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☆ Xpeng plans to hire 4,000 people, invest in AI as CEO warns intense EV rivalry may end in 'bloodbath'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

VCG | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesXpeng plans to hire 4,000 new people and invest in artificial intelligence technology, according to the company's CEO, who warned of intense competition in the electric vehicle space which could end in a "bloodbath." Xpeng has a driver assistance system called Xpilot which allows its cars to carry out some functions semi-autonomously. The CEO also said Xpeng intends to launch around 30 new or upgraded cars over the next three years. This year, the firm will launch its first models in the price segment of over 300,000 yuan and at 150,000 yuan. Xpeng, like other electric carmakers, has been battling in a price war in China which was sparked by Tesla.

Persons: Xpeng, Tesla, Xiaopeng Organizations: HK, Shanghai International Automobile Industry, National Exhibition, Center, Visual China, Getty, Xpeng, CNBC, carmakers Locations: Shanghai, China

☆ For some Spring Festival revelers in China, traditional attire adds an element of time travel to celebrations
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

For instance, Yu Garden in Shanghai, which hosts a 40-day Spring Festival lantern fair, has become a popular destination for Hanfu fans. The nearby commercial shopping district of Wujiaochang even hosted a Lunar New Year Hanfu parade to attract revelers to the area this year. It too has seen an increase in young tourists wearing traditional attire during visits, according to one local. Embracing traditionA woman wearing Hanfu strolls around the Spring Festival Flower Market in Guangzhou, China, on February 9, 2024. Others say the term “Hanfu” is too narrow, given the fluid sharing of influences among diverse ethnic groups in China.

Persons: they’ve, Taobao, Shanghai's Yu, Yu, influencers, ”, Cai Pa, ” Cai, it’s, Li, John Ricky, Hanfu, she’s Organizations: CNN, CNN — Tourists, Visual China, Getty, CNN Travel Locations: Suzhou, China, Shanghai, Hanfu, Seoul, Yu Garden, Wujiaochang, China’s, Hainan, Haikou, Qilou, Guangzhou, Anhui, gan

☆ Chinese Lunar New Year travel chaos as extreme weather leaves drivers stuck in cars
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Marc Stewart | Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Beijing CNN —Blizzards and freezing rain have brought massive disruption to China’s peak Lunar New Year travel rush, leaving drivers stuck in cars on icy highways and passengers struggling to rebook canceled trains and flights. Sections of 90 major highways impacted by snow and ice were closed across China as of Tuesday morning, according to state-affiliated Beijing News. Others show crowds of stranded passengers in train stations, in one case with an announcement blaring: “No trains are leaving today. Tang flipped through his camera, where images showed piles of snow on both sides of the road and a long traffic jam. Another wave of precipitation is forecast through midweek slightly further south than the snow over the weekend, according to CNN Weather.

Persons: Yang Guang, Tang Zitao, Tang, ”, we’d, It’s Organizations: Beijing CNN, Visual China, CNN, Spring, CNN Weather Locations: China, Beijing, Hubei, Anhui, Wuhan, Henan province, Tang

☆ Commodity markets are in a 'super squeeze' — and higher prices could be here to stay
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A commodity "super squeeze" is denoted by higher prices driven by supply constraints more than a robust growth in demand, he explained. "If it's a supply constraint that's driving high commodity prices, it's a very different story for global growth," he told CNBC via Zoom. Higher prices as a result of a super squeeze are "not as positive." The super squeeze could be deeper, or more prolonged if geopolitical, climate change or energy transition related supply disruptions are larger than expected. He highlighted that extreme weather events and geopolitics have also impacted the agricultural and energy commodity baskets.

Persons: Li Xin, Paul Bloxham, Bloxham, Brian Luke S, Dow, HSBC's Bloxham, Ian Waldie, Brian Luke, Matty Zhao Organizations: Technology, Getty, Visual China, HSBC, CNBC, Paul Bloxham HSBC, Energy, Commission, Commodities, Bloomberg, Dow Jones, of America Securities Locations: SUIXI, CHINA, Anhui, Suixi County, Huaibei City, Anhui Province, China, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Red, Australia, Asia, Pacific

☆ China is ramping up stimulus to boost market confidence — but is it enough?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Starting Feb. 5, the People's Bank of China will allow banks to hold smaller cash reserves, central bank governor Pan Gongsheng said at a press conference, his first in the role. Cutting the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 50 basis points is set to release 1 trillion yuan ($139.8 billion) in long-term capital, the central bank said. A 2 trillion yuan boost? Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday called for much stronger measures to boost market stability and confidence, according to an official readout. Chinese authorities in October already announced the issuance of 1 trillion yuan in government bonds, alongside a rare increase in the deficit.

