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☆ Shipping CEO Angela Chao, sister of former Cabinet member Elaine Chao, dies in car crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Angela Chao, CEO of the shipping company the Foremost Group and sister of former US cabinet secretary Elaine Chao, was killed in a car crash in Texas on Sunday, according to a spokesperson for her company. Angela Chao, 50, had been CEO of the shipping company since 2018, assuming the role from her father, James S.C. Chao, who had founded it in 1964. “Angela Chao was a formidable executive and shipping industry leader, as well as a proud and loving daughter, sister, aunt, wife and mother. She was also a precocious youngster, learning about the shipping industry at an early age,” said the companies’ statement. Elaine Chao is the wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Persons: Angela Chao, Elaine Chao, James S.C, Chao, Michael Lee, Smith Barney, Morgan Stanley, “ Angela Chao, ”, TradeWinds, “ Angela, Presisdent George W, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell Organizations: New, New York CNN, Foremost, Harvard, American Bureau of Shipping Council, Harvard Business School’s, Dean’s Advisors, Metropolitan Opera, Chairman’s, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai Mulan Education, Asian American Foundation, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders Locations: New York, Texas, Austin , Texas, Los Angeles, Shanghai

☆ Angela Chao, C.E.O. of Family’s Big Shipping Company, Dies at 50
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Keith Bradsher | Michael Forsythe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Angela Chao, the chief executive of a shipping company and part of a family prominent in American politics and business deals with China, died in a car crash on Sunday, in Texas. Ms. Chao had since 2018 been the chair and chief executive of the Chao family’s Foremost Group, which operates a global fleet of bulk carrier ships. Elaine Chao is married to Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate Republican leader. The Chao family, led by Angela and Elaine Chao’s father, James S.C. Chao, stands out because of its deep political and commercial ties in both the United States and China. He moved to the United States in 1958 and helped found the Foremost Group in 1964.

Persons: Angela Chao, Chao, Elaine Chao, Donald J, Trump, George W, Bush, Mitch McConnell of, Angela, Elaine Chao’s, James S.C, . Chao, Jiang Zemin Organizations: Republican, Nationalists Locations: China, Texas, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, United States, Taiwan, Shanghai

☆ Chinese tech startups quietly stop testing driverless cars on Californian roads
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewChina’s leading ride-hailing firm has dropped out of a program that allows it to test self-driving vehicles on Californian public roads. Ride-hailing giant Didi has withdrawn from California’s autonomous vehicle testing program, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, as several rival Chinese firms also scaled back their self-driving operations in the state. Future Publishing/Getty imagesDidi is not the only Chinese company that appears to be scaling back autonomous vehicle testing in California, or pulling out entirely. That's a significant decline from the previous year, when Chinese autonomous vehicle companies conducted over 450,000 miles of testing. AdvertisementHe said that public backlash toward autonomous vehicles in cities like San Francisco had increased the risks of negative PR for companies testing the technology on public roads.

Persons: —, Didi, WeRide, AutoX —, That's, Sesame, Bob Latta, Cruise, that's, ” John Helveston, ” Helveston Organizations: Service, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Business, DMV, Baidu, Future Publishing, Pegasus Technology, NBC, Republican, Anadolu, Getty, George Washington University Locations: California, Shanghai, China, Jiaxing, San Francisco

☆ Your next Tesla could be made by China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk invited the suppliers to Mexico as part of plans for cheaper Teslas, Bloomberg reported. That move could be stoking concerns among US officials and EV makers over China's influence. China has a "highly organized, highly efficient supply chain," Venkatesh Prasad, chief innovation officer at the Center for Automotive Research, told Bloomberg. AdvertisementTesla, which also makes cars in the US, and other US-based EV makers may also be feeling the heat from competitors. Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told Bloomberg.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Tesla's, Venkatesh Prasad, Tesla, stoke, Katherine Tai, Tai, Biden, EVs, China's, Tesla's Musk, Mary Lovely Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Center for Automotive Research, Business, Trump, Chinese Communist Party, US Trade Rep, Nikkei, EV, Peterson Institute for International Economics Locations: Mexico, Monterrey, Shanghai, Mexican, Nuevo Leon, Austin, China, Beijing, Washington, DC, United States

☆ Treating China as ‘un-investable’ would be ‘wide of the mark,’ JPMorgan strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

"I don't think you can treat the world's second-largest economy as either an alternative investment or un-investable, that would be wide of the mark," Bilton said. Uncertainty around monetary policy and a shrinking labor force are further causes for concern, Bilton noted. Some analysts saw this as potential dovish policy shift from the PBOC, which has appeared reluctant to take measures that could boost the struggling economy. Financial bodies including the International Monetary Fund have called for further monetary policy reforms since then. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told CNBC this week that China had been advised to make use of more of its available fiscal and monetary policy space.

