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☆ Factbox: China's major germanium and gallium producers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China produces around 60% of the world's germanium, or 180 metric tons in 2022, and over 90% of the world's gallium, about 606 tons last year, according to research firm Antaike. YUNNAN GERMANIUM, AN ESTABLISHED PRODUCERHeadquartered in southwest China's Yunnan province, Yunnan Lincang Xinyuan Germanium Industry Co. Ltd. (002428.SZ) extracts germanium from its own germanium mines and germanium-containing lignite coal mines. It has an annual capacity of 47.6 metric tons of germanium ingot, 60 tons of germanium tetrahydride - used to build 5G infrastructure - and 300,000 germanium wafers for solar cells. CHINALCO, A MAJOR GALLIUM PRODUCERState aluminium giant Chinalco has three gallium production plants, one each in central China's Henan and southwestern Guangxi and Guizhou provinces. It has annual production capacity of 200 metric tons of gallium metal and produced 146 metric tons in 2022.

Persons: Duan Xiangdong, Hope, Zhuzhou, Dominique Patton, David Evans Organizations: . Ltd, Aluminum Corporation of China, Zhuhai Fangyuan, Xing'an, Gallium, AXT Inc, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, YUNNAN, China's Yunnan, Yunnan, China's Henan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Shanghai, Zhuzhou, China's Hunan, Zhuhai, Guangdong, Shanxi, Nanjing, U.S, Beijing

☆ China's capital grapples with scorching summer heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Beijing’s temperature soared past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) again Thursday, as the Chinese capital grapples with what is shaping up to be one the most severe heat waves on record. China has been gripped by scorching heat waves for weeks, which authorities said had arrived earlier and been more widespread and extreme than in previous years. People shield themselves from the sun amid extreme heat on July 5, 2023 in Beijing. The persistent heat waves have put huge stress on the country’s power grids as demand for air-conditioning soared, with some local governments urging companies and residents to curb the usage of electricity. As the climate crisis intensifies, scientists say dangerous, record heat waves are set to become more frequent and more severe.

Persons: Tianyong Jia, heatstroke, Niño, El Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, heatstroke, China News Service, Beijing Daily, World Meteorological Organization, El Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Northern China, Hebei, Henan, Hunan, 17.18C

☆ Explainer: How is extreme weather testing China's climate resilience?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

BEIJING, July 5 (Reuters) - Dramatic swings between extreme heat and intense rainfall are testing China's ability to cope with increasingly wild weather, as high temperatures challenge power grids and water security while floods ruin crops and threaten urban populations. The average number of high-temperature days stood at 4.1 in January-June, already higher than the full-year average of 2.2 days. Heatwaves spur demand for electricity to cool homes, malls and offices, taxing power supply and even triggering blackouts. Factories also shut when power demand exceeds supply to meet demand from residential and non-industrial users. The southern province of Hunan, which produces around 13% of China's rice, has been hit by continuous rain since late June.

Persons: Qiaoyi Li, Ethan Wang, Qin, Ryan Woo, Andrew Hayley, David Stanway, Sonali Paul Organizations: Factories, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, Yunnan province, Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhengzhou, Guangxi, CHINA

☆ China's May Day holiday spending exceeds pre-pandemic levels for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Holiday spending during China’s Golden Week has surged past pre-pandemic levels for the first time in three years, in a sign the country’s travelers have fully emerged from the depths of Covid-related restrictions and are eager to live large to make up for lost time. Alipay, the country’s biggest digital payment app, reported a 200% increase in online holiday spending from a year earlier. “The fact that domestic tourism spending is now back to 2019 levels suggests that the reopening boost to consumer spending has largely run its course,” said Capital Economics analysts in a Thursday report. “The swift recovery in in-person services has been the major driver of China’s post-Covid recovery this year,” they said. However, “the lackluster property recovery, a global slowdown and rising geopolitical conflict remain major challenges for China’s recovery to be sustained.”

