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☆ Premier urges Chinese tech giants to support economy as crackdown ends
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

After listening to suggestions from firms that also included PDD Holdings' (PDD.O) Pinduoduo and JD.com (9618.HK), Li told them authorities would seek to make regulation of platform firms more transparent and predictable. Shares in some U.S.-listed Chinese firms rallied in premarket trade, with Alibaba Group Holding gaining 2.2% and PDD Holdings rising 2.7%. Still Zhou Hao, economist at Guotai Junan International, said Wednesday's meeting was a "positive signal". "A sound development of the platform economy is very significant to investors too. Prudent development of platform firms is important to investors' long-term valuation," he added.

Persons: Li Qiang, Li, ByteDance's Douyin, Zhou Hao, Ella Cao, Brenda Goh, Ellen Zhang, Ethan Wang, Ryan Woo, Barbara Lewis, Mark Potter Organizations: Wednesday, HK, PDD Holdings, Alibaba, Ant, Reuters, Guotai, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, premarket

☆ The world's most-powerful AI model suddenly got 'lazier' and 'dumber.' A radical redesign of OpenAI's GPT-4 could be behind the decline in performance.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Lately, the giant AI model has become faster, but performance has declined. The world's most-powerful AI model has become, well, less powerful. It's considered the most-powerful AI model available broadly and is multimodal, which means it can understand images as well as text inputs. They think OpenAI is creating several smaller GPT-4 models that act similarly to the large model but are less expensive to run. This week, several AI experts posted what they claimed were details of GPT-4's architecture on Twitter.

Persons: OpenAI's, Peter Yang, I've, Frazier MacLeod, Christi Kennedy, OpenAI, ChatGPT, It's, Sharon Zhou, Theseus, Zhou, Yam, Semianalysis, George Hotz, Soumith Chintala, Oren Etzioni, Greg Brockman, " Brockman, Lilian Weng Organizations: Morning, Twitter, Roblox, Microsoft, Meta, Allen Institute, AI Locations: GPT

☆ China's Xia Baolong heads top office overseeing Hong Kong, Macau
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, July 11 (Reuters) - Xia Baolong is the head of China's recently created Central Office for Hong Kong and Macau Affairs, according to an official statement that showed him as chair of a meeting in that capacity on Tuesday. Separately, Zhou Ji, Zheng Yanxiong, Zheng Xincong were named as deputy directors of the state council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs office, state media Xinhua reported. The Beijing-based Central Office for Hong Kong and Macau Affairs - created earlier this year as part of broad institutional reforms - reports directly to the ruling Communist Party and not to the State Council, or cabinet. The top office was formed based on the long-existing Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office under the State Council. Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Baolong, Zhou Ji, Zheng Yanxiong, Zheng Xincong, Ryan Woo, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Ed Osmond Organizations: Macau Affairs, Xinhua, Office, Communist Party, State Council, Macau Affairs Office, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Hong Kong, Macau, Beijing

CNN —US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen arrived in Beijing Thursday ahead of high-stakes meetings with senior Chinese officials. The treasury secretary intends “to talk about the bilateral economic relationship, raise issues of concern, and discuss ways we can work together on global challenges” during her meeting with Li, a senior Treasury official told reporters traveling with Yellen. On Friday, Yellen will also meet with her former counterpart, Liu He, in what the Treasury official said could be “seen as a meeting of old friends.”“They were former counterparts. I will say that definitively,” the official told reporters. Yellen will be in China until July 9, according to the Department of the Treasury.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, China’s Premier Li Qiang, Xi Jinping, “, ”, Li, Liu He, They’ve, Zhou Xiaochuan, Joe Biden’s “, Xi Organizations: CNN, China’s Premier, Treasury, Yellen, People’s Bank of China, Treasury Department, Department of, Biden Locations: Beijing, China, PRC

☆ It's not just the US: Corporate profits are keeping inflation high in Europe too
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

As inflation stays high around the world, some are increasingly blaming high corporate profits. An IMF working paper found that corporate profits account for nearly 45% of European inflation. Inflation is not solely caused by soaring profits, but the working paper finds that profits rising well above pre-pandemic trends have made their mark on European inflation. And Europe might be worse off than the US when it comes to so-called "greedflation," as inflation in the states cools off and profits play increasingly less of a role in keeping costs high. The IMF analysis finds that profits are ultimately playing a larger role in European inflation than in the US and Canada.

