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Nanjing, a historic city in eastern China, vowed to ensure daily supplies of fever medicines. The rapid spread of the virus across China has left many pharmacies sold out of medication to treat COVID-19. A major Chinese pharmaceutical company said this week that it expects the shortage of fever medicines to ease soon as manufacturers ramp up production. The Haikou-based drug manufacturer said there was a “short-term” shortage of its fever and cold medicines mostly due to hoarding. Tech giant Tencent announced this week that it had rolled out a program via its social messaging app Wechat allowing people to share surplus fever medicines.

☆ Elon Musk, 'Chief Twit'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Kenneth Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

He solicited the view of the public before restoring banned accounts belonging to former U.S. President Donald Trump and other prominent U.S. election deniers. Most declined to return and work under “hardcore” conditions that entailed sleeping at the office as one employee demonstrated on Twitter. He has floated ideas ranging from building a version of China’s WeChat, a super app that would include everything from shopping to banking to social media. It has always punched above its weight and remains the preferred social media megaphone for world and industry leaders, revolutionaries and the media. Look to Musk to stoke political outrage in 2023 as he backs Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for a 2024 U.S. presidential bid while enticing Trump to start tweeting again.

Now, as the virus sweeps through a country of 1.4 billion people who lack natural immunity having been shielded for so long, there is growing concern about possible deaths, virus mutations and the impact, again, on the economy. Beijing reported five COVID-related deaths on Tuesday, following two on Monday which were the first fatalities reported in weeks. Authorities have also been racing to build so-called fever clinics, facilities where medical staff check patients' symptoms and administer medicines. In the past week, major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Wenzhou announced they had added hundreds of fever clinics, according to government WeChat accounts and media reports. A survey by World Economics showed on Monday China's business confidence fell in December to its lowest since January 2013.

☆ From recovery to regulation: How China's tech giants could fare in 2023 after a bruising year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

But investors are starting to feel slightly more optimistic toward Chinese tech giants in 2023. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesIt's been another rough year for China's tech stocks. Xin Sun King's College LondonHow the exit from zero-Covid is handled could ultimately determine the extent of the rebound for China tech. Since the start of 2021, the Hang Seng tech index in Hong Kong, which includes most of China's tech giants, has fallen more than 50%. Firstly, Chinese tech firms have been cutting costs and exiting non-core businesses in order to boost profitability.

[1/4] People wait in line at a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test centre in Xinyang, China, this still image obtained from social media video released December 15, 2022. China reported 2,157 new symptomatic COVID-19 infections for Dec. 15 compared with 2,000 a day. There is particular concern about China's hinterland in the run up to China's Lunar New Year holiday starting on Jan. 22. The COVID scare in China also led people in Hong Kong, Macau and in some neighbourhoods in Australia to go in search for fever medicines and test kits for family and friends on the mainland. JP Morgan on Friday revised down its expectations for China's 2022 growth to 2.8%, which is well below China's official target of 5.5% and would mark one of China's worst performances in almost half a century.

☆ Pelosi undecided if U.S. House will take up TikTok government device ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Twitter Pelosi "should immediately allow an up-or-down vote" on the TikTok government device bill. It said the Senate bill "will do nothing to advance the national security of the United States." White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre Thursday declined to offer a view on whether Biden would support the TikTok legislation. Republican Senator Marco Rubio on Tuesday unveiled bipartisan legislation to ban TikTok altogether in the United States. At a hearing last month, FBI Director Chris Wray said TikTok's U.S. operations raise national security concerns.

According to a complaint, Wu allegedly sent threatening messages to a person who posted a flier on or near the college campus supporting Chinese democracy. Charging documents allege Wu reported the person to the Chinese government and told them its representatives would “greet” their family members. A photo of Xiaolei Wu posted to his Instagram. @aldimeowu/InstagramWu has been suspended from Berklee College of Music, according to a statement from the school Wednesday night. However, the rising nationalist sentiment is by no means representative of all Chinese students overseas.

[1/2] People line up next to a medical worker in a protective suit, at a fever clinic of a hospital amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Beijing, China December 15, 2022. The pivot away from President Xi Jinping's signature "zero-COVID" policy followed unprecedented widespread protests against it. But, WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan said COVID-19 infections were exploding in China well before the government's decision to phase out its stringent regime. There are increasing signs of chaos during China's exit from the zero-COVID policy - with long queues outside fever clinics, runs on medicines, and panic buying across the country. China Meheco Group Co Ltd (600056.SS) said on Wednesday it signed a deal to import the U.S. drugmaker's treatment.