☆ Off-the-radar destinations every China visitor should consider
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

JingdezhenLarge chimneys, used for firing porcelain, dot the skyline of Jingdezhen city. gui yong nian/Adobe StockDubbed the porcelain capital of the world, Jingdezhen has been firing quality pieces of “white gold” for more than 1,700 years. For a crash course in the city’s porcelain history, visit the newly built and photogenic Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum of China. LinhaiLinhai's historic city wall stretches more than 6,000 meters in length. Food aside, travelers should leave time to admire this historic city that dates back more than 2,000 years.

☆ China to boost support for high-end manufacturing - Premier Li
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Chinese Premier Li Qiang waves as he leaves a news conference following the closing session of the National People's Congress (NPC), at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/PoolBEIJING, March 22 (Reuters) - China will strengthen its policy guidance to support advanced manufacturing, Premier Li Qiang was quoted as saying by state radio on Wednesday. China will create a market-oriented, legal and international business environment and strengthen the policy guidance to support advanced manufacturing, said Li. Li visited the southern province of Hunan from March 21-22 and hosted a forum on the development of advanced manufacturing, according to state radio. Reporting by Liangping Gao and Ryan Woo; Editing by Toby Chopra and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-Viral clip shows tree catkins, not ‘rain of worms’ in China - scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A viral clip online likely shows the catkins, or flower spikes, of poplar trees covering cars in northern China, not a “rain of worms” as social media posts and some news reports have claimed, experts told Reuters. One tweet saying: “China citizens told to find shelter after it looked like it started to rain worms” has been viewed more than 18 million times at the time of writing (here). There can be thousands of poplar catkins per tree, Claire Thomas Federici, a botanist and plant geneticist at the University of California, Riverside (here), said by email. China has a “distinctively rich” variety of trees in the poplar family, particularly in northern China, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (here), (here). Experts say the video from China likely shows catkins from poplar trees instead of a “rain” of worms or caterpillars.

☆ General Motors' China business is hurting, and it's not just because of Covid
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

He purchased his Nio over models from rival Chinese automakers Xpeng , Li Auto and IM Motors. GM's operations in the country are much larger than those of its crosstown rival Ford Motor, for example. Equity income from GM's Chinese operations and joint ventures has fallen 67% since its peak of more than $2 billion in 2014 and 2015. And the rising quality of domestic-made electric vehicles helped support — and tap — growing nationalistic pride among China's consumers. In February, Ford named Sam Wu, a former Whirlpool executive who joined the automaker in October, as president and chief executive of its China operations, starting March 1.

☆ As parliament meets, China keeps would-be protesters at bay
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Engen Tham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Demonstrators hold up signs during a protest over the freezing of deposits by some rural-based banks, outside a People's Bank of China building in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China July 10, 2022, in this screengrab from video obtained by Reuters. Text in foreground reads, "Henan Bank, return to us our legal deposits! The people's life-saving deposits!" China has a low tolerance for group displays of discontent, even if anger is not directed against the government. Some of those who spoke with Reuters declined to use their full names due to the sensitivity of the matter.

☆ How China's millionaire crowd stacks up against America's, in wealth, spending, and how they made their fortunes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

China has 780,000 millionaires, while the US has nearly 7 times that. Visual China Group via Getty Images/Visual China Group via Getty ImagesWhile China and the US are comparable in nominal GDP, there are far more wealthy individuals in America than in China. That data came from a wealth report by the consultancy Henley & Partners, published in 2023. "America is in a league of its own, with three times the total wealth of China and seven times as many dollar millionaires," the report said. The US has 9,630 centimillionaires, or people with a net worth of $100 million or higher, and 770 billionaires, according to the firm.

