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☆ Big Chinese cities are making it easier to buy homes to boost depressed property market
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Last October it removed curbs in most districts, and in March loosened restrictions on purchases of second homes. Other cities have also taken major steps to make the process of buying property easier. Changsha, the capital city of Hunan province, has also lifted home purchase curbs since last month. “The April Politburo meeting set a more supportive tone for the property sector, prioritizing the reduction of existing home inventory,” they said. “This may suggest that more local governments may be allowed to purchase homes directly from the market for social housing purposes.”

Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Geely, Hangzhou Housing Security, Real, Administration, Getty Images, homebuyers, Communist Party, UBS Locations: China, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Chengdu, China's, Sichuan, Getty Images Chengdu, Changsha, Hunan province, Evergrande, Beijing

☆ Cloud seeding probably didn't cause Dubai's floods. The UAE has been trying to control its weather for years, and the US does it too.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Photos show how the UAE, United States, and other countries have been seeding clouds for decades. Historic floods in Dubai didn't come from cloud seeding, but humans' climate impacts are playing a role. Related storiesAccording to several scientists, cloud seeding isn't the driving force behind Dubai's historic floods. Packets of salt are pictured during a cloud seeding operation at a military airbase in Subang, Malaysia. The real threat behind Dubai's floodsMany atmospheric scientists have dismissed the idea that cloud seeding was behind Dubai's floods.

Persons: GIUSEPPE CACACE, Getty, Prometheus, Frankenstein —, Thomas Peipert, Al Hayer, Amr Alfiky, Andrea DiCenzo, Lim Huey Teng, there'd, Friederike Otto, John Marsham, Jeff Big Jeff, Gary Coronado, Marsham, Fred Greaves, Otto Organizations: Dubai didn't, Service, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, UAE, Reuters, National Center of Meteorology, United, UAE's National, of Meteorology, Militia, Imperial College London, Science Media, SMC, University of Leeds, Los Angeles Times, Getty, UAE isn't, National Park Service, AP Locations: UAE, United States, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Rocky, Lyons , Colorado, China, Australia, Al Ain, Utah, Dongkou county, Shaoyang, Hunan province, Subang, Malaysia, Bannon, Sacramento, , California, California's Sacramento County

☆ China’s spectacular dragon dance is hundreds of years old. Here’s why it continues to dazzle
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Grab your camera and slap on something flame resistant, it’s time to witness one of China’s most incredible displays – the fire dragon dance. Dragon dances have been documented at ceremonial events since the Han Dynasty (202 BCE to 220 CE), while fire dragon dances began appearing in records during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and in the Republican era (1912-1949). Some historians say fire dragon dances date back even further, to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Puzhai Fire Dragon, Fengshun County, GuangdongEntertainers perform a fire dragon dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Puzhai town, in China's Guangdong province. Tongliang Fire Dragon, ChongqingVideo Ad Feedback See a dragon dance with molten iron fireworks 00:56 - Source: CNNThe Tongliang Fire Dragon in Chongqing province is undoubtedly one of the grandest fire dragon dance performances of them all.

Persons: ”, Kwok Kam Chau, Kwok, We’ve, Liu Long Organizations: CNN, Republican, Hong Kong Baptist University, China’s, Steel Locations: Fengshun County, Guangdong, Puzhai, China's Guangdong province, Imaginechina, China, Hunan, China’s, Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan province, Huanglongxi, Sichuan, Chengdu, China's Sichuan province, Chongqing, Chongqing province, majestically, Qicaimeng, Guizhou, Dafang County, Guizhou province

☆ China gives suspended death sentence to Tian Huiyu, former China Merchants Bank president
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The court said he had used his privileged access to information to make more than 290 million yuan ($41 million) in illegal gains from the stock market. He also leaked inside information about stocks to other people, which yielded more than 8 million yuan ($1.1 million) in illicit profits, it said. In return, he accepted bribes worth more than 210 million yuan ($30 million), it said. In 2013, Tian was promoted to head China Merchants Bank, serving as its president and its Communist Party boss. The Communist Party has stepped up its crackdown on the country’s state-owned financial system since last year.