Persons: Gongsheng, Pan Gongsheng, Tao Wang, Ting Lu, a, Lu, Wang, Stocks, Winnie Wu, That's, Li Qiang, Pan, Philip Yin, David Chao, Pan's Organizations: People's Bank of China, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, Financial, Getty, Visual China, People's Bank of, UBS Investment Bank, Wednesday, National Financial Regulatory Administration, UBS, Bank of America's, Bloomberg, PBOC, Citi, U.S, Asia Pacific, CNBC Locations: BEIJING, CHINA, Beijing, China, People's Bank of China, Asia, Hong Kong, capitulating, Japan, Invesco

☆ Why China poses a growing threat to the U.S. auto industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose company operates a large plant in China, has said Chinese automakers are the greatest competitors for his Texas-based company. "They were 26% [market share] a few years ago, up to more than 50% in 2022 and headed towards two-thirds by the end of the decade." Chinese companies have begun expanding into Mexico, Europe and elsewhere, Wakefield said. The EU believes Chinese EVs are undercutting the prices of local models by about 20% in the European market. The influx of Chinese EVs has spurred the European Union to launch into government support for the industry.

Persons: —, Carlos Tavares, Elon Musk, Tesla, Musk, BYD, Massimo Pinca, Reuters BYD, Kristin Dziczek, Mathew Vachaparampil, Bernstein, Eunice Lee, Mark Wakefield, Evelyn Cheng, hasn't, Wakefield, That's Organizations: GM, Shanghai International Automobile Industry, National Exhibition, Convention Center, Visual China, Getty, DETROIT, American, of, SAIC, Dongfeng, General Motors, U.S . Bureau, Analysis, America —, Chrysler, America's GM, Ford Motor, automakers, The New York Times, Economist, Reuters, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's, Caresoft, Overseas, Chicago, CNBC, European Union, EU, Union, Volvo, Karma, Ford, U.S, Buick, Lincoln Nautilus Locations: Shanghai, U.S, of China, Asia, Europe, China, Japan, Nio, Mexico, Korea, Germany, Beijing, Texas, Turin, Italy, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's Detroit, AlixPartners, Russia, America

☆ China reports disappointing GDP, retail data — what it means for 3 of our stocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

New economic data out of China on Wednesday shows the world's second-largest economy is still struggling to bounce back from the pandemic. China's GDP for the last three months of 2023 grew by 5.2%, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics. But the latest disappointing economic data puts pressure on policymakers to act again to boost the economy. The 2023 bounce back from Covid-19 restrictions did not go as expected, but we believe the stocks' declines already reflect China headwinds and that the Chinese economy will regain its footing in time. We simply can't sell this casino operator because once it's clear the Chinese economy has stabilized, the stock is going to rally.

Persons: Estee Lauder, Morgan Stanley, It's, Wynn, Jim Cramer's, WYNN, Jim Cramer, Jim, Pan Jianyong Organizations: Wynn Resorts, China's, National Bureau of Statistics, Reuters, Starbucks, CNBC, Co, Getty, Visual China Locations: China, Covid, U.S, Mainland China, Macao, Las Vegas, MEISHAN, CHINA, Sichuan, Meishan, Sichuan Province

☆ China's economic growth is set to slow in 2024. Here's what Wall Street is predicting
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

China was due Wednesday to release GDP figures for 2023, and previously announced an official target of around 5% growth for the year. Despite significant growth in sectors such as tourism and electric cars, China's economy last year did not rebound from the pandemic as quickly as many banks had initially expected. watch nowThe International Monetary Fund in November also cited China's policy announcements as a reason for its decision to raise the 2023 growth forecast to 5.4%, from 5% previously. However, the IMF said it still expected China's growth to slow in 2024 to 4.6% "amid continuing weakness in the property market and subdued external demand." In the long term, analysts generally expect China's economy to slow further from a high base.