Persons: Raul Ariano, John Bilton, CNBC's, Bilton, Kristalina Georgieva Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, JPMorgan Asset Management, People's Bank of, International Monetary Fund, IMF, CNBC Locations: Yuyuan, Shanghai, China, People's Bank of China

☆ As the Year of the Dragon begins, the pros name sectors — and stocks — to play the Chinese market
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | In Amala-Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Chinese stocks had an eventful week last week — with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index hitting a five-year low of about 2,650 points on Feb. 5, before edging up to end the week at 2,865.90. A slide in Hong Kong-listed Chinese shares on Feb. 9, however, proved that investors may still have lingering concerns on the prospects of Chinese stocks in the new year. As the festive season gets underway, Redmond Wong, market strategist at investment firm Saxo, sees several opportunities to play the market. Boom in green transformation Beyond the traditional sectors, Saxo's Wong is watching an up-and-coming area in China: energy security and a green transformation. Data from the International Energy Agency shows that the Asian giant's clean-energy sectors contributed 11.4 trillion Chinese yuan ($1.6 trillion) to the Chinese economy in 2023, up 30% year-on-year.

Persons: Redmond Wong, Saxo, I'm, Wong, Saxo's Wong, Morningstar, Zijin Organizations: CNBC Pro, Monetary Fund, Technology, Shenzhen, Baidu, Sands, Tsingtao, Morningstar, Tsingtao Brewery, International Energy Agency, Companies, Zijin Mining Locations: Shanghai, Hong Kong, China, Zhejiang, Sands China, Macao, Shandong

☆ For some Spring Festival revelers in China, traditional attire adds an element of time travel to celebrations
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

For instance, Yu Garden in Shanghai, which hosts a 40-day Spring Festival lantern fair, has become a popular destination for Hanfu fans. The nearby commercial shopping district of Wujiaochang even hosted a Lunar New Year Hanfu parade to attract revelers to the area this year. It too has seen an increase in young tourists wearing traditional attire during visits, according to one local. Embracing traditionA woman wearing Hanfu strolls around the Spring Festival Flower Market in Guangzhou, China, on February 9, 2024. Others say the term “Hanfu” is too narrow, given the fluid sharing of influences among diverse ethnic groups in China.

Persons: they’ve, Taobao, Shanghai's Yu, Yu, influencers, ”, Cai Pa, ” Cai, it’s, Li, John Ricky, Hanfu, she’s Organizations: CNN, CNN — Tourists, Visual China, Getty, CNN Travel Locations: Suzhou, China, Shanghai, Hanfu, Seoul, Yu Garden, Wujiaochang, China’s, Hainan, Haikou, Qilou, Guangzhou, Anhui, gan

☆ Growing quant giant Qube just added a fundraiser focused on Asian investors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Sources familiar with the firm's plans told Business Insider that it hopes Hirazumi will help bring in assets to the firm’s China strategy. The manager has four Asian offices listed on its website, including one in mainland China in Shanghai, plus others in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Mumbai. It helps that performance has been stellar: The manager is already up roughly 10% through January this year, Business Insider previously reported . Another Millennium spin-out, Kurt Baker’s 30th Century Partners, is planning to start trading this year with $3 billion out of Hong Kong, according to a Bloomberg report.

Persons: Noriaki Hirazumi, Qube, Hirazumi, Ray Dalio, Blackstone, Jonathan Xiong, Kurt Baker’s Organizations: Research, Technologies, General Investment, London, Winton Group, Business, Credit Suisse, Public, Tiger, Investment Partners, Century Partners, Bloomberg Locations: Asia, London, Japan, China, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, Qube, Bridgewater

