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☆ Secretive Taiwanese power plant opens to public for the first time — as an art space
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Beigan, Taiwan CNN —In a sleepy Taiwanese island village just eight miles off the coast of mainland China, scooters whiz past an unassuming building that has stood here, largely overlooked, for decades. YI.ng Lighting DesignKnown locally as Jun Hun (or “Army Soul”), a nickname shared with the Taiwanese army division that built it, the Beigan Power Plant entered service in 1975 and became a linchpin of the local economy before closing in 2010. Art in the ‘heart’ of MatsuThe transformed Beigan Power Plant is the flagship venue of the Matsu Biennial, which runs through November 12 and features artworks exploring the outlying islands’ heritage, cultural identity and military past. “The power plant is the heart of Matsu that hasn’t stopped beating, and the generators are the essence of the power plant,” Liu said told CNN at the studio he shares with Chu. “I want to use sound to breathe new life into the deserted power plant, so that viewers can grasp what it was like when these generators were still running,” Wang told CNN at her studio.

Persons: Taiwan CNN —, —, Hun, ”, Mao Zedong’s, Matsu —, Matsu, Annie Chu, Liu Ping, hasn’t, ” Liu, Chu, Kinmen, Wang Yu, ” Wang, ” Chu Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Matsu, Taiwanese, Plant, Kuomintang, KMT, People’s Liberation Army, CNN, Visitors, Beigan, Matsu Biennial Locations: Beigan, Taiwan, China, Matsu, Taiwan’s, Taipei, Wang, Beijing

Blinken told the United Nations this week that he would work with Wang to prevent the conflict in the Middle East from spreading. “China and the United States need to have dialogue. But while the U.S. has publicly stood with Israel, China has called for a cease-fire between Israel and the Western-designated terrorist group Hamas stationed in Gaza. Gavin Newsom met with Xi – the first meeting between a U.S. governor and Xi in six years. While more routes of communication may be opening, China-U.S. relations shouldn’t be mistaken as entirely pleasant at the moment.

Persons: Wang Yi, Antony Blinken, Wang, Blinken, ” Wang, John Kirby, Kirby, ”, Joe Biden's, Jake Sullivan, Biden, Xi Jinping, Gavin Newsom, Xi –, Xi, Newsom, “ We’ve, We’ve, Wu Qian Organizations: Foreign, U.S, State Department, United, National Security, Economic Cooperation, California Gov, CNN, Pentagon Locations: Washington, China, Gaza, Ukraine, United Nations, United States, U.S, Israel, “, Tehran, Asia, San Francisco, California

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is welcomed in the Indo-Pacific region and needs to update its approach to have stronger presence there to counter China's influence, said the top American diplomat to Tokyo. “The region wants all of America, not just part of America, economically, militarily, diplomatically, politically,” Emanuel said. “Because they know, an untethered China is a real risk to them, and they need America, all of America, its presence." In August, President Joe Biden formed a trilateral partnership with Japan and South Korea in Camp David over shared security challenges posed by North Korea and China. At the Asia Society Policy Institute, Emanuel called the partnership “a seismic shift in the plates in the Indo-Pacific".

Persons: Rahm Emanuel, ” Emanuel, Daniel Russel, Wang Yi, ” Wang, Joe Biden, Camp David, Emanuel, “, ”, Russel Organizations: WASHINGTON, Asia Society Policy, U.S, East China, Washington, China, North, Asia Society Policy Institute Locations: United States, American, Tokyo, New York, U.S, Japan, China, America, South, East, Taiwan, Beijing, South Korea, Qingdao, Camp, North Korea

Then came the Hamas attack against Israel, which has made Netanyahu’s late October trip uncertain and put Beijing's Middle East approach to the test. China’s stated neutrality on the war has upset Israel, but Beijing may gain in the long run by forging closer ties with Arab countries, experts said. “For a while at least, Beijing’s Middle East policy is paralyzed by the war,” said Shi Yinhong, professor of international relations at Beijing-based Renmin University of China. “China’s engagement in the Middle East is set to increase during this conflict. Because we need to be the bridge.”But China's proposals to end the war have been seen as benefiting Russia.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Benjamin Netanyahu, China’s, Israel, ”, Shi Yinhong, hasn't, Zhai Jun, Zhai, ” Wang Yi, ” Wang, Antony Blinken, Wang, Maria Papageorgiou, Mohammad Eslami, “, Tuvia, ” Gering, Wang Yiwei, Dale Aluf, China's, Aluf, Yaqiu Wang, Ken Moritsugu, Wanqing Chen, Matthew Lee Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Renmin University of China, State Department, Hezbollah, University of Exeter, University Minho, Israel, China Policy Center, Institute for National Security, Kremlin, Renmin University, Israel Global Network, Freedom, Associated Press, AP Locations: Beijing, China, Israel, U.S, Iran, Tel Aviv, Palestine, Ukraine, Xinjiang, Xi, Saudi Arabia, United States, Russia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Communist, Riyadh

