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☆ 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

☆ Analysis: China worried about return of Trump, but also sees opportunities if he wins 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Then-US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at Beijing's Forbidden City in 2017. “If this decoupling is carried out by Trump 2.0 in a very forceful way, the impact on China is going to be very severe. But experts say China’s business and official sectors are likely already considering contingency plans. Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin leave a reception following talks at the Kremlin in March 2023. “Whoever wins – the structure of (US) confrontation, competition, pressure to China are still there,” he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi, Donald Trump, didn’t, –, Biden, Wang Yi, Trump, He’s, Trump’s, Brian Wong, ” Wong, Lintao Zhang, Obama, Melania, “, Xi Jinping, Peng Liyuan, Xie Huanchi, he’s, ”, Bala Ramasamy, Shen Dingli, Premier Li Qiang, Ronald Reagan, “ Biden, Shen, ” Trump, skeptically, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Pavel Byrkin, Wong, it’s, Wang Yiwei Organizations: Beijing CNN —, Communist Party, Biden, Senior, Trump’s “, University of Hong Kong’s, Contemporary, House, oceanside, Trump, of, Forbidden, Huawei, Oxford Economics, China Europe International Business School, Premier, American, South Korea Navy, Asia –, Russia’s, NATO, Europe, Kremlin, Getty, South Korea –, White House, Renmin University Locations: China, Beijing, State, US, Russia, Communist, Contemporary China, Taiwan, Lago, City, Xinhua, Shanghai, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe, China's Qingdao Port, –, Asia, Seoul, Tokyo, Ukraine, United States, AFP, Japan, South Korea, America, Washington, Hong Kong, South China

☆ In post-Covid China, the masks are off, but Xi’s tight control is here to stay
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

2 official, who is charged with running its economy – and one more move for Xi to cement his control over the official narrative. China's Premier Li Qiang speaks during a press conference after the closing session of the National People's Congress in Beijing on March 13, 2023. He used his first and likely last press conference last year to highlight the prominence of the Communist Party over the state government. The axing of the premier’s press conference came alongside a shortening of the “two sessions” overall – first imposed during the pandemic to prevent the spread of Covid. Traffic slowed due to checkpoints on surrounding streets, with security officials even stopping and checking IDs of some cyclists riding on a major throughfare along the square.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, ”, Liu Dongshu, Jinping, Li Qiang, Greg Baker, Premier Li Keqiang, Xi protégé Li Qiang, Li, “, ” Li, Liu, ” Changhao Wei, Paul Tsai, presser, Tatan Organizations: Beijing CNN, of, National People’s Congress, City University of Hong, National People's Congress, Premier, Communist Party, Paul Tsai China Center of Yale Law School, National People's, AP, Communist Locations: Beijing, Communist, China, City University of Hong Kong, AFP, Hong Kong, Tiananmen

☆ China slams ‘unfathomable absurdities’ of US trade controls as it ramps up high-tech drive
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“If it only wants itself to prosper, but denies other countries legitimate development, where is international fairness? Bilateral trade between China and Russia hit a historic $240 billion last year, surpassing a target of $200 billion set by Xi and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in 2019 ahead of schedule. While China claims neutrality in the Ukraine conflict it has appeared unwilling to use its significant economic leverage to curb Russia’s aggression and has not condemned the invasion. During the briefing, Wang repeated China’s call for peace talks to avoid an “unthinkable” escalation and deterioration of the conflict. He also reiterated past rhetoric framing China’s relationship with Russia as a responsible one.

Persons: Beijing CNN —, Wang Yi, China ”, ” Wang, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Wang, ”, Xi, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Beijing CNN, Washington ., CNN, Sputnik Locations: Beijing, Washington, China, Xinjiang, Ukraine, US, San Francisco, Russia, Russian, Moscow

☆ Premarket stocks: What ‘Super Tuesday’ means for your portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Welcome to “Super Tuesday.” Today, a whopping 16 states and territories hold primary elections. But stock market analysts say not to fret and to hold tight. Based on annualized returns for the S&P 500, stocks gained an average 13.75% during Trump’s presidency. Election year math: History shows that stocks typically gain during the fourth year of presidential terms. The S&P 500 has gained 6.2% on average during the fourth year of presidential terms since 1932, according to Yardeni Research.