Many worry that a second term for Trump would be an earthquake, but tremors already abound — and concerns are rising that the U.S. could grow less dependable regardless of who wins. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesBiden, in contrast, has made support for Ukraine a key priority and moral imperative. But many of America's European NATO allies are worried that with or without Trump, the U.S. is becoming less reliable. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was “currently on the phone a lot with my colleagues and asking them to do more” to support Ukraine. Dalton, a former U.K. ambassador to Iran, said prospects for the Middle East would be “slightly worse” under Trump than Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron’s, Trump, Germany’s Angela Merkel, Britain’s Theresa May, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orbán “, ”, Biden, Richard Dalton, Olaf Scholz, “, Scholz, Macron, ” Macron, Boris Johnson, ” Johnson, Putin, Johnson, ” Bronwen Maddox, ” Trump, hasn't, —, Dalton, implore Biden, Itamar Ben, Israel, Turkey’s Erdogan, Sergey Lavrov, George W, Zhao Minghao, ” “, Jiwon, Kirsten Grieshaber, Dasha, Suzan Fraser, Nomaan Merchant Organizations: U.S, Trump, NATO, Congressional Republicans, Centre, Politics, University College London, Mail, Associated Press, Hamas, White, Russian, CBS, Biden, Fudan University Locations: U.S, gridlock, Congress, Ukraine, Europe, United States, British, German, Germany, ” Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Tehran, Dalton, Israel, Gaza, Turkey, Shanghai, Seoul, South Korea, Berlin, Dasha Litvinova, Tallinn, Estonia, Ankara, Washington

☆ Chinese stocks are trying to rebound. This is the trade to watch to know if the turnaround is for real
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Mainland Chinese stocks are trying to rebound from five-year lows and it's starting to look like Beijing is willing to take some action. "My question is, would a recovery in [the] Chinese economy and the stock market be the end to that multi-year rally in Chinese bonds?" If Chinese bond yields started to climb, that would likely indicate investors were rotating out, Papic pointed out. Mainland Chinese stock markets are closed and don't re-open until Monday, Feb. 19. They expect if sentiment remains weak, foreign capital still has scope to sell out of mainland Chinese and Hong Kong stocks.

Persons: Clocktower, Marko Papic, Xi Jinping, Papic, Nomura, Yi Huiman, Wu Qing, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Bloomberg, U.S ., Shanghai Stock Exchange, Eurasia Group, Hong, UBS, Naura Technology Locations: Beijing, Shanghai, China, U.S, Hong Kong, Eurasia, Shenzhen, Sungrow

☆ Coldplay has a request: They really, really want to play in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

He really, really wants to play in China. “I promise we’ll play in China one day,” Martin said to the screaming crowd when he invited two lucky fans up on stage. “You know, we can’t get the permission (to play in China),” he told concertgoers. Chris Martin and Coldplay aren’t alone in wanting to serenade mainland Chinese audiences. Chinese authorities have also been known to vet the content of shows, including setlists and lyrics.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Coldplay, Chris Martin, “, ” Martin, don’t, Coldplay, ”, Martin, concertgoers, “ Coldplay, China …, Paul Kane, Coldplay aren’t, Jon Bon Jovi, Jovi, Bon Jovi’s, Lama, Xi Jinping, –, Xi, Golshifteh Farahani, “ Young, Bjork, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry's, Sam Yeh, Katy Perry, Madonna, James Hetfield, we’re Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Coldplay, Tourism Ministry, Oasis, Communist Party, China’s Communist Party, Tibet, Municipal, of Culture, Getty, Taiwan, Chinese Culture Ministry, South China Morning Locations: Hong Kong, Thailand, China, Guangzhou, British, Asia, Tokyo, –, Beijing, Shanghai, Macao, Covid, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Worth, Iranian, Buenos Aires, Iran, Taipei, AFP, Taiwan

☆ Gold flat as safe-haven demand offsets US dollar strength
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An employee puts gold bullions into a safe deposit box at Degussa shop in SingaporeGold prices were flat in light trading on Friday with Chinese markets closed for the Lunar New Year break, while a firm dollar offset safe-haven demand fueled by Middle East concerns. "Some stress in U.S. regional banks, Chinese new year demand and Middle East tensions put a floor on the metal," Hugo Pascal, a precious metals trader at InProved, said. Concerns lingered about the Middle East as Israeli forces bombed areas in the southern border city of Rafah after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a Hamas truce proposal. However, palladium has since taken a lead again, up 0.6% to $892.26 per ounce, while platinum rose to $890.09. Both metals are used in making a key component in internal combustion engines, but platinum is also used in jewelry and other industries.

