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☆ FBI shuts down China's 'Volt Typhoon' hackers targeting U.S. infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Justice Department and FBI identified the attacks and shut down aspects of the Volt Typhoon malware, Wray said. Microsoft in May warned that Volt Typhoon hackers had been active since 2021 and were targeting U.S. cyber infrastructure. The hacks have become increasingly sophisticated, Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said at the hearing. She explained that Chinese hackers are able to "live within a computer's operating system" in a way that makes them difficult to identify. In July, Chinese hackers also compromised the email accounts of the U.S. ambassador to China and other officials.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Wray, they're, that's, Shou Zi Chew Organizations: FBI, Justice Department, Microsoft, Infrastructure Security Agency, Communist Party, NBC News, British Locations: China, U.S, London, Taiwan

☆ Exclusive: Xi promised Biden China wouldn’t interfere in 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In a meeting this past weekend in Bangkok with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan again brought up the topic. Wang offered Sullivan the same assurance Xi had given Biden months prior — that Beijing would not meddle in the American election this fall, the source said. The White House National Security Council declined to comment on whether election interference came up in the Biden-Xi and Sullivan-Wang meetings. CNN has reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment. Last week, a senior National Security Agency official told reporters that the agency had not yet seen signs of any notable new foreign influence operations aimed at the 2024 election.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Wang, Sullivan, Hillary Clinton’s, ”, “, Chris Krebs, ” Krebs, Brendan Smialowski, Antony Blinken, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand Organizations: CNN, Chinese Foreign, Democratic National Committee, FBI, Justice Department, White House National Security, Biden, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Microsoft, of, National Security Agency, US, Infrastructure Security, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Getty Locations: China, California, Bangkok, Beijing, Taiwan, Russia, Iran, Asia, Woodside , California, AFP, Washington, Chinese

☆ Taiwan's political disrupter could be kingmaker in a split parliament. Here's why it matters
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Taiwan People's Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je speaks during an interview in New Taipei City on December 12, 2023. He urged his disappointed young supporters, some of them crying, not to give up, and framed himself as a one-man social movement crusading for political change. Since this social movement has not fully materialized, let's keep working hard," the former Taipei City Mayor told supporters in Mandarin. That kind of populist messaging appeals to people who feel like Taiwan's current economic and political system is not benefiting them. Taiwan's young and restlessIn any case, Taiwan's two major parties now face a battle to cater to younger voters that could come at the expense of older votes or a focus on broader strategic interests.

Persons: Ko Wen, Cheng, we'll, Ko, let's, Wei, Ting Yen, Sara Newland, Taiwan's, Newland, Lai Ching, Taiwan People's Party —, —, Yuan, Beijing's, Tsai Ing, Annice Lyn, Xi Jinping, Lily, Hwa CHENG, HWA CHENG, Ho Organizations: Taiwan People's Party, AFP, Getty, TAIPEI, Taipei City Mayor, Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang, Franklin, Marshall College, CNBC, Sara Newland Smith, Ko's, Taipei, KMT, Smith College, National Taiwan University, Democratic, Chinese Communist Party, HWA, Afp, Sunflower Movement Locations: Taiwan, New Taipei City, China, Taipei, Xinzhuang, AFP

☆ Taiwan's new president will face a divided parliament. Here's why it matters
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A kid runs across the flag of Taiwan banner during the announcement of official results on January 13, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan. While Lai won the presidential election on Saturday with 40% of the popular vote, his DPP lost 10 seats in Taiwan's parliament from its previous 61, giving up its majority. Taiwan's president- and vice president-elect from the Democratic Progressive Party Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Bi-khim standing along several party's heavyweight on the central stage in Taipei on Janauary 13, 2024 to celebrate victory in Taiwan's 8th presidential election. The Chinese Communist Party has refused to engage with outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen since she assumed office in 2016. Supporters attend the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) campaign rally on January 12, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan.

Persons: Sawayasu Tsuji, Lai Ching, Han Kuo, rancor, —, Lai, Timothy S, Rich, Sara Newland, TPP, Tsai, Gabriel Wildau, Democratic Progressive Party Lai Ching, Hsiao, Alberto Buzzola, Tsai Ing, Ting Yen Franklin Organizations: Getty, TAIPEI —, Taiwan People's Party, Democratic Progressive Party, Beijing Kuomintang, Kuomintang, KMT, TPP, Rich Western Kentucky University, Smith College, Lightrocket, Chinese Communist Party, Marshall College China, DPP, Chinese Communist Party officials, Taiwan Straits, Western Kentucky University, Supporters Locations: Taiwan, Taipei, China, Taiwan's, Beijing

