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The individuals' accounts varied but were consistent in describing heightened scrutiny of overseas travel even after China reopened borders in January. Reuters is reporting these measures and the scope of some post-COVID travel curbs for the first time. NEW LIMITSRestrictions on personal foreign travel have long applied to senior government officials and state executives with access to confidential information. MAPPING CONNECTIONSChinese authorities are also scrutinising personal foreign ties, according to a document seen by Reuters, one of the 10 people who discussed travel curbs and three other state-enterprise workers with knowledge of the matter. Thomas said the travel curbs in particular would have implications for China's interactions with the world.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Xi, Neil Thomas, Thomas, Wang Zhi'an, Engen Tham, Julie Zhu, Kane Wu, Xie Yu, Martin Quin Pollard, David Crawshaw, Vidya Ranganathan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Asia Society, Center for, State, Information Office, Communist Party, China Construction Bank, China Development Bank, National Council for Social Security Fund, Municipal Eco, Communist, Communist Youth League, Ministry of State Security, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, Beijing, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, Center for China, Washington, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Japan, Italy

☆ China condemns Philippine re-supply mission to disputed atoll
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING/MANILA, Oct 5 (Reuters) - China has condemned a mission by four Philippine ships to re-supply Philippine troops on a disputed South China Sea atoll, saying the vessels had entered its waters in the Spratly Islands without its permission. "Philippine supply ships and two coast guard ships entered the waters ... in China's Nansha Islands without permission from the Chinese government," China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu said a post on its website, using China's name for the Spratly Islands. The atoll in the area is known as Ayungin in the Philippines, while China calls it the Renai Reef. read moreThe Philippine National Security Council (NSC) said its re-supply and rotation mission was completed despite attempts by a significant number of China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia to "harass and interfere" with it. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, pointing to a line on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Erik De Castro, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Gan Yu, Thomas, Philippe, Ryan Woo, Karen Lema, Engen Tham, Kaiwen Xu, Robert Birsel Organizations: BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Navy, REUTERS, Rights, China Coast Guard, Philippine National Security Council, Chinese Maritime Militia, Thomson Locations: BRP Sierra, Philippine, Spratly, South, Rights BEIJING, MANILA, China, Philippines, South China, China's Nansha, Palawan, United States, Manila, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia

[1/2] Logos of Swiss banks Credit Suisse and UBS are seen before a news conference in Zurich Switzerland, August 30, 2023. Credit Suisse, which was Switzerland's second-biggest bank, suffered years of scandals and losses before it had to be rescued in March in a state-engineered takeover by UBS. Credit Suisse declined to comment. Spokespeople for central banks in South Korea, India, Ireland, and Saudi Arabia also did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Last month, a Moscow court banned UBS and Credit Suisse from disposing of shares in their Russian subsidiaries, Reuters reported, citing court documents.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Laws, Engen Tham, Selena Li, Jihoon Lee, Alexander Marrow, Sumeet Chatterjee, Stephen Coates, Alexander Smith Organizations: Credit Suisse, UBS, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Suisse, Western, Thomson Locations: Zurich Switzerland, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, South Korea, India, Swiss, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Japan, Thailand, Turkey, Shanghai, Hong Kong, London

[1/2] Logos of Swiss banks Credit Suisse and UBS are seen before a news conference in Zurich Switzerland, August 30, 2023. UBS completed its takeover of Credit Suisse in June. UBS and Credit Suisse did not respond to Reuters request for comment. Spokespeople for central banks in South Korea, India, Ireland, and Saudi Arabia also did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. In the review document, UBS said "a single non-cooperative regulator can jeopardize the timeline of the parent bank merger and other transactions", impacting other related integration deals.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Engen Tham, Selena Li, Sumeet Chatterjee, Stephen Coates Organizations: Credit Suisse, UBS, REUTERS, Rights, UBS Group AG, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Zurich Switzerland, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, South Korea, India, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Swiss, Shanghai, Hong Kong

On Sunday, Evergrande reported losses of 33 billion yuan ($4.53 billion) for the first half of the year, versus a 66.4 billion yuan loss in the same period a year earlier. The Chinese property sector’s worsening debt crisis poses a significant challenge for President Xi Jinping and his policy makers, with the country’s economy already reeling from weaker domestic and overseas demand. China’s State Council Information Office, which handles media queries on behalf of the government, declined to comment on the property market and Evergrande’s fate. He sold the first complex the following year for 80 million yuan, according to Evergrande’s website. The committee investigated the matter after banks seized 13.4 billion yuan ($1.84 billion)of deposits held by the property-services unit in 2021.