Persons: —, hasn't, Niels, Jakob Hansen, Frederik Toscani, Jing Zhou, Noah Sheidlower, Chris Becker Organizations: Service, International Monetary Fund Locations: IMF, Europe, Canada

[1/2] Legislators vote for the third reading of the District Councils (Amendment) Bill, which pertains to electoral overhaul, at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, China July 6, 2023. Under the amendment bill, only 88 seats would be directly elected by the public, down from 452 seats in an election that saw a landslide victory by the democracy camp in 2019. For the remaining seats not contested, 40 percent would be appointed by the city leader and 27 ex-officio seats would remain. China had promised universal suffrage as an ultimate goal for Hong Kong in its mini-constitution, the Basic Law. Pro-democracy politicians won 388 out of 452 district council seats during the last district council election in 2019, taking almost ninety percent of the seats and humiliating the pro-Beijing camp.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Lemon Wong, Wong, John Lee, Jessie Pang, Joyce Zhou, James Pomfret, Michael Perry Organizations: Legislative, REUTERS, Hong Kong's, Civic Party, Tuen Mun District Council, Reuters, Hong, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, Tyrone Siu HONG KONG, Hong, Tuen Mun, Beijing

☆ Chinese rush to buy Hong Kong insurance, dollars as confidence cracks, yuan weakens
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SHANGHAI/HONG KONG, July 6 (Reuters) - Chinese investors are rushing offshore to make dollar deposits and buy Hong Kong insurance in a signal domestic confidence is languishing and that the ailing yuan faces more pressure. New premiums collected on Hong Kong insurance policies leapt a staggering 2,686% to $9.6 billion in the first quarter of 2023. "The burst of insurance buying in Hong Kong reflects a gloomy domestic outlook, and worries about an uncertain future." "Offshore demand for policies denominated in Hong Kong dollars is low – U.S. dollar-denominated policies are more prevalent, to provide access to global asset allocation," said Lawrence Lam, chief executive officer at Prudential Hong Kong. The wealth manager at Noah fears that a sustained rush into Hong Kong insurance risks inviting Beijing's policy tightening.

Persons: Helen Zhao, lurch, Noah Holdings, Lawrence Lam, Hao Hong, Tan Xiaofen, We've, Sami Abouzahr, Samuel Shen, Winni Zhou, Georgina Lee, Summer Zhen, Tom Westbrook, Kim Coghill Organizations: Hong, AIA, HK, Prudential, Manulife, Noah Holdings, Savings, Bank of China, U.S, Prudential Hong Kong, Investment, School of Economics, Management, Beihang University, HSBC, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Macau, COVID, U.S, Beijing

The People's Bank of China, which typically issues guidance on dollar deposit rates to state banks, did not immediately comment on the matter. The lenders - Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (601398.SS), , Bank of China (601988.SS), , Agricultural Bank of China (601288.SS), , China Construction Bank (601939.SS), and Bank of Communications (601328.SS), - did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The lower rates could both discourage households from putting savings into higher-yielding dollar deposits and nudge Chinese firms, especially exporters, to settle foreign exchange receipts in yuan. The latest cut in dollar deposit rates was the second in barely a month. Some currency traders also said the cuts in dollar deposit rates would ease pressure on commercial lenders' net interest margin, as banks' dollar deposit rates had risen above lending rates before the recent adjustments.

Persons: Ken Cheung, Banks, PBOC, Winni Zhou, Samuel Shen, Jindong Zhang, Rong Ma, Ryan Woo, John Geddie, Edmund Klamann Organizations: People's Bank of China, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Bank of Communications, Traders, U.S, Mizuho Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, BEIJING, China, United States, China's, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo

☆ China's choice of PBOC party chief signals financial stability worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The central bank did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Pan, central bank deputy governor since 2012 who turns 60 this month, is not expected to deviate from China's measured pace of policy easing to support the recovery, analysts said. "His professional ability will help safeguard the bottom line of systemic financial risks, especially as the property sector is slowing, and fend off a big systemic crisis." In an unexpected move, the ruling Communist Party appointed Pan as the central bank's party secretary on Saturday, taking over from Guo Shuqing. China has taken a series of steps this year to tighten party control over the country's vast, but largely closed, financial system, including plans to set up the Central Financial Commission to oversee the PBOC and other financial regulators.