☆ China skeptic Lai Ching-te wins Taiwan's presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Taiwan's President-elect Lai Ching-te (left) gestures beside his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim during a rally outside the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taipei on January 13, 2024, after winning the presidential election. The outcome of the presidential election on Saturday riled Beijing, which has repeatedly labeled Lai as a "stubborn worker for Taiwan independence" and a dangerous separatist. Annabelle Chih | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesDPP's Lai — Taiwan's current vice-president — won more than 40% of the popular vote in Taiwan's eighth presidential election. DPP is the first party to win the presidential office three times in row since direct presidential elections were introduced in 1996. This year, 71.9% of all eligible voters cast their ballots for the presidential election, according to preliminary data from Taiwan's Central Election Commission.

Persons: Lai Ching, Hsiao Bi, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Lai, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Annabelle Chih, DPP's Lai, Taiwan's, —, Beijing's, Hou, Ko Wen, Chen Binhua, Chen, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, Ko, Wei, Ting Yen Organizations: Democratic Progressive Party, AFP, Getty, TAIPEI, Saturday, Beijing, Chinese Communist Party, DPP, KMT, Chinese Communist Party officials, Democratic Progressive, Kuomintang, Taiwan People's Party, Taiwan's, Taiwan Affairs Office, State Council, CNBC, Franklin, Marshall College, Taiwan's DPP Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, China, U.S, Taiwan Strait, Beijing, Taiwan —, Republic of China, Xinhua, United States

☆ Vote counting begins in closely watched Taiwan election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

With China intensifying its rhetoric on its claim over Taiwan, global observers are billing this Taiwan election as highly pivotal for security in the Asia-Pacific at a time of testy U.S.-China relations. If Lai and Hsiao win the Jan. 13 vote for the Taiwan presidential office, it would mark the first time any political party has stayed in office for more than two consecutive terms since Taiwan introduced direct presidential elections in 1996. Campaign posters for various legislative member candidates in Taipei, Taiwan, on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. China's Taiwan affairs office has characterized the self-ruled island's election as a choice between "peace and war, prosperity and decline." "China has always meddled whenever there is an election in Taiwan, but this time, it's the most serious."

Persons: Hou Yu, Hei Leung, Ko Wen, policymaking, Tsai Ing, Ko, Cynthia Wu, Jing Bo, jiun, Sam Yeh, Jing, Tsai, Lai Ching, Hsiao, United States —, Lai, Timothy S, Rich, Jaw Shaw, kong, Hou, Kevin Luo, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Rong Xu, Democratic Progressive Party Lai Ching, Yasuyoshi Chiba, DPP's Lai, Weeks Organizations: ih, Anadolu, Getty, Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang, Taiwan People's Party, China, Local, KMT, Taiwan Studies, University of Oxford, AFP, Taiwan, Rich Western Kentucky University, Taiwan's National Police Agency, New, DPP, University of Minnesota, Western Kentucky University, U.S, China -, APEC, CNBC, Former U.S, Bloomberg, Taiwan's DPP, Beijing, Cross Straits Service Locations: Taichung, Taiwan, Taipei, Asia, Pacific, U.S, China, Hsinchu, United States, Overconfidence, New Taipei City, China - U.S, Beijing, Taiwan Strait, Kaohsiung

☆ Moody's cuts China credit outlook, citing lower growth, property risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] A Chinese national flag flutters at the headquarters of a commercial bank on a financial street near the headquarters of the People's Bank of China, China's central bank, in central Beijing November 24, 2014. "The outlook change also reflects the increased risks related to structurally and persistently lower medium-term economic growth and the ongoing downsizing of the property sector," Moody's said. "Moody's concerns about China's economic growth prospects, fiscal sustainability and other aspects are unnecessary," the ministry said. STRUGGLING FOR TRACTIONMost analysts believe China's growth is on track to hit the government's target of around 5% this year, but that compares with a COVID-weakened 2022 and activity is highly uneven. Analysts widely agree that China's growth is downshifting from breakneck expansion in the past few decades.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Moody's, Ken Cheung, Pan Gongsheng, COVID, Goldman Sachs, Gnaneshwar Rajan, Kevin Yao, Tom Hogue, Kim Coghill Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, Mizuho Bank, Economic Work Conference, Fitch, China's Finance Ministry, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Hong Kong, China, outflows, Bengaluru

On Nov. 18, China’s Ministry of Public Security announced that authorities in northern Myanmar had handed over some 31,000 suspects. The Kokang Self-Administered Zone and the Wa Self-Administered Division both share a border with China and are heavily influenced by their bigger neighbor. The Ming family are not the only powerful Kokang families caught up in the drive. Wa police handed 194 Chinese nationals to Chinese authorities on Nov. 28, according to Wa's state media, Voice of Wa State. Others say that China is showing it won't tolerate the scams anymore, regardless of how powerful are the people behind them.