Persons: Tian Huiyu, Xi Jinping, Tian, Wang Qishan, ”, Li Xiaopeng, Liu Liange, Bao Fan, Bao Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China Merchants Bank, China Construction Bank, China Cinda Asset Management, Beijing, Communist Party, Central Commission, Communist, Adobe, China Everbright Group, Bank of China, China Renaissance Locations: China, Hong Kong, Changde city, Hunan, China’s, Shanghai, Changde

☆ China ousts top rocket scientist from key political body in widening military purge
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has expelled a leading rocket scientist from its top political advisory body, the latest sign of a widening purge in the Chinese military’s missile force and aerospace contractors. Wang, 54, until recently led the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), a prestigious state-run institute known as the birthplace of China’s aerospace industry. Wang spent his nearly three-decades-long career designing rockets at the CALT, a subsidiary of the main contractor of the Chinese space program, the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. In December, three aerospace executives, including the chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation – were stripped of their roles in the CPPCC. In July, the Rocket Force abruptly replaced its two leaders, the commander and the political commissar, with no explanation.

Persons: Wang Xiaojun, Wang, Xi Jinping, Xi, ” Wang, Qian Xuesen Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Political Consultative, Xinhua, China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, China Aerospace Science, Technology Corporation, People’s Liberation Army, Rocket Force, Communist Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, “, Hunan

☆ A couple says they were caught naked by a cleaner who walked into their hotel room. They're demanding 10 times the cost of their stay as an apology.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewA couple who stayed at a hotel in Guangdong, China, is demanding a refund worth 10 times the cost of their room after a cleaner walked in on them while they were naked. Huang and his girlfriend were staying at the Ranz Hotel in the city of Shenzhen on Saturday and had arranged for a late checkout at 6 p.m., per the outlet. Related storiesA front desk staff member at the Ranz Hotel confirmed the incident to Hunan-based daily Xiaoxiang Morning News. The hotel told the outlet it could offer an apology, but not the money. The Ranz Hotel did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI.

Persons: —, Huang, Xie Organizations: Service, Business, TV, Guangdong Radio, Ranz Hotel, Morning, BI Locations: Guangdong, China, Shenzhen, Hunan, Weibo

☆ Guinness World Records day celebrates the super skilled and superlative
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Sarah Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Zhou Quan, from China, holds a Guinness World Records' certificate after achieving the most consecutive, 11 repetitions, single leg full twist back somersaults in Chenzhou, Hunan, China August 15, 2023 in this handout picture released in celebration of Guinness World Records Day 2023. Now he is among the super-skilled people, expert at doing unusual and difficult things that are being celebrated on Thursday by Guinness World Records Day. Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday, who was on hand to adjudicate Swift's record ride, said this year's theme is super skills. "Guinness World Records Day is a global celebration of the superlative," he said. The United States, meanwhile, boasts Henry Cabelus who holds eight world records after achieving the highest backflip Pogo Stick jump, making it over a height of 3.07 metres (10.07 ft).

Persons: Zhou Quan, Britain's Paul Swift, Swift, Craig Glenday, Henry Cabelus, I’ve, Sarah Mills, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Records, Guinness, Britain's Silverstone, Guinness World, Thomson Locations: China, Chenzhou, Hunan, Britain's, Japan, United States

The capacity payments will be calculated based on fixed costs of 330 yuan ($45.25) per kilowatt per year for coal plants. Analysts said the move was important to ensure the financial viability of seldom-utilised, backup coal power, which is used for demand peaks or when renewable power generation is insufficient. However, observers also cautioned that the policy could risk entrenching inefficient coal power in China's energy system, despite its rapid expansion of renewable power generation capacity. "Capacity-based electricity pricing for coal power will further incentivise state-owned enterprises in China to build new coal power projects in the short term. Capacity payments should be for all power producers, not only for coal power," said Zhang Kai, deputy program director for Greenpeace East Asia in Beijing.

Persons: David Fishman, Xuewan Chen, Group's Fishman, Zhang Kai, Colleen Howe, Andrew Hayley, Edmund Klamann, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Kim Coghill Organizations: National Development, Reform Commission, Reuters, Analysts, Lantau, LSEG, Jinneng Holding, Power Co, Centre for Research, Energy, Clean, Greenpeace East, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Shanghai, Beijing, Shanxi, Jiangxi Ganneng, Hunan, Greenpeace East Asia

☆ China’s ‘most inconvenient convenience store’ hangs off the side of a cliff
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A tiny wooden shed perched on a steep cliff in a scenic southern Chinese region has earned the nickname of “most inconvenient convenience store” in the country. It’s also home to Haohan Qiao, or “Brave Men’s Bridge,” which, upon opening in 2015, was China’s first glass-bottomed bridge. The convenience store is located along an 800-meter via ferrata route. It returned to the spotlight this month following recent reports on state media, captivating Chinese social media users. “The most inconvenient convenience store,” a popular military blogger, who has more than 889,400 fans, quipped on Chinese social network Weibo last week.

