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☆ Asia’s year in review: Who had it good — and who had it bad — in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-22 | by ( Curtis Chin | Jose B. Collazo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

As 2023 comes to a close, we take a look at the year that was in Asia and the Pacific region. But who had it good and who had it bad in 2023? Bad year: China's property marketWith millions of Chinese citizens still waiting for homes they put down payments on — but might never be built — 2023 was a particularly bad year for China's property market. A newly built property is seen from the air in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, China, Dec 15, 2023. Chinese families and individuals who once saw homes as more than somewhere to live but also as investments have reason to fear 2023 won't be the last bad year they face.

Persons: Curtis, Chin, Jose B, —, Vikram, Amit Dave, Narendra Modi, Taylor Swift, Kim Ji, Jennie, Kim Jennie, Roseanne Chae, Lisa, Lalisa, King Charles, Rose, Roseanne Park, Jisoo Kim, Jennie Kim, King Charles III, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee, Victoria Jones, Blackpink, Michelle Yeoh, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, San Francisco —, China Evergrande, Moody's, Asia's Organizations: Asian Development Bank, RiverPeak Group, ISRO —, Indian Space Research, Orbiter, ISRO, Buckingham, Sustainable, COP26, Getty, YG Entertainment, APEC, U.S, International Monetary Fund Locations: U.S, Asia, Turkey, Syria, Maui, Hawaii, Lahaina, Pacific, India, Gujarat Science City, Ahmedabad, Korea, British, LONDON, ENGLAND, Glasgow, London, England, South Korea, Malaysian, New Zealand, Thailand, China, San Francisco, United States, Taiwan, South China, Country, Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province

So far, Woods' plans have turned investors demanding an energy transition strategy into believers - at least on climate. At the same time, the company plans to have a leading role in the vehicle electrification business. Reuters GraphicsMORE OIL VS GREEN AMBITIONExxon's ambitious agenda includes starting up the world's largest hydrogen power plant by 2027. RISKY BUSINESSThe $17 billion budget for low carbon technologies as the company's total revenue grows next year "will continue to rise", the CEO said. Spending in low carbon currently is constrained by scarcity of customers willing to sign up for contracts and insufficient regulations, Woods said.

Persons: Darren Woods, Carlos Barria, Woods, ”, Paul Sankey, Sankey, Chris James, Dan Ammann, Goldman Sachs, Neil Mehta, Ammann, Brian Weeks, Chris Bohn, Sabrina Valle, Richard Valdmanis, Gary McWilliams, Anna Driver Organizations: ExxonMobil, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Exxon Mobil, Natural Resources, Chevron, Reuters, Exxon, Sankey Research, Carbon Solutions, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, United States, Sankey, Americas, Brazil, Guyana, Texas, Gulf of Mexico, Houston, Dubai

☆ Papua New Guinea to recruit Australia police in security deal - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape will travel to Canberra on Thursday to sign the security agreement, his office said. "The security arrangement is in the best interest of Papua New Guinea and also for Australia and its regional security interests," Marape said in a statement on Tuesday. The Australian Federal Police and the defence minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the security agreement. "Its a big issue and Australia can help us out considerably," said Tkatchenko, who began negotiations with Australia on the deal last year. They will be contracted officers reporting directly to the police commissioner of Papua New Guinea and they will be under all the laws of PNG.

Persons: James Marape, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Marape, Justin Tkatchenko, Tkatchenko, Kirsty Needham, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Guinea's, APEC, APEC Business, Economic Cooperation, Rights, Papua New Guinea, Australia, U.S, Reuters, Defence, Australian Federal Police, PNG Royal Constabulary, CID, Australian, Thomson Locations: Papua, Asia, Bangkok, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, biosecurity, Papua New, Canberra, United States, China, Solomon Islands, Australia, France