☆ China has to figure out how to care for 400 million people over the age of 60 by 2040 — and it's off to a rocky start
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

By 2040, it's expected to have 400 million people above the age of 60 — more people than in the entire US. "It's obvious that relying on contributions from medical insurance schemes to fund age care services is not likely to be viable in the longer term," she said. Alzheimer's is quickly rising as a concern in China, Luk said. "Is China aging rapidly? Beijing has been pressuring the private sector into building daycare centers, wards, and other age care infrastructure to shore up gaps in local government finances, Gu said.

☆ China issues heavy fog warnings, some shipping suspended
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Feb 7 (Reuters) - China issued dangerous heavy fog warnings for many regions and shipping was suspended in the Qiongzhou Strait, an important economic transport hub near Hainan, according to state and local media on Tuesday. China has a four-tier, color-coded weather-warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Multiple areas in China's southeastern Fujian also issued alerts for heavy fog, with ferry crossings between Xiamen and Zhangzhou suspended, according to CCTV. Fog will continue in the mornings and evenings of Qiongzhou Strait until Friday, and conditions for navigation will be poor, CCTV reported citing the national weather forecast bureau. In December, one person was killed when more than 200 vehicles were involved in a pile-up on a bridge in China's central Zhengzhou city due to heavy fog.

☆ China's cities are struggling to pay their bills from three years of Covid and a real estate crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Rolling lockdowns seriously dented household incomes, leading many to reduce spending, which in turn resulted in less tax revenue for local governments. “China’s runaway local debt poses a serious threat to the country’s overall economic health and will weigh heavily on China’s still-nascent recovery,” said Singleton. Debt that is backed by local governments but which doesn’t show up on their balance sheets could be much bigger. That’s more than 20% higher than the estimate of 53 trillion yuan made by Goldman Sachs in 2021. Their debt squeeze could pose a serious threat to China’s financial system, particularly to small regional banks.

☆ Covid Hits China’s Rural Poor: ‘The Impact on the Village Economy Is Huge’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Brian Spegele | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SHAZHOU, China—For years, thousands of tourists flocked almost daily to this village in China’s southern Hunan province—an early stronghold of the Communist forces during the country’s civil war—to steep themselves in revolutionary history. Pandemic-related travel restrictions and lockdowns over the past 12 months slowed that flow to a trickle. China moved this year to drop the curbs but the wave of Covid infections that followed has caused continued disruptions, Shazhou residents say.

☆ Instant View: China's economy slows sharply in Q4, 2022 growth one of the worst on record
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

As a result, the Chinese economic growth rate will be below the Chinese government's target of 5% plus." This could weigh on their potential economic growth in the mid-and long-term, and we really need to be paying attention to that." MARCO SUN, CHIEF FINANCIAL MARKET ANALYST, MUFG BANK (CHINA), SHANGHAI"China's Q4 and full-year 2022 GDP growth rates came in higher than expected. Economic growth will have to depend more on productivity growth, which is driven by government policies." IRIS PANG, GREATER CHINA ECONOMIST, ING, HONG KONG"The biggest surprise is the retail sales number, which is really a big beat...

[1/4] People wait in line at a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test centre in Xinyang, China, this still image obtained from social media video released December 15, 2022. China reported 2,157 new symptomatic COVID-19 infections for Dec. 15 compared with 2,000 a day. There is particular concern about China's hinterland in the run up to China's Lunar New Year holiday starting on Jan. 22. The COVID scare in China also led people in Hong Kong, Macau and in some neighbourhoods in Australia to go in search for fever medicines and test kits for family and friends on the mainland. JP Morgan on Friday revised down its expectations for China's 2022 growth to 2.8%, which is well below China's official target of 5.5% and would mark one of China's worst performances in almost half a century.

☆ Pelosi knew how to deal with Trump because she raised 5 kids and the ex-president 'was a child,' Schumer said
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Pelosi's experience as a mom helped her deal with Trump, Schumer told CNN. Pelosi said Trump and Schumer 'understood each other' because they're both New Yorkers. And that's what helped her deal with Trump, because he ultimately was a child." During the interview, Schumer sat down with Pelosi for a dinner of Chinese food with CNN's Jamie Gangel. In the CNN interview, Schumer said he and Pelosi were able to get Trump to say that he would take ownership of the shutdown.

