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☆ 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

☆ China's Wang Yi and US national security adviser Jake Sullivan meet in Malta for 'substantive and constructive' talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

China’s Foreign Ministry said the two sides agreed to continue high-level communication on several fronts, including consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs, maritime affairs, and foreign policy. Biden and Xi last met in November 2022 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali. Military communicationThe two sides also discussed the need to re-establish military-to-military dialogue between the US and China, the senior Biden official said following the weekend meeting. Wang would visit the country between September 18 and 21, China’s Foreign Ministry said Monday. He is expected to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss “a wide range of bilateral cooperation issues,” according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry last week.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi, Biden, Wang, Sullivan, Nancy Pelosi, China’s, ’, Li Shangfu, Li, Qin Gang, Sergey Lavrov, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United, China’s, Ministry, Economic Cooperation, Biden, White, US, Party, Foreign Ministry, Chinese Defense, Communist Party, Foreign, Russian, Russian Foreign Ministry, North Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Malta, Asia, Pacific, Beijing, San Francisco, Bali, Washington, Taiwan, Taiwan Strait, ”, Ukraine, Moscow, Pyongyang

☆ Sino Ocean: China property woes deepen as a big developer suspends debt payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —A major Chinese property company has suspended offshore debt payments, deepening turmoil in the beleaguered sector. Property sales by floor area dropped 7.1% in the January to August months, compared to the first eight months of 2022. On Thursday, Moody’s downgraded its outlook for the overall sector, citing a downturn in residential sales and continued jitters about the health of the industry. In June and July, nationwide property sales fell around 20% compared to the same period a year before, it said in a report. This reversed “the 11.9% growth for the first five months, reflecting renewed weakness in residential property,” the agency added.

Persons: Houlihan Loukey, Sidley Austin, Moody’s, — CNN’s Juliana Liu Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong, National Bureau, Statistics, China SCE Group Locations: China, Hong Kong, Sino, Beijing

☆ Analysis: China may not fear a closer Russia and North Korea like the West
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“China is too important for both North Korea and Russia, so for them it would be foolish to do something behind China’s back that it wouldn’t like,” he said. Shen Hong/Xinhua/Getty ImagesBalance of powerChina, which supported communist North Korea in the Korean War some 70 years ago, has maintained a complicated relationship with its rogue neighbor. “China would support a more capable North Korea in many respects – economically, militarily – and a North Korea that continues to serve as a troublemaker for the US,” said Li. “When you have a more assertive North Korea it will lead to some sort of incentive for the US and South Korea to seek China’s cooperation in terms of dealing with North Korea,” he said. But despite the potential gains, experts also say China is not immune to the risks that can come from a stronger Russia or a stronger North Korea.

Persons: Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, ”, Alexander Korolev, China’s, Putin, Kim, what’s, Li Mingjiang, Xi Jinping, Shen Hong, it’s, Li, ” Yun Sun, Leif, Eric Easley Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Relations, University of New, North, Vostochny, Foreign Ministry, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, “, Korean, Getty, United, US, China Program, Stimson, NATO, Ewha University Locations: China, Hong Kong, Russian, South Korea, Japan, Ukraine, United States, Europe, Moscow, Pyongyang, Russia, North Korea, Beijing, University of New South Wales, Australia, Ukraine –, Xi, Xinhua, United Nations, Korea, Washington, Sun, US, —, “ Beijing, Seoul, “

☆ Wang Bin: Chinese insurance boss sentenced to life in jail for corruption
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Wang Bin, the former chairman of one of China’s biggest life insurers, will spend the rest of his life in jail after a court found him guilty of corruption. Wang was accused of taking the bribes between 1997 and 2021, when he headed a number of state-owned financial institutions, including China Life Insurance, China’s Bank of Communications and China Taiping Insurance. “The amount of bribes Wang Bin accepted was particularly huge, the circumstances of the crime were particularly serious and the social impact was particularly bad,” the ruling said. He is the latest top executive to become ensnared in President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption crackdown on the country’s $56 trillion financial sector. The sentence came more than a year after Wang, who was also the top Communist Party official at China Life, was investigated by the party’s top anti-graft agency.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Wang Bin, Wang, Wang Bin, Xi Jinping’s, Li Xiaopeng, Liu Liange, Bao Fan, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China Life Insurance, China’s Bank of Communications, China Taiping Insurance, Communist Party, China, China Everbright, Bank of China Locations: China, Hong Kong, Jinan, China’s, Shandong, United States

