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☆ Teacher Li: A Chinese dissident in Europe is enraging Beijing. Now police are coming for his social media followers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Nectar Gan | Yong Xiong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

And now, Chinese authorities appear to be going after his followers in China. Li Ying spends most of his days in front of the computer running his X account. Li’s warnings sent shock waves through the small but influential Chinese X sphere. On X, Li Ying’s account provided a window into the outpouring of grief and disaffection. “The Chinese authorities are fearful of young people like Teacher Li, seeing him as a threat to its rule,” Wang said.

Persons: Lee, Xi Jinping, –, Li, ”, ” Lee, Li Ying, Li reposts, Elon Musk, Covid lockdowns, ” Li, “, Yaqiu Wang, ‘, ’ ”, Li Keqiang, Shen Xiang, ramped, Li Keqiang’s, Xi, it’s, it’ll, ” Wang, Wang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Twitter, US, Facebook, Elon, Ministry of Public Security, CNN, YouTube, Future Publishing, Getty, Freedom Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Italy, Washington, Anhui province, “

☆ Premarket stocks: This investor predicted the dot-com bust. He thinks AI is a bubble that will ‘deflate’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York (CNN) — Is the artificial intelligence boom on Wall Street a bubble primed to burst or the real deal? That’s the question investors have wrestled with since the Magnificent Seven tech stocks began turbocharging a powerful market rally last year. “A new bubble within a bubble like this, even one limited to a handful of stocks, is totally unprecedented,” he wrote in a Monday blog post. “The long-run prospects for the broad US stock market here look as poor as almost any other time in history,” he wrote. Still, the notorious market bear sees some areas of opportunity in the stock market.

Persons: —, Jeremy Grantham, ”, Grantham, Granthan, “, Hanna Ziady, Abu, Adnoc, NewMed Energy’s, Gan, Marc Stewart, Wayne Chang, ByteDance, ” Wang Wenbin, Wang Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, CNN, ” Tech, Monster, Nvidia, Boston, Federal Reserve, ChatGPT, BP, UAE, United Arab Emirates, NewMed Energy, Energy, Starbucks, McDonald’s, KFC, CNN Wednesday Locations: New York, Grantham, Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv, China, America, American, Beijing

Hong Kong/Beijing CNN —China has described a potential TikTok ban as “an act of bullying” that would backfire on America. Cybersecurity experts say that the national security concerns surrounding TikTok remain a hypothetical — albeit troubling — scenario. US officials have not publicly presented evidence that the Chinese government has accessed the user data of US TikTok users, an outcome that lawmakers say their bill is intended to prevent. In recent comments to reporters, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher, who chairs a House select committee on China, rejected characterizations of the bill as a TikTok ban. “It puts the choice squarely in the hands of TikTok to sever their relationship with the Chinese Communist Party.

Persons: ByteDance, ” Wang Wenbin, Wang, ”, Mike Gallagher, “ It’s, TikTok, “, Tiktok Organizations: Beijing CNN, CNN Wednesday, Senate, Wisconsin Republican, Chinese Communist Party, Weibo Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, America, American, tatters

☆ China restaurant explosion in Sanhe, Hebei kills at least one, injures 22
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —A deadly suspected gas explosion ripped through a residential neighborhood in northern China on Wednesday, leaving a scene of devastation and multiple people wounded. The blast ripped through a four-story building, state media said. Local residents said on social media they heard a loud bang in the early morning and felt their buildings trembling. Buildings across the street from the blast site were also impacted, with glass shattered and shop signs damaged, footage aired on CCTV showed. Last June, a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwest Ningxia region killed 31 people.