Persons: Pan Jianyong, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Li Qiang, Haibin Zhu, Li Organizations: Co, Getty, Visual China, BEIJING —, Economic, Tuesday, UBS, Citi, JPMorgan, CNBC, China, China Economic, Monetary Fund Locations: MEISHAN, CHINA, Sichuan, Meishan, Sichuan Province, China, Davos, Beijing, decelerating

☆ China investors will be asking these 3 questions in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

CHONGQING, CHINA - JANUARY 02: People visit the 2nd International Light and Shadow Art Festival at the Fine Arts Park on January 2, 2024 in Chongqing, China. For all the geopolitical risks, the attraction of China as a fast-growing market has waned as the economy matures. Many were disappointed when China's economy did not rebound as quickly as expected after the end of Covid-19 controls in December 2022. Real estate is a clear example of a debt-fueled sector, one that has accounted for about a quarter of China's economy. Machinery, electronics, transport equipment and batteries combined contributed to 17.2% of China's economy in 2020, Citi analysts said.

Persons: it's, Jason Hsu, They're, Liqian Ren, Goldman Sachs, Ding Wenjie, Ding Organizations: Fine Arts, Art, Getty, Visual China, U.S, Citi, People's Bank of, Rayliant, Rayliant Global Advisors, National Bureau, China Asset Management Co, CNBC, Machinery Locations: CHONGQING, CHINA, Chongqing, China, BEIJING, Covid, People's Bank of China, Beijing, WisdomTree

☆ McDonald's is in the midst of some big changes that show the changing tides in the world of fast food
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-11 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . In today's big story, we're looking at some of the recent big changes at McDonald's, including the launch of a new restaurant concept. AdvertisementCold foam and oat milk are big business, as drink modifiers add up to roughly $1 billion in revenue for Starbucks. McDonald's app has grown over the years, with over 57 million active members, but it still leaves much to be desired. To be sure, 10 CosMc's is not even a drop in the bucket of McDonald's 40,000-plus restaurant empire.

Persons: —, I'm, Joe Ciolli, Iman Jalali, Nancy Luna, It's, McDonald's, Nancy, CosMc's, Jamie Dimon, Jerome Powell, Jose Luis Magana, Ryan Detrick, Niklas Halle'n, Rebecca Zisser, Jeff Bezos, OpenAI's Ilya Sutskever doesn't, Sam Altman's, hasn't, Elon Musk's, Ben Bergman, Adam Neumann's, Insider's Ben Bergman, Z, Donald Trump, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Starbucks, Nancy, McDonalds, McDonald's, Reserve, Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs, Capitol, Carson Group, Getty Images, San, Sutskever, Visual China, Getty, Fort, Trump Organization, Trump Organization . Golden Globe Locations: Chicago, , Illinois, Texas, Washington, AFP, San Francisco, Fort Lauderdale, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

☆ Asia markets set to bounce at the start of the week, ahead of China benchmark lending rate release
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Investors watch computer screens displaying stock price figures at a stock exchange hall. Jiang Sheng | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets were mostly set to eke out gains on Monday after most major bourses ended lower in the previous session, while investors watched for changes to China's benchmark lending rates. The People's Bank of China's one-year loan prime rate — the peg for most household and corporate loans in China — is currently at 3.45%. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 17,728, pointing to a higher open compared to the HSI's close of 17,454.19. Japan's Nikkei 225 was also set to open slightly lower, with the futures contract in Chicago at 33,500 and its counterpart in Osaka at 33,490 against the index's last close of 33,585.20.

Persons: Jiang Sheng, China —, Alibaba Organizations: Visual China, Getty, People's Bank, Nikkei Locations: Asia, Pacific, China's, China, Hong Kong, Chicago, Osaka, Australia

☆ SoftBank has lost more than $14 billion by betting on WeWork
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tech conglomerate and investor SoftBank has lost $14.4 billion so far on WeWork. SoftBank was one of WeWork's most bullish backers, predicting it would be worth $100 billion. AdvertisementAdvertisementSoftBank has lost a cumulative $14.4 billion through its disastrous bet on the now-bankrupt WeWork , per the group's July-September earnings. SoftBank overall posted a loss of $6.2 billion (¥931.1 billion) for July to September, compared a profit of $20 billion the same period last year. AdvertisementAdvertisementFuelled with conviction from SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son and billions in investment, WeWork sailed to a colossal $47 billion valuation at its peak in 2019.

Persons: SoftBank, —, Masayoshi Son, WeWork, Adam Neumann, Neumann, Son, Jack Ma, Alibaba . Son Organizations: Service, WeWork, Alibaba, Visual China, Getty Locations: Alibaba .