Prosecutors said Wu, through a Berklee-focused WeChat group whose 300-plus members included the activist, demanded that any fliers be torn down and said he was reporting the activist to the public security agency in China. "I already called the tip-off line in the country, the public security agency will go greet your family," Wu wrote, according to a criminal complaint. Prosecutors said Wu in a later WeChat post asked for help determining where the unnamed civic activist lived. "You should wash dishes for the capitalist dogs," Wu wrote, according to the complaint. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Richard Chang and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Even Elon and Zuck don't have the juice to make an all-in-one 'super app' happen
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Mark Zuckerberg and Evan Spiegel harbor super app ambitions; Microsoft reportedly wants to build its take on a super app that would rival Google. At Facebook's parent company Meta, "super app" is a taboo word precisely because it's too abstract, Insider's Kali Hays reported last month. A newcomer super app has a tougher sell accessing this sophisticated, less trusting type of user. Silicon Valley's gatekeepers stand in the way of the super app dreamUS tech firms harboring super app ambitions will need to fend off their own regulators, overseas regulators, and Apple's App Store. As the CPP Investments white paper notes, super apps "can be thought of as operating platforms for mobile devices."

[1/4] Women wearing face masks and face shields talk on a street, as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks continue in Shanghai, China, December 12, 2022. Reuters witnessed similar queues outside clinics in the central city of Wuhan, where COVID-19 first emerged three years ago. But the figures reflect the dropping of testing requirements, say analysts, while Chinese health expects have warned of an imminent surge. Yet China is pushing ahead with efforts to free up nationwide travel, even if foreign trips may still be a while off. The number of domestic flights available across China exceeded 7,400, nearly double from a week ago, flight tracker app VariFlight showed.

CNN —China will abolish its Covid-19 trace tracking service, the “Mobile Itinerary card,” on Tuesday, officials say. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, China has used the itinerary card system to track individuals’ travel histories over 14 days. The system is tied to people’s phone numbers and aims to identify individuals who have visited cities with any area designated a “high-risk zone” by authorities. This system, together with a health QR code that tracks individuals’ health statuses regarding Covid-19, determined people’s movements into public spaces across China. Even after much of the world relaxed pandemic restrictions, China continued to lock down entire cities and send all Covid-19 patients to central quarantine facilities, while restricting others from visiting areas where positive cases were detected.

☆ China's stunning reversal on lockdowns showed that mass protests can influence policy change in the country — but experts say it still doesn't threaten Xi's regime
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But experts on China say it's unlikely the protests will embolden future political movements. The changes come after protests against COVID measures erupted all across China — rare for a country where dissent is snuffed out quickly. Baogang He, the chair of international relations at Deakin University in Australia, agreed that the protests show how mass anger can influence government policy, but not regime change. "No one is strong enough to exploit or dare to use these protests to mount a challenge to Xi Jinping," Xi, the professor, told Insider. Chong said that although Xi holds extensive power in China, the protests and subsequent rollback both underscore how he can make major mistakes, too.

☆ Tesla's struggles in China and Europe may be a preview of the pain coming for Elon in the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Asia Martin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Reaching those numbers required cuts of up to 9% of the Model 3 and Model Y sale prices. Strong competition in China and EuropeMusk's auto company faces similar battles in Europe, the second-biggest EV market, behind China. Globally, Tesla's Model Y led the market last quarter, making up 7.5% of EV sales, Counterpoint reported. Competition is chipping away at Tesla's market share in the US, too. S&P Global Mobility predicts Tesla's market share will drop to 20% by 2025.

☆ Foxconn's COVID-hit China plant lifts "closed-loop" management curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - HONG KONG, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Apple supplier Foxconn's (2317.TW) COVID-hit Zhengzhou facility in China has lifted its "closed-loop" management curbs on Thursday, it said in a statement posted on its WeChat account. The Zhengzhou industrial park where Foxconn's plant locates has been under a so-called closed-loop system that isolated the plant from the wider world for 56 days, the statement said. Its Zhengzhou plant was in October hit by a COVID-19 outbreak that prompted it to impose tough restrictions that involved isolating many staff. Foxconn could have seen more than 30% of the Zhengzhou site's November production affected, Reuters reported last month citing a source familiar with the matter. The company's November revenue fell 11.4% year on year reflecting production problems related to COVID controls at the major iPhone factory.

REUTERS/Thomas PeterBEIJING, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Searches on Chinese travel sites surged and social media platforms were flooded with delight and relief on Wednesday as the public cheered the biggest loosening of some of the world's strictest COVID policies. CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM, EXHAUSTIONThe news was also welcomed by foreign business groups, many of which had become increasingly outspoken about the damage the zero-COVID policy was having on China's economy and the operations of their companies. "Timely implementation will help stabilise China’s economy and get life back to normal," the European Chamber of Commerce in China said of the 10 measures announced on Wednesday. It also urged China to roll out mRNA vaccines for domestic use as part of a vaccination drive with the elderly a priority. Reporting by Sophie Yu and Martin Pollard, Writing by Brenda Goh; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Maryland governor bans use of TikTok on state devices
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Maryland Governor Larry Hogan issued an emergency directive on Tuesday prohibiting the use of Chinese-owned short-video sharing app TikTok on state government devices and networks, the latest U.S. Republican to crack down on TikTok. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem last week signed an executive order barring state employees and contractors from installing or using TikTok on state-owned devices and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster on Monday asked a state agency to ban TikTok from state government phones and computers. Maryland executive branch agencies must remove the products from state networks and prevent access. TikTok said the concerns prompting state bans were largely fueled by misinformation. TikTok executive Vanessa Pappas told lawmakers in September that TikTok was making progress toward a final agreement with the U.S. government.