CNN —Australian TV anchor Cheng Lei has been released by China and returned home to her family, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Wednesday, more than three years after she was detained on opaque espionage charges. “We are pleased to confirm that Australian citizen Ms Cheng Lei has arrived safely home in Australia and has been reunited with her family,” Albanese said in a statement. Cheng had been on her way to work on the morning of August 13, 2020, when she was taken by China’s Ministry of State Security, according to her partner Nick Coyle. Her release follows the completion of legal process in China, according to the Australian statement. Shortly afterwards, China’s Ministry of State Security said in a statement that Cheng was deported Wednesday after completing her sentence.

Persons: Cheng Lei, Anthony Albanese, Ms Cheng Lei, ” Albanese, “, Cheng, CGTN, Nick Coyle, –, Wang Wenbin, Wang, ” Wang, Coyle, Cheng “, ”, ” “ Organizations: CNN, China’s Ministry of State Security, ”, China’s Foreign, Tullamarine, of Foreign Affairs, Trade Australian, Canberra, Observers, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Sky News Locations: China, Australia, Beijing, Melbourne, Australian, Sky News Australia, FreeChengLei

Eventually, the losses at the hedge fund, Alameda Research, became so large that there was no way to hide them any longer, Wang said in his second day of testimony. “FTX was not fine,” Wang said, referring to the now-infamous tweet that Bankman-Fried wrote only a few days before the exchange filed for bankruptcy in November 2022. Alameda was given these privileges initially because the hedge fund was the primary market maker for FTX's customers in the exchange's early days. The relationship was effectively a two-way street, where the exchange could help out the hedge fund and vice versa as FTX quickly grew between 2019 and 2022. Caroline Ellison, the former girlfriend of Bankman-Fried and CEO of Alameda, is expected to start testifying Tuesday after Wang.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, FTX's, Gary Wang, Wang, “ FTX, ” Wang, FTX, Caroline Ellison Organizations: New, Alameda Research, Prosecutors, Bankman Locations: New York, Bahamas, Alameda

☆ Key takeaways from Sam Bankman-Fried’s first week in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And Alameda was the only FTX customer allowed to carry a negative balance. Christian Everdell and Mark Cohen, attorneys for Sam Bankman-Fried, exit court in New York on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2023. Star witness coming TuesdayCaroline Ellison, Alameda’s CEO and Bankman-Fried’s on-and-off girlfriend, is expected to take the stand when court resumes on Tuesday. Ellison, 28, is considered the prosecution’s star witness, given her position as the head of Alameda and her personal knowledge of Bankman-Fried’s behavior. According to court documents, when one employee asks who made the decision, Ellison responds: “Um … Sam, I guess.”

Persons: Sam Bankman, Gary Wang, Wang, SBF, Mark Cohen, Fried, FTX, Christian Everdell, Stephanie Keith, Everdell, “ FTX, ” Wang, ” FTX, Caroline Ellison, Ellison, Sam Organizations: New, New York CNN, Alameda Research, Bankman, Alameda, Bloomberg, Getty, “ Locations: New York, Alameda

CNN —Russia and China will continue “well-coordinated work” at the UN General Assembly this week, as well as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit this fall, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov predicted on Monday, during a visit from China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in Moscow. “I am confident that our well-coordinated work will continue during these forums,” he added. However, cooperation between Beijing and Moscow is not directed against other countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized during his Moscow trip. “China and Russia pursue independent foreign policies. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said in May that he expected trade with China would top $200 billion this year.

