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Li’s disappearance follows a series of unexplained personnel shakeups that have roiled the upper ranks of China’s ruling Communist Party this summer, including the ousting in July of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang. The Financial Times reported that the US government believes the defense minister has been placed under investigation, citing American officials. Li, who was sanctioned by the US in 2018 over China’s purchase of Russian weapons, is still listed as China’s defense minister, one of its five state councilors, and a member of the party’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC). Beijing has never issued an explanation for Qin’s removal nor said that the former minister was under investigation. China’s State Council Information Office has not replied to queries from CNN on the matter.

Persons: Li Shangfu’s, Wu Qian, “, China’s, Qin, Li, Wu, Xi Jinping, they’ve, Li Shangfu, Antony Blinken Organizations: Beijing CNN, Defense Ministry, Communist Party, Foreign, Qin Gang, People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, CNN, Reuters, Communist, Street Journal, The Financial Times, Central Military Commission, Development Department, State, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times Locations: China, Beijing, Washington, United States

A digital artwork by Chinese artist Snow Fish. The controversy has fueled online protests on the Chinese internet against the creation and use of AI-generated images, with several other artists claiming their works had been similarly used without their knowledge. Hundreds of artists have posted banners on Xiaohongshu saying “No to AI-generated images,” while a related hashtag has been viewed more than 35 million times on the Chinese Twitter-like platform Weibo. Besides Trik AI, Xiaohongshu has also developed a new function called “Ci Ke” which allows users to post content using AI-generated images. Snow Fish added that these complaints had been slowly growing within the artist community but had mostly been privately shared rather than openly protested.

Persons: Snow Fish, Fish, Bard, ERNIE Bot, SenseTime’s, Xiaohongshu, Snow, “, ”, Zhang, ’ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Artists, CNN, Xiaohongshu, City University of Hong, European, Capitol Hill Locations: China, Hong Kong, Weibo, United States, City University of Hong Kong, London, California

☆ China has poured billions into Africa’s infrastructure. Is it now tightening the tap?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The impact of those funds is felt across Africa, where residents in major cities like Lagos, Nairobi and Addis Ababa now transit daily via railways, highways and airports built in recent years with Chinese loans and often by Chinese construction firms. But understanding how much money is flowing out of China into global development is notoriously tricky as Beijing doesn’t share this data openly and a wide range of financial entities play roles. How all this plays out could have a significant impact on developing countries’ access to much-needed infrastructure funding. China is also navigating the second decade of the Belt and Road amid stark economic challenges at home. China in 2017 released guidance on promoting a “green” Belt and Road, which called for sustainable development and strengthening environmental protection.

Persons: laud, Xi, Roberto Matchissa, Oyintarelado Moses, ”, Moses, Ammar A, Malik, “, Austin Strange, Yasuyoshi Chiba, AidData’s Malik, HKU’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Initiative, Boston University Global Development, Center, Getty, CNN, Global China Initiative, Global Development Policy, William, Mary’s Global Research Institute, University of Hong, Global Development Locations: China, Hong Kong, Africa, Beijing, Lagos, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Ukraine, Maputo, Katembe, Mozambique, AFP, Kazakhstan, Zambia, Ghana, University of Hong Kong, Kenya, United States, China’s

☆ Crisis at Evergrande deepens as it misses another bond payment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Evergrande Group has just missed another bond payment, casting further doubt over the future of the embattled property developer at the epicenter of China’s real estate crisis. China’s property industry once accounted for as much as 30% of the country’s gross domestic product. Questions about financial stabilityConcerns over China’s economic stability have resurfaced, driven by the deepening financial crisis at Evergrande, said Stephen Innes, managing partner of SPI Asset Management. On Sunday, Evergrande surprised investors with an announcement that it was unable to issue new notes due to the investigation into Hengda. It was the first criminal probe launched against Evergrande since it was hit by the debt crisis nearly two years ago.