Persons: ”, Lu Jiantang, Jason Tower, Ming, Hu Xijin, ” Hu, Wei Qingtao, they’ll, ” Wei, Liu Zhengqi, Ming Xuechang, Kokang, Yin Masan, MNDAA, cyberscammers, Richard Horsey, “, Bai Suocheng, Li Kyar Wen, It’s, Wanqing Chen Organizations: China’s Ministry of Public Security, U.S . Congress, United States Institute of Peace, Communist Party, China’s Communist Party, CCTV, Global Times, of Public Security, Fully, Wa Construction Ministry, Wa Communist Party, Brotherhood Alliance, Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, National Liberation Army, International Crisis Locations: BANGKOK, China, Myanmar, “, Wa, Kokang, Yunnan, Wa State, Shan, Arakan, cyberscams, Beijing

☆ Minnie Chan: Media groups raise concerns following report of ‘missing’ Hong Kong journalist in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Press freedom groups are voicing concern for veteran Hong Kong journalist Minnie Chan following a news report that she went missing after traveling to Beijing to cover a security forum in late October. The association, a trade union which advocates for press freedom, called for friends or relatives with information to get in touch. Chan is a highly regarded journalist in Hong Kong and among international audiences who closely follow China news. China ranks 179 out of 180 in the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index. It is the world’s largest captor of journalists and press freedom defenders with at least 121 detained, according to the organization.

Persons: Hong, Minnie Chan, “, Chan, ”, Cheng Lei, Haze Fan Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Press, Protect Journalists, Kyodo, China Morning, Beijing ”, China’s Foreign, Hong Kong Journalists Association, Bloomberg News, China Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Hangzhou

☆ Trump’s avalanche of dishonesty: Fact-checking 102 of his false claims from this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +111 min

