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☆ China regulator to help lower financing costs of small businesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, April 27 (Reuters) - China's banking and insurance regulator said it would enhance credit support and lower the actual financing costs of small and micro enterprises this year to better support economic recovery. In a statement on Thursday, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) said financial institutions should provide reasonable credits to small businesses, while preventing the risk of "over-lending". Financial institutions should price lending rates reasonably based on the benchmark loan prime rate and the characteristics of small and micro businesses, it said. The CBIRC added that it would optimise the credit structure for small businesses and meet reasonable financing needs of small businesses with a credit line above 10 million yuan ($1.44 million). The regulator also said financial institutions should not renew loans for non-business and production purposes, and thatfinancial institutions should not cover up credit risks with loan renewals.

☆ China regulators plan new bond market rules, will coordinate more after turmoil, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"After the chaos, coordination between bodies will be strengthened," one of the regulatory sources said. Turnover in the market — the world's second-largest bond market with $21 trillion in notes outstanding — slid and traders said they had to scramble to chat groups for quotes. In contrast to the pre-ban market, Tullet Prebon's data is now available on all other bond market information platforms including Wind, Dealing Matrix and government-affiliated iDeal. China's interbank bond market operator also said on March 20 that iDeal now offers price data from six interdealer brokers. The strength of the market's reaction to the data ban had surprised authorities, according to one of the regulatory sources.

☆ Nuclear fusion will not be regulated the same way as nuclear fission — a big win for the fusion industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The top regulatory agency for nuclear materials safety in the U.S. voted unanimously to regulate the burgeoning fusion industry differently than the nuclear fission industry, and fusion startups are celebrating that as a major win. As a result, some provisions specific to fission reactors, like requiring funding to cover claims from nuclear meltdowns, won't apply to fusion plants. Other differences include looser requirements around foreign ownership of nuclear fusion plants, and the dispensing of mandatory hearings at the federal level during the licensing process, Holland said. The electricity generated by nuclear fission is considered clean energy by the U.S. Department of Energy because it generates no greenhouse gas emissions. And these reactors deliver massive quantities of power: Half of the carbon-free energy generated in the U.S. comes from nuclear fission reactors.

☆ Ex-Crawley manager Yems' ban extended until 2026 after FA appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Crawley suspended Yems in April 2022 over accusations that he used discriminatory language and behaviour towards his players between 2019 and 2022. Yems was found to have made 16 breaches of FA Rule E3.2, which relates to comments on race and ethnicity. "We welcome the verdict from the independent Appeal Board to suspend John Yems from all football-related activity until January 2026," the FA said in a statement. "We strongly disagreed with their original sanction, as well as some of the elements of their judgement, which we fundamentally believed were not appropriate for the severity of the offences committed by John Yems." British anti-discriminatory body Kick It Out welcomed the appeal board's decision to extend the ban, calling it a "landmark moment".

☆ Inflation hits the mailbox: Postage stamp prices are rising, again
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The US Postal Service said Monday that it filed a notice with its regulators to increase prices on first-class mail stamps to 66 cents from 63 cents. The Postal Service said the hike was necessary to offset a rise in operating expenses. Surging prices have dented business across the global economy over the past two years, pushing up workers’ wages and increasing the costs of doing business. “These price adjustments are needed to provide the Postal Service with much needed revenue,” the agency said in a statement. Domestic postcards will also increase from 48 cents to 51 cents, and international postcards from $1.45 to $1.50.

☆ U.S. Postal Service seeks to hike stamp prices by 5.4%
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - The United States Postal Service (USPS) on Monday said it was seeking approval to hike the price of first-class mail stamps to 66 cents from 63 cents. USPS won approval to hike stamp prices to 63 cents from 60 cents in January. The new hike would take effect July 9 if approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission to offset the rise in inflation. Postal Service. USPS is seeking approval to raise overall first-class mail prices by 5.4%.

