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☆ China’s second-largest chipmaker poised for $2.5 billion IPO in Shanghai
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Chinese chip manufacturer Hua Hong Semiconductor Ltd (1347.HK) has received regulatory approval for an 18 billion yuan ($2.5 billion) IPO in Shanghai, according to a filing published late on Friday on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The proceeds from the IPO will also go to upgrading the latter fab, according to its prospectus. Hua Hong’s Shanghai IPO will follow that of China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) (0981.HK), which, like Hua Hong, went public on Shanghai’s tech-centric STAR market in 2020 after it listed in Hong Kong years earlier. Hua Hong’s planned IPO comes after Washington passed unprecedented export controls on Chinese chip makers. Hua Hong specializes in mature technology, and generates most of its revenue making chips using 55-nanometer process technology.

☆ British minister to visit Taiwan for trade talks, meet president
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, Nov 7 (Reuters) - A British minister will visit Taiwan this week for trade talks and meet President Tsai Ing-wen, his office said on Monday, the latest high-level engagement between a Western government and the island which China claims as its own territory. Britain's Department for International Trade said Greg Hands, minister of state for trade and also a member of parliament, would meet Tsai and co-host the 25th annual UK-Taiwan Trade Talks during his two-day visit. "Visiting Taiwan in person is a clear signal of the UK's commitment to boosting UK-Taiwan trade ties. Hands will also meet Taiwan's top trade negotiator John Deng and Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua, it added. China staged war games near Taiwan in August following a visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

☆ China Investigates Central Bank Deputy Governor in First Major Probe Since Party Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Sha Hua | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SINGAPORE—China’s top anticorruption agency is investigating a deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, in a move that signals tighter scrutiny of China’s central bank after the conclusion of a Communist Party conclave last month where Xi Jinping secured a norm-breaking third term as leader. The investigation into Fan Yifei for “suspected serious violations of laws and discipline” was announced in a single-sentence statement published Saturday by the anticorruption agency, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Fan was taken from his workplace on Friday afternoon, according to the Securities Times, a state-owned newspaper.

☆ Germany’s Scholz Meets Xi in Test of Europe’s Posture Toward China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Sha Hua | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with a nod to the close ties between the countries, at the start of a visit that is being closely watched for any shift in posture by Europe’s largest economy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “You’re the first European leader to visit after the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, and it’s also your first visit since you took office,” said Mr. Xi, referring to last month’s party conclave in Beijing, where he secured a fresh five-year term in power.

☆ Germany’s Olaf Scholz Puts Business First in Beijing Visit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Sha Hua | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Germany and China struck business deals and reaffirmed a once-cozy relationship that has come under strain as Beijing has adopted a harder-edged stance in its dealings with the West and as political pressure has mounted within Germany to lessen economic dependence on China. On Friday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Olaf Scholz to Beijing as the German chancellor largely brushed aside calls to keep a distance from China, prioritize human-rights concerns and squeeze Beijing on its unwillingness to condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Geopolitical strife and energy market turmoil have upended prospects for reaching a global agreement to accelerate efforts to limit climate change, with many big economies failing to submit faster timetables for emissions reductions ahead of next week’s United Nations summit. With only days to go before world leaders and negotiators convene in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El Sheikh for COP27, few countries have followed through on the sweeping agreement struck at last year’s conference in Glasgow. That accord urged national governments to submit more ambitious plans to the U.N. by the end of this year to wean their economies off fossil fuels and take other measures aimed at limiting global warming.

☆ China Agrees to Approve BioNTech's Covid-19 Vaccine for Foreigners, German Chancellor Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Sha Hua | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SINGAPORE—China agreed to approve BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 vaccines for foreign residents, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Beijing Friday, in what would mark the first approval of an mRNA vaccine for Covid-19 for use in China. Mr. Scholz and Chinese leader Xi Jinping also discussed a pathway for approving the BioNTech vaccine for the broader population in China, Mr. Scholz said in a news conference, suggesting that regulators at the European Medicines Agency would be involved.