☆ A train passenger was ordered to pay $475 in damages for reclining his seat without notifying the person behind him
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A student's laptop was damaged after a fellow rail passenger unexpectedly reclined his seat. The student, identified as Wang, successfully sued the passenger, identified as Liu, for about $475. The court ruled that Liu neglected his obligation to tell Wang that he planned to recline his seat. Wang demanded Liu pay him 4,788 yuan to compensate for repair costs, taxis to the repair shop, and disruption to his journey. This week, the Xiangyin County People's Court ordered Liu to pay Wang 3,341 yuan, or about $475.

The flurry of deals comes even as warnings emerge that lithium prices, driven to records by rapid growth in electric vehicles, may peak next year because of a looming supply glut. It also bought majority stakes in the Lakkor Tso Lithium Salar mine in China's Tibet region and the Xiangyuan lithium mine in Hunan province. Zijin has a market capitalisation of about $35 billion and net profit of 15.7 billion yuan ($2.2 billion) last year. Some firms are also working to develop alternative battery materials, which could reduce lithium demand in the long term. Zijin told investors recently it made its mine acquisitions based on lithium carbonate prices of 100,000 yuan a tonne.

☆ Chinese automaker Geely's new energy brand Farizon raises over $300 mln
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING/HONG KONG, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Chinese automaker Geely's new energy vehicle subsidiary on Wednesday said its brand Farizon has raised over $300 million from a funding round led by Asian logistics firm Global Logistics Properties' (GLP) investment arm Hidden Hill Capital. The new capital raise, which involves other investors such as Chinese logistics and chemical group Transfar and an investment firm backed by major Chinese investment bank CITIC Securities, came as Geely stepped up its new energy vehicle development. Hangzhou-based Geely Holding Group, owner of Zhejiang Geely New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group which sells Farizon, is known globally with its investments in Volvo Cars and Mercedes-Benz. Farizon will use much of the funding "for research & development and ecosystem development, in order to further consolidate its market-leading position in new energy commercial vehicles," Zhejiang Geely New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group said in a statement. Geely New Energy Commercial Vehicle did not disclose Farizon's valuation in the statement.

DEBT STRESSTreasury bond quotas could be increased, so that some of them could be transferred to local governments to ease their fiscal stress, said Luo Zhiheng, chief macroeconomic analyst at Yuekai Securities. Combined with some maturing debts of local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) - investment companies that build infrastructure projects - this year and the next will be most stressful for local governments, he said. According to financial media outlet Yicai, local governments' revenue from fines and confiscations jumped 10.4% in January-July year-on-year. The fiscal stress is cutting into some households' income, a red flag for consumption and broader growth. As there is no way out, they have had to ask the local government fiscal department for money."

☆ Best Chinese food: 32 must-try dishes
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

Dan dan noodlesIt’s nearly impossible to dislike China’s soul-comforting dan dan mian, or dan dan noodles. Dan dan noodles are named after the way they were originally sold more than 100 years ago – on a dan dan, a carrying pole, by street hawkers. Some think dan dan noodles should contain a dry mix of noodles, made with minced meat, chopped scallions, spices, crushed peanuts and various sauces. Others disagree, preferring dan dan noodles in a hot, spicy, salty and nutty broth albeit with similar ingredients. Similar to Hainanese chicken rice, the Wenchang version is often served with yellow chicken fat rice and chicken soup.

