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☆ Why More Chinese Are Risking Danger in Southern Border Crossings to U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Li Yuan | More About Li Yuan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Gao Zhibin and his daughter left Beijing on Feb. 24 for a better life, a safer one. By the time they touched American soil in late March, Mr. Gao had lost 30 pounds. The most harrowing part of their journey was trekking through the brutal jungle in Panama known as the Darién Gap. Mr. Gao said he thought she might have drunk dirty water. Dragging themselves through the muddy, treacherous rainforests of the Darién Gap, they took a break every 10 minutes.

Persons: Gao Zhibin, Gao, ”, Xi, “ Organizations: Mr Locations: Beijing, Panama, China, U.S

☆ Belarus President Lukashenko Heading to China Second Time This Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was heading to Beijing on Sunday for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Belarusian state media reported, the second trip of the close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China this year. Lukashenko, who according to Chinese state media was welcomed with a gun salute and military honours during his official Feb. 28 - March 2 visit, was this time heading for "a working visit," BelTA state news agency reported. "Negotiations between the head of the Belarusian state and president of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping will take place in Beijing," BelTA said, citing Lukashenko's press service. Lukashenko, the president of Belarus since 1994 who has been shunned by the West, backed Russia's invasion in Ukraine in February 2022 by allowing Moscow to use its territory to launch the war. After their March 1 meeting, both Lukashenko and Xi called for the "soonest possible" peace deal for Ukraine.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, People's Republic of China Xi, BelTA, Xi, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Reuters, Sunday Locations: Beijing, Belarusian, China, People's Republic of China, Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Melbourne

☆ Think of what happened to Hong Kong when you vote, Taiwan president says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen appealed to voters on Sunday to think of what had happened to Chinese-controlled Hong Kong when they cast their ballots next month, saying peace must be backed up with a commitment to boost defences. China and Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), have cast the election as a choice between war and peace. China detests Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its presidential candidate, Vice President Lai Ching-te, calling them dangerous separatists. "Look at Hong Kong and think of Taiwan. Beijing in 2020 imposed a tough national security law on Hong Kong, which it said was vital to restore stability after the city, a global financial hub, was rocked for months by sometimes violent anti-government and anti-China protests in 2019.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Lai Ching, Lai, Tsai, Hou Yu, Ben Blanchard, William Mallard Organizations: Kuomintang, KMT, Democratic Progressive Party, ih, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Taipei, British, Beijing

☆ Philippines deploys vessels to monitor 'illegal' presence of Chinese boats in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Philippine Coast Guard personnel looks through a binocular while conducting a resupply mission for Filipino troops stationed at a grounded warship in the South China Sea, October 4, 2023. The West Philippine Sea is Manila's term for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its 200-nautical mile EEZ. An international tribunal invalidated China's claim to 90% of the South China Sea in 2016, but Beijing does not recognise the ruling. The Philippines is ramping up efforts to counter what it describes as China's "aggressive activities" in the South China Sea, which has also become a naval flashpoint for Chinese and U.S. tension. China has accused the Philippines of enlisting "foreign forces" to patrol the South China Sea and stirring up trouble.

Persons: Adrian Portugal, Julian Felipe Reef, Karen Lema, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Philippine Coast Guard, REUTERS, Rights, South China, Embassy, Thomson Locations: South China, Rights MANILA, South, Manila, Philippines, West Philippine, Philippine, Beijing, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, United States, Australia, The Philippines

☆ China has more space to cut reserve ratio instead of interest rates, says ex-official
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

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. With interest rates and loan prime rates at low levels, there is more space to cut banks' reserve requirement ratio (RRR) than to cut interest rates, Sheng said. The central bank lowered the RRR in September for the second time this year to boost liquidity and support economic recovery. The weighted average RRR for financial institutions was around 7.4% after the cut. China is prudent in cutting interest rates as its monetary policy needs to consider internal and external balance, Sheng said.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Sheng Songcheng, Sheng, Mei Mei Chu, Christopher Cushing Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, Rights, People's Bank of, Shanghai Securities, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, People's Bank of China, U.S

☆ China regulator to speed reform of smaller financial institutions
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Li Yunze, director of China's National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA), speaks at the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai, China June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Jason Xue/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A key Chinese financial regulator said on Sunday it would accelerate reform of small and midsize financial institutions as it steps up its oversight of the sector. The National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) will collaborate with the General Administration of Financial Supervision to tighten supervision of the financial industry other than the securities market, director Li Yunze said in an interview with state media Xinhua. It will promote small and midsize banking institutions to optimise their structure, improve quality and increase efficiency, Li said. “At present, the operation of China's financial sector is generally stable and the overall risk resistance is strong,” he said.

