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China’s official count 0 2.5 million 83,150 deaths Model based on Shanghai outbreak 1.6 million deaths LOW ESTIMATE HIGH ESTIMATE Estimate using travel patterns 970,000 deaths Estimate using recent testing data 1.5 million deaths Estimate based on U.S. death rates 1.1 million deaths China’s official count 0 2.5 million 83,150 deaths Model based on Shanghai outbreak 1.6 million deaths LOW EST. But China’s official Covid death toll for the entire pandemic remains strikingly low: 83,150 people as of Feb. 9. Four separate academic teams have converged on broadly similar estimates: China’s Covid wave may have killed between a million and 1.5 million people. Why official data underrepresents China’s outbreak83,150 deaths China’s official count on Feb. 9 0 2.5M 83,150 deaths China’s official count on Feb. 9 0 2.5 millionChina has a narrow definition of what counts as a Covid-19 death. But the work was unwavering in its ultimate conclusion: Ending the “zero Covid” policy was likely to overwhelm the health care system, producing an estimated 1.6 million deaths.

☆ Japan, Netherlands to join US in restricting chip equipment exports to China-Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Japan and the Netherlands will soon agree to join the United States in restricting exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China, Bloomberg News reported. Japan would impose similar restrictions on Nikon Corp (7731.T), the report said. "We have been in discussion with the United States and other countries regarding the export-control regime," Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, told reporters on Friday. "A balance needs to be struck so no one among Japan, the United States and Europe will be disproportionately disadvantaged. Japan expects sales at affected chip-related companies to rebound quickly because the market for their equipment is expanding, a trade and industry official involved in overseeing semiconductor firms told Reuters.

☆ Japan, Netherlands to join U.S. in restricting chip equipment exports to China, Bloomberg reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Japan and the Netherlands will soon agree to join the United States in restricting exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China, Bloomberg News reported. Japan would impose similar restrictions on Nikon Corp (7731.T), the report said. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara, a government spokesperson, said Japan would make "appropriate steps" based on the United States' and other nations' regulatory moves. "We have been in discussion with the United States and other countries regarding the export-control regime," Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, told reporters on Friday. "A balance needs to be struck so no one among Japan, the United States and Europe will be disproportionately disadvantaged.

☆ China-Developed mRNA Covid Vaccine Starts Test Production
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Joyu Wang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TAIPEI—Chinese drugmaker CanSino Biologics Inc. started trial production of a vaccine targeting new variants of Covid-19 that are behind the country’s current outbreak, which would be among the first developed in China using the mRNA technology that drove inoculation in the U.S. and other countries. The Tianjin-based biotech firm plans to produce 100 million doses of the vaccine, designed to combat Omicron during the first phase of manufacturing, according to a company release posted to its social-media account late on Thursday.

☆ Taiwan's remote islands are on the frontline with China — sometimes only a few hundred yards from Chinese troops
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Taiwan is roughly 100 miles from mainland China, but some Taiwanese islands are much closer. Taiwan's outlying islands would stand little chance against China, but they wouldn't be easy to take. While celebrated, this year's anniversary was also a reminder of Taiwan's islands' growing vulnerability to Chinese attack. Taiwan's islands are much easier to reach. Tourists watch a Chinese military helicopter fly over Pingtan Island, one of mainland China's closest points to Taiwan, on August 4.

☆ Fosun app lets China users get BioNTech COVID vaccines in Hong Kong
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The BioNTech logo is seen at the booth of Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) at the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, China September 3, 2021. REUTERS/Florence LoHONG KONG, Dec 27 (Reuters) - China's Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group (600196.SS) said users of its mobile health app in China can now register to take COVID-19 booster shots in Hong Kong using BioNTech's (22UAy.DE) vaccine. BioNTech and its partner for China - Fosun - were granted approval for their COVID-19 vaccine that is adapted for the BA.4 and the BA.5 subvariants of Omicron for people aged 12 and older in Hong Kong, the German company said on Dec. 23. The vaccine is the first and currently only variant-adapted vaccine available as a booster dose for individuals 12 years and older that has been granted approval in Hong Kong, BioNTech said at the time. A shipment of BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines meant for German nationals in China arrived at the German embassy in Beijing last week as cases in China soared after policymakers dropped nearly all of previous epidemic control protocols.