☆ China Agrees to Approve BioNTech's Covid-19 Vaccines for Foreigners, German Chancellor Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Sha Hua | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SINGAPORE—China agreed to approve BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 vaccines for foreign residents, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Beijing Friday, in what would mark the first mRNA vaccine for Covid-19 approved for use in China. Mr. Scholz and Chinese leader Xi Jinping also discussed a pathway for approving the BioNTech Covid vaccine for the broader population in China, Mr. Scholz said in a news conference, suggesting that regulators at the European Medicines Agency would be involved.

☆ Analysis: Need for speed: China Xi's new generals offer cohesion over possible Taiwan plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Greg Torode | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Although the Politburo's seven-man Standing Committee would make the ultimate decision on any Taiwan action, the Central Military Commission would forge and execute the battle plan, eight Asian and Western military attaches say. "If Xi Jinping is going to the pull the trigger on Taiwan, then he can't afford any dissent from the Central Military Commission," said Singapore-based strategic adviser Alexander Neill. That has always been Chinese thinking on Taiwan, and the Ukraine stalemate has confirmed the need to avoid getting bogged down in a slow logistical build up." Crucially, Li has experience with the People's Liberation Army's digitised strategic support forces, a body that covers electronic, cyber and space warfare. He was promoted to the position after his command of the reformed Eastern Theatre Command, which is responsible for Taiwan operations.

☆ China’s Xi Jinping Urges Self-Reliance in Tech Amid Rivalry With U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Karen Hao | Sha Hua | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG—Chinese leader Xi Jinping doubled down on the need to increase China’s self-sufficiency in technology and supply chains during a Communist Party meeting, as the country faces a growing economic and technological rivalry with the U.S. In a report delivered to the 20th National Congress of China’s Communist Party on Sunday, Mr. Xi warned of China’s lingering inadequacies in its scientific and technological innovation as well as its vulnerabilities in supply chains among the core challenges facing the country.

☆ Analysis: Market turmoil a boon for trend-following hedge funds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Oct 17 (Reuters) - Trend-following hedge funds are capitalising on market disruption and geopolitical unrest, with funds such as Graham Capital Management, Aspect Capital, AlphaSimplex and AQR Capital Management all near or over 40% higher for the year. AQR is part of an index of the 10 largest trend-following hedge funds, compiled by Société Générale. The index has risen almost 37% this year, compared with a 3.8% increase in data provider HFR's broader index of hedge fund performance. Hedge funds Man Group, AlphaSimplex and Transtrend have reported trend strategies with performances this year of roughly 15%, 48% and 31% respectively. Funds in the Société Générale CTA index include AQR Capital Management, AlphaSimplex Group, Aspect Capital, Systematica Investments, Graham Capital Management, ISAM LLP, Lynx Asset Management, Man Group's AHL fund, Transtrend and Winton Capital Management.

☆ Analysis: Xi's new generals face tough military challenges post-congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Greg Torode | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Now come the tricky next steps for his Central Military Commission: implementing sweeping changes to its leadership, which commands China's two million-strong People's Liberation Army, potentially tightening Xi's grip over the military and its modernisation. Among those expected to step down are the body's vice chairmen, Generals Xu Qiliang and Zhang Youxia, both 72. Diplomatic challenges are also mounting, as China's military modernisation confronts the traditional U.S. strategic dominance in East Asia. Who is chosen could shed light on Xi's military priorities. "There is no shortage of senior military officers who internally parrot Xi's 'fight and win' mantra, but the conundrum for the PLA is the lack of operational experience," said Alexander Neill, a private military analyst.