Persons: Sergey Lavrov, Wang Yi, ”, Lavrov, Wang, “, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, ” Wang, Mikhail Mishustin Organizations: CNN, UN, Assembly, Economic Cooperation, Reuters, Moscow, Russian Locations: Russia, China, Asia, Russian, China’s, Moscow, United States, Ukraine, Beijing

A parking bay reserved for electric car charging can be seen on display in London, Britain, October 19, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Fully electric refrigerated trucks for delivering food and pharmaceuticals are expected to give a Singapore-based startup the edge to crack into the crowded Chinese electric vehicle (EV) market. A viable cold storage electric vehicle could be a lucrative niche for Singauto inside the Chinese EV market, the world's largest. The constraint has slowed the adoption of pure electric trucks by cold-chain fleet operators, though automakers including Geely (GEELY.UL) and Toyota (7203.T) offer hybrid models and hydrogen-powered trucks as alternatives. Liu said Singauto can turn profitable with sales of 30,000 trucks, in part because it has outsourced the design, engineering and manufacturing of the vehicle.

Persons: Simon Dawson, Liu Yuqiang, Liu, China's CATL, Wang Xun, ” Wang, We're, Chen Aizhu, Kevin Krolicki, Zhang Yan, Miyoung Kim Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Singauto Technology, Reuters, EV, Toyota, Shanghai, Automotive Technology, Cynergy Global Investment, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Rights SINGAPORE, Singapore, Beijing, Qingdao, Southeast Asia, China, U.S, Asia

Hong Kong CNN —China on Tuesday unveiled a plan to deepen integration between the coastal province of Fujian and self-governing Taiwan, touting the benefits of closer cross-strait cooperation while sending warships around the island in a show of military might. The document, hailed as a “blueprint” of Taiwan’s future development by Chinese experts cited in state media, comes at a delicate moment in cross-strait relations as Taiwan gears up for its presidential election in January. Ahead of Beijing’s release of its integration plan, a Chinese aircraft carrier and around two dozen Chinese warships were spotted gathering in waters near Taiwan this week, according to Taiwanese authorities. Fujian, a province of 40 million people on the western side of the Taiwan Strait, is the closest to Taiwan both geographically and culturally. In Tuesday’s directive, Beijing pledges to further speed up integration between the city of Xiamen and Kinmen – which are only a few miles apart.

Persons: Wang Ting, ” Wang, “, China’s, Kinmen, ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party’s Central, State, Communist Party, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan, Mainland Affairs Council, CNN, Times Locations: Hong Kong, China, Fujian, Taiwan, Beijing, Kinmen, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Matsu, Taipei

☆ Yilin Wang: British Museum agrees to pay translator whose work it used without permission
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The museum later admitted it had “inadvertently omitted” these steps and apologized, removing Wang’s translations and the original poetry from the exhibition. She said this was an important step in recognizing the often invisible, complex work of translators. The British Museum’s director Hartwig Fischer reached out soon after, she said. A depiction of the unified Qing empire in the British Museum's "China's hidden century" exhibition, seen on May 18, 2023. “She was a queer feminist poet whose work has been kind of overlooked in translation,” Wang said.

Persons: Yilin, Qiu Jin, Wang, “ I’m, ”, “, Wang wasn’t, M.C, ” Wang, James Manning, Hartwig Fischer Organizations: CNN, British Museum, ARMY, British Locations: Vancouver, British

☆ China assures Russia it remains ‘impartial’ on Ukraine war after attending Saudi peace talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Lavrov “appreciates and welcomes the constructive role played by China” toward a political resolution of the “Ukraine crisis,” China’s Foreign Ministry said in their readout of Monday’s call. China has continued to bolster its economic, diplomatic, and security ties with Russia, despite Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which Beijing has never condemned. It did not send a delegation to previous international talks in Denmark in June, despite attempting to position itself as a potential peace broker on the conflict in recent months. That proposal, which Beijing put forward earlier this year, calls for peace talks to end the conflict. Ukraine and Russia remain publicly committed to prerequisites for direct negotiations that the other side finds unacceptable.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Wang Yi, Wang, Sergei Lavrov, ”, ” Wang, Lavrov “, Dmytro Kuleba, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Xi, Putin, China’s, Affairs Li Hui, “, …, Lavrov, Russia “, ” “, Qin Gang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Russian, China’s Foreign Ministry, Saudi, Ukraine’s, ”, Affairs, Reuters, CNN, Tass, Communist Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United States, Britain, Germany, India, Jeddah, ” Ukraine, American, Denmark, Europe, Washington

