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☆ China's plan to boost consumption by encouraging trade-ins has yet to show results
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A banner plays up China's trade-in policy at a home goods expo in Qingdao, Shandong province, China, on June 1, 2024. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China's plan to boost consumption by encouraging trade-ins has yet to show significant results, several businesses told CNBC. Analysts are not overly optimistic about the extent to which the trade-in program could support retail sales. China's retail sales for August are due Saturday morning. Retail sales in June rose by 2%, the slowest since the Covid-19 pandemic, while July sales growth saw a modest improvement at 2.7%.

Persons: Jens Eskelund, Tao Wang, Sally Loh, Otis, Kone, We've, Ilkka Hara, Hara Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty, BEIJING, CNBC, EU Chamber of Commerce, UBS Investment Bank, China, U.S, Otis Locations: Qingdao, Shandong province, China, Greater China

☆ China's AI models lag their U.S. counterparts by 6 to 9 months, says former head of Google China
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Kai-Fu Lee, chairman and chief executive officer of Sinovation Ventures, speaks during the HICOOL Global Entrepreneur Summit on September 11, 2021 in Beijing, China. BEIJING — Chinese artificial intelligence models may be at least half a year behind those developed in the U.S., but Chinese AI apps will likely take off much faster, said Kai-Fu Lee, former head of Google China. The top Chinese companies' LLMs are about six to nine months behind their U.S. counterparts, while less advanced Chinese models may lag the U.S. by about 15 months, Lee said. Lee, author of "AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order,“ is a widely followed commentator on AI, and is the founder of startup 01.AI as well as venture capital firm Sinovation Ventures. "Apps, I would predict, by early next year will proliferate in China much faster than in the U.S.," Lee said, noting that the cost of training a good AI model has fallen significantly.

Persons: Kai, Fu Lee, Lee Organizations: Sinovation Ventures, Summit, Google, Equity Forum China Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, U.S, Google China, Silicon Valley

☆ Huawei launches $2,800 trifold phone hours after Apple debuts iPhone 16
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Richard Yu, a Huawei executive director overseeing consumer products, reveals the price for the company's trifold Mate XT smartphone on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. BEIJING — Chinese smartphone company Huawei said Tuesday its trifold smartphone will start at the equivalent of more than $2,800. That's the same day Apple's new iPhone 16 series is due to launch in stores, including in China. On Monday stateside, Apple announced its iPhone 16 Pro Max will start at $1,199, and the iPhone 16 at $799. iPhone 16 users as well as those of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max can use the new functions.

Persons: Richard Yu, Max, XT Organizations: Huawei, Apple, Apple Intelligence Locations: BEIJING, China

☆ China's exports grow by 8.7% in August, beating expectations
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — China's exports rose by 8.7% year-on-year in U.S. dollar terms in August, according to the customs agency. That was higher than the forecast for growth of 6.5% year-on-year in U.S. dollar terms, according to a Reuters poll. Imports grew by 0.5%. In July, exports rose by 7% from a year ago, while imports increased by a more-than-expected 7.2%. China's imports from Russia fell by 1%, while exports rose by 10%, the data analysis showed.

Organizations: Union and Association of Southeast, Nations, EU, CNBC, Imports, ASEAN Locations: Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, BEIJING, U.S, Russia

☆ European businesses in China reach a 'tipping point' on whether to invest more
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Edgar Su | ReutersBEIJING — European businesses in China have grown so discouraged with the outlook for operating in the country that Beijing must act if the companies are to invest further, according to the EU Chamber of Commerce in China. "We do believe actually that we are in sort of a tipping point situation. Foreign direct investment into China fell by 29.6% during the January to July period versus a year ago, according to China's Ministry of Commerce. Such changes are part of Beijing's pledges to reduce what it calls the negative list, a collection of industries off-limits to foreign businesses in the country. However, Eskelund said such developments, while encouraging, did not move the needle enough for European businesses, especially when members' optimism on profitability in China for the next two years is at an all-time low.

