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An aerial view shows a crude oil tanker at an oil terminal off Waidiao island in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China January 4, 2023. Weekly products supplied, a proxy for demand, rose to the highest since December. Higher interest rates increase borrowing costs, which could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand. On a bullish note, China made a rare draw on crude oil inventories in July, the first time in 33 months it has dipped into storage. Data released on Wednesday showed that U.S. crude oil inventories fell by nearly 6 million barrels last week on strong exports and refining run rates.

Persons: Dennis Kissler, Naeem Aslam, OANDA's Moya, Arathy Somasekhar, Natalie Grover, Katya Golubkova, David Goodman, Christina Fincher, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Brent, . West Texas, BOK Financial, Travel, Energy, Zaye, Markets, Thomson Locations: Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, Independence, U.S, China's, Houston, London, Singapore

☆ Oil edges up as China seeks to calm economic fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view shows a crude oil tanker at an oil terminal off Waidiao island in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China January 4, 2023. China Daily via REUTERS/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Oil prices crept up on Thursday after China's central bank sought to stem the rising tide of pessimism over the country's property market and wider economy. Higher interest rates increase borrowing costs for businesses and consumers, which could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand. On a more bullish note, China made a rare draw on crude oil inventories in July, the first time in 33 months that it had dipped into storage. Data released on Wednesday showed that U.S. crude oil inventories fell by nearly 6 million barrels last week on strong exports and refining run rates.

Persons: Naeem Aslam, Edward Moya, John Evans, OANDA's Moya, Natalie Grover, Katya Golubkova, David Goodman Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, . West Texas, Zaye, U.S, U.S . Federal, Thomson Locations: Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, U.S .

☆ Global smartphone market to hit decade low in 2023 but Apple could take top spot, research shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

On the same day, data released by TechInsights showed that Apple's iPhone sales in China surpassed the United States for the first time in the second quarter of 2023, becoming the largest single market for iPhone shipments. Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesGlobal smartphone shipments this year are on track to be the worst in a decade, Counterpoint Research said in a report on Thursday, as the market is dragged down by the U.S. and China. However, Apple could become the biggest player in smartphones this year by shipments, as its high-end iPhone sales remain resilient, the report added. Measuring expected demand, shipments are not equivalent to sales and represent the number of devices that smartphones vendors send to retailers. Counterpoint Research said it expects smartphone shipments in 2023 to decline 6% year-on year to 1.15 billion devices.

Persons: TechInsights, Karn Chauhan Organizations: Apple, Nurphoto, Getty, Research, U.S, Counterpoint Research, CNBC Locations: Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, China, United States, Asia, America

An aerial view shows a crude oil tanker at an oil terminal off Waidiao island in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China January 4, 2023. Brent crude futures were up 8 cents, or 0.1%, at $83.53 a barrel by 0245 GMT, after initially falling 0.5%. Higher interest rates increase borrowing costs for businesses and consumers, which could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand. "Crude prices are going to struggle here as we have bearish sentiment in the world's two largest economies," said Edward Moya, an analyst at OANDA. Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Sonali Paul and Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tina Teng, Teng, Edward Moya, Katya Golubkova, Sonali Paul, Muralikumar Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Brent, U.S . West Texas, CMC Markets, Traders, U.S, U.S . Federal, OANDA, Thomson Locations: Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, U.S, OPEC, China's, U.S .

REUTERS/Aly Song Acquire Licensing RightsSHANGHAI, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group's (9988.HK) work communication and collaboration platform DingTalk will split from the company's cloud division, according to two sources close to the company. Alibaba's Cloud Intelligence Business Group did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the matter. Though the Slack-like DingTalk will split structurally from Alibaba's Cloud Business Intelligence unit, the sources said it would continue to work closely with the cloud division technology-wise. The tech giant announced the split of its business in March and has said the cloud division was likely to IPO by May next year. Alibaba Group last week reported better than expected results for its first quarter, but sales for its Cloud Intelligence Business Group, a major growth driver outside of e-commerce, reported the smallest revenue growth among the group's business units of 4%.