Persons: Gongsheng, Jason Lee, Pan, Yi Gang, Gu Tianyong, Guo Shuqing, Yi, Yi's, Zhou Xiaochuan, Zhou, Xu Hongcai, Marius Zaharia, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: People's Bank of China, National People's Congress, REUTERS, outflows, Reuters, cryptocurrencies, prudential, Central University of Finance, Economics, Communist Party, Pan, Street, Cambridge University, Harvard University, Central Financial Commission, China Association of Policy, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING

☆ China beats its own record for hot days over six months
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has registered the highest number of hot days over six months since records began, according to authorities, as the country confronts another record-breaking summer of blistering heat. The national average was calculated from the number of high temperature days recorded by weather stations across the country. Northern China, a heavily populated region with hundreds of millions of residents, has been particularly hard hit, with more heat waves expected in coming weeks. So far this year, Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province, has seen 17 high temperature days, followed by Beijing’s 14 days. As the climate crisis intensifies, scientists say dangerous, record heat waves are set to become more frequent and more severe.

Persons: Beijing’s, Sheng Jiapeng, Zhou Bing, El Nino, ” Zhou Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Climate Center, Museum, China News Service, Climate Center, China Meteorological Administration, Times, El Nino, El, Xinhua Locations: Hong Kong, China, Northern China, Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, Beijing, Sichuan

Pan Gongsheng was appointed Saturday as the new Communist Party chief at the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), in a surprise move as Beijing bolsters its drive to arrest the country’s economic slowdown and stem a slide in its currency. Pan currently serves as the deputy governor of the PBOC. “My initial reaction is this suggests Xi [Jinping] is more concerned about China’s economy than before the 20th Party Congress,” Thomas said. Since then, he has spent nearly two decades working at large state-owned banks, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC). After returning to China, he was promoted to deputy governor at the PBOC in 2012.

Persons: Yi Gang, Pan Gongsheng, Janet Yellen, Pan, Yi, didn’t, Guo Shuqing, Neil Thomas, wasn’t, ” Thomas, Xi, Mao, Thomas, China’s, Biden, ” Organizations: Beijing CNN, Cambridge University, Harvard University, Communist Party, People’s Bank of China, Securities Times, CNN, Ant, Asia Society, Center for, Communist Party’s, Committee, 20th Party Congress, Wall Street Journal, Treasury Department, Renmin University of China, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, ABC, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, Beijing, P Global, PMI Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Shanghai, Center for China, United States, West

☆ Factbox: Policy measures China's central bank could use to stem yuan weakness
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

** DAILY MIDPOINT SETTINGThe onshore spot yuan can trade in a 2% range around the midpoint set by the PBOC in the daily fix. Weeks later, sources told Reuters that a self-regulatory body overseen by the central bank had told major state-owned banks to lower dollar deposit interest rates and bolster the yuan. It last cut the foreign exchange reserve requirement ratio for financial institutions to 6% from 8% in September 2022 to slow yuan depreciation. ** TIGHTER OFFSHORE YUAN LIQUIDITYTo reduce yuan liquidity offshore, the PBOC issued more yuan-denominated bills in Hong Kong. While the amounts were small, analysts said they sent a clear message guiding expectations for the yuan exchange rate.

Persons: PBOC, Weeks, Winni Zhou, Tom Westbrook, Robert Birsel Organizations: People's Bank of China, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, State, Hong Kong

☆ Cleveland has become an unlikely hotspot for millennials in search of affordability
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

With income growth outpacing rent there, these 27 to 42 year-olds have more disposable income. In order to come up with the ranking, the BofA Institute used home address data from 46 million of adults who've been customers of the bank since 2018. Cleveland residents now pay just over 17% of their income on rent, while the average American pays 20%. Pittsburgh income growth exceeded rents by 1%. Indeed, the BofA Institute found that millennials are by-and-large staying out of the housing market this cycle, but still are window shopping for the future.