Persons: ’, Edward Jones, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Angelo Kourkafas, ” Kourkafas, Raymond James, Trump, Obama, ”, Simon Hamilton, Barack Obama, “ That’s, it’s, Hamilton, Goldman Sachs, Allison Morrow, Bitcoin, —, Simone McCarthy, Premier Li Qiang, Hong Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, ”, Markets, White House, Congress, CNN, Republicans, Republican, “, Research, Dow Jones, University of Cincinnati, University of Missouri, Securities and Exchange, Bloomberg, Premier, National People’s Congress Locations: New York, Washington, Hamilton, United States, China, Beijing

☆ ‘Two sessions’: China’s key political gathering gets underway as leaders try to repair broken economic confidence
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Xi is under the spotlight as economic pain has sparked growing frustration within China. Xi has also overseen a political shakeup in his own ranks, further marring the start of the new term. Those challenges may not pose a threat to Xi, who is China’s most powerful and authoritative leader in decades. But the two sessions provide an important platform for China’s notoriously opaque government to broadcast its strategy for economic, social and foreign policies and announce key indicators including China’s economic growth target, its budget deficit limit and military spending for the coming year. Analysts widely expect Li to reveal a relatively ambitious growth target of “around 5%,” showing that policymakers are still focused on economic growth, even as challenges pile up.

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, Xi, ”, Chen Gang, Li Qiang, It’s, Xuezhi Guo, Guo, Wang Yi, Qin Gang, Li Shangfu, Li, Qin, Pedro Pardo, Neil Thomas, Premier Li, Asia Society’s Thomas, “ Organizations: Beijing CNN —, Communist, National University of Singapore’s East Asian Institute, Getty, of, National People’s, Guilford College, Observers, Washington, Asia Society, Center for Locations: China, Beijing, Chongqing, AFP, Taiwan, China's, Henan, Center for China, Asia

☆ China ‘two sessions’: Beijing sets ambitious economic growth target of ‘around 5%’ for 2024, vows to ‘transform’ economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Editor’s Note: Sign up for CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter which explores what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. Beijing CNN —China has set an ambitious economic growth target of “around 5%“ for 2024, as its leaders vowed to “transform the growth model” in the face of growing challenges. The growth rate for the budget is the same as last year’s. The gross domestic product (GDP) target and military spending are among the most closely watched figures during the opening day proceedings. The GDP target in particular is being closely monitored this year as China faces a raft of economic problems.

Persons: Premier Li Qiang, ” Li, ”, “ Organizations: Beijing CNN, Premier, National People’s Congress Locations: China, Beijing

☆ China moon spacecraft named ‘Dream Vessel’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s space agency has revealed the names of the spacecraft that it hopes will take Chinese astronauts to the moon by the end of the decade. In a news release over the weekend, the China Manned Space Agency said development was “progressing well” on the spaceship Mengzhou, or Dream Vessel, the lander, Lanyue, or Embracing the Moon, and a super-heavy-lift carrier rocket named Long March 10. The name Mengzhou is linked to the “Chinese nation’s dream of landing on the moon,” it added. The United States is ramping up its lunar program, with NASA last month announcing its plan to land astronauts on the moon in 2026, a year behind its original schedule. Last week, the commercial Odysseus lunar lander developed by Intuitive Machines became the first US-made spacecraft to touch down on the moon in 50 years.

Persons: “ Lanyue ”, Mao Zedong, Xi Jinping’s, Japan’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China Manned Space Agency, NASA, Machines Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, United States, Japan, India

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, ”

On February 4, Messi’s absence from the match between Inter Miami and the Hong Kong XI team sparked significant backlash. Many on Weibo questioned how the star was able to make such a quick recovery three days after the Hong Kong game. Others lashed out against what they saw as disrespect for Hong Kong – and China. In Monday’s video, Messi denied that his absence was due to political reasons and reiterated that he was unable to make the game because of an inflamed adductor that had worsened the day before the game in Hong Kong. “I’ve had a very close and special relationship with China and I’ve done a lot of things in China,” Messi said in the video.