☆ China's truck industry is buying more driver-assist technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Huanqiu.com | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China's truck industry is finding more reasons to buy vehicles with assisted-driving technology. The companies trying to sell trucks to fleet operators are including driver-assist tech as a way to make the vehicles more attractive, Gui said. In addition, Chinese authorities require all newly manufactured trucks since 2022 to come with basic driver-assist tech for warning against forward collision and lane departure, Gui said. The startup claims its trucks cost about 5% less than traditional options, on top of safety and environmental benefits. PlatooningOther startups are testing out different forms of driver-assist trucks in China.

Persons: Gui Lingfeng, Gui, Julian Ma Inceptio, Inceptio, Julian Ma, That's, Ma, Didi, Junqing Wei Organizations: Visual China, Getty, BEIJING, Kearney, it's, Industry, SF Holdings, CNBC's East Tech West Locations: Shanghai, China, Tianjin, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Nansha, Guangzhou

On Monday, WeWork's stock trading was halted ahead of the opening bell. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementEmbattled real estate giant WeWork filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday. WeWork's bankruptcy comes amidst a years-long reorientation for the office industry. Offices globally emptied, and the once-stable commercial real estate sector was thrown into unprecedented chaos, from which it has not fully recovered.

Persons: WeWork, —, David Tolley, Adam Neumann —, SoftBank, Regus, wasn't WeWork, I've, Masayoshi Son, Adam Neumann, Jackal Pan, Sandeep Mathrani, Neumann, Marcelo Claure Organizations: Service, WeWork, Wall Street, New York Stock Exchange, Visual China, Getty, CNBC Locations: Canada, WeWork, York

☆ Shein, the fast fashion darling mulling a U.S. IPO, opens up about forced labor, data privacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +16 min

The committee is investigating Shein over concerns that Uyghur forced labor is being used in its supply chain and has gone undetected because of the de minimis provision. The committee has not yet drawn conclusions about forced labor in Shein's supply chain. When asked about claims of forced labor in Shein's supply chain, Claure told CNBC he doesn't "believe those allegations are correct." However, forced labor can still show up in other parts of the supply chain, said Chloe Cranston, the head of thematic advocacy programmes at Anti-Slavery International. In 2022, 11% of audits turned up "zero tolerance violations," including child labor, forced labor and wage violations, and 28 suppliers were terminated as a result, according to the company.

Persons: Elham Ataeiazar, Shein, Donald Tang, Matt Kennedy, they're, they've, Mike Gallagher, Elise Stefanik, Steve Scalise, Chip Somodevilla, we're, Marcelo Claure, Claure, Ralph Lauren, Rupert Hodges, Oritain, Chloe Cranston, Cranston, It's, it's, Shang, Jin Wei, Wei, Austin Knudsen, Chris Xu, Jade Gao, Knudsen, Gary Gensler Organizations: Wall, Bear, Chinese Communist Party, U.S, Renaissance Capital, CNBC, Bloomberg, Nike, Adidas, Republican National Committee, Washington , D.C, D.C, Target, Costco, Visual China, Getty, Workers, Columbia University's, Communist, CCP, Microsoft, AFP, U.S . Securities, Exchange Locations: Bear Stearns, U.S, China, Beijing, Xinjiang, Washington ,, Washington, Singapore, Nanjing, United States, Chinese, Guangzhou, Brazil, Turkey, India, Mexico, Montana

☆ Asia markets little changed ahead of key China data
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets were little changed in early Wednesday trading as investors look to key economic data from China. China will release its third-quarter gross domestic product data. The world's second-largest economy will also release its industrial output and retail sales data for September, as well as its urban unemployment rate. The unemployment rate is one of the key metrics that the Reserve Bank of Australia considers when setting its monetary policy. Japan's markets are trading close to the flatline, with the Nikkei 225 down just 0.1% and the Topix gaining marginally.

Persons: Kospi Organizations: Visual China, Getty, Reserve Bank of Australia, Nikkei Locations: Beijing, China, Asia, Pacific, Australia

☆ China's third-quarter growth exceeds forecast, buoyed by consumer spending and industrial production
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesChina's third-quarter economic growth came in stronger than expected, boosting hopes that the world's second-largest economy will meet or even exceed Beijing's target for about 5% this year. China posted 4.9% growth in the July to September quarter from a year earlier, according to a release from China's National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday. This follows the 6.3% print for the April-June quarter and 4.5% growth for the January-March quarter. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, China's economy grew 1.3% in the third quarter, stronger than economists' expectations for a 0.9% growth. China's consumer prices were flat in September, on the verge of deflation, while producer price index saw annual declines slow for a third month.

