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☆ Li Keqiang: China’s former Premier dead at 68 according to state media
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Steven Jiang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, once seen as a reform-minded contender to the country’s top leadership role, died of a sudden heart attack early Friday in Shanghai, state media reported. 2 leader until late last year, served as the country’s premier – traditionally in charge of the economy – for a decade from 2013 to March this year under strongman leader Xi Jinping. Under Hu, Li was named to the party’s top central leadership body the Politburo Standing Committee in 2007. Then 67, Li was one year short of the unofficial retirement age for senior Chinese Communist Party leaders. He was succeeded as premier earlier this year by former Shanghai party chief and Xi loyalist Li Qiang.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Li Keqiang, Li, Xi Jinping, ” Li, “, Xi, Xi’s, Hu Jintao, Hu, nodded, Mao Zedong, China’s princelings, Li Qiang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong CNN — Former, Peking University, Communist Party’s Youth League, Communist Party Congress, Dongling, Brigade, Communist Youth League Central Committee, Communist Party, party’s, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Hong Kong, Shanghai, United States, China, Liaoning, Henan, Anhui

☆ China Eastern Airlines just made the biggest Comac C919 order ever, for 100 planes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Beijing Reuters —China Eastern Airlines said on Thursday it will buy another 100 C919 airplanes in a deal worth $10 billion at list prices, in what would be the largest ever order for the jet made by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). The list price for the C919 is $99 million but aircraft can be sold at discounts of up to 50%, especially for new models. The deal comes five months after the Chinese passenger plane, developed by state-owned COMAC to rival Airbus’ A320neo and Boeing’s (BA) 737 MAX single-aisle jet families, took its first flight in May with China Eastern. China Eastern will get delivery of five aircraft in 2024, while ten are to be delivered each year from 2025 to 2027. The deal includes 15 orders of COMAC’s ARJ21 aircraft and 15 of the C919.

Persons: Li Hanming, ” Li, “ COMAC, COMAC’s Organizations: Beijing Reuters, China Eastern Airlines, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Airbus ’, China Eastern, Boeing Locations: Beijing, Shanghai, Washington, China, Brunei

☆ Opinion: It doesn’t take an Agatha Christie detective to work out something’s up in Xi’s China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sheena Mckenzie | Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. The latest to vanish from view is China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu. But anti-corruption campaigns are an ideal vehicle for political crackdowns, and in the opaque world of China’s regime, with no official explanation, there’s much that doesn’t meet the eye. (Rahm Emanuel, dripping with sarcasm, joked that the unemployment rate among Xi’s ministers might exceed that of China’s young people.) But China, of course, still promotes its system as a superior alternative to western-style democracy; tries to pretend that it’s not a dictatorship.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Li Shangfu, “ I’m, Nobody, Rahm Emanuel, ”, Xi’s, Agatha Christie’s, Li, China’s, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Qi, Xi, Mao Zedong, didn’t, Joe Biden, “, Hu Jintao, Hu, chastened, Jack Ma, Jeff Bezos Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, China’s Defense, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Twitter, Qin, Street Journal, PLA’s, Force, United Nations General Assembly, Communist Party Congress Locations: China, Japan, Denmark, Vietnam, Beijing, Washington, Russia, Ukraine, Germany

☆ China's defense minister Li Shangfu warns against 'playing with fire' on Taiwan during Russia meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —China’s defense minister Li Shangfu on Tuesday warned against “playing with fire” when it comes to Taiwan in a veiled jab at the United States as he addressed a security conference in Russia. Speaking at the Moscow Conference on International Security, Li said attempts to “use Taiwan to contain China,” would “surely end in failure,” according to state-run news agency Xinhua. China’s ruling Communist Party claims the self-governing democracy of Taiwan and has vowed to take control of it, by force if necessary. The visit is Li’s second to Russia since assuming his role as defense chief earlier this year. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has also drawn increased attention to Taiwan as a potential security flashpoint in Asia.

