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☆ My boyfriend and I spent $40,000 to take our dog to Japan on vacation. It was worth every penny.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Faye Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

My boyfriend Anders and I are based in Hong Kong, and last year we spent around $40,000 to take our dog on vacation in Japan. It was magical to watch Siu Tim experience his first snowfall and frolic through Japan's breathtaking landscapes. AdvertisementTo make traveling around with Siu Tim easier, we spent $1,160 to rent a car. In Japan, Siu Tim stood out and quickly became a local favorite, perhaps due to the nation's affinity for small dogs. The trip was expensive but we've already gone on our second vacation togetherThe couple already returned to Japan in 2024 with Siu Tim for their second trip.

Persons: Tiffany Chan, Anders, Siu Tim, Siu Tim's, Siu, we've Organizations: Business, Bulldog, Japan Locations: Hong Kong, Japan, Mong Kok, Narita, Kyoto, Asakusa, Tokyo

HONG KONG, Dec 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Why would the world’s largest battery maker want to sell shares when it’s already flush with liquidity? It ended June with 102 billion yuan ($14 billion) in net cash, Moody’s calculates. CATL has just started production at a new facility in Germany and is building a plant in Hungary, its first forays West. The company’s long-term loans have increased more than tenfold to more than 70 billion yuan and its long-term bonds by around a third to nearly 20 billion yuan since 2020, per Visible Alpha. But as Zeng’s electric dreams accelerate, he’ll want to be sure CATL’s own batteries are fully charged.

Persons: it’s, CATL, Robin Zeng, Breakingviews, Tesla, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Hong, Thailand’s, Ford Motor, Technology, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Switzerland, CATL, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China, Europe, Germany, Hungary, Fitch, Indonesia, Swiss

At least Zeekr benefits from having a powerful parent, Geely Automobile, which is part of China’s largest privately owned auto group Zhejiang Geely. But Geely Automobile, which will maintain control of the business after the IPO, has a market capitalisation of only $12.3 billion. The company, owned by Chinese automaker Geely Automobile, hopes to use funds raised to expand its product line. The company reported a net loss of 3.9 billion yuan ($534 million) for the six months to the end of June 2023, compared with a 3.1 billion yuan loss a year earlier. Revenue grew by 136% to 21 billion yuan, with 13.2 billion yuan of that total coming from vehicle sales.

Persons: Zeekr, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Geely Automobile, HK, Graphics, European Union, Zhejiang, Investors, Revenue, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, New York, Beijing, Washington, Brussels, China, U.S, Europe, China’s, Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Oct 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - It’s getting harder for China Inc to go global, and tougher for global financial advisors to take on the rapidly shrinking pool of related mandates. Belgium’s intelligence service VSSE said on Thursday that it is trying to “detect and fight against possible spying and/or interference activities carried out by Chinese entities including Alibaba”. Fellow courier SF Holding is also preparing a Hong Kong listing to raise as much as $3 billion to support, among other things, ambitious expansion beyond Asia. Alibaba signed an agreement with the Belgium government in 2018 to open an e-commerce trade hub, run by its logistics arm Cainiao Smart Logistics Network. The Chinese e-commerce giant last month filed to list Cainiao on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Persons: VSSE, Cainiao, won’t, Alibaba, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, China Inc, HK, Belgian, Justice, Citigroup, JPMorgan, Hong, European, Liege Airport, Smart Logistics Network, Alibaba’s, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Hong Kong, Liege, Belgian, Asia, Belgium, United States, European, Alibaba’s New York

HONG KONG, Oct 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The country’s automakers are overtaking legacy marques at home and abroad. In this Exchange podcast, industry consultant Tu Le explains what has given BYD, especially, the edge over rivals. Listen to the podcastFollow @KatrinaHamlin on XSubscribe to Breakingviews' podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. Editing by Katrina HamlinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Tu Le, Elon Musk’s Tesla, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG

HONG KONG, Sept 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Global banks in Hong Kong are feeding on scraps. Bankers in Hong Kong are working on smaller issuances than they typically took on in the past, Dealogic data shows. Among the bigger ones in the works, courier SF Holding (002352.SZ) has filed for a secondary listing in Hong Kong and may raise up to $3 billion, per IFR. Fees on Indian deals are tiny, for example, and costs in Hong Kong are high. Overall investment banking fees in Hong Kong are set to come in at the lowest level in a decade too, Dealogic data shows, with HBSC top of the table.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Debtwire, Una Galani, Pranav Kiran Organizations: Reuters, UBS, Bank of America, Bankers, HK, SF, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, New York, Swiss, United States, China, brimming, Shenzhen, Asia, India, U.S, Asia Pacific, Japan

The Shenzhen-based company has not explained exactly how seven-nanometer chips ended up in the new Mate 60 Pro smartphone series. Analysts estimate deliveries of the Mate 60 Pro could top 5 million this year. Follow @KatrinaHamlin on XCONTEXT NEWSHuawei started preselling its Mate 60 Pro+ smartphone alongside a new foldable phone in September. The Chinese company started selling its high-end smartphones Mate 60 and Mate 60 Pro at the end of August. The Huawei Mate 60 Pro contained a 7-nanometer processor that was made in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, according to analysts at TechInsights.

