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☆ China says it will resume visa-free policies to spur inbound travel
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Passengers push their luggage through the international arrivals hall at Beijing Capital International Airport after China lifted the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) quarantine requirement for inbound travellers in Beijing, China January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Sept 29 (Reuters) - China will resume visa-free policies and consider adding more countries to its visa-exemption list to help boost the country's post-pandemic tourism business, according to a policy document released on Friday. In a statement posted on the central government's website, it said visa-free policies and visa assurances on arrival would be promoted as well as smoother immigration clearances for cruises and self-driving tourists. The government also called for enhanced tax-rebate services such the creation of more tax-rebate shops. Reporting by Chen Aizhu; editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Chen Aizhu, Christina Fincher Organizations: Beijing Capital International, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Rights SINGAPORE, China's

A digital artwork by Chinese artist Snow Fish. The controversy has fueled online protests on the Chinese internet against the creation and use of AI-generated images, with several other artists claiming their works had been similarly used without their knowledge. Hundreds of artists have posted banners on Xiaohongshu saying “No to AI-generated images,” while a related hashtag has been viewed more than 35 million times on the Chinese Twitter-like platform Weibo. Besides Trik AI, Xiaohongshu has also developed a new function called “Ci Ke” which allows users to post content using AI-generated images. Snow Fish added that these complaints had been slowly growing within the artist community but had mostly been privately shared rather than openly protested.

Persons: Snow Fish, Fish, Bard, ERNIE Bot, SenseTime’s, Xiaohongshu, Snow, “, ”, Zhang, ’ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Artists, CNN, Xiaohongshu, City University of Hong, European, Capitol Hill Locations: China, Hong Kong, Weibo, United States, City University of Hong Kong, London, California

☆ China's outbound travel surges ahead of 'Golden Week' holidays
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Jared Mitovich | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Outbound travel from China is surging ahead of the first "Golden Week" holiday period since the country has allowed international travel to resume and even as China's economic growth has slowed. Golden Week, which begins Oct. 1 this year, marks the annual weeklong period that includes the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day in China. Trip.com said bookings for travel within China are up by four times compared with last year's Golden Week, with residents opting to travel between different provinces for longer periods of time. Northwest China's autumnal tours and South China's comfortable climate have made those destinations particularly popular, Trip.com said. Golden Week typically spurs hundreds of millions in China to travel.

Persons: Trip.com, Jane Sun, Sun, China — Organizations: International Airport, Beijing Capital International Locations: Shanghai, China, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Covid, United Kingdom, South Korea

☆ CHART OF THE DAY: Chinese growth expectations fall to 'lockdown lows,' fund manager survey says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

BofA's survey of fund managers found that a net 0% expect a stronger Chinese economy in the next 12 months. Investors noted that China's real estate sector is the most likely source of any future credit event risk. Describing expectations as back to "lockdown lows," BofA noted that's a whopping plummet from February, when a net 78% of respondents anticipated a stronger economy. But China's economy has slowed sharply in subsequent months, with rapid cooldowns seen in retail sales, industrial output, exports, and investment. In fact, fund managers responding to BofA's survey placed China's real estate as the most likely source of a future systemic credit event.

Persons: BofA, China's Organizations: Investors, Service, Bank of America Locations: Wall, Silicon, China, Beijing

☆ Wang Bin: Chinese insurance boss sentenced to life in jail for corruption
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Wang Bin, the former chairman of one of China’s biggest life insurers, will spend the rest of his life in jail after a court found him guilty of corruption. Wang was accused of taking the bribes between 1997 and 2021, when he headed a number of state-owned financial institutions, including China Life Insurance, China’s Bank of Communications and China Taiping Insurance. “The amount of bribes Wang Bin accepted was particularly huge, the circumstances of the crime were particularly serious and the social impact was particularly bad,” the ruling said. He is the latest top executive to become ensnared in President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption crackdown on the country’s $56 trillion financial sector. The sentence came more than a year after Wang, who was also the top Communist Party official at China Life, was investigated by the party’s top anti-graft agency.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Wang Bin, Wang, Wang Bin, Xi Jinping’s, Li Xiaopeng, Liu Liange, Bao Fan, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China Life Insurance, China’s Bank of Communications, China Taiping Insurance, Communist Party, China, China Everbright, Bank of China Locations: China, Hong Kong, Jinan, China’s, Shandong, United States