Persons: CNN —, Li Shangfu, “, Li, China’s, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Sputnik, Sergei Shoigu, William Lai, Lai, ” Organizations: CNN, Moscow Conference, International Security, Xinhua, Communist Party, Washington, Senior, US, Taiwan Locations: Taiwan, United States, Russia, China, Ukraine, Taipei, Moscow, Belarus, ”, Iran, Myanmar, Beijing, “, Xinhua, Russian, Alaska, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Paraguay, New York, Asia

☆ Yushi Li’s dream-like photo challenges notions of the male gaze
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Stephy Chung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Despite Chinese photographer Yushi Li’s gentle staging, her title for the photograph, “The Smothering Dream,” suggests something more sinister is at play. Although a canon of male nudes does exist, it largely comprises images shot by gay male photographers. When Li began the series in 2017, she noticed a lack of images depicting naked men as objects of desire from a woman’s perspective. She brings these ideas into “Paintings, Dreams and Love,” an ongoing project to which “The Smothering Dream” belongs. “There’s also the gaze from the algorithm, and the gaze from the screen that reflects yourself when you look at it… the internet (means) we’re subjected to the gaze more, in a way.”

Persons: Yushi, Lawrence Alma, “, ”, gazes, Li, Henry Fuseli’s, Yushi Li, Titian’s, Diana, reinterpretations, There’s Organizations: CNN, Shanghai Locations: London, China’s Hunan, Swiss

“I don’t necessarily need a higher paid job or a better life,” she added. College graduates looking for jobs at a fair in central China's Hubei province on July 20. A growing trendOn Douban, about 4,000 members of a group called “full-time children’s work communication center” discuss topics related to their daily “working” lives. By contrast, today’s “professional” children spend time with parents and do housework in exchange for financial support. In addition to her family duties, she’s busy applying for government jobs and taking exams for graduate school.

Persons: Litsky Li, Li, ”, “, headwinds, Zhang Dandan, ” hashtag, somethings, today’s, ’, Fang Xu, Nancy Chen, she’s, Chen, hasn’t, It’s, George Magnus, Magnus Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, College, CNN, Peking University, University of California, China News Service, Harvard University, China Centre, Oxford University, SOAS University of London Locations: Hong Kong, Luoyang, China's Hubei, Beijing, ”, China, University of California Berkeley, Jiangxi, Wanshou, China's Jiangxi

CNN —Ancient Buddhist murals and statues in caves along China’s Silk Road are under “direct threat” from extreme rainfall brought by climate change, researchers have found. Zhangye Cultural Heritage Administration/GreenpeaceThe report comes as China is conducting its fourth nationwide cultural heritage survey to log the state of the country’s historical artifacts. “The sites we looked at include some of the most well-funded, best-staffed cultural heritage sites in China. Li said Chinese officials and academics are increasingly aware of the threats of the climate crisis on the country’s cultural heritage sites. Unlike Dunhuang, many historical sites lack long-term monitoring data to research the impacts of climate change, Li said.

Persons: ”, Li Zhao, Li, we’re, they’re, ” Li, Tianlongshan grottoes Organizations: CNN, UNESCO, Heritage, Greenpeace, Greenpeace East Asia’s, Spikes, Heritage Administration, Dunhuang Academy Locations: Gansu, Greenpeace East, Greenpeace East Asia’s Beijing, Jinta, China, Shanxi, Jinci, Dunhuang

☆ 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

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, 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

☆ 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

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

☆ Solomon Islands signs China policing deal in upgrade of ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

China and the Solomon Islands on Monday signed a deal on police cooperation as part of an upgrade of their relations to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” four years after the Pacific nation switched ties from Taiwan to China. “In just four years, the relationship between China and the Solomon Islands has developed rapidly, and we can now say that it is very fruitful,” Li told Sogavare. China will continue to provide assistance to the Solomon Islands to enhance its law enforcement capacity, according to a joint statement released by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency. China has long supported so-called South-South cooperation, which refers to cooperation between developing nations as equals for mutual benefit. Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is already building a cellular network in the Solomon Islands, financed by a $66 million Chinese EXIM bank loan.