Persons: Aly, Group's, DingTalk, Casey Hall, Himani Sarkar, Conor Humphries Organizations: Alibaba, Holding, REUTERS, Rights, HK, Alibaba Holding, Cloud Intelligence Business Group, Cloud Business Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China

☆ Oil slips as China sours sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A VLCC oil tanker is seen at a crude oil terminal in Ningbo Zhoushan port, Zhejiang province, China May 16, 2017. In a surprise move, China's central bank marginally cut key interest rates on Tuesday, after a broad array of data highlighted intensifying pressure on the economy, mainly from the property sector. There are concerns China may struggle to meet its growth target of about 5% for the year without more fiscal stimulus. On Tuesday, Barclays cut its forecast for China's 2023 gross domestic product growth to 4.5%, citing a faster-than-expected deterioration in the housing market. Still, sentiment on China is souring, added PVM's Evans.

Persons: Stringer, galvanise, John Evans, refiners, PVM's Evans, Natalie Grover, Muyu Xu, Katya Golubkova, Tom Hogue, Jason Neely, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, Garden Holdings, Brent, . West Texas, of, Petroleum, Tuesday, Barclays, Thomson Locations: Ningbo Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC

☆ Oil edges up as China cuts policy rates to support economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A VLCC oil tanker is seen at a crude oil terminal in Ningbo Zhoushan port, Zhejiang province, China May 16, 2017. Prices turned higher after the People's Bank of China (PBOC) lowered the rate on 401 billion yuan ($55.3 billion) in one-year medium-term lending facility (MLF) loans to some financial institutions by 15 basis points to 2.5%. Despite the weak macroeconomic data, China's oil appetite showed resilience. The declining U.S. output could exacerbate global oil supply tightness as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, known as OPEC+, cut production. Reporting by Muyu Xu and Katya Golubkova; Editing by Sonali Paul and Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stringer, Robert Carnell, refiners, Muyu Xu, Katya Golubkova, Sonali Paul, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, Garden Holdings, SINGAPORE, Brent, . West Texas, People's Bank of China, ING Bank, Energy, of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: Ningbo Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, Beijing, Asia Pacific, OPEC

☆ Oil steadies as China data sours sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A VLCC oil tanker is seen at a crude oil terminal in Ningbo Zhoushan port, Zhejiang province, China May 16, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer /File PhotoCompanies Country Garden Holdings Co Ltd FollowLONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Oil prices stabilised on Tuesday as sluggish Chinese economic figures were countered by Beijing unexpectedly cutting key policy rates for the second time in three months. China's industrial output and retail sales data on Tuesday showed the economy slowed further last month, intensifying pressure on already faltering growth and prompting authorities to cut key policy rates to shore up activity. In an effort to shore up support, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) lowered the rate on 401 billion yuan ($55.3 billion) in one-year medium-term lending facility (MLF) loans to some financial institutions by 15 basis points to 2.5%. Still, sentiment on China is souring, added PVM's Evans.

Persons: Stringer, galvanise, John Evans, Robert Carnell, refiners, PVM's Evans, Natalie Grover, Muyu Xu, Katya Golubkova, Tom Hogue, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Garden Holdings, Brent, . West Texas, of, Petroleum, People's Bank of China, ING Bank, Thomson Locations: Ningbo Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, Beijing, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC, Asia Pacific

☆ China central bank cuts rates for second time in three months to support economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A citizen walks past the Hangzhou Central branch of the People's Bank of China in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang province, June 13, 2023. China's central bank unexpectedly cut key policy rates for the second time in three months on Tuesday, in a fresh sign that the authorities are ramping up monetary easing efforts to boost a sputtering economic recovery. Analysts said the move opened the door to a potential cut in China's lending benchmark loan prime rate (LPR) next week. In a Reuters poll of 26 market watchers conducted this week, 20 participants, or 77%, predicted that the central bank would leave the MLF rate unchanged. The PBOC lowered key policy rates in June to prop up the broad economy, but data has been increasingly weak since.

