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China's Ministry of State Security on Tuesday said China should encourage its citizens to join counter-espionage work, including creating channels for individuals to report suspicious activity and rewarding them for doing do. A system that makes it "normal" for regular people to participate in counter-espionage should be established, the ministry said. That followed an expansion of China's counter-espionage law that took effect in July and bans the transfer of information it sees as related to national security. It has alarmed the United States, which has warned that foreign companies in China could be punished for regular business activities. China's declaration that it is under threat from spies comes as Western nations, most prominently the United States, accuse China of espionage and cyberattacks, a charge that Beijing has rejected.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Mark Schiefelbein, Matt Miller, Cheng Lei, Daphne Psaledakis, Humeyra Pamuk, Mark Porter, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: China's Ministry of State Security, Astellas Pharma, Thomson Locations: United States, Diaoyutai, Beijing, China

☆ Yellen calls Fitch downgrade 'entirely unwarranted' amid US economy's strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a climate finance roundtable discussion at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Saturday, July 8, 2023. "Fitch's decision is puzzling in light of the economic strength we see in the United States," Yellen said. "I strongly disagree with Fitch's decision, and I believe it is entirely unwarranted." Fitch had cited a deterioration in U.S. governance that started during the prior Trump administration in making its decision, according to U.S. Treasury officials. The company has a contract to develop scanning technology to convert paper documents so that they can be digitally processed.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Mark Schiefelbein, MCLEAN, Biden, Yellen, Joe Biden's, Fitch, Trump, Richard Francis, Donald Trump, Francis, Biden's, David Lawder, Paul Simao Organizations: Treasury, U.S, Embassy, . Treasury, Fitch, Internal Revenue Service, Reuters, U.S . Capitol, AAA, Republicans, Century Technologies, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Virginia, Washington, United States, U.S, McLean , Virginia

☆ Why US Treasury Secretary Yellen’s visit to a Beijing restaurant set off a wild mushroom craze
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Maggie Wong | Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Among the dishes the food blogger claimed to have spotted were grilled fish with herbs, stir-fried pickled Yunnan wild greens with potato slices and cold rice noodles. She ordered four portions of jian shou qing (a Yunnan wild mushroom species). But the most heated discussions were focused on the multiple orders of the mushroom dish – jian shou qing. Jian shou qing, Yunnan’s mysterious mushroomsBaskets of jian shou qing mushrooms, foraged from a Yunnan forest. Chieu Luu/CNNThe fact that Yellen and her team visited a Yunnan restaurant shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — It’s, Janet Yellen, jian shou qing, Yi Zuo Yi Wang, ”, Pan Pan Mao, ” Pan Pan Mao, Yellen, Mark Schiefelbein, Yellen’s, Jian shou qing, Colin Domnauer Jian shou qing, “, Peter Mortimer, Mortimer, Jun Xu, they’re, Luu, Dian Cai –, Ng Mung Lam, Ng, Yellen's, Leisa Tyler, LightRocket Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Weibo, CNN, Kunming Institute of Botany, African, Getty, Botanical Society of, Xinhua, CNN Travel Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Yunnan, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Weibo, India, Yunnan Province, Botanical Society of Yunnan, China’s, Shenzhen, Chuxiong prefecture, pu’er

☆ Yellen's latest trip helps set a new normal for the U.S.-China relationship
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Cabinet member to visit China in a month, setting the stage for more high-level communication between the two countries. In coming days, John Kerry, special presidential envoy for climate, also plans to visit China, he told the The New York Times. She said she told her Chinese counterparts that any curbs on U.S. outbound investments would be "very narrowly targeted." Yellen's visit this past Thursday to Sunday came about three weeks after Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. He also leads China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation efforts, according to a state media report that described his meeting with Yellen as "constructive."

Persons: Li Qiang, Janet Yellen, Mark Schiefelbein, John Kerry, Antony Blinken, Yifan Hu, Yellen, Blinken, Xi Jinping, Scott Kennedy Organizations: U.S, Treasury, of, People, Afp, Getty, U.S . Cabinet, New York Times, CNBC, Asia Pacific, UBS Global Wealth Management, Ministry of Finance, Commerce Ministry, CBS, Scott Kennedy Center for Strategic, International Locations: Beijing, BEIJING, U.S, China, Asia

During her first day of meetings in Beijing, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen criticized punitive measures the Chinese government has taken against American firms. I’ve made clear that the United States does not seek a wholesale separation of our economies. Ms. Yellen conveyed her objections to China’s top officials, including Premier Li Qiang, in what was the first visit to China by a Treasury secretary in four years. A Treasury Department official said Ms. Yellen had discussed the outlook for the economy in an informal discussion with her former counterparts that lasted more than an hour. “The United States will, in certain circumstances, need to pursue targeted actions to protect its national security,” Ms. Yellen said.

