S. consumers, Dyer said, citing AlixPartners' survey.

Persons: Evelyn Cheng, Tesla, Feng Xingya, Feng, Wei Haigang, Wei, Stephen Dyer AlixPartners, There's, Stephen Dyer, AlixPartners, Dyer, BYD, Nio, CATL, Zhong Shi Organizations: CNBC, GAC, Labor, Huawei, Honda, Toyota, China Passenger Car Association, EU, U.S, Factories, Greater China Business U.S, Ministry of Commerce, Tech, Volkswagen, SAIC Motor, Battery, China Automobile Dealers Association, Automotive, Robotics, Lotus Technology, Geely Locations: Beijing, Evelyn Cheng BEIJING, China, East, Mexico, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Egypt, Brazil, Turkey, Amsterdam, Greater China, Asia, U.S, Europe

☆ Musk makes surprise visit to Beijing as Tesla's China-made cars pass data security rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — Local Chinese authorities have removed restrictions on Tesla cars after the company's China-made vehicles passed the country's data security requirements, the automaker said Sunday. Although Tesla's electric cars are some of the most popular vehicles in China, they have reportedly been banned from some government-related properties due to concerns about what data the U.S.-based automaker can collect. Tesla's press release did not specify which local authorities had removed restrictions on the cars. The Biden administration earlier this year announced a probe into whether imported cars from China pose national security risks due to their ability to potentially collect data about the U.S. and send it back to China. Tesla's vehicles were not the only ones that passed the data security rules.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, Porte, Premier Li Qiang, Biden, Li Auto, Nio Organizations: Twitter, Viva Technology, Porte de, BEIJING — Local, Premier, Tesla's, China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, National Computer Network, Coordination Center of China Locations: Paris, France, BEIJING, China, Beijing

BEIJING — Chinese electric car start-ups Nio and Xpeng are turning to a lower-priced segment of the market with plans to release newly branded cars this year. Nio's first such mass market car will be an SUV cheaper than Tesla 's Model Y, CEO William Li told CNBC's Eunice Yoon on Thursday. The Tesla SUV starts at 249,900 yuan ($35,197) in China. Like many early entrants to China's electric car market, U.S.-listed Nio targeted the premium market when it launched about a decade ago. The new cars come amid an intense price war in China's new energy car market, which includes battery-only and hybrid-powered vehicles.

Persons: William Li, Nio's, Eunice Yoon, Li Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Tesla, Volkswagen Locations: BEIJING, China, U.S

☆ Geely-backed luxury EV brand Zeekr says it's already beating Tesla in parts of China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Pictured here is the Zeekr 001 electric car at a services trade fair in Beijing on Aug. 31, 2023. China News Service | China News Service | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Chinese electric car brand Zeekr is selling more vehicles than Tesla in parts of China, and plans to expand in Europe and Latin America this year, Zeekr CEO Andy An told CNBC on Wednesday. For the first three weeks of April, Zeekr sold 500 more cars than Tesla in the province of Zhejiang, where Zeekr and its parent company Geely are based. Zeekr also slightly outsold Tesla in the province of Anhui, near Shanghai, and Guangxi, an autonomous region in southern China. The rapid rise of Chinese electric car companies, however, has also prompted the EU and U.S. to consider measures for protecting their own auto industries.

Persons: Andy, Elon, Tesla, Zeekr Organizations: China News Service, Getty, CNBC, EU Locations: Beijing, BEIJING, China, Europe, Latin America, Zhejiang, Anhui, Shanghai, Guangxi, Sweden, Netherlands, America, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore

☆ Xpeng's Gu says robotaxis won’t be a real business for at least five years
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

A Xpeng G9 is displayed at a store in a mall in Beijing on Feb. 29, 2024. BEIJING — Self-driving taxis won't be a significant business for at least five years, Xpeng Vice Chairman and Co-President Brian Gu said Thursday. While robotaxis will be transformative for mobility if they become prevalent, "to have a real, full-fledged commercial operation. I think it's more than 5 years away," Gu told reporters on the sidelines of the Beijing auto show. "Right now it's not something that we are considering when we are launching and planning the sales," he said.

