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☆ Chinese authorities crack down on dogs after a Rottweiler mauls a toddler. But some say they’ve gone too far
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —A shocking video of a Rottweiler mauling a 2-year-old girl in China has prompted a crackdown by local authorities on stray dogs that some argue has now gone too far. Since then, local authorities in a raft of provinces including Shandong, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Hunan, Anhui have stepped up law enforcement, some more heavy-handed than others. Stray dogs are the main targets, but pets who are unleashed can also be subject to control measures. The country is home to 40 million stray dogs, according to the 2021 China Pet Industry white paper. In defense of stray dogsThis is not the first time Chinese authorities have been accused of being heavy-handed with animals.

Persons: netizens, ”, Kevin Frayer, Xiao Huang, Shepherd, Cya Liu, “, Bo Ai Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Authorities, Weibo, Industry, Beijing, Hong Kong, Bo Ai Animal Protection Locations: Hong Kong, China, Chongzhou, China’s, Sichuan, Shandong, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Hunan, Anhui, Beijing, Yanzhou, Chongqing, Weibo, Shanghai, Guangyuan

☆ China's Sept industrial profits extend gains helped by policy support
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Gabriel Crossley/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Profits at China's industrial firms extended gains for a second month in September, adding to signs of a stabilising economy as the authorities launched a burst of supportive policy measures. For the first nine months, profits slid 9% from a year earlier, narrowing from a 11.7% decline in the first eight months, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Friday. A fall in producer prices last month indicated that some industrial firms were still cutting prices to promote sales, putting a drag on overall industrial revenues and profits, Zhou said. The improvement in industrial profits is expected to sustain in the coming months, partly due to the lag effect in domestic macro pump-priming, he added. Industrial profit numbers cover firms with annual revenues of at least 20 million yuan ($2.73 million) from their main operations.

Persons: Gabriel Crossley, Yu Weining, Zhou Maohua, Zhou, Pan Gongsheng, Qiaoyi Li, Ryan Woo, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: II, REUTERS, Rights, National Bureau of Statistics, Graphics, NBS, China Everbright Bank, Thomson Locations: Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ China's fighter jet fleet is growing in size and appears to have made a big jump in capability, new Pentagon report shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US Department of Defense released its annual China Military Power Report to Congress last week. The Chinese fighter jet fleet appears to have not only grown in size but, more importantly, also in overall capability. AdvertisementAdvertisementA new report from the Pentagon details China's expanding military power, including the growth of its fighter jet fleet, which appears to have also experienced a jump in capability. The Pentagon's report notes that China's fighter jet fleet has both expanded and apparently improved. CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty ImagesExamples of China's fourth-generation fighter aircraft include the Chengdu J-10, Shenyang J-16, and Shenyang J-15.

Persons: —, Xi, Liu Dawei, they've, Matthew P, Funaiole Organizations: of Defense, China, Service, US Department of Defense, People's Liberation Army, PLA, PLA Air Force, PLA Navy, PLAN, PLAN Aviation, DoD, The Air Force, Air, Air Force Aviation University, CFOTO, Publishing, Getty, Shenyang J, 14th China International Aviation, Aerospace Exhibition, Pentagon, China Power Project, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: People's Republic of China, China, United States, Nanjing, Jiangsu province, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Fujian, Chengdu, Shenyang, Chinese, Liaoning, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, Xinhua, Russian

☆ WTA roundup: Elise Mertens upends top seed to win in Tunisia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mertens, of Belgium, didn't drop a set all week on her way to her eighth career singles title. Jiangxi OpenKaterina Siniakova overcame three match points, seven double faults and a first-set thumping to defeat third-seeded Marie Bouzkova to win the all-Czech final 1-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) in Nanchang, China. The match between the countrywomen lasted three hours, 33 minutes, making it the longest WTA final in 2023. Transylvania OpenTamara Korpatsch of Germany won her first career WTA title, defeating home-country favorite 6-3, 6-4 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. It was the first tour final for the 28-year-old Korpatsch, who needed one hour, 52 minutes to get the win.