☆ John Kerry steps into searing China heat as world’s two biggest polluters try to fix fractured ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

China Energy Investment Corporation, the world’s largest generator of coal-fired power, said its production of electricity reached a historic high on Monday. Kerry, 79, has traveled to China twice since being appointed as US President Joe Biden’s special climate envoy. Li, the Greenpeace analyst, said he would be closely watching who will meet with Kerry in Beijing. That would require the country to phase out coal power, which accounts for about 60% of its total electricity generation. “The expansion of coal is a grave challenge for China’s climate policy,” Li said.

Persons: John Kerry, ”, Li Shuo, Nancy Pelosi’s, ” Li, Andy Wong, Kerry, Biden, Antony Blinken, Xi Jinping, Janet Yellen, China’s Premier Li Qiang, Blinken, Wang Yi, Alex Wang, Joe Biden’s, Xie Zhenhua, Arnd Wiegmann, Li, Xie Jianhua, Ding Xuexiang, Xi, Obama, Xie, ” Kerry, “ I’m, Stringer, Wang, “ It’s, “, ” Wang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Greenpeace, Washington, US, Taiwan —, China Energy Investment Corporation, China’s Premier, University of California, US State Department, China’s Ministry of Ecology, Economic, Blinken, Kerry, CNN, COP28, UCLA, Global Energy Monitor Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, China, Greenpeace China, Taiwan, Jakarta, “, Los Angeles, Kerry, Shanghai, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, Davos, Switzerland, Washington, Paris, China Glasgow, Dubai, Lianyungang, China's, Jiangsu, AFP

☆ John Kerry to step into searing China heat as world’s two biggest polluters try to fix fractured ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Persons: John Kerry, ”, Li Shuo, Nancy Pelosi’s, ” Li, Andy Wong, Kerry, Biden, Antony Blinken, Xi Jinping, Janet Yellen, China’s Premier Li Qiang, Blinken, Wang Yi, Alex Wang, Joe Biden’s, Xie Zhenhua, Arnd Wiegmann, Li, Xie Jianhua, Ding Xuexiang, Xi, Obama, Xie, ” Kerry, “ I’m, Stringer, Wang, “ It’s, “, ” Wang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Beijing Sunday, Greenpeace, Washington, US, Taiwan —, China Energy Investment Corporation, China’s Premier, University of California, US State Department, China’s Ministry of Ecology, Economic, Blinken, Kerry, CNN, COP28, UCLA, Global Energy Monitor Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, China, Greenpeace China, Taiwan, Jakarta, “, Los Angeles, Kerry, Shanghai, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, Davos, Switzerland, Washington, Paris, China Glasgow, Dubai, Lianyungang, China's, Jiangsu, AFP

☆ China's top diplomat urges Japan and South Korea to align with Beijing and 'revitalize Asia'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s top diplomat has urged Japan and South Korea to foster a sense of “strategic autonomy” from the West and cooperate with Beijing to “revitalize Asia,” amid rising tensions between China and the two neighboring American allies. The comments by Wang Yi on Monday come as Japan and South Korea forge closer relations with the United States – and mend ties with each other – driven by common concerns about Beijing’s growing influence and assertiveness in the region. In recent years, the Biden administration has stepped up efforts to unite allies and like-minded partners to counter China’s rising influence in the Pacific, including with South Korea and Japan, two of its most important allies in Asia. “If this trend is allowed to develop, it will not only seriously interfere with the smooth progress of trilateral cooperation, but also aggravate tension and confrontation in the region,” Wang added. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi addressed the event via video link, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Wang Yi, Wang, ” Wang, “, Xi Jinping, Biden, They’ve, Park Jin, Yoshimasa Hayashi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United, CNN, International, Trilateral Cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry, South, Japan, Korean Foreign, Japanese Locations: Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Beijing, Asia, China, United States, Qingdao, European, East Asia, Tokyo, Seoul, North Korea, Taiwan Strait

☆ AI is already linked to layoffs in the industry that created it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Some 212,294 workers in the tech industry have been laid off in 2023 alone, according to data tracked by Layoffs.fyi, already surpassing the 164,709 recorded in 2022. But in the shadow of those mass layoffs, the tech industry has also been gripped by an AI fervor and invested heavily in AI talent and tech. Roger Lee, a startup founder who has been tracking tech industry layoffs via his website Layoffs.fyi, also runs Comprehensive.io, which examines job listings and compensation data across some 3,000 tech companies. Those looking to thrive in the tech industry and beyond may need to brush up on their AI skills. It’s not that everyone needs to become AI specialists, Wang added, but rather that workers should know how to use AI tools to become more efficient at whatever they’re doing.

