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☆ China to require all apps to share business details in new oversight push
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File PhotoHONG KONG, Aug 9 (Reuters) - China will require all mobile app providers in the country to file business details with the government, its information ministry said, marking Beijing's latest effort to keep the industry on a tight leash. The new rule is primarily aimed at combating online fraud but it will impact on all apps in China, he said. Bishop said that in order to comply with the new rules, app developers now must either have a company in China or work with a local publisher. Use of such apps are not allowed in China, but they can be still downloaded from app stores, enabling Chinese to use them when traveling overseas. China already requires mobile games to obtain licences before they launch in the country and it had purged tens of thousands of unlicenced games from various app stores in 2020.

Persons: Thomas Peter, HONG KONG, ，, Rich Bishop, AppInChina, Bishop, Josh Ye, Miyoung Kim, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, Apple, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, HONG, Shanghai

☆ China PMI: factory sector contracts for fourth straight month, raising urgency for more stimulus
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China is preparing to announce new stimulus for its stumbling economy after the vast factory sector contracted for a fourth straight month, and a gauge of activity in its services sector slipped to a seven month low. The official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which measures activity level in the manufacturing sector, came in at 49.3 in July, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday. That result was slightly up compared with 49 in June but the index has nonetheless contracted each month since April. The official non-manufacturing PMI, which looks at activities in the services and construction industries, fell to 51.5 from 53.2 in June. “China’s official PMI data provides little encouragement that the economy is turning the corner,” said Robert Carnell, regional head of research for Asia-Pacific at ING Group.

Persons: Stringer, “, ”, Robert Carnell, Xi Jinping, Carnell Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Bureau, Statistics, PMI, Getty, ING Group, National Development, Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, State, Information, Ministry of Commerce, Capital Economics Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Hangzhou, China's, Zhejiang, AFP, Asia, Pacific

HONG KONG, July 18 (Reuters) - China plans to appoint the CEO of state-owned telecoms giant China Unicom (0762.HK), (600050.SS), Liu Liehong, as the head of its new national data bureau, four sources said, putting him in charge of efforts to make the country a digital superpower. China announced plans for the data bureau in March as part of a sweeping government reshuffle. Its formation is part of efforts to achieve President Xi Jinping's vision of a "digital China", where data is managed alongside labour and capital as a key economic driver. China's internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), will also transfer some staff to the data bureau, said one source. "Whether Mr. Liu Liehong will take up any role in the National Data Bureau shall be subject to the decision of the PRC government," it added.

Persons: Liu Liehong, Liu, Xi, China Unicom, Julie Zhu, Kevin Huang, Jane Xu, Brenda Goh, Sam Holmes Organizations: HK, National Data Bureau, Reuters, China, Tech Development Department, Cyberspace Administration of China, CAC, Information Office, National, Bureau, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, Communist Party, Committee, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Sichuan province

"U.S.-China competition is on the same starting line," Chipuller chairman Yang Meng said about chiplet technology in an interview with Reuters. "They can still develop 3D stacking or other chiplet technology to work around those restrictions. Beijing is rapidly exploiting chiplet technology in applications as diverse as artificial intelligence to self-driving cars, with entities from tech giant Huawei Technologies to military institutions exploring its use. About a quarter of the global chip packaging and testing market sits in China, according to Dongguan Securities. Huawei, China’s tech and chip design giant that has been put on the U.S.'s most restricted list, has been actively filing chiplet patents.