Below is a fact check of 102 of Trump’s false claims from the 12 speeches. But contrary to Trump’s claim, it’s not true that people had been attempting for decades to create such an initiative. Trump’s aid to farmersIn speech after speech, Trump claimed that he had given US farmers $28 billion from China. Even if the poll result is off, it’s clear that Trump’s claim that “nobody wants them” is not true. He said he was an airline pilot.”Facts First: Trump made a false claim while mocking Biden for making false claims.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, “, ”, Mexico’s, ‘ Trump, Defense Department –, ” Theresa Cardinal Brown, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, ” Trump, I’ve, Todd Harrison, Harrison, It’s, Trump’s, ” Ben Cahill, Nobody, Jimmy Carter’s, Barack Obama, isn’t, El Salvador –, Obama, we’d, Obama’s, Webster, Covid, Wuhan ”, They’d, they’d, you’d, Scott Gottlieb, ” Gottlieb, Trump Trump, it’s, Abraham, Aaron David Miller, Miller, Dana El Kurd, Qasem Soleimani, they’ve, we’re, We’re, ’, Iran haven’t, ” Matt Smith, Biden’s, Smith, Ali Vaez, Kpler, Biden Trump, Iran “, Democrats ”, that’s, Jimmy Carter, Carter “, Carter, ‘, Hillary Clinton, Kari Lake, Bill Gates, Gates, ” Chris Wallace, Chris Wallace, Hunter Biden, “ Chris Wallace, ‘ He’s, ‘ ” Trump, Wallace, “ you’re, “ Biden, ‘ You’re, Wallace interjected, Rather, you’ve, ’ ” Pavel Molchanov, Raymond James &, ” Molchanov, Tim Woody, Woody, autoworkers, CNN’s Ella Nilsen, Joe Biden’s, Erin Mellon, Gavin Newsom, Mellon, ” Vonette Fontaine, Biden “, CNN’s Matt Egan, Egan, ” Biden, Europe Trump, United Kingdom “, Brent, Pavel Molchanov, Raymond James, Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy, De Haan, Matt Smith, Matt Egan, Afghanistan Trump, we’ve, Krista Wiegand, Wiegand, ” Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Qasem, Bibi, Netanyahu, Soleimani, Asad, Mark Milley, Hezbollah Trump, Steven Cheung, John Kirby, Cheung, Kirby, Iran’s, ” Ali Vaez, Joseph Amon, Washington –, Faiq Zidan, Zidan’s, Zidan, Abu Mahdi al, China Trump, Ukraine Trump, Letitia James, James, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, You’re, Bragg, Colangelo, Tanya Chutkan, I’m, Jack Smith, Bill Clinton, That’s, everybody’s, Letitia James –, Al Capone’s, Al Capone, Capone, Brad Schwartz, CNN couldn’t, Schwartz, Eliot Ness, MAGA, “ MAGA, …, White, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Inflation Trump, Bacon, Joe, PolitiFact, Trump . Howard Gleckman Organizations: Washington CNN —, CNN, Republican, Trump Trump, Republican Jewish Coalition, Department, ISIS, Trump’s, Democratic, Congress, Defense Department, former Defense Department, Center, US Customs, Trump, American Enterprise Institute, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Energy Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US, IHS, Islamic, The State Department, Customs Enforcement, Policy Institute, ICE, El Salvador, ”, Merriam, The New York Times, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Abraham Accords, United Arab Emirates, West Bank, Hezbollah, State Department, Carnegie Endowment, International, Arab Center Washington DC, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force, Obama, US International Trade Commission, Washington Post, U.S . International Trade Commission, New England lobstermen, England lobstermen, Americas, Crisis, government’s Energy, Administration, Washington Free Beacon, Energy Information Administration, Democrats, Biden, Electoral, Georgia, Michigan, Carter, Democrats can’t, Republicans, Alabama, Arizona, Fox News, ” Energy, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Wildlife, Alaska Industrial Development, Export Authority, Raymond James & Associates, Wilderness Society, Cox Automotive, Pew Research Center, New York Times, National Oceanic, California Gov, California, American Petroleum Institute, Union, West, Energy, American Automobile Association, AAA, GasBuddy, New Hampshire, Houston, Keystone XL, Obama administration’s State Department, –, Foreign, Military, DoD, Afghan, Defense, Policy, Taiwan News, “, University of Tennessee’s Center for National Security, Foreign Affairs, Israeli, NBC, Jerusalem Post, Yahoo, Pentagon, ” CNN, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Post, National Security, Group, US government’s Defense Intelligence Agency, Narcotics Bureau, Global Health, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Justice Department, Washington, Judicial, Popular Mobilization Forces, Customs and, Middle East, Customs, Protection, CBP, Border Protection, Kiel Institute, European Union, New York, New, ExxonMobil, Trump University, Trump Foundation, Manhattan, Attorney, federal Justice Department, Department of Justice, Washington DC, Presidential Records, Presidential, Mar, Biden White, MAGA Republicans, Inflation, Heritage Foundation, Trump ., Brookings Tax, Urban Institute Locations: New Hampshire, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Iowa, Mexico, “, U.S, Houston, Iraq, Israel, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Nord, Germany, Russian, Trump’s, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, El, Washington, ”, ” In Texas, Covid, China, Wuhan, Italy, France, Abraham, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Palestine, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, New England, England, Kpler, Malaysia, Oregon, Alabama, Maricopa County, Arizona, Arizona’s, Moscow, Alaska, East, South Carolina, California, “ California, West Virginia, Virginia, United Kingdom, West Texas, “ U.S, Los Angeles, Venezuela, Mississippi , Louisiana, Canada, United States, Paris, Taiwan, “ China, Iranian, that’s, –, Singapore, Iraqi, San Diego, Kiel, York, Manhattan, York’s, Chicago, Philadelphia, Georgia, Qaeda

☆ Chinese celebrity chef vows to never cook egg fried rice again after nationalist backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

However, by attacking mentions of egg fried rice by famous chefs and other online influencers, the nationalist users have inadvertently promoted the very rumor their government is trying to quash. Celebrity chef Wang Gang says he won't make egg fried rice again. But can it be a coincidence every single time?” a comment said of Wang’s egg fried rice videos. But some have also come to Wang’s defense, noting that the chef has posted egg fried rice in other months throughout the year. “Why don’t we clearly stipulate a complete ban on eating and making egg fried rice in November, or simply retire egg fried rice from Chinese cruisine all togther,” another supporter quipped.

Persons: –, ” Wang Gang, Wang’s, ”, Wang, Mao Zedong’s, Mao Anying, Mao Anying’s, Wang Gang, Chef Wang, Yang Di, Mao, Xi Jinping, Luo Changping, Xi, “, ‘, ” Wang, Hu Xijin, ” Hu Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, People’s Liberation Army, Chinese Academy, Communist Party, Weibo, telegraphs, Fried, Daily, Global Times Locations: Hong Kong, China, Weibo, American, North Korea, Nanchang, Yangzhou, Sichuan

☆ Henry Kissinger, the towering American diplomat, dies at age 100
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Marty Steinberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +25 min