☆ Hearses line up at Beijing crematorium, even as China reports no new Covid deaths
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Dozens of hearses lined up outside a Beijing crematorium on Wednesday, even as China reported no new Covid-19 deaths in its growing outbreak, sparking criticism of its virus accounting as the capital braces for a surge of severe cases. Experts now predict China could face more than a million Covid deaths next year. At a crematorium in Beijing’s Tongzhou district on Wednesday, a Reuters witness saw a line of around 40 hearses waiting to enter, while the parking lot was full. China uses a narrow definition of Covid deaths, reporting no new fatalities for Tuesday and even crossing one off its overall tally since the pandemic began, now amounting to 5,241 - a fraction of what much less populous countries faced. The National Health Commission said on Tuesday only people whose death is caused by pneumonia and respiratory failure after contracting the virus are classified as Covid deaths.

"I can confirm a shipment of the BioNTech vaccine is on its way to China," the person told journalists in Berlin. In return, Chinese citizens in Europe can be vaccinated with China's SinoVac (SVA.O), the spokesperson said. Experts predict that the country of 1.4 billion people could face more than a million COVID deaths next year. China is stuck between rising Covid-19 cases and stalled vaccination ratesNO WESTERN SHOTSChina has nine domestically developed COVID vaccines approved for use, more than any other country. While the shots became available in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, the regulatory review for mainland China has not been concluded.

☆ Taiwan investigates TikTok for suspected illegal operations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In a statement late on Sunday, Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said that on Dec. 9 a working group under the Cabinet had discovered that TikTok was suspected of "illegal commercial operations" in Taiwan. Taiwan prohibits a wide range of Chinese business operations on the island from social media platforms to its highly valued chip manufacturing industry. Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta Platforms (META.O), are the most widely used social media platforms in Taiwan. TikTok trailed its peers in Taiwan but is becoming increasingly popular among the youth, according to market research companies. Taiwan has long complained that China uses social media to spread disinformation on the island that Beijing claims as its own territory.

☆ Taiwan probes TikTok for suspected illegal operations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In a statement late on Sunday, Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said that on Dec. 9 a working group under the Cabinet had discovered that TikTok was suspected of "illegal commercial operations" in Taiwan. Taiwan prohibits a wide range of Chinese business operations on the island from social media platforms to its highly valued chip manufacturing industry. Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta Platforms (META.O), are the most widely used social media platforms in Taiwan. TikTok trailed its peers in Taiwan but is becoming increasingly popular among the youth, according to market researcher companies. Taiwan has long complained that China uses social media to spread disinformation on the island that Beijing claims as its own territory.

How Bots Pushing Adult Content Drowned Out Chinese Protest TweetsTwitter and its new owner, Elon Musk, have recently vowed to crack down on bots. When contacted, two businesses that appeared in spam tweets said that they had purchased the tweets using advertising services. The bots posting content during the protest did not focus on related hashtags; instead they included broader terms like the names of Chinese cities alongside adult content. BOT n BOT BOT BOT Searching for “北京” A search on Twitter for “Beijing” in simplified Chinese brought up tweet after tweet of spam ... BOT BOT BOT BOT Searching for “Beijing” ... but searching for “Beijing” in English showed no bot or spam activity among the top tweets. Bot advertising on Twitter A company listed on some spam tweets confirmed it ran an advertising business using bots.