Persons: Yang Meng, Charles Shi, Needham, Yang, Needham's Shi, Chipuller, Laura Black, Melissa Mannino, Perry Bechky, Rowe, Mike Gallagher, Biden, ”, Chipuller's Yang, zGlue, CFIUS, Shayne Phillips, MIIT, Jane Lanhee Lee, Eduardo Baptista, Echo Wang, Stephen Nellis, Kenneth Li, Brenda Goh, Lincoln Organizations: Chipuller, Industry, Reuters, Huawei Technologies, Intel, Dongguan Securities, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Acclaim, British, Islands, Sea Investment Co, Foreign Investment, Treasury, Akin's Trade, Berliner Corcoran, Department of Commerce, Huawei, U.S, TongFu Microelectronics, JCET, Beijing ESWIN Technology Group, China’s Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, Thomson Locations: Shenzhen, China, U.S, United States, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Beijing, Dongguan, BakerHostetler, People's Republic of China

☆ China car price truce skids off road at first bend
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, July 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - So much for an end to big discounts on new vehicles in China. On Saturday the China Association of Auto Manufacturers (CAAM) reversed out of the pledge it had brokered just two days earlier with Tesla (TSLA.O) and 15 domestic carmakers to curb a debilitating price war in which some models were being sold for 20% or more below their sticker price. But it quickly dawned on – or was made clear to – the CAAM that such wording might violate the spirit of China’s anti-monopoly law. It would have been a hard agreement to stick to anyway, with Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and others refusing to sign it. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Tesla, Antony Currie, Robyn Mak, Thomas Shum Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, China Association of Auto Manufacturers, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, Volkswagen, Twitter, Thomson Locations: China

☆ Explainer: What's behind China's failed 'truce' in EV price war?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] A Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle (EV) is displayed at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, China September 1, 2022. Toyota (7203.T) offered a discount on its bZ4X EV, and Nissan (7201.T) offered an incentive on its Ariya EV. Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) joint ventures with SAIC and FAW also announced price cuts in China on their ID-series EVs on Friday. AlixPartners said while China's EV market will continue to grow rapidly, intensifying competition and excess capacity will also drive a shakeout. In one example, Chinese automakers have invested $1.4 billion in Thailand since 2020, now dominating the Thai EV market after taking share from the Japanese brands that have long operated there.

Persons: Florence Lo, Tesla, CAAM, Li Auto, Liu Xu, furloughs, AlixPartners, Zhang Yan, Kevin Krolicki, Tom Hogue Organizations: Tesla, Fair for Trade, Services, REUTERS, China Association of Auto Manufacturers, stoke, HK, Volvo, Chery Automobile, Global, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, EV, General Motors, Honda, Consultancy, Consumers, SAIC, GAC, Dongfeng, FAW Group, China's Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, FAW, National Strategy Institute of Tsinghua University, International, Hyundai, Thai EV, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Shanghai, Europe, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Singapore

☆ China's auto group retracts pledge to avoid 'abnormal pricing'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Cars drive on the road during the evening rush hour in Beijing, China, July 1, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File PhotoSHANGHAI, July 8 (Reuters) - The China Association of Auto Manufacturers (CAAM), citing antitrust law, on Saturday retracted a pledge to avoid "abnormal pricing" made two days earlier by 16 automakers, including Tesla. Thursday's CAAM-organised pledge by the companies, including Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers Nio, Li Auto and Xpeng, had been interpreted by some as signalling a truce in a price war that has threatened industry-wide profitability. CAAM said it would urge the 16 companies and other association members to strictly comply with the antitrust law and compete fairly with independent pricing. Reporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jason Lee, Thursday's, Li Auto, CAAM, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, China Association of Auto Manufacturers, Tesla, Elon, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, SHANGHAI

On Thursday, regulators orchestrated an agreement between Tesla (TSLA.O) and 15 Chinese rivals to avoid “abnormal pricing”, sealing the deal at a signing ceremony in Shanghai, Bloomberg reported. Perhaps as a result, sellers of internal combustion engines frequently offered steeper discounts compared to battery-powered rivals, Citi’s data show. In this case, at least, it appears to be trying to keep competition healthy, targeting only “abnormal pricing”. If nothing else, Beijing’s intervention offers a welcome pause in hostilities. Over 30 brands in China announced discounts in the first three months of the year, according to industry consultancy Automobility.