☆ Tesla's China-made EV sales fall 17.8% in Nov, biggest drop since Dec 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Sales of U.S. automaker Tesla's (TSLA.O) China-made electric vehicles (EVs) skidded 17.8% in November from the same month a year earlier, to 82,432 cars, China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data showed on Monday. That marked the biggest fall since December 2022 when Tesla's sales of China-made EVs fell 21% on the year as the U.S. automaker reduced output and cut prices to deal with rising inventories and weakening demand. Xi expressed his support for Tesla's development in China, the automaker said in a Weibo post. Li Auto (2015.HK) last month said mass production and delivery of its first full EV are scheduled for February. Smartphone maker Xiaomi (1810.HK) has also moved closer to EV production, with a unit of automaker BAIC Group (1958.HK) applying for regulatory approval to build two Xiaomi-branded cars.

Persons: Tesla's, EVs, BYD, Tesla, Elon Musk's, Musk, Xi Jinping, Xi, Li Auto, Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Bernadette Baum, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: U.S, China Passenger Car Association, APEC, Reuters, Li, HK, BAIC Group, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, SHANGHAI, China, San Francisco, Weibo

☆ Uber shares pop as company is slated to join S&P 500
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Shares of Uber rose more than 5% on Monday after S&P Dow Jones Indices announced Friday that the ride-hailing company has been selected to join the S&P 500. Analysts at Oppenheimer reiterated their outperform rating on the stock and raised their price target to $75 per share from $65. They said Uber's ticket into the S&P 500 will likely help improve investors' sentiment about returns. Members of the index must have positive earnings in the most recent quarter and over the prior four quarters in total, according to S&P's rules. Uber also has a market cap of about $118 billion, which surpasses the S&P's criteria that companies must have an adjusted market cap of at least $14.5 billion.

Persons: Dara Khosrowshahi, Dow, Oppenheimer, Uber, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Economic Cooperation, APEC, Dow Jones, Air Corp, CNBC PRO, &' $ Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California

☆ Exxon Mobil CEO urges COP28 to focus on reducing emissions — not phasing out fossil fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

There's also an ongoing debate about whether an agreement should center on "abated" fossil fuels, which are trapped and stocked with carbon capture and storage technologies, or "unabated" fossil fuels, which are largely understood to be produced and used without substantial reductions in the amount of emitted greenhouse gases. "We cannot save a burning planet with a firehose of fossil fuels," Guterres said. "The 1.5-degree limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels. Not everyone is on board with calls to phase out fossil fuels, however. An Exxon Mobil gas station in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 203.

Persons: Darren Woods, There's, Steve Sedgwick, Woods, U.N, António Guterres, Guterres, Phaseout, David Paul Morris, Exxon Mobil's Woods, Tengku Muhammad Taufik, I'm Organizations: UNITED, EMIRATES, Exxon Mobil, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, Exxon Mobil Corp, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Getty, Exxon, Big Oil, Petronas, Natural Resources, Mobil Locations: Dubai, COP28, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Asia, San Francisco , California, San Francisco, China, UAE, Washington , DC

☆ COP28: Exxon Mobil CEO rebuffs IEA criticism of carbon capture strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Darren Woods, CEO of ExxonMobil, reacts at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. "So, you could say that about carbon capture today, you could say that about electric vehicles, about wind, about solar. The future role of carbon capture technology and fossil fuels is a key issue at the conference. Exxon has announced $17 billion of investment in its low carbon business, which includes carbon capture, and has argued that greenhouse gas emissions are the problem causing climate change, not the fossil fuels themselves. Woods declined to provide details of the contracts, but said U.S. subsidies in last year's Inflation Reduction Act of up to $85 a ton for carbon capture and sequestration would make the investments profitable.