Persons: ”, Manasseh Sogavare, Premier Li Qiang, Sogavare, Solomon, ” Li, Washington “, ’ Sogavare, Xi Jinping, ” Xi, Xi Organizations: Solomon Islands, Premier, “, US National Security Council, Xinhua, Huawei, “ Sports, Pacific Games Locations: China, Solomon Islands, Pacific, Taiwan, Beijing, United States, Australia, Taipei, Solomon, Japan, Britain, Honiara

☆ LVMH owner Bernard Arnault reportedly visits China after luxury spending rebound
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

LVMH reported its first-quarter sales surged 17% from a year ago, beating analyst expectations, driven by a rebound in China’s luxury market from the downturn it experienced during the pandemic. Luxury goods spending bounced back more quickly than any other sector in the first quarter. Although the economic momentum has lost steam in the past couple of months, growth in luxury goods sales has accelerated. China was one of the world’s largest luxury goods markets before Covid hit. Bain & Co. estimated earlier this year that Chinese consumer spending accounted for around 17% of the global luxury market in 2022.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Bernard Arnault, Elon Musk, Morgan, Jamie Dimon, Musk, Caijing, Christian Dior, LVMH didn’t, LVMH, ”, Jean, Jacques Guiony, “, Li Qiang, ” Li Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, LVMH, WF, CNN, Consumers, Bain & Co Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, ” Beijing

LONDON, June 5 (Reuters) - A senior Binance executive was the main operator for five bank accounts belonging to the giant cryptocurrency exchange’s purportedly independent U.S. affiliate, including an account that held American customers’ funds, bank records show. This allowed Chen and her deputies to move funds held in the bank accounts. The previously unreported bank records and messages show that Binance’s management over the U.S. business’s finances extended across its bank accounts at Silvergate and detail how this secret access was granted. Binance.US has denied that Binance ever operated its bank accounts. ‘PRIMARY ADMIN USER’The Binance.US trading platform was launched by its operating firm, BAM Trading, in mid-2019 under then Chief Executive Catherine Coley.

Persons: Guangying Chen, Changpeng Zhao, Chen, Binance, Zhao, Binance.US, Krishna Juvvadi, Christian Hertenstein, Brian Shroder, ” Hertenstein, “, Chen’s, Juvvadi, ”, Peak’s, Catherine Coley, Coley, Silvergate, James McDonald, Hertenstein, Susan Li, Li messaged, Li, Angus Berwick, Tom Wilson, Janet McBride, Michael Williams Organizations: Silvergate Bank, U.S, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Reuters, BAM, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, CFTC, ” Reuters, SEC, “, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington, American, US, Binance, Shanghai, Binance.US

LONDON, June 5 - A senior Binance executive was the main operator for five bank accounts belonging to the giant cryptocurrency exchange’s purportedly independent U.S. affiliate, including an account that held American customers’ funds, bank records show. This allowed Chen and her deputies to move funds held in the bank accounts. The previously unreported bank records and messages show that Binance’s management over the U.S. business’s finances extended across its bank accounts at Silvergate and detail how this secret access was granted. Binance.US has denied that Binance ever operated its bank accounts. ‘PRIMARY ADMIN USER’The Binance.US trading platform was launched by its operating firm, BAM Trading, in mid-2019 under chief executive Catherine Coley.

Persons: Guangying Chen, Changpeng Zhao, Chen, Binance, Binance.US, Krishna Juvvadi, Christian Hertenstein, Brian Shroder, ” Hertenstein, Zhao, “, Chen’s, Juvvadi, Reutersalso, Peak’s, Catherine Coley, Coley, Silvergate, James McDonald, Hertenstein, ”, Susan Li, Li messaged, Li, Angus Berwick, Tom Wilson, Janet McBride, Michael Williams Organizations: Silvergate Bank, U.S, Reuters, BAM, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, CFTC, “, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington, American, US, Binance, Shanghai, Binance.US

Questioned after his speech on the incident, Li said the US naval presence in the strait was an example of Washington creating chaos in the region. “They are not here for innocent passage, they are here for provocation,” Li said of US warships. Li said if the US and other foreign powers did not want confrontation, they should not send their military assets near China. The incident is the second time in two weeks that Chinese military personnel have engaged in aggressive maneuvers in the vicinity of US military personnel near China’s border. US and Chinese defense chiefs are not expected to meet this year – a mark of the depth of the fracture in relations between the two countries.