Persons: It’s, Bill Russo, AlixPartners, Tesla, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Tesla, Bloomberg, FAW Audi, BAIC Hyundai, Citi, HK, country’s Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Beijing, Shanghai, Xpeng, China

☆ China industry minister, Siemens CEO discuss digital manufacturing, development
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, June 14 (Reuters) - China's industry minister met Siemens' (SIEGn.DE) chief executive on Wednesday and discussed intelligent manufacturing, digital economy development and the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises, the ministry said. The minister, Jin Zhuanglong, said the Chinese government attaches great importance to promoting the deep integration of the digital economy, according to a statement from the ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Chief Executive Roland Busch said the company wants to further expand Siemens' investment in China, and further strengthen cooperation with China, according to the statement. Reporting by Beijing newsroomOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jin Zhuanglong, Roland Busch Organizations: Siemens, Industry, Information Technology, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China

But in a statement on April 8 last year, the company said: "Due to recent developments, Acer has decided to suspend its business in Russia." Asked about subsequent exports to Russia via Swiss subsidiary Acer Sales International SA, Acer in Taiwan said in a statement that "we strictly adhere to applicable international regulations and trade laws regarding exports to Russia". Acer did not say why it continued shipping its goods to Russia despite saying it would suspend business there. Reuters was unable to establish where some Acer goods that can still be found on sale in Russia had originated from nor when they had arrived in the country. There were no deliveries of the newly prohibited items by Acer to Russia from Switzerland after that date.

Persons: Dell, Artem Zhavoronkov, Acer, Filipp Lebedev, Gleb Stolyarov, Ben Blanchard, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Mike Collett, White, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Reuters, Dell, HP, Acer, Russia, European Union, Acer Sales International SA, PC, IDC Russia, Nordic Star, Economy Ministry, Economic Affairs, Russia's Ministry of Industry, Trade, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, Russia, Ukraine, Acer's, Switzerland, Swiss, St . Petersburg, Japan, Bioggio, WhatsApp, Switzerland's, Tbilisi, Taipei, Geneva

[1/2] Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk gets in a Tesla car as he leaves a hotel in Beijing, China May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu WangBEIJING, May 31 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) CEO Elon Musk kicked off his second day in China with visits to the country's commerce ministry and industry ministry. Musk left his hotel on Wednesday morning accompanied by Grace Tao, Tesla's China-based public affairs chief and Tom Zhu, head of global manufacturing. He next visited the Ministry of Industry and Information which has regulatory oversight of the automotive industry. Tesla and the ministries did not immediately reply to a request for comment on discussions with Musk.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tingshu Wang, Musk, Grace Tao, Tom Zhu, Wang Wentao, Tesla, Qin Gang, Zeng Yuqun, CATL, Martin Pollard, Josh Arslan, Wang Tingshu, Joe Cash, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Tesla, REUTERS, Tesla Inc, Ministry of Industry, Foreign, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Tingshu Wang BEIJING, Shanghai, United States

☆ Vietnam's PM approves $135 billion power plan for 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HANOI, May 16 (Reuters) - Vietnam's prime minister has approved a power plan that needs $134.7 billion of funding to develop new power plants and grids between 2021 and 2030, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said late on Monday. The ministry said half of office buildings and homes in Vietnam would be powered by rooftop solar panels by 2030. The country would also aim to generate green energy for exports, with a target of 5-10 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. A draft of the PDP8 seen by Reuters shortly before the ministry statement showed the plan would more than double the country's power generation capacity to 158 GW by 2030 from 69 GW at the end of 2020. Power plants using domestic gas and imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) would be the main source of the country's power generation mix by 2030, accounting for 37.33 GW, or 23.6%, according to the draft.

