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☆ Nvidia's Jensen Huang sheds his biker chic look to dance in a red floral vest during a visit to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewAs the cofounder and CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang is known for building the company into the world's leading AI chipmaker. AdvertisementNvidia CEO Jensen Huang visited the company's offices in Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen last week, taking part in year-end festivities. He engaged in the traditional twist Yangge, a popular rural folk dance in northeast China, wearing a traditional flower-patterned vest. Huang's trip to China came amid intensifying rivalry between Washington and Beijing over a range of issues, including tech and geopolitics. The restrictions thrust Nvidia into a difficult position since China has typically accounted for about one-fifth of the company's revenue.

Persons: —, Jensen Huang, He's, Huang, SCMP, Nvidia’s, …, Biden Organizations: Service, Nvidia, Business, Business Insider, Bloomberg, China Morning Locations: China, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Washington

☆ China's LandSpace readies satellite launch with methane rocket
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Beijing-based LandSpace Technology, one of China's private space companies, is preparing to launch a satellite payload to orbit in the first commercial test of its rocket powered by liquid fuel using methane and oxygen. The company did not specify a launch window for the rocket, which will blast off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia. The company had fundraising rounds of undisclosed sizes since, Chinese company record tracking database Tianyancha showed. LandSpace rival OrienSpace, founded in 2020, said it plans to launch its first rocket, Gravity-1, based on solid fuel, in December. ($1 = 7.1368 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Ella Cao, Roxanne Liu and Bernard Orr; Editing by Kevin Krolicki and Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: LandSpace's, LandSpace, Elon Musk's, Jeff Bezos, Zhang Changwu, OrienSpace, Ella Cao, Roxanne Liu, Bernard Orr, Kevin Krolicki Organizations: Technology, Weibo, Jiuquan, Elon, Elon Musk's SpaceX, SpaceX, Sequoia Capital, China SME Development Fund, LandSpace's, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, China, U.S, HongShan, Sequoia Capital China

☆ How Huawei plans to rival Nvidia in the AI chip business
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Better known globally for its telecoms and smartphones businesses, Huawei has for the past four years been building an AI chip line. Here is what we know about its Ascend AI chip series, and its main product to rival Nvidia's A100 chip, the 910B. WHY AND HOW DID HUAWEI ENTER THE AI CHIP BUSINESS? Baidu ordered 1,600 of Huawei 910B chips for 200 servers in August, one source told Reuters. Analysts have estimated China's AI chip market to be worth $7 billion and grabbing market share from Nvidia could mark a win for Huawei against the United States.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Nvidia, CANN, Liu Qingfeng, iFlyTek, Jiang Tao, Baidu, Meng Wanzhou, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh Organizations: Huawei Technologies, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Nvidia, Huawei, Baidu, HK, HUAWEI, Reuters, Analysts, CHINA, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, HONG KONG, China, United States

REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG/SHANGHAI, Oct 17 (Reuters) - China's Gemdale (600383.SS) saw its stocks and bonds plunge on Tuesday after the resignation of its chairman, as investors took no chances amid the debt crisis in the key real estate sector. However, investors concerned about the broader debt problems in China's property sector sold off the stock, which dropped by the daily 10% limit in afternoon trading in Shanghai. Gemdale has a total debt of 21.1 billion yuan ($2.88 billion) in the form of bonds due by the end of 2024, according to LSEG data. It ranked as China's 8th largest developer last year, according to private research firm China Real Estate Information Corp. It had sales of 221.8 billion yuan ($30.3 billion) last year and its financial fundamentals were stable, the company said in its annual report published in April.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Ling Ke, Gemdale, Huang Juncan, Ting Meng, Xie Yu, Li Gu, Edwina Gibbs, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, ANZ Bank China, Estate Information Corp, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, HONG KONG, SHANGHAI, Shanghai, Hong Kong

☆ Chinese officials urge calm after Evergrande fears reportedly spark small bank run
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Depositors lined up at the bank in Cangzhou, in Hebei province, to withdraw their money, according to photos and videos circulated online this week, prompting an appeal for calm by officials. The bank has a statement from the city government posted at its entrance, assuring the public that their deposits are safe, Yicai said. It was unclear how many depositors took part in the bank run or how much they withdrew. Central Huijin Investment, an arm of China’s sovereign wealth fund, bought tens of millions of shares in Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, according to separate stock exchange filings made by the banks. The best performer has been China Construction Bank, which was up 5.6% in Hong Kong and 2.7% in Shanghai.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Evergrande, Xu Jiayin, Yicai, Weeks, ’, —, Martha Zhou Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Police, CNN, Bank of Cangzhou, Bank, Huijin Investment, Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of, China Construction Bank, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China Locations: China, Hong Kong, Cangzhou, Hebei province, city’s, Beijing, Henan, Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Shanghai

