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In China, Tencent is already doing it. Now it’s betting on Weixin Palm Payment, a biometric system launched in May for users of Weixin Pay, WeChat’s sister app. Last year, JPMorgan cited the opportunity as it announced its own payment authentication software pilot program using palm scanning. “With face scanning technology, people can look a lot like each other — like twins,” he said. The Seattle-based e-commerce giant launched its own palm scanning payment service in 2020, letting users connect their palm prints to credit cards to buy items at the company’s cashier-free stores.

Persons: China that’s, — Tencent, Guo Rizen, “, ” Guo, Tencent’s, Guo, ”, Tencent, “ We’re, Edward Santow, …, ” Santow, Kate Xue, wasn’t Organizations: China CNN, CNN, Goode Intelligence, JPMorgan, Fujitsu, University of Technology Locations: China, Shenzhen, Beijing, Seattle, Chinese, Guangdong, Supermonkey, University of Technology Sydney

Hong Kong CNN —China and the Philippines on Sunday accused each other of causing collisions in a disputed area of the South China Sea, the latest in a string of maritime confrontations between the two countries that have heightened regional tensions. In a statement Sunday, the Chinese Coast Guard accused the Philippines of violating international marine law and threatening the navigation safety of Chinese ships. In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in a landmark maritime dispute, which concluded that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to the bulk of the South China Sea. In September, the Philippine Coast Guard released video of a Filipino diver cutting a Chinese-installed floating barrier in a disputed area of the waterway that had prevented Filipino boats from entering. It came just days after after the Philippine Coast Guard accused China’s maritime militia of turning vast patches of coral near the Palawan island chain into a bleached and broken wasteland.

Persons: Thomas, “, Thomas Shoal Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Coast Guard, National Task Force, West Philippine, BRP, Chinese Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard Locations: Hong Kong, China, Philippines, South China, Philippine, Ayungin, Spratly, BRP Sierra Madre, Manila, Beijing, China’s, The Hague, Palawan

Tokyo CNN —China has formally arrested a Japanese man who was detained in March, according to officials from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Japanese Embassy in Beijing. The arrest of the Japanese national, who was reportedly an employee of a Tokyo-based pharmaceutical firm, could further rattle foreign businesses in China, which have reported feeling more unsettled this year amid a crackdown on international consulting firms on national security grounds. According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, the man was an employee of drugmaker Astellas Pharma and was detained in March by Chinese security authorities in Beijing on suspicion of violating the country’s criminal law and anti-espionage law. In May, state security authorities said they had raided several offices of Capvision, an advisory network. The issue has been cited as headache for foreign businesses, some of which were already having trouble convincing workers to relocate to China.

Persons: Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan’s MOFA, Mao Ning, “, ”, Weeks, Bain, — CNN’s Michelle Toh, Sophie Jeong, Mengchen Zhang Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy, NHK, drugmaker, Pharma, CNN, Foreign Ministry, Ministry of State Security, Mintz Group, American Chamber of Commerce, China’s Commerce Ministry, State Administration of Foreign Exchange Locations: China, Tokyo, Beijing, MOFA, Shanghai, Hong Kong

Beijing CNN —A decade ago, Zhang Weili was handing out flyers to rushing commuters in front of her local subway station. Zhang, born in China’s northern Hebei province, is her country’s first and only champion in US-based promotion the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Our preparations and tactics were spot on,” Zhang told CNN from Black Tiger Fight Club in Beijing. The Black Tiger Fight Club MMA gym in Beijing is where China's first and only UFC champion, Zhang Weili, trains. The Black Tiger Fight Club training area in Beijing, China.