Persons: Tommy Wu, Ken Cheung Organizations: People's Bank of China, Mizuho Bank Locations: Hangzhou Central, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China's, China, United States

☆ China EV brand Zeekr to launch its first luxury sports car
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A man walks past a sign of Geely's new premium electric vehicle (EV) brand Zeekr at its factory in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China April 15, 2021. REUTERS/Yilei Sun/File PhotoSHANGHAI, Aug 10 (Reuters) - China's Zeekr, Geely Automobile's (0175.HK) electric vehicle brand, said on Thursday it will launch its first luxury sports car, which will be priced above 1 million yuan ($140,000). BYD launched an electric off-road SUV with a starting price of 1.098 million yuan as the first model under its luxury brand Yangwang in January. Founded in 2021 as a premium EV brand, Zeekr has three models for sales with starting prices ranging from 189,800 yuan to 499,000 yuan. ($1 = 7.2116 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh; Editing by Edmund Klamann and Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Geely Automobile's, Tesla, EVs, BYD, Zeekr, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Edmund Klamann Organizations: REUTERS, Yilei, HK, EV, Thomson Locations: Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China

☆ Oil hits new highs as tighter supply offsets China demand concern
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view shows a crude oil tanker at an oil terminal off Waidiao island in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China January 4, 2023. Brent crude was 54 cents, or 0.6%, higher at $86.71 by 1110 GMT having touched $87.09, the highest since April 13. Crude posted its sixth consecutive weekly gain last week helped by a reduction in OPEC+ supplies and hopes of stimulus boosting oil demand recovery in China. "There is no doubt that there is plenty of momentum here," said Naeem Aslam, chief investment officer at Avatrade. On Tuesday, oil also came under pressure from Chinese data showing crude oil imports in July fell 18.8% from the previous month to their lowest daily rate since January, although they were up 17% from a year earlier.

Persons: Brent, Charalampos Pissouros, Naeem Aslam, Yuka Obayashi, Andrew Hayley, Bernadette Baum, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Saudi, XM, . West Texas, Organization of, Petroleum, American Petroleum Institute, Official U.S . Energy, Thomson Locations: Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, Saudi, Russian, Saudi Arabia, Russia, U.S, OPEC, Tokyo, Beijing

An aerial view shows a crude oil tanker at an oil terminal off Waidiao island in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China January 4, 2023. China Daily via REUTERSBEIJING, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Oil prices eased in Asian morning trade on Wednesday as concerns over slow demand from top crude importer China grew after bearish trade and inflation data, outweighing fears over tighter supply arising from output cuts by Saudi Arabia and Russia. "Oil prices are struggling to further rise because of lingering concerns over a sluggish recovery in China's economy and fuel demand," said Chiyoki Chen, chief analyst at Sunward Trading. Both benchmarks notched their sixth consecutive weekly gains last week, the longest winning streak since December 2021 to January 2022, helped by a reduction in OPEC+ supplies and hopes of stimulus boosting an oil demand recovery in China. In another bearish sign, U.S. crude oil stocks rose by 4.1 million barrels last week, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday.

Persons: Brent, Chiyoki Chen, Yuka Obayashi, Andrew Hayley, Jamie Freed, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, . West Texas, Sunward, American Petroleum Institute, Reuters, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Saudi, Thomson Locations: Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, REUTERS BEIJING, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United States, Europe, Saudi, Tokyo, Beijing

Feeling the pinch of rising housing costs and a slowing economy, the jobless graduates are forfeiting cities that have traditionally provided a stepping stone to middle-class wealth. The numbers varied by region, with 59% of graduates in the well-developed east heading home. To keep costs down as they stay longer in hope of finding a job, some young mega-city drifters even share their beds with strangers. One such post was looking for a roommate to share one bed in a room "with a huge balcony" in Beijing. ($1 = 7.2004 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Ella Cao and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stringer CHINA, Joyce Zhang, I've, Zhang, China's, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Conor Humphries Organizations: Central China Normal University, REUTERS, China News Service, China's, Xinhua, Reuters, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Wuhan, Hubei province, China, BEIJING, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Inner Mongolia, Hangzhou, Zhejiang

☆ China wants to limit teens to no more than two hours a day on their phones
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Children under eight would be able to use their phones for only 40 minutes a day, while those between eight and 16 would get an hour of screen time. “On the other hand, it’s easier for us parents to control our kids screen time,” she said. China has one of the world’s largest internet user bases, with roughly 1.07 billion people in the country of 1.4 billion having access to the web, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. The regulation could be useful to “help parents to supervise the children” and limit screen time. Impact on tech firmsThe new measures could present challenges for tech companies, which are typically held responsible for enforcing regulations.