Persons: Darren Woods, Carlos Barria, Woods, EVs, We're, Richard Valdmanis, Katy Daigle Organizations: ExxonMobil, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, Exxon Mobil, International Energy, Reuters, Exxon, IEA, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Dubai, Gulf of Mexico, United States

☆ China's Xi tells coast guard to enforce maritime law
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

China's President Xi Jinping attends the Leaders Retreat at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping has said the country's coast guard must enforce maritime law and crack down on "criminal activities" to defend China's territorial sovereignty, state media reported on Friday. Xi made the comments as he inspected the China Coast Guard's command office for the East China Sea area and the performance of the coast guard's ships by video, Xinhua news agency reported. "It is necessary to establish and improve the coordination and cooperation mechanism of maritime law enforcement, severely crack down on illegal and criminal activities at sea," Xi said. The Chinese coast guard has had several confrontations with vessels from the Philippines in disputed territorial waters in the South China Sea.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Xi, Ella Cao, Bernard Orr, Christina Fincher, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, East, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Rights BEIJING, East China, Xinhua, Philippines, South China

☆ Biden and Xi are glaringly absent from the UN's climate summit. That doesn't bode well for the world.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

World leaders are gathering in the UAE for the COP28 climate change summit. But President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping of China will be absent. But the leaders of the world's biggest polluting nations — President Joe Biden and China's leader Xi Jinping — will be conspicuous by their absence. AdvertisementA man walks past a COP28 sign during the United Nations climate summit in Dubai on December 1, 2023. Xi and Biden are doing little to signal their commitment to sharing the burden of reducing the climate crisis equally by not attending the summit, say critics.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi, King Charles, Pope Francis, Xi Jinping, LUDOVIC MARIN, Biden, Kamala Harris, John Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, Tom Evans, Evans, Sultan Al Jaber, Kerry Organizations: Service, United Arab Emirates, White, Sunday, US, Democratic, APEC, BBC, Climate, Business, Sierra Club Locations: UAE, China, United Nations, Dubai, Biden's, Xi, San Francisco

☆ Salesforce Keeps Growth Dreams Alive Enough
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff speaks during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco on Nov. 16. Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg NewsThere was a time—and not very long ago—that Salesforce would have scoffed at 11% growth. That was then. The cloud software giant’s fiscal third-quarter ended October was the third consecutive period showing revenue growing at that pace year over year. The company also used Wednesday’s report to affirm Wall Street’s projection for 10% growth in the current quarter ending in January—9.8% if not rounding.

Persons: Marc Benioff, David Paul Morris Organizations: Economic Cooperation, Bloomberg Locations: Asia, San Francisco, —

☆ Op-ed: Europe is leaving a void in a multipolar world
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Kevin Klowden | Chief Global Strategist At The Milken Institute | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Russian invasion of Ukraine only three months later served to provide an immediate driver for greater political unity within Europe. China, Russia and even the United States under Donald Trump have expressed dissatisfaction with institutions such as the World Trade Organization, the G7 and the United Nations. watch nowThe void is particularly apparent at the WTO, where the lack of European leadership on trade as the U.S. turned inward is particularly felt. Perhaps nothing shows the consequences of the lack of European strength in preserving these institutions than the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, the combination of a split over Ukraine, and internal divisions within Europe, have prevented any way for Europe to play a key role with China.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyenââ, Pedro Sanchez Perez, Klaus Iohannis, Chancellor, Germany, Olaf Scholz, Charles Michel, Dursun, Angela Merkel, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Merkel, Ursula von der Leyen, Xi Jinping Organizations: European Commission, European, European Union, Anadolu Agency, Getty, World Trade Organization, United Nations, WTO, EU, NATO, APEC Locations: Spain, Romania, Brussels, Belgium, United States, China, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, U.S, Germany, Moscow, India, Southeast Asia, EU, East, Africa

☆ A year after ChatGPT’s release, the AI revolution is just beginning
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Seemingly overnight, the user-friendly generative AI technology enraptured the globe. It also promised to revolutionize the future of white-collar work — so long as it didn’t cause an AI apocalypse in the process. ‘The world woke up to the AI revolution’And one year since ChatGPT’s public release, the fervor around AI is still at a fever pitch. And AI’s long-prophesied impacts to the labor market is also beginning to emerge, both inside and outside the tech industry. “Many, many, many jobs that are currently done by humans, AI will be able to do,” said Clune, the AI researcher at the University of British Columbia.