☆ Meta considered building a Twitter competitor to capitalize on Elon Musk's 'crisis' at company, report says: 'LET'S GO FOR THEIR BREAD AND BUTTER'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Meta brainstormed how to build a Twitter competitor as Elon Musk took over the platform, NYT reports. Since, Elon Musk took over Twitter the company has lost advertisers and around half its staff. "Twitter is in crisis and Meta needs its mojo back," one Meta employee wrote in a post, per The Times. Since the richest man in the world took Twitter private in October there's been a large amount of uncertainty regarding the company's future. Without major advertisers, Twitter could flounder as ads accounted for about 90% of Twitter's revenue last year.

WASHINGTON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Indiana sued Chinese-owned short-video sharing app TikTok on Wednesday over allegations that it is deceiving users about China's access to their data and exposing children to mature content. The complaint added that inappropriate sexual and substance-related content can easily be found and are pushed by the company to children using TikTok. A spokesperson for the video sharing app said it did not have a comment on the pending litigation. TikTok has said the concerns prompting state bans were largely fueled by misinformation. President Joe Biden in June 2021 withdrew Trump's executive orders that sought to ban the downloads and directed the Commerce Department to conduct a review of security concerns posed by the apps.

☆ Maryland bans use of TikTok, other Chinese, Russian products by state agencies after NBC News report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Sarah Fitzpatrick | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kit-Ramgopal-Byline.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The state of Maryland on Tuesday banned the use of TikTok and other Chinese and Russian products by state agencies, citing reporting by NBC News about hackers linked to the Chinese government stealing millions in Covid benefits from state governments in the U.S. “There may be no greater threat to our personal safety and our national security than the cyber vulnerabilities that support our daily lives,” said Gov. In the past, Alibaba and Alipay have declined to comment about accusations of being national security risks. WeChat has denied being a national security risk. Also in November, the state of South Dakota banned the use of TikTok by state agencies.

☆ Microsoft mulls building 'super app' - The Information
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 6 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) recently considered building a "super app" that could include shopping, messaging, news and web search services among others, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The Windows-maker mulled building the app to loosen the hold of Alphabet Inc's Google (GOOGL.O) and Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on the mobile search space, according to the report. Microsoft executives wanted the app to also boost the company's multibillion-dollar advertising business and Bing search, as well as draw more users to Teams messaging and other mobile services, The Information reportedMicrosoft did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk, who also owns Twitter, has shown interest in building a super app named "X" that would combine a multitude of services. Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Asian American voters could help decide the Senate runoff in Georgia, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

“We’re also meeting people at their doors.”When it came to appealing to South Asian voters in Georgia, Nabilah Islam said her “secret weapon” had been under her nose for years. During her recent campaign for state Senate, the 33-year-old Bangladeshi American brought conversations about issues to aunties and uncles on their home turf: WhatsApp. She's now the first South Asian ever elected to the Georgia state Senate. A bloc starting to gain more recognitionAccording to Karthick Ramakrishnan, co-director of AAPI Data, the concerted efforts to appeal to Asian voters in Georgia are reflected in nationwide politics. Steps like these prove grassroots efforts to appeal to AAPI voters work, Makhija said.

☆ The founder of Evergrande, the Chinese property giant that owes $300 billion, sent a voice note to executives after rumors swirled, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Evergrande founder sent a voice note in an apparent bid to quell rumors, per Bloomberg. Hui Ka Yan reportedly sent a 50-second clip to executives to encourage construction projects. Evergrande has debts of $300 billion and faces a collapse in property values in China. In October the FT reported that Hui was the real owner of a London property worth about $227 million that had gone on the market as the billionaire tried to liquidate assets to keep paying interest bills. Hui could not be contacted for comment and Evergrande did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

☆ China's sophisticated censorship engine is being pushed to 'its max' as it struggles to keep protest videos off the internet, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China is struggling to censor videos of protests against the country's zero-COVID policy, experts say. The country's censorship apparatus has been overwhelmed by the high volume of protest content. Experts told the Times that the high volume of videos has overwhelmed China's censorship software and teams of human censors. Protesters in Chengdu were seen shouting "Step down, Xi Jinping"and "Opposition to dictatorship," according to videos reviewed by CNN. Some internet users are reportedly evading content censorship by flipping videos on their side, adding filters, and recording videos of videos to confuse the censorship algorithms, reported the Times.

☆ Chinese papers go black in mourning for late leader Jiang Zemin
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] A Chinese flag is lowered to half-staff, following the death of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, in Shanghai, China, December 1, 2022. REUTERS/Aly SongBEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Chinese newspapers turned their front pages black on Thursday and flags were put at half mast in mourning for the death of former president Jiang Zemin, whose death has prompted a wave of nostalgia for the more liberal times he oversaw. Jiang died in his home city of Shanghai just after noon on Wednesday of leukaemia and multiple organ failure. "Beloved comrade Jiang Zemin will never be forgotten," it said in its headline, above a story republishing the official announcement of his death. "Having someone educated as leader really is a good thing, RIP," wrote one user on WeChat adding a candle emoji.

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