Persons: Storm Hunter, Belgium's Elise Mertens, Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski, Erin Routliffe REUTERS, Henry, Elise Mertens, Jasmine Paolini, Mertens, Katerina Siniakova, Marie Bouzkova, Siniakova, Bouzkova, Tamara Korpatsch, Ruse, Korpatsch Organizations: Panamerican Tennis Center, Storm, Monastir, Jiangxi, WTA, Germany, Ruse, Thomson Locations: Guadalajara, Mexico, Jasmin, Italy, Tunisia, Belgium, Nanchang, China, Cluj, Napoca, Romania

☆ 5 ways China's trying to get people to have more babies — from cash incentives to cracking down on the 'bride price'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In 2022, China's population started shrinking for the first time in six decades. The push for marriage and babies comes after China last year saw a record low of 6.83 million marriages registered. Here's how China has tried to get its people to have more babies over the past two years. Wenzhou, a city in southeast China, is offering would-be parents up to 3,000 yuan in subsidies per child. In August, a county in eastern China started offering couples 1,000 yuan in cash if the bride was 25 years old or younger, according to a post on its official WeChat account.

Persons: —, Trip.com Organizations: Service, United Nations, Technology, QiaoYin City Management, China Women's Federation, Authorities, Bloomberg Locations: China, Hangzhou, East China, Wenzhou, Shanghai, Shanxi, Beijing, Zhejiang, Provinces, skewing, Jiangxi, Hebei —, Sichuan, Western China

A four-year absence of elite women’s tennis in China is set to end with the Women's Tennis Association holding seven tournaments in the next six weeks as part of the tour's Asian swing. Political Cartoons View All 1163 ImagesIn doubles, Peng won major championships at Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014. She won 23 WTA titles in doubles and two in singles and represented China at three Summer Olympics. The China Open, a WTA and ATP 1000 event, follows from Sept. 28 and will see 2023 U.S. Open finalist, Aryna Sabalenka, debut as the new world No. In October, the tour moves to the WTA 500 Zhengzhou Open and WTA 250 Hong Kong with both tournaments starting Oct. 9.

Persons: Peng Shuai’s, Peng, Zhang Gaoli, Steve Simon, “ We’ve, ”, There’s, Alize Cornet, ” Cornet, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka, Sabalenka, — Organizations: Women's Tennis Association, WTA, Wimbledon, U.S, China Locations: China, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Jiangxi, Asia, Zhuhai

☆ Chinese rare earth prices hit 20-month high on Myanmar supply worry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING/HANOI (Reuters) -Chinese rare earth prices jumped to their highest in 20 months, as mining suspension in major producer Myanmar sparked stockpiling ahead of the peak consumption season, analysts said on Thursday. A mining machine is seen at the Bayan Obo mine containing rare earth minerals, in Inner Mongolia, China July 16, 2011. Rare earth is a prized group of 17 minerals used in consumer electronics and military equipment. Myanmar accounted for 38% of rare earth imports into China in January-July, Chinese trade data showed, while the Southeast Asian country was the fourth biggest source of rare earth mining in 2022, data by the U.S. Geological Survey showed. ($1 = 7.3275 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Persons: Stringer, Eikon, SMM, “, ”, Yang Jiawen, David Merriman, Merriman, ” Merriman, SMM’s Yang Organizations: REUTERS, Shanghai Metals, Mines, U.S . Geological Survey, Reuters Locations: BEIJING, HANOI, Myanmar, Bayan, Inner Mongolia, China, Myanmar’s Pangwa, Kachin State, Chipwi, Pangwa, Kachin, Southern China, Laos, Jiangxi province

☆ South China soaks as rains from Haikui continue to pound region
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows flooded villages in Minhou county after heavy rains brought by typhoon Haikui, in Fuzhou, Fujian province, China September 5, 2023. cnsphoto via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The remnants of Typhoon Haikui drenched China for a third day since making landfall, as moisture-laden clouds dumped rain onto the country's south despite weakening cyclonic winds. Later this week, the storms are expected to continue in Guangxi bringing the southwestern region extreme rainfall on Friday and Saturday before potentially dissipating on Sunday. Haikui's storms flooded parts of southeastern Fujian province where it landed early on Tuesday, forcing 294,100 people to evacuate, inundated 9,949.7 hectares (24,586.24 acres) of crops and damaged nearly 2,540 homes. Intense rains in the city of Fuzhou shattered 12-year-old rainfall records, surpassing the amount brought by Typhoon Doksuri late July.

Persons: Typhoon Doksuri, Liz Lee, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: cnsphoto, Rights, China Meteorological Administration, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Minhou county, Fuzhou, Fujian province, China, CHINA, Rights BEIJING, downpours, Guangdong, Tangxi, Jiangxi, Hunan province, Guangxi, Hainan, Guilin, Laibin, Fujian, Xiamen, Shanghai

☆ This chart shows how exposed each of our 35 stocks is to China's struggling economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The chart below is meant to provide a high level view of the revenue exposure each of the 35 companies in our portfolio has to the world's second-largest economy. First, a couple caveats: Our energy exploration and production stocks Coterra Energy (CTRA) and Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) screen as having zero revenue exposure outside of the United States. Nvidia (NVDA) is another stock where the direct revenue exposure can be misleading. That makes the 60% revenue exposure to the Asia-Pacific region more concerning, even as mainland China realized organic sales growth during the quarter. As a result, total sales, services sales and wearables, home and accessories sales all set June quarter records in Greater China.

