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☆ Don’t help Russia evade sanctions, Ukraine tells Hong Kong
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged Hong Kong to prevent Russia from using the Asian financial hub to bypass Western sanctions during a visit to the city on Thursday. Kuleba “called on the Hong Kong administration to take measures to prevent Russia and Russian companies from using Hong Kong to circumvent the restrictive measures imposed for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” according to a statement from Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry issued after the minister met with Hong Kong leader John Lee. “These restrictive measures are necessary to weaken Russia’s capacity to wage war and kill people in Ukraine,” it added. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong government told CNN on Friday that it “implements and strictly enforces” United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions. However, international companies based in Hong Kong, including Chinese banks, have generally adhered to US sanctions to avoid any risk of being frozen out of the dollar dominated global financial system.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Dmytro Kuleba, “, Hong, John Lee, Hong Kong, Wang Yi, ” Kuleba, Wang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong CNN — Ukraine’s, European Union, Hong, Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs, CNN, ” United Nations Security Council, UN, Assembly, UNSC, EU, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Kyiv, Beijing Locations: China, Hong Kong, Russia, United States, Ukraine, Russian, United Kingdom, Hong, Beijing, Moscow, Western, Guangzhou, Ukrainian

☆ China’s hosting Palestinian and Ukrainian delegations this week. But can it play peace broker in global conflicts?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s top diplomat Wang Yi has had a busy week in which two devastating conflicts have loomed large. Kuleba’s visit was the first time in the nearly 29 months of Russia’s war on Ukraine that a high-level Ukrainian official has visited China. Official statements from Beijing and Kyiv after Wednesday’s Wang-Kuleba talks gave no indication that the Ukrainian diplomat had swayed Beijing toward Kyiv’s vision for peace. Observers say Beijing could, at some point, play a role in any potential future talks, but is unlikely to shift its relationship with Russia. But it was met with some skepticism from observers in the region given the failure of past attempts at unity.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Wang Yi, Wang, Fatah, Dmytro Kuleba –, –, Kuleba, Beijing “, ” Wang, ”, Steve Tsang, Kuleba’s, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, Zelensky, Russia ”, Antony Blinken, Mahmoud al, Mussa Abu Marzuk, Pedro Pardo, Beijing’s, Wednesday’s Wang, ” Kuleba, Xi, Chong Ja Ian, Donald Trump, Trump’s, JD Vance, ” Chong, Jonathan Fulton Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hamas, Ukrainian, SOAS China Institute, University of London, Beijing, NATO, Central Committee, Fatah, China's, Getty, Foreign Ministry, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Kyiv, Observers, West, National University of Singapore, Republican, Global, ”, Palestinian, US State Department, West Bank ”, Atlantic Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Gaza, Ukraine, Russia, United States, Russian, Kyiv, Laos, AFP, Guangzhou, Ukrainian, Moscow, China’s, ” Russia, India, Brazil, Israel

☆ What to expect from Paris during the 2024 Summer Olympic Games
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Kyle Feldscher | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Paris CNN —The 2024 Summer Olympic Games formally get underway on Friday with an incredibly unique Opening Ceremony aimed at putting one of the world’s most famous cities on display. PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 24: A view of Trocadero Square, the venue for the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, on July 24, 2024 in Paris, France. The 2024 Summer Games were organized with a mind to put the entire French nation on display, including its more tropical territories. A Games focused on sustainabilityPARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 14: The Paris 2024 logo, representing the Olympic and Paralympic Games four months prior to the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games is displayed on the facade of Paris town hall on March 14, 2024 in Paris, France. The Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games takes place on Friday 26th July, along the River Seine.