Persons: TSMC, TechInsights, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, TechInsights, Kirin, Manufacturing International Corp, HK, Washington, SK Hynix, Huawei, TSMC, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, SK, South, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Shenzhen, Beijing

HONG KONG, Aug 31 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Prudential’s (PRU.L), new CEO has inherited an old problem. Wadhwani’s decision to lead the $35 billion company from Hong Kong underscores its focus. Its Hong Kong and London-listed stock trades at just over 13 times expected earnings for 2023, per Visible Alpha. Larger rival AIA, listed in Hong Kong, is valued at around 18 times. The group’s new business profit in the mainland slipped 16% to $171 million in the first half as Pru withdrew some products from the market.

Persons: Anil Wadhwani, Pru, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, AIA, HK, U.S ., Prudential, Investments, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, U.S, Greater China, Hong Kong, London, China

☆ Troubled Chinese homebuilder Country Garden is rushing to raise cash to avoid default
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Country Garden is raising funds to avoid default, as the troubled real estate giant battles a liquidity crisis which some fear could spread to China’s wider economy and even spill over abroad. The total value of the shares would be $270 million ($34.4 million.) Country Garden won’t receive any cash from the transaction, the filing said. It forecast a loss of $6.2 billion to $7.6 billion for the first six months of this year. Chinese state media reported at the time that the developer was expected to start a debt restructuring soon.

Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, HK, Kingboard Holdings, Country Garden Locations: Hong Kong, Foshan, Guandong, China, Malaysia, Beijing

HONG KONG, Aug 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) China shortcut sets a tricky roadmap for its western rivals. An increasingly competitive Chinese market means others may also need to plot a new route. VW’s western peers may feel they do not need to follow in its tracks. Second, VW’s Xpeng deal highlights how companies need to adapt quickly to stay relevant in China. Both partnerships will see the companies jointly develop intelligent, connected electric vehicles for the Chinese market.

Persons: China’s, that’s, Bernstein, Alix, Elon Musk’s, VW’s, Auto, Neil Unmack, Pranav Kiran, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, HK, FAW, SAIC, VW, BMW, upstarts, Alix Partners, Elon, Mercedes, Benz, Nissan, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volkswagen’s Audi, Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology, Jetta, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Xpeng, Kingdom, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Zhejiang

☆ Dan Strumpf — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Dan Strumpf | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Dan StrumpfDan Strumpf is an award-winning reporter covering technology and corporate news in Asia for The Wall Street Journal. He writes about some of China's biggest tech companies including Huawei and Xiaomi, as well as broader topics like China's semiconductor industry and multinational companies operating in China. In 2018, Dan was part of a team that won the Gerald Loeb Award for international reporting for coverage of China's surveillance state. He previously covered energy and financial markets for the Journal in New York. Before joining the Journal, he worked for the Associated Press covering the automotive industry and other business beats.

Persons: Dan Strumpf Dan Strumpf, Dan, Gerald Loeb Organizations: The Wall Street, Huawei, Journal, Associated Press Locations: Asia, China, New York, Hong Kong

☆ Jacky Wong — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Jacky Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Jacky WongJacky Wong is a Heard on the Street columnist based in Hong Kong. He covers technology, retail and real estate sectors in Asia. Previously, he was a Market Talk Reporter for the Journal in Hong Kong. He won a Google data journalism scholarship to study at Hong Kong University before joining the Journal. He started his career as a trader in BNP Paribas.

Persons: Jacky Wong Jacky Wong Organizations: Hong Kong University, BNP Locations: Hong Kong, Asia

A blue and white Shark Vacuum on a store display. After its listing at just over $30 a share, the stock — trading under ticker symbol SN — rocketed 40% in its first day. Shark's upright vacuums and Ninja's electric grills each account for 43% of their respective markets in the U.S., the filing showed. From 2019 to 2022, Shark's robot vacuum market share grew from 15% to 25%. JS Global separated the U.S. and China businesses, citing "geographic-specific considerations."

Persons: Mark Barrocas, SharkNinja, greenlit Amazon's, Xuning Wang Organizations: SharkNinja, New York Stock Exchange, Kong's, CNBC, U.S, Amazon, JS Global Locations: Friday's, China, North America, U.S, Boston, Needham , Massachusetts, Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Aug 2 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Koji Sato enjoyed a smooth ride in his first quarter behind the wheel at Toyota Motor (7203.T). Toyota now trades just shy of 10 times estimated earnings for the next 12 months, per Refinitiv. Those same Chinese brands are encroaching on emerging markets like Thailand, where Toyota has traditionally sold well. Executives told investors on Tuesday that they’re eager to review other investments, too, including cross-holdings in the Toyota group and other assets. Total sales rose by 24% to 10.5 trillion yen in the same period.