President Gerald Ford (left) and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger talk together in the Oval Office, February 19, 1975. In his 2001 book "The Trial of Henry Kissinger," social critic Christopher Hitchens called him a war criminal. North Vietnam's Le Duc Tho (left) and US National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger at the Paris peace talks, January 1973. Chairman Zedong of the People's Republic of China meets U. S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Nov. 12, 1973. On a helicopter during the period of shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East, Henry Kissinger talks to his wife, Nancy.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, —, Richard Nixon's, Kissinger, Richard Nixon, Richard Corkery, Duc Tho, Gerald Ford, Benjamin E, Ford, Warren Burger, Kissinger's, Paula, Gene, Forte, Seymour M, Hersh bashed Kissinger, Walter Isaacson's, Christopher Hitchens, Greg Grandin, Niall Ferguson, Kant, Clausewitz, Bismarck, Barry Gewen, Gewen, Elizabeth Holmes, Nixon, George Shultz, Holmes, Heinz Alfred Kissinger, Louis, Walter, Hitler, Kissingers, Fritz Kraemer, William Yandell Elliott, Spengler, Toynbee, Metternich, Castlereagh, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Mike Wallace, Wallace, Kennedy, Johnson, Republican Nelson Rockefeller, George Romney, Hubert Humphrey, Democratic Sen, George McGovern, McGovern, Nguyen Van Thieu, Reg Lancaster, Tho, Thieu, Mao, Gen, Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan, Nicolae Ceausescu, Zhou Enlai, Leonid Brezhnev, Andrei Gromyko, Dirck, Sen, Henry Jackson, Charles Vanik, Brezhnev, Spiro Agnew, Archibald Cox, Cox, Robert Bork, White, Alexander Haig, Anwar Sadat, David Hume Kennerly, Marxist Salvador Allende Gossens, Fidel Castro's, Martin Bernetti, Allende, Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, Pinochet, Ann Fleischer, Elizabeth, David, Nancy Maginnes, Rockefeller, Jill St, John, Candice Bergen, Shirley MacLaine, Liv Ullman, Diane Sawyer, , Napoleon, Nancy, David Rubinger, Maginnes, Moshe Dayan, Robert Dallek, Nixon's, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Paula Kissinger, Brooks Kraft Organizations: Gould, Kissinger Associates, National Security, Waldorf, Astoria, Richard Corkery | New York Daily, Forte, Soviets, State, Chief, New York, Theranos Inc, Economic, Nuremberg, George Washington High School, City College of New, Army, 84th Infantry Division, U.S ., Hesse . Harvard, Harvard, Confluence, Foreign, Eisenhower, Republican, Republican National Convention, Rockefeller and Michigan Gov, Democratic, District of Columbia, US National Security, Getty, Paris Peace, North, Nationalist, China, Bettmann, East Pakistan, of, U.S, Soviet Union ., Ballistic, Soviet, Washington, Egyptian Third Army, Department, West, Marxist, Museum, AFP, CIA, Israeli, Southern California Quaker, White, Partners, Power Locations: New York City, U.S, Connecticut, Richard Corkery | New, United States, Vietnam, Saigon, Viet, Soviet Union, Communist China, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Chile, Pakistan, Theranos, Ukraine, Russia, Davos, Switzerland, Fuerth, Germany, Bavarian, American, Nazi Germany, London, New York, City College of New York, Ahlem, Hanover, German, Krefeld, Hesse, Cambodia, Massachusetts, Haiphong, Paris, North, China, Washington, Taiwan, People's Republic of China, Beijing, Moscow, India, East, Bangladesh, Shanghai, USSR, Soviet, Kremlin, Dirck Halstead, Ohio, Saudi, Japan, Sinai, Alexandria, Cairo, Suez, Americas, Santiago, Cuba, Chilean, America, Europe, Virginia, Southern California

Local governments plan to use the proceeds of the latest bond sales to purchase equity or convertible bonds from smaller banks, most of them state-owned, effectively recapitalising them, according to the deal prospectuses. DEEPER IN DEBTThe intensified efforts to support smaller banks also come amid growing worries about the impact of ballooning local government debt on the economy. While policymakers are highly concerned over rising debt levels, Beijing has little option but to support smaller banks to contain spillover risks, analysts said. It was not immediately clear if the central authorities had given any guidance to the local governments on recapitalising smaller banks, and who were the buyers of these special-purpose bonds. "Local governments are a likely the first line of defense whenever regional banks become stressed," they said.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Gavekal, Zhang Xiaoxi, Pan Gongsheng, Ziyi Tang, Ryan Woo, Sumeet Chatterjee, Kim Coghill Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, Rights, China Electronic Local Government Bond, Authorities, National Financial Regulatory Administration, International Monetary Fund, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Rights BEIJING, China, Henan, China's, Liaoning, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia

☆ Chinese court starts hearing lawsuits against Malaysia Airlines over missing flight MH370
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Jiang Hui speaks with CNN in an interview in Beijing on November 21, 2023, days before a Chinese court began hearing lawsuits over the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. All of them are international companies headquartered outside China, though Malaysia Airlines, Boeing and Roll-Royce have offices in China. In Malaysia, two young boys who lost their father on the flight sued Malaysia Airlines for breach of contract and the Malaysian government for negligence in 2014. In China, families who signed a settlement agreement with Malaysian Airlines received 2.5 million yuan ($350,000) in compensation. Only a few dozen Chinese families signed initially, but over the years more have opted to settle.

Persons: Jiang Hui, Jiang Cuiyun, MH370, Jiang, ” Jiang, Royce, Covid, “, ”, – Organizations: Beijing CNN —, Malaysia Airlines Flight, CNN, Court, Maylasia Airlines, Boeing, Malaysia Airlines, Allianz, Rolls, Malaysian, Malaysian Airlines Locations: China, Beijing, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Chaoyang District, United States, Africa, Australia, Mauritius, Madagascar

Travellers walk with their suitcases at Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, China April 24, 2023. A recent Pew Research Center survey in 24 countries revealed that views of China were broadly negative, with 67% of adults expressing unfavourable views. Visa-free travel to Germany for Chinese nationals would only be possible if all members of the European Schengen Agreement approved, she said. This month, China expanded its visa-free transit policy to 54 countries to include citizens of Norway. It resumed 15-day visa-free entry for citizens of Singapore and Brunei in July.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Patricia Flor, Catherine Colonna, Wang Yi, Joe Cash, Ethan Wang, Ryan Woo, Christopher Cushing, Kim Coghill, Miral Organizations: Beijing Daxing International, REUTERS, Rights, Pew Research Center, Visa, French, Chamber of Commerce, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Taiwan, Norway, Singapore, Brunei

☆ Crypto scam: Inside the billion-dollar ‘pig-butchering’ industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

Of that, at least $9.1 million came from a crypto wallet that U.S. blockchain analysis firm TRM Labs said was linked to pig-butchering scams. Neither did the Thai government, the Thai police or the Bangkok-based trade group Wang represented, the Thai-Asia Economic Exchange Trade Association. The crypto account registered to Wang was held at Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, according to three blockchain analysis firms. In April, the U.S. Department of Justice said it seized about $112 million worth of crypto linked to pig-butchering scams, without identifying suspects. The crypto account in Wang’s name was registered in November 2020, according to the financial records Reuters reviewed.

Persons: Wang Yicheng, Wang, Emma, Lisa Wolk, Erin West, Jessica Jung, West, “ I’ve, Jeremy Douglas, Binance, Bitmain, ” Organizations: Thai, Reuters, TRM Labs, Asia Economic Exchange Trade Association, U.S . Federal Bureau of Investigation, Secret Service, FBI, Secret, Global, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S . Treasury, United Nations Office, Drugs, Workers, KK Park, Commerce Company, Cultural Exchange Center, Overseas, United, Washington, Cultural Exchange Locations: California, Bangkok, Thai, Asia, Southeast Asia, U.S, Binance, United States, Thailand, China, Myanmar, KK, Ningbo, China’s, Xiamen

☆ Fear is driving Chinese travelers away from two of Asia’s most popular destinations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Shalbha Sarda | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

But both are losing ground with Chinese nationals as safety concerns rise among younger travelers. Both countries were the top choices for Chinese holidaymakers earlier this year but fell in the third quarter — Thailand to No. 8 — according to the marketing company China Trading Desk, which gauges Chinese travel sentiment on a quarterly basis. Both countries now lag behind South Korea, Malaysia and Australia in terms of Chinese travelers' next vacation destinations, with Singapore — deemed one of the safest places for travelers in 2023 — rising to the top spot. The World Health Organization and other safety groups have said seafood from Japan is safe to eat, but fears among Chinese travelers have "turned one of their most popular destinations into one of their least popular," Bhatt said.

Persons: Singapore —, Subramania Bhatt, Bhatt, Pia Oberoi, Oberoi, There's Organizations: China Trading, China, World Health Organization, United Nations, United Nations Human Rights, High, Afp, Getty, ASEAN, CNBC Locations: Japan, Thailand, Asia, Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Thailand —, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Southeast, South Asia, China, Taiwan, America, Pacific, perpetrating, Thu, People's Republic of China

☆ Myanmar military, insurgents battle over port town
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Myanmar military soldiers who have surrendered to the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force ride in the back of a vehicle in Loikaw, Myanmar, in this still image taken from video released November 15, 2023. "In the evening, junta troops came into the town and shot and killed civilians," the alliance said. Three rebel groups, aligned with pro-democracy fighters and a parallel, pro-democracy civilian government, have captured several towns and military posts across the country. Junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun accused the rebel alliance of trying to get China's support for their cause. Junta state media said on Friday it had handed three Chinese nationals accused of running scams over to China, while a fourth suspect shot himself after being captured.