Persons: Paris won’t, Pont Alexandre III, Sheng Jiapeng, they’re, It’s, Pascal Le Segretain, ”, Georgina Grenon, Paris ’, Laurent Michaud, Martin Rickett, –, Alexandre III Organizations: Paris CNN, Games, Eiffel, Concorde, Paris, China News Service, Getty, Covid, Paris Olympics, Chateauroux, Olympic, Paralympic Games, Paralympic, CNN Locations: Paris, France, of, Versailles, PARIS, FRANCE, Tokyo, China, Nice, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lyon, Tahiti, Seine

☆ China’s summer of devastating floods shows steep challenge as it grapples with extreme weather
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Joyce Jiang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Villagers clean rubbish after torrential rains caused flooding in Meizhou, Guangdong province of China on June 19. John Ricky/Anadolu/Getty ImagesA man drives through a muddy street in the aftermath of flooding from heavy storms in Meizhou, Guangdong province last month. “All my hard work for a year has come to nothing.”A road is flooded following heavy rainfall in Jiangxi province on July 4. China’s government has mounted a top-down effort to revamp how the country responds to extreme weather in recent years after 2021 floods in Henan’s Zhengzhou killed more than 300 people. But there have been past issues of misappropriation of state recovery funds, for example following the deadly 2021 floods in Zhengzhou.

Persons: John Ricky, –, Xi Jinping, it’s, “, Tingshu Wang, ”, Hongzhang Xu, Typhoon Doksuri, Li Zhao Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Getty, Communist Party, AFP, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management, Agricultural Television, Retailers, Workers, CNN Weather, ” Observers, Australian National University, Reuters, Greenpeace East, “ Locations: China, Hong Kong, sweltering Henan, Nanyang, speedboats, Meizhou, Guangdong province, Guangdong, AFP, Guangzhou province, Henan, Hunan, Lake, Henan’s Nanyang, Jiangxi province, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Hunan province's Changsha, Chongqing, Hainan, Zhengzhou, breadbasket, Jiangxi, Munich, Greenpeace East Asia, Beijing, –

☆ China economy and employment: People who used to work for major tech giants are now doing manual labor
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Chris Lau | Hassan Tayir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Li, 27, is part of a growing base of Chinese workers swapping high-pressure office jobs for flexible blue-collar work. But these firms are slowly losing their appeal as China’s economy faces headwinds including a property crisis, declining foreign investment and slumping consumption. The trend to move from professional to manual jobs comes amid surging demand for blue-collar workers, according to Chinese recruitment platform Zhaopin. And blue-collar workers’ pay has also gone up, attracting more people to jobs they might have previously avoided. Pressure of another kindBut some wonder if blue-collar work is truly the stress-free refuge people like Li and Wang imagine it to be.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Leon Li, ”, Li, “, Alice Wang, Wang, –, Larry Hu, Zhang Yuxiao, David Goodman, commenter Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, National Bureau of Statistics, Workers, NBS, University of Sydney’s China Studies Centre Locations: China, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Chengdu, –, Macquarie, Shanghai

☆ Selina Cheng: Hong Kong journalist says she was fired by WSJ after taking top post at union under attack by Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —A Wall Street Journal reporter in Hong Kong said she was fired after being elected to lead a press union that has come under attack by Beijing amid a national security crackdown. Selina Cheng, who was elected chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) on June 22, said in a statement posted Wednesday on X that she had been terminated from her job covering China’s car sector earlier in the day. Both Hong Kong officials and Beijing state media have accused it of siding with protesters during the anti-government demonstrations in 2019, a charge the association has denied. But critics have increasingly bemoaned the territory’s shrinking press freedoms since Beijing imposed a national security on Hong Kong after the 2019 protests. “The Wall Street Journal has been and continues to be a fierce and vocal advocate for press freedom in Hong Kong and around the world,” he said.