Persons: Brian Gu, Elon Musk, Tesla, Gu Organizations: BEIJING — Locations: Beijing, BEIJING

☆ China's Xiaomi is selling more EVs than expected, raising hopes it can break even sooner
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Xiaomi SU7 on display at the Mobile World Congress 2024. Arjun Kharpal | CNBCBEIJING — Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi 's new electric vehicle is selling better than expected, putting it closer to break-even despite undercutting Tesla 's Model 3 on price. For context, Tesla China sold more than 600,000 cars last year, according to the China Passenger Car Association. Li Auto had a gross margin of 23.5% in the fourth quarter last year, while Nio's gross margin was 7.5%, both up from the year-ago period. Tesla's gross margin has successively declined over the past five quarters to 17.4% in the first three months of this year.

Persons: Arjun Kharpal, undercutting Tesla, Xiaomi, Lei Jun, Li Auto, Nio, Lei Organizations: Mobile, CNBC BEIJING, Citi, China Passenger Car Association, Li, CNBC Locations: Beijing, China

☆ China may have to brace for a new wave of bond defaults, S&P says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — China's state-directed economy may be creating the conditions for a new wave of bond defaults that could come as soon as next year, according to an S&P Global Ratings report released Tuesday. It comes against a backdrop of extremely few defaults in China amid concerns about overall growth in the world's second-largest economy. China's corporate bond default rate fell to 0.2% in 2023, the lowest in at least 8 years and far below the global rate of about 2.6%, S&P data showed. "We've seen directives or guidance from the government in the past year to discourage defaults in the bond market." "The question is: When the guidance to avoid the defaults in the bond market [ends], what happens to the bond market?"

Persons: Charles Chang, that's, Chang, We've Organizations: Country Garden Holdings Co Locations: Phoenix, Heyuan, Guangdong province, China, BEIJING

☆ China's 'Netflix' iQiyi pivots toward an aging population in an AI era
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — Chinese video streaming platform iQiyi is turning its attention to the country's aging population, while using artificial intelligence tools to bolster content production. One of iQiyi's near-term goals is to improve the product offering for older users, CEO and founder Gong Yu said Tuesday at the company's annual conference. Gong also pointed to estimates that predict about one-fourth of China's population will be considered elderly in 2033, rising to one-third in 2053. Fewer children, Gong said, means each child becomes more important. He said iQiyi would improve the quality of its content for children.

Persons: Gong Yu, Gong Organizations: Netflix, CNBC Locations: China, U.S, BEIJING, iQiyi's

☆ China's fiscal stimulus is losing its effectiveness, S&P says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — China's fiscal stimulus is losing its effectiveness and is more of a strategy to buy time for industrial and consumption policies, S&P Global Ratings senior analyst Yunbang Xu said in a report Thursday. The analysis used growth in government spending to measure fiscal stimulus. "In our view, fiscal stimulus is a buy-time strategy that could have some longer-term benefits, if projects are focused on reviving consumption or industrial upgrades that increase value-add," Xu said. The head of the top economic planning agency said in March that China would "strengthen macroeconomic policies" and increase coordination among fiscal, monetary, employment, industrial and regional policies. High debt levels limit how much fiscal stimulus a local government can undertake, regardless of whether a city is considered a high or low-income region, the S&P report said.

Persons: Yunbang Xu, Xu Organizations: Global Locations: Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang, China, BEIJING, Shenzhen, Bazhong, Sichuan

☆ China's policy to boost demand by $700 billion will have a 'bigger and bigger' impact, official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China's latest policy to boost demand will soon have a greater effect on growth, a top official at the economic planning agency told reporters Thursday. "We believe this work will achieve bigger and bigger results," he said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. He noted that equipment upgrades account for 9% to 10% of total GDP. 'Strong' central government fiscal supportIn terms of fiscal funding for those upgrades, Zhao said the central government would provide "strong support." Part of the equipment upgrade and consumer trade-in policy also focuses on improving standards for the kinds of products that can be used.