Persons: ”, “, Kuaishou Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Cyberspace Administration, ”, Mobile, CNN, China Internet Network Information, Apple, Huawei Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, China’s Zhejiang, China’s Zhuhai, Weibo, lockstep

☆ Typhoon Khanun kills one man, knocks out power to one-third of Japan's Okinawa homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Aug 2 (Reuters) - High winds hit power lines in Japan's popular tourist destination Okinawa, knocking out electricity to more than 200,000 households on Wednesday morning, as powerful and slow-moving typhoon Khanun neared the country's southwestern islands. A man was crushed under a collapsed garage and went into cardiac arrest, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. A man was crushed under a collapsed garage and went into cardiac arrest, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Local utility Okinawa Electric Power (9511.T) said 212,530 households, or 34% of all houses covered, were experiencing power outages as of 10:55 a.m. Japan time (0155 GMT), according to its website. Kyushu Electric Power (9508.T) said power supply was down for 10,030 houses in Amami islands in Kagoshima prefecture, north of Okinawa.

Persons: Co's, Khanun, Kantaro Komiya, Sonali Paul Organizations: Disaster Management Agency, Japan Meteorological Agency, Local, Okinawa Electric, Kyushu Electric Power, Mobile, SoftBank Corp, Kadena Air Base, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Okinawa, Japan's, Tokyo, Japan, Amami, Kagoshima prefecture, Naha, Okinawa's, U.S, East China, Zhejiang, Taiwan, Kyushu, China, Philippines

CNN —Severe flooding in Beijing was caused by the heaviest rainfall in 140 years, according to local meteorologists, and there’s little reprieve for the region as Typhoon Khanun lashes Japan with wind and rain. Meanwhile, Typhoon Khanun packed winds of 220 kilometers per hour (137 mph) – the equivalent of a Category 4 Atlantic hurricane – as it made its nearest pass to Japan’s southwestern Okinawa islands early Wednesday. In the past 24 hours, many locations in Okinawa have received 175 to 220 millimeters (6 to 8 inches) of rainfall, according to CNN Weather on Wednesday morning. People evacuate Tazhao village in Zhuozhou city, Hebei province of China on August 1, 2023. Zhai Yujia/China News Service/VCG/Getty ImagesOn Tuesday, more than 300 people were stranded in a residential building in Hebei’s Zhuozhou city, state-run outlet The Paper said.

Persons: Khanun, Zhai Yujia, Xi Jinping Organizations: CNN, Beijing Meteorological Service, CNN Weather, Okinawa Electric Power Company, Beijing Daily, CCTV, Xinhua, People, China News Service Locations: Beijing, Japan, Okinawa, Khanun, East, Ryukyu Islands, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Hebei, Tazhao, Zhuozhou city, China, Hebei’s Zhuozhou, Zhuozhou, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia

Visitor numbers at Hangzhou Zoo have gone up by 30 percent to around 20,000 a day since a video of the Malayan bear, named Angela, became a trending topic on Chinese social media over the weekend, Zhejiang province-based Chao News reported. It was when Angela was standing up that some netizens said she looked like someone wearing a bear suit. The zoo has sought to refute the rumour in posts on its official WeChat account and in interviews with local media, saying that Angela is "definitely not a human". "Our zoo is government-run, so that kind of situation would not happen," a member of staff said, according to local media. Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard; Additional reporting by Jiawei Wang; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Angela, Chao, Qian Ming, netizens, Martin Quin Pollard, Jiawei Wang, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Hangzhou Zoo, Chao News, Hangzhou TV, Weibo, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China's Zhejiang, Zhejiang province, Suzhou, Hangzhou

At least 11 people have been killed and 27 others reported missing, state broadcaster CCTV reported, while more than 127,000 people have been evacuated from the city. In Mentougou district, the average rainfall was more than 18 inches, according to data from Beijing’s meteorological service, while nearby Fangshan saw 16 inches of rain. The storm is the deadliest to hit Beijing since 2012 when floods killed 77 people – a toll that authorities initially tried to cover up. Before hitting Fujian, the typhoon had killed at least 39 people in the Philippines and lashed parts of southern Taiwan. At least 1,870 passengers and 68 staff had been stranded on two trains and were finally led to safe ground by Monday afternoon, Xinhua reported, citing Beijing’s state railway operator.