Persons: Selina Cheng, ” Cheng, “, ”, Hong Kong’s, Cheng, Gordon Fairclough, Emma Tucker, Evan Gershkovich Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong Journalists Association, Hong, CNN, The, CIA Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, London, Singapore, Russia

The fleet of 500 vehicles operating in the city belongs to Apollo Go, a unit of Chinese tech giant Baidu (BIDU). There have also been complaints from residents in Wuhan about traffic jams, as driverless cars fail to respond to traffic lights. Uncertainty over the safety and reliability of driverless cars has cast a long shadow over the industry in the US. Last week, authorities in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area started handing out licenses to driverless car operators, including Apollo Go and Alibaba-backed AutoX, according to state media China Daily. California-based startup Pony.ai, backed by Toyota and Saudi Arabia, was also given the green light to test driverless vehicles in the financial hub.

Persons: You’ll, ” Tu Le, robotaxi, Apollo Go’s, Apollo, Waymo, Elon Musk, Go Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Weibo, Baidu, Global Times, Sino, CNN, National Bureau of Statistics, Apollo Go, United, GM, Department of Justice, McKinsey, Pudong New Area, Toyota, Beijing Municipal Bureau of, Information Technology, People’s Daily Locations: China, Hong Kong, Wuhan, Weibo, United States, United Arab Emirates, California, Beijing, Shenzhen, Pudong, . California, Saudi Arabia, Bao’an district, People’s

☆ China probes companies for allegedly giving pregnancy tests to job seekers
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Joyce Jiang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —More than a dozen Chinese companies face legal action for allegedly asking job applicants to take pregnancy tests, state media has reported. Chinese law bans employers from administering pregnancy tests or discriminating against pregnant workers. In Nantong, authorities were tipped off by an online public litigation group, which said some employers in the city had given pregnancy tests to job seekers. Demographic crisisChina’s population has shrunk for two years in a row and its birth rate in 2023 was the lowest since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. Alarmed by the falling birth rate in recent years, the government scrapped the “one child” policy that was in place for 35 years.

Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Prosecutors, Employers, CNN, Population Research Locations: China, Hong Kong, Nantong, Jiangsu, People’s Republic, India

☆ China’s internet dominated by talk of Trump’s ‘luck’ and American ‘violence’ after attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Discussion of the assassination attempt, in which a gunman opened fire at a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening, dominated Chinese social media in the hours after the attack. Trump, who said he was shot in the ear, was declared safe following the incident. As shots rang out during his speech at the rally, the former president ducked to the ground and was covered by Secret Service agents. I bet (US President Joe) Biden would take ages to crouch down,” read one social media comment that got thousands of likes and appeared to allude to concerns about Biden’s age. There were also repeated links made between the attack and recurring instances of gun violence in the United States, which are often highlighted by Chinese state media as an example of the country’s failings.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Trump’s, “, Joe, Biden, crouch, ”, Shinzo Abe, Xi Jinping “, ” Biden, …, what’s, “ Chuan, “ Trump Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Trump, Weibo, Republican, Secret Service, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trump . State, Beijing, Sunday, Global Times, Washington Locations: China, Hong Kong, Pennsylvania, United States, Weibo, Trump, ”, Beijing, Russia

☆ China third plenum: Communist Party meets to set direction for troubled economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Stakes are high for the meeting, which takes place every five years and is known as China’s third plenum. It has historically been a platform for the party’s leadership to announce key economic reforms and policy directives. China’s gross domestic product expanded by 4.7% in the April to June months, compared to the previous year. But observers of China’s opaque political machine don’t believe there will be fundamental economic reforms this time around. Uncompleted residential buildings at a real estate project on the outskirts of Shenyang in China's Liaoning province earlier this year.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Xi Jinping, Xi, , Xi’s, Andrea Verdelli, They’ll, ”, Neil Thomas, Jing Qian, Li Shangfu, Qin Gang, Li Yuchao, Xu Zhongbo Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, West, Reuters, party’s Central, US, Congress, Bloomberg, Getty, Observers, ” Asia Society Center, China, Tech, EU, Central Committee, Foreign, People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Europe, party’s, Shenyang, China's Liaoning, China's Shandong