Persons: Beijing CNN —, Zhang Weili, she’s, Zhang, Brazil’s Amanda Lemos, Joe Rogan, ” Zhang, “, Mengchen Zhang, Rose Namajunas, Namajunas, won’t, ”, CNN Bruce Lee, Bruce Lee, Cai Xuejun, ’, gesturing, didn’t Organizations: Beijing CNN, UFC, CNN, Black Tiger Fight Club, Fight Club, Fight, MMA Locations: Beijing, China’s, Hebei, “, Lemos, China, Lithuanian, Jacksonville , Florida

CNN —A US State Department report that accuses the Chinese government of expanding disinformation efforts is “in itself disinformation,” Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed Saturday. The ministry shot back after the State Department issued a striking report this week in which it accused the Chinese government of expanding efforts to control information and to disseminate propaganda and disinformation that promotes “digital authoritarianism” in China and around the world. The US report, issued by the Global Engagement Center on Thursday, alleged that China spends billions of dollars a year on foreign information manipulation and warned that Chinese leader Xi Jinping had “significantly expanded” efforts to “shape the global information environment.”It also underlined US concerns about China as a main military competitor and key rival in the battle over ideas and global disinformation. Two days later, China hit back. “The relevant center of the US State Department which concocted the report is engaged in propaganda and infiltration in the name of ‘global engagement’ – it is a source of disinformation and the command center of ‘perception warfare’,” the ministry said on Saturday.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Organizations: CNN, US State Department, Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Department, Global Locations: China, Iraq, Syria, Xinjiang, ’

☆ Crisis at Evergrande deepens as it misses another bond payment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Evergrande Group has just missed another bond payment, casting further doubt over the future of the embattled property developer at the epicenter of China’s real estate crisis. China’s property industry once accounted for as much as 30% of the country’s gross domestic product. Questions about financial stabilityConcerns over China’s economic stability have resurfaced, driven by the deepening financial crisis at Evergrande, said Stephen Innes, managing partner of SPI Asset Management. On Sunday, Evergrande surprised investors with an announcement that it was unable to issue new notes due to the investigation into Hengda. It was the first criminal probe launched against Evergrande since it was hit by the debt crisis nearly two years ago.

Persons: Evergrande, Tao Wang, Stephen Innes, ”, Innes, Mengchen Zhang, Marc Stewart Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Evergrande, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Getty, China, Asia Economics, UBS, CNN, Evergrande Locations: China, Hong Kong, AFP, Asia, Evergrande

☆ Huawei wants to go all in on AI in first strategy update in a decade, says Meng Wanzhou
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s rotating chairwoman and chief financial officer, made the announcement in Shanghai during a company event. Huawei’s decision follows a similar move by fellow Chinese tech giant Alibaba (BABA), announced earlier this month, to prioritize AI. Hacking allegationsNews of Huawei’s strategic update came the same day the company was mentioned in allegations lodged by China against the United States. In 2019, Huawei was added to the US “entity list,” which restricts exports to select organizations without a US government license. In recent weeks, Huawei has added to US-China tensions again after launching a new smartphone that represents an apparent technological breakthrough.

Persons: Meng Wanzhou, Meng, “, China —, Ren Zhengfei, Mengchen Zhang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Huawei, Intelligence, Iran, US Department of Justice, China’s Ministry of State Security, United, US National Security Agency, NSA Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Canada, United States

☆ 10 dead after tornadoes tear through two cities in eastern China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Mengchen Zhang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Beijing CNN —Ten people have died as two tornadoes ripped through two cities in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. It’s the latest deadly extreme weather event to hit the country, which over the last few months has been grappling with severe floods as well as extreme heat waves. Five people were killed and four were severely injured from a strong tornado that struck Suqian city in Jiangsu province on Tuesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV. More than 400 people have been relocated and more than 130 houses were destroyed in the city, CCTV reported. Scientists are confident that extreme weather events will only become more frequent and more severe unless the world stops burning planet-heating fossil fuels.

Persons: Stringer Organizations: Beijing CNN, Getty, Beijing Youth Daily Locations: Beijing, China’s, Jiangsu, Suqian, Yancheng –, Shanghai, AFP