Persons: That's, Zhao Chenxin, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Zhao, Bruce Pang, Fu Jinling, Fu, Francoise Huang, We're, JLL's Pang, Shan Zhongde Organizations: Visual China, Getty, BEIJING, National Development, Reform Commission, CNBC, Analysts, People's Bank of, Allianz Trade, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Commerce, State Administration, Market, China's Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Global Locations: Qingzhou, Weifang City, Shandong Province, China, oversupply, Beijing, JLL, People's Bank of China

☆ China's commercial property segment is seeing some bright spots amid a slump in the wider realty sector
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China's commercial property sector is seeing pockets of demand amid an overall real estate slump. Commercial real estate, which includes office buildings and shopping malls, makes up just a fraction of China's overall property market. Sales for both commercial and residential properties had fallen for much of last year, according to Wind. Covid-19 restrictions on movement had also cut demand for China's commercial property, in line with global trends. China's economy, however, took longer than expected to rebound from the pandemic, amid a broader slump in the property market.

Persons: JLL Organizations: Visual China, Getty, BEIJING Locations: Beijing, China

☆ China needs a narrative that house prices are going to rise, Nomura's Koo says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Pictured here is a real estate project under construction in Huai 'an city, Jiangsu province, China, on April 8, 2024. BEIJING — China needs to convince people that home prices are on their way up in order for economic activity to pick up, Richard Koo, chief economist at Nomura Research Institute, told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick last week. In other words, as Koo warned last year, China may be entering a "balance sheet recession," similar to what Japan experienced during its economic slump. "For them to come back and borrow money, we need a narrative that says, okay, this is the bottom of the prices, the prices will start going up from this point onwards," Koo said. Koo and other analysts have pointed out that in China's policy-driven economy, house prices have not fallen as much as expected given declines in other aspects of the property market.

Persons: Huai, Richard Koo, CNBC's Steve Sedgwick, Goldman Sachs, Koo, " Koo Organizations: Nomura Research Institute, Japan Locations: Jiangsu province, China, BEIJING

☆ Yellen says U.S. plans to ‘underscore’ need for China to shift policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday that future discussions between the U.S. and China will focus on Beijing's need to shift its policy on industry and the economy, as she wrapped up the fourth and final full day of her trip to China on April 8. Pedro Pardo | Afp | Getty ImagesBEIJING — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday that future discussions between the U.S. and China will focus on Beijing's need to change its policy on industry and the economy. Yellen said her conversations with Chinese officials during the trip discussed plans Beijing had for its economy, but she did not elaborate. Yellen also declined to share what tools the U.S. might use to prevent China's industrial policy from resulting in the loss of American jobs. During her trip, Yellen met with top Chinese officials including Premier Li Qiang in Beijing and Vice Premier He Lifeng in Guangzhou.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Pedro Pardo, Yellen, Yue Su, Su, Premier Li Qiang Organizations: Treasury, U.S, Afp, Getty, International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, EV, The Economist Intelligence Unit, ASEAN, Consumer, Premier, Lifeng Locations: China, BEIJING, U.S, Guangzhou, Beijing, Washington ,, Europe, Hong Kong, Washington

☆ Yellen kicks off China meetings with overcapacity concerns, encouraging market-oriented reforms
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns (R) receive U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (R) upon her arrival in Guangzhou on April 4, 2024. Pedro Pardo | Afp | Getty ImagesBEIJING — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen kicked off her first full day of official meetings in China with discussion about overcapacity concerns and encouragement to pursue market-oriented reforms. It is her second trip to China as Treasury secretary. China's growth potentialGuangdong is one of the largest contributors to China's economic growth and home to the city of Shenzhen, a major hub for tech companies and startups. "In recent decades, [Guangzhou] was at the forefront of market-oriented reforms that advanced China's economic development and openness," Yellen said in prepared remarks for her meeting with Wang.