Persons: Koji Sato, Sato, Toyota’s, that’s, Encouragingly Sato, Antony Currie, Pranav Kiran Organizations: Reuters, Toyota, Ford, General Motors, Nissan, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Asia, China, Thailand

There is no suggestion the trades break sanctions, although they may make it difficult for sanctions enforcement agencies in Europe and the United States to track Russian oil transactions and prices. The new trading network and practices raise financial risks for Russian oil companies dealing with unknown entities with limited credit history. "We recognise that (sanctions on Russia are) going to change the shape and structure of the Russian oil markets," the official told reporters. In May, Russian seaborne oil supplies to India, which was a rare buyer of Russian oil before the war, reached a record of 1.95 million bpd while China imported 2.29 million bpd. A source with one major Russian oil company said his company was prepared to deal with higher credit risks from buyers for the sake of having stable and rising oil exports.

Persons: Russia's, Rosneft, Everest, Coral, Washington, Lukoil, Dmitry Zhdannikov, Nidhi Verma, Timothy Gardner, Laura Sanicola, Simon Webb, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: NEW, Liberian, Reuters, Shell, Group, European Union, Bellatrix Energy, Leopard, Guron, SEA, Coral Energy, Everest Energy, U.S . Treasury, EU, UK, Treasury, UAE dirham, Shipping, Hindustan Petroleum, Gazprom Neft, Covart Energy, Orion Energy, Media, Rosneft, Nidhi, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, NEW DELHI, Russia's Ust, Hong Kong, India, Moscow, Asia, Ukraine, Refinitiv, Europe, United States, Australia, China, U.S, UAE, Dubai, Visakhapatnam, Surgutneftegaz, Russian, Geneva, Singapore, Rosneft, Venezuela, MOSCOW, LONDON, Washington, New York

And, in that same earnings call earlier this year, Novogratz said Galaxy hired some traders based in Hong Kong. Just this week, Societe General 's crypto arm received approval by France's financial regulator to offer crypto services, including crypto assets. The next month, Hong Kong implemented a new licensing regime so crypto exchanges can serve retail customers. Hong Kong, in particular, has tried to position itself as an international hub for crypto. Galaxy Chief Investment Officer Chris Ferraro echoed that sentiment in a recent "Crypto World" interview.

Persons: –, Mike Novogratz, Brian Armstrong, Novogratz, Cantor Fitzgerald's Elliot Han, Dean Sovolos, Lily King, Cobo, Owen Lau, Chris Ferraro, Kraken –, Binance, Han, we're Organizations: BlackRock, SEC, Washington, Galaxy, United, Gemini, Payment, Societe, European Union, Crypto, Assets Regulatory Authority, Financial, Oppenheimer, U.S, Coinbase, Huobi, BTC Locations: U.S, Europe, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bermuda, United Arab Emirates, Asia, Gurgaon, India, Singapore, United States, East, VARA, B2C2, Silicon, London, Berlin, China

On Thursday, regulators orchestrated an agreement between Tesla (TSLA.O) and 15 Chinese rivals to avoid “abnormal pricing”, sealing the deal at a signing ceremony in Shanghai, Bloomberg reported. Perhaps as a result, sellers of internal combustion engines frequently offered steeper discounts compared to battery-powered rivals, Citi’s data show. In this case, at least, it appears to be trying to keep competition healthy, targeting only “abnormal pricing”. If nothing else, Beijing’s intervention offers a welcome pause in hostilities. Over 30 brands in China announced discounts in the first three months of the year, according to industry consultancy Automobility.

Persons: It’s, Bill Russo, AlixPartners, Tesla, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Tesla, Bloomberg, FAW Audi, BAIC Hyundai, Citi, HK, country’s Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Beijing, Shanghai, Xpeng, China

Electric vehicles drove that change. In the first quarter of 2023, Russians purchased more Chinese cars than Lada, the beloved Soviet-era marque. That helps Chinese manufacturers churn out an electric vehicle for around 10,000 euros less than European competitors, according to Grant Thornton. Among the growing list of unwelcoming policies, the European Commission’s trade defence unit is considering ways to stem the tide of Chinese electric vehicle imports, according to Politico. How far China’s carmakers can make inroads further West will be decided by much more than assessments of their competency.