☆ Eddie Wu: Alibaba's new CEO embraces AI and wants a younger management team
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Alibaba Group will embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and promote younger people to senior management, its new CEO says, as the e-commerce and cloud giant tackles its most ambitious restructuring in its history. “Times are changing, and so must Alibaba!” Eddie Wu, who stepped into the chief executive role on Sunday, said in a memo to staff seen by CNN. Wu replaced Daniel Zhang to become Alibaba (BABA)’s fourth CEO in its 24-year history. According to a plan announced in March, Alibaba will split into six separate units, including cloud, e-commerce, logistics, media and entertainment. Top tech firms around the globe have been shifting their focus to AI, including Google (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT), especially after ChatGPT took the world by storm late last year.

Persons: Eddie Wu, Wu, Daniel Zhang, ’, “, Alibaba, ChatGPT Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Alibaba, “, CNN, Google, Microsoft Locations: China, Hong Kong

☆ China’s ‘Lipstick King’ tearfully apologizes after online spat highlighting country’s economic woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Li Jiaqi, who has 76 million followers on Taobao’s livestreaming platform, is one of the country’s biggest internet celebrities. Li Jiaqi attends a livestreaming ceremony in the Chinese city of Hangzhou on September 23, 2021. It’s easy for them celebrities to make money!” one user commented on Weibo, China’s version of X. His followers on Weibo, China’s version of X, has fallen by 1.1 million to 29.3 million since he made the comment on Sunday. Many online users questioned whether Li, a sales superstar for many years, was particularly harsh because he was simply tired and stressed out.

Persons: Li Jiaqi, Jack Ma, ”, Li, VCG, “, Li hasn’t, shouldn’t, ” “, Hu Xijin Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Alibaba, Global Times Locations: China, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Weibo, ”

☆ China considering ban on clothing that ‘hurts feelings’ of nation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The wording of the draft amendment is reminiscent of language used by Beijing to rein in free speech at home or to hit back at perceived slights by foreign countries and businesses. Several legal scholars have also questioned the implicit vagaries of the proposed amendment and the absence of specific guidelines. “State power directly interferes in the field of individual citizens’ daily clothing, which is obviously an overreaching intervention,” she wrote on Weibo. In the wake of this month’s draft amendment, one Weibo user questioned whether cosplayers or kimono-clad employees of Japanese restaurants might fall afoul of the proposed rules. “Why don’t we wear Chinese tunic suits or Hanfu?” he asked.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Mark Schiefelbein, Tong Zhiwei, ’, Lao Dongyan, meanwhile, Lao Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, country’s Public, AP, East China University of Political Science, Law, Twitter, Beijing’s Tsinghua University Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Weibo, today’s China, Japan, Suzhou

☆ Former Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang quits cloud in surprise move amid landmark restructuring
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Daniel Zhang, the outgoing chairman and CEO of Alibaba, has stepped down from his position running the company’s cloud division in a surprise move announced just months after he assumed the pivotal role. Daniel Zhang, the then CEO of Alibaba, speaks at a conference in Shanghai in November 2022. Han Haidan/China News Service/Getty ImagesEddie Yongming Wu will succeed Zhang as acting chairman and CEO of its cloud unit, Alibaba said Monday. Significant restructuringIn March, Alibaba announced it would split into six separate units, including cloud, e-commerce, logistics, media and entertainment. Analysts said Zhang’s departure from the cloud business came as a surprise, but should not affect a potential IPO of the unit.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Daniel Zhang, Zhang, “, “ Mr Zhang, Daniel Zhang, Han Haidan, Eddie Yongming Wu, Alibaba, Joseph C Tsai, Wu, Joe Tsai, Steven Ferdman, Tsai, —, ”, ” Tsai, Jacob Cooke Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, ” Citi, Alibaba, China News Service, Cloud Intelligence Group, Paley International, Paley Museum, CNN, Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, South China Morning, Alibaba Group, Analysts Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York, Alibaba

☆ Norges Bank: Norway's $1.4 trillion investment fund is shutting its China office
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The firm, which manages Norway’s $1.4 trillion government pension fund, is the world’s biggest single investor in the stock market. The decision to close its Shanghai office was driven by “operational considerations” and doesn’t affect the fund’s investments or its investment strategy in China, NBIM said in a statement on Thursday. There are currently eight people in the Shanghai office, the firm said. Norges Bank is the central bank of Norway. Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, one of the world’s largest pension funds, closed its Hong Kong-based China equity investment team earlier this year.