☆ Taiwan touts $900 mln in new business from Silicon Valley meetings
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua speaks during an interview with Reuters in Taipei, Taiwan, September 30, 2021. REUTERS/Ann WangTAIPEI, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Taiwan's economy minister has drummed up new business worth T$30 billion ($940 million) in meetings with top executives at four major tech firms in California's Silicon Valley, the ministry said on Saturday. Taiwan is a major semiconductor producer, home to the world's largest contract chip maker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (2330.TW), , and supplies most the world's major tech firms. "The visits are expected to bring back U.S. research and development investment and orders in Taiwan worth more than T$30 billion," it said, without elaborating. Wang said on Tuesday that if Taiwan remains safe, global supply chains of vital semiconductors would also be secure.

☆ Factbox: China's 20th Communist Party Congress: who could be in Xi's new team?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BEIJING, Oct 13 (Reuters) - China's Xi Jinping is widely expected to clinch a third five-year leadership at the upcoming congress of the ruling Communist Party, a mandate that would secure his stature as the country's most powerful ruler since founding leader Mao Zedong. Hu Chunhua, 59, vice premierHu is considered a candidate for elevation to the PSC and possibly to become China's next premier. Chen Miner, 62, Chongqing party secretaryChen is also a trusted aide and considered a candidate for the PSC. The only current female member, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, is 72 and therefore ineligible to serve another term under China's unofficial age norms. Li Xi, 65, party chief of Guangdong provinceLi, considered a trusted ally of Xi, may get a bigger job after the Congress.

☆ China’s Universities Rise in World Rankings as American Schools Continue to Falter
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Douglas Belkin | Sha Hua | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S.’s pre-eminence among the world’s top research universities continues to diminish, according to a new global ranking, while Chinese universities are on the rise, producing a greater quantity and higher quality of research than ever before. This year’s World University Rankings, released Tuesday by Times Higher Education, a British publication that tracks education, also named University of Oxford in England the world’s leading research university for the seventh straight year.

☆ American Universities Continue to Falter in World Rankings as China Rises
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Douglas Belkin | Sha Hua | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This year’s World University Rankings named University of Oxford in England the world’s leading research university for the seventh straight year. The U.S.’s pre-eminence among the world’s top research universities continues to diminish, according to a new global ranking, while Chinese universities are on the rise, producing a greater quantity and higher quality of research than ever before. This year’s World University Rankings, released Tuesday by Times Higher Education, a British publication that tracks education, also named University of Oxford in England the world’s leading research university for the seventh straight year.

☆ American Universities Continue to Falter in World Rankings, China Rising
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Douglas Belkin | Sha Hua | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ If Taiwan is safe, chip supply chains will be secure, says Taiwan minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( David Shepardson | David Brunnstrom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Taiwanese Minister for Economic Affairs Wang Mei-Hua said on a visit to the United States on Tuesday that if Taiwan remains safe, global supply chains of vital semiconductors would also be secure. She said Taiwan is keen for more cooperation between Taiwan and the United States to ensure resilient supply chains. “If Taiwan is safe, the global supply chain will also be secure. Asked whether Taiwan was concerned that U.S. government subsidies to encourage reshoring of chip manufacturing could lessen U.S. reliance on Taiwan, she said the Taiwanese semiconductor supply chain was “very, very concrete” having been built up over more than 40 years. “We have a very huge supply chain in Taiwan, that is difficult to duplicate, or difficult to replace.” she said.

☆ China new bank lending nearly doubles after central bank help
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Judy Hua | Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

FILE PHOTO: Paramilitary police officers stand guard in front of the headquarters of the People's Bank of China, the central bank (PBOC), in Beijing, China September 30, 2022. Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted new yuan loans would rise to 1.80 trillion yuan in September. New yuan loans totalled 18.08 trillion yuan in the first nine months, rising 1.36 trillion yuan from a year earlier, central bank data showed. Broad M2 money supply in September grew 12.1% from a year earlier, central bank data showed, in line with analysts’ forecasts in a Reuters poll. In September, TSF rose to 3.53 trillion yuan from 2.43 trillion yuan in August.