Persons: New York CNN —, Sam Altman, ChatGPT, ” Jeff Clune, hasn’t, ” Clune, ”, OpenAI’s, Jakub Porzycki, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, ” Venkatasubramanian, “ It’s, it’s, Venkatasubramanian, Clune, we’re, ChatGPT’s, OpenAI, David Paul Morris, “, CNN’s Kara Swisher, Altman, —, ” Altman Organizations: New, New York CNN, Big Tech, Tech, University of British, CNN, ChatGPT’s, Brown University, Economic Cooperation, Bloomberg, Getty, Microsoft — Locations: New York, University of British Columbia, Krakow, Poland, OpenAI, Asia, San Francisco , California

☆ Top 10 things to watch in Thursday's stock market, including Jim Cramer's Benioff interview
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Ford (F) issues slightly worse full-year guidance: $10 billion to $10.5 billion in adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and adjusted free cash flow of between $5 billion and $5.5 billion. Citi raises Club holding Costco (COST) price target to $585 per share from $530, citing an acceleration of November sales. Ford (F) issues slightly worse full-year guidance: $10 billion to $10.5 billion in adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and adjusted free cash flow of between $5 billion and $5.5 billion. Ford (F) issues slightly worse full-year guidance: $10 billion to $10.5 billion in adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and adjusted free cash flow of between $5 billion and $5.5 billion. Ford (F) issues slightly worse full-year guidance: $10 billion to $10.5 billion in adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and adjusted free cash flow of between $5 billion and $5.5 billion.

Persons: Marc Benioff, Einstein, Jeff Marks, Charles Munger, Warren Buffett's, Charlie, Peter Arduini, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds Organizations: Nasdaq, Dow, UAW, General Motors, Citi, Club, Costco, Barclays, Company, NBA, GE Healthcare, Nvidia, Brands, Barrick, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Economic Cooperation, APEC, AFP, Getty Locations: U.S, Asia, San Francisco , California

OpenAI's tender offer, which would allow employees to sell shares in the start-up to outside investors, remains on track despite the leadership tumult and board shuffle, two people familiar with the matter told CNBC. The round and previously reported valuation were jeopardized by Sam Altman's temporary ouster earlier in November, but his return cleared the way for the tender offer to proceed. The extension of the tender offer comes after a rollercoaster couple of weeks for the company. OpenAI's other major backers include Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital and, following the completion of the tender offer, Thrive Capital. Founders Fund will not participate in the tender offer either, a person familiar with the firm said.

Persons: Sam Altman, Josh Kushner's, Sam Altman's, Altman, Satya Nadella, Greg Brockman, OpenAI, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, Nadella, — CNBC's Ari Levy, Jordan Novet, Elon Musk Organizations: Economic Cooperation, APEC, CNBC, Microsoft, Employees, Brockman's, Tiger Global, Fund, Sequoia Capital, Bloomberg Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, OpenAI

☆ Mexico president asks lawmakers to let US military trainers into Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 17, 2023. The announcement published Tuesday said President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sought permission for 11 U.S. military personnel to take part in a program called "Strengthening the Capacities of the Special Forces of the Defense Ministry." Lopez Obrador has vigorously defended the principle of Mexican sovereignty, passing measures to restrict the ability of U.S. counter-narcotics agents to operate in Mexico. The U.S. troops are expected to arrive in Mexico with their own weapons, ammunition and equipment, the Senate letter added. For his part, Lopez Obrador has been critical of U.S. anti-narcotics officials operating on Mexican territory, accusing U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents of trampling on Mexican sovereignty.