HONG KONG/BEIJING, Sept 28 (Reuters) - China Evergrande Group's (3333.HK) founder is being investigated over suspected "illegal crimes", the embattled developer said on Thursday, as creditors become increasingly concerned about the group's prospects amid an uncertain debt revamp plan and liquidation risk. Evergrande has been working to get creditors' approval for restructuring its offshore debt. The offshore debt restructuring plan now looks set to falter and the risks of the company being liquidated are rising, some analysts said. An Evergrande sign is seen near residential buildings at an Evergrande residential complex in Beijing, China September 27, 2023. "We believe that Evergrande's debt turmoil has had a great turmoil and negative impact on the global economy, and the things behind it are not simple."

Persons: Hui Ka Yan, Evergrande, Hui, Gary Ng, Ng, Florence Lo, They've, Christopher Beddor, Yan Yuejin, Saxo, Redmond Wong, Upasana Singh, Donny Kwok, Scott Murdoch, Ziyi Tang, Anne Marie Roantree, Sumeet Chatterjee, Kim Coghill, Shri Navaratnam, Lincoln, Miral Fahmy, Susan Fenton Organizations: HK, Trading, Asia Pacific, Reuters, REUTERS, Evergrande, China Research, Development Institution, Buyers, China Market, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, BEIJING, China, Asia, Beijing, Evergrande, Shanghai, Bengaluru, Hong Kong, Sydney

☆ Evergrande’s chairman has been detained. The company will struggle to survive
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But that plan now looks to be in peril, after police detained its chairman as well as staff at a financing subsidiary. Previously China’s second biggest real estate company, Evergrande’s default in 2021 ignited a crisis in the property sector that continues to weigh on the wider economy. It said it needed to reassess the terms of the restructuring plan, in part because sales had been weaker than expected. “The debt restructuring can’t really happen if Evergrade can’t issue new debt or equity, and it doesn’t seem like it can,” Magnus said. As for Magnus, he believes Evergrande’s time as an independent company is over.

Persons: Evergrande, Xu Jiayin, Hui Ka Yan, ”, George Magnus, Bobby Yip, ” Magnus, “, Tyran Kam, Fitch, Kam, Yicai, What’s, Magnus, “ They’ll Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Sunday, Oxford University’s China, SOAS University of London, Shenzhen government’s, CNN, Fitch Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shenzhen, United States

☆ China's Huawei flags product launch, details about phones expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Sept 14 (Reuters) - China's Huawei Technologies (HWT.UL) said on Thursday it will launch new products on Sept. 25 without elaborating. The company will be releasing information about new mobile phones at the event, according to Chinese business daily Yicai which cited sources. Huawei started selling its latest high-end smartphones Mate 60 and Mate 60 Pro at end of last month and last week started presales for its Mate 60 Pro+ smartphone alongside a new foldable phone Mate X5. But it has not done much advertising about the phones to date and has been tight-lipped about the technologies deployed in the phones. Reporting by Liz Lee and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Liz Lee, Jacqueline Wong, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Huawei Technologies, Huawei, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing

☆ An online exchange between China's 'Lipstick King' and a viewer over the affordability of an $11 beauty item shows just how messed up the country's economy is
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A livestreamer in China is under fire for his response to a viewer complaining about the price of an eyebrow pencil. Li Jiaqi told the viewer to reflect on whether they have been "working hard enough" if their salary hasn't increased in years. In response, the 31-year-old — known as China's "Lipstick King" — told the viewer to do some soul-searching on why they found the beauty product expensive. Still, Li has collectively lost over 1.5 million followers from Taobao Live and Weibo, China's Sixth Tone publication reported Tuesday. The event takes place on November 11 and is so popular that it even dwarfs Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Persons: Li Jiaqi, Austin Li Jiaqi, —, Li, Li —, I'm Organizations: Service, Reuters, Taobao, Weibo, CNN Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Weibo

☆ Country Garden dodges default by making last minute debt payments, state media reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The two dollar payments come after the company won last minute support late last week from Chinese investors to delay payment of a maturing yuan-denominated bond. Country Garden, which was China’s largest residential developer by sales last year, hasn’t responded to a CNN request for comment. Shares in Country Garden, which dropped as much as 5% on Tuesday, pared losses following the publication of the media reports. It has about 31 billion yuan ($4.3 billion) in bonds set to mature through the end of 2024, according to Moody’s. The eight bonds have a total outstanding balance of 10.8 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) and are set to mature later this year, the report said.