Persons: Doksuri, Pedro Pardo, Xi Jinping, ” Xi Organizations: CNN, CCTV, Beijing, Xinhua, Authorities Locations: Beijing, China, Mentougou district, Fangshan, Zhengzhou, Henan, Beijing's Mentougou, AFP, Fujian, Philippines, Taiwan, Guizhou, Mentougou, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, Zhejiang

☆ China PMI: factory sector contracts for fourth straight month, raising urgency for more stimulus
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China is preparing to announce new stimulus for its stumbling economy after the vast factory sector contracted for a fourth straight month, and a gauge of activity in its services sector slipped to a seven month low. The official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which measures activity level in the manufacturing sector, came in at 49.3 in July, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday. That result was slightly up compared with 49 in June but the index has nonetheless contracted each month since April. The official non-manufacturing PMI, which looks at activities in the services and construction industries, fell to 51.5 from 53.2 in June. “China’s official PMI data provides little encouragement that the economy is turning the corner,” said Robert Carnell, regional head of research for Asia-Pacific at ING Group.

Persons: Stringer, “, ”, Robert Carnell, Xi Jinping, Carnell Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Bureau, Statistics, PMI, Getty, ING Group, National Development, Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, State, Information, Ministry of Commerce, Capital Economics Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Hangzhou, China's, Zhejiang, AFP, Asia, Pacific

☆ Northern China faces Doksuri floods as south mops up from storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

China's National Meteorological Center kept its red alert, the country's highest, for rainstorms on Sunday, state media Xinhua reported. Doksuri, one of the strongest storms to hit China in years, had prompted thousands to evacuate in southern province Fujian and ripping coastal areas and pushing north and inland. Although the authorities downgraded the storm from typhoon on Sunday, the China Meteorological Bureau maintained a red alert for heavy rain in various provinces, especially northern areas such as Hebei, Beijing, Shanxi and Henan. The capital was likely to receive record rainfall, while cities in Hebei province, which encircles Beijing, were waterlogged, local media reported. In Hebei, 209 weather stations recorded extremely heavy rainfall and 1,283 heavy rainfall，local TV reported.

Persons: Typhoon Doksuri, Doksuri, Khanun, Ningwei Qin, Kevin Yao, William Mallard Organizations: cnsphoto, REUTERS, National Meteorological Center, Xinhua, China, China Meteorological Bureau, Ningwei, Thomson Locations: Xincuo, Fuqing, Fuzhou, Fujian province, China, REUTERS BEIJING, Beijing, Fujian, Philippines, Taiwan, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, Hebei province, Zhejiang province, Shanghai

REUTERS/Stringer/File PhotoSummary Countries at odds over which should pay climate financeEU wants China to contribute to climate fundsChina among countries not currently obliged to payBRUSSELS/BEIJING, July 21 (Reuters) - Record-breaking heat in China. The EU, today the biggest contributor of climate finance, has lobbied to expand the pool of donor countries that provide it. Climate finance refers to money that wealthy countries pay toward helping poorer nations reduce CO2 emissions and adapt to a hotter, harsher world. Advocates for the change argue that an expansion needs to happen before a new - and, likely, far bigger - U.N. target for climate finance kicks in after 2025. "It would earn China diplomatic clout, and pressure Western donors to raise their stakes on climate finance," he said.