Persons: Evergrande, Tao Wang, Stephen Innes, ”, Innes, Mengchen Zhang, Marc Stewart Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Evergrande, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Getty, China, Asia Economics, UBS, CNN, Evergrande Locations: China, Hong Kong, AFP, Asia, Evergrande

Hong Kong/Taipei CNN —China and the European Union have agreed to exchange information on export controls as part of efforts to dial down tension over trade imbalances and geopolitical issues. I am glad that we made progress in addressing some market access issues,” Valdis Dombrovskis said in a statement. Hours before meeting He on Monday, Dombrovskis said China’s trade practices have forced the European Union to become more assertive in its dealings with the world’s second largest economy. China recently slapped export curbs on two semiconductor materials in a warning shot to Europe and the United States, after they imposed restrictions on China’s access to advanced chipmaking equipment. Moscow has become increasingly dependent on Beijing since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with trade between Russia and China soaring this year.

Persons: rebalancing, ” Valdis Dombrovskis, Dombrovskis, ”, ” Jorge Toledo, it’s, ” Dombrovskis, — Laura Organizations: Taipei CNN —, European Union, European Commission, EU, Union, Tsinghua University, China, Reuters Locations: China, Hong Kong, Taipei, Taipei CNN — China, Beijing, ”, EU, Europe, United States, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia

☆ EU trade chief promises more 'assertive' approach to China as deficit soars
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

And we will be more assertive in tackling unfairness.”The trade chief’s visit comes as tensions flare between the bloc and China over trade imbalances and geopolitical issues. The bloc’s trade deficit with China hit 396 billion euros ($421 billion) last year, which was “the highest in the history of mankind,” Jorge Toledo, the EU ambassador to China, was quoted by Reuters as saying. Dombrovskis said China’s new foreign relations law and its newly broadened counter-espionage law, in particular, were of “great concern” to European business. Two months later, it unveiled a sweeping foreign relations law enshrining its right to impose “countermeasures” against actions that it deems a threat. Russia has become increasingly dependent on China since the Kremlin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Valdis Dombrovskis, “, ” Dombrovskis, ” Jorge Toledo, Dombrovskis, ”, enshrining, Vladimir Putin, — Lucas Liliholm, Manveena Suri Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Union, Tsinghua University, EU, China, Reuters, European Union, West, EU Chamber of Commerce, Kremlin Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Europe, EU, United States, Ukraine, Russia

☆ A former Chinese official is telling property developers to 'transform' their businesses as there are more than enough empty homes to house all of China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A former China statistics official said the country's property developers need to "transform" their businesses. The crisis came to a boiling point this summer when other Chinese real-estate developers ran into similar issues, and the sector started to default on its bond payments. The market was so hot that Chinese developers were taking on massive borrowings to build apartments ahead of demand. In fact, property developers built so many apartments that one-fifth of the homes in China were empty, Insider's Lina Batarags reported in October 2021. There are now fears China's property troubles could spill into the broader domestic economy and the international markets.

Persons: Keng, —, Lina Batarags Organizations: Service, China News Service, US, Reuters, Washington DC Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, China's, Washington

The launch event became the most discussed topic on Chinese social network Weibo, racking up six billion views and 1.6 million posts. Huawei quietly started selling the Mate 60 Pro in August, without a formal launch event or sharing full technical specifications. The company “knows everyone wants to know more about the chip [in the Mate 60 Pro], so them not talking about it is almost like defiance,” he said. Its share of the Chinese market rose from 6.9% to 11.3% over that period. The Shenzhen-based company has seen a recent “surge in sales” for its Mate 60 series, with weekly sales almost tripling to 225,000 units, according to Counterpoint.