Persons: Arvind Krishna, Barrons, Krishna, Dropbox, ”, Drew Houston, “, Dan Wang, ” Wang, Mark Zuckerberg, Roger Lee, Lee, Wang, It’s, That’s Organizations: CNN, Bloomberg, Columbia Business School, Layoffs.fyi, Microsoft, Machine Locations: OpenAI, Silicon Valley

☆ British Museum apologizes after using translator's work in China exhibition without pay or acknowlegment
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —When the British Museum launched its “China’s hidden century” exhibition last month, writer and translator Yilin Wang began getting confusing messages from her peers. No, Wang replied: She’d never been contacted by the museum, which used her work without permission, pay or acknowledgment. It added that “China’s hidden century” had involved more than 400 people from 20 countries, and that those involved had “spent years, together with scholars worldwide,” putting it all together. A British Museum worker pictured in the "China's hidden century" exhibition ahead of its public opening. The British Museum did not respond immediately to CNN’s request for comment.

Persons: Yilin Wang, Qiu Jin, Wang, —, She’d, “, James Manning, ”, It’s, NameTheTranslator, …, ” Wang Organizations: CNN, British Museum, Twitter, Museum, British, UK’s Arts, Humanities Research, “, Google Locations: London, Qing China, British

☆ China eyes Blinken's visit this week with deep distrust toward the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The coverage of Blinken’s visit in China is not nearly as extensive or enthusiastic as it has been in the West,” said Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, a think tank in Washington. (Chinese experts say it was because the US failed to lift sanctions on Li, imposed in 2018 over China’s purchase of Russian weapons.) China cut off talks with US military commanders following former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last August. Zhao said China has adopted “a brinkmanship policy” to highlight the risk of military confrontation to the US. Wang, the expert at Peking University, said Blinken’s long-delayed visit is the “last chance” to repair ties with China before the US election next year.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Washington, Blinken, Qin Gang, State Department –, ”, Yun Sun, “, “ We’re, ” Daniel Kritenbrink, Trump, Wang Yong, Biden, Joe Biden, ” Wang, Tong Zhao, Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu, Li, Nancy Pelosi’s, Zhao, ” Zhao, ‘, Blinken’s, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Sun, ” lockdowns, Xi Jinping’s, Xi, Wang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China’s, State Department, Biden, China Program, Stimson, State, Peking University, Foreign Ministry, Carnegie Endowment, International, Defense Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Washington, East Asia, Taiwan, South China

While many of the passengers Berry Henson has taxied during some 3,000 rides knew he played golf, few were aware of just how good he is. For Henson, who has played just three events on the PGA Tour since turning pro in 2003, the US Open will mark a dream first career major appearance. New emotions, new feelings, but I feel like I’m getting through it pretty good.”Henson will make his major debut at the US Open. “A lot of my Uber passengers, when they find out what I do, end up following me on social media – they can’t believe it at first. “I think she’s gonna pass on a lot of birdies this week,” Henson said.

Persons: Berry Henson, Henson, ” Henson, CNN’s Dan Moriarty, “, I’ve, Kai Schwoerer, Uber, Ke Huy Quan, Richard “, ” Wang, Nick Kyrgios, “ I’ve, ”, “ It’s, Paul Lakatos, Phil Mickelson, ‘, it’s Organizations: CNN, Los Angeles Country Club, Brook Country Club, PGA, ” Pepsi, European, Qualifying, University of San Diego, Getty, Twitter Locations: Summit , New Jersey, Canada, Oaks, Palm Springs, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, New Jersey

