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☆ Chinese banks to cut existing mortgage rates as property crisis deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The reduction in existing mortgage rates will come amid several other property, economic and market support measures Beijing has announced over the past few weeks, as concerns mount about the health of the world's second-largest economy. Chinese lenders were widely expected to cut interest rates on existing mortgages after the PBOC earlier this month said that it would guide commercial banks to do so. The central bank's proposal to cut rates, which came after a wave of early repayments of mortgage debt, aims to reduce the interest rate costs for homebuyers and to boost consumption in a slowing economy. Adjusting existing mortgage rates is conducive to easing pressure on banks from mortgage prepayment, Lin Li, vice president of Agricultural Bank of China Ltd (601288.SS), the country's No.3 lender by assets, said earlier on Tuesday. Cutting deposit rates could help banks to maintain a proper level of NIM, one of the sources said.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Zhu Qibing, Lin Li, Fu Wanjun, NIM, Xiangming Hou, Rong Ma, Tang, Ryan Woo, Selena Li, Sumeet Chatterjee, Alex Richardson, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Agricultural Bank of, REUTERS, Bank, BEIJING, People's Bank of China, Reuters, HK, BOC International China, Citigroup, Agricultural Bank of China Ltd, Agricultural Bank, China's, Thomson Locations: Agricultural Bank of China, Beijing, China, Hong Kong

☆ China new home prices growth likely flat in 2023, dragging on economy - Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Liangping Gao | Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FILE PHOTO: A construction site of residential buildings by Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured in Tianjin, China August 18, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File PhotoThe expected 0% year-on-year growth in home prices compared with a 1.4% gain tipped in the previous forecast in May, a Reuters poll of 12 economists conducted from Aug. 16-25 showed. “It is estimated that every one percentage point decline in property investment may drag down the GDP growth rate by 0.1 percentage points,” said analyst Ma Hong at Zhixin Investment Research Institute. China observers are sceptical that the property sector could turn a corner in the near term despite Beijing’s support measures. The government has suspended publishing data on youth unemployment, which has hit record highs in what analysts say is partly a symptom of regulatory crackdowns on big employers in real estate and other industries.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Wang Xingping, Fitch Bohua, ”, Ma Hong, Gao Yuhong, Xing Zhaopeng Organizations: REUTERS, Fitch, Authorities, Zhixin Investment Research Institute Locations: BEIJING, Tianjin, China, “

A construction site of residential buildings by Chinese developer Country Garden is pictured in Tianjin, China August 18, 2023. The expected 0% year-on-year growth in home prices compared with a 1.4% gain tipped in the previous forecast in May, a Reuters poll of 12 economists conducted from Aug. 16-25 showed. "It is estimated that every one percentage point decline in property investment may drag down the GDP growth rate by 0.1 percentage points," said analyst Ma Hong at Zhixin Investment Research Institute. China observers are sceptical that the property sector could turn a corner in the near term despite Beijing's support measures. The government has suspended publishing data on youth unemployment, which has hit record highs in what analysts say is partly a symptom of regulatory crackdowns on big employers in real estate and other industries.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Wang Xingping, Fitch Bohua, Ma Hong, Gao Yuhong, Xing Zhaopeng, Liangping Gao, Ryan Woo, Shuyan Wang, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Fitch, Authorities, Zhixin Investment Research Institute, Thomson Locations: Tianjin, China, BEIJING

☆ Centaline says mainland China unit has 'huge' unpaid developers' commissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sign of Centaline Property is pictured at the company's office in Tianjin, China August 18, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Centaline Property has said its mainland China unit is owed a huge amount of unpaid commissions and so it cannot pay employees their commissions, responding to reports of delayed payments to the unit by developers including the embattled Evergrande. The Hong Kong property agency's mainland arm, Centaline Property Agency (Shenzhen), has not recovered some commission fees as property developers grapple with the debt crisis and liquidity crunch, Centaline said in a statement on Friday. "The current amount of unpaid commissions from developers and agents is huge and Centaline Property is not in a position to advance them to its employees," the company said. The Shenzhen unit has paid fixed salaries up to July, Centaline said, adding that all of units were operating normally and it would not withdraw from the mainland China market.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Centaline, Liu Tianyang, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Centaline Property Agency, Securities Times, Thomson Locations: Tianjin, China, Rights BEIJING, Hong Kong, Shenzhen