Persons: Hugo Pascal, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Shanghai Futures, Treasury, Federal, Traders, ANZ Research Locations: Singapore, InProved, Rafah, U.S

☆ China’s Xi calls for stronger ‘strategic coordination’ with Russia in Lunar New Year call with Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Xi told Putin the two sides should “strengthen strategic coordination” and “safeguard the national sovereignty, security and development interests of their respective countries,” according to a readout from China’s Foreign Ministry. Looking to the future, China-Russia relations face new development opportunities,” Xi told Putin during their call. “Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping specifically stressed that close Russia-China interaction is an important stabilizing factor in world affairs,” the Kremlin readout said. Thursday’s phone conversation between Xi and Putin took place as the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year. Last year, Xi made his symbolically significant first foreign trip of his third term as president to Moscow last March.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Xi, Putin, “, ” Xi, ’, ”, “ Vladimir Putin, Tucker Carlson, ” Putin, Carlson Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Russia, Foreign Ministry, United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, SCO Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Western, Ukraine, Russia, Kremlin, “, Israel, Gaza, ” Beijing, Beijing, Moscow, United

☆ China gears up to ring in Year of the Dragon with expected record 9 billion trips
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Authorities last month forecast that China’s population of 1.4 billion would take a record 9 billion trips during the 40-day holiday travel period, which began on January 26. Stringer/VCG/Getty Images A man takes photos of blooming plum blossoms at the Summer Palace in Beijing, China on February 5. Johanes P. Christo/NurPhoto/AP Crowds flock to the Spring Festival Light Show in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China on February 3. Axel Miranda/SOPA Images/Sipa/Reuters Workers assemble dragon lanterns at a production workshop in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China on January 24. Two major indexes recorded their worst drops in years capping off a dire 2023 that saw China’s stock markets become the world’s worst performer.

Persons: ”, Luo, Stringer, VCG, Zhang Yu, Ulet Ifansasti, Johanes, NurPhoto, Zhang Cheng, Wu Wenjun, Axel Miranda, Xi Jinping, ” Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Festival, CNN, Authorities, China News Service, Spring, Reuters Workers, HSBC, Beijing, United States Embassy Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Fujian, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, Solo City, Indonesia, Dharmayana, Bali , Indonesia, Guangzhou, China's, Guangdong Province, Barcelona, Spain, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, Shanghai

He replaced Yi Huiman, who presided over months of turmoil as share markets slumped, losing trillions of dollars of value. Earlier this week, the CSRC said that it was cracking down on insider trading, market manipulation and other crimes and would protect small investors. A state investment fund pledged to step up buying of exchange-traded funds and regulators also imposed limits on short-selling. Prolonged weakness in the property market and share prices has dented consumer confidence, hindering that transition. Given the selloff in the stock market, “many could be tempted to take their loss and walk away in the slightest recovery.

Persons: Wu Qing, Yi Huiman, Swissquote, Wu, “, Xi Jinping, ” Ozkardeskaya Organizations: Shanghai Stock Exchange, Communist Party, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Xinhua News Agency, Investors, ”, Authorities Locations: BANGKOK, Wu, China, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing

☆ Red Sea crisis: How global trade is being upended by attacks on container ships
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

That’s added as much as two weeks to a typical East-to-West journey for container ships, and 18 days for slower bulk carriers and tankers. Global container shipping costs are less than half their level during the coronavirus pandemic, which peaked at $10,380 in September 2021. Even so, he said, container shipping is “very cost-effective” as many goods can be packed into a single shipping container. The Galaxy Leader cargo ship is escorted by Houthi boats in the Red Sea on November 20, 2023. Fewer oil tankers have avoided the Red Sea than container ships, which the Houthi militants more closely identify with Western countries allied with Israel.

Persons: Richard Meade, Tesla, Peter Sand, Good Hope, That’s, ”, Lloyd —, “, ” Simon MacAdam, ” Maersk, Meade Organizations: London CNN —, Hamas, Lloyds, CNN, Maersk, Hapag, Carriers, Global, Container, Capital Economics, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Galaxy Leader, Houthi Military Media, Reuters Locations: Iran, Suez, Asia, Europe, Germany, Swedish, Africa, South Africa’s, Good, Sand, Vietnam, Drewry, Shanghai, China, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Xeneta, Israel, United States, Canada