Persons: Richard Yu, Tesla, ” trended, “, ”, Yu, Andy Lau, Ben Sin, Andrea Verdelli, Ivan Lam, Lam, Tesla Yu, ” Yu Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Huawei, United, Weibo, Bloomberg, Research, Tesla’s Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Washington, Weibo, Beijing, Shenzhen

☆ China Evergrande shares plummet after its debt restructuring plan runs into trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Since defaulting, Evergrande has been trying to implement a government-supervised debt restructuring. The issuance of new securities a key part of that restructuring plan, involving more than $19 billion in debts held by overseas investors. It’s the first criminal probe launched against Evergrande since it was hit by the debt crisis nearly two years ago. But, late last week it acknowledged that the company’s proposed debt restructuring had hit a snag for a different reason. In an update in April, Evergrande admitted that the plan was still short of support from a key group of creditors.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, China —, Evergrande, —, Hengda, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Real, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Evergrande Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Hengda, Shenzhen

☆ China's 1.4 billion population isn't enough to fill the country's empty homes, former official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A former Chinese official said the country's entire population couldn't fill its empty homes. He Keng said China's 1.4 billion population was likely insufficient to fill all its vacant houses. AdvertisementAdvertisementChina has long relied on real-estate development as a safe investment to bolster economic growth. Today, farmers have taken over the ghost town, plowing the land and letting cattle roam free around the empty mansions. But by 2016, its population was only around 100,000, and it has been described as "the largest ghost town in the world."

Persons: Keng, Evergrande, that's, Li Gan, Shenyang . Jade Gao Organizations: Service, Reuters, China News Service, Texas, M University, Greenland Group, Getty, Nikkei Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, France, City's, Shenyang, Shenyang ., AFP, Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Ordos, Nikkei Asia

☆ Even China's 1.4 billion population can't fill all its vacant homes, former official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

As of the end of August, the combined floor area of unsold homes stood at 648 million square metres (7 billion square feet), the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show. That would be equal to 7.2 million homes, according to Reuters calculations, based on the average home size of 90 square metres. "How many vacant homes are there now? Each expert gives a very different number, with the most extreme believing the current number of vacant homes are enough for 3 billion people," said He Keng, 81, a former deputy head of the statistics bureau. "All sorts of comments predicting the collapse of China's economy keep surfacing every now and then, but what has collapsed is such rhetoric, not China's economy," a spokesperson at the foreign ministry said at a recent news conference.

Persons: Keng, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Jan Harvey Organizations: China Evergrande, HK, Garden Holdings, National Bureau of Statistics, China News Service, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Dongguan

☆ Even 1.4 billion people 'probably can't fill' all of China's vacant homes, ex-official admits
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Big-name developers such as Country Garden Holdings continue to teeter close to default even to this day, keeping home-buyer sentiment depressed. As of the end of August, the combined floor area of unsold homes stood at 648 million square meters (7 billion square feet), the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show. That would be equal to 7.2 million homes, according to Reuters calculations, based on the average home size of 90 square meters (970 square feet). “How many vacant homes are there now? Each expert gives a very different number, with the most extreme believing the current number of vacant homes are enough for 3 billion people,” said He Keng, 81, a former deputy head of the statistics bureau.

Persons: ”, Keng Organizations: China Evergrande, Garden Holdings, National Bureau of Statistics, China News Service Locations: China, Dongguan

☆ Shanghai, Beijing capital controls relaxed as China entices badly needed foreign investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Shanghai’s free trade zone is one of China’s largest and is slightly bigger than the city of Seattle. The policies are aimed at attracting foreign investment to build an open economy, the government said. Thursday’s measures are the latest effort by Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government to woo foreign capital and stabilize ties with the West. China has made a series of moves recently to stabilize foreign trade and investment, including cutting a tax on stock trading for the first time since 2008. The latest relaxation in capital controls is part of a policy package announced by Beijing and Shanghai, the country’s two biggest cities, to facilitate foreign trade and investment.