☆ The world’s biggest national park is larger than most countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal safeguards the southern slopes of Mt Everest, the world’s highest peak at 8,849 meters (29,032 feet). Venezuela’s Canaima National Park is home to Angel Falls, the world’s tallest waterfall at 979 meters (3,212 feet). Larger than Delaware and roughly the same size as Wales, Yellowstone was considered huge when it became the world’s first national park in 1872. North AmericaSprawling across nearly half of the world’s largest island, Northeast Greenland National Park is currently the globe’s single largest national park and biggest land-based protected area. Imaginechina Limited/Alamy Stock PhotoDespite being the largest continent, Asia has fallen behind in the race for the world’s largest national parks.

Persons: Venezuela’s, there’s, ”, Mette Pike Barselajsen, Mercedes, China’s, Martin Harvey, Naukluft, it’s, Claire Christian Organizations: CNN, National, United Nations, Nanu, South America, Colombia Oculta, Simpson, Mercedes Benz G, Imaginechina, Bank, Getty, Conservation, Antarctic & Southern Ocean Coalition, Antarctic Locations: Nepal, Mt, Angel Falls, Angkor, Cambodia, Delaware, Wales, Yellowstone, North America, Greenland, Ittoqqortoormiit, “, East Greenland, South, Patagonia, Colombia, Australia, South Australia, Asia, Qinghai Province, Europe, Africa, Africa’s, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, Antarctica

☆ More Chinese cities lift home-buying curbs to revive demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Two major cities in eastern China lifted all curbs on home purchases and selling on Monday, joining several other cities in dropping restrictions to attract buyers and revive a largely frozen property market. Qingdao previously limited the number of homes that could be purchased in two districts. Last week, three cities - Nanjing in eastern Jiangsu province and Dalian and Shenyang in northeastern Liaoning province - became the first group of big cities to eliminate curbs on home buying. Smaller Chinese cities, whose property markets tend to have a larger share of their local economies, have already begun dismantling curbs. Jiaxing city, a relatively small city in the eastern province of Zhejiang, announced it would lift all curbs in the city in late August, according to a local media report.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Neil Fullick, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Jinan, Qingdao, China's, Shandong, Nanjing, Jiangsu, Dalian, Shenyang, Liaoning, Jiaxing, Zhejiang

☆ Security raid on Chinese academic fuels concern over Australia-China exchanges
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Chinese academic, who specialises in foreign affairs research at a Beijing university, had visited universities in three Australian states in July and August. The Guardian first reported on Monday that the man had his accommodation raided and his laptop taken by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and Australian Federal Police in Perth, and was told his visa was being assessed for security reasons. A high-level dialogue between Chinese and Australian academic, industry and media delegations resumed in Beijing on Thursday after a four-year halt. It included a Chinese scholar who had his Australian visa revoked in 2020 by ASIO, amid concern over foreign interference in politics. "Any Chinese academic with an interest in relations with Australia would surely be re-assessing travel plans fearing the same thing could happen to them.

Persons: Florence Lo, Anthony Albanese, James Laurenceson, Greg McCarthy, McCarthy, Albanese, Kirsty Needham, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Guardian, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Australian Federal Police, Reuters, ASIO, China Relations Institute, University of Technology, University of Adelaide, Peking University, The Australian Federal Police, Thomson Locations: Australia, China, Western Australia, Beijing, Perth, Sydney, Canberra

☆ China may never become the world's biggest economy and has thrown out its old playbook, Mohamed El-Erian says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It's highly unlikely that China will implement large-scale stimulus, Mohamed El-Erian said. Without it, markets shouldn't expect China's previous rate of growth to come back, he wrote in the Financial Times. "Despite what many may continue to tell you, it is no longer a given that China will become the world's largest economy." After China lifted pandemic restrictions late last year, the economy saw a brief rebound early this year. Despite what many may continue to tell you, it is no longer a given that China will become the world's largest economy."