Persons: Lionel Messi, Messi, Weibo, “ I’ve, ” Messi, “, Hong Kong, XFEST, CNN’s Simone McCarthy, Chris Lau Organizations: CNN, Inter Miami, Hong Kong XI, Argentina’s, Vissel, Weibo Locations: Hong Kong, Weibo, Vissel Kobe, Tokyo, China, China’s Sichuan, Beijing

☆ Europe is nervous about a potential Trump win. China sees an opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

China – which has not condemned Russia’s invasion and claims impartiality in the conflict – has also emerged as a key lifeline for the sanctions-hit Russian economy. In Europe, this has galvanized concerns about China’s own global ambitions and played a role in the European Union’s ongoing push to recalibrate its policy toward China. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell reiterated the EU’s “expectation that China refrains from supporting Russia,” in a meeting with Wang Friday. “As long as war in Ukraine continues, EU policies toward China will move into closer alignment with the US. As president, Trump not only voiced skepticism of the system of US alliances in Europe, but leveraged tariffs on European steel and aluminum, sparking retaliatory measures on US goods from Europe.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Wang Yi, Wang, Donald Trump, Trump, ” Wang, Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, “, ”, Noah Barkin, Maxym Marusenko, Putin, Xi Jinping, –, Jens Stoltenberg, Josep Borrell, Christoph Heusgen, Dmytro Kuleba, Xi, hasn’t, It’s, Kuleba, Vladimir Putin, Xie Huanchi, Yu Jie, ‘, Liu Dongshu, “ Wang Yi, China …, ” Liu, Emmanuel Macron, GMF Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Munich, Washington, NATO, German Marshall Fund of, Communist Party, Wang Friday, Bloomberg, CNN, China’s, Ministry, ”, Ukrainian, Security, Beijing, Peace, Getty, ’ Observers, US, Chatham House, City University of Hong, “, White Locations: China, Hong Kong, States, Europe, Ukraine, Beijing, Munich, Moscow, Russia, United States, Russian, Ukraine's Kharkiv, West . China, Taiwan, EU, ”, China’s, Asia, Pacific, ” Beijing, Switzerland, Xinhua, London, Spain, France, City University of Hong Kong’s, Washington, York

☆ Kim Jong Un has broken with decades of North Korean policy – does it mean he’s planning for war?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The two sides have been cut off from each other since 1953, when an armistice ended the Korean War, and remain technically at war. Yoon and Biden have sharpened their countries’ deterrence plans and coordination in the face of North Korea’s threats and weapons development. If anything, some analysts believe, North Korea’s public statements signal that North Korea is abandoning its reunification policy in pursuit of peace on the peninsula. Vladimir Smirnov/AFP/Getty ImagesAn ‘emboldened’ KimThe North Korean leader may also feel more confident about his arsenal and his options as he watches a shifting global landscape. “Kim Jong Un is wary of a full-scale provocation by the South Korean military disguised as a military exercise and has vowed to occupy South Korean territory without hesitation,” said Lim in Changwon.

Persons: Kim Jong, South Korea –, ” Kim, ”, Kim, ’, Robert Carlin, Siegfred Heckler, Chul Lim, “, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Edward Howell, Yoon Suk Yeol, Ayse, ” He’s, Yoon, Biden, Seoul . Kim, Trump, Lim, “ That’s, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Smirnov, ’ Kim, “ Kim Jong, …, Rachel Minyoung Lee, Howell, “ Kim Jong Un, Lee, Japan – Organizations: CNN, South, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, North Korea Research Center, University’s Institute, Far Eastern, University of Oxford, Japan, Ewha Womans University, US, North, Russia's Vostochny, Getty, Stimson, –, White, United Nations Security Council, West, South Korean Defense Ministry, ”, Trump, North Korean Locations: Ukraine, Gaza, North Korea, South Korea, Korea, Republic of Korea, Kim, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo, United States, Korea’s, Changwon, Pyongyang, Russia, United Kingdom, Japan, Guam, Gon, Seoul ., Russian, Russia's, China, Iran, denuclearization, Western, North, Moscow, Beijing, Oxford, Jeju, South, “