Organizations: Visual China, Getty, China's National Bureau, Statistics, CNBC Locations: Chongqing, China

☆ Check out the giant ship critical to building the world's biggest offshore wind farm
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

As wind turbines get bigger, the vessels that install them are having to change, too. VCG | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesA project to build a facility described as "the world's largest offshore wind farm" took a big step forward this month by producing its first power. The sea in the Dogger Bank Offshore Development Zone is up to 63 meters deep, meaning the Voltaire's ability to work in deeper waters is crucial. "Off the Scottish coast, for example, expensive floating windfarms are often the only way to tap into offshore wind," he said. Søren Lassen is head of offshore wind research at Wood Mackenzie, a research and consultancy group.

Persons: De Nul Group's, GE Vernova's, Voltaire —, De, —, Jan De Nul Group's Voltaire, Voltaire, Jan De Nul, Jan De Nul's Rutger Standaert, Standaert, Søren Lassen, Wood Mackenzie, Lassen, David L, Ryan, Wood Mackenzie's Lassen Organizations: Visual China, Getty, Dogger Bank Wind, GE, Dogger Bank, Dogger Bank Offshore Development, COSCO Shipping Shipyard, CNBC, Boston Globe, GE Offshore, Blades, U.S Locations: China, North, Golden, Dogger, U.S

☆ Asia's edge isn't just cheap labor, whether it's China, India or Japan, KKR says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Now, whether it's China, India or Japan, the region's edge lies in industrial services, KKR's heads of global and Asia macro said in an October note. That investment conclusion comes after a recent trip to Singapore, China and Japan by New York-based Henry H. McVey, chief investment officer of KKR Balance Sheet. "The bid for infrastructure and logistics could accelerate even more meaningfully, we believe, in key markets such as India, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and even Japan," the KKR report said. That includes a $2 billion acquisition of a Mitsubishi-backed real estate manager in spring 2022.watch now"I think there are two big megathemes in Japan," KKR's McVey said in an interview Thursday. The other big trend in Japan, McVey said, is corporate reform that's boosting shareholder returns.

Persons: Henry H, McVey, Frances Lim, KKR's McVey, Fumio, haven't, Warren Buffett, Lim didn't, There's, Nisha Awasthi, Lim Organizations: Visual China, Getty, BEIJING, KKR, Mitsubishi, Hitachi Transport System, Logisteed, Hyatt Regency, Gaw Capital Partners, Wednesday, China Locations: China, Haikou, Hainan, India, Japan, Asia, Singapore, New York, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Hyatt Regency Tokyo, Gurugram, BlackRock, Mumbai, Pacific, Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo

☆ Asia markets set to extend losses ahead of China loan prime rate decision; Fed decision on horizon
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SHENZHEN, CHINA - AUGUST 26: An aerial view of the Shenzhen skyline on August 26, 2020 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province of China. (Photo by He Shaoping/VCG via Getty Images) Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets are set to extend losses from Tuesday as investors await China's one-year and five year loan prime rates and brace for the U.S. Federal Reserve's rate decision Wednesday stateside. The region will also see August trade data out from Japan, while wholesale inflation in South Korea jumped for the first time since July 2022. In Australia, futures for the S&P/ASX 200 also point to a lower open, at 7,184 compared with the last close of 7,196.6. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 17,980, lower than the HSI's last close of 17,997.17.

Organizations: Getty, Visual China, U.S, Japan's Nikkei Locations: SHENZHEN, CHINA, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province of China, Asia, Pacific, U.S . Federal, Japan, South Korea, Chicago, Osaka, Australia

☆ China's capital city is letting the public take fully driverless robotaxis — and has bigger rollout plans, startup Pony.ai says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China's capital city is taking swift steps to allow robotaxi businesses to grow. As of Tuesday, the suburban Beijing city district of Yizhuang is officially letting local robotaxi operators — primarily Baidu and startup Pony.ai — charge fares for fully autonomous taxis, with no human staff inside. "We have very high confidence ... maybe only in three years, our full driverless vehicles are going to be running over the whole Beijing city," he said in an interview with CNBC on Monday. Out of more than 200 robotaxis that Pony.ai operates in the region, only about ten are currently fully driverless, Zhang said. Beijing city did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.