Persons: Mohamed El, Erian, That's, — Organizations: Financial Times, Service, supercomputing, Bloomberg Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Beijing, El

☆ China, Australia Hold First High-Level Dialogue in Three Years in Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Joe CashBEIJING (Reuters) - China and Australia should "seriously consider" what they have learned from halting their high-level dialogue over the past three years, Li Zhaoxing, a former foreign minister, said on Thursday, as the talks restarted in Beijing. China accounts for nearly one-third of Australian trade, while Australia is China's eighth-largest trade partner. Diplomatic exchanges have been ramping up since Australia elected a Labor government in May 2022 and China lifted tariffs on its barley exports. "Over the past decades... China has not posed any threat to Australia, and will not do so in the future. The Australian delegation also includes former Liberal foreign minister Julie Bishop, whose inclusion was to show bipartisan political support, the statement said.

Persons: Joe Cash, Li Zhaoxing, Li, Craig Emerson, Penny Wong, Julie Bishop, Emerson, Anthony Albanese, Li Qiang, Whitlam’s, " Albanese, Kirsty Needham, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Joe Cash BEIJING, Australia, Labor, Australian, Australian Foreign, Liberal, Australia's, ASEAN Locations: China, Australia, Beijing, Canberra, Jakarta, Sydney

A coffee machine featuring Novo Nordisk logo is seen at the company headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, February 5, 2020. REUTERS/Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk briefly unseated LVMH (LVMH.PA) as Europe's most valuable listed company in intraday trading on Friday, ending the French luxury group's 2-1/2 year-long reign at the top. At 0843 GMT, Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) had a market capitalisation of $421 billion including unlisted stock, according to Refinitiv data and company disclosures of its share count. By 1031 GMT, Novo Nordisk shares were up 1% while LVMH shares were down 0.4%. LVMH shares have fallen 13.8% from an all-time high hit in April, underperforming Europe's broader STOXX 600 which is down around 1.9% in the same time frame.

Persons: Jacob Gronholt, Pedersen, LVMH, Ozempic, Wegovy, Novo's, Louis Vuitton, Marcel Stotzel, Stotzel, Eli Lilly, Axelle Pinon, Mounjaro, Novo, Carmignac's Pinon, Hennessy, Tiffany, Fiona Cincotta, Hermes, Samuel Indyk, Amanda Cooper, Catherine Evans Organizations: Novo Nordisk, REUTERS, Nestle, Dior, Fidelity European Fund, Fidelity European Trust, Barclays, Index, Financiere, Thomson Locations: Copenhagen, Denmark, Danish, LVMH, United States, China, Covid

☆ Sinopec sets up new entity to expand refinery investment abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Chen Aizhu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The company logo of China’s Sinopec Corp is displayed at a news conference in Hong Kong, China March 26, 2018. After a quiet launch in late June of Sinopec Overseas Investment Holding as its sole platform for investing, building and operating refineries abroad, Sinopec is building up the team and setting the budget for the new entity, two company officials told Reuters. One such investment could be in Sri Lanka, where Sinopec was shortlisted to bid for an export-oriented refinery in Hambantota potentially worth billions of dollars. Sinopec is also among companies reviewing Shell's Singapore refinery and petrochemical assets, Reuters reported recently, although its president this week denied such interest. Sinopec declined to comment on that matter.

Persons: Bobby Yip, Zhao Dong, Sinopec, Sushant Gupta, Wood Mackenzie, Gupta, Russia's, PetroChina, Exxon Mobil's, Glencore, CNPC, Chen Aizhu, Tony Munroe, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Sinopec Overseas Investment Holding, Reuters, China Petrochemical Corp, Saudi Aramco, Wood, Gas Chemical, Russia's Sibur, Exxon, Sinopec, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, Sri Lanka, Hambantota, Singapore, Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, East Siberia, France, Scotland, Japan, XOM.N, Altona, Australia, Brazil, Beijing, South Africa

☆ China had almost 2 million excess deaths after the end of ‘zero-Covid,’ U.S. study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Jennifer Jett | Cheng Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

There were almost 2 million excess deaths in the two months after China lifted its "zero-Covid" restrictions, a U.S. study found, contradicting official figures from Beijing that have been criticized as too low. Researchers estimate there were 1.87 million excess deaths from all causes among people 30 years and older from December 2022 to January, according to the study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle published Thursday. "Our study of excess deaths related to the lifting of the zero-Covid policy in China sets an empirically derived benchmark estimate," the researchers wrote. The way the study estimates data is not "scientifically rigorous," but it is nonetheless an "objective" and "beneficial" attempt, Jin added. Jin said the actual data could be a few percentage points lower or higher than the study estimates.