☆ NATO chief says Trump’s comments on abandoning alliance endangers US and European troops
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In a statement Sunday, Stoltenberg said such comments put European and American soldiers at an increased risk. He also criticized American defense pacts with Asian allies Japan and South Korea. The conflict has raised concerns Putin may have further expansionist ambitions, which the leader denies, or that a NATO country may become directly embroiled. European Council President Charles Michel also hit back against the comments and said they reemphasize the need to keep the alliance strong. You got to pay your bills.”Biden said Sunday that Trump “is making it clear that he will abandon our NATO allies” and outlined the potential consequences of Trump’s comments.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Donald Trump, Trump, Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, “, NATO Ally, ”, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Trump’s, Joe Biden’s, Charles Michel, ” Michel, ” Trump, ” Biden Organizations: CNN, NATO, International Criminal, Washington, European, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Sunday, Trump, “, Ukraine Locations: Russia, Europe, South, Taiwan, Asia, Japan, South Korea, Ukraine, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, China, Korea, North Korea, Philippines, United States, Pacific, Soviet Union, Canada, Poland, Baltic States, Israel

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ Messi’s ‘miracle’ return stirs Chinese anger and conspiracy theories
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“(He) played in five of the six preseason games and only missed the game in Hong Kong, China! Don’t come to China, China doesn’t welcome you,” another user wrote in a post liked by 20,000 others. “Why didn’t Messi play in Hong Kong or participate in the handshake with HK (the Hong Kong) chief executive? Messi's no-show sparks an outcry in Hong Kong on February 4, 2024. One social media user noted that it was not only Messi who played in Tokyo, but not Hong Kong.

Persons: Lionel Messi, Messi didn’t, Messi, “ Messi, Hong Kong, Kenneth Fok, Hu Xijin, didn’t Messi, ” Hu, ”, Louise Delmotte, “ Don’t, Hong, David Beckham, Beckham, Gerardo “ Tata ” Martino, Luis Suárez couldn’t, Philip Fong, “, nimbly, Regina Ip, ” “ Messi, Kenneth Chan, Taylor Swift, ’ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Sunday, Major League Soccer, Inter Miami, Vissel, Hong, CNN, Weibo, HK, Global Times, Inter, National Basketball Association, Houston Rockets, Soccer, Ardent, Messi, Argentina national, Australia, Inter Miami's, Getty, The Inter Miami, Hong Kong Baptist University Locations: China, Hong Kong, Argentine, Japan, Vissel Kobe, Tokyo, Beijing, State, China’s Sichuan, Argentina, AFP, Asia

☆ Chinese Lunar New Year travel chaos as extreme weather leaves drivers stuck in cars
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Marc Stewart | Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Beijing CNN —Blizzards and freezing rain have brought massive disruption to China’s peak Lunar New Year travel rush, leaving drivers stuck in cars on icy highways and passengers struggling to rebook canceled trains and flights. Sections of 90 major highways impacted by snow and ice were closed across China as of Tuesday morning, according to state-affiliated Beijing News. Others show crowds of stranded passengers in train stations, in one case with an announcement blaring: “No trains are leaving today. Tang flipped through his camera, where images showed piles of snow on both sides of the road and a long traffic jam. Another wave of precipitation is forecast through midweek slightly further south than the snow over the weekend, according to CNN Weather.

Persons: Yang Guang, Tang Zitao, Tang, ”, we’d, It’s Organizations: Beijing CNN, Visual China, CNN, Spring, CNN Weather Locations: China, Beijing, Hubei, Anhui, Wuhan, Henan province, Tang

☆ BRICS: South Africa says countries are clamoring to join the China and Russia-backed group
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Nearly three dozen countries are seeking entry into the China and Russia-backed BRICS economic group, member state South Africa said Wednesday, weeks after the body expanded its membership for the first time in more than a decade. Thirty-four countries have submitted an expression of interest in joining the bloc of major emerging economies, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor told reporters, without naming the nations. BRICS, which since 2011 had been made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, roughly positions itself as the Global South’s answer to the Group of Seven (G7) major developed economies. The group took shape as a summit-level gathering between Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009 and expanded to include South Africa two years later. Six new BRICS countries were invited during the 2023 summit last August.