Persons: —, millennials, Anna Zhou, Zhou, Clever, they're, homebuyers Organizations: Service, Bank of America Institute . Austin, BofA Institute, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Tampa, Dallas, Cleveland, Tampa , Florida, Bank of America Institute . Austin , Texas, Midwest, Columbus , Ohio, Cleveland Cleveland, Providence , Rhode Island, Buffalo , New York, Pittsburgh

Chinese officials have repeatedly said they want those sanctions, imposed in 2018, dropped to facilitate discussions. This scuppered planned talks between theatre-level commands, regular defence policy co-ordination and military maritime consultations, which included operational safety issues. Diplomats and Chinese analysts say military attaches at embassies Beijing and Washington are still able to meet officials - an important element of routine communication. Senior Chinese military intelligence officials also participated in a secret meeting of regional spies in Singapore earlier this month - a session that included U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. The official said some lower-level interactions with the Chinese military had continued.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu, Li, Nancy Pelosi's, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Austin, Zhou Bo, Yang Tao, Admiral John Aquilino, General Lin Xiangyang, Greg Torode, Tian, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Gerry Doyle Organizations: . Defence, China's Defence, Taiwan, Pentagon, Diplomats, National Intelligence, PLA, Beijing's Tsinghua University . Senior, Reuters, U.S, Pacific Command, Eastern Theatre, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, East Asia, China, United States, Beijing, Singapore, U.S, Taiwan, Washington, Hong Kong

[1/5] Starbucks workers attend a protest as part of a collective action over a Pride decor dispute, outside a Starbucks shop in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., June 25, 2023. About a dozen Starbucks workers picketed outside New York's Astor Place location in lower Manhattan on Sunday afternoon near the route of the city's Pride parade, chanting: "New York is a union town! Starbucks spent decades building its reputation as a progressive company that supports LGBTQ+ workers and customers. Maggie McKeon, who was headed into the Starbucks at Astor Place, turned around after learning about the strike. Sam Cornetta, a barista at the Farmingville, New York, Starbucks, who joined coworkers on strike at Astor Place on Sunday, said the company was alienating LGBTQ+ workers.

Persons: David Dee Delgado, Lynne Fox, we've, Jackie Zhou, Maggie McKeon, McKeon, baristas, Arthur Pratt, Pratt, Sam Cornetta, They've, Hilary Russ, Caroline Valetkevitch, Vanessa O'Connell, Lananh Nguyen, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Starbucks Corp, Workers, Starbucks, Seattle, Workers United, Reuters, U.S, Supreme, Pride, Seattle Gay, Human Rights, HRC, National Labor Relations Board, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Astor, York, New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Portland , Oregon, , New York, Ashland , NY, New York

☆ Hong Kong's international dragon boat races return after 4-year hiatus
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Participants splash water during a ceremony in between races during Tung Ng or Dragon Boat Festival at Aberdeen fishing port in Hong Kong, China June 22, 2023. The two-day event, organised by Hong Kong's tourism board and the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association, drew more than 4,000 paddlers from 160 teams including from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and internationally, its tourism body said. Can't think of a better way to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival than with my team and the rest of Hong Kong and Asia," said Shirleen Ho, 41, a member of the Australian National Dragon boat team. While dragon boat originated in China's southern Lingnan region more than 1,000 years, the modern version began in Hong Kong, a special Chinese administrative region, around 40 years ago. The competition is one of many events the Hong Kong government is holding to boost tourism and reinvigorate its economy after sealing its borders for more than two years.