Persons: Weibo Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CCTV, Weibo, Firefighters Locations: Hong Kong, China, Sanhe, Hebei province, Beijing, Weibo, Ningxia

☆ Tighter control and high-tech push: Key takeaways from China’s biggest annual political event
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The event, held largely without Covid restrictions for the first time in years, is a rare chance for the world to glimpse into an increasingly opaque political system under Xi. Here are the major takeaways from the gathering:Tightening controlThe closing day of the National People’s Congress legislature on Monday was missing a key event – a press conference conducted by the Chinese premier. High-tech pushAn overarching theme of the gathering was a push to focus China’s economic model on technology innovation and transform the country into a high-tech powerhouse. That included a boost to China’s annual budget for science and technology by 10% to an unprecedented 370.8 billion yuan ($51.6 billion). Two high-ranking posts in China’s cabinet previously occupied by Li and Qin remain open.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Mao Zedong’s, Xi, Li, ”, Washington, Wang Yi, who’d, Qin Gang, Li Shangfu, Qin Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, of, National People’s, State Council, Observers, Chinese Communist Party, ”, National People’s Congress, Foreign Locations: China, Beijing, Hong Kong, United States

☆ He was once hailed as the pride of China. Now nationalists are coming for this Nobel laureate
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Now, some of China’s most zealous online nationalists have a new target in their crosshairs: the country’s first officially recognized Nobel laureate. Mo Yan receives the 2012 Nobel Literature Prize from King Carl Gustaf of Sweden during an award ceremony on December 10, 2012 in Stockholm. He accused Wu of creating a publicity stunt by “maliciously framing” the Nobel laureate and taking his words out of context. In 2011, he was named the vice chairman of the state-run Chinese Writers Association – an appointment that could not have been made without the blessing of the party. In 2022, Sima Nan, a nationalist pundit known for his inflammatory criticism of the United States, famously accused Mo’s Nobel win of being a Western effort to smear China.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — They’ve, Mo Yan, Xi Jinping, Xi, Wu Wanzheng, Mao Xinghuo, Wu, Guan Moye, –, Mo, King Carl Gustaf of Sweden, Jonathan Nackstrand, ” Zhang Yongsheng, Hu Xijin, Hu, ”, Murong Xuecun, “ Xi, Mao, Writers Association –, Liu Xiaobo, Liu, caricaturize, “, doesn’t, Sima Nan, Mo’s Nobel, ” Murong Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, Communist, Getty, Red Guards, Tongji University, Global Times, Writers Association, Chinese Writers Association Locations: China, Hong Kong, Mo, Weibo, Stockholm, AFP, Shanghai, Beijing, Shandong, United States

CNN —Iceland has evacuated its world-famous Blue Lagoon due to nearby seismic activity that suggests an “imminent” volcanic eruption, the country’s public broadcaster RÚV reported Saturday. Magma has begun flowing after “intense seismic activity” in the area around the lagoon, a popular geothermal spa known for its milky-blue, comforting warm waters, according to RÚV. Located just under an hour’s drive from Iceland’s capital and largest city Reykjavik, the Blue Lagoon is one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions. As well as the Blue Lagoon, the peninsula is home to Iceland’s main airport, Keflavik International. In November, the Blue Lagoon was closed for a week after 1,400 earthquakes were measured in 24 hours.

Persons: RÚV, Magma, Thorvaldur Thordarson, “ Organizations: CNN, Police, Keflavik International Locations: Iceland, Grindavík, RÚV, Reykjavik

Boat tours around Kinmen are still operating, though under a closer watch by Taiwan’s coast guard. Officers visit each boat before they set sail and warn captains not to stray into Chinese waters. “In the past, whenever a mainland ship crossed the median line (into Taiwan’s waters), our cannons would fire toward it without warning,” Hung said. On Monday, five Chinese coast guard ships entered prohibited or restricted waters around Kinmen, but left shortly after being warned away by Taiwan’s coast guard, according to a Taiwan minister. Last week, Chinese coast guard officers boarded a Taiwanese tour boat for inspection, an unprecedented move that startled passengers on board.