☆ Wind and solar power generators wait in yearslong lines to put clean electricity on the grid, then face huge interconnection fees they can't afford
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

The local utility in charge of overseeing the interconnection process told Pine Gate it would be more than $30 million. Pine Gate had to terminate the project because it couldn't afford the new fees, its vice president of regulatory affairs, Brett White, told CNBC. "Those projects ended up withdrawing from the queue or terminating, because they don't pencil anymore," White told CNBC. "There is Texas, and then there's the rest of the country with respects to interconnection," White of Pine Gate told CNBC. And that means getting those engineers out of some of the rote manual data entry and into the actual analysis," White told CNBC.

☆ Morgan Stanley a step closer to setting up futures company in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE, April 6 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley (MS.N) said on Thursday it looks forward to setting up a futures company in China after the country's securities regulator accepted its application. China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) accepted Morgan Stanley's application to open up a futures business in the world's second-largest economy on Monday, according to CSRC's website. A Morgan Stanley spokesperson said the bank "looks forward to establishing a futures company in China as we grow our domestic business footprint." Rival JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) became the first foreign bank that fully owns a futures company in China in 2020. Morgan Stanley would potentially become the second foreign bank to wholly own a futures business in China should its application get CSRC's approval.

Some senior dealmakers at China's third-largest brokerage by market value will see an even steeper cut of two-thirds to their 2022 bonuses, said one of the people. The trend has accelerated as employers cut pay and perks in response to the government's "common prosperity" rhetoric. MILDER CUTSA senior investment banker in China could earn three million to 10 million yuan ($445,000 to $1.48 million) a year in total remuneration, excluding stock incentives, industry sources have said. By way of comparison, Wall Street bonuses fell 26% last year to average $176,700, versus a record 2021, showed a report last month from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Besides remuneration cuts, some investment banks have asked staff to avoid displays of wealth such as by uploading photographs to social media of expensive meals or overseas trips, industry sources said.

[1/2] Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon speaks during the Goldman Sachs Investor Day at Goldman Sachs Headquarters in New York City, U.S., February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidHONG KONG/SHANGHAI, March 31 (Reuters) - A flurry of top financial executives have visited China for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic as global financial giants seek to cement their relations with Beijing at the start of President Xi Jinping's new term. International financial institutions and investors are welcome to expand in China, the chairman of the country's securities regulator said. Goldman Sachs' Solomon and Blackstone (BX.N) CEO Stephen Schwarzman met Peng Chun, chairman of China Investment Corporation (CIC), this week, according to official social media posts from the $1.35 trillion sovereign wealth fund. Meanwhile, Chip Kaye, Warburg Pincus's CEO, met Beijing's major Yin Yong during his visit to the city last week, according to a municipal statement from Beijing.

Seven Chinese firms including Chanson International (CHSN.O) and Hongli Group (HLP.O) have launched public offerings in March to raise a combined $82.3 million, compared with just four in the preceding two months. That will "reduce regulatory uncertainty" said Mandy Zhu, head of China Global Banking at UBS, and standardise domestic firms' international listings. "But we will abide by Chinese rules and carry out all follow-up work cooperation if necessary." Earlier in the week, steelmaker Hongli Group, food grain manufacturer YanGuFang International Group (YGF.O) and wheelchair-maker Jin Medical International listed in the U.S, also receiving tepid responses from investors. Reuters reported on Thursday that London is also courting new Chinese listings.

☆ China to boost regulatory oversight of digital economy -c.bank deputy governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOAO, China, March 31 (Reuters) - China will beef up its regulatory oversight of the digital economy, as new technologies, especially new forms of finance, should not be blindly accepted and recognised, a deputy governor of China's central bank said on Friday. Digital currencies and newly invented cryptocurrencies, rather than solving problems in finance, can in fact create new challenges, Xuan Changneng, a deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, said at the annual Boao Forum in Hainan province. He did not spell out steps that will be taken to boost oversight. China itself has launched its own digital renminbi, or yuan, but it is little used. The National Financial Regulatory Administration will absorb the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission's responsibilities and take over some supervisory functions from the central bank and the securities regulator.