Persons: Janet L, Yellen, I’ve, Biden, Yellen’s, Li Qiang, Ms, “ I’ve, Mark Schiefelbein, Wang Yong, Wang, ”, Shi Yinhong, “, China’s, Michael Hart, “ We’ve, Mr, Hart, Liu He, Yi Gang, Li, Li’s, ” Claire Fu, Christopher Buckley Organizations: U.S, American Chamber of Commerce, Boeing, Bank of America, Cargill, Group, Bain & Company, Beijing, Biden, of, People, ., Center for American Studies, Peking University, “, Renmin University, U.S . State Department, Chamber of Commerce, Treasury, People’s Bank of China, Treasury Department Locations: Beijing, United States, China, American, Shanghai, U.S, States

☆ Yellen's visit to China is 'crucial' to U.S.-China engagement, professor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

watch nowU.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's visit to China is "crucial" to ensuring that both countries continue talking to each other, said Eswar Prasad, an economics professor at Cornell University. "The crucial element, which is embodied in Janet Yellen's visit, is that the two sides keep talking on technical levels, but also at the very senior policy levels," Prasad told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Friday. Tensions between the two countries have shot up in recent years, since the U.S.-China trade war started in 2018 during the Trump-era. Her visit comes weeks after Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Beijing — the first high-level meeting between the two countries after months of tensions. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing on July 6, 2023.

Persons: Janet Yellen's, Eswar Prasad, Prasad, CNBC's, Yellen, Premier Li Qiang, Liu He, Yi Gang, Antony Blinken's, Janet Yellen, Mark Schiefelbein, Biden, Andy Rothman, Matthews, Rothman Organizations: Treasury, Cornell University, U.S ., Trump, Premier, Treasury Department, Beijing Capital International Airport, Afp, Getty, CNBC, Matthews Asia Locations: China, U.S, Beijing, Washington

Yellen is due to meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng -- her direct counterpart as China's top economic official -- on Saturday, a U.S. Treasury official said. MARKET REFORMSYellen also took aim at China's planned economy, urging Beijing to return to more market-oriented practices that had underpinned its rapid growth in past years. "A shift toward market reforms would be in China's interests," she told the AmCham event. Yellen dismissed the idea of decoupling the U.S. and Chinese economies, nothing that China's enormous and growing middle-class provided a big market for American goods and services. A Treasury official said the vibrant U.S. business community in China was "a living embodiment that we are not decoupling."

Persons: Yellen, Li, Janet Yellen, Li Qiang, Washington, Liu He, Xi Jinping, Yi Gang, Mark Schiefelbein, Yellen's, Michael Hart, BIDEN, Joe Biden, Xi, Antony Blinken, John Kerry, Andrea Shalal, Joe Cash, David Lawder, Catherine Evans, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: China, . Treasury, U.S, Treasury, American Chamber of Commerce, of, People, REUTERS U.S, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: U.S, BEIJING, China, Beijing, United States, Washington, New Delhi, Asia, San Francisco, Ukraine

[1/6] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China, Thursday, July 6, 2023. Both sides are sceptical that Yellen's visit will be able to take much heat out of U.S.-China ties, however, with officials accepting that both countries have placed safeguarding national security above economic ties. Yellen will address "unfair" practices by China, including recent punitive actions against U.S. firms and market access barriers, the official added. On Friday she will meet China's Premier Li Qiang and former economy tsar Liu He, who is widely seen as a close confidant of President Xi Jinping. They come ahead of a possible meeting between President Joe Biden and Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering scheduled for November in San Francisco.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Mark Schiefelbein, Yellen, Nicholas Burns, Li Qiang, Liu He, Xi Jinping, Wang Huiyao, Yellen's, Zhu Feng, Xie Feng, Trump, Wu Xinbo, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Xi, Yew Lun Tian, Andrea Shalal, Joe Cash, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: . Treasury, Beijing Capital International Airport, REUTERS, U.S, Center for, Nanjing University, Global Times, Fudan University, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, REUTERS BEIJING, U.S, Center for China, United States, Russia, Washington, Asia, San Francisco