Persons: Tesla’s Gigafactory, Stringer, Xi Jinping’s, JP Morgan, Tesla Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, HP, AstraZeneca, Getty, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, American Chamber of Commerce, People’s Bank of, HSBC Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Seattle, BlackRock, AFP, People’s Bank of China, Macao, Taiwan

☆ GGV Capital, a top Silicon Valley investor, is splitting off its China business as pressure mounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —GGV Capital, a prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm, has become the latest big investor to break up its US and China operations into separate companies as tensions between the two countries over tech and geopolitics continue to rise. The other side will focus on China, Southeast Asia and South Asia, run from its headquarters in Singapore, by managing partners Jenny Lee and Jixun Foo. Jenny Lee, managing partner of GGV Capital, at a conference in Singapore in September. Lee will co-lead the Asia side of the business as it becomes its own firm, according to GGV. Asked whether the US order or wider geopolitical tensions had factored into its decision, GGV Capital declined to comment.

Persons: Glenn Solomon, Hans Tung, Jeff Richards, Oren Yunger, Jenny Lee, Jixun, Lee, Slack, ByteDance, Didi, Biden, “, ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — GGV, Jiyuan, GGV, Bloomberg, Getty, CNN, Sequoia Locations: China, Hong Kong, North America, Latin America, Europe, Israel, India, California, New York, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Singapore, Asia, United States, China’s Xinjiang, Dentons

☆ Huawei wants to go all in on AI in first strategy update in a decade, says Meng Wanzhou
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s rotating chairwoman and chief financial officer, made the announcement in Shanghai during a company event. Huawei’s decision follows a similar move by fellow Chinese tech giant Alibaba (BABA), announced earlier this month, to prioritize AI. Hacking allegationsNews of Huawei’s strategic update came the same day the company was mentioned in allegations lodged by China against the United States. In 2019, Huawei was added to the US “entity list,” which restricts exports to select organizations without a US government license. In recent weeks, Huawei has added to US-China tensions again after launching a new smartphone that represents an apparent technological breakthrough.

Persons: Meng Wanzhou, Meng, “, China —, Ren Zhengfei, Mengchen Zhang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Huawei, Intelligence, Iran, US Department of Justice, China’s Ministry of State Security, United, US National Security Agency, NSA Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Canada, United States

☆ Huang Xueqin: Chinese activists expected to appear in secret trial as civil society crackdown deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Independent journalist and #MeToo activist Huang Xueqin and labor rights activist Wang Jianbing were detained by authorities in the southern city of Guangzhou in September 2021. Rights advocates say Huang and Wang are unlikely to receive a fair trial in a judicial system controlled by the party with a conviction rate above 99.9%. Wang Jianbing, a labor rights activist, was detained along with #MeToo activist Huang Xueqin in September 2021. #FreeXueBing/AP/FILE‘Isolated atoms’A close friend of Huang told CNN the journalist had suffered significant weight loss in detention and stopped menstruating for months. In the months following their detention, more than 70 friends and supporters of Huang and Wang were summoned by the police for questioning, according to supporters.

Persons: Huang Xueqin, Wang Jianbing, Huang, Wang, ”, William Nee, “ Huang, ” Nee, menstruating, Huang’s, –, “, it’s, ’, Sarah Brooks Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist, People’s, CNN, Rights, Human, Guangzhou Public Security, University of Sussex, Authorities, Human Rights, Amnesty Locations: China, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, United Kingdom, “

☆ Xi'an Jiaotong University: Top Chinese university scraps English tests in move cheered by nationalists
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In a notice Wednesday, the Xi’an Jiaotong University in the capital city of Shaanxi province said students will no longer need to pass a nationwide standardized English test – nor any other English exams – to be able to graduate with bachelor’s degrees. But in recent years, some universities have downgraded the importance of English, either by replacing the national College English Test with their own exams or – as in the case of the Xi’an Jiaotong University – dropping English qualifications altogether as a graduation criteria. For some liberal-leaning Chinese, the downgrade of English is symbolic of China’s inward turn and a tightening of ideological control. “We need English to understand the world. These days, if you don’t understand English, you’ll still fall behind in the scientific and technological world,” a Weibo user said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ”, Mao, Xi, it’s, Weibo, don’t, you’ll Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Jiaotong University, English, College English, Jiaotong, Weibo, World Trade Organization Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shaanxi, Weibo, Shanghai, Taiwan