Persons: It’s, Haohan Qiao, –, Huizhou, Shiniuzhai, James Cameron’s, ” Organizations: CNN, China Daily, Weibo, China Daily . Staff, Beijing Youth Daily Locations: Chinese, Hunan, ”, China

☆ Chinese authorities crack down on dogs after a Rottweiler mauls a toddler. But some say they’ve gone too far
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —A shocking video of a Rottweiler mauling a 2-year-old girl in China has prompted a crackdown by local authorities on stray dogs that some argue has now gone too far. Since then, local authorities in a raft of provinces including Shandong, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Hunan, Anhui have stepped up law enforcement, some more heavy-handed than others. Stray dogs are the main targets, but pets who are unleashed can also be subject to control measures. The country is home to 40 million stray dogs, according to the 2021 China Pet Industry white paper. In defense of stray dogsThis is not the first time Chinese authorities have been accused of being heavy-handed with animals.

Persons: netizens, ”, Kevin Frayer, Xiao Huang, Shepherd, Cya Liu, “, Bo Ai Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Authorities, Weibo, Industry, Beijing, Hong Kong, Bo Ai Animal Protection Locations: Hong Kong, China, Chongzhou, China’s, Sichuan, Shandong, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Hunan, Anhui, Beijing, Yanzhou, Chongqing, Weibo, Shanghai, Guangyuan

☆ China says more harsh weather in store after tornado kills five
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The latest incident in weeks of destructive and deadly weather spurred authorities to call for vigilance against strong winds in coastal areas near the Yellow Sea off Jiangsu. Tuesday's tornado was brief but fierce, with social media images showing overturned cars, downed power lines and flying debris, much of which littered the streets of Suqian, a city in the north of the province. [1/2]A view shows a tornado in Suqian, Jiangsu Province, China, released on September 19, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from social media video. Weather warnings also went out on Wednesday for the southwestern region of Chongqing, several areas in southwestern Guizhou, southern Hunan, eastern Anhui and central Hubei. Reporting by Bernard Orr and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Haikui, Bernard Orr, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS Acquire, Weibo, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Jiangsu, Tuesday's, Suqian, Jiangsu Province, China, Chongqing, Guizhou, Hunan, Anhui, Hubei, Shanghai

☆ China Says More Harsh Weather in Store After Tornado Kills One
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese weather officials stepped up warnings against heavy rain and strong winds in several regions, state media said on Wednesday, a day after a violent tornado wreaked havoc in the eastern province of Jiangsu, killing one person. The latest incident in weeks of destructive and deadly weather spurred authorities to call for vigilance against strong winds in coastal areas near the Yellow Sea off Jiangsu. Tuesday's tornado was brief but fierce, with social media images showing overturned cars, downed power lines and flying debris, much of which littered the streets of Suqian, a city in the north of the province. "I was at the door and witnessed the wind, solar energy devices, and trees flying in the air," wrote one user of popular social media platform Weibo. Warnings also went out for the southwestern region of Chongqing, several areas in southwestern Guizhou, southern Hunan, eastern Anhui and central Hubei.

Persons: Haikui, Bernard Orr, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Weibo Locations: BEIJING, Jiangsu, Tuesday's, Suqian, Chongqing, Guizhou, Hunan, Anhui, Hubei, Shanghai

☆ South China soaks as rains from Haikui continue to pound region
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows flooded villages in Minhou county after heavy rains brought by typhoon Haikui, in Fuzhou, Fujian province, China September 5, 2023. cnsphoto via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The remnants of Typhoon Haikui drenched China for a third day since making landfall, as moisture-laden clouds dumped rain onto the country's south despite weakening cyclonic winds. Later this week, the storms are expected to continue in Guangxi bringing the southwestern region extreme rainfall on Friday and Saturday before potentially dissipating on Sunday. Haikui's storms flooded parts of southeastern Fujian province where it landed early on Tuesday, forcing 294,100 people to evacuate, inundated 9,949.7 hectares (24,586.24 acres) of crops and damaged nearly 2,540 homes. Intense rains in the city of Fuzhou shattered 12-year-old rainfall records, surpassing the amount brought by Typhoon Doksuri late July.