Persons: Aly, Hui Ka Yan, Hui, Evergrande, Suppliers haven’t, ”, Anne Stevenson, Yang, Evergrande’s, Xi Jinping, Reuters wasn’t, Kelly Richmond Pope, ” Hui, “ Evergrande, Stevenson, Engen Tham, Julie Zhu, Clare Jim, Cassell Bryan Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, Rights, China Evergrande, HK, Reuters, Suppliers, J Capital Research, Information Office, Political, Conference, Guangzhou Evergrande, soccer’s, Hong, Forbes, HengTen Networks, Management, Chicago’s DePaul University, Evergrande, Financial, Communist Party, “, China, Shanghai, Cassell, Low, Thomson Locations: China, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, United States, U.S, China’s, Henan province, Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Evergrande, HengTen, Evergrande’s Hong Kong, Shanghai

The logo of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is pictured at the entrance to its branch in Beijing, China April 1, 2019. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC) (601398.SS), the country's biggest lender, and Bank of China (BoC) (601988.SS) posted in exchange filings first half profit growth of 1.2% and 0.78%, respectively, from a year earlier. "There are some regional risks that have begun to emerge," Liu said, adding that asset quality has declined slightly but remains under control. BoC's NIM narrowed to 1.67% at end-June from 1.7% at end-March. "Chinese banks are likely to continue to face earnings pressure from margin compression," said Ming Tan, director at S&P Global Ratings.

Persons: Florence, Liu Jiandong, Liu, NIM, BoC's NIM, ICBC, Ming Tan, Tan, BoC's, Ziyi Tang, Engen Tham, Selena Li, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Mark Potter, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, REUTERS, BoC, Commercial Bank of China Ltd, Bank of China, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, ICBC's

☆ Top China bank ICBC posts 1.2% H1 profit rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is pictured at the entrance to its branch in Beijing, China April 1, 2019. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC) (601398.SS), the country's biggest lender, said on Wednesday net profit grew 1.2% year-on-year in the first half of this year. Profit was 173.74 billion yuan ($23.83 billion) for the first half of this year, compared with the restated 171.67 billion yuan in the same period a year earlier, the bank said in a filing. ($1 = 7.2543 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Ziyi Tang, Engen Tham and Selena Li; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Florence, Ziyi Tang, Engen Tham, Selena Li, Muralikumar Organizations: Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, REUTERS, Rights, Commercial Bank of China Ltd, Profit, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ China Construction Bank H1 profit up 3.36%
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

China Construction Bank Corp (CCB) logo is seen on its headquarters in Beijing, China, March 31, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies H1 net profit 167.34 bln yuan vs 161.9 bln year agoNIM 1.79% end-June vs 1.83% end-MarchNPL ratio 1.37% end-June vs 1.38% end-MarchBEIJING/SHANGHAI, Aug 23 (Reuters) - China Construction Bank Corp (CCB)(601939.SS), the first of the country's Big Five lenders to report half-year results this week, posted a 3.36% rise in first-half net profit on Wednesday. China's second-biggest lender by assets saw profits rise to 167.34 billion yuan ($22.95 billion), a filing by the bank showed. The bank said it will continue to fulfill the responsibilities of a major state bank and provide strong financial support for the real economy for the rest of this year. ($1 = 7.2901 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Ziyi Tang and Engen Tham; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kim Kyung, China's, CCB, CCB's, Ziyi Tang, Engen, Jason Neely Organizations: China Construction Bank Corp, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, BEIJING, SHANGHAI

☆ Floods, mudslides kill two in northwestern China city
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Qinling Mountains in Xian will continue to experience extreme weather conditions, which will lead to soil erosion and possibly further mudslides, the broadcaster said. A man holding a child walks across a damaged bridge after the rains and floods brought by remnants of Typhoon Doksuri, in Zhuozhou, Hebei province, China August 7, 2023. In southwestern Guangxi on Friday, heavy rainfall in the city of Nanning led to urban flooding, forcing rush hour commuters to drive vehicles and motorcycles through waterlogged roads, CCTV said. Local authorities set up cordons to allow drainage work on some roads, while the city dispatched nearly 3,900 police to help. In Huozhou city in the northern province of Shanxi, some low-lying houses faced stagnant water breaches, as floods from heavy rain trapped some residents in their buildings, the broadcaster said.