☆ China's Communist Party leadership reshuffle: what to look for
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Visitors are seen silhouetted against a Chinese Communist Party flag displayed at the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, China September 3, 2022. REUTERS/Florence LoBEIJING, Oct 11 (Reuters) - China's ruling Communist Party will reshuffle its leadership when it holds a once-in-five-years Congress starting Oct 16, with Xi Jinping widely expected to stay on for a third term as general secretary, China's senior-most position. Economic tsar and Vice Premier Liu He, 70, is due for retirement. The only woman in the Politburo, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, 72, is also due to retire. Xu Qiliang and Zhang Youxia, both military chiefs in the Politburo age 72, are also due to retire.

☆ China tech shares sink as U.S. export curbs raise chip sector hurdles
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The most immediate impact is likely to be felt by Chinese chipmakers, they said. The new regulations will now pose major hurdles for the two Chinese memory chipmakers, analysts said. A steep decline in tech shares led China's market down on its first post-Golden Week holiday trading on Monday. An index measuring China's semiconductor firms (.CSIH30184) tumbled nearly 7%, and Shanghai's tech-focused board STAR Market (.STAR50) declined 4.5%. SMIC dropped 4%, chip equipment maker NAURA Technology Group Co (002371.SZ) sank 10% by the daily limit, and Hua Hong Semiconductor plunged 9.5%.

☆ Chinese chip stocks tumble after U.S. calls for new curbs on high-end tech
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Chinese chip stocks fell Monday after the U.S. announced new export controls aimed at limiting Beijing's ability to produce advanced military systems. The rules, effective this month, expand on prior U.S. attempts to crimp Chinese companies' access to key tech. Chinese chips stocks tumbleChina's largest chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, traded 3% lower Monday afternoon in Hong Kong, amid a broader market sell-off. "It will not only harm Chinese companies' legitimate rights and interests, but also hurt the interests of U.S. The U.S. government previously put Chinese companies Huawei and SMIC on a blacklist that requires suppliers to obtain a license before selling to them.

☆ Taiwan signals its chip firms will follow new U.S. rules on China
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Taiwan, a major chip producer, is home to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) (2330.TW), the world's largest contract chipmaker and a major supplier to companies including Apple Inc (AAPL.O). "In addition to complying with domestic laws and regulations, it will also cooperate with the needs of international customers who place orders and the norms of customers in their countries." Taiwan has its own concerns about China, especially efforts by Chinese companies to poach chip talent and technical know-how. The government tightly restricts Taiwanese chip investment in China, the island's largest trading partner. She will visit U.S. tech firms that are major customers of Taiwanese semiconductor companies.

☆ U.S.-China Tensions Fuel Outflow of Chinese Scientists From U.S. Universities
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Sha Hua | Karen Hao | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Among the Chinese and Chinese-American scientists who have recently left the U.S. are widely cited names from MIT, as well as Harvard and the University of Chicago. HONG KONG—An increasing number of scientists and engineers of Chinese descent are giving up tenured positions at top-tier American universities to leave for China or elsewhere, in a sign of the U.S.’s fading appeal for a group that has been a driver of innovation. The trend, driven in part by what many of the scholars describe as an increasingly hostile political and racial environment, has caused the Biden administration to work with scholars of Chinese descent to address concerns.

☆ China lost its Yangtze River dolphin. Climate change is coming for other species next
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-17 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

China has been grappling with its worst heat wave on record and the Yangtze, the third longest river in the world, is drying up. Parts of the Yangtze River have dried up from the extreme heat. Experts have also noticed a drastic decline of many native freshwater species of fish, like the now extinct Chinese paddlefish and sturgeon. “The Yangtze is the longest river in China and (all of) Asia and has long been a cradle of civilization. “If there’s anything we can learn from the death of the Yangtze River dolphin, it’s that extinction is forever and we can’t afford to take it lightly.”

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