Persons: Li Yunze, Jason Xue, Li, ”, Mei Mei Chu, Christopher Cushing, William Mallard Organizations: China's, Financial Regulatory Administration, REUTERS, Rights, Administration, Financial, Xinhua, NFRA, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court will convene a hearing Monday on troubled Chinese property developer Evergrande’s plans for restructuring its more than $300 billion in debts and staving off liquidation. The company, the world’s most indebted property developer, ran into trouble when Chinese regulators cracked down on excessive borrowing in the real estate sector. The Hong Kong High Court has postponed the hearing over Evergrande’s potential liquidation several times. But others including Country Garden, China's largest real estate developer, have also run into trouble, their predicaments rippling through financial systems in and outside China. Police are investigating Zhongzhi Enterprise Group, a major shadow bank in China that has lent billions in yuan (dollars) to property developers, after it said it was insolvent with up to $64 billion in liabilities.

Persons: Hui Ka Yan, Linda Chan, Evergrande Organizations: Hong, Hong Kong High Court, Police, Zhongzhi Enterprise Group Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Beijing, China

☆ Belarus President Lukashenko heading to China second time this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers a national statement at the World Climate Action Summit during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 1, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 3 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was heading to Beijing on Sunday for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Belarusian state media reported, the second trip of the close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China this year. "Negotiations between the head of the Belarusian state and president of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping will take place in Beijing," BelTA said, citing Lukashenko's press service. Lukashenko, the president of Belarus since 1994 who has been shunned by the West, backed Russia's invasion in Ukraine in February 2022 by allowing Moscow to use its territory to launch the war. After their March 1 meeting, both Lukashenko and Xi called for the "soonest possible" peace deal for Ukraine.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Amr Alfiky, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, People's Republic of China Xi, BelTA, Xi, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Beijing, Belarusian, China, People's Republic of China, Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Melbourne

☆ Toyota says it halts some Tianjin operations after report of weak sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A sign is seen outside a Tianjin Faw Toyota Motor Co. Ltd showroom, a joint venture between China's Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile Co Ltd and Japan's automaker Toyota Motor Corp, in central Beijing October 9, 2012. The production halt at the Tianjin venture with China's FAW was a planned move, and Toyota is adjusting production based on "changes in the composition of vehicle models", a spokesperson said by email. Japan's Jiji news service said on Friday the world's largest automaker by sales was suspending some production as part of a major production adjustment in response to weak sales of gasoline-engine cars. Reuters reported last month that Toyota had told dealers it would extend a plan to reduce output at the FAW venture. Slowing sales pose a growing challenge to Toyota in China which accounted for nearly a fifth of Toyota's worldwide sales of about 8.5 million vehicles over the first 10 months of the year, including sales of its luxury Lexus brand.

Persons: David Gray, David Kirton, Brenda Goh Organizations: Tianjin Faw Toyota Motor Co, China's Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile Co Ltd, Japan's, Toyota Motor Corp, REUTERS, Rights, Toyota, China's FAW, FAW, Reuters, Lexus, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Rights SHENZHEN, China, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Shanghai

☆ Trailblazing Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's life in photos
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: 1 min

O'Connor and her husband John pause on Aug. 28, 1987 as they navigate a steep stretch of China's famed Great Wall at Badaling, near Beijing during a private visit to China. O'Conner met John in law school at Stanford University. They married in 1952 and had three children. At age 75, O'Connor abruptly announced her intention to step down from the Supreme Court to attend to John, who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He died, at age 79, in 2009.

Persons: O'Connor, John, O'Conner Organizations: Stanford University Locations: Badaling, Beijing, China

THITU ISLAND, South China Sea (AP) — The Philippine coast guard inaugurated a new monitoring base Friday on a remote island occupied by Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea as Manila ramps up efforts to counter China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the strategic waterway. It’s pure bullying,” Ano told reporters after the ceremony, describing the actions of Chinese ships as flouting international law. Surrounded by white beaches, the tadpole-shaped Thitu Island is called Pag-asa — Tagalog for hope — by about 250 Filipino villagers. It’s one of nine islands, islets and atolls that have been occupied by Philippine forces since the 1970s in the South China Sea’s Spratlys archipelago. Speaking in Honolulu, where he met U.S. military leaders about two weeks ago, Marcos said the situation in the South China Sea “has become more dire” with China showing interest in atolls and shoals that are “closer and closer” to the Philippine coast.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, it’s, Eduardo Ano, ” Ano, Ano, ”, Daisy Cojamco, asa —, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Duterte, Marcos, ” Marcos Organizations: National, Philippine, Associated Press, Washington, South China Locations: THITU, South China, Philippine, China, Manila, United States, Philippines, Asia, Thitu, Pag, Palawan, Vietnam, Australia, Beijing, U.S, Japan, Honolulu, South, asia