Persons: Naledi Pandor, Xi Jinping, Putin, Pandor Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, African Foreign, United Arab Emirates, United Nations Security Council, Finance Locations: China, Hong Kong, Russia, South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Ethiopia, Egypt, United States, Washington, Brazil, India, Beijing, Ukraine, Johannesburg, Russian, Kazan, Argentina

☆ Ukraine piling pressure on China but Beijing’s peace plans are focused on Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Hong Kong CNN —As Ukraine scrambles to keep international support with Russia’s invasion grinding into a third year, its leader has made clear one country he would like to see join his push for peace: China. There, Zelensky told reporters he would “very much like China to be involved” in Ukraine’s peace plan. “China thinks it is already playing an important role in moving toward peace. There is even less reason for China to ‘advance a fair peace as advocated by the West and Ukraine,’” she said. But when it comes to how Beijing may maneuver toward brokering peace in Gaza, China likely doesn’t see itself as yet having captured the opportunity “to present itself as a conflict mediator,” according to Sun.

Persons: Ukraine scrambles, –, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Li Qiang, Zelensky –, It’s, ”, Yun Sun, Xi Jinping, ’ ”, Li, Wang Yi, Wang, Xi, Alex Gabeuv, Israel, “, Svitlana Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Economic, Stimson, Kyiv, Sun, West, CNN, Arab League, Palestine, Global, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, China’s, Ministry Locations: Hong Kong, Ukraine, China, Beijing, Switzerland’s Davos, Interfax, Russia, Washington, Moscow, Davos, Gaza, Russia’s, CNN China, Cairo, Africa, Israel, Palestine, United States, that’s, Berlin, Global, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, counterbalancing, Kyiv, London

☆ Premarket stocks: Why Wall Street should worry about retail
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of America’s gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the US economy, so a recession is nearly impossible as long as consumer spending is growing. Wednesday’s report is expected to be a good one — economists polled by FactSet expect that a strong holiday shopping season boosted consumer spending by 0.4% in December from the month prior. But new data from the New York Federal Reserve on Tuesday has soured the mood on Wall Street. The outlook for consumer spending doesn’t look so bright, either. The trend marked the deepening of a demographic challenge set to have significant implications on the world’s second largest economy, report my colleagues Laura He and Simone McCarthy.

Persons: Alicia Wallace, shutdowns, It’s, Brian Moynihan, ”, CNN’s Richard Quest, they’ve, Bob Iger, Samantha Delouya, Walt Disney, Iger’s, Disney, Laura, Simone McCarthy Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, FactSet, New York Federal Reserve, Consumer, Hamas, Federal Reserve, Bank of America, Economic, Disney, National Bureau of Statistics, Communist, NBS Locations: New York, Suez, Iranian, Asia, Europe, United States, Drewry, Davos, Switzerland, China, Communist China

☆ China’s population declines for second straight year as economy stumbles
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Laura He | Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s population shrank for the second year in a row in 2023, marking a deepening of a demographic challenge set to have significant implications on the world’s second largest economy. The population fell in 2023 to 1.409 billion, down some 2.08 million people from the previous year, China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced Wednesday. The NBS confirmed that China’s economy grew by 5.2% last year, compared to a government target of around 5%. While this expansion marks a significant pick-up over 2022, when China’s economy grew by just 3%, it is still one of the country’s worst economic performances in over three decades. China’s birth rate also dropped to a new record low of 6.39 births per 1,000 people, down from 6.77 a year earlier and the lowest level since the founding of Communist China in 1949.