Persons: Tung Ng, Tyrone Siu, Shirleen Ho, Joyce Zhou, Farah Master, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association, Australian National, Hong, Thomson Locations: Aberdeen, Hong Kong, China, Tyrone Siu HONG KONG, Hong, Hong Kong China, Taiwan, Asia, China's, Lingnan, Victoria, British

☆ China cuts lending benchmarks to revive slowing demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Thomas Peter/FILE PHOTOSHANGHAI/SINGAPORE, June 20 (Reuters) - China cut its key lending benchmarks on Tuesday, the first such reductions in 10 months as authorities seek to shore up a slowing economic recovery, although concerns about the property market meant the easing was not as large as expected. The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was lowered by 10 basis points to 3.55%, while the five-year LPR was cut by the same margin to 4.20%. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) lowered short- and medium-term policy rates last week. "There is no need to roll out all policy measures all at once." Most new and outstanding loans in China are based on the one-year LPR, while the five-year rate influences the pricing of mortgages.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Julian Evans, Pritchard, Xing Zhaopeng, Xing, China's, Bruce Pang, Jones Lang LaSalle, Winni Zhou, Tom Westbrook, Kripa Jayaram, Sam Holmes Organizations: Central Business, REUTERS, Capital Economics, Reuters, Mainland Properties, People's Bank of China, ANZ, Jones, Graphics, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, outpacing

☆ China seen cutting key lending benchmarks as economy slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) lowered short- and medium-term policy rates last week, signalling it is about to embark on another round of loosening in monetary settings in a push to rev up the recovery. In a poll of 32 market watchers, all participants predicted cuts to both the one-year loan prime rate (LPR) and the five-year tenor . "However, the biggest risk is that rate cuts can be ineffective when households and businesses are excessively conservative, busy deleveraging and paying off debt." China's cabinet met on Friday to discuss measures to spur growth in the economy and pledged to roll out more policy support. Despite strong consensus of cuts to the LPR on Tuesday, market participants are divided on the size of the reductions.

Persons: David Chao, Chao, Li Hongwei, Zhou, Tom Westbrook, Sam Holmes Organizations: People's Bank of China, Reuters, Asia Pacific, Citi, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, China, Invesco

☆ Their parents made China the world's factory. Can the kids save the family business?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( David Kirton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Du, like tens of thousands of other young Chinese factory bosses, is inheriting a basic manufacturing business that can no longer rely on the labour-intensive model that made China the world's largest exporter of goods. Those skills would come in handy in a factory the Chinese state set up in 1951 and privatised in 2002. Like five of the other chang er dai who spoke to Reuters, Zhang never planned to take over the factory. Chang er dai, however, help lift the bottom, which is also important for preserving China's share of world manufacturing, two industry experts told Reuters. Not all chang er dai will get there.

Persons: Steven Du, Du, Zhang Zhipeng, Mao Zedong's, Du said, Zhang, Zhang Zeqing, Chang, Zhou Yuxiang, Tian Weihua, Tian, Zhang Ying, David Kirton, Marius Zaharia, David Crawshaw Organizations: Shenzhen Research Institute of High, Reuters, Apple, Agricultural Products, Lake Technologies, Science, Technology Innovation Research Institute, University of Arts, Workers, Thomson Locations: RUICHANG, China, Shanghai, Southeast Asia, India, New Zealand, United States, TW, Wisconsin, Ruichang, France, London, Ningbo

☆ Team by team analysis of the Canadian Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Russell brought out the safety car when he hit the wall on lap 12. Stroll started 16th after a three-place drop for impeding. Gasly pitted just before the safety car period, while Ocon came in during it from fourth place. The German pitted on lap 11 before the safety car was deployed and fell back due to tyre degradation. Magnussen started 13th on hard tyres and stayed out when the safety car was deployed.

Persons: Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Verstappen, Ayrton Senna, Red, Bull, Perez, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Hamilton, Russell, Fernando Alonso, ASTON MARTIN, Lance, Alonso, Valtteri, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Leclerc, Sainz, Ferrari, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, Gasly, Ocon, MCLAREN, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Norris, ALFA ROMEO, Guanyu Zhou, Haas, Bottas, Zhou, HAAS, Nico Hulkenberg, Kevin Magnussen, Hulkenberg, Magnussen, Nyck de Vries, WILLIAMS, Alex Albon, Logan Sargeant, Williams, Albon, Sargeant, Yuki Tsunoda, Vries, Alan Baldwin, Sonali Paul Organizations: Montreal's Circuit, Miami, FERRARI, Alfa, Thomson Locations: Canada, Hamilton, Tsunoda, London

☆ U.S.-China talks important but not extraordinary, says former Chinese military officer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailU.S.-China talks important but not extraordinary, says former Chinese military officerZhou Bo, senior fellow at Tsinghua University's Center for International Security and Strategy and a retired officer of the People's Liberation Army, discusses U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Beijing, saying the relationship between the two countries has been on a downward spiral for some time.