☆ US says it has no evidence that Huawei can make advanced smartphones ‘at scale’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says the US government has no evidence that Huawei can produce smartphones with advanced chips “at scale,” as it continues to investigate how the sanctioned Chinese manufacturer made an apparent breakthrough with its latest flagship device. On Tuesday, Raimondo told US lawmakers that she was “upset” by news of the launch of Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro during her visit to China last month. “The only good news, if there is any, is we don’t have any evidence that they can manufacture 7-nanometer [chips] at scale,” she told a US House of Representatives hearing. That surprised many because SMIC, a partially state-owned Chinese company, has also been subject to US export restrictions for years. The following year, the US government expanded on those curbs by seeking to cut Huawei off from chip suppliers that use US technology.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Raimondo, China’s, TechInsights, Ivan Lam, Kevin Frayer, Toby Zhu, Zhu, Lam, — Rashard Rose, Mengchen Zhang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Huawei, Kirin, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, CNN, SK Hynix, Huawei ”, Research, IT, Eurasia Group Locations: China, Hong Kong, Korean, Beijing, Shenzhen, Apple’s

☆ China says it hasn't issued any ban on iPhones
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Mengchen Zhang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Beijing CNN —China hasn’t issued any laws or rules to ban the use of iPhones or any other foreign phone brand, a Chinese government spokesperson said on Wednesday. Bloomberg/Getty ImagesLast week, The Wall Street Journal reported that China had banned the use of iPhones by central government officials, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. China is the largest foreign market for the company’s products, and Chinese sales represented about a fifth of the company’s total revenue last year. The company doesn’t disclose iPhone sales by country, but analysts at research firm TechInsights estimate that there were more iPhone sales in China than in the United States last quarter. Apple also produces the majority of its iPhones in Chinese factories.

Persons: China hasn’t, “, Mao Ning, ” Mao, Apple hasn’t Organizations: Beijing CNN, ” Ministry of Foreign, Apple Inc, Bloomberg, Getty, Street Journal, Apple Locations: Beijing, China, United States

☆ The Great Wall of China: Two people detained for allegedly damaging cultural relic with excavator
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Mengchen Zhang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Two people have been detained in China after allegedly damaging a section of the Great Wall in the northern Shanxi province with an excavator, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Authorities in Youyu County said they received a report on August 24 that a gap in the wall was created in Yangqianhe Township, CCTV reported. Police said the investigation was ongoing. The area, known as the 32nd Great Wall, is one of the surviving complete walls and watch towers dated back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and is listed as a provincial cultural relic site. The Great Wall was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

Organizations: CNN, CCTV, Police, UNESCO, Heritage Locations: China, Shanxi, Youyu County, Yangqianhe Township

CNN —Oil powers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been invited to become members of the BRICS group of developing nations in its first expansion in over a decade. Total bilateral trade between Saudi Arabia and BRICS nations exceeded $160 billion in 2022, the Saudi foreign minister said. It also means Russia and Saudi Arabia — both members of OPEC+, a group of major oil producers — will join each other in a new economic bloc. The BRICS countries have also been talking about a common currency, an idea analysts have described as unworkable and “unlikely” in the near future. Existing BRICS members have “had enough difficulty trying to agree just between the five of them,” he added.

Persons: Cyril Ramaphosa, ” Ramaphosa, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Xi Jinping, ” Jinping, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Narendra Modi, Saudi Arabia —, —, Putin, Goldman Sachs, Jim O’Neill, ” O’Neill, “, ”, I’m, ” BRICS, Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, Abdel Fattah el, Sisi, — Manveena Suri, Mostafa Salem, Lizzy Yee, Mengchen Zhang, Nadeen Ebrahim Organizations: CNN, Oil, United Arab, Saudi Foreign, Indian, OPEC, West, Western, Bloomberg, New Development Bank, United Arab Emirates, BRICS Locations: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Argentina, South, Johannesburg, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Russian, BRICS, Saudi, United States, UAE

☆ The Fed's next move after raising rates to fight inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Some investors are betting on rate cuts as soon as early next year, perhaps on expectations that the economy might soon deteriorate. If unemployment spikes because of higher interest rates, for example, the Fed would likely cut rates to stem job losses under its mandate of maximum employment. The Fed’s tough talk has rattled the bond market, helping push up long-dated yields. In addition to the possibility of cutting rates because of an economic downturn, the Fed could also cut rates if inflation slows too much. “If the Fed sees that inflation goes below the 2% target, they could start decreasing interest rates, but I don’t think they are going to start decreasing interest rates until that happens,” said Eugenio Alemán, chief economist at Raymond James.