☆ China Evergrande creditors seek controlling stakes in new proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An Evergrande sign is seen near residential buildings at an Evergrande residential complex in Beijing, China September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 1 (Reuters) - A group of offshore creditors to China Evergrande Group (3333.HK) is asking for a controlling equity stake of the developer and two of its Hong Kong subsidiaries as part of company's revised debt restructuring proposal, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. The group, which works as an ad hoc group of Evergrande's offshore creditors, made the request after the developer earlier this week made a new offer to repay their offshore debts, the source said. Evergrande has until a Hong Kong court hearing on Monday to present a "concrete" revised debt restructuring proposal for offshore creditors, a judge said last month after its original plan had lapsed. Reporting by Xie Yu in Hong Kong, Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Florence, Evergrande, Xie Yu, Gnaneshwar, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, China Evergrande, Hong Kong, Bloomberg News, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, HK, Hong, Hong Kong, Gnaneshwar Rajan, Bengaluru

☆ China new home prices inch up for third month in November - survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - China's new home prices rose slightly for a third straight month in November, a private survey showed on Friday, as the crisis-hit property sector struggles to stabilise despite a slew of government support measures. Prices rose 0.05% on average from the previous month after gains of 0.07% and 0.05%, according to the survey by real estate research firm China Index Academy. Government support for the property sector in recent months has included easing curbs on home purchases and cutting mortgage costs. A Reuters poll on Wednesday found expectations for 1% growth in new home prices next year, little changed from an August poll. "Beijing is turning more proactive to stabilise growth and the new dual-track housing model may help stabilise the property sector in the coming quarters," HSBC said on Thursday.

Persons: Jason Lee, Liangping Gao, Ryan Woo, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China Index Academy, Index Academy, HSBC, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING

☆ China's Xi tells coast guard to enforce maritime law
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

China's President Xi Jinping attends the Leaders Retreat at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping has said the country's coast guard must enforce maritime law and crack down on "criminal activities" to defend China's territorial sovereignty, state media reported on Friday. Xi made the comments as he inspected the China Coast Guard's command office for the East China Sea area and the performance of the coast guard's ships by video, Xinhua news agency reported. "It is necessary to establish and improve the coordination and cooperation mechanism of maritime law enforcement, severely crack down on illegal and criminal activities at sea," Xi said. The Chinese coast guard has had several confrontations with vessels from the Philippines in disputed territorial waters in the South China Sea.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Xi, Ella Cao, Bernard Orr, Christina Fincher, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, East, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Rights BEIJING, East China, Xinhua, Philippines, South China

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California (AP) — From underwater drones to electronic warfare, the U.S. is expanding its high-tech military cooperation with Australia and the United Kingdom as part of a broader effort to counter China’s rapidly growing influence in the Indo-Pacific. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with defense chiefs from Australia and the United Kingdom at the U.S. military’s defense technology hub in Silicon Valley on Friday to forge a new agreement to increase technology cooperation and information sharing. The three nations have laid out plans for the so-called AUKUS partnership to help equip Australia with a fleet of eight nuclear-powered submarines. AUKUS is an acronym for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. He added that as an island nation, Australia has a need for improved maritime drones and precision strike capabilities.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, Richard Marles, Grant Shapps, Austin, Marles, Shapps, we’ve, aren’t, Adam Bry, Alex Horn, Horn Organizations: Pacific . Defense, Australian Defense, Defense Innovation Unit, Britain, U.S, Australian Navy, Solomon Islands, warfighters, Air Force, Morris Air National Guard Base Locations: California, U.S, Australia, United Kingdom, Silicon Valley, United States, Virginia, Adelaide, China, Pacific, South China, Beijing, Solomon, Taiwan, DIU, Arizona

☆ Exclusive: China lures hundreds of Taiwan politicians with cheap trips before election
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Yimou Lee | Thomson Reuters | Yimou Lee Is A Senior Correspondent For Reuters Covering Everything Taiwan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Across Taiwan security agencies are looking into more than 400 visits to China in the past month, most led by local opinion leaders such as borough chiefs and village heads, a Taiwan security official looking into China's activities told Reuters. He said it was "self-evident" Beijing was trying to sway Taiwan elections through means including free trips for politicians. More than 300 borough chiefs or village heads from populous central Taiwan alone have participated in such trips to China in the past few months, this person said. "Certain borough chiefs have become the window of contacts in Taiwan for some Chinese units." Chinese officials allegedly asked participants to support certain political parties and "oppose Taiwan independence", the prosecutors said in a statement.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Chiu Tai, Hsing Tai, chao, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, William Mallard Organizations: Beijing, Reuters, China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Mainland Affairs Council, Chinese Communist Party, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, Beijing, China, Taiwan, Taipei, Shanghai, New Taipei City, Kaohsiung