Persons: Li Shangfu, ”, Lloyd Austin, Li, ” Li, USS Chung, Hoon, Arleigh Burke, “ Chung, “, Chung, Paul Mountford, Shi Yi, Austin, ” ‘, General Jing Jianfeng, ” China’s, Xi Jinping, Jing Organizations: Singapore CNN —, US, Canadian, Pacific Command, USS, Canada’s Global, PLA, East China Seas, Command, Taipei’s Defense, Chinese Communist Party, People’s Liberation Army, CCTV, Communist Party, Taiwan Locations: Singapore, United States, Washington, China, Taiwan, Canadian, Montreal, South, East, China’s, Beijing, “, Austin

☆ I Got My Name From Connie Chung. So Did They. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Connie Wang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +21 min

In my freshman class alone, there was a Connie Zheng, a Connie Guo, a Connie Xu, a few Connie Chengs, and multiple Connie Wangs. That ayi was Constance Yu-Hwa Chung, or, as the world knows her, Connie Chung. Connie Chung hosting the “CBS Evening News” in 1991, the year after the author named herself Connie. Connie Wang Connie Koh Connie Yang Connie Tang Connie Jang Connie Chung Connie Moy Connie Huang Connie Kwok Connie Chang Connie Sun Connie Chung, center, surrounded by 10 members of Generation Connie. Clockwise from top right, Connie Yang, Connie Tang, Connie Moy, Connie Sun, Connie Chang, Connie Kwok, Connie Huang, Connie Jang, Connie Wang and Connie Koh.

☆ China has an inflation problem. It’s way too low
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That’s raising the specter of a tailspin of falling prices and wages from which the economy may struggle to recover. “Our core view is that China’s economy is deflationary,” wrote Raymond Yeung, chief economist for Greater China at ANZ Research, last week, soon after China released its first-quarter GDP growth figures. Instead of spending money, people are hoarding cash at a record rate. “Even with a conservative estimate, 500 billion yuan in consumption vouchers will drive one trillion yuan in overall consumption, ” Li said in a video posted on his Weibo social media account on Tuesday. In return, the government could receive at least 300 billion yuan through taxes generated by the increase in spending, he said“So it only takes 200 billion yuan in spending for the central government to drive one trillion yuan in consumption,” he said.

☆ Boao Forum: Li Qiang says China 'confident and capable' of hitting 2023 growth targets
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The forum often promotes itself as “Asian Davos” and Li is tasked with reviving the world’s second largest economy at a time of sluggish growth. China, he said, will roll out new measures to boost domestic consumption and increase market access for foreign business while ensuring the stability of the financial sector. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images) Stringer/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Boao Forum for Asia has been held annually since 2001, but was suspended in 2020 because of the pandemic. But the problems have been exacerbated by the Communist Party’s erratic and draconian zero-Covid policy, which ended late last year, and a sweeping crackdown on private business. To boost business confidence, China’s new economic leadership is trying to reassure both foreign business and the domestic private sector.

☆ Li Qiang: China's new premier tries to reassure private sector amid widespread concerns about future
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s new premier has tried to reassure the private sector in his debut press conference, as concerns grew about the country’s future policy direction with the introduction of a new cabinet loyal to leader Xi Jinping. Li Qiang, a long-time aide to Xi, officially succeeded Li Keqiang as premier over the weekend. Li Qiang speaks during his first press conference as premier at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 13, 2023. As a group of Xi’s close associates stepped into office, some Western-educated, reform-minded officials departed – including former Premier Li Keqiang and former Vice Premier Liu He. Analysts are worried that Xi’s preference for personal loyalty over technocratic competence signals a more ideology-driven policy direction that could further dent private sector growth and worsen Beijing’s ties with Washington.