Persons: ”, Hung Ho, cheng, Hung, Mao Zedong’s, Chiang Kai, John Mees, Kinmen, ” Hung, Sam Yeh, Kuan, ” Kuan, Chang, Wu Chia, chiang Organizations: Taiwan CNN —, Residents, Mao Zedong’s Communist, Nationalist, CNN, Mao’s Communist, Taiwan, Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, Tourism Association Locations: Kinmen, Taiwan, China, China’s, Beijing, It’s, Staten Island, “, Taipei, Xiamen, AFP, Taiwanese, China's Xiamen

☆ Zong Qinghou, self-made billionaire founder of top Chinese beverage brand Wahaha, dies
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The self-made billionaire, who was once China’s richest man, died of an illness on Sunday at the age of 79, his company Hangzhou Wahaha Group said in a brief statement, without providing further details. Victory in that bitter battle boosted Zong’s wealth to $8 billion, making him China’s richest man in 2010 and again in 2012, according to Forbes. He was nicknamed “the richest man in cloth shoes” for always sporting plain black shoes, complete with a dark jacket and slacks. That year, Zong founded the Hangzhou Wahaha Group after acquiring a failing state-run canned food factory. The dispute was eventually settled in 2009, with Danone selling its stake for about $500 million and ceding all control to Wahaha.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Zong Qinghou, Zong, Forbes, Jack Ma, Lei Jun, Zong Fuli, Mao Zedong’s, ”, Deng Xiaoping, Wahaha, Danone Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hangzhou Wahaha, Danone, Forbes, Getty Locations: China, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, “, Guangzhou, Beijing

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —American support for Taiwan will continue no matter who wins the upcoming US election, House Rep. Mike Gallagher told an audience in the democratic island on Thursday, as tensions simmer between Taipei and Beijing. “I’m confident regardless of how the presidential election goes, we will maintain our support not only for Taiwan but also a posture of internationalism and engagement,” Gallagher told reporters in the capital Taipei. Gallagher said American efforts to support Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion were also critical to deterring Beijing from using force against Taiwan. American lawmakers regularly visit Taiwan and have supported legislation to bolster US support for the island and its defensive capabilities. 07:53 - Source: CNNTroubled watersThe delegation’s visit comes during a period of heightened tensions between China and Taiwan, sparked by the drowning of two Chinese fishermen near Taiwan’s Kinmen Island last week.

Persons: Mike Gallagher, “, ” Gallagher, Gallagher, Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Tsai Ing, Lai Ching, Tsai, ” Tsai, China, ”, ” “, …, ” Zhu Fenglian, Chen Chien Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Communist Party, Taiwan, NATO, Democratic, Washington, CNN, Taipei, Republican, Wisconsin, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Taiwan Affairs Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Beijing, China, Ukraine, Europe, Raja, United States, Taiwanese, ”

☆ China’s coast guard has triggered ‘panic’ in Taiwan. That’s only part of Beijing’s plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“It’s super scary,” a passenger told Taiwan’s United Daily News in a video upon returning to shore under the escort of a Taiwanese coast guard ship on Monday. “(The Chinese coast guard) chose a tourist vessel because it’s high profile – you would expect lots of people on the boat with cameras and phones,” he said. The stakes are high, as the increased presence and closer proximity of Chinese and Taiwanese coast guard vessels raise the specter of miscalculations that could potentially spiral into open conflict. Speaking to reporters about the inspection by the Chinese coast guard, Taiwan’s Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-kcheng highlighted such risks, saying the defense ministry is “very concerned” about potential miscalculations. Taiwan's coast guard inspects a vessel that capsized during a chase off the coast of Kinmen on February 14, 2024.

Persons: King Xia, ” Kuan, Taiwan’s, Ian Chong, Chong, ”, “ They’re, Chiu Kuo, Lai Ching, China’s, Nancy Pelosi’s, Tian Feilong, It’s, Tian, “, Lai Organizations: Taipei CNN, Taiwan’s United Daily News, Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, Democratic Progressive Party, National University of Singapore, South China, Taiwan’s, Taiwan Coast Guard Administration Locations: Hong Kong, Taipei, Taiwanese, Kinmen, China’s, Beijing, Taiwan, Xiamen, China, East, South, Taiwan's, Nauru, Taiwan Strait