Persons: NBIM, Odin Jaeger Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Norges Bank Investment Management, Norges Bank, Bloomberg, Getty, Ontario, CNN, Forrester Research, Consulting Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Asia, Singapore, Oslo, Norway, Norwegian

☆ SMIC stock plunges as US calls for further sanctions of China's top chipmaker over Huawei smartphone
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Shares in SMIC, China’s largest contract chipmaker, plunged on Thursday, after two US congressmen called on the White House to further restrict export sales to the company. The comments came after Huawei Technologies introduced the Mate 60 Pro, a Chinese smartphone powered by an advanced chip that is believed to have been made by SMIC. TechInsights, a research organization based in Canada specializing in semiconductors, revealed shortly after the launch that the smartphone contained a new 5G Kirin 9000s processor developed specifically for Huawei by SMIC. Gallagher was quoted as saying SMIC may have violated US sanctions, as this chip likely could not be produced without US technology. Hua Hong Semiconductor, China’s second largest chip foundry, tumbled 4.8%.

Persons: SMIC, ” Jefferies, Qilai Shen, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, ”, Texas Republican Michael McCaul, “, Gina Raimondo, Raimondo, SMIC’s, Biden Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, House, Huawei Technologies, Kirin, Huawei, SMIC, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, Bloomberg, Getty, US Commerce Department, Reuters, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, Hua Hong Semiconductor, Texas Republican, Foreign Affairs Committee, US, US Commerce, Huahong Semiconductor, CNN, Jefferies Locations: China, Hong Kong, SMIC, China’s, Chinese, Shanghai, United States, Canada

☆ IAA Mobility: China's automakers take the world by storm with EV push
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Leonhard Simon/Getty ImagesEven before the show kicked off, Renault chief executive Luca de Meo was on French radio talking up the rapid advances made by Chinese EV makers. Competitors worry that Chinese brands may eventually dominate the global EV market. In Europe, the top destination for China’s car exports, sales of Chinese EVs are booming. Supply chain advantageA major factor contributing to the lower cost of Chinese EVs is the country’s dominance of the EV battery supply chain. However, geopolitical tensions could complicate Chinese EV firms’ global push.

Persons: Leonhard Simon, Luca de Meo, ” de Meo, ” “, ”, Dylan Khoo, Li Yunfei, Oliver Zipse, Khoo, It’s, — Hanna Ziady, Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Visitors, Renault, Chinese EV, RTL Radio, China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China Passenger Car Association, Union, UBS, Europe Auto, EV, New, Research, Deloitte, BMW, ABI Research, Jato Dynamics, “, China’s SAIC, MG, IAA, SNE Research Locations: China, Hong Kong, Munich, Germany, Chinese, Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, Russia, New York, United States, France, British, United Kingdom, South Korean

☆ Country Garden: China's biggest homebuilder dodges default but faces a rocky road ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Chinese property giant Country Garden has twice narrowly avoided defaulting on its debt in a matter of days. Here’s what to know about Country Garden, and the future it faces. That was down significantly from revenue of about 523 billion yuan ($71.6 billion) and net profit of approximately 41 billion yuan ($5.6 billion) in 2021. Investors have since been bracing for a potential default by Country Garden, which has openly admitted this could happen soon. Country Garden shares in Hong Kong have plunged 55% so far this year as investors dumped the stock.

Persons: it’s, —, Evergrande, Yang Huiyan, Yang, “, Fitch Organizations: CNN, Getty, Garden, Hong Kong Locations: China, Hong Kong, Foshan, Guangdong, Zhenjiang, China's, Jiangsu, United States, Evergrande, Beijing, Fuyang, Anhui

☆ China Caixin PMI: Services activity falls in August to lowest level in eight months
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —A private survey of business activity in China’s services sector fell to its lowest level in eight months in August, as a flurry of economic stimulus measures seemed unable to reignite consumption demand. The Caixin China general services purchasing managers index (PMI) slipped to 51.8 last month from 54.1 in July, according to data released Tuesday by Caixin Media and S&P Global. This was partly due to weaker foreign demand for Chinese services, they added, citing evidence of sluggish overseas orders. After a strong start to 2023 following the lifting of strict pandemic restrictions, economic growth in China has stalled. Since April, a slew of disappointing economic data and population statistics has sparked concern that China may be facing a period of much slower growth.