☆ China to allow German expats to use German COVID-19 vaccines
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Dec 10 (Reuters) - The Chinese foreign ministry said China and Germany had reached an agreement on providing "German vaccines" to German nationals in China, after the German Chancellor recently said that BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine would be used by German expatriates. Relevant arrangements will be discussed and determined by the two sides through diplomatic channels, Mao Ning, a spokeswoman at the Chinese foreign ministry told reporters on Friday at a regular press conference. On Nov. 4, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on his visit to Beijing, announced an agreement to let expatriates in China use the COVID-19 vaccine from Germany's BioNTech. BioNTech's (22UAy.DE) COVID vaccine would be the first non-Chinese coronavirus vaccine to be administered in China, although to just German nationals, as Beijing had until now insisted on administering domestically produced vaccines. Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Xi Jinping's Biggest Crisis yet: China Lockdown Protests, Stumbling Economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Over what has been a stunning week, China has erupted in mass protests calling for an end to the country's restrictive COVID lockdowns. Easing the COVID lockdowns could spur a potentially devastating public health crisis. Accepting Western vaccines or rolling back zero COVID would be a tacit admission that he is fallible. There's lots of money to be made in China, and its economy would almost certainly improve if zero COVID restrictions were loosened. Under Xi, China was already shuttering its doors long before the pandemic struck.

☆ Fauci says China has done a bad job of vaccinating the elderly and their shots are not very effective against Covid
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the U.S., criticized China's Covid lockdowns as "draconian" and said the Beijing government should focus on vaccinating the elderly. Fauci said lockdowns are only justifiable as a temporary measure to serve a larger public health goal that will make society safer when it reopens. But China's strict Covid controls don't seem to have any endgame, he said. Rare protests broke out across China over the weekend against Covid lockdowns and strict quarantine procedures. "The efficacy of the China-made vaccines are not at the level of the vaccines that have been used in the United States, particularly the mRNA vaccines of Moderna and Pfizer," Fauci said.

☆ A Gen Z-led company tapped TikTok influencers to turn out young voters in midterm elections, creating a “blueprint” for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

A Gen Z-led company tapped TikTok influencers in November to persuade young people to vote. "I think the people that cracked the youth voter turnout code are the youth," said Narayanan, whose staff is mostly Gen Z. President Joe Biden, who also courted TikTok influencers, especially thanked young people for the election results. Social Currant worked with nearly 300 creators in the last two months to produce more than 500 pieces of content, he said. Rapper Ryze Hendricks, who has 6.3 million TikTok followers, delivered his message in rhyme: "I got a message for the youth.

☆ South Dakota's Kristi Noem bans the use of TikTok on government devices, says China uses the platform to 'manipulate' Americans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US officials have raised security concerns about TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese company. Kristi Noem signed an executive order restricting the app for officials. The ban will prohibit state officials from using TikTok on government devices, Noem said. Kristi Noem banned the use of TikTok on government devices on Tuesday, saying China uses the social media platform to manipulate Americans. US officials have, for years, raised security concerns about TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance.

☆ Apple puts a 10-minute time limit on AirDrop in China after protesters used it to spread posters opposing president Xi Jinping and the Chinese government
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple limited AirDrop in China after protesters shared posters criticizing president Xi Jinping. Apple said it plans to expand the update to AirDrop users globally next year. Before the update, AirDrop users could choose to receive files from anyone with the option of sharing them only with contacts for an unlimited amount of time. That isn't the first time protesters used AirDrop to circumvent China's Great Firewall. In 2019, Hong Kong protesters used AirDrop to inform mainland Chinese visitors in the city about the country's controversial extradition bill, Quartz reported.

☆ BioNTech executive says it is too early to predict China vaccine approval
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, Nov 7 (Reuters) - A BioNTech (22UAy.DE) executive on Monday confirmed that the company is in discussions with Chinese authorities over regulatory approval of the German biotech firm's COVID-19 vaccine for use by expatriates in China but the outcome was uncertain. We confirm that we have been taking part in some discussions, which are very positive," Chief Strategy Officer Ryan Richardson said in an analyst call. He added it was too early to predict the extent or the timing of such an approval for foreigners working in China. BioNTech shares rose on Friday after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced an agreement to let expatriates in China use the vaccine and he pressed for Beijing to allow the shot to be made freely available to Chinese citizens. Reporting by Ludwig Burger, editing by Kirsti KnolleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: For China's COVID policy, change comes in small increments
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Tony Munroe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Authorities are making changes such as more precisely targeting lockdowns, rolling out new vaccines and adding international flights. Daily infections, though extremely low by international standards, are hitting six-month highs, while officials repeatedly reaffirm the zero-COVID policy that President Xi Jinping argues saves lives. Still, Huang does not expect fundamental change in China's COVID policy anytime soon. "COVID is not scary, it is preventable and treatable," the city's health authority told residents. China recently began rolling out what is believed to be the world's first inhalable COVID vaccine, which could help in reducing vaccine hesitancy that is especially widespread among older Chinese.