☆ China ramps up patrols near Taiwan’s outlying islands following death of Chinese fishermen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China is increasing patrols in waters near a group of frontline islands controlled by Taiwan, as tensions rise after two Chinese fishermen drowned during a pursuit by Taiwan’s coast guard who accused them of trespassing. The patrols are likely to put Chinese coast guard vessels in closer proximity to their Taiwanese counterparts, potentially raising the risk of miscalculation and conflict. Two survived after being rescued by Taiwan’s coast guard, while the other two were found unconscious and confirmed dead after being taken to the hospital in Kinmen. Taiwan's coast guard inspects a vessel that capsized during a chase off the coast of the Kinmen islands on February 14, 2024. Over the past three years, 20 people from mainland China have been rescued by Taiwan’s coast guard, according to Kuan.

Persons: Gan Yu, Taiwan’s, “, ” Kuan Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Sunday, Democratic Progressive Party, China’s Taiwan Affairs, Taiwan Coast Guard Administration, Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, “ Fishermen, Mainland Affairs, Ocean Affairs Council, Kuomintang Locations: Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Fujian, Xiamen, Taiwan’s, Kinmen, Beijing, Taiwan's, “, Kuan, Taipei

☆ How a Dior bag shook South Korean politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is months out from a crucial election seen as a barometer of his mid-term popularity, but surveys show he has a big problem – the latest scandal surrounding his wife. “But with the Dior bag, there is this powerful visual evidence.”South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, attend an Independence Movement Day event in Seoul on March 1, 2023. The channel also provided Choi with the wristwatch and the Dior bag, according to the pastor. By appearing to not reject the bag, Kim gave ammunition to critics who have long accused her of using her position for personal gain. In a Gallup Korea survey last month, 56% of respondents said Kim should apologize for allegedly receiving the Dior bag.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee, Yoon, Kim, Dior, “, ”, Cho Hee, Jung Yeon, Choi Jae, Choi, Yoon Suk, ” Yoon, Shin Pyeong, ’, Cho, it’s, Hongik University Choi, Kim Yun, Park, hye, Patrick van Katwijk, Marie Antoinette, Han Dong, Han, he’d, Leon Neal, ” Kim, ” Kim Yun, Kyung Hee University “ She’s, Deutsch, Kim’s Organizations: South Korea CNN — South, CNN, Hongik University, “, Getty, of, KBS, Kyung Hee University . South, Gallup Korea, Gallup, Power Party, Democratic Party, PPP, South, Kyung Hee University, Kookmin University, Deutsch Motors, BMW Locations: Seoul, South Korea, American, of Seoul, North Korea, Pyongyang, Netherlands, Gallup Korea, Bali , Indonesia, Korea

☆ China hands Australian writer a suspended death penalty
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Angus Watson | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ China executes couple for murder of toddlers that shocked the nation
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has executed a couple for throwing two toddlers out of a high-rise apartment window, in a case that provoked nationwide outrage. Ye saw Zhang’s two children as an “obstacle” to them getting married and a “burden on their future life together,” the court heard. She repeatedly urged Zhang to kill the toddlers and threatened to break up with him if he didn’t. His study shows that Chinese people who express political views online tend to show greater support for the death penalty. Wednesday’s execution also brought into focus the main method used in China to carry out the death penalty: lethal injection.

Persons: Zhang Bo, Ye Chengchen, Ye, Zhang, “, ”, John Zhuang Liu, It’s, Kenneth Smith Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Xinhua, Weibo, University of Hong Kong, CNN, Amnesty Locations: Hong Kong, China, Chongqing, Weibo, Alabama

☆ China ousts top rocket scientist from key political body in widening military purge
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has expelled a leading rocket scientist from its top political advisory body, the latest sign of a widening purge in the Chinese military’s missile force and aerospace contractors. Wang, 54, until recently led the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), a prestigious state-run institute known as the birthplace of China’s aerospace industry. Wang spent his nearly three-decades-long career designing rockets at the CALT, a subsidiary of the main contractor of the Chinese space program, the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. In December, three aerospace executives, including the chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation – were stripped of their roles in the CPPCC. In July, the Rocket Force abruptly replaced its two leaders, the commander and the political commissar, with no explanation.