Persons: Fred, Jan, Zhanwei Du, Lauren Ancel Meyers, Jin Dong, Jin Organizations: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, University of Hong, University of Texas, Baidu Locations: China, U.S, Beijing, Seattle, Tibet, University of Hong Kong, Austin

Many economists have called on China to boost its social safety net to rebalance the economy. Yao was unswayed and would prefer consumer vouchers, which some local governments in China have issued, but in amounts too small to matter at a macro level. Local governments, while cash poor, are asset rich. Michael Pettis, senior fellow at Carnegie China, estimates that if Beijing forces local governments to transfer 1-1.5% of GDP to households, China could maintain current growth. "One of the really big conflicts is likely to be between Beijing and the local governments over how to allocate the various adjustment costs.

Persons: Erin Yao, Juan Orts, Orts, Tokyo's, Yao, joblessness, Jens Eskelund, Wang Jiliu, Wang, Michael Pettis, Laurie Chen, Kripa Jayaram, Marius Zaharia, Sam Holmes Organizations: Fathom Consulting, Communist Party, Reuters Graphics, European Chamber of Commerce, Carnegie China, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, HONG KONG, China, Beijing, United States, Hainan

☆ China state banks seen mopping up offshore yuan to stem currency weakness
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Coins and banknotes of China's yuan are seen in this illustration picture taken February 24, 2022. Tightening up offshore yuan liquidity could also act to stabilise the yuan, one of the sources said. Following the state bank move, the offshore yuan rallied and was last trading at around 7.2834 per dollar, up around 0.3% on the day. The cost of shorting the yuan jumped, the state bank sources told Reuters, as seen from sudden rises in offshore yuan tomorrow-next forward points . During London trade, offshore yuan forwards jumped across the board amid signs of yuan liquidity tightness, with several banking sources attributing the liquidity squeeze to the activity by banks.

Persons: Florence Lo, Masayuki Kichikawa, Alvin Tan, Kevin Buckland, Ed Osmond, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, greenback, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management, Reuters, People's Bank of China, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, UBS, Shanghai Newsroom, Thomson Locations: China, London, Asia, Tokyo

☆ China surprises with modest rate cut amid growing yuan risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was lowered by 10 basis points to 3.45% from 3.55% previously, while the five-year LPR was left at 4.20%. The 10 bp cut in the one-year rate was smaller than the 15 bp cut expected by most poll respondents. Most new and outstanding loans in China are based on the one-year LPR, while the five-year rate influences the pricing of mortgages. The reduction in the one-year LPR came after the People's Bank of China (PBOC) unexpectedly lowered its medium-term policy rate last week. Cheung added that the unexpected rate outcome should be "negative to China growth outlook and the yuan exchange rate".

Persons: Tingshu Wang, LPR, Masayuki Kichikawa, Ken Cheung, Cheung, Winni Zhou, Tom Westbrook, Kevin Buckland, Sam Holmes Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, Rights, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management, Mizuho Bank, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, Shanghai

☆ Taiwan details China drills, VP says election not China's to call
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Ben Blanchard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai waves at Taoyuan International Airport following his trip to the United States and Paraguay, in Taoyuan, Taiwan August 18, 2023. "My position is that Taiwan is not a part of the People's Republic of China. China has demanded that Taiwan's government accept that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are part of "one China", but it has refused. LOWER-KEY DRILLSChina's Saturday drills were much more low-key than two rounds of war games around Taiwan last August and again in April this year. Taiwan's military also released pictures of one of its fighter jets taking off and a pilot checking a missile underneath an aircraft.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Su, It's, That's, Taiwan's, Alexander Neill, Neill, lambasting Lai, Tian Dan, Ben Blanchard, Greg Torode, James Pomfret, William Mallard, Kim Coghill, Edmund Klamann Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Democratic Progressive Party, APEC, Hawaii's, Eastern Theatre Command, Sunday, Taiwan, State Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: United States, Paraguay, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, Beijing, New York, People's Republic of China, San Francisco, Singapore, U.S, Hong Kong