Persons: Xian, Doksuri, Tingshu Wang, Engen Tham, Miral Organizations: China Central Television, REUTERS, Local, Xinhua News Agency, Thomson Locations: Nanning, Beijing, Harbin SHANGHAI, China, Fujian, Xian, Zhuozhou, Hebei province, Harbin, Guangxi, Jilin, Huozhou, Shanxi, Mongolia

Credit Suisse Securities (China), 51%-owned by Credit Suisse, is expected to start the cuts, accounting for about 20% of its local workforce, as early as Monday, according to the sources. Credit Suisse, Credit Suisse Securities and UBS declined to comment. The move is aimed at further tightening spending at the joint venture as Credit Suisse "seeks to stem losses", said one of the sources. The joint venture booked a net loss of 254.5 million yuan ($35.27 million) in 2022, its annual report showed. Out of the 200-strong team at the local unit, 58 were in investment banking and 36 in wealth management related businesses as of end-2022.

Persons: Securities, Summer Zhen, Engen Tham, Selena Li, Kane Wu, Kim Coghill Organizations: Credit Suisse, UBS, Credit Suisse Securities, Staff, Citi, Reuters, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Swiss

[1/2] A participant applies rainbow coloured facepaint before a 5.17 km run to mark International Day Against Homophobia in a park in Beijing, China, May 17, 2018. Thirteen diplomats from nine Western and Asian delegations said that the challenges they face when arranging events about gender equality and LGBT issues, or broader cultural activities, showed how China's red lines have shifted. Some recent Chinese actions around foreign missions drew widespread attention, including a warning from authorities aimed at embassies displaying Ukraine flags. Three diplomats told Reuters the incident had made them more careful about meeting with civil society figures. "A case could be made that the intentional disruption of embassy activities violates one or the other of these provisions, if not both," he said.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Xi, Guy Saint, Jacques, Peter Stano, Yaqiu Wang, Wang, Yu Wensheng, Xu Yan, Joseph Klingler, Foley Hoag, Laurie Chen, Yew Lun Tian, Brenda Goh, Engen Tham, David Crawshaw Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, China's Foreign Ministry, Vienna Convention, Diplomatic Relations, of Public Security, Europe, UNESCO, United Nations, Coordinator's, Beijing LGBT Center, Human Rights Watch, Police, European Union, EU, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, SHANGHAI, Canada, Vienna, Ukraine, Western, Joseph Klingler , Washington, Shanghai

☆ Messi in Beijing for friendly before move to Miami
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, June 10 (Reuters) - Argentine superstar Lionel Messi arrived in Beijing on Saturday for a friendly match before leaving a storied European career to join Major League Soccer side Inter Miami as a free agent. Messi, who lifted the World Cup in Qatar in December and is widely considered to be one of the game's all-time greats, confirmed this week he will leave French champions Paris St Germain for the U.S. league. This is the Argentina captain's seventh visit to China and his first since 2017. Australia and Argentina last met at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in the round of 16, where Messi was among the scorers as his team won 2-1. Reporting by Reuters newsroom; Writing by Martin Pollard and Engen Tham; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lionel Messi, Messi, Paris St Germain, Martin Pollard, Engen, William Mallard Organizations: Argentine, Major League Soccer, Inter Miami, Football, Weibo, Workers, Paris St, U.S ., men's, Reuters, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Beijing, Thursday's Argentina, Australia, Qatar, Argentina, China