Persons: Edgar Su, Jens Eskelund, Eskelund Organizations: of, Initiative, Reuters, EU Chamber of Commerce, China's Ministry of Commerce Locations: Beijing, China, Reuters BEIJING, Growth

☆ Huawei's trifold phone gets 2.7 million pre-orders ahead of Apple's iPhone 16 launch
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Huawei is planning to release a three-fold smartphone on Sept. 10, just hours after Apple's scheduled new iPhone launch. BEIJING — Huawei has received more than 2.7 million pre-orders for its trifold smartphone, its website showed on Monday. The Chinese company began pre-orders for its Mate XT midday on Saturday. That was more than two days ahead of Apple's planned iPhone 16 launch early morning Tuesday Beijing time. The company has yet to share a price for the Mate XT.

Organizations: Huawei, Beijing, Apple Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China

☆ China's CPI climbs by a less-than-expected 0.6% as transport and home goods prices fall
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — China on Monday reported its consumer price index rose by 0.6% year on year in August, missing expectations as transportation and home goods prices, as well as rents declined. Food prices climbed by 2.8% year on year in August, the first positive print since June 2023, according to Wind Information data. Pork prices surged by 16.1% in August, while vegetable prices climbed by 21.8%. Pork, a food staple in China, has an outsized weighting in the country's consumer price index. Core-CPI, which strips out food and energy prices, climbed by 0.3% in August from a year ago, a slower rise for a second-straight month.

Persons: Wang Yifan Organizations: Nanhua Locations: China, BEIJING — China

☆ China's wealthy are increasingly looking overseas for business investment opportunities
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-06 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Instead of high-net-worth individuals, C-suite executives in China are increasingly using business jets, said Paul Desgrosseilliers, general manager at ExecuJet Haite General Aviation Services. ExecuJet HaiteBEIJING — China's wealthy are increasingly looking for ways to move capital outside the mainland to pursue business opportunities, rather than just chasing investment returns, according to asset managers and consultants. The company's active overseas clients rose by nearly 63% year on year to 3,244. Overseas assets under management rose nearly 15% to $5.4 billion from a year earlier, while mainland China assets under management fell over 6% to $15.8 billion, according to Noah's quarterly earnings report. "What we are hearing from them is that the fastest growth in terms of interest from Chinese clients [occurred] in the post-Covid [period to] early last year."

Persons: Paul Desgrosseilliers, ExecuJet, there's, Ryota Kadogaki, Grant Pan, Noah Holdings, Noah, Kadogaki, Mu Chen, That's, Pan, ExecuJet Haite Organizations: General Aviation Services, Beijing Daxing, Monolith, Investors, Ministry of Commerce, CNBC, Noah Holdings, Beijing Daxing International Locations: China, Beijing, BEIJING, Japan, Mainland China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, East, Africa, Asia Pacific

☆ China halts foreign adoptions of its children
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-05 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — The Chinese government is no longer allowing foreign adoptions of the country’s children, a spokesperson said Thursday. The only exception will be for blood relatives adopting a child or a stepchild, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said. Many foreigners have adopted children from China over the decades, visiting the country to pick them up and then bringing them to a new home overseas. China suspended international adoptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government later resumed adoptions for children who had received travel authorization before the suspension in 2020, the U.S. State Department said in its latest annual report on adoptions.

Persons: Mao Ning, Greg Baker, Denmark’s Organizations: Foreign, U.S . State Department, State Department, NBC Asian Locations: BEIJING, China, U.S, NBC Asian America

☆ Americans don't want to ban TikTok anymore
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-05 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Fewer Americans want to ban TikTok than did a year ago, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. While half of US adults supported a TikTok ban in March 2023, now just one in three (32%) say they want a government ban. The decline in support for a TikTok ban is occurring across party lines. Former President Trump once sought to ban or force a sale of TikTok, but recently flip-flopped on the issue. Vice President Harris hasn't shared a position on the TikTok ban.

Persons: TikTok, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, ByteDance, hasn't, G.S, Hans, Pew, Trump, Harris hasn't Organizations: Service, Pew Research Center, Pew, Business, Apple, Google, Chinese Communist Party, Cornell Law School Locations: TikTok, Beijing

☆ China's property woes and U.S. sanctions have hit some cities hard
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-03 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING — China's property struggles and U.S. sanctions have significantly affected some of its cities, even as others benefit from Beijing's tech push, Milken Institute's best performing cities China index showed Tuesday. Since 2015, the index has studied China's large- and mid-sized cities for their economic vibrancy and growth prospects. The index looked at a group of 33 large cities and a group of 217 small cities, then ranked them separately. Historically, Wong pointed out, having control of Zhengzhou, Hefei, and Wuhan have been critical to ensuring control of the country. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that there are 33 large cities and 217 smaller cities in the index.