Yields on one-year real estate bonds rated AA- have widened 220 bps in the past month, data from Chinabond shows. That divergence reflects investors' expectations that Beijing will support LGFVs in order to minimise financial contagion, despite rising delinquencies among developers. Yields on LGFV bonds issued in August averaged around 3.9%, the lowest seen this year, according to data provider Dealing Matrix(DM). The chorus of economists calling for China to support LGFVs as part of measures to shore up the economy has grown. Chi Lo, Hong Kong-based senior economist at BNP Paribas Asset Management, said Beijing needs to refinance LGFV debt over the next three to five years to prevent the system from imploding.

Persons: Aly, Zhu Yangmo, LGFVs, Zhu, Chi Lo, Li Gu, Samuel Shen, Tom Westbrook, Vidya Ranganathan, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China Central Depository, Asset Management, Garden Holdings, HK, China International Capital Corp, Tianjin Infrastructure Investment Group, AAA, China, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, Hainan, Beijing, Tianjin, Hong Kong, imploding, Singapore

☆ Zhongrong Trust's missed payments trigger fears among Chinese investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Investors look at an electronic board showing stock information at a brokerage house in Shanghai, China, March 7, 2016. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Anxious Chinese retail investors are bombarding listed companies with questions about their exposure to Zhongrong International Trust Co after missed payments by the trust company triggered fears of contagion across the country's financial system. Zhongrong managed assets worth 785.7 billion yuan ($107.69 billion) at the end of 2022, out of which 629.3 billion yuan were linked to trust products, according to its latest annual report. Its missed payments had added to stress in the financial sector from the country's worsening property crisis. One investor on Wednesday asked Shanghai-listed New China Life Insurance Company (601336.SS) - which owned 14 billion yuan ($1.92 billion) of products from Zhongrong at the end of last year - whether there was a risk of missed payments.

Persons: Aly, Huang Yan, Jason Xue, Tom Westbrook, Tomasz Janowski, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Zhongrong International, Co, Investors, Shanghai QiuYang, Zhongzhi Enterprise Group, Wednesday, Shanghai, China Life Insurance, KBC Corp, Bescient Technology, Shanghai New Vision Microelectronics, Nanhua, Jiangsu Azure Corp, Topsperity Securities, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Shenzhen, Zhongrong, Jiangsu, Singapore

HONG KONG, Aug 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Hong Kong has lost some permanent appeal. The introduction of two sets of approvals was mandated three decades ago when foreign investors wanted additional protections to invest in the first wave of Chinese firms listing in Hong Kong. China's domestic securities laws have since developed and global investors can now directly buy shares onshore through various channels. That could lead to more onshore shares being issued relative to offshore shares, further diluting minority owners in Hong Kong. In 2020, Hong Kong shareholders vetoed the Bank of Zhengzhou's proposal to avoid such an outcome.

Persons: Hong Kong, HKEX, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Hong Kong Exchanges, HK, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Asia Securities Industry, Financial Markets Association, Corporate Governance Association, China Life Insurance, Wall, Hong, Bank of, Companies, Global, Hang Seng China Enterprise Index, Graphics Global, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, China, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong

☆ Alibaba is doubling down on A.I. — Chinese stocks to watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Where to play it Where HSBC analysts are looking is in Chinese AI hardware stocks. Its customers also include Nvidia and U.S. and Chinese cloud companies. Based on in-person company visits — which revealed about a third had "lousy management" and not investable — he's decided to focus on Chinese AI and green energy companies. His watchlist of about 90 Chinese AI companies has more than doubled in value this year, Ogan said, noting his firm only owns a handful. However, publicly disclosed figures show the AI company only made net revenue of $48.2 million in 2022, with a net loss of $6 million.