☆ China approves guidelines to boost affordable housing amid property debt crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Chinese property sector is in a deepening crisis with a rising risk of default among some developers as they struggle to sell apartments and raise funds. Separately, China's central bank announced guidance on relaxing residential housing loan rules, in a move aimed at boosting loan applications and house purchases. The central bank also said it would stick to the principle that houses are for living in and not vehicles for speculation. On Friday, the housing ministry, the central bank and the national financial regulator also jointly issued a notice easing mortgage policies to help revive the sector. China's housing market has over the past two years been grappling with a severe debt crisis - initially triggered by government moves to rein in ballooning debt.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Premier Li Qiang, Ellen Zhang, Ryan Woo, John Stonestreet, Susan Fenton, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Premier, Xinhua, People's Bank of, Ministry of Housing, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, People's Bank of China

☆ China should stick to 'houses are for living, not for speculation' - state media
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Aug 23 (Reuters) - China should adhere to the principle that "houses are for living in, not for speculation" for the time being, the state-run Economic Daily said in an editorial on Wednesday, amid an economically damaging downturn in the property sector. "The positioning of 'houses are for living in, not for speculation' should be insisted on and it is not out of date," the Economic Daily said in an editorial. But they were disappointed when the People's Bank of China (PBOC) held the five-year loan prime rate steady on Monday. Property-related loans accounts for 40% of banks' lending, and property ownership accounts for 60% of Chinese household wealth, the Economic Daily said. Reporting by Ellen Zhang and Ryan Woo; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Ellen Zhang, Ryan Woo, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: People's Bank of China, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China

China cut its one-year benchmark lending rate on Monday, which is set to further weigh on banks' NIM. Chinese commercial banks' NIM shrank sharply to 1.74% last quarter from 1.91% at the end of 2022, official data showed. Shares of China's biggest five banks have been sliding since early May amid concerns over the weakening economy. Debt-laden municipalities represent a major risk to China's economy and financial stability, after years of over-investment in infrastructure and plummeting returns from land sales. Still, there's really no getting around the fact that banks will need to sacrifice profitability to support the economy this year," Beddor added.

Persons: Florence, headwinds, Gary Ng, NIM, Christopher Beddor, there's, Beddor, Ziyi Tang, Ryan Woo, Sumeet Chatterjee, Himani Organizations: Bank of Communications, Fair for Trade, Services, REUTERS, China Construction Bank, Corporate, Investment Banking, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, Bank of Communications Co, Agricultural Bank of China, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING

☆ China will develop core industries in digital economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends a meeting with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China July 18, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Pool/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 21 (Reuters) - China will develop the core industries in the digital economy to drive the country's economic rebound, state media cited premier Li Qiang as saying at a cabinet study session on Monday. China will actively participate in international cooperation on the digital economy and create a favourable environment for the digital economy, Li said. Reporting by Liangping Gao and Ryan Woo; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Li Qiang, John Kerry, Florence Lo, Li, Liangping Gao, Ryan Woo, Jason Neely Organizations: U.S, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ China vows to coordinate support to resolve local government debt risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Headquarters of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, is pictured in Beijing, China September 28, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 20 (Reuters) - China will coordinate financial support to resolve local government debt problems, the central bank said in a statement on Sunday, as policymakers look to shore up an increasingly shaky economic recovery and reassure worried investors. Financial departments should coordinate support to resolve local debt risks, enrich tools to prevent and resolve debt risks, strengthen risk monitoring and firmly hold the line on avoiding systemic risk, according to the PBOC statement. Bloomberg reported on Aug. 11 that China will offer local governments a combined 1 trillion yuan ($137 billion) in bond issuance quotas for refinancing. "Financial support to the real economy must be strong enough" while major banks should increase lending, the statement said.

Persons: Jason Lee, Fitch, Pan Gongsheng, Xiao Yuanqi, Li Chao, PBOC, Ellen Zhang, Siyi Liu, Ryan Woo, Kim Coghill Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, Rights, Communist Party, Bloomberg, PBOC, National Financial Regulatory, China Securities Regulatory, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ Furious Chinese investors lodge complaints over trust firm's missed payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Angry investors in trust products of a leading Chinese shadow bank have lodged complaint letters with regulators, pleading with the authorities to step in after the big Chinese trust firm missed payments on dozens of investment products. "Every day, a large number of people gathered at business departments of Zhongrong Trust are praying for the firm can give an explanation to investors ... investors are immersed in unlimited horror and fear every day." In the letter to the NFRA , investors demanded that Zhongrong provide reports of the underlying assets of defaulted products. "We hope officials can attach great attention to Zhongrong Trust ... and not let this to become a milestone vicious economic event," the letter sent to the NFRA said. In the letter to the CCDI, investors complained that management of Zhongrong failed to fulfill their responsibilities and caused huge losses to investors.