Persons: Bill Russo, Nio, Grant Thornton, Bernstein, Emmanuel Macron, CATL, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, HK, Volkswagen, World Trade Organization, International Energy Agency, Global Times, Beijing, Lada, Chery, Amperex Technology, Politico, Ford Motor, Toyota, Nissan, Twitter, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, BYD, People’s Republic, Europe, China, Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York, Japan, London ., European, United States, North America, France, Thailand, West

☆ Why Hong Kong can’t cut loose from the US dollar just yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Hong Kong CNN —Hong Kong’s currency is facing its biggest test since the global financial crisis of 2008. The steep fall is a sign that investors are ditching the Hong Kong dollar. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is committed to keeping the Hong Kong dollar between 7.75 and 7.85 per greenback. People walk past the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on May 4, 2023, in Hong Kong, China. “Pegging the Hong Kong dollar to the US dollar encourages such transactions to be carried out in Hong Kong and under Hong Kong law, even if neither party is based in Hong Kong.”This helps to create jobs and prosperity in Hong Kong, while also benefiting mainland China.

Persons: Hong, hasn’t, Andy Xie, ” Logan Wright, Bill Ackman’s, Ackman, Wright, Peter Parks, Kong, Deng Xiaoping, Margaret Thatcher, outflows, Chi Lo, Chen Yongnuo, Hong Kong’s, ”, Richard Cookson ,, Boaz Weinstein, Daniel Fung, Rhodium’s Wright, Xie, Eddie Yue, Banks, John Greenwood, “, Greenwood, ” Greenwood Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, British, Hong, Traders, Hong Kong, Bill Ackman’s Pershing, Capital Management, Getty, Lehman Brothers, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, US Federal Reserve, Asia Pacific, BNP, Asset Management, Fed, China News Service, Rubicon Fund Management, Bloomberg, Saba Capital Management, National Security Law, CNN Locations: Hong Kong, United States, China, Hong, Beijing, AFP, Britain, “, ”, Riding

But rival European battery groups are still scarce, and global carmakers have more to gain than lose. Chinese battery suppliers like Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), SVOLT, Envision, and most recently EVE Energy (300014.SZ), are shaking up Europe’s e-mobility supply chains. At 4.5 billion euros, investments in projects to build new plants in Europe overtook spending on mergers and acquisitions. European battery makers will struggle to compete. Given the chance, Chinese battery makers can power up Europe’s own supply chains, and its auto companies too.

Persons: CATL, It’s, Bernstein, Emmanuel Macron, Tesla, Elon, Lisa Jucca, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Volkswagen, BMW, Volvo, Technology, EVE Energy, Shanghai Putailai, Energy Technology, Mineral Intelligence, Companies, Wall Street, LG, Samsung SDI, Union, Commission, EU, United, Mercedes, Benz, Elon Musk’s, Mercator Institute for China Studies, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, People’s Republic, Europe, Shanghai, People’s, Sweden, United States, EU, Hungary, Spain

☆ Cathay Pacific Fights to Emerge From the Long Shadow of Covid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Tiffany May | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2019, when Hong Kong was convulsed by pro-democracy protests, Cathay Pacific was caught in the crossfire with Beijing. Flights were canceled or delayed by airport sit-ins involving thousands of demonstrators, among them employees of the airline, Cathay Pacific. Turmoil grew inside Cathay Pacific. In 2020, as the pandemic grounded its business, Cathay shuttered its regional division, Cathay Dragon. It parked 70 unused planes in the desert in Alice Springs, Australia, and fired 5,300 employees based in Hong Kong.

Tesla is proposing to manufacture and sell vehicles in the country, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing a source. Import duties of as much as 100% made it difficult to gauge demand, so Tesla lobbied to reduce tariffs, rather than producing locally. Committing to a factory could work for Musk too, though justifying a Tesla-sized facility calls for fast and furious sales. When Tesla set up a Gigafactory in China in 2019, its sheer scale meant supply chains sprang up to serve it. Senior Tesla executives are in India this week to meet the government to discuss local sourcing of parts and other issues, Reuters reported on May 16.

HONG KONG, April 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - If Japan is the next Macau, $16 billion MGM Resorts International (MGM.N) may be the only winner left at the table. After years of debate and delays, Japan has finally given approval for a resort in Osaka. But as diversifying from China becomes a popular mantra, this big bet looks smarter than it once did. The 1.08 trillion yen ($8.1 billion) resort is set to open in 2029. U.S. casino operator MGM Resorts International and local partner Orix will each own a 40% stake in the company set up to manage the complex.

HONG KONG, April 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Macau, once the world’s largest gambling hub, is far from a sure bet. For MGM China (2282.HK) and Sands China (1928.HK), the highest is two-thirds more than the lowest, for example. Uncertainty is compounded by onerous obligations companies have to help Macau reduce its dependence on gaming. Take $16 billion MGM Resorts International (MGM.N), whose Japanese resort received a green light on Friday. There’s also $13 billion Wynn Resorts (WYNN.O), which is pushing into the fast-growing United Arab Emirates.

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