☆ China's gallium, germanium exports drop to zero as tech war simmers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s exports of two rare minerals essential for manufacturing semiconductors fell to zero in August, a month after Beijing imposed curbs on sales overseas, citing national security. In July, the country exported 5.15 metric tons of forged gallium products and 8.1 metric tons of forged germanium products. The curbs are indicative of China’s apparent willingness to retaliate against US export controls, despite concerns about economic growth, as a tech war simmers. Prices for gallium have fallen in China, as export controls caused inventories to pile up. The model is powered by an advanced chip, which was created despite US sanctions intended to cut the Chinese tech giant off from such technology.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Eurasia Group, China's Zhejiang University, China's Zhejiang University Hangzhou International Science, Innovation, Publishing, Shanghai Metal, Micron, Huawei, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, Jefferies, China Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, China's Zhejiang University Hangzhou, Shanghai, United States, Japan, Netherlands, Washington

☆ US says it has no evidence that Huawei can make advanced smartphones ‘at scale’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says the US government has no evidence that Huawei can produce smartphones with advanced chips “at scale,” as it continues to investigate how the sanctioned Chinese manufacturer made an apparent breakthrough with its latest flagship device. On Tuesday, Raimondo told US lawmakers that she was “upset” by news of the launch of Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro during her visit to China last month. “The only good news, if there is any, is we don’t have any evidence that they can manufacture 7-nanometer [chips] at scale,” she told a US House of Representatives hearing. That surprised many because SMIC, a partially state-owned Chinese company, has also been subject to US export restrictions for years. The following year, the US government expanded on those curbs by seeking to cut Huawei off from chip suppliers that use US technology.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Raimondo, China’s, TechInsights, Ivan Lam, Kevin Frayer, Toby Zhu, Zhu, Lam, — Rashard Rose, Mengchen Zhang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Huawei, Kirin, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, CNN, SK Hynix, Huawei ”, Research, IT, Eurasia Group Locations: China, Hong Kong, Korean, Beijing, Shenzhen, Apple’s

The zoo is run by the local government, which was said to be running out of money and therefore unable to feed its charges. These vehicles are legal entities created by Chinese cities to circumvent borrowing restrictions imposed by the central government in Beijing. “Why hurt small businesses which are the weakest?”Noodle sellers in Shanghai have been fined for adding cucumber to their dishes. Last year, Beijing issued a directive forbidding local governments from imposing “arbitrary fines” to generate income, and dispatched inspection teams to check that the policy was being followed. The scale of financial stress among China’s local governments is so big that “creative” sources of income can only cover a relatively small shortfall, he said.

Persons: hadn’t, Xi Jinping’s, ”, Willy Lam, Lam, “, Aly Song, Jiemian, Logan Wright, hasn’t, Li Qiang, Steve Tsang, Joseph Cheng, —, Martha Zhou Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Species Fund, CNN Local, China Newsweek, ” CNN, China National Radio, Washington, Jamestown Foundation, CNN, ”, Weibo, “, SOAS China, SOAS University of London, City University of Hong Locations: China, Hong Kong, Dongshan, Liaoning, Beijing, Shanghai, Henan, Huizhou, Nanchang, Qingdao, City University of Hong Kong

☆ Sunac China files for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —One of China’s leading property developers, Sunac, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, shortly after winning approval from its creditors to restructure nearly $10 billion worth of debt. The company filed a petition for Chapter 15 protection with the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday. It’s the second big distressed Chinese developer in weeks to seek such protection: Evergrande made a Chapter 15 filing in the United States a month ago, after posting losses of $81 billion in the last two years. Entering the process may help Sunac China negotiate with overseas lenders as it works to overhaul its debt. “While Evergrande is still struggling to get their offshore creditors on board, Sunac has really overtaken them,” she said.