Persons: ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Caixin Media, P, PMI, National Bureau of Statistics, NBS Locations: China, Hong Kong

☆ Country Garden stocks surge after bondholders agree to extend debt payment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The deal was significant, as it was the first debt extension the firm has secured since its liquidity crisis became public last month. According to the agreement with creditors, which was reported by multiple state-owned media outlets on Saturday, Country Garden will now be able to stretch its payment of the outstanding principal of $540 million into 2026. This particular bond had the largest outstanding balance that the company needed to pay out among its onshore debt in the coming year, they added. Country Garden, which was China’s largest residential developer by sales last year, is battling a cash crunch. It has about 31 billion yuan ($4.3 billion) in bonds set to mature through the end of 2024, according to Moody’s.

Persons: hasn’t, ’, Yeap Jun Rong Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Investors, CNN, China Overseas, Southern Media Group, Huatai Securities, IG Locations: China, Hong Kong

☆ Ukraine's spy chief reveals how Russia's Il-76 airlift planes were targeted and destroyed in an attack launched from inside its own territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The attack was launched from within Russia, Ukraine's military intelligence chief revealed. "We are working from the territory of Russia," Kyrylo Budanov told The War Zone publication. AdvertisementAdvertisementIt remains to be seen how Russia responds, but "previous strikes against Russian military airbases have led to the dispersal of Russian aircraft to locations across Russia," the UK defense ministry said. The past month has featured a significant uptick in Ukrainian drone strikes, the UK said, with at least 25 attacks— likely all carried out by one-way attack drones — on Russian territory. This could have theoretically put the Pskov base within Ukrainian reach even if the new weapon was launched from Ukraine's sovereign territory.

Persons: Kyrylo Budanov, Budanov, —, Wang Xiujun, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Ukraine's, Directorate of Intelligence, TASS, Russian, Army Games, China News Service, Getty, Kyiv Locations: Pskov, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russia's, Kyiv, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet, Russian, Moscow Region, Ukrainian

Together, experts say, these efforts aim to enhance China’s military reach, which currently includes only one operational overseas naval base in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. “It’s a question of when – not if – China will secure its next overseas military outpost,” he said. This photo taken on August 1, 2017, shows Chinese People's Liberation Army personnel attending the opening ceremony of China's new military base in Djibouti. The Hambantota commercial port in Sri Lanka has long been considered a prime candidate for a Chinese naval base. However, China’s path to developing permanent overseas bases, if indeed that is its aim, is not straightforward.

Persons: FDD, Craig Singleton, “, –, ”, Tea Banh, FDD’s Singleton, Tang Chhin Sothy, Singleton, Xi Jinping, Stringer, ” AidData, Stephen J, Townsend, ” Townsend, Bata, Ali Bongo Ondimba, Ken Ishii, ’, ” Singleton, China’s, Aaron Favila, Isaac Kardon, Kardon, ” Kardon, BlackSky Singleton, Rob Wittman, Fu Tian, Seth Moulton, ” Moulton, Martin Meiners Organizations: South Korea CNN, People’s Liberation Army Navy, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Ream, Base, CNN, China’s Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ream Naval Base, ” Cambodian Defense, Cambodian, Getty, Fleet, Communist Party, US, Liberation Army personnel, William & Mary University, Sri Lankan Navy, US Africa Command, Gabonese, of, Xinhua, Naval Research Academy, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, East China Seas, China, Control, Organization, Force, Strategic, International Studies, Defense Department, Chinese Communist Party, ”, Virginia Republican, The Defense Department, Qingdao Port, People's Liberation Army Navy, China News Service, America, Pentagon, US Defense Department Locations: Seoul, South Korea, China, Beijing, Washington, Cambodia, Argentina, Cuba, Djibouti, of Africa, Africa, West Asia, Gulf, Thailand, United States, Preah Sihanouk, AFP, Horn of Africa, “, South, Taiwan, Virginia, —, Sri Lanka, Bata , Equatorial Guinea, Gwadar, Pakistan, Kribi, Cameroon, Ream, Vanuatu, Nacala, Mozambique, Nouakchott, Mauritania, Colombo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, West Africa, South China, East Asia, East, Asia, Washington In Washington, Nanchang, Qingdao, Shandong province, Massachusetts

☆ One part of China’s consumer market is holding up against a broad decline
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Customers enjoy food at a new Costco store in Shanghai on the first day of its trial operation on March 10. China News Service | China News Service | Getty ImagesBEIJING — If retail sales slowed this summer, it hasn't felt that way in parts of China. In the weeks around early July, New York residents David and Susan Schwartz visited three Costco stores, known as warehouses, on the outskirts of Shanghai and the neighboring city of Suzhou. China's retail sales slowed to a 2.5% year-on-year increase in July, adding to growing uncertainty about the country's future growth. Chris Reitermann CEO, Ogilvy Asia Pacific and Greater ChinaThe massive property market, where the majority of household wealth is stored, accelerated its decline in July.