Persons: there’s, Rather, Austan Goolsbee, Mike Hackett, they’ve, ”, Eugenio Alemán, Raymond James, Melissa Brown, China’s ‘ Lehman, Laura, Mengchen Zhang, Technology —, Zhongrong, Read, Thomas Barkin, Michelle Bowman, Kansas City Fed’s, Jerome Powell, Christine Lagarde Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, DC CNN, Federal, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Treasury, Nationwide, CNN, Fed, Service, KBC Corporation, Xianheng, Science, Technology, National Association of Realtors, Body, Nvidia, Kansas City, Global, US Commerce Department, Labor Department, Central Bank Locations: Washington, “, China, BJ’s, Abercrombie, Kansas

It warned investors to be vigilant of fraud, but has not commented on the issue of missed payments to investors. Investors were afraid of “contagion” spreading to the country’s $2.9 trillion investment trust industry, Citi analysts wrote in a Wednesday research report. Last year, Zhongrong extended payments on several of its real estate trust products, saying that the companies couldn’t repay their debts. Most trust products are closed-ended, which means they can only be repaid at maturity, and hence are not vulnerable to panic selling. In addition, thanks to new regulations launched in 2017, the traditional banks have curbed their off-balance-sheet business, including trust products.

Persons: Technology —, Zhongrong, hasn’t, ”, Stringer, Zhongrong’s, China’s “ Lehman, ” Nomura, Lehman, “ Organizations: Beijing CNN, Service, KBC Corporation, Xianheng, Science, Technology, CNN, Zhongzhi, International Trust Co, Bloomberg, Getty, Investors, Citi, China, Association, Companies, Kaisa, Sunac, Nomura, Consumer, National Bureau of Statistics, People’s Bank of China Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Shanghai, Shenzhen, …, Sunac China

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

CNN —Days of heavy rain have caused severe flooding in China’s leading grain-producing region in the northeast, killing 14 people and raising concerns about food security as floodwater inundated farmlands. As the storm moved further north, another 14 deaths were reported Sunday in the city of Shulan in Jilin province. Firefighters operate a drainage machine near a village in the city of Mudanjiang in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province on August 5. A cornfield is submerged by floodwater in a village in Hebi city, Henan province on August 5. A flooded farm in Xinxiang city, Henan province on August 5.

Persons: Doksuri, Zhang Tao, floodwater, Typhoon Khanun, Xi Jinping Organizations: CNN, Xinhua, Firefighters, China’s Ministry of Water Resources, Communist Party, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Affairs, National Bureau of Statistics, China Meteorological Administration, Qiushi, Communist Locations: China, Beijing, Hebei, Shulan, Jilin province, Heilongjiang, Mudanjiang, China's Heilongjiang, Jilin, Harbin, Shangzhi, Wuchang, Liaoning, Hebi city, Henan province, Henan, Xinxiang city

At least 11 people have been killed and 27 others reported missing, state broadcaster CCTV reported, while more than 127,000 people have been evacuated from the city. In Mentougou district, the average rainfall was more than 18 inches, according to data from Beijing’s meteorological service, while nearby Fangshan saw 16 inches of rain. The storm is the deadliest to hit Beijing since 2012 when floods killed 77 people – a toll that authorities initially tried to cover up. Before hitting Fujian, the typhoon had killed at least 39 people in the Philippines and lashed parts of southern Taiwan. At least 1,870 passengers and 68 staff had been stranded on two trains and were finally led to safe ground by Monday afternoon, Xinhua reported, citing Beijing’s state railway operator.

Persons: Doksuri, Pedro Pardo, Xi Jinping, ” Xi Organizations: CNN, CCTV, Beijing, Xinhua, Authorities Locations: Beijing, China, Mentougou district, Fangshan, Zhengzhou, Henan, Beijing's Mentougou, AFP, Fujian, Philippines, Taiwan, Guizhou, Mentougou, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, Zhejiang