☆ Executives go missing in China—this time linked to troubled shadow bank Zhongzhi
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Two Chinese business executives at companies controlled by the embattled financial conglomerate Zhongzhi have gone missing, according to statements by their respective firms. The development comes just days after Chinese authorities launched a criminal investigation into the troubled shadow bank, one of China’s largest. Both companies are controlled by Zhongzhi’s investment units, and the missing executives have been connected with the conglomerate for years. The office building of Zhongrong International Trust, a trust company partially owned by Zhongzhi Enterprise Group, in Beijing. Zhongzhi’s trust banking unit has invested about a tenth of its money in real estate.

Persons: Zhongzhi, Ma Hongying, Ma Changshui, Florence Lo, Xie Zhikun, —, ”, Xie, Xi Jinping Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Gym Education Technology, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, International Trust, Zhongzhi Enterprise Group, Beijing, Business Locations: Hong Kong, Dalian, Xinjiang, Beijing, China’s, China

An electronic board shows Shanghai and Shenzhen stock indexes, at the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai, China October 25, 2022. But the extent of the political and economic jitters merely mirrors other signs of a long-term China exit well beyond portfolio flows. Earlier this month, China recorded its first-ever quarterly deficit in "bricks and mortar" foreign direct investment (FDI). What's more, a multi-year aversion to China investments then risks colliding with deteriorating long-term economic growth dynamics - heightened by rising youth unemployment and dire demographics. Despite some recent upgrades of China growth forecasts, yet another business survey this week raised red flags.

Persons: Aly, Gina Raimondo, Nicholas Lardy, Xi, Lardy, What's, Morgan Stanley, Morgan Stanley's, Mike Dolan, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, Official Monetary, Financial, Reuters, . Commerce, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, Shenzhen, China, OMFIF, Europe, North America, India, Brazil, Beijing, U.S, Washington, San Francisco

☆ Philippines builds new coast guard station on island in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view shows the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, in the contested Spratly Islands, South China Sea, March 9, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The Philippines has built a new coast guard station on the contested island of Thitu in the South China Sea, boosting its ability to monitor movements of Chinese vessels and aircraft in the busy disputed waterway. Inaugurated on Friday, the new three-storey facility is equipped with state-of-the art technology such as radar, automatic identification, satellite communication, and coastal cameras, the Philippine coast guard said in a statement. Manila's outpost of Thitu is its biggest and most strategically important in the South China Sea, largely claimed by Beijing, despite conflicting territorial claims by several regional nations. Besides the Philippines, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea, a conduit for goods in excess of $3 trillion every year.

Persons: Eloisa Lopez, Eduardo Ano, Thitu, Karen Lema, Mikhail Flores, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, People's Liberation Army, PLA ) Navy, Philippine, Thomson Locations: Philippine, Thitu, Pag, Spratly Islands, South China, Rights MANILA, Philippines, Manila, Spratly, Beijing, Palawan, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam

BEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Mixed factory activity data for China in November suggests more stimulus will be needed to shore up economic growth, analysts said on Friday, as two surveys came to contrasting conclusions on the sector's health. That was the fastest expansion in three months, but stands in contrast to the official PMI which fell to 49.4 on Thursday. "At face value, the average of the two is consistent with factory activity remaining largely unchanged last month," said Sheana Yue, China economist at Capital Economics. The official and Caixin surveys have different samples, with the Caixin PMI focusing on export-oriented enterprises and small- and medium-sized enterprises in the country's coastal region. Payroll cuts in the sector persisted for the third month in the Caixin survey and a ninth month in the official PMI.

Persons: Sheana Yue, Dan Wang, Xi Jinping, Liangping Gao, Joe Cash, Jacqueline Wong, Lincoln Organizations: P Global, PMI, Capital Economics, HSBC, Hang Seng Bank, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Hang Seng Bank China, Shanghai

☆ Five senators ask Biden to impose China travel ban after respiratory illness cases
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Five Republican senators led by Marco Rubio on Friday asked President Joe Biden's administration to ban travel between the United States and China after a spike in Chinese respiratory illness cases. In recent months, the United States and China have been steadily increasing flights between the countries, that are still far below 2019 levels. The United States lifted the unprecedented travel restrictions for fully vaccinated international visitors starting in November 2021, including from China. The United States rescinded a separate requirement air travelers test negative before arriving in June 2022. The United States in January started requiring air passengers to get negative COVID tests after Beijing's decision to lift its stringent zero-COVID policies and lifted the requirements in March.