☆ Shenzhou-16 launch: China sends first civilian astronaut to space
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —China sent its first civilian astronaut into orbit on Tuesday, as it launched the Shenzhou-16 mission to its space station for its second in-orbit crew rotation, marking another step forward for the country’s ambitious space program. It is China’s fifth manned mission to the space station since 2021. Several media outlets on Monday responded to the online discussion over how a person without perfect vision could be physically cleared for a space mission. This could make it the sole in-orbit outpost for scientific research after the expected end of operations for the International Space Station in 2030. Tiangong’s core module first entered orbit in 2021, marking the first major step in a space station dream envisioned by the government since 1992.

☆ China GDP: Economy shakes off Covid legacy to grow 4.5% in Q1
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But private investment barely budged and youth unemployment surged to the second highest level on record, indicating the country’s private sector employers are still wary about longer term prospects. Retail sales jumped 10.6% in March from a year earlier, the highest level of growth since June 2021. The country’s GDP will grow 5.2% this year and 5.1% in 2024, it predicted. If adjustments are made to account for the impact of delayed economic activity, GDP growth in the first quarter could have been just 2.6%, he said. For example, private investment was extremely weak.

☆ The mystery of MH370 remains 9 years later — here are all the theories, dead ends, and unanswered questions from the most bizarre airline disaster of the century
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

The theories so farA new Netflix documentary about the plane, "MH370: The Plane That Disappeared," was released in March 2023. The show's director called the plane's disappearance "the greatest aviation mystery of all time." But the July 2018 report had offered evidence against the idea that it was a deliberate act by the crew. But Australia's former prime minister, Tony Abbott, said in 2020 that the plane's disappearance was "almost certainly murder-suicide by the pilot." But the 2018 report said there was no technology on the plane that would allow control to be taken from the pilots remotely.

☆ China's crackdown on Ant and other tech giants is 'basically' over, top official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s heavy-handed crackdown on tech giants is coming to an end and the country’s economic growth is expected to be back on track soon, according to a top central bank official. “Next, we’ll promote healthy development of internet platforms,” said Guo, who is also chairman of China’s Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission. Mark Schiefelbein/APChina’s crackdown on its biggest tech companies began in 2020 with new regulations on fintech, which forced Ma’s Ant Group to suspend its $37 billion IPO days before its launch. Regulators then targeted the online financial service units of 13 other tech giants, including Tencent, Baidu, JD.com, Bytedance, Meituan, and Didi. Ant Group’s restructuringMajor tech companies in China have struggled under a sweeping regulatory crackdown for months now.

☆ China is caught in a zero-Covid trap of its own making
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“The new political ecology also provided more incentive for local governments to impose more draconian Covid control measures,” Huang said. Chinese health officials maintain that changing tack now would risk a huge surge in infections and deaths that could overwhelm the country’s fragile health care system. Zhengzhou, a city of 12 million, imposed sweeping lockdown measures last month after identifying dozens of Covid-19 cases. On Wednesday, the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, where the Foxconn plant is located, announced new lockdown measures. As the winter approaches, experts warn that China could be hit by a new wave of infections – and a new cycle of draconian lockdowns.

HONG KONG — Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s first two terms in power were marked by intensifying competition and tensions with the United States. The United States does not seek conflict with China, Biden told a meeting of his top military advisers Wednesday. “China stands ready to work with the United States to find the right way to get along with each other in the new era,” he said. But China under Xi has a “superficial stability,” Johnson said. Hulton Deutsch / Corbis via Getty ImagesAt 69, Xi has appointed no obvious successor, indicating he may plan to stay in power indefinitely.

But the theme of the event is continuity — of President Xi Jinping as leader, and with that the likelihood of friction with the U.S.-led West. Xi, China’s most powerful leader in decades, is poised to secure an unprecedented third term at this week’s twice-a-decade National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. “Those achievements have certainly strengthened the president’s leadership.”Under Xi, China’s gross domestic product has more than doubled to $17.7 trillion. Born in Beijing in 1953, Xi enjoyed a privileged youth as the second son of Xi Zhongxun, a Chinese communist revolutionary. “The long-term goals of President Xi, as well as general attitudes in the West, will make it very difficult for us to have more cooperation during his third term,” she said.

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