Persons: Wang Xiaojun, Wang, Xi Jinping, Xi, ” Wang, Qian Xuesen Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Political Consultative, Xinhua, China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, China Aerospace Science, Technology Corporation, People’s Liberation Army, Rocket Force, Communist Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, “, Hunan

☆ Hong Kong already has a national security law. Now its leader is pushing for another one
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Hong Kong on Tuesday formally began the process of enacting a controversial homegrown national security law in a move that could have deep ramifications for the city’s status as a global financial hub. Beijing’s national security crackdown of recent years has transformed once-freewheeling Hong Kong, silencing almost all dissent and jailing dozens of political opponents. Under Hong Kong’s mini-constitution agreed by the two powers, the city is required to enact laws to prohibit acts that endanger national security. “Foreign agents and Hong Kong independence ideas are still lurking in Hong Kong society.”Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee speaks during a press conference at government headquarters in Hong Kong on January 30, 2024. The new security law could bring further uncertainty for Hong Kong, which is striving to maintain its status as Asia’s premier financial hub following three years of strict Covid restrictions and Beijing’s national security crackdown.

Persons: Hong, it’s, John Lee, ”, It’s, we’ve, ” Lee, Lee, Peter Parks, Chris Tang, ” Tang, Tang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Tuesday, Hong, CIA, British, Getty Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, AFP, Hong Kong’s, East, West

☆ The Red Sea crisis tests China’s global ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

China’s responseThe Houthi rebels in Yemen started firing missiles and drones at ships in the Red Sea in mid-November, in what they say is an act of solidarity with Palestinians. Chinese officials repeatedly stressed that the Red Sea crisis is a “spillover” from the conflict in Gaza, citing an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as the top priority. Beijing’s reluctance to wade into the Red Sea crisis reflects these geopolitical calculations. The Chinese government readout of the meeting between Wang and Sullivan did not mention the Red Sea. Egypt is losing millions of dollars per day from the reduced traffic at the Suez Canal at the northern end of the Red Sea.

Persons: Houthi, “, ”, Mordechai Chaziza, Xi Jinping, Israel, ” Chaziza, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Iran ”, we’re, Wang, Sullivan, Ebrahim Raisi, Yan Yan, OOCL, Kuehne + Nagel, Jonathan Fulton, “ can’t, ” Fulton, William Figueroa, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Ashkelon Academic College, Beijing, Iran, People’s Liberation Army Navy, Britain, United Nations Security Council, Global, Western, Chinese Foreign, White House, Reuters, Chinese Foreign Ministry, China, Shanghai Shipping Exchange, Atlantic Council, University of Groningen, Xi’s Global Security Initiative, GSI, Hamas Locations: Hong Kong, Red, Israel, Ashkelon, United States, China, Europe, Yemen, Gulf, Aden, Djibouti, Beijing, Gaza, Bangkok, Iran, Tehran, Africa, Switzerland, Francisco, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Suez, Sea, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands

☆ Evergrande, symbol of China’s property crisis, heads to liquidation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Laura He | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

☆ China fire: Blaze in Jiangxi province leaves at least 39 dead, says state media
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

☆ China earthquake: Powerful 7.1 quake strikes Xinjiang region near Kyrgyzstan border
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The quake struck Wushi county, also known as Uqturpan county, in Aksu prefecture near the Kyrgyzstan border shortly after 2 a.m. local time, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. Strong tremors caused two houses to collapse and downed two major power lines near the epicenter, though electricity was quickly restored, according to Xinhua. The Xinjiang railway authority immediately sealed off routes in areas affected by the quake and suspended 27 trains, Xinhua reported. Nearly 200 rescue workers have been dispatched to the quake zone, and hundreds more are being assembled, Xinhua reported. The tremors were also felt across the border in Kyrgyzstan, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Persons: ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Xinhua, CCTV, China Earthquake Networks, United States Geological Survey, Reuters, Residents, United Nations Locations: Hong Kong, China’s, Xinjiang, Central, Aksu prefecture, Kyrgyzstan, Xinhua, Wushi, Kashgar, Hotan, Kazakhstan, Almaty, Uzbekistan, China, Beijing, Gansu, Qinghai