Persons: Zaw Min Tun, Kanupriya Kapoor, Robert Birsel Organizations: Myanmar, Karenni Nationalities Defense Force, REUTERS Acquire, Brotherhood Alliance, Reuters, Arakan Army, AA, Nations, Junta, Thomson Locations: Loikaw, Myanmar, Bengal, Pauktaw, Rakhine State, Myanmar's, Yangon, Shan State, China, Southeast Asia, India

☆ Analysis: Xi signals shift in tone for China on US – but can it last?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

This reversal comes as China grapples with a troubled economy and is keen to highlight Xi as a powerful and capable world leader. Xi’s opticsOn Chinese state media and across social media platforms, where the hashtag #Planet-Earth-Is-Big-Enough-For-Both-China-And-The-US was trending, the broad perception appeared to be of a job well done. The positive coverage of the event was a break from the typical rhetoric critical of the US that often plays across Chinese state and social media. US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping walk together during their bilateral meeting. “China will eventually achieve reunification, and will inevitably achieve reunification,” Xi was quoted as saying — another line that was also trending on Chinese social media following the meeting.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Biden, ”, Antony Blinken, Mao Ning, It’s, Xi, “, Xi’s, Alfred Wu, Lee, Wang Yi, Wang, ” Wang, ” Xi, Tim Cook, Elon Musk, Brendan Smialowski, Liu Dongshu, Biden’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Foreign Ministry, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public Policy, China’s, Economic Cooperation, Apple, Tesla, Getty, Communist Party, Beijing, City University of Hong Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Beijing, Washington, Bay, San Francisco Bay Area, Taiwan, Singapore, California, America, Asia, AFP, City University of Hong Kong

☆ Thailand drops joint patrols with Chinese police after public backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBANGKOK, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Thailand rolled back on Tuesday plans of joint patrols with Chinese police in popular tourist spots after public backlash. Tourism officials on Sunday floated the idea of having Chinese and Thai police patrol much-visited areas to build confidence among tourists, including Chinese nationals. "There are many alternative ways to build confidence for tourists in Thailand ... but we will not have joint patrols," Tourism Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol told reporters on Tuesday. "The Thai police force is already adequate and are working hard to restore confidence," Sudawan said. Restoring confidence is critical for Thailand's tourism industry, especially among Chinese visitors.

Persons: Helen Yi, Jorge Silva, Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, Sudawan, Chayut Setboonsarng, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Tourism, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, Siam, Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK

Here are six takeaways from the third GOP presidential primary debate:Foreign policy takes center stageOn Israel’s war with Hamas, there was little disagreement between the five candidates. “I am going to send troops to our southern border.”It was like Tuesday night never happenedJust like in the second debate, abortion concerns didn’t make it into the first more than 90 minutes of the program. The biotech entrepreneur came out swinging against the media, Haley, the debate moderators, the media, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, DeSantis and the Florida governor’s boots. Instead, the former South Carolina governor spent much of the debate sparring with Ramaswamy. During the Simi Valley debate, Haley said during a discussion about the app that she felt “dumber” every time she heard him speak.

Persons: Nikki Haley’s, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott’s, Glenn Youngkin, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Trump, Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, “, Chris Christie, Bibi, ” DeSantis, ’ ” Haley, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Ramaswamy, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, ” Christie, Hitler, Scott, ” Haley, Roe, Wade, DeSantis, you’ve, ”, Christie, Tuesday’s, framers, let’s, China DeSantis, We’ve, we’ve, ” Haley wasn’t, DeSantis ’, Ron, Ken Griffin, Ronna McDaniel, McDaniel, Lester Holt, Kristin Welker, Salem, Hugh Hewitt, Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Dick Cheney, “ We’ve, That’s, TikTok, Lindsey Graham, he’s, “ That’s, Christie didn’t Organizations: CNN, South Carolina Gov, South, Virginia Gov, GOP, Florida Gov, Former New Jersey Gov, Tuesday’s, Confucius Institutes, Citadel, “, Republican, NBC, America, Trump, United Nations Locations: Miami, Israel, Iran, China, South Carolina, ”, Former, Gaza, United States, Ukraine, Europe, Mexico, Florida, Ohio, Kansas , Michigan, California , Vermont, Iowa, Virginia, Roe, “, Simi Valley , California, Korea, Beijing, Simi