Persons: hasn't, Susan Schwartz, David Schwartz, David, Susan, Malin, Goetz, Kate Spade, they're, Chris Reitermann, Ogilvy's Reitermann, Daniel Zipser Organizations: Costco, China News Service, Getty, BEIJING, U.S, Ogilvy Asia Pacific, CNBC, McKinsey Global Institute, Media, McKinsey Locations: Shanghai, China, New York, Suzhou, U.S, Hangzhou, Ningbo, York, Greater China

☆ How China became the king of new nuclear power, and how the U.S. is trying to stage a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

That is two and a half times more nuclear reactors under construction than any other country. China was just getting started as the United States nuclear industry began to take a back seat. Power follows demand, so the new nuclear reactors tend to be built where fast-developing economies need power to fuel their growth. For the United States to win the export business, it must prove it can put steel in the ground in the United States. "We and our close nuclear energy allies are at what I think is just the start of a fierce competition for supremacy in global nuclear energy export markets," Kotek said.

Persons: Jacopo Buongiorno, Kenneth Luongo, Luongo, John F, Kotek, they've, Buongiorno, Westinghouse, Trump, Biden Organizations: Plant, China National Nuclear Corporation, China Huaneng, Changjiang, China News Service, Getty, International Atomic Energy Agency, United, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, CNBC, Partnership for Global Security, World Nuclear Association, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Service, IAEA, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development, OECD, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Nuclear Energy Institute, International Energy Agency, France, Visual China, Georgia Power, Westinghouse Locations: China, Changjiang Li Autonomous County, Hainan Province, India, Turkey, United States, Georgia, Byron , Illinois, France, Russia, HUIZHOU, CHINA, Huizhou, Guangdong Province of China, Europe, Eastern Europe, U.S

☆ China bill aims to make preschool more accessible amid flagging birth rate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The draft Preschool Education Law includes measures to curb excessive profit-seeking by preschool providers, the state-backed China news service reported. Children applying for preschool places should not be subject "to any form of examination or testing except for necessary physical examinations," the official Xinhua news agency reported. The draft law comes as China's fertility rate is estimated to have dropped to a record low of 1.09 in 2022, one of the world's lowest alongside South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Concerned about its rapidly ageing population, Beijing is urgently trying an array of measures to lift the birth rate, including financial incentives and improved childcare facilities. The draft preschool law will now be reviewed by the National People's Congress Standing Committee.

Persons: Huai Jinpeng, Farah Master, Conor Humphries Organizations: Xinhua, of, South, National, Thomson Locations: Xujiashan, Haitang, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province, China, HONG KONG, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing

☆ China launches 'unprecedented' crackdown on its healthcare industry amid economic woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —China has launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign targeting its hospitals, pharmaceutical industry and insurance funds as it grapples with mounting economic challenges and long-standing public frustration about high costs in the behemoth healthcare sector. Some areas have set up hotlines for phoning in tips about corruption in the sector, according to state media. At least one state media report has described the campaign as “unprecedented in the depth, breadth and intensity” of targeting the healthcare sector. Despite wide health insurance coverage, absolute costs of healthcare can be a heavy burden for many in China. “Given the economic slowdown and the shrinking fiscal revenue, the debt-ridden local governments really don’t have the capabilities to invest more in the medical sector and corruption continues to be an issue,” said Huang.

Persons: That’s, Xi Jinping, Ren Jianming, Yanzhong Huang, ”, Huang, Jade Gao, Xi Chen, ” Chen, Winning Health Technology Group’s, Zhou Wei, Sun Ningling, ” “ Organizations: CNN, behemoth, Communist Party, China News Service, Center for Integrity Research, Education, China’s Beihang University, Publishing, Council, Foreign Relations, Getty Images, Yale School of Public Health, Getty, Health Commission, NHC, Central Commission, CSI, Reuters, Shanghai Serum, Winning Health Technology, Peking University People’s Hospital Locations: China, Yunnan, Shanghai, Beijing, Zhejiang, United States, New York, AFP, Guangzhou, Shenzhen

☆ Truck purchases are driving up the average cost of car payments. Some buyers pay over $1,000 a month
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST all-electric pickup truck on display at the International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York on April 13, 2022. Tight inventory and sky-high prices have kept interested truck buyers on the sidelines, but as the market cools, shoppers are coming across better deals. Pickup trucks have larger fuel tanks, allowing these vehicles to have longer ranges. Additionally, pickup trucks are beneficial for the work many people do in these areas, such as farming, ranching and energy production. Thus, owning a pickup truck can be key in regions with lots of heavy-duty, hands-on work, Waatti said.