Persons: Milken Institute's, Perry Wong, Wong Organizations: CNBC ., U.S, CNBC, Wuhan Locations: HANGZHOU, CHINA, China Vanke, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, BEIJING, Zhejiang, Zhuhai, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Dongguan, The, Shenzhen, Beijing, Zhengzhou, Henan province, Hefei, Wuhan, Anhui, Central China's Hubei

☆ Chinese EV maker Zeekr says its new battery can charge faster than that of a Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — Chinese electric car brand Zeekr announced new batteries on Tuesday, which it says boast the fastest charge in the world. Zeekr said that the new battery could achieve the same charge performance even in negative 10 degree Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) weather in about 30 minutes. Comparatively, Elon Musk's Tesla says its supercharger allow the company's vehicles to charge up to 200 miles in 15 minutes. Chinese automaker Nio has also offered the alternative of a three-minute battery swap. The subscription service automatically changes out the battery of designated car models with a charged one at specific swap stations.

Persons: Zeekr, Elon Musk's Tesla, Nio Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Technology Holding Locations: BEIJING, U.S

☆ China's consumer prices pick up more than expected in July, up by 0.5%
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — China's consumer prices rose by a more-than-expected 0.5% in July from a year ago, boosted by a surge in pork prices, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics released Friday. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a slight pickup in the consumer price index to 0.3% in July from a year ago, versus 0.2% in June. Prices of pork, a widely consumed food staple in China, surged by 20.4% year-on-year in July. Pork prices play a significant role in China's consumer price index, but can be prone to large swings due to disease or other factors affecting production. Core CPI, which strips out food and energy prices, rose by 0.4% year-on-year in July.

Persons: That's Organizations: National Bureau of Statistics, Reuters, CPI Locations: Beijing, BEIJING, China

☆ More than half of new cars sold in China are now electric or hybrid
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — For the first time in China, new energy vehicles have outsold traditional fuel-powered passenger cars on a monthly basis, according to China Passenger Car Association data for July. The category accounted for 51% of new passenger cars sold in China last month, according to a release late Thursday. That's up from a penetration rate of 36% exactly a year ago, and a dip below one-third in January, according to CNBC calculations of passenger car association data. The latest report showed that battery-only cars outsold hybrid ones in July — for a battery-only penetration rate of 28%. However, monthly sales and delivery figures from BYD , Li Auto and other car companies indicated consumers in China increasingly preferred hybrid-powered vehicles.

Persons: Li Organizations: China Passenger Car Association, CNBC, Li Auto Locations: BEIJING, China

☆ Container explodes on cargo ship at China's key Ningbo port
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An aerial photo is showing containers at Beilun Port in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China, on April 11, 2024. BEIJING — A hazardous goods container exploded Friday on a cargo ship in China's high-traffic Ningbo port, Taiwanese vessel owner Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. told CNBC in a statement. State-owned port operator Ningbo-Zhoushan said the ship was docked at the Beilun 2 container terminal, according to a post on Chinese social media. The port operator and Yang Ming both said the cause of the incident was not yet clear. Ningbo-Zhoushan is China's second-highest traffic port, located in eastern China's Zhejiang province.

Persons: Yang, Zhoushan, Yang Ming, Ruxandra Iordache Organizations: Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp, CNBC, YM, Shanghai Locations: Port, Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China, BEIJING, Liberia, Zhoushan, China's Zhejiang, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ Consumer giants from Starbucks to General Mills have one big sales problem: China
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-07 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesBEIJING — A theme emerging in the latest slew of U.S. companies' earnings reports is a drag from the China market. "Consumer sentiment in China is quite weak," McDonald's chairman, CEO and director Christopher Kempczinski, said of the quarter ended June 30. Apple said Greater China sales fell by 6.5% year-on-year in the quarter ended June 29. Procter and Gamble said China sales for the quarter ending late June fell by 9%. The only public disclosures regarding Peet's China business described it as "strong double-digit organic sales growth" in the first half of the year.