Persons: Estee Lauder, WYNN, Estee Lauder We're, wouldn't, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim Organizations: Coterra Energy, Natural Resources, Nvidia, Devices, AMD, Apple, Wynn Resorts, Wynn, Macau, Starbucks, Management, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Vcg, Visual China, Getty Locations: China, Asia, Pacific, Taiwan, Macau, United States, U.S, Japan, Greater China, India, Jiangxi Province

☆ What are China's 'sponge cities' and why aren't they stopping the floods?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( David Stanway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The "sponge city" initiative was designed to make greater use of lower-impact "nature-based solutions" to better distribute water and improve drainage and storage. A total of 30 pilot sponge cities were selected in 2015 and 2016. By last year, only 64 of China's 654 cities had produced legislation to implement sponge city guidelines, researchers said in January. Even if sponge city measures had been implemented in full, they would have been unable to prevent this year's disasters. This year's heavy rain hit cities in the normally arid north, where sponge city development is less advanced.

Persons: David Stanway Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Poyang county, Jiangxi province, China, Zhengzhou, Henan province, Beijing

“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

☆ Guangdong, China: Six dead after knife attack outside kindergarten in Lianjiang
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Six people have been killed and one injured in an early morning knife attack outside a kindergarten in southern China, according to Lianjiang city police and Chinese state-run media. Video footage from the scene, which circulated online and was then obtained and distributed by Reuters news service, show the assault took place outside a kindergarten. The video shows concerned residents passing by the site of the attack, where a sign outside reads “kindergarten,” and police tape being put up. CNN cannot independently verify details about the victims or the method of attack, and has reached out to local officials. China has faced a spate of mass stabbings in recent years, often targeting children; a 2020 knife attack at an elementary school injured 37 children in the southern Guangxi region, while a 2022 stabbing at a kindergarten killed three in eastern Jiangxi province.

Persons: Wu Organizations: CNN, Global Times, Police, Reuters Locations: China, Hengshan, Lianjiang, Guangdong, ”, Guangxi, Jiangxi

☆ China kindergarten attack kills six, sparks safety worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In August last year, three people were killed and six wounded in a stabbing at a kindergarten in the southern province of Jiangxi. In 2021, a man killed two children and wounded 16 at a kindergarten in the southwestern region of Guangxi. Attacks on children have also thrown a spotlight on mental health, which often goes under the radar due to cultural stigma attached to mental illnesses. Last month, a series of violent attacks in Hong Kong also raised the issue of mental health. Mental health experts point to the COVID-19 pandemic as a major factor behind an increase in mental health problems.

Persons: Wu, Bernard Orr, Judy Hua, Qiaoyi Li, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Robert Birsel Organizations: Media, Weibo, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China's Guangdong, Lianjiang county, Lianjiang, China, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Jiangsu, Hong Kong

☆ Jiangxi: Explosion at chemical factory in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Hong Kong CNN —An explosion at a chemical plant in Southeast China on Saturday sent huge billows of thick black smoke into the air. The blast took place at a plant owned by the silicon oil production company Jiangxi QianTai New Materials at around noon in the city of Guixi, Jiangxi province, according to Chinese state media outlet CCTV. Footage posted on Weibo by CCTV and People’s Daily, another Chinese state media outlet, showed a huge plume of black smoke billowing into the air and emergency services attending to the scene. Initial reports suggest that the explosion occurred after silicon oil caught fire, according to CCTV. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire that led to the explosion.

Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Saturday, Weibo, Twitter, CCTV, Firefighters Locations: Hong Kong, Southeast China, Jiangxi, Guixi, Weibo

☆ Explosion hits chemical plant in southeast China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, July 1 (Reuters) - An explosion occurred at a chemical plant in the southeastern Chinese province of Jiangxi at noon (0200 GMT) on Saturday, state media reported. Footage on state broadcaster CCTV showed dense smoke at the Qiantai New Material Co facility. The authorities were trying to determine the extent of potential casualties, state media said. A woman who answered the phone at the company and declined to identify herself told Reuters there were none. Reporting by Sophie Yu, Jenny Su and Ryan Woo; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sophie Yu, Jenny Su, Ryan Woo, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Chinese, Jiangxi

☆ China: Strange thing found in student's meal is rat head, officials rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The furore has also exposed deep levels of public distrust in Chinese local governments, whose attempts to cover up negative news have often backfired. “This is duck meat, duck meat,” the staffer insisted. It said the student had invited classmates to look at the object and confirmed it was duck neck, and had submitted a written clarification. “I found out it was not a rat head but a duck neck, so I would like to clarify,” the student said in the video. Instead, it fueled even more anger online, with users accusing the school and local officials of lying and pressuring the student to change his stance.