Persons: Typhoon Doksuri, Liz Lee, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: cnsphoto, Rights, China Meteorological Administration, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Minhou county, Fuzhou, Fujian province, China, CHINA, Rights BEIJING, downpours, Guangdong, Tangxi, Jiangxi, Hunan province, Guangxi, Hainan, Guilin, Laibin, Fujian, Xiamen, Shanghai

☆ China's Chongqing to remove marriage requirement for maternity benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreHONG KONG, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Chongqing, a sprawling municipality in southwest China, announced this week that insured residents no longer need to provide marriage certificates to get maternity benefits, the most recent move to encourage women to have children. China's fertility rate is estimated to have dropped to a record low of 1.09 in 2022, state media reported. China's fertility rate is already one of the world's lowest alongside South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Young Chinese women cite factors including high childcare costs, career hindrance, gender discrimination and not wanting to get married as key reasons for not having children. Low consumer confidence and growing concerns over the health of China's economy are also key factors cited by young Chinese for not wanting to get married and have children.

Persons: Farah Master, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: South, Singapore ., Thomson Locations: Xujiashan, Haitang, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province, China, HONG KONG, Chongqing, China's, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Hunan, Jiangsu, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Singapore . Young, Beijing

☆ Heavy rains, floods inundate China; Hunan province sees record rain, thousands evacuated
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

More than three thousand people were evacuated in northwestern Hunan province over the weekend as heavy rain was unleashed on Sangzhi, Shimen and Yongshun counties, and Zhangjiajie City, according to state media. It was the most extensive and widespread rain in Sangzhi since 1998, CCTV said. China has been gripped by weeks of rains and floods amid an unusually wet summer. In late July, storms from Typhoon Dokusri caused record rains to hit China in over a decade, with Beijing experiencing its heaviest rainfall in 140 years. There is also uncertainty over Typhoon Saola's path, said China Meteorological Administration, but it will bring heavy rainfall in the coastal areas including Fujian and Zhejiang provinces from Wednesday to Friday.

Persons: Sangzhi, Dokusri, Saola, Bernard Orr, Ethan Wang, Michael Perry Organizations: China Central Television, Beijing, Flood, Drought, Ministry of Emergency Management, China Meteorological Administration, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Hunan, Yongshun, Zhangjiajie City, Sangzhi, China, Guangdong, China's, Fujian, Zhejiang

☆ Biden resists pressure from lawmakers and seeks short extension to key China science pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Jennifer Jett | Abigail Williams | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Biden administration is seeking a short-term extension to a landmark science and technology agreement with China despite pressure from some U.S. lawmakers who say Beijing could exploit it to gain a security and military advantage. A six-month extension to the Science and Technology Agreement, or STA, will keep the pact in force as the U.S. seeks "authority to undertake negotiations to amend and strengthen the terms," a State Department spokesperson told NBC News on Wednesday. "If it were to go away, not only would it impede government-to-government cooperation, but it would also put other science cooperation at risk," said Seligsohn, a former environment, science, technology and health counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. China also considers it the enabling document for all other science cooperation with the U.S., including with academic and research institutions. The State Department spokesperson said it was aware of the issues involved with working with China in the are of science and technology.

Persons: Biden, Jimmy Carter, Deng Xiaoping, Deborah Seligsohn, Antony Blinken, Elise Stefanik, Mike Gallagher of, Blinken, Sen, Rick Scott, Donald Trump Organizations: Central South University, Science, Technology, State Department, NBC News, U.S, Villanova University, Embassy, House Republican Conference Locations: China, Central, Changsha city, Hunan province, Beijing, U.S, New York, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, United States

China generated 121 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) from hydro in July 2023, down from 146 billion kWh in the same month a year earlier, and the lowest since 2015. China also boosted generation from wind farms (+16 billion kWh) and solar farms (+5 billion kWh) compared with July 2022. But without the extra generation from thermal (+44 billion kWh) it could not have offset the drop in hydro (-25 billion kWh) while meeting growth in load (+40 billion kWh). SOUTH CHINA DROUGHTFour-fifths of China’s total hydro generation comes from provinces along the Yangtze River system and further south. Facing continued restrictions on hydro generation, coal-fired generation, coal production and coal imports will have to rise even further.