☆ Landslide buries dozens in southwest China in freezing winter temperatures
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Nectar Gan | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Rescuers are racing to reach at least 47 people buried in a landslide in southwestern China on Monday, according to state media. The landslide hit the mountain village of Liangshui in Yunnan province shortly before dawn, when most residents were asleep. More than 300 rescue workers were deployed along with dozens of fire engines and earth-moving equipment, according to CCTV. One man was pulled from the rubble shortly after 11 a.m. local time, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. Much of southern China, including Yunnan, is in the middle of a cold snap, with temperatures dropping near or below freezing, according to China’s Meteorological Administration.

Organizations: CNN, CCTV, Xinhua, China’s Meteorological Administration Locations: China, Liangshui, Yunnan

☆ Number of foreign visitors to China in 2023 down more than 60% from pre-pandemic levels
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —It has been a year since China reopened its borders, but despite loosening its stringent Covid-19 restrictions, foreign travelers have been slow to return to the country with numbers down more than 60% from pre-pandemic levels. China’s border authorities recorded 35.5 million entries and exits by foreign nationals in 2023, according to the National Immigration Administration. That’s nearly seven times more than the number from 2022, when the country was deep in its three-year self-imposed Covid isolation. More than half of the border crossings made by foreign travelers in 2023 were recorded in the last three months of the year, according to data from the National Immigration Administration. Chinese authorities issued a total of 711,000 residency permits of various types to foreign nationals living in the country in 2023, Zhang added.

Persons: That’s, Zhang Ning, Zhang, Premier Li Qiang Organizations: CNN, National Immigration Administration, Premier, Economic, Embassy Locations: China, Beijing, Switzerland, Ireland, Davos, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Thailand, United States

☆ Nauru cuts diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Nectar Gan | Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Nauru has severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan and established ties with China, the Pacific Island nation’s government said in a statement Monday, in a blow to Taiwan’s effort to retain its dwindling number of diplomatic allies. Taiwan also confirmed diplomatic relations had been severed in a press briefing Monday, two days after Taiwanese voters gave the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) a historic third term. During the DPP’s eight years in power, Taiwan has lost 10 diplomatic allies to China. Naura’s switch of diplomatic allegiance to Beijing leaves Taiwan with only 12 diplomatic allies, mostly small nations in the Pacific Ocean and Latin America as well as the Vatican. This is the second time Nauru had severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Persons: Lai Ching, Lai, Hsiao, China’s Organizations: CNN, Nauru, Democratic Progressive Party, Party, Taiwan Locations: Taiwan, China, Taipei, Beijing, America, Nauru

☆ Unofficial US delegation says support for Taiwan remains ‘rock solid’ after voters defied China
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Nectar Gan | Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong/Taipei CNN —Former senior US officials reaffirmed “rock solid” American support for Taiwan in a visit Monday after the self-ruled island defied threats from China by electing a new president loathed by Beijing. “And we hope that the United States will continue to support Taiwan to deepen our cooperation in this area,” he said. An unofficial US delegation meets with Taiwan's President-elect Lai Ching-te and Vice-President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim in Taipei on January 15, 2024. Since then, the US has maintained close unofficial ties with Taiwan and is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. Asked by reporters to comment on Taiwan’s election results Saturday, US President Joe Biden said: “We do not support independence.”

Persons: Lai Ching, Biden, Tsai Ing, Stephen Hadley, ” Hadley, ”, James Steinberg, Lai, Hsiao Bi, “, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Yoko Kamikawa, Xi, Joe Biden Organizations: Taipei CNN — Former, Taiwan, Saturday, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan's, China’s, Ministry Locations: Hong Kong, Taipei, China, Beijing, Taiwan, United States, Washington, Taiwan Strait, Japan, United Kingdom, Canada, Tokyo, Japanese, Kuomintang

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