Persons: hasn’t, Yicai Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China Securities, CNN Locations: Hong Kong, Moody’s

☆ China relaxes mortgage rules to help homebuyers in latest stimulus push
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

That’s a big cut from the existing requirements of minimums of 30% and 40% for first-time and second-time buyers in cities that implement home-buying restrictions, such as Beijing and Shanghai. In addition, minimum mortgage rates for buyers of second homes should be no less than 20 basis points over the loan prime rate (LPR), the statement said. Currently, minimum mortgage rates for second-time buyers are no less than 60 basis points over the LPR. The LPR is the benchmark for most household and corporate loans in China and is set by the central bank each month. “For banks, it can effectively reduce the phenomenon of early loan repayment and mitigate the impact on banks’ interest income,” they added.

Persons: That’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, People’s Bank of China, National Administration of Financial Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Shanghai

☆ Chinese banks should step up lending to private sector, central bank official quoted
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Paramilitary police officers stand guard in front of the headquarters of the People's Bank of China, the central bank (PBOC), in Beijing, China September 30, 2022. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 30 (Reuters) - An official at China's central bank urged banks to step up lending to private companies during a meeting on Wednesday with financial regulators, corporations and lenders, the state-owned Securities Times reported. The central bank will ask financial institutions to set annual targets for services to private firms and vigorously expand loans to companies that are borrowing for the first time, it said. Investment by private companies shrank 0.5% in the first seven months of the year, bigger than the 0.2% decline for the first half. The Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses, major banks including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (601398.SS) and China Construction Bank (601939.SS) as well as at least 11 private firms participated the meeting, according to Yicai financial news.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Ma Jianyang, Yicai, Ellen Zhang, Ryan Woo, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, Rights, Securities Times, Investment, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Titan Wind Energy, Longfor Group, HK, Seazen Holdings, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Shanghai, Shenzhen

☆ Is the bride 25 or younger? Couples get cash reward to promote earlier marriage in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Cheng Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A newly-wed couple pose with their marriage certificates at the marriage registration center during '520 I Love You' Day on May 20, 2023 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province of China. Local Chinese officials trying to encourage earlier marriages are offering an incentive that all newlywed couples can appreciate: cash. The reward, which is restricted to couples marrying for the first time, is meant to promote "age-appropriate marriage and childbearing," the notice said. They include abolishing the "one-child policy" that reigned from the late 1970s until 2016, which was designed to limit the number of births to prevent China's population from growing too quickly. The China Population and Development Research Center, a government-backed institution, said the number of children per woman in China was the lowest among countries with populations over 100 million.

Persons: Couples Organizations: Development Research Center, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Young, Social, Twitter Locations: Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, Local, Changshan county, Zhejiang, Weibo

☆ Country Garden's cash flow in focus as troubled firm set to report $7.5 bln loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. Country Garden shares were down over 3% in early trade on Wednesday. It has already flagged a net loss of up to 55 billion yuan ($7.55 billion) in the first six months, a staggering slide from the 6.7 billion yuan loss it posted in the second half of 2022 and from the net profit of 1.9 billion yuan it posted a year earlier. JP Morgan has estimated it would cost about 316 billion yuan to finish all the company's projects under construction, including both sold and unsold flats. On Tuesday, Country Garden proposed adding a 40-day grace period for the repayment of a 3.9 billion yuan private onshore bond due Saturday.

Persons: Aly, HONG KONG, JP Morgan, Clare Jim, Miral Organizations: Shanghai Country Garden, REUTERS, Garden Holdings, Garden, HK, Kingboard Holdings, Country Garden, China International Capital Corporation, City, China Overseas Land & Investment, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG, HK, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Malaysia

☆ Country Garden shares dive after bond trading halted, fans further economic distress
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. Shares of Country Garden dived 16.3% to HK$0.82 by noon, dragging down the Hang Seng Mainland Properties Index (.HSMPI) which dropped 3.9%. According to company registry portal Qichacha, a services unit of Country Garden offloaded its 51% stake in a Wuhan-based network technology company, while chief strategic officer of Country Garden Services also resigned from the firm's chairman. Country Garden Services did not immediately respond to request for comment. In September alone, Country Garden may need to repay more than 9 billion yuan ($1.25 billion) worth of onshore bonds.