Persons: Joe Biden, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Kevin Lamarque, Lopez Obrador, Lopez Obrador's, Dave Graham, Drazen Jorgic, Franklin Paul, Deepa Babington Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, Mexican Senate, U.S, Special Forces of, Defense Ministry, Special Forces Group, Mexico's Defense Ministry, United States, Drug Enforcement Administration, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, MEXICO, Mexican, Mexico, United States, Mexico City, Jan, Iraq, Afghanistan

☆ Salesforce shares jump on better-than-expected earnings report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Ari Levy | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Salesforce shares rose more than 8% in extended trading on Wednesday after the cloud software vendor reported fiscal third-quarter earnings that topped analysts' estimates. Here's how the company did:Earnings: $2.11 per share, adjusted, versus the $2.06 per share expected by LSEG$2.11 per share, adjusted, versus the $2.06 per share expected by LSEG Revenue: $8.72 billion versus the $8.72 billion expected by LSEGRevenue increased 11% from $7.84 billion a year ago. In its biggest unit, which provides customer support, Salesforce saw revenue jump 12% to $2.07 billion. Salesforce shares rose to $250 after the earnings report. WATCH: Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff: When I talk to CEOs they are all Slack-first

Persons: Marc Benioff, Salesforce Organizations: Economic Cooperation, APEC, LSEG, LSEG Revenue, Nasdaq, Revenue Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California

☆ China's Xi visits financial hub Shanghai
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the Leaders Retreat at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Nov 29 (Reuters) - China President Xi Jinping visited Shanghai, where he went to several venues and learned about the city's efforts to strengthen its competitiveness as an international financial centre, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. Xi made the trip on Tuesday and Wednesday and he inspected the Shanghai Futures Exchange, an exhibition on Shanghai's sci-tech innovations and a government-subsidized rental housing community, the report said. Vice Premier He Lifeng, Shanghai's Communist party secretary Chen Jining and Mayor Gong Zheng also accompanied his visit. It was his first visit to the city since November 2020 and comes a year after historic street protests against China's zero-COVID policy broke out in Shanghai.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Kevin Lamarque, Xi, Cai Qi, Chen Jining, Gong Zheng, Xi's, Premier Li Qiang, Brenda Goh, Bernard Orr, Ella Cao, Ethan Wang, Mark Potter, Louise Heavens, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Porter Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, Shanghai Futures Exchange, Communist Party of China Central Committee, CPC, Communist, Shanghai Free, Trade, Disney, L'Oreal, Premier, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, China, Shanghai, Xinhua, Minhang

Darren Woods, CEO of ExxonMobil, speaks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHOUSTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) Chief Executive Darren Woods is making plans to attend the COP28 climate summit in Dubai next week, two people familiar with the matter said, in what would mark a first for an Exxon CEO, if confirmed. Woods is expected to advocate that reducing carbon emissions should be a priority in addressing climate change, rather than reducing oil production. "We commit to solving the world’s energy and emissions challenges simultaneously," Darren Woods said at the APEC CEO summit earlier this month. Exxon says technology advancements allowed it to join the initiative and that the decision guards no relation with Pioneer's acquisition.

Persons: Darren Woods, Carlos Barria, Woods, Sultan al, Jaber, Exxon's, Matt Kolesar, Sabrina Valle, Sarah McFarlane, Josie Kao, Aurora Ellis Organizations: ExxonMobil, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, Exxon Mobil Corp, Exxon, APEC, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, United, Natural Resources, Gas Methane Partnership, Reuters, United Nations Environment Programme, Shell, BP, Conoco, Chevron, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, United Nations, OGMP, Occidental

[1/6] Chinese Premier Li Qiang speaks at the opening ceremony of the first China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, China November 28, 2023. "We are willing to build closer production and industrial supply chain partnerships with all countries," Li told the first China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), adding that the international community needs to be "more wary of the challenges and risks brought about by protectionism and uncontrolled globalisation." The expo, organised by the state-run China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), is Beijing's latest bid to increase foreign investment in China, which has dropped to historic lows. Despite this decrease, China remains an attractive option: a survey conducted by HSBC bank at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) earlier this month showed 45% of firms expect to expand their supply chain in China over the next year. Zhang Shaogang, a CCPIT official who was part of the Chinese delegation at the APEC summit, said last week that 20% of the foreign firms exhibiting at the supply chain expo were U.S.-based, and included Amazon (AMZN.O), Apple (AAPL.O), Tesla (TSLA.O), and Intel (INTC.O).