☆ Alibaba's revamp puts renewed focus on Ant Group's suspended IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

"I truly believe [Alibaba is] aiming for a bigger target," said Kingston Securities Executive Director Dickie Wong. "In terms of the bigger picture, obviously would be Ant Group [being] re-introduced into the equity market," he told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Wednesday. 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. To be clear, there was no mention of Ant in Alibaba's announcement for its overhaul overnight. KraneShares' CIO Brendan Ahern said investors it's likely investors will be focusing Ant's IPO.

☆ Berkshire Hathaway stake in Occidental Petroleum rises to 23.6%
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 27 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) boosted its ownership stake in Occidental Petroleum Corp (OXY.N) to about 23.6% after buying nearly 3.7 million additional shares. It now owns about 211.7 million Occidental shares worth $12.6 billion based on the oil company's closing price of $59.65 on Monday. In August, Berkshire won U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permission to buy up to 50% of Occidental's common stock. It also owns $10 billion of Occidental preferred stock with an 8% dividend, plus warrants to buy another $5 billion of common shares at $59.62 each. Berkshire built a 22.6% stake in BNSF before paying $26.5 billion for the remainder in 2010.

☆ A nuclear plant that leaked 400,000 gallons of radioactive water will be shut down after second incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Erik Ortiz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

This second leak involved hundreds of gallons of radioactive water, according to the utility company, far less than the 400,000 gallons that was discovered leaking in late November. "I think the general public needs to be informed more about this," Megan Sanborn, 31, who lives 6 miles upstream from the nuclear plant, said. Tritium spills do happen occasionally but are typically contained within a nuclear site, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The incident comes as Xcel Energy is in the midst of seeking an operating license renewal for Monticello. At a town hall meeting over the license on Wednesday, before the latest leak was known publicly, Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials sought to allay residents' fears.

☆ Why Blackouts, Power Outages Are Becoming More Common
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Taylor Dorrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Power outages have increased 64% from the early 2000s, and weather-related outages — many driven by the worsening climate crisis — have increased 78%. A record-breaking blizzard in Buffalo, New York, this winter caused power outages throughout the city, resulting in the deaths of 47 residents. In 2021, a heat wave led to power outages and the deaths of hundreds in the Pacific Northwest. While regional organizations might use fees to penalize companies for power outages, it's now much harder to pinpoint and hold a person or entity responsible. In the meantime, the climate crisis will continue to wreak havoc on an aging grid system that puts profits over reliability.

☆ Beijing may allow foreign financial firms to list in China - ex-finance minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, March 18 (Reuters) - China will encourage foreign capital to participate in its financial markets and may allow foreign-funded financial institutions to go public in the country when "conditions are ripe", local media quoted a former finance minister as saying on Saturday. China has been stepping up efforts to woo foreign companies and investors to aid an economic recovery after the dismantling of its zero-COVID policy late last year. It has sped up fund license approvals for foreign asset managers in recent months. Lou also commented on the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, saying Chinese authorities attached great importance to preventing and resolving systemic risks and were trying to improve financial supervision with the creation of a new financial regulatory body. "We will also continue to cooperate with the financial regulatory agencies of other countries to jointly prevent and resolve systemic risks in the global financial system and maintain the stability and prosperity of the global financial market," he added, according to the newspaper.

Concerns that Chinese investors are buying overseas to make a quick profit at home are valid. Since last year, 11 Chinese companies have raised a combined $3.6 billion by selling GDRs on the Six Swiss Exchange, data from Dealogic show. Savvy punters with access to foreign funds can therefore make a quick and relatively risk-free profit by shorting the Chinese stock and buying the discounted GDRs. This helps explain why Swiss shares of Chinese companies barely trade. Since the launch of a China-Swiss stock scheme in 2022, 11 Chinese companies have raised a combined $3.6 billion, according to data from Dealogic.