Persons: Jacob Javits, Tom McParland, Paul Waatti, they've, Waatti, you've Organizations: Silverado EV RST, International, Jacob Javits Convention, China News Service, Buyers, Automatch Consulting, Cowboys, Silverado, ZR2 Bison, Texas, Automatch Locations: New York, Texas, Wyoming

Xinhua/Shutterstock‘Absolutely safe’As heavy rains moved toward the region in late July, China’s top flood control officials met to hash out their response plan. The flood was caused by flood water discharge, not by heavy rainfall.”CNN has reached out to the Zhuozhou and Bazhou governments for comment. Rescuers use rubber boats to transfer Zhuozhou residents trapped by flood waters after days of downpours brought by Typhoon Doksuri on August 2. In the recent rains, at least three upstream reservoirs released flood waters into rivers flowing into Baiyingdian from the west and the south, according to state media. Many countries have systems that involve discharging pent up flood waters into otherwise dry land after major storms.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi’s, ”, It’s, Xiong’an, Jade Gao, Ni Yuefeng, downpours, Typhoon Doksuri, Zhai Jujia, Li Guoying, Hongzhang Xu, Xiao, Li Na, Zhu Xudong, it’s, Xiong’an –, Xu, Baiyangdian Lake, Kevin Frayer, “, Meili Feng, Simon Song, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Xu Kuangdi, Yi Haifei, Andrew Stokols Organizations: CNN, Xinhua, Getty, Censors, China News Service, China’s, Water, Australian National University, Authorities, China’s Ministry of Water Resources, Hebei Provincial Department of Water Resources, Geographical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Shanghai’s Pudong New, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urban Computing Center Locations: Beijing, China, Hebei, Xiong’an’s, Xiong'an, Zhuozhou, AFP, Bazhou, Xiong’an, Tianjin, ”, Xinhua, Baiyingdian, Baiyangdian, Mississippi, University of Nottingham Ningbo, “, Hebei province, Shenzhen, Shanghai’s Pudong, Shanghai

Construction workers take a nap in front of a wall of a construction site during their lunch break in Beijing, China, May 5, 2015. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon /File PhotoAug 15 (Reuters) - China suspended publication of its youth jobless data on Tuesday, saying it needed to review the methodology behind the closely watched benchmark, which has hit record highs in one of many warning signs for the world's second-largest economy. Fu Linghui, a spokesman for the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said the release of data would be suspended while authorities look to "optimise" collection methods. "The declining availability of macro data may further weaken global investors' confidence in China," said Ting Lu, chief China economist at Nomura, adding that youth unemployment was expected to have risen in July. The most recent NBS data on youth unemployment, published last month, showed the jobless rate jumping to a record high of 21.3% in June.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Fu Linghui, Fu, Ting Lu, Tuesday's, Laurie Chen, Albee Zhang, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Sam Holmes, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, National Bureau of Statistics, Nomura, China News Service, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Weibo

☆ China's Hebei province plans for two years of post-flood reconstruction
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Wang Dan, 30, stands in floodwaters near a damaged corn farm, after rain and floods brought by remnants of Typhoon Doksuri, at a village in Zhuozhou, Hebei province, China August 7, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File PhotoBEIJING, Aug 11 (Reuters) - China's northern province of Hebei may spend two years carrying out post-flood reconstruction, state media China News Service reported on Friday. Almost 5% of Hebei's 74.2 million residents were affected by the floods, with over 40,000 homes destroyed a further 155,500 houses seriously damaged, officials said. The province will make sure affected residents can move back to their homes or have new homes before this winter, China News Service reported, citing a briefing by officials. Reporting by Laurie Chen and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wang Dan, Doksuri, Tingshu Wang, Laurie Chen, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: REUTERS, China News Service, Thomson Locations: Zhuozhou, Hebei province, China, BEIJING, Hebei, Beijing

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