Persons: Mao Zedong’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China’s National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Communist Locations: China, Hong Kong, Communist China, India, Beijing

☆ The horror of Henry Kissinger’s legacy in Southeast Asia goes on
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Hong Kong CNN —Fifty years after Henry Kissinger drove American foreign policy in Southeast Asia, the region continues to live with the fallout from the bombing and military campaigns backed by the former secretary of state, who died last week. That’s more than the Allies dropped during World War II, according to an account by Yale University historian Ben Kiernan. Experts say the devastation – which is especially acute for people in rural areas – will go on for years to come. That’s Kissinger’s legacy,” said Bill Morse, president of the nonprofit Landmine Relief Fund, which supports organizations including Cambodia Self-Help Demining. They play catch with it and it blows up 10 year old children … (unexploded ordnance) are where the injuries are coming from now,” he said.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, Kissinger, Richard Nixon, ”, Youk Chhang, Chhang, Nixon, Vietnam –, CNN It’s, Gerald Ford, Suharto’s, “ Kissinger, Chong Ja Ian, Ben Kiernan, …, That’s, Bill Morse, Morse, Le Duc Tho, “, Barack Obama Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Center of Cambodia, CNN, National University of Singapore, ”, Yale University, Paris Peace Accords, MPI, Getty, NPR Locations: Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Khmer Rouge, Phnom Penh, Khmer, Laos, East Timor, United States, Missouri, destabilized, Paris, United Kingdom

☆ Minnie Chan: Media groups raise concerns following report of ‘missing’ Hong Kong journalist in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Press freedom groups are voicing concern for veteran Hong Kong journalist Minnie Chan following a news report that she went missing after traveling to Beijing to cover a security forum in late October. The association, a trade union which advocates for press freedom, called for friends or relatives with information to get in touch. Chan is a highly regarded journalist in Hong Kong and among international audiences who closely follow China news. China ranks 179 out of 180 in the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index. It is the world’s largest captor of journalists and press freedom defenders with at least 121 detained, according to the organization.

Persons: Hong, Minnie Chan, “, Chan, ”, Cheng Lei, Haze Fan Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Press, Protect Journalists, Kyodo, China Morning, Beijing ”, China’s Foreign, Hong Kong Journalists Association, Bloomberg News, China Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Hangzhou

☆ What did Israel know about Hamas’ October 7 attack?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Rob Picheta | Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7 left Israel flat-footed, sparking a backlash that is still rippling through the country. But a report from the New York Times claimed Israel obtained Hamas’ plan for the attack more than a year in advance. Here’s what we know about Israel and the US’ advance knowledge of the attack. What did Israel reportedly know about the attack? Then, on October 6, the day before the attack, US officials circulated reporting from Israel indicating unusual activity by Hamas — indications that are now clear: an attack was imminent.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, “, ” Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Biden Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Haaretz, Times, …, Palestinian, Hamas, CIA, Intelligence Locations: Israel, Gaza

☆ China mourns Kissinger — ‘a most valued old friend’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“Farewell, old friend of the Chinese people,” said a top comment with thousands of likes. In July 1971, Kissinger became the first high-ranking US official to visit Communist China. Long after Kissinger left office, Beijing had regarded the well-connected diplomat as a potential helping hand in navigating the increasingly hawkish views towards China in Washington. State broadcaster CCTV called him a “living fossil” who witnessed the development of US-China relations. The tectonic shift in US-China relations that was formalized some eight years later opened the door for extensive economic engagement starting from the early 1980s.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, ”, Wang Wenbin, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Wang, “, Kissinger, Washington –, Richard Nixon’s, Scott Kennedy, Washington . Long, Xie Feng, centenarian, ” Xie, – Kissinger, Biden, Xi, John Kerry, Janet Yellen, Wang Yi, Nixon, Alfred Wu, Lee, ’, Wu, “ Kissinger, ” Wu, Zhou Enlai, Kennedy, China …, ” Kennedy Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China’s Foreign, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CCTV, Xinhua, Foreign, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public, National University of Singapore, Flying Tigers, CSIS Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Weibo, United States, Washington, Communist China, “ China, American, selfTaiwan, Japan, Soviet Union, Moscow

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