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☆ Major companies in China are setting up their own volunteer armies
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Hong Kong CNN —Chinese companies are doing something rarely seen since the 1970s: setting up their own volunteer armies. According to China’s Military Service Law, male militia members should be 18 to 35 years old. It was latest in a slew of militias established by major Chinese companies in the past year. After 1949, when the party took control of mainland China, the units were eventually embedded into governments, schools and companies. This can, in the long run, save the PLA resources by delegating some duties to militia forces to care for,” Heath said.

Persons: Xi, ”, Neil Thomas, Nuo Nuo, Huang Zhiqiang, Qilai Shen, Liu Jie, Mao Zedong, Mao, Timothy Heath, homebuyers, Heath, ” Heath, Willy Lam, Sam Yeh, ” Lam, China’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, People’s Armed Forces Departments, America’s National Guard, Communist, Asia Society, Center for, Communist Party, China Labour Bulletin, Foxconn, Yili, Armed Forces Department, China’s Military Service Law, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, government’s Communist Party, Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Bloomberg, Getty, Shanghai Municipal Investment Group, Construction Investment, Development, Defense Ministry, People’s Armed Police, Armed, Rand Corporation, Jamestown Foundation, Party, Taiwan Locations: China, Hong Kong, Center for China, Beijing, Zhengzhou, Henan, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, Yili, Shanghai, Mengniu, Nantong city, Jiangsu, Huizhou city, Guangdong, Wuhan, Hubei province, People’s Republic, United States, Taiwan, Fangchenggang City, Guangxi, ”, PLA, Taiwan's, AFP

[1/2] Performers dance to welcome Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong at Beijing Capital International Airport ahead of the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 17, 2023. The conciliatory approach towards rivals as well as China's partners in the developing world comes as President Xi Jinping gets to grips with the most significant domestic economic problems seen in years. China has not changed its tone on every issue. It has not backed away from escalating maritime confrontation with the Philippines in the South China Sea. Stabilizing the U.S. relationship, including with a meeting between Xi and U.S. President Joe Biden at an upcoming Asia- Pacific summit, could give China breathing room.

Persons: Vo Van Thuong, Parker, Biden, Xi Jinping, Noah Barkin, Barkin, Cheng Lei, Xi, Chuck Schumer, Willy Lam, Huiyao Wang, Qin Gang, Li Shangfu, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Zack Cooper, Don Durfee, Robert Birsel Organizations: Beijing Capital International, Forum, U.S, Initiative, Jamestown Foundation, for, Marshall, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, San Francisco China, HONG KONG, WASHINGTON, Sri Lanka, United States, Asia, Europe, Australia, U.S, Zambia, Philippines, South China, Africa, for China

☆ Exclusive: Combat veteran is likely replacement for China's missing defence minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

China's defence ministry and State Council information office did not respond to requests for comment. If his departure is confirmed, Li will be the second senior minister to lose his job in recent months. Qin Gang was removed as foreign minister in July, one month after he was last seen in public. U.S. defence officials have long wanted to reestablish routine communications with counterparts directly involved in command decisions. Qin was made foreign minister in Dec. 2022 and Li became defence minister in March.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Liu Zhenli, Liu, Li Shangfu, Li, Qin Gang, Qin, Nancy Pelosi, Xi Jinping, Xi, James Char, Lloyd Austin, Alexander Neill, Willy Lam, Chang Dingqiu, Katerina Ang, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Political Consultative, REUTERS, Rights, Defence, Reuters, Russia, Joint Staff Department of, Central Military Commission, State, U.S . Department of Defense, ., CMC, Xiangshan, National, Committee, Communist Party's, U.S, Pentagon, People's, Army, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Washington, PUBLIC, National Defence, Joint Staff Department, Pacific Forum, Jamestown Foundation, Xinhua, Air Force, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, United States, U.S, Taipei, ., Singapore, Honolulu, Vietnam

The zoo is run by the local government, which was said to be running out of money and therefore unable to feed its charges. These vehicles are legal entities created by Chinese cities to circumvent borrowing restrictions imposed by the central government in Beijing. “Why hurt small businesses which are the weakest?”Noodle sellers in Shanghai have been fined for adding cucumber to their dishes. Last year, Beijing issued a directive forbidding local governments from imposing “arbitrary fines” to generate income, and dispatched inspection teams to check that the policy was being followed. The scale of financial stress among China’s local governments is so big that “creative” sources of income can only cover a relatively small shortfall, he said.

Persons: hadn’t, Xi Jinping’s, ”, Willy Lam, Lam, “, Aly Song, Jiemian, Logan Wright, hasn’t, Li Qiang, Steve Tsang, Joseph Cheng, —, Martha Zhou Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Species Fund, CNN Local, China Newsweek, ” CNN, China National Radio, Washington, Jamestown Foundation, CNN, ”, Weibo, “, SOAS China, SOAS University of London, City University of Hong Locations: China, Hong Kong, Dongshan, Liaoning, Beijing, Shanghai, Henan, Huizhou, Nanchang, Qingdao, City University of Hong Kong

☆ China resorts to extraordinary measures to soothe entrepreneurs amid deep retreat of private business
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Hong Kong CNN —After years of regulatory crackdowns and draconian Covid curbs, private entrepreneurs in China are low on enthusiasm. If anything, the private sector seems to be retreating even more so far this year. State-led investment surged 10.5%, while private investment increased a mere 0.8%. In 2022, state investment rose 10.1%, while private investment ticked up 0.9%. “We always regard private enterprises and private entrepreneurs as people on our own side,” Xi said.