Persons: Liao Min, China Nicholas Burns, Janet Yellen, Pedro Pardo, Yellen, Wang Weizhong, Wang, I've, Nicholas R, Lardy Organizations: Finance, U.S, Treasury, Afp, Getty, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Foreign Affairs Locations: China, Guangzhou, BEIJING, U.S, Beijing, Guangdong province, United States, Guangdong, Shenzhen, Asia

☆ China's Nio to expand battery swap services to gain an edge on EV infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Pictured here is a Nio battery swapping station in Haikou, Hainan province, China, on May 9, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Chinese electric car company Nio has been expanding its battery swap partnerships in a bid to gain an edge on the infrastructure side of the EV ecosystem. Nio also announced agreements earlier this year to work with two local battery companies on battery swap services. While having a large network of battery charging stations helps address those concerns, battery swapping is a faster method as it takes only a few minutes. CLSA's Luo said businesses also prefer to invest in normal charging stations than swap stations because they make a higher return.

Persons: Nio, —, JAC —, Ding Luo, Shen Fei, Shen, it's, Le, William Li, Shay Natarajan, Luo, Ford Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Chery, CNBC, Battery, Nissan, Sino Auto, Mobility Impact Partners, General Motors Locations: Haikou, Hainan province, China, BEIJING, U.S, San Francisco, Kyoto, Japan, Madrid, Spain, Europe, North America

☆ Here's who Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is going to meet in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, center, waits with others to receive Chinese President Xi Jinping at the San Francisco International Airport on Nov. 14, 2023, ahead of Xi's meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden. BEIJING — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was scheduled to arrive in China on Thursday ahead of four full days of meetings with Chinese officials. It's her second trip to the country since the summer, as the U.S. and China seek to increase high-level communication in an otherwise tense relationship. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also due to visit China again later this year. We went for too long with too little communication, and misunderstandings developed," Yellen told reporters ahead of her arrival in China.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, It's, Antony Blinken, Yellen, Here's Organizations: Treasury, San Francisco International Airport, U.S Locations: BEIJING — U.S, China, Guangzhou, China's, Guangdong —, Beijing

☆ KKR says China's real estate correction may only be halfway done
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"A fundamentally overbuilt real estate industry needs to be addressed — and quickly," he said in the report, which counts Changchun Hua, KKR's chief economist for Greater China, among the co-authors. Real estate and related sectors once accounted for about one fifth or more of China's economy, depending on the breadth of analysts' calculations. Based on comparisons to housing corrections in the U.S., Japan and Spain, China's "housing market correction may be just halfway complete" in terms of its depth, the KKR report said. watch nowWhile KKR's report didn't provide much detail on expectations for specific real estate policy, the authors said more action by Beijing to improve China's real estate sector "could materially shift investor perception." Chinese officials have said the real estate sector remains in a period of adjustment, while Beijing shifts its emphasis toward manufacturing and what it considers "high-quality development."

Persons: Henry H, McVey, " McVey, Hong, Nomura Organizations: West Coast New, Nurphoto, Getty, BEIJING, KKR, Authorities, Housing Locations: West, Qingdao, East China's Shandong, China, Changchun Hua, Greater China, U.S, Japan, Spain, Beijing, China's

☆ Xiaomi shares pop 15% after the Chinese smartphone maker launches its first EV
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A Xiaomi SU7 electric sedan is seen displayed at a regional HQ of Xiaomi in Nanjing in east China's Jiangsu province. BEIJING — Shares of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi surged 15% when the Hong Kong market opened Tuesday, the first trading day since the company launched its SU7 electric car ahead of the Easter holiday. Chinese EV startups Xpeng and Nio announced car purchase subsidies Monday of 20,000 yuan ($2,800) and 10,000 yuan each, respectively. The price reductions come as growth of new energy vehicles in the world's largest auto market shows signs of slowing. Penetration of battery and hybrid-powered passenger cars has surpassed more than one third of new cars sold in China, according to the China Passenger Car Association.