Persons: –, It’s, Dan, mian, jiao, you’ve, Ding Baozeng, Ding Gongbao, Ding, Hanyuan, cai, hei, Jian bing, jian bing, bing guozi, Chen, chow, Su Dongpo, China’s, zhu, Shui zhu, zhu niu, Bao Bao, bao, jian bao, Rou jia, xin, cheung, yun cheung, Laap cheung, Yun cheung, Congee, Chaozhou Organizations: CNN, Adobe, Adobe Stock Locations: China, Peking, Nanjing, Beijing, Govan, –, Sichuan, Hunan, Shandong province, Fujian, Hainan, Malaysia, Pidu, It’s, Tianjin, Chen, Shunde district, Shaanxi, Fuding county, Ningbo

☆ Explozie spectaculoasă a unui pod din China (VIDEO)
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-29 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: 1 min

Printr-o explozie controlată, a fost distrus un pod nefuncţional din provincia chineză Hunan. New China TV a difuzat momentul exploziei pe Twitter. Construcția, cu o lungime de 250 de metri și o lăţime de 10 metri, a fost evaluată ca una nesigură din cauza numeroaselor reparații. Ca urmare a exploziei, bucăți din pod au fost aruncate la zeci de metri distanţă, iar mijlocul acestuia s-a scufundat în întregime în apă. Un nou pod peste râu a fost construit în apropiere şi deja este dat în exploatare.

Organizations: New Locations: chineză Hunan, New China

Chinezii din provinciile Hunan, Jiangxi (centru) şi Zhejiang (est) sunt afectaţi de aceste restricţii atât acasă, cât și la muncă, potrivit presei şi autorităţilor locale. Lifturile, oprite pentru economie de curentLa începutul lunii decembrie, provincia Hunan a decretat stingerea, timp de mai multe ore pe zi, a iluminatului clădirilor şi a limitat încălzirea în locurile de divertisment. În provincia Zhejiang, uzinele au primit ordinul de a opri producţia, iar sistemul public de iluminat a fost oprit pe perioada nopţii pentru a reduce emisiile, susţin mass media şi internauţii. Obiectivele de mediu ale ChineiAceste incidente ilustrează provocările cu care se confruntă o China în plină dezvoltare, constrânsă să realizeze un echilibru între nevoile populaţiei sale şi angajamentele în materie de mediu. Însă tensiunile dintre China şi Australia au declanşat îngrijorări pe pieţele de materii prime, ceea ce a dus la creşterea preţului cărbunelui în China”, susţine Yan Qin, analist la Refinitiv.

Persons: Lauri, Autorităţile, Celsius, susţine Yan Locations: Hunan, Jiangxi, Helsinki, Zhejiang, China, Chinei, Beijing, Canberra, Australia

☆ Vince Reffet, supranumit "omul zburător", a murit în timpul unui antrenament la Dubai
▼ + stars: | 2020-11-18 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Vince Reffet, supranumit "omul zburător", protagonistul unor reuşite spectaculoase alături de Fred Fugen, partenerul său din echipa "Soul Flyers" de zbor în costum cu aripi sau cu mini reactoare, a murit marţi într-un accident produs în timpul unui antrenament, a anunţat un purtător de cuvânt al Jetman Dubai, citat de AFP și agerpres.ro. "Cu o tristeţe de neimaginat anunţăm decesul pilotului Jetman Vincent (Vince) Reffet, care a decedat în această dimineaţă, la 17 noiembrie, în timpul antrenamentelor din Dubai", a declarat pentru AFP purtătorul de cuvânt al Jetman Dubai, Abdullah bin Habtoor. "Vince a fost un atlet talentat şi un membru mult iubit şi respectat al echipei noastre. Pentru a realiza acest lucru, Vince Reffet a fost echipat cu o aripă din fibră de carbon propulsată de patru mini-motoare cu reacţie. "Este ceva unic, suntem trei în lume (...) Tot ceea ce facem este ceva nou", a declarat cu entuziasm Vince Reffet într-un interviu acordat AFP în octombrie.

Persons: Vince Reffet, Fred Fugen, agerpres.ro, Jetman Vincent, Vince, Abdullah bin Habtoor, Jetman, Ahmed Al Shehhi Locations: Dubai, AFP, Hunan, Chinei

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