☆ NATO allies call China a ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia in Ukraine war as bloc eyes Asia security threats
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Hong Kong CNN —China is a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine, NATO leaders said Wednesday, as the defense alliance hardens its stance on Beijing and the “systemic challenges” they say it poses to their countries’ security. For the third consecutive year, leaders of New Zealand, Japan and South Korea attended the NATO leaders’ summit in another sign of closer ties between the bloc and those countries, as well as Australia. NATO’s increasing focus on AsiaThe NATO leaders’ declaration is the latest step in what has been the bloc’s gradual hardening of tone on China in recent years. NATO leaders first mentioned the need to jointly address “opportunities and challenges” posed by China in a 2019 declaration, before moving to refer to “systemic challenges” the country poses in 2021. “The Indo-Pacific is important for NATO, given that developments in that region directly affect Euro-Atlantic security,” the leaders said in their declaration.

Persons: ”, Joe Biden, China’s, “, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Bobylov, –, Putin, Kim Jong Un Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, NATO, US, ’, Getty Images China, Union, European Union, EU, Wednesday, North Locations: China, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Beijing, Washington, Russia, Moscow, North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Russian, ”, North Korea, Iran, Pyongyang, Tehran, North, Pacific

☆ China food safety scandal: Cooking oil carried in same trucks as fuel, report claims
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Joyce Jiang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Experts quoted in official media also discussed health hazards of the alleged practices. “Using chemical tankers for edible oils will inevitably result in residual contamination,” said Liu Shaowei, a food safety expert cited by CCTV. Several executives found to be responsible for the 2008 case were ultimately handed death sentences, and the tragedy drove deep mistrust of domestic products and food safety in China. Another case in 2022, also exposed by state media, showed how “dirty” pickled cabbage was supplied to popular instant noodle brands. Xi has repeatedly stressed the importance of food safety and the security of grain and food staple supplies.

Persons: Xi Jinping, –, ”, Liu Shaowei, Liu, ’, ‘, Xi, ” Xi, Yanzhong Huang, Huang, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Oil Group, Council, CCTV, ” Communist Party, Weibo, Monday, CNN, Food Safety, Foreign Relations Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Communist, New York

☆ Hong Kong's IPO market is finally starting to turn around, consulting firm EY says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing celebrates the 24th anniversary of its listing on June 21, 2024. "We are seeing more of these [U.S. dollar] funds, they are moving back to Hong Kong. "I would say if the interest rate can be further cut down, 1% maybe, that would have a significant effect on the IPO market," Chan said. Hong Kong IPO returns are improving. "These things added together are projecting an upward trend for the Hong Kong market [in the] next 5 years."

Persons: George Chan, Chan, EY, Hong Kong, Marcia Ellis, Morrison Foerster, Hong Kong IPOs, China IPOs, Bonnie Chan, EY's George Chan, EY's Chan Organizations: Hong Kong Exchanges, China News Service, Getty, CNBC, Information, HK, China Securities Regulatory, Hong Kong . Investors, U.S . Federal Reserve, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Hong, Hong Kong Locations: BEIJING, Hong Kong, China, U.S, Shanghai, Hong, Greater China

☆ China’s ‘military readiness’ questioned with dramatic downfall of two defense ministers
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