Dozens of international and private schools in China are closing or merging, industry executives said, weighed down by tighter regulation, a slowing economy and dwindling foreign student numbers. A rapid expansion prior to the COVID-19 pandemic drove a surge of privately run bilingual schools in China offering a western exam curriculum. Dulwich College operates nine schools in China including bilingual schools catering to Chinese nationals that have been hit hardest by regulatory changes. It mandated that Chinese compulsory education be taught in private schools, aligning the curriculum more closely to public schools and making parents question the need to pay private school fees when their children can attend free government schools. Authorities have also moved to control the number of private schools.

Persons: Aly, Julian Fisher, Fisher, Dulwich, Xi, It's, Frank Feng, Jimmy Chin, Nicholas Burns, Mathias Boyer, Casey, Roxanne Liu, Dorothy Kam, Muralikumar Organizations: REUTERS, Dulwich College, Venture Education, Strategic, Education, Motion, Dulwich, British, Authorities, Dulwich's, Victoria Kid House, Western International School of, Everpine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, University of Science, Technology of, International School of Beijing, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, British, Asia, China's, Beijing, Dulwich, Singapore, South Korea, U.S, Britain, Canada, Lucton, Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen, Eton, Guangzhou, Western International School of Shanghai, Xi'an, Technology of China, Anhui, Hong Kong

☆ Private Schools Rethink China Future After Flunking Growth Test
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Dozens of international and private schools in China are closing or merging, industry executives said, weighed down by tighter regulation, a slowing economy and dwindling foreign student numbers. Dulwich College operates nine schools in China including bilingual schools catering to Chinese nationals that have been hit hardest by regulatory changes. Strategic plans for growth of its high schools in China were "scaled back in light of changing government regulations", Dulwich said in its 2022 annual report. Authorities have also moved to control the number of private schools. Dozens of schools, from kindergartens to high schools, have shut or stalled in the past two years.

Persons: Farah Master, Kane Wu, Julian Fisher, Fisher, Dulwich, Xi, It's, Frank Feng, Jimmy Chin, Nicholas Burns, Mathias Boyer, Casey, Roxanne Liu, Dorothy Kam, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: Reuters, Dulwich College, Venture Education, Strategic, Education, Motion, Dulwich, British, Authorities, Dulwich's, Victoria Kid House, Western International School of, Everpine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, University of Science, Technology of, International School of Beijing, Casey Hall Locations: Kane Wu HONG KONG, British, China, Asia, China's, Beijing, Dulwich, Singapore, South Korea, U.S, Britain, Canada, Shanghai, Lucton, Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen, Eton, Guangzhou, Western International School of Shanghai, Xi'an, Technology of China, Anhui, Hong Kong

☆ Philippine police hunt for six kidnapped Chinese nationals
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Damir Sagolj Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Philippine authorities were trying to track the whereabouts of six Chinese nationals who were abducted in the capital region this week, police said on Thursday. Police anti-kidnapping chief Cosme Abrenica said authorities were investigating the abduction of nine people on Monday in an upscale neighbourhood in southern Metro Manila. Six of the victims were Chinese, who remain missing, and three were Filipino who were released shortly after they were abducted. Abrenica did not disclose the identities of the victims or give any details on their status in the Philippines. The Chinese embassy in Manila said it had noted a request from Reuters for comment.

Persons: Carlos Dominguez, Gao Hucheng, Damir Sagolj, Cosme Abrenica, it's, Abrenica, Philip Aguilar, Mikhail Flores, Robert Birsel Organizations: Philippine, China's, REUTERS, Rights, Police, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights MANILA, Metro Manila, Philippines, Calauan, Manila

☆ Philippine Police Hunt for Six Kidnapped Chinese Nationals
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine authorities were trying to track the whereabouts of six Chinese nationals who were abducted in the capital region this week, police said on Thursday. Police anti-kidnapping chief Cosme Abrenica said authorities were investigating the abduction of nine people on Monday in an upscale neighbourhood in southern Metro Manila. Six of the victims were Chinese, who remain missing, and three were Filipino who were released shortly after they were abducted. Abrenica did not disclose the identities of the victims or give any details on their status in the Philippines. The Chinese embassy in Manila said it had noted a request from Reuters for comment.

Persons: Cosme Abrenica, it's, Abrenica, Philip Aguilar, Mikhail Flores, Robert Birsel Organizations: Police, Reuters Locations: MANILA, Metro Manila, Philippines, Calauan, Manila, China

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