☆ China will speed up construction of charging facilities for EVs, state media report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, May 5 (Reuters) - China will speed up the construction of charging facilities for new energy vehicles such as electric cars, and improve policies for purchasing and using them, state media quoted the cabinet as saying on Friday. Improved charging infrastructure for new energy vehicles will help unleash the potential of rural consumption and support growth of rural tourism, adding new impetus to rural revitalisation, the cabinet was quoted as saying after a regular meeting. The cabinet, or State Council, has approved plans to speed up the development of advanced manufacturing clusters, state media reported. Developing such clusters will be vital for steering China's industries towards innovation, and will help enhance the resilience and safety level of the country's industrial supply chains, the cabinet said. Reporting by Beijing newsroom and Kevin Yao; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's industry ministry issues draft data standards for smart vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SHANGHAI, May 5 (Reuters) - China's industry ministry issued on Friday a series of draft technical standards including cybersecurity requirements for vehicles, with the country moving to tighten data regulation as cars become more intelligent. Among the proposed rules, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology plans to ban smart vehicles in China from transferring data directly abroad, pushing them instead to use domestic cloud services. It would also require vehicles with autonomous driving capabilities to be equipped with data storage systems for accident liability assessments. Reporting by Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Multiple experts identified the presence of malware on the Pinduoduo app that exploited vulnerabilities in Android operating systems. Evidence of sophisticated malware in the Pinduoduo app comes amid intense scrutiny of Chinese-developed apps like TikTok over concerns about data security. Pinduoduo has previously rejected “the speculation and accusation that Pinduoduo app is malicious.”CNN has contacted PDD multiple times over email and phone for comment, but has not received a response. Google Play is not available in China, and Android users in the country download their apps from local stores. Engineers also found their access to big data, data sheets and the log system revoked, the source said.

☆ Japan's Toyota hands St Petersburg plant over to Russian state
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Toyota's production site in St Petersburg has... been transferred to the state," Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade said in a statement. The company said in September it had decided to stop vehicle production in Russia due to the interruption in supplies of key materials and parts. "Toyota confirms that it has concluded the transfer of its vehicle production plant to NAMI effective from March 31, 2023," Toyota said in a statement. Neither party disclosed a fee for the transaction, and Toyota declined to give any further details of the deal. NAMI, Russia's Central Automobile and Engine Research and Development Institute, has already taken plants from Renault and Nissan.

☆ Vietnam needs $11.5 bln to expand national fuel storage capacity by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HANOI, March 31 (Reuters) - Vietnam would need investment of up to 270 trillion dong ($11.51 billion) to expand its national fuel storage system by 2030, state media reported on Friday, citing a draft plan prepared by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The investment would raise the country's crude oil and refined fuel storage capacity to 75-80 days of net imports, Dau Tu newspaper reported. The country's current fuel storage capacity stands at 65 days of net imports, state radio broadcaster VOV cited the Minister of Industry and Trade, Nguyen Hong Dien, as saying on Thursday. Most of the investment needed for the plan would come from businesses, Dau Tu reported. ($1 = 23,455 dong)Reporting by Khanh Vu; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China plans to improve national blockchain tech standards system by 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, March 28 (Reuters) - China plans to improve its blockchain tech standards by 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the country's industry watchdog, said on Tuesday. The country will aim to clarify the top-level design of its blockchain and distributed ledger technology standards system by 2023, before further improving the standards system by 2025, according to a draft guideline on the ministry's website. The MIIT is seeking comment on the draft until April 28. Reporting by Beijing newsroom, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russian firm says it closes deal to buy IKEA factory
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

IKEA halted all retail and production operations in Russia soon after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, along with scores of other Western companies. "The process of concluding the deal was not easy and quite lengthy," Invest Plus owner Vadim Osipov said in a statement, thanking all parties involved - IKEA, Russian and Swedish regulators, and Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade. Sales by Western companies have been complicated as deals involving firms from so-called unfriendly countries - those that imposed sanctions against Russia - need approval from a government commission. Russia's industry ministry in February said that Slotex and lumber producer Luzales would buy the IKEA plants. "Our goal is to return the highly popular and quality production of the Novgorod factory to Russia's furniture market as quickly as possible," Osipov said.