Persons: They're, Tencent, Ernie chatbot, Frank He, Innolight, FII, Taylor Ogan, — he's, Ogan, Yuan Hui, Xiao, That's, Yuan, —, China's, Hua Zang, chatbot Organizations: Baidu, HSBC, HSBC Qianhai, Nvidia, Microsoft, Google, Biden, Snow Bull, Nasdaq, IDG Locations: China, Suzhou, Friday's, U.S, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing

"We're going to see our first rise in headline inflation after 12 consecutive months of falling prices," said Ben Laidler, global markets strategist at eToro. The pan-European benchmark STOXX 600 (.STOXX) rose 0.5%, supported by gains in the luxury sector (.STXLUXP) after China lifted a ban on group tours in the United States and other key markets. In currency markets, the dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against six peers, eased 0.4%. "We've got $1 trillion coming down the pipe over the next three months," eToro's Laidler said. "Any sign that markets are absorbing that well, which we got the first signs of yesterday, will be very well taken."

Persons: Ben Laidler, Laidler, Germany's DAX, Rodrigo Catril, We've, eToro's Laidler, Bond, Brent, Samuel Indyk, Ankur Banerjee, Edwina Gibbs, Sam Holmes, Susan Fenton, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse, Reuters, CAC, FTSE, Wall, National Australia Bank, U.S, Treasury, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Silicon, China, United States, Europe's, Europe, CHINA, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Beijing, Saudi Arabia, Russia

Travellers walk past an installation in the shape of five stars, at Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, China April 24, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/file photoBEIJING, Aug 10 (Reuters) - China has lifted pandemic-era restrictions on group tours for more countries, including key markets such as the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia in a potential boon for their tourism industries. Just how much outbound Chinese tourism will bounce back for the latest group of countries remains to be seen. Shares in firms in the latest group of countries with large exposure to Chinese travel demand jumped on the news. China has never publicly acknowledged limiting group tours to South Korea.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Fumio Kishida, Don Farrell, Steve Saxon, Casey, Sophie Yu, Joyce Lee, Jamie Freed, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Beijing Daxing International, REUTERS, Japanese, Trade, Tourism, Weibo, McKinsey & Co, South, Grand Korea, Reuters, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Germany, Britain, Canada, Thailand, Russia, Cuba, Argentina, Nepal, France, Portugal, Brazil, Xinjiang, South Korean, U.S, Shanghai, Seoul

☆ China lifts ban on group travel to more than 70 locations, giving a boost to travel stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China lifted a ban on group tours to more than 70 locations, giving travel and airline stocks in Asia a boost. China's culture and tourism ministry said Thursday that group tours will resume to over dozens of locations in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa and North America. South Korean airline and travel stocks saw the strongest reaction, with tour agency, airline and hotel stocks all surging. Travel agency Lotte Tour Development saw its shares spike more than 25%, while shares of luxury hotel operator Hotel Shilla surged 17%. South Korean airlines also saw gains, with Asiana Airlines climbing 7% and Korea Airlines advancing 3.1%.

Organizations: North America, Travel, Lotte Tour Development, Asiana Airlines, Korea Airlines Locations: Seoul, China, Asia, Pacific, Europe, Africa, North, Japan, South Korea, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Qatar, Oman, Lebanon, Israel

Conservative Party Leadership candidate Michael Chong, addresses crowd at the Conservative Party of Canada's final televised debate in Toronto, Ontario, April 26, 2017. REUTERS/Fred Thornhill/File PhotoAug 9 (Reuters) - Canada said on Wednesday that an opposition Canadian legislator with family in Hong Kong had been targeted in an online disinformation operation and said China most likely played a role. In a statement, the Canadian foreign ministry said the target was Michael Chong, a member of the opposition Conservative party, a frequent critic of China who has drawn Beijing's ire. "While China's role in the information operation is highly probable, unequivocal proof that China ordered and directed the operation is not possible to determine," the statement said. The Globe and Mail newspaper, citing an intelligence report, said in May that China sought information about Chong and his family in China in a likely effort to "make an example" of him.

Persons: Michael Chong, Fred Thornhill, Chong, Kanishka Singh, David Ljunggren, Mark Porter, Matthew Lewis, Andy Sullivan, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Conservative, Conservative Party, REUTERS, Ottawa, Beijing, Globe, Mail, Canadian, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Canada's, Beijing, Washington, Ottawa

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