Citigroup (C.N) had at one point shown interest in acquiring Credit Suisse Securities China (CSS), they added. Citi, whose CEO Jane Fraser was in China this week, is setting up a securities brokerage in China. UBS already has a majority-owned securities brokerage business in China. UBS and a spokesperson representing both Credit Suisse and CSS declined to comment. Founder Securities and the China Securities Regulatory Commission did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Persons: Jane Fraser, Selena Li, Engen Tham, Sumeet Chatterjee, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Credit Suisse, UBS, Citigroup, Credit Suisse Securities China, Citi, Securities, SS, CSS, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, SHANGHAI, China, Swiss, Hong Kong, Shanghai

Embattled Credit Suisse had been preparing for years to set up a wholly owned local bank in China. Credit Suisse and UBS declined to comment. The clock is ticking for UBS to close the deal with Credit Suisse. The China Securities Regulatory Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. UBS currently runs a 67%-owned securities joint venture with a Beijing state-owned company.

Persons: Sergio Ermotti, Summer Zhen, Selena Li, Engen Tham, Sumeet Chatterjee, Muralikumar Organizations: Credit Suisse, UBS, Swiss, Credit, National Financial Regulatory Administration, Suisse's, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, SHANGHAI, China, Swiss, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai

No one was present when Reuters visited the Hong Kong office of Mintz during business hours, with the doors locked and lights off. China's State Council Information Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. The Hong Kong government said it did not comment on individual business decisions. Rights groups accuse Beijing of abuses against mainly Muslim Uyghurs in the western region of Xinjiang, including the mass use of forced labour. Reporting by James Pomfret in Hong Kong, Engen Than in Shanghai and Hong Kong Newsroom; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] The U.S. corporate due diligence firm Mintz Group's office is seen in Hong Kong, China, May 18, 2023. No one was present when Reuters visited the Hong Kong office of Mintz during business hours, with the doors locked and lights off. China's State Council Information Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. The Hong Kong government said it did not comment on individual business decisions. Reporting by James Pomfret in Hong Kong, Engen Than in Shanghai and Hong Kong Newsroom; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

These consultancies thrived by providing investors - from global hedge funds to private equity firms - access to industry experts and investigators who could obtain valuable corporate information. One private credit investor who used to join Capvision's calls with "industry experts" said clients did not want to pay top dollar for easily available public information. Many China-based consultancy firms also outsourced on the ground investigations to local contractors. Even before the latest raids on consultancy firms, some due-diligence firms were warned to stay away from Xinjiang related projects, sometimes by security authorities, according to industry sources. China denies abuses in Xinjiang, a major cotton producer that also supplies much of the world's materials for solar panels.

"Since Xi Jinping took power in 2012, China has expanded the legal landscape for exit bans and increasingly used them, sometimes outside legal justification," the Safeguard Defenders report reads. Attention on the exit bans comes as China-U.S. tensions have risen over trade and security disputes. The Reuters analysis of records on exit bans, from China's Supreme Court database, shows an eight-fold increase in cases mentioning bans between 2016 and 2022. Most of the cases in the database referring to exit bans are civil, not criminal. Some activists say the wider use of exit bans reflects tighter security measures under President Xi.

[1/3] People walk past a branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in Beijing, China April 1, 2019. REUTERS/Florence LoSummarySummary Companies Top five lenders post shrinking net marginsNon-performing loans hold steady at all fiveQ1 net profit growth mostly flatSHANGHAI/BEIJING, April 28 (Reuters) - Five of China's largest lenders posted shrinking margins in the first quarter on Friday, as loan re-pricing bites. Following suit were Agricultural Bank of China Ltd (AgBank) (601288.SS), Bank of China (BoC) (601988.SS), China's Bank of Communications Co Ltd (BoCom) (601328.SS), and China Construction Bank Corp (CCB)(601939.SS), all posting dips in their NIM. All lenders posted flat to around 5% net profit growth with BoCom logging the highest first-quarter net profit at over 5%. AgBank came in second with 1.75% as the others posted flat net profit growth over the same period.