Persons: Aly, HONG KONG, Dickie Wong, Wong, Longfor, Clare Jim, Yuhan Lin, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Shanghai Country Garden, REUTERS, HK, China Evergrande, Mainland Properties, Reuters, Garden Services, Garden, Country Garden Services, Kingston Securities, State, Longfor, Seazen, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG, HK, Wuhan, Hong Kong, Beijing

☆ China's Country Garden stock plummets to record low, trading of onshore bonds suspended amid debt restructuring talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Shanghai Country Garden Center pictured on August 9. Country Garden acknowledged last Thursday that it was facing a temporary “liquidity pressure” due to deteriorating sales and a difficult refinancing environment. Troubled giantCountry Garden is the latest major Chinese developer to run into trouble as the country’s property industry grapples with a historic downturn. The crisis at Country Garden is likely to spill over to the property industry and financial markets, analysts from Moody’s Investors Service said Friday. So far, Country Garden hasn’t yet defaulted on any debt.

Persons: hasn’t, CICC, Aly Song, “, ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Garden, CNN, Shanghai Country Garden, Reuters, Country Garden, Longfor, China Resources, ., . China Overseas Land, Investment, Evergrande, Moody’s Investors Locations: Hong Kong, Shanghai, China, . China

☆ Country Garden restructuring fears deepen China property concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. The regulator also asked the property developers about their financing needs and sought suggestions, according to Cailianshe. China International Capital Corporation (CICC) has been hired as a financial adviser to Country Garden, the Yicai and Caixin reports said. Country Garden shares ended down 5.8% on Friday, having fallen as much as 14.4% during the day to a record low of HK$0.89. "It is likely to further weaken market sentiment and delay the recovery of China's property sector," it said.

Persons: Aly, Yicai, Cailianshe, CICC, John Lam, Clare Jim, Selena Li, Himani Sarkar, Jamie Freed, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Jane Merriman Organizations: Shanghai Country Garden, REUTERS, HK, China Evergrande, Sunac China Holdings, China's, Communist Party, China International Capital Corporation, Garden, UBS, China Aoyuan, Fantasia Holdings, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, Beijing, Hong Kong

☆ Country Garden shares hit record low on loss forecast, restructuring fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Clare Jim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The company logo of Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured at the Shanghai Country Garden Center in Shanghai, China August 9, 2023. Country Garden declined to comment. Country Garden told Reuters this week that it had not been able to make $22 million of dollar coupon payments on time, though both have 30-day grace periods. The shares shed as much as 14.4% on Friday morning to a record low of HK$0.89 ($0.1139), having lost 38% of their value so far this week. Country Garden forecast the large first-half loss in filings on Thursday, and said that it would take measures to meet its debt obligations and fix operational issues to get the company back on track.

Persons: Aly, Yicai, CICC, Garden's, Clare Jim, Himani Sarkar, Jamie Freed Organizations: Shanghai Country Garden, REUTERS, HK, China International Capital Corporation, Garden, Reuters, China Evergrande, Sunac China Holdings, Communist Party, Industry, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, Hong Kong

☆ Country Garden stock reaches record low, Chinese property giant flags loss of up to $7.6 billion as it nears default
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Country Garden warned investors in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing Thursday that it would likely record a loss of 45 billion to 55 billion Chinese yuan (about $6.2 billion to $7.6 billion) for the six months through June. The disclosure lays bare the financial woes currently facing Country Garden, a massive builder of hundreds of thousands of homes annually across China. Country Garden did not immediately respond to a request for comment. As of early afternoon in Hong Kong Friday, its stock had reached a record low of 95 Hong Kong cents, below its previous low of 98 Hong Kong cents reached in October 2008. Cash crunchEarlier this week, Country Garden stoked concerns by missing two bond payments, according to analysts.

Persons: ” Morningstar, Jeff Zhang, Kaven Tsang, ”, Zhang, Morningstar, Yang Huiyan, Yang, won’t, Moody’s, Fang xing, ICHPL, Alfredo Montufar, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Garden, CNN, Hong, China’s, “, Hong Kong, Bloomberg Locations: Hong Kong, China, Foshan, Guangdong province, Real

☆ Country Garden, one of China's real-estate behemoths, could look at restructuring its debt after missing key interest payments this week: JPMorgan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The warning is a "prelude to an ultimate credit event," paving the way for debt restructuring, per JPMorgan. Country Garden racked up 1.4 trillion Chinese yuan, or almost $200 billion, in liabilities at the end of 2022. It also faces 7.8 billion Chinese yuan, or $1.1 billion, in payments for notes and bonds in September. Another analyst feels Country Garden could restructure if it's unable to raise cash in time. Country Garden and CICC did not immediately respond to requests from Insider for comment.