Persons: “, ”, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, ’ ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Jiangxi Industry Polytechnic College, Jiangxi Radio, Television Station, CNN, Disney, Communist Party Locations: China, Hong Kong, Jiangxi, Qin, Weibo

☆ Analysis-In China's lithium hub, mining boom comes at a cost
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Siyi Liu | Dominique Patton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

FILE PHOTO: A vehicle is seen near a lithium smelter in Yichun, Jiangxi province, China March 30, 2023. It has supported mine development by taking stakes in mining companies to help battery materials makers that do not have mines overseas like those owned by China’s top lithium producers Ganfeng Lithium and Tianqi Lithium. Separating lithium from lepidolite can cost as much as 100,000 yuan per metric ton, compared to 40,000-50,000 yuan for brine and 50,000-60,000 yuan for spodumene, analysts said. ‘NATURAL RESOURCES CHAOS’Further dimming the outlook for lepidolite, environmental damage is a growing concern. UBS analysts see China’s supply of lithium from lepidolite tripling to 280,000 metric tons, or 13% of global supply, between 2022 and 2025, well short of Yichun’s target.

Persons: ”, Yang Yaohua, Yang, Wu Wei, Eric Norris, ” Norris, Yongxing, Yichun, Ma Jun, ” Ma, Vicky Zhao, Li Qi Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Australia, Guosen, Macquarie, Gotion High Tech, CRU, Xiamen University, Energy, lepidolite, Reuters, Materials Technology, Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs, UBS, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Locations: YICHUN, China, Yichun, Jiangxi province, lepidolite, Beijing, Sichuan, Qinghai, Tibet, Shanghai, Jin, U.S, Jiangxi

It has supported mine development by taking stakes in mining companies to help battery materials makers that do not have mines overseas like those owned by China's top lithium producers Ganfeng Lithium (002460.SZ), (002460.SZ) and Tianqi Lithium (002466.SZ). Separating lithium from lepidolite can cost as much as 100,000 yuan per metric ton, compared to 40,000-50,000 yuan for brine and 50,000-60,000 yuan for spodumene, analysts said. 'NATURAL RESOURCES CHAOS'Further dimming the outlook for lepidolite, environmental damage is a growing concern. As it gets stricter now, lithium resources in Yichun will lose their competitiveness with the higher costs for environmental protection," Ma said. UBS analysts see China's supply of lithium from lepidolite tripling to 280,000 metric tons, or 13% of global supply, between 2022 and 2025, well short of Yichun's target.

Persons: YICHUN, Yang Yaohua, Yang, Wu Wei, Eric Norris, Norris, Yongxing, Yichun, Ma Jun, Ma, Vicky Zhao, Li Qi, Siyi Liu, Dominique Patton, Ernest Scheyder, Tony Munroe, Sonali Paul Organizations: Australia, Guosen, Macquarie, Gotion High Tech, CRU, Xiamen University, Energy, Corp, Reuters, Materials Technology, Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs, UBS, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Beijing Newsroom, Thomson Locations: China, Yichun, lepidolite, Beijing, Sichuan, Qinghai, Tibet, Shanghai, Jin, U.S, Jiangxi, Houston

☆ China's temple visits skyrocket amid economic uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Economic uncertainty has driven temple visits and tourism to new heights, according to analysts and travel websites. Temple visits have surged this year more than fourfold from a year ago, according to recent data from Qunar and Trip.com, another travel site. Social media has also fueled the boom in temple tourism, as young people like to share their experiences on social networks, she added. Anhui Jiuhuashan Tourism Development, which runs the Jiuhua Mountain scenic area in central Anhui province, also shattered quarterly sales records. A small temple at Wudang Mountain in China's Hubei province pictured on October 27, 2004.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Qunar.com, Soeren, Yang Yan, Ryan Pyle, supplicants, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Nanjing Securities, Social, Communist Party, Caitong Securities Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Qunar, Nanjing, Sichuan, Shan, Anhui Jiuhuashan Tourism, Anhui, Jiangxi province, Wudang, China's Hubei, Hangzhou