Persons: Xiaomi, Tesla, Nio Organizations: BEIJING —, China Passenger Car Association Locations: Xiaomi, Nanjing, China's Jiangsu, BEIJING, Hong Kong, Beijing, China

☆ Huawei's profit doubled in 2023 as smartphone, autos business picked up
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING — Chinese telecommunications company Huawei said Friday its net profit for 2023 more than doubled thanks to better product offerings. The company also attributed the profit gains to revenue growth of 9.6% year-on-year to 704.2 billion yuan ($99.18 billion). Net profit grew by 144.5% year-on-year to 87 billion yuan. Net profit in 2022 fell by 69%, the largest drop on record. ICT remained by far Huawei's biggest revenue driver with 362 billion yuan in revenue in 2023, up 2.3% from a year ago.

Persons: Apple, — CNBC's Arjun Kharpal Organizations: Huawei, Mobile World, 5G, ICT Locations: Barcelona, BEIJING, China, Xiaomi

☆ China's Xi tells U.S. CEOs that bilateral relations can have a 'brighter future'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

China's President Xi Jinping speaks at an event held by the National Committee on US-China Relations and the US-China Business Council on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Week in San Francisco, California, on November 15, 2023. Carlos Barria | Afp | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping told U.S. executives on Wednesday that bilateral relations can improve, and pledged that Beijing would keep working to improve the business environment. In the Chinese side's readout, Xi described China's economy as "sound and sustainable," and pushed back on some forecasts that the country would soon "peak." The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations did not provide a statement. "I commend [Xi's] personal engagement in the U.S.-China relationship, including a meeting like this.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Stephen Schwarzman, Cristiano Amon, Evan G, Greenberg, Harvard's John F, Dean Graham Allison, Craig Allen, Xi, Wang Yi, Zheng Shanjie, Commerce Wang Wentao, Rajesh Subramaniam, Chubb Organizations: National Committee, China Relations, China Business Council, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Afp, Getty, U.S, China -, Blackstone, Qualcomm, Kennedy School of Government, U.S ., China Business, Authorities, National Development, Commerce, FedEx, CNBC, Committee Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, BEIJING, Beijing, China, United States, U.S

☆ Xiaomi releases electric car $4K cheaper than Tesla's Model 3 as price wars heat up
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING — Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi said Thursday it will sell its first car for far less than Tesla's Model 3, as price wars heat up in China's fiercely competitive electric car market. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said the standard version of the SU7 will sell for 215,900 yuan ($30,408) in the country — a price he acknowledged would mean the company was selling each car at a loss. He also said the SU7 had a minimum driving range of 700 kilometers (nearly 435 miles) versus the Model 3's 606 kilometers. Lei also claimed that Xiaomi's car factory, for which all "key" steps are fully automated, can produce an SU7 every 76 seconds. Earlier this week, the Xiaomi CEO said on social media the SU7 would be the best sedan "under 500,000 yuan" ($69,328).

Persons: Xiaomi, Lei Jun, Lei, Tesla Organizations: Tesla's, Tesla, Huawei Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing

☆ China's Xi meets U.S. executives as businesses navigate bilateral tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The forum this year coincided with other efforts to attract foreign business. However, a combination of geopolitical tensions, regulatory uncertainty and slower economic growth have made it more challenging for foreign businesses in China. ... foreign companies share the same lack of confidence and worries about an uncertain future that is felt amongst much of China's domestic industry. Looking for economic clarityFor businesses considering China investment plans, the country's near-term growth outlook is another factor. He emphasized China's large market, industrial supply chain, and pointed out how China has worked on issues such as data exports and equal market treatment for foreign businesses.