Persons: Li Qiang, Florence Lo, Premier Li Qiang, Li, Dan Marks, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Zhang Shaogang, Zhang, Eduardo Baptista, Joe Cash, Jamie Freed, Miral Organizations: China International, Chain, REUTERS, Premier, European Union, China Council, Promotion of International Trade, HSBC, China, Royal United Services, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Apple, Intel, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, EU, BEIJING, United States, Ukraine, Taiwan, India, Mexico, Vietnam, U.S, Asia

☆ Taiwan's presidential election is a three-way race. These are the parties vying to replace Tsai Ing-Wen.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Candidates from the more established Kuomintang and the smaller Taiwan People's Party could not agree on the leader for a combined ticket. Taiwan's president and vice president are directly elected, serve one term of four years and may be re-elected for one additional term. Taiwan's elections kick off a year that is littered with numerous elections globally at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions as two major wars rage on. The outcome of Taiwan's elections will likely go some way in influencing testy U.S.-China ties and impact security in Asia-Pacific more broadly. These are the three parties contesting Taiwan's Jan. 13 polls to elect a new president.

Persons: Foxconn, Joe Biden's, bookends, Xi Jinping, Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Taiwan's Jan Organizations: Democratic Progressive Party, Apple, Taiwan People's Party, U.S, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, APEC, Taiwan, ., Taiwan's Locations: China, Kuomintang, Taiwan, Taiwan Strait, Beijing, Asia, Pacific, San Francisco

☆ Vietnam upgrades ties with Japan to highest level
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong speaks as he attends the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Leaders event at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Brittany Hosea-Small/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHANOI, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Vietnam and Japan on Monday officially upgraded their relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" during a visit by Vietnamese president Vo Van Thuong to Tokyo. Vietnam has designated five other countries as comprehensive strategic partners, including China, India, Russia, South Korea and the United States. Japan is Vietnam's third-largest source of foreign investment and its fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching $50 billion last year. Vietnam and Japan, both embroiled in separate maritime disputes with China, in 2020 reached a $348 million Japanese loan agreement for Vietnam to build six patrol vessels.

Persons: Vo Van Thuong, Brittany Hosea, Vo Van, Thuong, Khanh Vu, Ed Osmond Organizations: Economic, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, Monday, Japan, Honda, Panasonic, Bridgestone, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Rights HANOI, Vietnam, Japan, Tokyo, China, United States, India, Russia, South Korea

☆ Japan's Kishida sends letter to China's Xi - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a summit discussion on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, at the Stanford, California, U.S., November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Brittany Hosea-Small/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 23 (Reuters) - A Beijing delegation of Komeito, the junior coalition partner of Japan's ruling party, handed a letter from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for Chinese President Xi Jinping in a meeting with China's top leadership team on Wednesday, NHK reported. The broadcaster did not say what was in the letter. Komeito representatives and Kishida's office were not available to comment on Thursday, a public holiday in Japan. Yamaguchi and Cai also agreed to work toward a resumption of dialogue between the CPC and the coalition of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, NHK reported.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Brittany Hosea, Xi Jinping, Natsuo Yamaguchi, Cai Qi, Yamaguchi, Cai, Makiko Yamazaki, Stephen Coates Organizations: Japan's, Economic Cooperation, Stanford, REUTERS, Rights, Komeito, Wednesday, NHK, Communist Party of China, CPC, Central Committee, Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: Asia, California, U.S, Beijing, Japan, Taiwan