Persons: It’s, Evergrande, Sunac, Sandra Chow, it’s, Chow, ”, —, ” Chow, “, Andy Rose Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, US, Court, Southern, of, Asia, CNN, Evergrande Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, of New York

☆ Starbucks bets on China with new $220 million 'innovation park' in Kunshan
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The site is home to a large coffee roasting facility and an area that lets visitors see how drinks are made. Starbucks' new campus in Kunshan, eastern China. China has long been one of the most important growth drivers for Starbucks, serving as its second-biggest market worldwide and top overseas market. “As one of the largest consumer markets in the world, China presents tremendous opportunities for Starbucks,” Narasimhan said in the statement. “As Starbucks’ largest and fastest-growing international market, we will continue to deepen our investment and reinforce our unwavering long-term commitment to the China market.”

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, That’s, Laxman Narasimhan, ” Narasimhan, ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Starbucks Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Kunshan, Shanghai, Covid

☆ China's PBOC woos foreign businesses as economic challenges grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The symposium was intended to “increase financial support to help stabilize foreign trade and foreign investment” and improve the “investment environment” for foreign business, the statement said. In the first eight months of this year, foreign direct investment into China fell 5.1% from a year ago, according to data released by China’s commerce ministry on Sunday. A separate measure for foreign investment painted a grimmer picture. Companies that attended PBOC’s meeting called on Beijing to improve its business environment, its statement added. “[We] will continue to optimize policy arrangements, create a market-oriented, legal and international first-class business environment,” Pan told the companies.

Persons: Gongsheng, JP Morgan, Tesla, Gina Raimondo, ”, ” Pan Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, People’s Bank of China, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, DB, BNP, Japan’s, Bank, BASF, Schneider, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, SAFE, American Chamber of Commerce, US, Companies Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Southeast Asia, Beijing

☆ Turbulence in China’s top ranks raises questions about Xi Jinping’s rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Defense Minister Li Shangfu has not been seen in public for three weeks, sparking speculation he is under investigation. Both Li and Qin serve among China’s five state councillors, a senior position in the cabinet that outranks a regular minister. Li also sits on the Central Military Commission, a powerful body headed by Xi that commands the armed forces. China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu gives a speech during the Moscow Conference on International Security on August 15. Last week, as speculation mounted over the whereabouts of the defense minister, Xi called for unity and stability within the military during an inspection in China’s northeast.

Persons: China’s, Li Shangfu, Weeks, Qin Gang, Xi, Li, Qin, outranks, “ What’s, ”, Drew Thompson, Xi Jinping, James Char, Lloyd Austin, Alexander Nemenov, Xi’s, Deng Yuwen, ” Rahm Emanuel, Agatha Christie’s, “, –, Craig Singleton, General Zhang Youxia, Zhang, He’s, Thompson, they’re, ” Thompson, Mao Zedong, Char, …, ” Char, Jinping Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Defense, Foreign, Central Military Commission, People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, Wall Street Journal, Communist Party, National University of Singapore, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Belarus ’, US, Singapore’s Navy, China's, Conference, International Security, Getty, Twitter, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Washington DC, Development Department, Rocket Force, Equipment Development Department Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Washington, Beijing, Singapore, Moscow, Belarus, Minsk, AFP, Japan, Soviet, Sichuan, “

☆ Women’s tennis returns to China after Peng Shuai boycott
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) kicked off its first tournament in China in more than three years Monday, ending its boycott over the uncertain fate of tennis star Peng Shuai. Peng, a three-time Olympian and grand slam doubles champion, later denied having made the sexual assault claim. But despite the lack of such an investigation, Simon announced this April that the suspension, which he called a “principled stand,” would come to an end by September. The WTA had already pulled its tournaments in China in 2020 due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. Cornet had posted an Instagram story saying her season would only resume later in October, the newspaper said.

Persons: Peng Shuai, Peng, Zhang Gaoli, –, Zhang, Steve Simon, ”, Simon, ” Peng “, Alize Cornet, Cornet, ” Cornet Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Tennis Association, United, Communist, WTA, Guangzhou, Olympic, Beijing Winter Games, Human Rights Watch, Reuters Locations: China, Hong Kong, United Nations, Beijing, Ningbo

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