Persons: Stringer, John Kerry, Janet Yellen, Kerry, Li Qiang, Pa'olelei Luteru, Luteru, Byford Tsang, Kate Abnett, Valerie Volcovici, Katy Daigle, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, BRUSSELS, U.S, Union, Reuters, EU, United Arab Emirates, of Small, WHO, United, Climate Cooperation, Initiative, Bridgetown Initiative, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, EU, BEIJING, COP28, Dubai, Beijing, U.S, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore, States, United States, South Korea, U.N, Barbados, Bridgetown, Brussels

☆ Ant Group's share repurchase plan values firm at nearly $79 billion, down sharply before crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

HANGZHOU, CHINA - OCTOBER 27: A logo of Ant Group is seen at the company's headquarters on October 27, 2020 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. Ant Group on Saturday announced a share repurchase plan that values the fintech giant at 567.1 billion yuan ($78.54 billion), as the management seeks to replenish its staff incentive pool and let some investors exit after regulators fined the firm. "The repurchased shares will be transferred into Ant Group's employee incentive plans to attract talents. Ant's major shareholders, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership and Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, have voluntarily decided not to participate in the repurchase, the company added. On Friday, Chinese authorities also announced fines against two Chinese banks, an insurer, and Tencent Holdings' online payment platform Tenpay.

Persons: Ant, Jack Ma Organizations: Ant, Saturday, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership, Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, Tencent Holdings, People's Bank of China Locations: HANGZHOU, CHINA, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Starbucks, CarMax, Virgin Galactic and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A view of the Starbucks vending van during its debut in Hangzhou, the capital of China's Zhejiang province, June 7, 2022. Starbucks — Starbucks shares lost nearly 2.5% after a union representing workers said strikes are slated to begin Friday in response to claims the coffee shop chain is not allowing Pride decorations at cafes. More than 150 stores, and about 3,500 workers, plan to join the strike occurring over the next week, the union said. CarMax — The used-car retailer popped 10% after beating the consensus estimate of analysts for its first-quarter revenue. Virgin Galactic — Virgin Galactic shed 18% after announcing a $300 million capital raise via a common stock offering.

Persons: CarMax, Armour, Wells Fargo, TD Cowen, Morgan Stanley, Evotec, — CNBC's Michelle Fox, Alex Harring, Jesse Pound Organizations: Starbucks, StreetAccount ., Galactic, Deutsche Bank, Accenture —, Accenture, GSK — U.S, GSK Locations: Hangzhou, China's Zhejiang province, North America, Germany

☆ China holds live-fire drills in East China Sea north of Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, June 13 (Reuters) - China began military exercises in the East China sea to the north of Taiwan on Tuesday, including live-fire exercises from warships, as the U.S and its allies conduct their drills in the Western Pacific. China routinely conducts exercises along its coast, though the ones near Chinese-claimed Taiwan often attract the most attention. The drills are near the Dachen islands, which Taiwan controlled until 1955 until being evacuated after other nearby islands were seized by Chinese forces in a bloody battle. China will hold separate exercises in another northern part of the East China Sea until late Wednesday afternoon, the maritime safety agency said. China's East China Sea exercises coincide with a quadrilateral naval exercise in the Philippine Sea that started on Friday involving the United States, Japan, Canada and France.

Persons: Mao Zedong's, Ronald Reagan, Ryan Woo, Albee Zhang, Ben Blanchard, Robert Birsel Organizations: U.S, Safety Administration, East China, China, U.S . 7th Fleet, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, East China, Taiwan, Western Pacific, Zhejiang, China's Fujian, Republic of China, Taipei, East, Philippine, United States, Japan, Canada, France

☆ China's factory activity skids in April on weak demand - Caixin PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s factory activity unexpectedly dipped in April, a private sector survey showed on Thursday, due to softer domestic demand and suggesting the manufacturing sector is losing momentum amid a bumpy post-COVID economic recovery. FILE PHOTO: Employees work on a production line manufacturing metal parts for furniture at a factory in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China April 30, 2020. China Daily via REUTERSThe Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 49.5 in April from 50.0 the previous month prior. The reading echoes a similarly disappointing official PMI released on Sunday and reflects the uneven nature of China’s economic recovery, with services consumption, a key growth driver in the first quarter, outperforming manufacturing. “This suggests that China’s economic recovery significantly slowed after COVID-19 infections peaked at the start of this year,” said Wang Zhe, economist at Caixin Insight Group.

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