Persons: Ning Zhang, Beijing's, Zhang, Yin Yong, Pony.ai, Baidu, Alphabet's Waymo, Pony.ai's Zhang, —, Leswing, Lora Kolodny Organizations: Visual China, Getty, BEIJING, Baidu, CNBC, Daxing International, robotaxis, General Motors, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Beijing Daxing, Google Locations: Beijing, Yizhuang, Pony.ai, Yizhuang district, Daxing, U.S, San Francisco, California, China, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai

☆ Turkish President Erdogan invites Elon Musk to build his next Tesla factory in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty ImagesTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan invited Elon Musk to build his next Tesla factory in Turkey, the country's state media reported Monday. "Recalling that with the Turkish electric car Togg hitting the roads in Türkiye, Tesla entered the Turkish market, Erdogan called on Tesla to establish its seventh factory in Türkiye," Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported, citing the country's communications directorate. Musk replied that a number of Turkish suppliers are already working with Tesla and that Turkey "is among the most important candidates" for his next factory, Anadolu wrote. The department reports that of Turkey's manufacturing exports, 36% are medium-tech products and 3% are high-tech products. Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, Tom Williams, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Murat Kula, Teknofest, Musk, Malukas Organizations: Cq, Inc, Getty, Sunday, SpaceX, United Nations General Assembly, Turkish, UN, Anadolu, NEW, Elon, United Nations, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, CNBC, Shanghai Gigafactory, Visual China, Manufacturing, Technology, U.S . Department of Commerce, AFP Locations: Turkey, New York, Manhattan, Turkish, Türkiye, United States, Anadolu, Shanghai, China, Mexico, India, Europe, Asia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Ankara, Turkiye

☆ Asia markets set for stronger open ahead of key data from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, CHINA - JUNE 08: Aerial view of skyscrapers standing at the Lujiazui Financial District at sunrise on June 8, 2022 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Zhang Zhuoming/VCG via Getty Images) Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets are set to rise ahead of key economic data out of China, which could give clues on the trajectory of the world's second largest economy. China will release August data for its house prices, unemployment rate and retail sales, as well as urban investment. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 18,171, higher than the HSI's last close of 18,047.92. In Australia, futures for the S&P/ASX 200 also point to a higher open, at 7,283 compared to the last close of 7,186.5.

Persons: Zhang Zhuoming Organizations: Getty, Visual China, Nikkei Locations: SHANGHAI, CHINA, Shanghai, China, Asia, Pacific, Chicago, Osaka, Australia

☆ 'Blatantly protectionist': China sharply rebukes EU probe on Chinese EV subsidies
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesChina has accused the European Union of "blatant protectionism" after its executive arm unexpectedly launched an "anti-subsidy" investigation into China's electric vehicle makers. The Chinese Commerce Ministry urged dialogue to safeguard the interests of Chinese companies and commit to global efforts to address climate change and achieve carbon neutrality. If the EU finds harm from Chinese subsidies, Brussels is likely to impose tariffs on Chinese EVs despite the risk of political and economic backlash from Beijing. "If the EU finds harm from Chinese subsidies, Brussels is likely to impose tariffs on Chinese EVs despite the risk of political and economic backlash from Beijing." EU members are demanding the regional bloc shield European carmakers from Chinese EVs that they say are heavily subsidized by the Chinese government.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen Organizations: Visual China, Getty, European Union, Chinese Commerce Ministry, CNBC, EU, Beijing . Eurasia, of, Eurasia Group Locations: Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, China, EU, Brussels, Beijing, U.S, Europe, Strasbourg

☆ China auto industry body 'firmly opposes' EU probe on Chinese EV subsidies, urges objectivity
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Employees work on the assembly line of C11 electric SUV at a factory of Chinese EV startup Leapmotor on April 26, 2023 in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province of China. Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesThe European Union should "objectively" consider China's electric vehicle industry and its highly competitive industrial supply chain, the head of a China automobile industry body on Thursday. This comes a day after the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, unexpectedly launched an "anti-subsidy" investigation into China's EV makers. "The EU should view the development of China's electric vehicle industry objectively, rather than arbitrarily employing unilateral economic and trade tools to restrict the development or increase operating costs of China's electric vehicle products in Europe," he added. He added that Chinese cars exported to Europe are generally retailing at nearly double the prices in mainland Chinese markets.

Persons: Cui Dongshu, Cui, Ursula von der Leyen Organizations: Visual China, Getty, European Commission, European Union, China's, China Passenger Car Association, CNBC, of Locations: Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, China, Europe, Strasbourg, EU, U.S, Beijing

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