☆ 8 million Chinese youths sat for a test in the style of an 'imperial examination' — all for a job that pays about $7,000 a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A record 7.7 million Chinese youths sat for an intense test to try to secure one of 200,000 government jobs. The modern-day civil service tests are not far off the mark from their ancient iterations. In spite of the tough tests required to secure these jobs, civil service jobs are not high paying. "In general, civil service jobs could bring with them benefits for the whole family, like connections to positions of power," Wu said. For those who want to be active participants in the workforce, civil service jobs continue to be a solid option.

It’s quite remarkable.”In his first five-year term on the Standing Committee, Wang ran the party's secretariat, an organ responsible for day-to-day affairs. In Xi's third leadership term, Wang is on track to be in charge of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body. "All the major slogans, from Jiang Zemin to Hu Jintao to Xi Jinping, seem to have come from Wang Huning," Lam said. 'AMERICA VS. AMERICA'Where most Standing Committee members have experience such as running a major city or province, Wang is an academic. During 1989's pro-democracy student protests, Wang told Xia not to stand with the students, a warning Xia did not heed.

REUTERS/Thomas PeterBEIJING, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The rare street protests that erupted in cities across China over the weekend were a referendum against President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy and the strongest public defiance during his political career, China analysts said. Public dissatisfaction with Xi's zero-COVID policy, expressed on social media or offline in the form of putting up posters in universities or by protesting, is Xi's biggest domestic challenge since the 2019 protests in Hong Kong against an extradition bill. Although this authoritarian arrangement allowed Xi to be more powerful, it also contains vulnerabilities, as exposed by the protests, analysts said. "If he lets go, it would mean that his past zero-COVID policy has completely failed and he would have to take responsibility for it. Xi tried tweaking the zero-COVID policy with the release of "20 measures" last month, in an attempt to standardize prevention measures nationwide and make them friendlier to residents and to the economy.

☆ Analysis: China protests highlight Xi's COVID policy dilemma - to walk it back or not
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File PhotoBEIJING, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The rare street protests that erupted in cities across China over the weekend were a referendum against President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy and the strongest public defiance during his political career, China analysts said. Public dissatisfaction with Xi's zero-COVID policy, expressed on social media or offline in the form of putting up posters in universities or by protesting, is Xi's biggest domestic challenge since the 2019 protests in Hong Kong against an extradition bill. Although this authoritarian arrangement allowed Xi to be more powerful, it also contains vulnerabilities, as exposed by the protests, analysts said. "If he lets go, it would mean that his past zero-COVID policy has completely failed and he would have to take responsibility for it. Xi tried tweaking the zero-COVID policy with the release of "20 measures" last month, in an attempt to standardize prevention measures nationwide and make them friendlier to residents and to the economy.

☆ China's new leadership lineup risks fewer checks and balances: Think tank
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChina's new leadership lineup risks fewer checks and balances: Think tankWilly Lam of Jamestown Foundation says China's new Politburo lineup is stacked with people loyal to President Xi Jinping.

BEIJING, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Li Qiang, who oversaw Shanghai's grinding two-month COVID-19 lockdown this year as party boss of China's commercial hub, is on track to become China's next premier after President Xi Jinping unveiled a new governing body packed with loyalists. Current Premier Li Keqiang, a more reform-minded voice, will step down in March after the maximum two terms. "We have not seen Li Qiang introduce any market-oriented reforms," said Lam. In 2015, Li accompanied Xi on a visit to the United States to meet then-President Barack Obama. In Seattle with Xi, Li gave a speech calling for more cooperation between Zhejiang and U.S. firms.

☆ China's Xi clinches third term, packs leadership team with loyalists
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Tingshu WangBEIJING, Oct 23 (Reuters) - China's Xi Jinping secured a precedent-breaking third leadership term on Sunday and introduced a new Politburo Standing Committee stacked with loyalists, cementing his place as the country's most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong. Shanghai Communist Party chief Li Qiang followed Xi onto the stage at the Great Hall of the People as the new leadership team was introduced, meaning he is likely to succeed Li Keqiang as premier when he retires in March. The other members of the seven-man Standing Committee, China's top governing body, are Zhao Leji and Wang Huning, who return from the previous committee, and newcomers Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. Li Qiang is also new to the Standing Committee. Xi Jinping also has total control over the larger Politburo and Central Committee," he said.

☆ China's 'liberal' Wang Yang seen as possible premier as reshuffle looms
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( James Pomfret | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

During his time in Guangdong, which borders Hong Kong, Wang made his mark by pushing an upgrade of rusting industries and touting socially inclusive policies. Wang was passed over for promotion to the Politburo Standing Committee in 2012, but as vice premier he helped oversee China's external economic relations including with the United States. YOUTH LEAGUELike Li Keqiang and Vice Premier Hu Chunhua - another premiership contender - Wang has ties to the Communist Youth League, a faction seen to be a rival to Xi's. In recent years under Xi, Wang has seemingly tempered his reformist tendencies, echoing the party's tough line on sensitive political issues including Taiwan, Xinjiang and Tibet, while expressing support for Xi. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by James Pomfret; Editing by Tony Munroe and Lincoln Feast.

☆ 1 in 5 of China's urban youth are unemployed. That's a huge headache for Xi Jinping
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Laura He | Cnn Business | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The youth unemployment rate has repeatedly hit new highs this year , rising from 15.3% in March to a record 18.2% in April. In the past few months, mass layoffs have engulfed once booming Chinese industries ranging from private tutoring to real estate. Xi is seeking a historic third term when the Communist Party hold its congress next month. But youth unemployment will constitute a "major threat" to China's economic and political stability in the long run, he added. But the government seems unwilling to tackle the main reason behind China's economic slowdown this year — the zero Covid policy .

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