☆ China's Li Keqiang announces lowest GDP target in decades amid major economic leadership overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s outgoing Premier Li Keqiang has announced the country’s lowest GDP growth target in decades, highlighting the domestic and global challenges the world’s second largest economy still faces despite its decision late last year to ditch draconian anti-Covid measures. It fell well short of the official growth target of “around 5.5%.”“Having declared the end of pandemic, the leaders are sticking to the slowing GDP growth path in the long term by lowering annual GDP target gradually,” said Ken Cheung, chief Asian foreign exchange strategist at Mizuho Bank. “Moreover, China has been downplaying the numeric GDP target and shifted to balance the quality since President Xi’s era,” he said. Premier Li also said the government would only raise fiscal spending by 5.6% this year, which is lower than the growth of 6.1% in fiscal spending in 2022. “After three years of pandemic [measures], it could be more than desirable for governments, especially the local governments, to restore fiscal resilience,” said Citi analysts.

Forty-seven pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong have been accused of a conspiracy to commit subversion in a landmark political case. Benny Tai, 58, was a professor of law at the University of Hong Kong. Pro-democracy primary Pro-democracy candidates held a primary vote ahead of the upcoming Legislative Council election. The 47 defendants helped organize or participated in this event. New election rules announced China announced new rules for Hong Kong elections, limiting candidates to only those deemed loyal to Beijing.

☆ Oil set to end volatile 2022 with second annual gain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO: A view shows Chao Xing tanker at the crude oil terminal Kozmino on the shore of Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia August 12, 2022. REUTERS/Tatiana MeelCrude surged in March with international benchmark Brent reaching $139.13 a barrel, the highest since 2008, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine upended global crude flows. U.S. crude was set to rise about 5% in 2022, following last year’s gain of 55%. “So I think oil prices may fall to $60 next year..Oil’s decline in the second half of 2022, largely on rising interest rates to fight inflation, boosted the U.S. dollar. The world’s top oil importer and second biggest consumer in 2022 posted its first drop in oil demand for years.

Changes continued Monday as authorities announced a deactivation of the “mobile itinerary card” health tracking function planned for the following day. But as the scrapping of parts of the zero-Covid infrastructure come apace, there are questions about how the country’s health system will handle a mass outbreak. Throughout the weekend, some businesses were closed in Beijing, and city streets were largely deserted, as residents either fell ill or feared catching the virus. Covid was “spreading rapidly” driven by highly transmissible Omicron variants in China, a top Covid-19 expert, Zhong Nanshan, said in an interview published by state media Saturday. Authorities recorded 8,626 Covid-19 cases across China on Sunday, down from the previous day’s count of 10,597 and from the high of more than 40,000 daily cases late last month.

“I haven’t seen sunlight in what seems like a long time,” Li told CNN, a week after the protests broke out. In recent years, Beijing has extended its crackdown on dissent to the foreign platform, detaining and jailing Chinese Twitter users who criticized the government. TwitterLi received thousands of submissions a day – and up to dozens per second at the height of the protests. Journalists, observers and activists monitored his feed closely, and some of his posts were aired on televisions across the world. And then they went to our house at midnight to harass my parents,” Li said.

An earlier study in adults showed that the drug did indeed help with weight loss. “We’ve entered the phase where we are seeing the kind of weight loss where teens come to us in tears. In addition to the weight loss, the drug reduced some cardiovascular risk factors, including waist circumference and bad cholesterol. As it turns out, even when people get weight loss surgery, “three years out, there is significant weight gain,” Li said. When a weight loss drug like this is prescribed to patients, that shouldn’t be the end of things, Li said.

That loyal inner circle has not only strengthened Xi’s hold on power – but also tightened his grip over China’s future. In the eyes of Xi, China is closer than ever to achieving its dream of “national rejuvenation” and reclaiming its rightful place in the world. What he decides to do – and how he goes about doing it – will have a profound impact on the world. Under Xi, Beijing has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan, sending warplanes and conducting military drills near the island. Xi continues to back a costly zero-Covid policy that keeps borders heavily restricted and regularly sends its cities into lockdown – dragging down China’s economic growth.

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