Persons: —, Christopher Kempczinski, McDonald's, Lei Meng, Apple, Johnson, that's, General Mills, Kofi Bruce, Mills, Andre Schulten, Procter, Gamble, Schulten, Marriott's, Domino's, DPC Dash, There's, James Quincey, Quincey, We've, Laxman Narasimhan, Luckin Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty, BEIJING, U.S, Nationwide, UBS Securities, General, Procter, Marriott, Asia Pacific, Starbucks Locations: Yichang, Hubei province, China, U.S, Canada, Greater China, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, Asia, Peet's

☆ Record temperatures scorch eastern China, spiking power demand
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING — Eastern China is baking under unseasonably high temperatures, with the excessive heat expected to linger in mega coastal cities in the highly industrialized provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang for up to 10 more days. In the east and northwest of China, temperatures as high as 43.9 degrees Celsius (111.02 degrees Fahrenheit) have scorched Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Anhui and Xinjiang in recent days, state broadcaster CCTV said. The city of 12.5 million people is expected to swelter under temperatures exceeding 104F through Sunday. Jiangsu’s observatory issued a red warning for heat on Sunday after high temperatures that had persisted for more than a week further intensified. Hangzhou is expected to see 10 straight days of above 104F weather, breaking its record of eight days in 2013.

Persons: CFOTO Organizations: CCTV, IKEA, Getty Images, Grid, Getty Locations: BEIJING, Eastern China, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, China, Shanghai, Anhui, Xinjiang, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Wuxi, Changzhou, Zhenjiang

☆ Li Auto's July deliveries hit a record as Chinese EV consumers prefer hybrid options
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A newly released Li Auto L6 new energy vehicle is displayed at a store in Shanghai, China, on April 19, 2024. BEIJING — Chinese new energy vehicle company Li Auto announced Thursday it delivered a record number of cars in July, boosted by sales of its new, lower-cost Li L6 SUV. The new model and most of Li Auto's cars come with a fuel tank for extending the battery's driving range. The automaker said its Li L6 that launched in April has seen monthly deliveries of more than 20,000. The China Passenger Car Association said Tesla China sold 59,261 cars in June.

Persons: Li, Li Auto, Tesla Organizations: Auto, Li Auto, Li, U.S, China Passenger Car Association, Tesla Locations: Shanghai, China, BEIJING, Tesla China

Jade Gao | Afp | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China is not planning additional stimulus for the second half of the year, according to officials from the economic planning agency and finance ministry. Those official figures have raised concerns about whether China can achieve its full-year target of around 5% growth. China will put "promoting consumption in a more prominent role," Yuan Da, deputy secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission, told reporters Thursday in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. He reiterated that authorities would work for the "healthy" development of real estate and ensuring the delivery of pre-sold apartments. For example, Lu'an City in Anhui province announced Thursday it was issuing 1.5 million yuan in coupons for discounts on eating out at restaurants, 3 million yuan for buying home goods and 3 million yuan for car purchases.

Persons: Jade Gao, Zhao Chenxin, Lin Zechang, Zhao, Yuan Da, Yuan Organizations: Central Business District, Afp, Getty, National Development, Reform Commission, CNBC, Ministry of Finance Locations: Beijing, BEIJING, China, Lu'an City, Anhui

BYD launched the BYD Seal in Europe at the IAA auto show in Munich, Germany. BEIJING — Uber and BYD announced Wednesday that drivers on the ride-hailing platform can get pricing and financing deals for the Chinese company's electric cars, starting in Europe and Latin America. The two companies will also develop "autonomous-capable vehicles" for Uber's platform, according to a press release. The multi-year strategic partnership, which the companies said could bring 100,000 BYD cars to Uber, comes despite the EU following the U.S. this year in raising tariffs on imports of Chinese-made electric cars. The company surpassed Tesla in total vehicle production for two straight years and has ramped up overseas expansion, including investments in factories abroad.