Persons: Aly, Zhongrong, didn't, NFRA, Ziyi Tang, Ryan Woo, Sumeet Chatterjee, Kim Cogill Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Trust Co, Investors, Financial Regulatory Administration, Central Commission, Reuters, Zhongzhi Enterprise Group, Zhongrong, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING, Zhongrong

☆ China's new home prices fall for first time this year, dimming economic outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The 0.2% fall month-on-month came after June's flat reading, according to Reuters calculations based on National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data. The decline in home prices comes amid a worsening debt crisis at major developers, sliding property investment and home sales. Among 70 cities, 49 saw a fall in new home prices month-on-month in July from 38 cities the previous month. However, most economists expect the downside trend in home sales and prices to persist for while. "Without additional major policy easing and/or fiscal support, property sales and investment may weaken further or stay at the bottom for longer than assumed in our baseline," said Wang.

Persons: Jason Lee, Goldman Sachs, Wang Tao, Wang, Qiaoyi Li, Liangping Gao, Ryan Woo, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, National Bureau of Statistics, Goldman, Asia Economics, China, UBS Investment Bank, Thomson Locations: Wangjing, China, BEIJING, Zhengzhou, Xian, Fuzhou

☆ Bank of China starts nationwide move to reduce salary gap among employees, manager levels -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A man rides his bicycle across the street under the Guomao bridge at the Central Business District in Beijing, China, October 19, 2015. Bank of China didn't immediately reply to a Reuters' request for comment. The move follows pay cuts being made at investment banks such as China International Capital Corp (CICC) (3908.HK). Two of the sources said the bank had finished implementing the plan at its headquarters in the first half of the year. A third source said the bank's Shanghai branch staff last week received notice that the bank would be reducing pay gaps there.

Persons: Jason Lee, Xi Jinping, Bank of China didn't, Ziyi Tang, Rong Ma, Ryan Woo, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Central Business District, REUTERS, Bank of China Ltd, Communist Party, Bank of, China International Capital Corp, HK, of, Central Commission, Inspection, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, Bank of China, of China, Shanghai

☆ China's Inner Mongolia reports two cases of bubonic plague
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Aug 13 (Reuters) - China's northern region of Inner Mongolia reported two cases of bubonic plague on Saturday, following a previous infection that was detected on Aug. 7, the local government said. The two people infected are the husband and daughter of the previous case, the government said in a statement on its website. Cases of bubonic plague infection, a highly infectious disease that is spread mostly by rodents, are low in China, with most found in Inner Mongolia and northwestern Ningxia region in recent years. Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague, which can be fatal if not treated in time, according to the World Health Organization. Reporting by Ethan Wang and Ryan Woo; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ethan Wang, Ryan Woo, Jamie Freed Organizations: World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Inner Mongolia, China, Ningxia

☆ China condemns visit of 'troublemaker' Taiwan VP to US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly denounced Lai's trip, which includes another stopover in San Francisco on Wednesday on his way back to Taipei. In a statement issued shortly after Lai landed in New York on a scheduled flight from Taipei, China's foreign ministry said it opposed any form of visit by "Taiwan independence separatists" to the United States. "Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through," the ministry said. China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan over the past three years, seeking to force the island into accepting Beijing's sovereignty. In April, China staged war games around Taiwan in an angry response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen meeting U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on a stopover on the way back to Taipei following her visit to Central America.

Persons: William Lai, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Lai, Lai's, Washington's, Laura Rosenberger, Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Ryan Woo, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, William Mallard, Jamie Freed Organizations: Taoyuan International Airport, REUTERS, Carlos Garcia Rawlins BEIJING, Taiwan, U.S, American Institute, Eastern Theatre Command, Liberation Army, Chinese Foreign, Central America, Thomson Locations: Taoyuan, United States, New York, Paraguay, Taiwan, U.S, Beijing, China, San Francisco, Taipei, Taiwan Strait, Washington, California, Central

☆ China state media says developed nations not shunning Belt and Road Forum
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the joint press conference of the China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, Shaanxi province, China May 19, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Pool/File PhotoBEIJING, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Chinese state media on Saturday rejected a Western claim that developed nations were shunning the country's Belt and Road Forum, while saying most of the leaders invited this year were from developing nations. Critics see the ambitious Belt and Road initiative - billed as recreating the ancient Silk Road to boost global trade infrastructure - as a tool for President Xi Jinping's China to spread its geopolitical and economic influence. Italy, the sole Group of Seven nation in Belt and Road, said the decision by a previous government to join had been "atrocious". Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to visit China in October, coinciding with the Belt and Road Forum, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Florence Lo, Xi Jinping's, Xi, Vladimir Putin, Ryan Woo, William Mallard Organizations: Central Asia Summit, REUTERS, Forum, Street, Times, Thomson Locations: China, Xian, Shaanxi, BEIJING, Xi Jinping's China, West, Beijing, Italy, France, Germany, Russia, Africa, Russian