Persons: Doksuri, John Kemp, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, National Bureau of Statistics, East, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Qiaojia, Yunnan province, Ningnan, Sichuan province, China, Hebei, Beijing, Chartbook, CHINA, Sichuan, Yunnan, Hubei, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong, Chongqing, Yibin

CNN —At least 21 people are dead and six others missing after a flash flood and landslide following torrential rains in the outskirts of northwestern China’s Xi’an city, local authorities said Sunday. Parts of China have seen record high temperatures and deadly flooding in recent weeks, with experts linking extreme weather around the world to climate change. Flooding killed at least 29 people in Hebei province and 33 in the capital Beijing, according to local authorities. Another 14 people were reported dead in the city of Shulan in Jilin province, as the rains moved northward, inundating farmlands in the country’s grain-producing area. Seven people were taking shelter from heavy rains at the house when it collapsed, according to China National Radio.

Persons: ” Organizations: CNN, Emergency Management, Xinhua, Restaurants, Authorities, China National Radio Locations: China’s Xi’an, Xi’an, China, Weiziping, Hebei province, Beijing, Shulan, Jilin province, Hebei, Hunan province, Leyu, Hengnan county

☆ China's military claims to have found a way to build a laser weapon that can fire indefinitely
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Armies around the world are testing high-energy laser weapons to intercept targets. If their claims are true, it would mean that China has leapfrogged ahead of the US in developing high-energy laser weapons that could be used on the battlefield. The capability China's military scientists claim to have developed, however, has not yet been seen in action. Laser beams can heat up gas in the air, which can reduce the quality of the beam and cause damage inside the laser chamber, according to the report. The Marines have tested a Compact Laser Weapons System in the range of 2 to 10 kilowatts, and the Air Force has received high-energy laser pods for its fighter jets.

Persons: Steve Weaver, Lockheed Martin Organizations: Service, China Morning, National University of Defence Technology, Optica Sinica, British, Energy, Lockheed, US Department of Defense's, US Army, Marines, Air Force, Defense Department, Office Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Hunan, Optica, United States, Portland

☆ Yushi Li’s dream-like photo challenges notions of the male gaze
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Stephy Chung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Despite Chinese photographer Yushi Li’s gentle staging, her title for the photograph, “The Smothering Dream,” suggests something more sinister is at play. Although a canon of male nudes does exist, it largely comprises images shot by gay male photographers. When Li began the series in 2017, she noticed a lack of images depicting naked men as objects of desire from a woman’s perspective. She brings these ideas into “Paintings, Dreams and Love,” an ongoing project to which “The Smothering Dream” belongs. “There’s also the gaze from the algorithm, and the gaze from the screen that reflects yourself when you look at it… the internet (means) we’re subjected to the gaze more, in a way.”

Persons: Yushi, Lawrence Alma, “, ”, gazes, Li, Henry Fuseli’s, Yushi Li, Titian’s, Diana, reinterpretations, There’s Organizations: CNN, Shanghai Locations: London, China’s Hunan, Swiss

Chinese developers are allowed to sell residential projects before completion but are required to put those funds in escrow accounts. Local city governments permit them to withdraw a portion of the funds, depending on the progress of construction. China's housing ministry did not respond to Reuters request for comment on the tightening of developers' access to escrow funds. FALTERING HOUSING DEMANDThe new measures come as property demand is sluggish - China's property sales between May and June showed the largest monthly drop this year, based on sales by floor area, and investment in property also slumped. Under those rules, the authority has asked the bank to make escrow funds available only to developers who have other sources of funding to cover construction costs, said the person.