Persons: BYD, BEIJING — Uber, Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi Organizations: U.S, Tesla Locations: Europe, Munich, Germany, BEIJING, Latin America, Shenzhen

☆ Tencent Cloud downplays AI hype when it comes to making games
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tencent Games was one of the exhibitors at ChinaJoy in Shanghai on July 26, 2024. BEIJING — When it comes to gaming, the use of ChatGPT-like generative artificial intelligence is still in an exploratory phase, according to Liang Chen, general manager of Tencent Cloud's internet industry department. Parent company Tencent is one of the world's largest gaming companies and owns U.S.-based Riot Games, home of popular titles such as League of Legends and Valorant. Chen said that AI has long been used by gaming companies for pattern recognition and other functions, but effective use of generative AI comes with high costs. OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot and similar technologies have enabled AI to better understand and generate content in a human-like way.

Persons: Liang Chen, Tencent, Chen, OpenAI's ChatGPT Organizations: Tencent, Games, of, CNBC Locations: ChinaJoy, Shanghai, BEIJING

☆ Major global chip equipment makers' China revenue share has doubled since U.S. imposed export controls
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — Four of the world's largest semiconductor equipment manufacturers, including ASML , have seen the share of their China revenue more than double since late 2022, Bank of America analysts said in a report Monday. "China accelerated its purchase of semi manufacturing equipment since the U.S. imposed tighter export restrictions in October 2022, aiming to develop its own semi manufacturing capability," the report said. The research found the companies' China revenue more than doubled from 17% of their total revenue in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 41% in the first quarter of 2024. The U.S. in October 2022 started imposing sweeping export controls on U.S. sales of advanced semiconductors and related manufacturing equipment to China. Last week, Bloomberg reported, citing sources, that the Biden administration was considering broader restrictions on semiconductor equipment exports to China that could affect non-U.S. companies.

Persons: Biden Organizations: BEIJING, Bank of America, Lam Research, KLA Corp, Materials, Bloomberg, VanEck Semiconductor Locations: China, U.S, Beijing

☆ Elon Musk says he expects China to approve Full Self-Driving by the end of the year
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tesla China sales fell by 5.4% in the first half of the year, although the company retained third place in new energy vehicle sales, behind BYD and Geely, according to the China Passenger Car Association. BEIJING — Tesla CEO Elon Musk has again touted the impending rollout of advanced driver-assist software in China, after reporting another quarter of disappointing earnings. "Pretty soon, we will ask for regulatory approval of the Tesla-supervised FSD in Europe, China and other countries. China accounts for about 22% of Tesla's sales. Musk in April had said rollout to China "may be possible very soon," according to his response to a question on X.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk Organizations: China Passenger Car Association, BEIJING —, Tesla, Beijing Locations: China, Europe, United States, Canada

☆ Here's why China was largely unaffected by Friday's IT outage
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The main reason why is that local Chinese companies basically do not use CrowdStrike products, so they are not affected," Gao said. Chinese state media also said Friday evening that international flights at Beijing's two airports were running normally, and that Air China , China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines had not been affected by large-scale technical system failures. Microsoft products are widely used in China — Windows had about 87% of personal computer shipments in the mainland last year, according to Canalys. Microsoft products Office 365 and Azure cloud are operated in China by a local company called 21Vianet . Why don't Chinese companies use CrowdStrike?

Persons: Pempel, Gao Feng, Gao, China — Organizations: REUTERS, Gartner, CNBC, Air, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Microsoft, Windows, Weibo Locations: REUTERS BEIJING, U.S, China, Texas, United States, Europe, Air China, Beijing

☆ Xiaomi launches first flip phone at just over $800, with a $70 portable printer
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi on Friday launched its first flip phone alongside an upgraded version of its foldable. BEIJING — Xiaomi on Friday launched its first flip phone with the ability to print pictures instantly using a separately sold portable printer. The Chinese company also released the latest version of its folding phone, the Mix Fold 4, at the same price as the prior version at 8,999 yuan. At the product launch, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun described how the Mix Fold 4 could handle simultaneous translation with one language on each side of the screen. Lei announced Friday that Xiaomi aimed in the next decade to have the fastest four-door electric car to drive the Nurburgring race track in Germany, with tests of a new SU7 race car version starting in October.

Persons: Preorders, Lei Jun, Lei, Xiaomi's, Xiaomi Organizations: Xiaomi, CNBC Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, Germany, Geely

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