☆ China coast guard says held maritime enforcement drills with Russia, South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A China Coast Guard vessel patrols at the disputed Scarborough Shoal April 6, 2017. Picture taken April 6, 2017 REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File PhotoBEIJING, Aug 11 (Reuters) - China's coast guard held joint drills with its counterparts from Russia and South Korea from Aug. 7 to 10, according to an official statement from the China side. Maritime law enforcement from countries including Russia and South Korea took part in the annual North Pacific coast guard drills in eastern Chinese city Ningbo, the Chinese coast guard said in the statement on Friday. The drills targeted drug trafficking at sea. Reporting by Albee Zhang and Ryan Woo; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Erik De Castro, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Kim Coghill Organizations: China Coast Guard, Scarborough, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Russia, South Korea, China, Pacific, Chinese, Ningbo

☆ China uncovers alleged Chinese spy for CIA - state broadcaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Chinese national surnamed Zeng, who had worked for a military industrial group, was recruited by a CIA agent based in Italy, China Central Television (CCTV) said in a report. Zeng was sent to Italy by the military industrial group for further studies and became acquainted with the CIA agent. After succeeding in "shaking" Zeng's political stance, the CIA agent sought sensitive information about the Chinese military from Zeng, according to the CCTV report. Zeng was found to have signed an espionage agreement with the U.S. and had received training before returning to China, CCTV reported. After returning to China, Zeng had provided on numerous occasions "core" intelligence, and had pocketed funds for the efforts, it said.

Persons: Zeng, Seth, Liz Lee, Ryan Woo, Jamie Freed, Michael Perry, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, China Central Television, U.S, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Italy, U.S, Beijing, Washington, United States

☆ China tips into deflation as efforts to stoke recovery falter
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Liangping Gao | Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Customers select tomatoes at a stall inside a morning market in Beijing, China August 9, 2023. The consumer price index (CPI) dropped 0.3% year-on-year in July, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Wednesday, compared with the median estimate for a 0.4% decrease in a Reuters poll. The producer price index (PPI) declined for a 10th consecutive month, down 4.4% and faster than the forecast 4.1% fall. Asian shares were on the defensive on Wednesday as the Chinese price data confirmed its economic recovery was losing steam. Beijing has set a consumer inflation target of around 3% this year, which would be up from 2% recorded in 2022, and for now, authorities are downplaying concerns about deflation.

Persons: Wang, Japan’s “, ”, Gary Ng, Liu Guoqiang, Xia Chun, Tommy Wu, Wu Organizations: REUTERS, National Bureau of Statistics, “, Asia Pacific, Natixis, Commerzbank Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, Asia, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong

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 warns of crop, animal disease outbreaks in flood-hit areas
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Josh Arslan/File PhotoBEIJING, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Northern China warned of crop and animal diseases breaking out as flood waters retreated from rural areas, while some cities struggled to restore drinking water supplies after the worst flooding in six decades. Local authorities must step up measures to prevent and control major disease outbreaks caused by dead animals, pests and insects, Agriculture Minister Tang Renjian said after an inspection of affected areas on Tuesday. In Zhuozhou, the worst-hit city in Hebei, workers in hazmat suits sprayed disinfectant in built-up areas to prevent the spread of disease, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The Water Resources ministry has declared an emergency response to quickly restore drinking water supplies, including setting up supply points and dispatching water trucks. Even in Beijing, where at least 33 people have died in the floods, a team of nearly 600 people were "racing against time" to restore water supplies in a rural district.

Persons: Doksuri, Josh Arslan, Tang Renjian, Tang, Liz Lee, Ryan Woo, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Agriculture, Xinhua, Water Resources, Thomson Locations: Zhuozhou, Hebei province, China, BEIJING, Northern China, Hebei, Beijing, Farms, Shijiazhuang, Shanghai

☆ Philippines says China blocked, water-cannoned boat in S. China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China's coast guard countered that it had implemented necessary controls in accordance with the law to deter Philippine ships, which it accused of trespassing and carrying illegal building materials. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, an assertion rejected internationally, while Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines have various claims to certain areas. China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu responded that China has "indisputable" sovereignty over the Spratly Islands and their adjacent waters, including the Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippine Coast Guard said the Chinese actions violated laws including two international conventions and a ruling from a global tribunal. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague concluded in 2016 that Beijing's expansive claim to the South China Sea was groundless.