☆ Chinese firm behind ‘news’ websites pushes pro-Beijing content globally, researchers find
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Spread over websites in 30 countries, the propaganda material is interspersed with news aggregated from local news outlets and Chinese state media, according to a research report the Toronto-based group released on Wednesday. More than 100 websites disguised as local news outlets in Europe, Asia and Latin America are pushing pro-China content in a widespread influence campaign linked to a Beijing public relations firm, digital watchdog Citizen Lab has found. Spread over websites in 30 countries, the propaganda material is interspersed with news aggregated from local news outlets and Chinese state media, according to a research report the Toronto-based group released on Wednesday. Citizen Lab said the campaign began in mid-2020 and traced the network to public relations firm Shenzhen Haimaiyunxiang Media Co., Ltd., also known as Haimai. But a "press releases" button at a corner of its homepage leads to a range of Chinese state media articles on topics such as China's contribution to the global economic recovery and its push towards technological innovation.

Persons: Alberto Fittarelli, Citizen Lab, Mandiant Organizations: Citizen, Shenzhen Haimaiyunxiang Media, Roma, Times Locations: Lujiazui, Shanghai, China, Toronto, Europe, Asia, America, Beijing, United States, Shenzhen, Washington, Italian

BANGKOK (AP) — Share were mostly higher in Asia on Thursday after the S&P 500 neared the 5,000 level for the first time. Hong Kong’s benchmark fell while Shanghai advanced after China replaced its top stock market regulator. Late Wednesday, China's top stock regulator was replaced by a former chairman of the Shanghai Stock Exchange as part of those efforts. On Thursday, the Shanghai Composite index gained 1.3% to 2,865.90 and the Shenzhen Components index in China's smaller main market also added 1.3%. The S&P 500 gained 0.8%, coming within a fraction of a point of the 5,000 level before ending the day at 4,995.06.

Persons: Wu Qing, Yi Huiman, Hang Seng, Australia's, SET, Snapchat Organizations: Shanghai Stock Exchange, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Communist Party, Nikkei, Ford, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, . New York Community Bancorp, Signature Bank, Ford Motor, Enphase Energy, CVS Health, Corp, Vans, New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent Locations: BANGKOK, Asia, Shanghai, China, Tokyo, Beijing, Shenzhen, Seoul, India, Wall

☆ What is Lunar New Year? A 2024 guide to the Year of the Dragon
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Whether you’re unfamiliar with Lunar New Year or need a refresher, this guide will highlight some of the most common traditions associated with the occasion. Tourists visit a Lunar New Year Lantern Festival in Shanghai on January 21, 2024. Though incredibly complex, the Chinese zodiac calendar is best described as a 12-year cycle represented by 12 different animals, in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Festive cakes and puddings are made on the 24th day of the last lunar month (February 3 in 2024). Day 3: Visit a templeDay three of the Lunar New Year (which falls on February 12 in 2024) is named “chi kou/cek hau,” or red mouth.

Persons: Sui, ”, Nian, gao ”, You’ll, It’s, warding, kou, cek hau, it’s, Yuan Xiao Jie, Yuan, Xiao Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Lantern, fai chun, Visitors Locations: Hong Kong, Shanghai, China, Asia, Malaysia

☆ China replaces head of securities regulator after stock market meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Laura He | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has replaced the head of its securities regulator, as public anger over the meltdown in the stock market grows. Wu, 59, was also the chairman of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the largest stock exchange in mainland China, between 2016 and 2018. Chinese stock markets have stabilised this week but they had a dire 2023 and have been the world’s worst performer this year. By Monday, about $6.1 trillion in market value had been wiped from the Chinese and Hong Kong stock markets since their recent peaks in February 2021. On Wednesday, mainland Chinese stock markets logged a second straight day of gains.

Persons: Wu Qing, Yi Huiman, Wu, “, Evergrande Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Xinhua, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Embassy, Central Huijin Investment, Shenzhen Component Locations: Hong Kong, China, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, United States

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher Wednesday, tracking gains on Wall Street, although Tokyo's benchmark slipped slightly. Those developments had pushed Chinese shares, including those in Hong Kong, sharply higher on Tuesday. The mostly small cap stocks traded in the southern Chinese market of Shenzhen were up 1.4%, and the CSI 1000, an index that tracks highly volatile “snowball derivatives" was up 4.2%. Wall Street drifted higher through a quiet Tuesday as the bond market calmed following some sharp swings. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury relaxed following its slingshot ride higher in recent days.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Seng, Australia's, Korea's Kospi, Brent Organizations: TOKYO, Hong, CSI, Nikkei, Toyota Motor Corp, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Federal, GE Healthcare Technologies, Palantir Technologies, FMC, CVS Health, Walt Disney Co, PepsiCo, Treasury, U.S Locations: U.S, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Asia, Brazil

