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☆ Chinese leaders to hold annual 'Two Sessions' meeting as debate about bazooka-like stimulus swirls
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Edgar Su | ReutersBEIJING — China is set this week to kick off its annual parliamentary meetings, which investors are watching closely for signals on economic stimulus. China's economic policy is typically set at an annual meeting in December by leaders within the ruling Communist Party of China. GDP and other economic targetsThe Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body, is set to kick off its annual meeting on Monday. "On balance, the additional fiscal impulse this year, assuming a bazooka-like fiscal package is not forthcoming, is unlikely to be particularly large." China's foreign minister and premier typically hold press conferences during the parliamentary meetings, which generally end in mid-March.

Persons: Edgar Su, Wang Jun, Wang, Zong Liang, Louise Loo, Loo, Goldman Sachs, Bank of China's Zong Organizations: of, Initiative, Reuters, Huatai Asset Management, CNBC, Communist Party of China, U.S, Political Consultative Conference, National People's, Oxford Economics, Industry, Information Technology, Science, Technology, Housing, Bank of, Communist Party's, Communist Party of Locations: Beijing, China, Reuters BEIJING, U.S . Federal, RMB3.8tn, Bank of China's

☆ IQiyi, the Netflix of China, posts first year of profits and says it's 'excited' about Sora
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Chinese video content and streaming company iQiyi CFO Wang Jun said he is "excited" about potential new business opportunities with the emergence of OpenAI's text-to-video tool Sora. Speaking exclusively to CNBC on Thursday, Wang said such tools can help iQiyi tell stories more creatively, and that internally, it is exploring the text-to-video space. For 2023, iQiyi said Wednesday its original content accounted for a record 65% of major dramas it released. Other major Chinese video platforms with longer-form content include Tencent Video, Alibaba -owned Youku and Bilibili . Recent data insights show more people across China are watching iQiyi's content on internet-connected television sets, and, increasingly screens inside electric cars, Wang said.

Persons: Wang Jun, Wang, OpenAI, Sora, iQiyi Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, CNBC, Apple Locations: BEIJING, U.S, Beijing, China

Liu got the librarian job after a government-led campaign to secure temporary work for graduates, which analysts describe as a short-term solution to preserve social stability in a slowing economy with little on offer for young Chinese. Such "welfare jobs," as they are known in China, include roles as receptionists, office administrators, security guards and community workers. Various government institutions offer such jobs every year, but they had usually drawn applications from disadvantaged groups, such as elderly or disabled people. But state media editorials have also encouraged young graduates to take lower skilled jobs. Reuters GraphicsThe total take-up of short-term jobs and internships remains unknown, but social media posts commenting on the selection process and discussing career options are frequent and analysts expect such roles will be in demand in a slowing economy.

Persons: Peter Liu, Liu, Wang Jun, joblessness, Mao Zedong, Chen, Graphics Liu, Kripa Jayaram, Ellen Zhang, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Reuters, Human Resources, Social Security, Huatai Asset Management, Graphics, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, HONG KONG, Beijing, Henan, China, Chongqing

☆ China turns to rural tourism and smart appliances to boost consumption
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

On Monday, the central government announced 20 measures to support tourism, as well as spur consumption of electric cars and so-called smart appliances. The support measures announced included an entire section on spurring rural consumption. Specifics included subsidizing trade-ins for purchase of smart household appliances, improving delivery services and promoting rural tourism. Median disposable income for rural households rose by 6.1% in the first half of the year from a year ago, official data showed. But at 8,920 yuan ($1,245) in disposable income, rural households only had about 40% of what urban households had to spend.

Persons: Yang Bo, Xu Hongcai, Li Chunlin, Li, Nomura, Xu, Wang Jun Organizations: China News Service, Getty, China Association of Policy, National Development, Reform Commission, CNBC, Boston Consulting Group, U.S . Authorities, Huatai Asset Management Locations: Nanjing, China, BEIJING, Beijing, Hong Kong

[1/5] A worker sweeps a street in the Central Business District on a rainy day in Beijing, China, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas PeterBEIJING, July 18 (Reuters) - China is entering an era of much slower economic growth, raising a daunting prospect: it may never get rich. He expects growth to slow to 3%, which "will feel like an economic recession" when youth unemployment is already above 20%. The April-June data puts 2023 growth on track for roughly 5%, with slower rates thereafter. But China's annual growth averaged around 7% last decade, and more than 10% in the 2000s.

Persons: Thomas Peter BEIJING, Desmond Lachman, year's, Wang Jun, Zheng Shanjie, Zheng, Richard Koo, Juan Orts, Xi Jinping's, Zhao, Cai Fang, Zhu Ning, Koo, Liangping Gao, Ellen Zhang, Ziyi Tang, Kevin Yao, Joe Cash, Marius Zaharia, David Crawshaw Organizations: Central Business District, REUTERS, American Enterprise Institute, Reuters, Communist, Huatai Asset Management, Reform Commission, Overseas, Nomura Research Institute, Fathom Consulting, Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Japan, United States, Young, Africa, Latin, U.S, Central

☆ No easy fix for China as economy slows more than expected
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China is on track to miss its annual growth target of around 5.5% - the latest Reuters poll forecast 2022 growth at 3.2%. Data on Thursday showed new bank lending in China fell more than expected in October from the previous month while broad credit growth slowed. Underscoring the weakness in domestic demand, factory gate prices for October dropped for the first time since December 2020. But the main near-term headwind remains China's zero-COVID policy, while the longer term drag remains domestic demand. read more"COVID curbs have greatly affected consumption and investment," said Wang Jun, director at China Chief Economist Forum.

☆ China vows commitment to growth as investors bet on easier COVID policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Even though case numbers are rising and disruptive lockdowns continue with no clear exit strategy in sight, investors latched on to hope that China may ease its strict COVID policy in the coming months. Renewed COVID lockdowns are weighing heavily on China's business activity and consumer confidence. read moreOPEN-DOOR POLICYYi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), said China will continue to deregulate its markets. While other countries have been tightening policy to battle rising prices, China has implemented an accommodative monetary policy to shore up sputtering growth, raising concerns about capital flight. With China's zero-COVID policy expected to remain in place through at least the winter, or longer, its near-term growth outlook is bleak.

☆ China vows commitment to growth as pressure on economy mounts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Renewed COVID lockdowns are weighing heavily on China's business activity, consumer confidence and financial markets, adding to a sharp downdraft on the global economy from surging inflation and rising interest rates. OPEN-DOOR POLICYYi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), said China will continue to deregulate its markets. With China's zero-COVID policy expected to remain in place through at least the winter, or longer, its near-term growth outlook is bleak. After surprisingly high gross domestic product growth of 3.9% in the third quarter, Nomura expects growth to drop again, with zero or even negative sequential growth from the previous quarter. "We maintain our GDP growth forecast of 2.8% year-on-year for the fourth quarter with a corresponding sequential growth forecast at 0.0%."

[1/3] Police officers stand guard near the scene of a crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities, in Seoul, South Korea, November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Heo RanSEOUL, Nov 2 (Reuters) - As South Korea mourns the deaths of more than 150 people in a Halloween party crush, many people - even those not directly involved - are dealing with trauma and a search for answers that has at times blamed the victims, a psychiatry expert says. "It spread very quickly through news media and social media, leaving people directly and indirectly affected, and even those who aren't affected may feel distressed and frustrated, pretty much casting a sense of dread over the entire society," he said. The government sent a mobile clinic run by the National Center for Disaster Trauma to Itaewon, offering free counselling. "For example, when we had COVID-19 cases the first time in South Korea, there were a lot of blaming reactions like 'why did you go there?

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