Persons: Carlos Dominguez, Gao Hucheng, Damir Sagolj, China's, Thomas, Gan Yu, Gan, Jay Tarriela, Enrico Dela Cruz, Ryan Woo, William Mallard Organizations: Philippine, China's, REUTERS, Armed Forces, China Coast Guard, Central Military Commission, Philippine Coast Guard, U.S . State Department, Washington, Coast Guard, Philippines Mutual Defense, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Philippine, MANILA, Philippines, South China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, Manila, Ayungin, Spratly, The Hague, South, United States

People ride a boat through a flooded road after the rains and floods brought by remnants of Typhoon Doksuri, in Zhuozhou, Hebei province, China August 3, 2023. The vast Hai River basin covers an area the size of Poland that includes Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin. On his visit to flood storage areas in Baoding, Ni added that it was necessary to reduce the pressure on Beijing's flood control and create a "moat" for the Chinese capital. "I'd like to know, among all the people living in flood storage areas across the country, how many of them know they are living in such areas?" As of 8:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) on Friday, Hebei had relocated more than 1.54 million people, including 961,200 from flood storage areas, state media reported on Saturday.

Persons: Doksuri, Tingshu Wang, Xi Jinping, Secretary Ni Yuefeng, netizens, netizen, David Kirton, Ryan Woo, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Beijing, Hebei's Communist, Secretary, Reuters, China Water Resources, Ministry of Water Resources, Thomson Locations: Zhuozhou, Hebei province, China, BEIJING, China's, Hebei, Poland, Beijing, Tianjin, Baoding prefecture, Baoding, Xiongan, Ni, Weibo, Bazhou, Shanghai

☆ China's July economic losses from disasters exceed January-June
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

August, when rainfall usually peaks and summer temperatures soar, is set for further economic impact from floods and heatwaves. Rainfall in northeastern provinces could be as much as 50% higher than normal in August, China's national forecaster have warned. In the northern province of Hebei, over 1.2 million people had been evacuated as of Wednesday due to flooding caused by residual rains from Doksuri. China's top economic planner on Friday earmarked an additional 100 million yuan to support post-disaster recovery in Tianjin and Hebei on top of the 100 million yuan announced on Wednesday for Beijing and Hebei. The finance and water resources ministries separately on Friday also offered 450 million yuan to support the overall recovery effort.

Persons: Talim, Ryan Woo, William Mallard Organizations: cnsphoto, REUTERS, Ministry of Emergency Management, Thomson Locations: Beihai, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, BEIJING, Beijing, Hebei, Doksuri, Tianjin

☆ China's Zhengzhou city launches property support measures
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File PhotoBEIJING, Aug 4 (Reuters) - China's Zhengzhou city has launched measures to support its property market, including easing home resale restrictions, in what analysts said were the first such moves by a big city heeding signals from policymakers. "Zhengzhou's property easing measures will most likely be warmly welcomed by markets, and we expect other tier-2 cities and even tier-1 cities to follow," said Nomura in a research note on Friday. "We are also concerned that merely easing restrictions on existing home sales without lifting restrictions on home purchase may add supply and depress home prices." On Thursday, China's central bank governor pledged to guide more financial resources towards private firms including property. Demand for the property sector, once a pillar of economic growth, has remained weak in recent weeks - property sales between May and June showed the largest monthly drop this year, based on sales by floor area.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Nomura, Liangping Gao, Ryan Woo, Himani Sarkar, Muralikumar Organizations: REUTERS, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Zhengzhou, Henan province, China, BEIJING, China's, Henan

In the waterlogged provincial capital Harbin, two vehicles plunged into a sinkhole that appeared on an expressway near a swollen river, local media reported. Paddy fields have also been inundated, and villagers in low-lying areas told to evacuate, local media reported. The storms and floods also triggered power cuts in nearby Shangzhi city, where supermarkets were running low on provisions, according to media reports. "I only managed to get a few bottles of mineral water and two boxes of instant noodles," a Shangzhi resident told local media after rushing to the supermarket after the storm alerts. "Some production and power equipments were damaged, and production had been suspended," the company said in an exchange filing on Friday.

Persons: Typhoon Doksuri, Tingshu Wang, Doksuri, Jinrui, Liz Lee, Ella Cao, Samuel Shen, Ryan Woo, Gerry Doyle, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Aerospace, Holdings Group, Mineral Development, Thomson Locations: Mentougou district, Beijing, China, Tingshu Wang BEIJING, Northeastern Heilongjiang, Heilongjiang, Daqing, Harbin, Shangzhi, Jilin, Shulan, Zhuozhou, Hebei province, Hebei, Qinghai, Chongqing, Shanghai

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