☆ What Happens When A.I. Enters the Concert Hall
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Garrett Schumann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the composer and vocalist Jen Wang took the stage at the Monk Space in Los Angeles to perform Alvin Lucier’s “The Duke of York” (1971) earlier this year, she sang with a digital rendition of her voice, synthesized by artificial intelligence. It was the first time she had done that. “I thought it was going to be really disorienting,” Wang said in an interview, “but it felt like I was collaborating with this instrument that was me and was not me.”Isaac Io Schankler, a composer and music professor at Cal Poly Pomona, conceived the performance and joined Wang onstage to monitor and manipulate Realtime Audio Variational autoEncoder, or R.A.V.E., the neural audio synthesis algorithm that modeled Wang’s voice. is an example of machine learning, a specific category of artificial intelligence technology that musicians have experimented with since the 1990s — but that now is defined by rapid development, the arrival of publicly available, A.I.-powered music tools and the dominating influence of high-profile initiatives by large tech companies.

Persons: Jen Wang, Alvin Lucier’s “, Duke, York, ” Wang, Isaac Io Schankler, Wang Organizations: Cal Poly Pomona Locations: Los Angeles

CNN —A Taiwan-based book publisher has been placed under investigation in China on suspicion of “endangering state security,” Beijing said Tuesday amid mounting concern over his disappearance. Li’s detention comes at a tense moment in cross-strait relations, and several Taiwan citizens have been detained in China on state security grounds in recent years. CNN has reached out to Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Office to inquire about Li’s citizenship status. One of them, Lam Wing-kee, has said he was kidnapped by Chinese “special forces” after crossing the border into mainland China from Hong Kong. Hong Kong used to be a hub for publishing politically sensitive books that would be banned in mainland China.

☆ Record rise in China's sea levels from global warming threatens coastal cities like Shanghai
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Sea levels on China’s coastline have hit their highest on record for the second year in a row, rising more quickly than the global average and posing a serious threat to coastal cities such as the financial hub of Shanghai. The temperature of China’s coastal waters has increased significantly due to global warming, and the rise in sea levels has accelerated, said Wang Hua, head of the marine forecasting and monitoring department at the ministry. “In the last 11 years, from 2012 to 2022, China’s coastal sea levels were the highest since observations were first recorded,” Wang said at the news conference, which released the latest annual report on China’s sea levels. Over the past four decades, rising sea levels along the Chinese coast have caused long-term effects, including the erosion of coastal ecosystems and the loss of tidal flats. In 2022, high sea levels along the Chinese coast aggravated the impact of storms, dealing a severe blow to the provinces of Guangdong, Zhejiang and Shandong.

☆ China Development Forum: Li Qiang rolls out the welcome wagon for foreign companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“China’s economy has been deeply integrated into the global division of labor.”Li pledged that the country will align with international economic and trade rules, give equal treatment to foreign investment and facilitate trade and investment by removing government controls. Worries about foreign investmentConcerns about foreign capital leaving China have grown. To boost business confidence, China’s new economic leadership is trying to reassure foreign business and the domestic private sector. “You are not foreigners, but family,” Wang Wentao, the commerce minister, told attendees at the China Development Forum. In a meeting with Cook on Monday, he said China is willing to “provide a good environment and services” for foreign enterprises including Apple.

☆ China’s local governments set 2023 growth targets, offering clues on economic recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The meetings will culminate in the national parliamentary session to be held in March, in which the premier is expected to disclose the nation’s GDP growth target. So far, a group of government economists and international analysts have said they expect Beijing to set a growth target of above 5% in 2023. On Thursday, Zhejiang province, another major economic powerhouse, announced it’s targeting an expansion of more than 5% in 2023. On Wednesday, Shanghai, the most affluent city in mainland China, announced it would aim for 5.5% growth this year. On the same day, Fujian, Sichuan and Hebei provinces all disclosed growth targets of 6% for 2023.

☆ Southwest Meltdown Shows Airlines Need Tighter Software Integration
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Belle Lin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Southwest’s software wasn’t designed to solve problems of that scale, Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson said Thursday, forcing the airline to revert to manual scheduling. Unlike some large rivals with hub-and-spoke networks, Southwest planes hopscotch from city to city, which may have been another complicating factor. Mr. Alamzad said the most serious IT challenge airlines face stems from the applications developed in silos by vendors or the airlines themselves. Southwest recently completed an upgrade of its new reservation system and had been working through multiyear upgrades to systems used in its operations. Other carriers have given priority to upgrading customer-facing reservations platforms and flier loyalty programs over operations systems, Mr. Alamzad said.

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