At the height of their careers, former defense ministers Li and Wei often struck a tough tone before the world’s top military officials. Former Defense Ministers Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe have both been expelled from the Communist Party over corruption allegations. Most of the generals dismissed or disappeared without explanation last year were linked to the Rocket Force or military equipment, including Li and Wei. An engineer by training, the 66-year-old spent decades launching rockets and satellites in southwest China before being promoted to the PLA headquarters to deal with military equipment procurement. “The gun barrel must always be held in the hands of those who are loyal and reliable to the party,” Xi told the PLA elites.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Xi, Li Shangfu, Wei Fenghe, Xi Jinping, Li, Wei, “, James Char, ”, Former Defense Ministers Li Shangfu, Wei’s, Joel Wuthnow, ” Wuthnow, ” Char, Weidong, Char, Jason Lee, Xu Caihou, Guo Boxiong, Xu, Guo, Wuthnow, Jiang Zemin, haven’t, ” Wei, Li “, Bill Bishop, ” Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Former Defense Ministers, AP, Reuters, Rocket Force, Development Department, Second Artillery Corps, Pentagon, National Defense University, CCP, China’s Naval University of Engineering, Central Military Commission, Military, People's, CMC, Communist Locations: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, United States, Singapore, People's Republic of China, Beijing, Yan’an

☆ Younger generations of Asians are spending big on art
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Lucy Handley | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Younger, wealthy shoppers in Asia are splashing their cash on art, according to a longtime collector and senior auction house executive. Chen Yongnuo | China News Service | Getty ImagesAnd, while the size of the global art market fell 4% last year to around $65 billion, according to the Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report 2024, sales in China rose by 9% in 2023, overtaking the U.K. as the world's second-largest art market. For Sotheby's, the rise in younger buyers is driven in part by an increase in online activity. "The definition of digital art nowadays has been expanded from simply photography to video art to NFTs to AI-generated art," she told CNBC's "Art of Appreciation." "With the younger generations becoming more and more prominent in the market ... digital artists ... will be the group of artists getting more attention," Siyang-Le added.

Persons: Nicolas Chow, Gen X, we've, X, Chow, CNBC's, Z, Gen, Yoshitomo Nara, Chen Yongnuo, Clare McAndrew, Angelle, Mak2, Li Zhihua Organizations: …, —, Art Basel, UBS Survey, China News Service, UBS Art, Arts Economics, Survey, Art, CNBC's, Getty Locations: Asia, Shanghai, millennials, Christie's Hong Kong, Sotheby's Hong Kong, China, Hong Kong, Art Basel Hong Kong

☆ Two Adidas employees out in China corruption probe
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Two employees have left Adidas as a result of an ongoing investigation by the German sportswear brand into allegations of corruption in China. Chinese state media outlet Economic View reported Wednesday that both former employees had worked in marketing for Adidas China. The allegations against Adidas executives were contained in an unsigned letter from people calling themselves employees of Adidas China. Greater China — a region that encompasses mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan — accounts for 15% of the company’s sales. In mainland China, Adidas is the second-largest international sportswear brand behind Nike (NKE).

Persons: ” Claudia Lange, “, ”, Jiemian, Lange, Yang Mi, Yi, Fred Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Adidas, “, Adidas China, CNN, Nike Locations: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Beijing

☆ Li Qiang warns against ‘vicious cycle’ of China decoupling from the West
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 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. Hong Kong CNN —Chinese Premier Li Qiang has warned against a “vicious cycle” of economic decoupling from the West, as Beijing struggles to contain rising global pushback over soaring electric vehicle (EV) exports. This will “drag countries … into a vicious cycle of scrambling for a cake that becomes smaller and smaller,” Li added. Last month, the Biden administration quadrupled tariffs on EV imports from China, from 25% to 100%, aiming to protect American jobs and manufacturing. Chinese EV sales to the United States are tiny.

Persons: Li Qiang, Li, ”, China’s, Xi Jinping, Biden Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, EV, European Union, Reuters, EU, Global Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Dalian, Canada, Beijing’s “, United States, European

☆ Huawei Harmony OS: Flashpoint in US-China tech rivalry is again a force to reckon with
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Huawei is in the midst of one of the most stunning comebacks in the history of the tech industry. The Chinese giant, which has been a flashpoint in the escalating rivalry between Washington and Beijing, says more than 900 million smartphones now use its in-house operating system Harmony OS. Harmony, which is called “Hongmeng” in Chinese, was first unveiled in 2019, months after Huawei was placed on a US trade blacklist that barred American firms from selling tech and software to the Chinese tech company without a license. The US ban prevented companies like Google (GOOGL) from supplying new Huawei devices with its version of Android OS. Sales of the iPhone began bouncing back in May, after the company aggressively cut prices in its largest overseas market.