Persons: Gary Ng, Ng, Clare Jim, Tang, Sumeet Chatterjee, Muralikumar Organizations: Asia Pacific, National Bureau of Statistics, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, BEIJING, Asia, Hunan, Hefei, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Beijing

July 13 (Reuters) - Qingdao city in China's debt-laden Shandong province has set up a company to bail out its cash-strapped local government financing vehicles (LGFVs), sources said, as regional governments rush to reduce debt risks in a wobbly economy. The government of Qingdao and the China Development Bank did not reply to Reuters' requests for comment. While no LGFV in China has defaulted in the public markets, cases of delinquencies in the private debt market are increasing, worrying Beijing. Tianjin LGFV bonds yield more than 514 bps over government bonds, compared with 200 bps for Shandong bonds, reflecting the elevated risks. Fund manager Zhou said although he is bullish on LGFV bonds, "the first priority is to be absolutely diversified in investment.

Persons: Qingdao's, Xi Jinping, LGFVs, Goldman Sachs, Zhai Jianye, Zhai, It's, Zhou Tingzuo, Ning Yong, Zhou, Samuel Shen, Jason Xue, Tom Westbrook, Vidya Ranganathan Organizations: Dongdin Industrial Group, China Development Bank, Southwest Securities, Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Commercial Bank of China, SS, Shoupu Fund Management Co, Ning Yong Fu Fund Management, Thomson Locations: Qingdao, China's, Shandong, China, Shandong LGFVs, Beijing, Big, Jinan, Weifang, Liaoning, Hunan, Shanghai, Tianjin, Singapore

☆ China's capital grapples with scorching summer heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Beijing’s temperature soared past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) again Thursday, as the Chinese capital grapples with what is shaping up to be one the most severe heat waves on record. China has been gripped by scorching heat waves for weeks, which authorities said had arrived earlier and been more widespread and extreme than in previous years. People shield themselves from the sun amid extreme heat on July 5, 2023 in Beijing. The persistent heat waves have put huge stress on the country’s power grids as demand for air-conditioning soared, with some local governments urging companies and residents to curb the usage of electricity. As the climate crisis intensifies, scientists say dangerous, record heat waves are set to become more frequent and more severe.

Persons: Tianyong Jia, heatstroke, Niño, El Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, heatstroke, China News Service, Beijing Daily, World Meteorological Organization, El Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Northern China, Hebei, Henan, Hunan, 17.18C

☆ Factbox: China's major germanium and gallium producers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China produces around 60% of the world's germanium, or 180 metric tons in 2022, and over 90% of the world's gallium, about 606 tons last year, according to research firm Antaike. YUNNAN GERMANIUM, AN ESTABLISHED PRODUCERHeadquartered in southwest China's Yunnan province, Yunnan Lincang Xinyuan Germanium Industry Co. Ltd. (002428.SZ) extracts germanium from its own germanium mines and germanium-containing lignite coal mines. It has an annual capacity of 47.6 metric tons of germanium ingot, 60 tons of germanium tetrahydride - used to build 5G infrastructure - and 300,000 germanium wafers for solar cells. CHINALCO, A MAJOR GALLIUM PRODUCERState aluminium giant Chinalco has three gallium production plants, one each in central China's Henan and southwestern Guangxi and Guizhou provinces. It has annual production capacity of 200 metric tons of gallium metal and produced 146 metric tons in 2022.

Persons: Duan Xiangdong, Hope, Zhuzhou, Dominique Patton, David Evans Organizations: . Ltd, Aluminum Corporation of China, Zhuhai Fangyuan, Xing'an, Gallium, AXT Inc, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, YUNNAN, China's Yunnan, Yunnan, China's Henan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Shanghai, Zhuzhou, China's Hunan, Zhuhai, Guangdong, Shanxi, Nanjing, U.S, Beijing

☆ Explainer: How is extreme weather testing China's climate resilience?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

BEIJING, July 5 (Reuters) - Dramatic swings between extreme heat and intense rainfall are testing China's ability to cope with increasingly wild weather, as high temperatures challenge power grids and water security while floods ruin crops and threaten urban populations. The average number of high-temperature days stood at 4.1 in January-June, already higher than the full-year average of 2.2 days. Heatwaves spur demand for electricity to cool homes, malls and offices, taxing power supply and even triggering blackouts. Factories also shut when power demand exceeds supply to meet demand from residential and non-industrial users. The southern province of Hunan, which produces around 13% of China's rice, has been hit by continuous rain since late June.

Persons: Qiaoyi Li, Ethan Wang, Qin, Ryan Woo, Andrew Hayley, David Stanway, Sonali Paul Organizations: Factories, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, Yunnan province, Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhengzhou, Guangxi, CHINA

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