Persons: Zhou Bo, Antony Blinken's Organizations: U.S, Tsinghua University's Center for International Security, People's Liberation Army Locations: China, Beijing

☆ Family and friends mourn murdered model in Hong Kong
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG, June 18 (Reuters) - Family and friends of Abby Choi, a Hong Kong model who was murdered in a gruesome case in February, gathered at a memorial hall in the city on Sunday to pay their final respects. The vigil took place at Po Fook Memorial Hall in the Tai Wai area of Sha Tin district, adhering to Buddhist traditions. The murder of the 28-year-old influencer shocked the world after parts of her remains were found in a village house in Hong Kong. A funeral ceremony on Monday morning will be followed by a cremation at a monastery on the city's Lantau Island. Reporting by Joyce Zhou, Josh Ye in Hong Kong Editing by Frances Kerry, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Abby Choi, Joyce Zhou, Josh Ye, Frances Kerry, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Fook, Tai, Sha Tin

Videos posted on the young influencer’s account showing her running and weight-lifting were shared heavily on Chinese social media and also appeared in various state media outlets following her death late last month. State media outlets said that the influencer’s family had received “compensation” from the weight loss camp in Shaanxi, but did not say how much. In China, as in much of Asia and the rest of the world, social media is awash with unhealthy and unrealistic trends promoting extreme weight loss. One notorious recent social media trend in China involved women posing behind vertical sheets of printer paper to prove their waists were so thin they could not be seen either side. Zhou’s death has also increased scrutiny of the social media influencer industry more generally.

Persons: Cuihua, Zhou –, ”, Zhou’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China National Radio, CNN, China News Service, Television Administration, Ministry of Culture, Global, Weibo Locations: Hong Kong, China, Shaanxi, Shaanxi province, Asia, Tourism

☆ Why the War in Ukraine May Not Deter China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Yaroslav Trofimov | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

China’s military and civilian leaders have watched with dismay over the past 15 months as Moscow’s anticipated blitzkrieg in Ukraine turned into a drawn-out slog marked by a series of Russian defeats. China last fought a war in 1979—a campaign against Vietnam that ended in a humbling draw—and used to admire Russia for its ability to translate violence into political gains. “Russia’s military image and credibility have crumbled,” said Zhou Bo, a recently retired senior colonel in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who serves as a senior fellow at Tsinghua University in Beijing. “This has become a war they did not expect.”

Persons: —, ”, Zhou Bo Organizations: People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Tsinghua University Locations: Ukraine, China, Vietnam, Russia, Beijing

It was by a young Chinese pitch invader, eager to meet his hero, the seven-time winner of the Ballon d’Or. Videos that have gone viral on Chinese social media show the young fan leaping from the stands before sprinting toward the Argentine striker – who like him was wearing the number 10 jersey – and giving him a hug. A Chinese fan runs onto the pitch to hug soccer superstar Lionel Messi during a friendly match between Argentina and Australia at the Worker's Stadium in Beijing on June 15. Ng Han Guan/APWith the crowd cheering three security guards then give chase, the first of them falling over as the young fan evades his grasp. On Chinese social media, many users – football fans or otherwise – celebrated the young fan’s sprint across the grass pitch as a liberating moment.

Persons: Lionel Messi –, –, Messi, Lionel Messi, Ng Han Guan, Emiliano Martinez, ”, Thomas Peter, ” “ Messi, I’m, flailing, “ Organizations: Beijing CNN, Australia, Argentine, Workers, Global Times, Messi, Reuters, FIFA, De Football Association, Indonesia Locations: Beijing, Argentina, Australia, China, Jakarta

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