☆ Scholz secures agreement allowing expats in China to use BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Andreas Rinke | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Nov 4 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced an agreement on Friday to let expatriates in China use the COVID-19 vaccine from Germany's BioNTech (22UAy.DE) and pressed for Beijing to allow the shot to be made freely available to Chinese citizens. On his first visit to China since becoming chancellor and the first by a G7 leader since the pandemic, Scholz said China and Germany had different approaches to fighting the virus but had a joint responsibility to eliminate it. The two countries "agreed on close cooperation in the fight against the pandemic," Scholz said in a briefing alongside the Chinese premier Li Keqiang. "This also includes an approval of the BioNTech vaccine for expatriates in China. I hope that the circle of eligible persons can soon be widened to a general free ability of the BioNTech vaccine," said Scholz.

☆ Chinese state banks sold dollars to support yuan late on Tuesday - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The selling of dollars by state banks in early U.S. trading hours lifted the yuan, said one of the sources, noting the action took place in both onshore and offshore markets. The other source also spotted such state bank dollar selling in the onshore market late in the Asian day. The offshore yuan has been hitting successive record lows in recent sessions, reflecting a strengthening dollar and worries over a slowing Chinese economy. The yuan buying by state banks helped it crawl from a record low of 7.3746 per dollar to 7.3034. The onshore yuan bounced from a low of 7.31 to retrace almost all intraday losses following the state bank actions.

☆ These beaten up U.S.-listed Chinese stocks are reading at attractive levels, Evercore ISI says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

There may be an opportunity for investors to boost performance by snapping up shares of U.S.-listed Chinese stocks trading at a relative discount to their pandemic highs, according to Evercore ISI. "Despite the obvious challenges, we view risk/reward as attractive," analysts led by Julian Emanuel wrote in a Sunday note. "China US ADRs that have fallen significantly from their Pandemic Peak but have had favorable 2023e EPS revisions — could outperform." Evercore ISI screened for US-listed Chinese American depository receipts, or ADRs, with a market capitalization about $1 billion and that are down more from their pandemic peaks than Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index, which has fallen 47% this year. Evercore also sees a steep skew of expensive downside puts versus upside calls in the iShares China Large Cap ETF (FXI).

Hong Kong CNN —Chinese fighter jets or drones that intrude into Taiwan’s territorial airspace will be regarded as a “first strike,” Taiwan’s Defense Minister warned Wednesday, as the island seeks to step-up its defenses in response to Beijing’s military pressure. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said that “reunification” between China and Taiwan is inevitable and refused to rule out the use of force. Tensions between Beijing and Taipei are at the highest they’ve been in recent decades, with the Chinese military holding major military drills near the island. For decades, the median line had served as an informal demarcation line between the two, with military incursions across it being rare. The US provides Taiwan with defensive weapons, but has remained intentionally ambiguous on whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.

☆ 'I accept being ordinary': China's youth are turning their backs on hustle culture
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

"Tang ping" and "bai lan" reflect the intense competition faced by young Chinese today, said Jia Miao, an assistant professor from NYU Shanghai. "Tang ping is the rejection of overworking, where you let things be and do the bare minimum," said Miao. Unemployment and uncertaintiesBoth buzzwords, tang ping and bai lan, reflect the intense competition faced by young Chinese today, said Miao. 'Tang ping' gives me breathing space to reflect on my career and future, it's not necessarily a bad thing." "I have set goals for myself when I am not working, so 'tang ping' doesn't feel like a waste."

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