Persons: ” Richard Yu, It’s, Yu, Huawei’s Organizations: CNN, Huawei, Google, Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Research Locations: China, Washington, Beijing, Shenzhen

☆ China is watching warily as Putin and Kim forge new ‘alliance’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Putin said Russia and North Korea have ramped up ties to a “new level.” Kim, meanwhile, called the new “alliance” a “watershed moment” in bilateral relations. In contrast, the reaction from China, the main political and economic patron for both Russia and North Korea, has been all but muted. “But they do know that China plays an irreplaceable role for both Russia and North Korea,” she said. China remains the largest trade partner to both Russia and North Korea, providing a crucial lifeline to the heavily sanctioned economies. “China doesn’t think that an alliance between Russia and North Korea would be a betrayal,” said Liu with the City University of Hong Kong.

Persons: Vladimir Putin glided, Kim Jong, Xi Jinping, Kim, Putin, ” Kim, Xi, Liu Dongshu, Liu, Kim Jong Un, ” Liu, Beijing doesn’t, Alexander Ryumin, ”, Edward Howell, Russia –, ” Yun Sun Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Benz, China’s Foreign, City University of Hong, KCNA, North Korea Treaty, Cooperation, Mutual Assistance, Getty, –, University of Oxford, North, Stimson Locations: China, Hong Kong, Pyongyang, Beijing, North Korea, Russia, United States, Japan, South Korea, Ukraine, Northeast Asia, City University of Hong Kong, Soviet Union, Friendship, North, Korean, Russian, Iran, Moscow, United Kingdom, Washington

☆ Apple’s new China problem: ChatGPT is banned there
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Apple is banking on its upcoming AI features to boost iPhone sales especially in China, where demand has been lagging. But there’s a problem: ChatGPT — soon to be integrated into Siri — is banned in China. But China is one of the first countries in the world to regulate the generative AI technology that powers these popular services. Resurgent competitorsMeanwhile, Chinese smartphone brand Huawei’s smartphone sales growth was 70% in the first quarter, according to Counterpoint Research. In other parts of the world, Samsung uses its own propriety AI technology, along with Google’s (GOOGL) AI model Gemini, which is also banned in China.

Persons: ChatGPT —, Siri —, OpenAI, Siri, ChatGPT, hasn’t, —, ”, Nabila Popal, ” Popal, what’s, Reece Hayden, Apple wouldn’t, Jeff Fieldhack, they’d Organizations: CNN, Apple, Apple Intelligence, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Samsung, Cyberspace Administration, Wall, IDC, Research, IDC Research, ABI Research, China, Baidu Locations: China

☆ Chinese cities desperate for cash are chasing companies for taxes — some from the 1990s
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Last year, the soy milk seller made a net profit of only 209 million yuan ($29 million). And it’s still unsure how much it owes in fines, which could be potentially higher than the actual $11.7 million tax bill. Including fines, the company needed to pay a total amount of 480 million yuan ($66 million). The amounts paid vary from 8 million yuan ($1.1 million) to 310 million yuan ($43 million). It said in January that the Shenzhen government had asked for payment of 19.8 million yuan ($2.7 million) in back taxes for 2017 and 20.2 million yuan ($2.8 million) in fines.