☆ An 'air train' in China runs using an overhead magnetic track, never touching it as it glides through the air 30 feet above the ground — see it in action
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An 'air train' in China runs using an overhead magnetic track, never touching it as it glides through the air 30 feet above the ground — see it in actionChina's "Red Rail" air train glides through the air without touching the track above it or anything below. Hu Chenhuan/Xinhua via Getty Images The Red Rail glides through the air suspended about 10 meters, or 33 feet, above the ground. Photo by Hu Chenhuan/Xinhua via Getty Images Source: South China Morning Post It has two cars that can carry 88 passengers total. Photo by Jiang Tao/China News Service via Getty Images Source: South China Morning Post In its experimental phase, the track is 800 meters long, or roughly 2,620 feet. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images Source: South China Morning Post Read next China Trains Business Visual Features More...

LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - China’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports fell sharply in 2022 because of the disruption caused by lockdowns to control the coronavirus epidemic and the massive exit wave of infections when they were lifted. But the import rebound could be smaller than some analysts anticipate because domestic gas production is rising strongly and the country has mostly completed its transition to natural gas for urban residents. Both LNG and pipeline imports remained subdued in the first two months of this year with any rebound delayed until later in 2023. China’s LNG purchasers have proved price-sensitive and will likely wait for prices to decline before increasing imports and refilling storage. PIPELINES NOT LNGThe shift from LPG and especially gasworks gas has turbocharged consumption of natural gas over the last decade.

☆ Exclusive: Canada will not retrospectively target Chinese investments in Canadian mining companies, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Divya Rajagopal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Canada's Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, April 7, 2022. REUTERS/Patrick DoyleTORONTO, March 8 (Reuters) - Canada will not force Chinese state-investors in three of its large mining companies to divest stakes, as such a move would create policy uncertainty, natural resources minister told Reuters. In November, Canada had asked three Chinese companies to sell their stakes in Toronto-listed lithium explorers following a national security review, drawing criticism from the mining industry and raising questions about the future of other Chinese investments in Canadian mining sector. Three of Canada's largest mining companies - Teck Resources (TECKb.TO), Ivanhoe Mines Limited (IVN.TO) and First Quantum Minerals Limited (FM.TO), - count Chinese state-owned enterprises as their biggest single shareholder. This is the first time Canadian government officials have clarified what the future holds for other Chinese investments in the three Canadian mining companies.

☆ China's so desperate to boost its birth rates, it's even cracking down on customary betrothal gifts for brides to help people get married more easily
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China's cracking down on the custom of the "bride price" to facilitate marriages and boost birth rates. These betrothal gifts include cash, jewelry, cars, and even real estate. A delegate from the state-backed All-China Women's Federation proposed that authorities look into measures to curb expensive betrothal gifts, the women's rights organization said in a Wednesday statement. Still, nearly three-quarters of marriages involve the custom of betrothal gifts, according to a 2020 survey of 1,846 China residents by Tencent News. This is because betrothal gifts — which are typically given after negotiations between the two families — can include cash, jewelry, cars, and even real estate, according to the Tencent News survey.

☆ Beijing investigating illegal mining activities in Chinese lithium hub, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Workers are seen at the production line of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EV) at a factory near Shanghai, China. China's central government has sent a working group to probe illegal mining in the country's lithium hub Yichun, financial news outlet Yicai reported on Sunday. Yichun has 1.1 million tons of lithium oxide reserves and accounts for 12% of global output, according to the South China Morning Post. One lithium analyst, who declined to be named, told Yicai that the industry optimistically estimates that the shutdown will last for about a month. Yichun currently produces between 10,000 tons and 12,000 tons of lithium carbonate per month, it reported.

☆ Explainer: What we know about China's medical reform protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Laurie Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

WHAT ARE THE MEDICAL INSURANCE REFORMS? Beginning Feb. 1, personal medical insurance benefits for Wuhan retirees were slashed from about 5% of the average basic pension to 2.5%, or 83 yuan ($12) per month, according to the Wuhan Healthcare Security Administration. In an essay published Thursday that did not refer to the protests, Finance Minister Liu Kun vowed to "deepen the reform of medical insurance payment methods". Following initial protests in Wuhan last week, the hashtag "Major adjustment in Wuhan medical reform" was viewed over 100 million times before being blocked. Since January, similar insurance reforms have been rolled out in provinces and regions including Jiangxi, Gansu，Shanxi, Qinghai, Sichuan and Guangxi.

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