Persons: Joe Biden, Evelyn Hockstein, Marco Rubio, Joe Biden's, Rubio, Maria Van Kerkhove, Donald Trump, David Shepardson, Chizu Organizations: CS, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, Friday, Senate Intelligence, World Health Organization, China, Program, Embassy, Thomson Locations: Pueblo , Colorado, U.S, United States, China, Washington, States

☆ What do we know about China’s respiratory illness surge?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Andrew Silver | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SHANGHAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A request by the World Health Organization for more information on a surge in respiratory illnesses and clusters of pneumonia in children in China has attracted global attention. The following is what we know about the surge in illness in the world's second most populous country so far, and why experts think there is no need to panic. The National Health Commission told a news conference on Nov. 13 that there was an increase in incidence of respiratory disease without providing further details. IS MYCOPLASMA PNEUMONIAE A BIG WORRY? One concern about the surge in respiratory illness is mycoplasma pneumoniae, which has also spiked in other countries.

Persons: Maria Van Kerkhove, Rajib Dasgupta, mycoplasma pneumoniae, it's, Cecille Brion, Van Kerkhove, We're, Andrew Silver, Miyoung Kim Organizations: World Health Organization, WHO, Program, National Health Commission, Reuters, Pacific, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Doctors, Raffles Medical Group Beijing, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Taiwan, WHO China, COVID, South East Asia, New Delhi

☆ China consumption shows 'no sign' of a strong V-shaped recovery, McKinsey says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"But there are no signs it should be a strong, V-shaped recovery," said Zipser, who is also a senior partner at McKinsey and author of a new report called "China Consumption: Start of a New Era." China's retail sales have generally remained lackluster since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020. The overall economic recovery and the recovery of the property market has not been what people hoped for. "The overall economic recovery and the recovery of the property market has not been what people hoped for," he said. China's retail sales rose by 7.6% in October from a year ago, beating analysts' expectations.

Persons: Daniel Zipser, Zipser, Major Organizations: Future Publishing, Getty, BEIJING, McKinsey, Apple, Starbucks, World Bank . U.S Locations: Lianyungang City, East China's Jiangsu Province, Asia, China, South Korea, India, Indonesia

Vietnam has already rail connections to China, but the system is old with limited capacity on the Vietnam side. The upgraded railway would pass through the region where Vietnam has its largest deposits of rare earths, of which China is by far the world's biggest refiner. Chinese and Vietnamese rare earths industry experts discussed last week stronger cooperation on processing the minerals, according to Vietnamese state media. It is unclear how much China would contribute to the upgraded railway track in Vietnam and whether Hanoi would accept sizeable financing from Beijing on this. A strengthened railway link could also boost Vietnam's export to China, mostly of agriculture products, boost Chinese tourism to northern Vietnam and further integrate the two countries' manufacturing industries, which experts already consider as symbiotic, with factories in Vietnam largely assembling components produced in China.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vietnam's, Wang Yi, Tran, Pham Minh Chinh, Wang Wentao, Francesco Guarascio, Khanh Vu, Phuong Nguyen, Stephen Coates Organizations: Vietnam's, China's Commerce, Initiative, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Hanoi, China, Haiphong China, Vietnam, HANOI, United States, Tran Luu Quang, Kunming, Haiphong, Beijing, China . China, Hong Kong, Washington, South

☆ Malaysia invites China's Xi to visit, ramps up tourism target
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Liz Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Journalists watch a giant screen broadcasting footage of Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking at the opening ceremony of the Third Belt and Road Forum (BRF), at the media centre in Beijing, China October 18, 2023. Government data showed Malaysia welcomed 498,540 Chinese tourists in the six months to June this year, a figure almost a third of pre-pandemic levels. Malaysia's economic growth is expected to meet the government's target of 4% this year, driven in part by stronger tourism. Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has also invited China's President Xi Jinping to visit the country, Norman said. "We are hoping that President Xi will consent to visiting Malaysia," he added.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Tingshu Wang, China's, Xi Jingping, Norman Muhamad, Anwar Ibrahim, Norman, Xi, Wang Yi, Zambry Abdul Kadir, Liz Lee, Bernard Orr, Ethan Wang, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Malaysian, Malaysia's, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Malaysia, Thailand, Government, New York

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