☆ With crises brewing around the world, the US's diplomatic 'special agents' are sharpening old skills and learning some new ones
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The State Department relies on its Diplomatic Security Service to protect diplomats around the world. To protect those diplomats, the State Department relies on a little-known but highly capable agency — the Diplomatic Security Service. US State DepartmentAs the State Department's law-enforcement and security arm, the Diplomatic Security Service has been protecting US diplomats at home and abroad since 1916. "Through the council, the State Department can exchange information in real-time with hundreds of private businesses, faith-based organizations, and other US entities," a State Department spokesperson told Insider. Diplomatic Security ServiceFollowing a string of high-profile cyberattacks against government agencies and private businesses, US national-security officials are increasingly focused on cybersecurity.

Persons: —, Anatolii Organizations: Diplomatic Security Service, DSS, Service, UN, Assembly, US State Department As, State, State Department, Mobile Security, Mobile, Foreign Affairs Security Training Center, US Department of State Regional, US, Overseas Security Advisory Council, Publishing, Getty, Operations Command, Foreign Affairs Counter, APEC, Diplomatic Security, State Department's, Department of Homeland Security, Management, Budget Locations: Ukraine, China, Taiwan, State, Virginia, Kyiv, Russia, San Francisco

☆ Who are OpenAI's new board members as Sam Altman returns?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, attends the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria Acquire Licensing RightsNov 22 (Reuters) - ChatGPT-maker OpenAI on Tuesday said it reached an agreement for Sam Altman to return as CEO days after his ouster, and also agreed in principle to partly reconstitute the board of directors that had dismissed him. Bret Taylor, formerly co-CEO of Salesforce and Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary, along with Quora CEO and current director Adam D'Angelo will be part of the board, OpenAI said. Here's what we know about them:* Taylor, 43, is an American computer programmer and entrepreneur, who is also a board member at Shopify (SHOP.TO). Taylor will chair the OpenAI board* Summers, 68, is an American economist who has served as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to 2001* A professor at Charles W Eliot University, Summers is also President Emeritus at Harvard* Summers is also on the board of Jack Dorsey's Block Inc (SQ.N) and Skillsoft Corp (SKIL.N)* D'Angelo, 39, is an American internet entrepreneur, best known as founder of California-based social question-and-answer website and online knowledge market Quora* A Computer Science graduate, D'Angelo was previously CTO of Facebook for nearly two years till June 2008(Sources: TechCrunch, Reuters reporting and LinkedIn)Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Nivedita BhattacharjeeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Altman, Carlos Barria, OpenAI, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, Taylor, Charles, Summers, Jack Dorsey's, D'Angelo, Aby Jose Koilparambil, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, U.S . Treasury, Quora, Treasury, Charles W Eliot University, Harvard, Skillsoft Corp, Science, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, American, Shopify, California, Bengaluru

"i'm looking forward to returning to openai," Altman said in a post on the X social media platform late on Tuesday. Sam Altman attends the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. OpenAI's previous board consisted of Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner and OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever and Quora CEO D'Angelo, who is part of the revamped board. In a post on X on Tuesday, Shear said he worked "~72 very intense hours" to bring stability - and ultimately Altman - back to OpenAI. When he was out of a job, CEO Nadella said Altman could head a new research team alongside Brockman and other colleagues departing from OpenAI.

Persons: Bret Taylor, Brockman, FRANCISCO, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, D'Angelo, Altman, Danni Hewson, AJ Bell's, Satya Nadella, Kyle Rodda, Carlos Barria, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, Ilya Sutskever, Steve Jobs, Greg Brockman, Sunday Altman, Emmett Shear, Shear, Nadella, Jeffrey Dastin, Aditya Soni, Shivani Tanna, Bansari, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Sam Holmes, Jane Merriman Organizations: U.S . Treasury, Microsoft, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: openai, U.S, OpenAI, Asia, San Francisco , California, Valley, San Francisco, Bengaluru

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