Persons: Tim Cook, Management Dean Bai Chong, Xi Jinping, Stephen Schwarzman, Cristiano Amon, Mark Carney, Rajesh Subramaniam, Joe Biden, Carlos Gutierrez, Sean Stein, Gutierrez, Biden, Scott Kennedy, Peter Bachmann, Bachmann, Kennedy, Stephen S, Roach, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai, he's, China's, Han Zheng, Amin H, Nasser Organizations: Apple, China Development Forum, Tsinghua University School of Economics, Management, China News Service, Getty, U.S . Blackstone, Qualcomm, Bloomberg, FedEx, China, Cyberspace Administration, U.S, American Chamber of Commerce, of Commerce, Scott, Scott Kennedy Center for Strategic, Studies, China Centre, University of Applied Sciences, Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Yale Law, Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China, Communist Party, Invest, CNBC, Aramco Locations: China, BEIJING, U.S, San Francisco, Beijing, Shanghai, Washington ,, Saudi

☆ China's economy is on track for 'strong' March performance, survey says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Employees work on a battery production line at Jiangsu Yongda Power Supply Co. on March 26, 2024 in Suqian, Jiangsu province of China. BEIJING — China's economy is ending the first quarter on a "strong" note, according to a business survey published by the China Beige Book on Thursday. China's official data on retail sales, industrial production and fixed asset investment for January and February beat expectations across the board. The China Beige Book said it surveyed 1,436 businesses between March 1 and 23, split roughly between state-owned and non-state-owned firms. "China Beige Book's March data show the economy poised for a strong end to Q1," the report said.

Persons: H, Qazi Organizations: Jiangsu Yongda Power Supply Locations: Jiangsu, Suqian, China, BEIJING, U.S

☆ TikTok aside, Congress has its eye on the U.S. money going into China
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The House Select Committee on the CCP, established in January last year, led the legislative act to essentially ban TikTok in the U.S. if its Chinese parent ByteDance doesn't sell the popular social media app. watch nowThe House select committee in February also published a report alleging U.S. venture capital firms invested billions "into PRC companies fueling the CCP's military, surveillance state and Uyghur genocide." Similar research detailing the links between U.S. capital, venture firms in China and Chinese tech startups has started making its rounds in major media outlets since late 2023. The Senate in July overwhelmingly passed a bill that would have required U.S. investors in advanced Chinese technology to notify the Treasury Department. The Biden administration in August issued an executive order aimed at restricting U.S. investments into semiconductor, quantum computing and artificial intelligence companies citing national security concerns.

Persons: Ken Cedeno, that's, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, Andrew King, King, Biden, Michael McCaul, Gregory W, Meeks Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Reuters, The U.S, Congress, Chinese Communist Party, CNBC, House Armed, Technologies, Innovation, Intelligence, CCP, Future, Ventures, Treasury Department, Treasury, Foreign, China's Ministry of Commerce, Financial Regulatory Administration Locations: Washington , U.S, Reuters BEIJING, The, China, United States, U.S, Beijing, San Francisco

☆ Lululemon shares plunge 16% on weak guidance, slowing North America growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The retailer reported holiday earnings on Thursday evening that topped expectations, but showed that its growth in North America is stagnating. During the quarter, sales rose 9% in the Americas, compared to 29% growth in the year-ago period. For the current quarter, Lululemon expects net revenue to be between $2.18 billion and $2.20 billion, representing growth of 9% to 10%. For the full year, it expects sales to be between $10.7 billion and $10.8 billion, compared with estimates of $10.9 billion, according to LSEG. During the quarter, it opened its first men's store in Beijing — a key growth market for the company.

Persons: Lululemon, you've, Calvin McDonald, McDonald, Alo Yoga, it's, Meghan Frank Organizations: LSEG, U.S Locations: U.S, North America, Americas, China, Vancouver, Beijing

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