☆ China to stabilise automobile, consumer electronics consumption
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, March 23 (Reuters) - China will make efforts to stabilise automobile, consumer electronics consumption, and expand home appliances and green building materials consumption, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Thursday. The country will also consolidate its leading position in industries such as new energy vehicles, photovoltaic equipment, mobile communications and power equipment, the ministry said in a statement on its website. China's industrial economy is still recovering in general, and the issue of insufficient demand is prominent, the ministry added. Reporting by Ethan Wang and Liz Lee; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia adding IKEA, Lancome and other luxury goods to parallel import list
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The mechanism allows Russian companies to buy goods from any company outside Russia, including from the country of the goods' origin, provided they were purchased legally. The Ministry of Industry and Trade's expanded list includes luxury brands, such as Lancome, Giorgio Armani and Yves Saint Laurent, domestic goods brands Wahl and Zanussi, and Japan's Nintendo (7974.T). A view shows the logo of IKEA on a closed store in Kotelniki outside Moscow, Russia July 5, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia NovozheninaThe updated list was first reported by the Izvestia daily, which said that IKEA would be added towards the summer. "Izvestia has the correct list and it is now being registered with the Ministry of Justice," the ministry said in a statement.

☆ China plans to revamp finance, tech oversight
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Lintao Zhang | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China plans to overhaul its financial regulatory system by consolidating aspects of the central bank and securities regulator under a new entity, while doing away with the existing banking regulator. The moves also come as Beijing has increased regulation on parts of the economy that had developed quickly, with little oversight. The latest plan calls for the establishment of a National Financial Regulatory Administration, which replaces the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission and expands its role. watch nowThe China Securities Regulatory Commission's investor protection responsibilities are set to shift to the new financial regulator. "China's consolidated financial regulatory body is [a] paradigm shift to ramp up oversight of its vast financial system," said Winston Ma, adjunct professor of law at New York University.

☆ Iran says it's discovered what could be the world's second-largest lithium deposit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A lithium mining machine moves a salt by-product at the mine in the Atacama Desert in Salar de Atacama, Chile on October 25, 2022. Lucas Aguayo Araos| Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesIran says it's discovered a massive deposit of lithium — a key element in batteries for devices and electric vehicles — in one of its western provinces. If the claimed figure is accurate, that would make the deposit the second-largest known lithium reserve in the world after Chile, which holds 9.2 million metric tons of the metal, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. watch nowIran's lithium deposit news, if true, would be a lifeline for the country's battered economy. In terms of the global lithium market, such an addition to the world's known reserves could push prices of the metal down further, depending on Iran's capacity to export.

☆ Indonesia to tighten used shoe import controls after Reuters report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA, March 6 (Reuters) - Indonesia will tighten customs checks at small ports to crackdown on the illegal import of second-hand shoes, the industry ministry said on Monday, responding to a Reuters report that found footwear donated to a recycling scheme in Singapore was shipped to Indonesia. In 2015, Indonesia banned the import of second-hand clothing and footwear over concerns about hygiene, as well as to protect the local textile industry. In a statement titled "dismantling the scandal of illegal imports of used shoes", Indonesia's Ministry of Industry said that as a result of the Reuters story it would increase checks at ports to intercept any illegal second-hand shoe shipments. "This incident shows that the illegal import of used shoes is carried out in an organised manner and misuses social projects," Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita was quoted as saying in the statement. "The practice of illegal importation of used shoes must be stopped because it has a bad impact on the domestic footwear industry."

☆ China issues rules to crack down on predatory mobile app practices
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG, Feb 27 (Reuters) - China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued a new set of rules on Monday cracking down on predatory mobile app practices, including forced bundling and auto subscription renewals without user consent. Reporting by Josh Ye; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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