Persons: JPMorgan Chase, Karl Chan, Nicholas Chen, CreditInsights, Chen, Iris Chen, Yang Huiyan, CICC Organizations: JPMorgan, Service, Garden, China International Capital Corporation, Reuters, Nomura, Bloomberg, Hong Locations: Wall, Silicon, China, Hong Kong, Beijing

Hong Kong CNN —US drugmaker Moderna has signed a deal to make mRNA medicines in China as part of its first major investment in the country, despite escalating trade and political tension between Washington and Beijing. The company currently only markets its mRNA vaccines for Covid-19, but has a number of vaccines and therapeutics in its pipeline. Those focus on addressing infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases and autoimmune diseases, according to the company. Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine, which received emergency authorization from US regulators in 2020 and full approval in 2022, has not been approved in China. For most of the pandemic, China relied on more traditional platforms for its homegrown Covid-19 vaccines.

Persons: Yicai, Janet Yellen, Biden, Moderna’s, Johnson Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Xinhua, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, Pfizer Locations: Hong Kong, China, Washington, Beijing, The Cambridge , Massachusetts, Shanghai’s Minhang, Shijiazhuang

☆ Moderna agrees deal in China with view to developing mRNA medicines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Moderna Inc FollowSHANGHAI, July 5 (Reuters) - Vaccine maker Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) said on Wednesday it had signed a memorandum of understanding and a land collaboration agreement to work towards opportunities for it to research, develop and manufacture mRNA medicines in China. Moderna said in May it was looking for opportunities in China after registering a legal entity in the world's second-largest economy. The company prior to this had no presence in mainland China. Its expansion into mainland China comes as its revenue growth slows sharply due to waning global demand for its COVID-19 vaccine, the U.S. company's only approved product. Those vaccines, based on the same mRNA platform as its COVID shot, have yet to be filed for regulatory approval decisions.

Persons: Stéphane Bancel, Brenda Goh, Andrew Heavens, Louise Heavens Organizations: Moderna Inc, Reuters, Moderna, Thomson Locations: China, Shanghai, Moderna, Hong Kong, Asia, U.S, Beijing

☆ Moderna strikes deal to develop mRNA drugs in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Moderna on Wednesday said it struck a deal with Chinese officials to research, develop and manufacture messenger RNA medicines in the country, despite rising tensions between the U.S. and China. The Massachusetts-based biotech company signed a memorandum of understanding and a related land collaboration deal to develop drugs that will "be exclusively for the Chinese people" and won't "be exported," a Moderna spokesperson told CNBC. The Moderna spokesperson did not confirm the report or comment on the size of the deal. Moderna in May said it was keen to sell its mRNA Covid vaccine to China after registering a legal entity in the world's second-largest economy. The country has also struggled to develop mRNA technology at home during the pandemic.

Persons: Stéphane Bancel, It's, drugmakers, Biden Organizations: Moderna, U.S, CNBC, The Moderna, Pfizer, China's Ministry of Commerce, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, Merck, Sanofi, GE HealthCare Technologies Locations: China, The Massachusetts, Shanghai, Japan, Canada, Australia, Kenya, Beijing, New York

☆ Marriages in China slump to historic low
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A new couple holding marriage certificates poses for a photo outside a registry office of marriage on Valentine's Day in Beijing, China, February 14, 2017. China's birth rate fell last year to 6.77 births per 1,000 people, the lowest on record, from 7.52 in 2021. Demographers warn China will get old before it gets rich, as its workforce shrinks and indebted local governments spend more on their elderly population. To encourage marriage and boost the country's flagging birth rate, China said last month it would launch pilot projects in more than 20 cities to create a "new-era" marriage and childbearing culture. Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard and Ellen Zhang; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jason Lee, Martin Quin Pollard, Ellen Zhang, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, Demographers

☆ China's Wuhan finance regulator urges hundreds of firms to repay debt, local media report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, May 27 (Reuters) - The financial regulator of China's Wuhan city publicly exposed 259 firms with debt to the government and urged them to immediately pay up, local media reported on Saturday. The rare action from Wuhan's finance bureau on Friday comes as local governments in China become increasingly pressed by higher debt and expenses. The debtors, their corresponding guarantors and successors were requested to repay their debts to the asset management firm immediately after May 26, Yicai reported. State-owned Wuhan Yangtze River Asset Management Co is a professional platform responsible for the disposal of various non-performing assets in the central city, according to its official website. Wuhan's local budget revenue slid 8.5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, according to data released by local the finance bureau.

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