In a statement written from the perspective of a sun bear named “Angela,” officials from Hangzhou zoo said people “didn’t understand” the species. In 2013, a city zoo in the central Henan province angered visitors by trying to pass off a Tibetan Mastiff dog as a lion. Visitors at another Chinese zoo, in Sichuan province, were shocked to discover a golden retriever sitting in a cage labeled as an African lion enclosure. World’s smallest bears under threatNative to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, sun bears are the world’s smallest bear species. Sun bears are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Persons: “ Angela, I’m Angela Organizations: CNN, Wildlife Fund, Sun Bear Conservation Center, International Union for Conservation of Nature Locations: China, Hangzhou, Weibo, Henan, Sichuan, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sabah

China’s readout of the call was noticeably more pointed, underscoring the deep distrust that lingers between Beijing and Washington. Qin told Blinken the US should “show respect” on China’s core concerns such as the Taiwan issue. Blinken originally planned to visit China in February as the two countries attempted to stabilize ties following an in-person meeting between their leaders in Indonesia last November. But the high-stakes trip was postponed over a suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew over the continental US and was later shot down. In a veiled criticism, Qin appeared to blame the US for the heightened tensions in recent months in his call with Blinken, according to the Chinese readout.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Qin Gang, Blinken, Matthew Miller, Washington . Qin, Qin, “, Joe Biden’s, ”, Xi Jinping Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Qin, US State Department, China’s Foreign Ministry, Foreign Ministry, CNN, China’s Communist Party Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Washington, Taiwan, Indonesia, South, South China

CNN —The Chinese city of Shanghai recorded its highest May temperature in more than 100 years on Monday, hitting a record 36.1 degrees Celsius (nearly 97 degrees Fahrenheit). It is unknown when the city began keeping temperature records. Monday’s record-breaking heat wave for May was recorded in the city’s Xuhui district, state media CCTV reported, citing the Shanghai Meteorological Department. Earlier Monday, the Shanghai Meteorological Department issued its first high temperature alert of the year as temperatures in the city surpassed 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) for three consecutive days. Across the entirety of 2022, Shanghai recorded 50 days of temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius.

CNN —China’s first large homegrown passenger jet made its inaugural commercial flight on Sunday, flying from Shanghai to Beijing, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported. Flying as China Eastern Airlines flight MU9191, the new narrow-body C919 plane left Shanghai at 10:32 a.m. local time. With a range of up to 5,555 kilometers (3,452 miles), the C919 will take on the world’s two major aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing. It will be a direct competitor to their A320 and B737 narrowbody jets, most commonly used for domestic and regional international flights. Many of the plane’s major elements such as the nose, fuselage, outer wing, vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer were designed by COMAC.

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Qin said US actions and words had undermined “hard-won positive momentum” following Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s meeting with US President Joe Biden in Indonesia last year. Under the Taiwan Relations Act, Washington is also bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. ‘Better channels’Monday’s meeting was Qin’s first with Burns since the former Chinese ambassador to the US was promoted to foreign minister in December. The two sides resumed climate talks following Xi and Biden’s meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia last November. He reiterated Blinken’s visit to China would be rescheduled “when conditions are appropriate.”

In Shanghai, over seven million tourists arrived in the city for the weekend, according to Shanghai Travel Data. Also known as the May Day holiday, the Labor Day break is one of three major annual holidays in China. Tourists visit Nanjing Confucius Temple ahead of the May Day holiday on April 27, 2023 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province of China. Visitors walk past the Casino Lisboa, operated by SJM Holdings, during Labour Day holiday in Macau, China, April 30, 2023. “The unscrupulous practice of these bed-and-breakfasts is ugly,” said an opinion piece posted on the social media platform by state media People’s Daily.

CNN —China’s Zhurong rover on Mars has been in hibernation since last May due to an “unpredictable accumulation” of dust, mission designer Zhang Rongqiao said, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday. “According to our analysis, the biggest possibility is that because of unpredictable accumulation of Martian dust, its power generation capacity was reduced and it was too low to wake itself up,” Rongqiao said, explaining why the rover has since been dormant. This image showing the rover and the lander on the surface of Mars was taken by a separable camera deployed by the Zhurong rover in 2021. The NASA InSight lander’s mission came to an end in December after spending nearly 1,500 days on Mars. But a heavy accumulation of dust on its solar panels caused a steady drop in the lander’s power source.

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