Persons: they’ve, ”, Craig Singleton, Frank Tian Xie, ” Singleton, it’s, ” Bohui, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Authorities, Food & Beverage, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Administration of Taxation, “ Police, Taxation, Centers ”, University of South, University of South Carolina Aiken, Ningbo Bohui Chemical Technology, Healthcare, ChinaLin Securities, Yixintang Pharmaceutical Group Locations: China, Hong Kong, Zhijiang, Hubei, Yichun, Jiangxi, University of South Carolina, “, ” Beijing, Ningbo, Qinghai, Golmud, Chongqing, Shanghai, Shenzhen

☆ Alfa Bank: US-sanctioned Russian banking giant expands in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Laura He | Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong/London CNN —Battered by Western sanctions, Russia’s largest privately owned bank is expanding its business in the world’s second-largest economy. That would make the lender the first private Russian bank to open full-service branches in the two major Chinese cities. The bank is part of Alfa Group, one of Russia’s largest financial and investment conglomerates, which was founded by Fridman. Alfa Bank made a loss of 117.1 billion rubles ($1.44 billion) in 2022, according to its annual report for that year. A year later, it seemed to bounce back, reporting profit of 120.9 billion rubles ($1.4 billion) for 2023.

Persons: Mikhail Fridman, hasn’t, Fridman Organizations: London CNN, Alfa Bank, CNN, Alfa Group, European, Moscow, Hong Kong Equity Investment Association Locations: China, Hong Kong, London, Russian, Beijing, Shanghai, Ukraine, United States, Russia, Italy, Western

☆ Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway dumps BYD shares following rise in trade tension over Chinese EVs
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has further cut its large stake in BYD, which vies with Tesla as the world’s largest electric car (EV) maker, as global trade tensions escalate over Chinese EVs. The sale was valued at 310.5 million Hong Kong dollars ($40 million). BYD shares had closed at a record high in June of that year. In 2008, Berkshire spent $230 million in buying BYD shares at an average of HK$8 ($1.02) apiece. Berkshire still holds 75.7 million Hong Kong-listed shares of BYD, which were worth about 17.6 billion Hong Kong dollars ($2.3 billion) by Tuesday.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Warren, Berkshire Hathaway, Tesla, Buffett, Daniel Acker, Biden, Wang Chuanfu, Elon Musk’s Tesla, didn’t, Charlie Munger, Munger “, ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong, Berkshire, Bloomberg, Getty, European Union, European Commission, EU, EV, HK, CNN Locations: China, Hong Kong, BYD, European, Europe, Beijing, United States, Shenzhen, Berkshire

☆ Adidas is investigating allegations of embezzlement and kickbacks in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Laura He | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Adidas says it has started an investigation into allegations of “compliance violations” in China, a key market for its sportswear. The reported complaint alleged that a senior executive in Greater China who manages Adidas’ marketing budget had embezzled millions of euros and taken huge kickbacks from external advertising and celebrity agencies. Greater China — a region that encompasses mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan — contributes 15% of the company’s sales. In mainland China, Adidas is the second largest international sportswear brand behind Nike (NKE). Adidas is well known for playing the “celebrity” card in its marketing in China.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Jiemian, Claudia Lange, ”, Lange, ’, Taiwan —, —, Yang Mi, Yi Yangqianxi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong CNN — Adidas, Adidas China, CNN, Adidas, Nike Locations: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Beijing, Xinjiang

☆ China’s property prices are still plunging despite government efforts to rescue the market
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Prices in 70 major cities were down 0.7% in May from April, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) figures showed on Monday. According to separate calculations by the Macquarie Group, prices of existing homes in those cities fell by 7.5% year-on-year last month, marking the biggest decline on record. A month ago, Beijing unveiled wide-ranging measures to rescue the crisis-hit property market, including asking local governments across the country to buy unsold homes from beleaguered developers and easing rules on purchases. Measures, including efforts to provide cheap loans to state-owned enterprises for buying unsold homes from distressed developers, will “take time” to have an impact on the property market, the analysts said. Property investment for the first five months of the year dropped 10.1% from a year ago, according the NBS on Monday.

Persons: ”, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Bureau of Statistics, Macquarie Group, Societe Generale, NBS, Labor, Macquarie, HSBC, Communist Party Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing

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