☆ A mega restaurant chain is on a mission to get half of China to eat KFC and Pizza Hut by 2026
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Currently serving just one-third of China's population, our ambitious goal is to extend our reach to half of the population by 2026," Yum China CEO Joey Wat said in the company's latest quarterly results report. Yum plans to fuel its growth through restaurants in China's "lower-tier cities," which host over half of the firm's stores, Wat said. That's more than twice the number of KFC restaurants in the US, which has 4,293 stores, though only half of the around 6,750 Pizza Huts in the US. Both restaurant brands also have 470 million members in China, Yum said, though it didn't say if this number accounted for any overlap. "2023 was a pivotal year for Yum China," Wat said.

Persons: —, Joey Wat, Yum, China's COVID, Wat Organizations: Service, China Holdings, Business, KFC Locations: China, China's, Cities, Shanghai, Beijing, Xiamen, Harbin

BEIJING (AP) — China replaced the head of its market watchdog Wednesday in an apparent attempt to restore confidence in financial markets following a prolonged downturn. Official media said Wu Qing, a former chairman of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, would replace Yi Huiman as chairman and Communist Party chief of the China Securities Regulatory Commission. Chinese stocks have been trading near 5-year lows despite various measures to stabilize the markets. Earlier this week, the CSRC said it was cracking down on insider trading, market manipulation and other crimes and would protect small investors. The appointment came during a week that has seen wild swings in share prices and despair among investors who have seen their investments evaporate.

Persons: Wu Qing, Yi Huiman, Wu, “, Butcher ”, Swissquote, ” Ozkardeskaya, Yi, monthslong Organizations: BEIJING, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Communist Party, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Xinhua News Agency Locations: China, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing

☆ Social media chatter helps draw 3 million tourists in 3 days to a frigid city in northern China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Yulia Jiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

"He said he was happy to see so many southern visitors in Harbin." The plump, bundled-up appearance of Harbin tourists, many hailing from southern China, led to locals calling them "Little Southern Taters" — a nickname that was widely discussed on Chinese social media. Tourists new nickname for Harbin — the shorter "Rbin" — has swept across Chinese social media too, representing their newfound affection for the city. A larger plan to use social media to publicize Harbin and the larger province of Heilongjiang may be at play. He Jing, head of Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, told China Central Television that his department has been focusing on using social media "since the beginning of 2023."

Persons: Yuying Zhang, Zhang, Zhang Zhang, Zhang Tao, she's, —, Andrea Verdelli, Jing, Jiang, Yuetong Jiang Organizations: Harbin Cultural Broadcasting, Tourism Bureau, CNBC, Xinhua News Agency, Getty, Street, Bloomberg, Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Culture, China Central Television, Harbin Locations: Harbin, China, Shanghai, Heilongjiang, Tourism, Changchun, China's Jilin

☆ China appoints 'Broker Butcher' Wu Qing as new chairman of securities regulator
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJNG, CHINA - NOVEMBER 13: Illuminated skyscrapers stand at the central business district at sunset on November 13, 2023 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Gao Zehong/VCG via Getty Images)China's cabinet on Wednesday appointed markets veteran Wu Qing as chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, state media Xinhua said, replacing Yi Huiman to navigate Beijing through the turbulent waters of a market downturn. Nicknamed the "Broker Butcher" for his crackdown on traders, Wu was previously the acting vice mayor of China's major financial hub Shanghai and served nearly two years as chairman of the Shanghai Stock Exchange. His predecessor Yi took the mantle of the CRSC in 2019, tasked to undertake a spate of sweeping capital markets reforms. Wu's appointment comes on the footsteps of the CSRC over the past two weeks announcing new supportive policies to stabilize and revitalize China's stricken stock market, which has become a casualty of volatility in the property sector and widespread investor pessimism over the outlook for the world's second-largest economy.

Persons: Gao Zehong, Wu Qing, Yi Huiman, Wu, Yi Organizations: Getty, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Xinhua, Shanghai Stock Exchange Locations: BEIJNG, CHINA, Beijing, China, Shanghai

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