☆ China revives ruling party control of financial oversight
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Greg Baker | Afp | Getty ImagesBEIJING — The ruling Communist Party of China is establishing commissions to oversee finance and tech, state media announced Thursday. A new "Central Financial Commission" is set to strengthen the party's "centralized and unified leadership over financial work," state media said Thursday in Chinese, according to a CNBC translation. watch nowWhile state media did not specify, a financial work commission of the same name had been set up in the aftermath of the 1998 Asian financial crisis. Responsibilities of that party commission are borne by the restructured Ministry of Science and Technology. The State Council changes established a National Financial Regulatory Administration to oversee most of the financial industry — except for the securities industry.

HONG KONG, March 16 (Reuters) - Officials from the U.S. audit watchdog will start a new round of inspections in Hong Kong on Chinese companies' auditors as soon as next week, sources said, as part of a deal with Beijing to prevent delistings of the firms from the New York bourse. That visit came after U.S. and China reached a landmark deal last August to settle a long-running dispute over auditing compliance of U.S.-listed Chinese firms. It also warned that any obstruction of inspection access could affect Chinese firms' listings in the U.S. A mainland branch under KPMG and a Hong Kong branch under PwC were picked by the PCAOB in last year's inspections, the PCAOB said earlier. Reporting by Xie Yu and Selena Li in Hong Kong, additional reporting by Chris Prentice in Washington; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Vinícius Jr. is being racially abused during LaLiga matches. Why is nobody being punished?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

It has been updated to reflect the persistent racist abuse that Vinicius Jr. was subjected to during Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat by Valencia on May 21, 2023. ‘Racist campaign against Vinícius’Incidents of players being racially abused by fans have tarred numerous LaLiga matches this season. On May 21, Vinícius was again subjected to racist abuse from the stands, this time during Real’s match against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium. Most cases of racist abuse which LaLiga has referred to local prosecutors have involved Vinícius. The local prosecutor in Mallorca said it is investigating a number of cases of racist abuse at matches.

☆ China battery giant CATL's $5 billion Swiss listing delayed amid Beijing regulatory concerns, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But the process is taking longer than expected, all three sources told Reuters. In early February, sources said CATL aimed to go ahead with the listing as early as May. Private placementThe sources said the Chinese regulator has concerns over the vast scale of CATL's GDR offering. At $5 billion, the GDR deal would easily be the largest such listing by a Chinese company in Switzerland, according to Refinitiv data. Chinese companies began listing in Switzerland last year after the launch of cross-listing platform to allow companies to raise capital by issuing and listing GDRs on the Swiss exchange SIX.

In early February, sources said CATL aimed to go ahead with the listing as early as May. PRIVATE PLACEMENTThe sources said the Chinese regulator has concerns over the vast scale of CATL's GDR offering. At $5 billion, the GDR deal would easily be the largest such listing by a Chinese company in Switzerland, according to Refinitiv data. With much better liquidity on the domestic market, investors can exit more easily. Such practices have also made Chinese regulators less keen to wave through mega-GDR offerings, two of the sources with knowledge of the matter said.

[1/4] China's newly-elected Premier Li Qiang takes an oath after being elected during the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on March 11, 2023. Previously the Communist Party chief in Shanghai, Li was confirmed as premier during the National People's Congress, charged with managing the world's second largest economy. "Officials know that Li Qiang is Xi Jinping's guy," he said. "He clearly thinks that Li Qiang is a very competent person and he has put him in this position because he trusts him and he expects a lot of him." American author Robert Lawrence Kuhn, who met Li and Xi together in 2005 and 2006, said the two shared an easy rapport.

As debt obligations mount, some local governments are pushing banks to extend maturities and cut interest rates, sources said. Reuters Graphics"BLACK HOLES""The LGFVs have become the black hole of the Chinese financial system. Chinese banks and other financial institutions have been cautious on new lending to LGFVs over the past years. In recent months, some state-owned banks, asset managers, and insurers have been looking into their portfolios to screen LGFV borrowers with weaker creditworthiness and dispose them, separate financial sector sources told Reuters. Offshore branches of Chinese financial institutions have been major buyers of the bonds, industry sources said.

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