☆ China brokerage CITIC posts 3.6% rise in Q1 profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SummarySummary Companies Net profits rise to 5.4 bln yuanNet fee and commission income down 10.8% on-yearInvestment income up 89.6% on-yearBEIJING/SHANGHAI, April 27 (Reuters) - CITIC Securities Co (600030.SS), , China's biggest brokerage, reported a 3.6% rise in first-quarter profit on Thursday, thanks to stronger investment returns as the economy recovers. Net profit in the January-March period rose to 5.4 billion yuan ($780.22 million), the company said in a stock exchange filing. The company's investment income surged 89.6% year-on-year to 5.82 billion yuan in the first quarter this year. Its net fee and commission income fell 10.8% to 7.3 billion yuan, the filing showed. ($1 = 6.9211 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Ziyi Tang and Engen Tham Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Florence Lo/File PhotoSummarySummary Companies Five big lenders post over 3.5% annual net profit growthNet interest margin shrank at all fiveNPL ratios steady or down for all fiveBEIJING, March 30 (Reuters) - China's Big Five lenders posted above 3.5% annual net profit growth this week, but warned that the foundations of the country's recovery were "not yet solid". China's Bank of Communications Co Ltd (BoCom) (601328.SS), and Bank of China (BoC) (601988.SS) both posted just over 5% annual net profit growth on Thursday. Even higher figures came from the Agricultural Bank of China Ltd (601288.SS) (AgBank) on Thursday and China Construction Bank Corp on Wednesday, which both posted over 7% annual net profit growth. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) (601398.SS), , the world's largest listed lender by assets, came in at 3.5% annual net profit growth. NPLsWhile all five lenders posted steady or falling non-performing loan ratios, they also logged shrinking net interest margins (NIM), a key gauge of bank profitability.

SHANGHAI/HONG KONG, March 20 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse told staff its wealth assets are operationally separate from UBS for now, but once they merged clients might want to consider moving some assets to another bank if concentration was a concern, according to an internal memo. The memo dated Sunday, seen by Reuters, gave talking points to Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) staff for client conversations after a historic Swiss-backed acquisition of the troubled bank by UBS Group (UBSG.S). In a package orchestrated by Swiss regulators on Sunday, UBS will pay 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.23 billion) for 167-year-old Credit Suisse and assume up to $5.4 billion in losses. Credit Suisse also told staff to inform clients that plans for its investment banking business will be communicated in due course as details of its acquisition by UBS were still being worked out, according to an internal memo. We are fully focused on ensuring a smooth transition and seamless experience for our valued clients and customers," a Credit Suisse spokesperson said.

As debt obligations mount, some local governments are pushing banks to extend maturities and cut interest rates, sources said. Reuters Graphics"BLACK HOLES""The LGFVs have become the black hole of the Chinese financial system. Chinese banks and other financial institutions have been cautious on new lending to LGFVs over the past years. In recent months, some state-owned banks, asset managers, and insurers have been looking into their portfolios to screen LGFV borrowers with weaker creditworthiness and dispose them, separate financial sector sources told Reuters. Offshore branches of Chinese financial institutions have been major buyers of the bonds, industry sources said.

☆ As parliament meets, China keeps would-be protesters at bay
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Engen Tham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Demonstrators hold up signs during a protest over the freezing of deposits by some rural-based banks, outside a People's Bank of China building in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China July 10, 2022, in this screengrab from video obtained by Reuters. Text in foreground reads, "Henan Bank, return to us our legal deposits! The people's life-saving deposits!" China has a low tolerance for group displays of discontent, even if anger is not directed against the government. Some of those who spoke with Reuters declined to use their full names due to the sensitivity of the matter.

REUTERS/Tingshu WangHONG KONG/BEIJING/SHANGHAI, March 3 (Reuters) - As unprecedented protests against China's zero-COVID policies escalated in November, Li Qiang, the man recently elevated to No.2 on the ruling Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee, seized the moment. Meanwhile, some local-level party workers and healthcare officials were grappling with growing challenges in implementing the zero-COVID policy. "From my perspective, it's not that we set out to relax the zero-COVID policy, it's more that we at the local level were simply not able to enforce the zero-COVID policy anymore," the official said. In mid-November, when Xi was still in Southeast Asia, he ordered Chinese authorities to "unswervingly" execute the zero-COVID policy, said two of the people, after which some cities retightened curbs. Xi's vacillating led to renewed debate on COVID policy among top leaders during mid to late November, one of these people and another person said.

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